Jesse of the popular group SixTONES appeared at the premiere screening of "Sgt. Sgt. Frog Revival and Immediate Earth Destruction!" (directed by Yuichi Fukuda, opening June 26) held in Tokyo on June 3. In this theatrical anime of "Sgt. Frog," the first in approximately 16 years, Jesse voiced two original characters, the Keronian brothers Arle and Deruru. He greeted the audience by saying, "I played Arle and Deruru, I'm 'Jeruru'," which delighted the crowd.
When asked about the roles he played, he jokingly said, "I played 'Meruru' and 'Paruru'," and then added, "I tried to change my voice a bit and focused on how to avoid sounding like Jesse. I like Deruru. Aruru's voice is a little similar to my natural voice, but I think people who only watch variety shows wouldn't know it when I'm speaking. I worked hard to make my voice appealing to children."
Director Fukuda highlighted a point of interest, saying, "When I asked him to 'do it in a cool voice,' there are parts where it sounds like he's imitating someone."
Jesse appealed, "This is an upgraded version of the song, so please spread the word about 'Jessiejess'!"
"Sgt. Frog. Frog" is a gag manga depicting the daily life of Keroro, an alien based on a frog who aims to invade Earth, as he spends time at the home of a young Earth boy named Fuyuki. The one-shot "Sgt. Frog" was published in "Bessatsu Newtype" (KADOKAWA) in 1998, and the serialization began in "Monthly Shonen Ace" (also KADOKAWA) in 1999. The TV anime aired from April 2004 to March 2011 for about seven years, and the series has been adapted into a wide range of media, including five theatrical anime films.
Voice actress Kumiko Watanabe, singer and TV personality Ano-san (known as "Ano-chan"), and Shinobu Hasegawa from the comedy duo Sissonne also attended the event.
