Authored by Osamu Akimoto, the iconic manga series "KochiKame: This Is the Police Station in Front of Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward," which ran for 40 years in Jump, surprised many fans this year at Jump Festa 2026 with the announcement of a brand-new anime project, "New KochiKame" (provisional title, 新こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所).
However, the new anime is set to feature an entirely new voice cast. Lasalle Ishii (ラサール 石井), who voiced protagonist Kankichi Ryotsu for decades, took to X on the 26th to address the recast. He clarified that the change has no connection to his current political career as a House of Councillors member, urging against online speculation.
Ishii Akio, known by his stage name Lasalle Ishii, was elected as a Social Democratic Party member of the House of Councillors this July. Having voiced Kankichi Ryotsu since the "KochiKame" TV anime first aired in 1996, he stated:
"'KochiKame' is getting a new anime, and this time, the voice cast will be completely renewed. Recently, some people have been saying that I was replaced because I became a Diet member, but that's not true. I actually knew about this two years ago. The reason given was 'character rejuvenation.' To be honest, I was a bit shocked at the time, but I accepted it gracefully."
He also added: "If I had been confirmed to continue voicing the role, I wouldn't have run for election. The fact that I could no longer voice Kankichi Ryotsu was one of the reasons that pushed me to run."
Naturally, for many fans, the original voice acting and anime are already classics, so a complete overhaul will inevitably invite comparisons with the old version.
However, this explanation reveals that the official team had decided to produce a new anime at least two years ago and had already discussed the transition with the original voice actors. It will be interesting to see who will be cast in the new roles.
via： 拉沙爾石井官方X