22 Years Later, Japan’s Top Manga That Outsold Bleach Is Getting a New Anime Series

While Tite Kubo’s Bleach remains an undisputed global phenomenon, with over 130 million copies in circulation (as per Shueisha), Osamu Akimoto’s legendary comedy giant KochiKame comfortably sits ahead of it with more than 150 million copies in circulation (as per the Shueisha Media Guide and Oricon).

Now, KochiKame is officially getting a brand-new anime adaptation (as per the official anime website), and it is going to be its first full-scale broadcast revival in over 20 years. The project brings back the iconic chaotic energy of the Kameari Park Front Police Box for a whole new generation, with new voices and animations that even the original creator commented on.

When Will the New KochiKame Anime Officially Air?

While the new KochiKame anime project is officially underway, exact broadcast scheduling details remain tightly under wraps. So far, it is confirmed that the new anime is slated to premiere within a designated 2027 broadcast window on Fuji TV. This release window was revealed at the end of the official PV on YouTube.

Because specific seasonal release dates – such as Spring or Fall slots – are still unknown, fans can expect concrete premiere timing and global streaming availability announcements to roll out closer to the official premiere window.

KochiKame’s Huge Success in Sales Against Bleach

The true scale of KochiKame’s dominance is best reflected in Shueisha’s official historic sales metrics. Back in February 2014, Shueisha released an official Media Guide that had a breakdown of the top-selling Weekly Shōnen Jump manga of all time.

When Shueisha released its official historic sales breakdown, KochiKame stood firmly in the top three with an astounding 157.2 million copies in print – comfortably surpassing Bleach, which sat at 82.07 million copies during the same period.

Even though Tite Kubo’s Bleach eventually crossed the 130 million mark worldwide in 2022, it still hasn’t matched KochiKame’s 2014 domestic numbers. One factor contributing to this can be that both manga coincidentally concluded in 2016; KochiKame had a massive head start, beginning its historic run in 1976 compared to Bleach’s 2001 debut.

Original Creator’s Comment About New Art and Voices

Osamu Akimoto officially shared his excitement for the anime revival (as per the official anime website):

While the picture is evolving like now, it is interesting with the same impactful images as usual, and I am excited to see what kind of incident will happen this time. I also feel happy when I hear the voices of both of them, Nakagawa, Reiko, and the chief managers, and the lively police station members come back. I’m looking forward to the broadcast.

It’s a short comment, but it says a lot: after nearly three decades of KochiKame being synonymous with one specific voice cast, even Akimoto himself is treating this reboot as something worth being surprised by.

It is a big deal for a franchise built on 373 episodes of a single, unbroken cast identity, and the fact that the creator is framing this cast change with curiosity rather than caution says something about how much confidence Shueisha and ADK have in the new lineup.

Do you think the reboot will succeed in introducing Ryotsu to a brand-new generation? Let us know what you think in the comments.