It has been revealed that Kazuyuki Okitsu will voice the father and Fumiko Orikasa will voice the mother in "Little Third Grader Ashibe QQ Gomachan," a TV anime based on the latest installment of Hiromi Morishita's popular manga series "Shonen Ashibe." A still from the first episode, "I've Become a Third Grader," has also been released.
Okitsu commented, "I will be voicing the dad. With the laid-back, adult perspective that only a dad can have, I will dote on Goma-chan along with everyone else. The kids are very energetic and always smiling during the recording. Please enjoy Ashibe the 3rd grader!!!"
Orikasa said, "Mom's way of watching over her family is a little quirky, but she's a character who deeply appreciates and cherishes the small joys of everyday life. I'm also putting a lot of love into playing her, as I'm really touched by Goma-chan's squeaking. I hope this will bring more moments of smiles to everyone's faces...♪"
"Shonen Ashibe" is a manga that depicts the daily life of Goma-chan, a baby spotted seal, and his owner, a young boy named Ashiya Ashibe. The first installment of "Shonen Ashibe" began serialization in "Weekly Young Jump" (Shueisha) in 1988.
"Little Third Grader Ashibe QQ Gomachan" is a manga series that has been serialized in "Manga Action" (Futabasha) since March 2020. It features Ashiya Ashibe, Sugao-kun and Gomachan, now in the third grade of elementary school. The anime is produced by DLE, known for works such as "Secret Society Eagle Talon" and "Nohara Hiroshi Hirumeshi no Ryugi". Misato Matsuoka voices Ashibe and Kanzuki Yuria voices Gomachan. It will be broadcast every Sunday at 7am starting April 12th as part of TV Tokyo's new program "Animori!" which specializes in short anime.
