It's a huge year for "Sgt. Frog"! To celebrate the anime's 20th anniversary, fans are getting not one, but two major treats: a brand-new movie, "Sgt. Frog the Movie: The Earth is in Mortal Peril as Soon as We Come Back!", which is the first film in 16 years, and a completely new TV anime series titled "Sgt. Frog☆".
Today, September 7, the official announcement dropped: "Sgt. Frog☆" is set to begin airing on October 3. This marks the first new "Sgt. Frog" TV anime in a whopping 15 and a half years, following the last new broadcast in March 2011. Alongside the premiere date, the series also unveiled its fresh new voice cast and the very first promotional video.
Previously, it was announced that this new series would feature an entirely new voice cast. Now, the official team has shared comments from the five new voice actors of the KERORO Platoon, expressing their thoughts on taking over these iconic roles.
While the new movie, "Sgt. Frog the Movie: The Earth is in Mortal Peril as Soon as We Come Back!", which premiered this past June, still features the original voice cast, the new TV anime will officially pass the torch to the fresh lineup.
The new generation of voice actors includes Makoto Koichi as Sergeant KERORO, Rika Nagae as Private TAMAMA, Toshiki Masuda as Corporal GIRORO, Co-suke Echigoya as Sergeant Major KURURU, and Keishi Inomata as Lance Corporal DORORO.
The official announcement regarding the change, titled "New TV Anime 'Sgt. Frog' Voice Actor Replacement Notice," clarified the decision. It stated that the new TV anime "Sgt. Frog" would feature a completely new voice cast, including all characters, not just the KERORO Platoon.
The reason for this extensive recast, as explained by the production team, is that the new "Sgt. Frog" anime is being produced from the ground up, starting from scratch. The official statement also extended heartfelt gratitude to the previous voice actors who brought these characters to life, acknowledging their long-standing support and how they helped these characters grow into beloved figures worldwide. "For this, we are truly grateful to everyone," the statement read.
With "Sgt. Frog" returning to TV after 15 and a half years and a complete overhaul of its main voice cast, it's undoubtedly a massive change for long-time fans. Whether this new iteration can deliver an outstanding performance is definitely something fans will be keeping a close eye on.
"Sgt. Frog☆" kicks off in October. We'll just have to wait for the premiere to see how the new voice cast interprets these classic characters!
▼ "Sgt. Frog☆" First Promotional Video
STAFF
Original Work: Mine Yoshizaki ("Sgt. Frog" / Kadokawa Comics Ace, KADOKAWA)
Chief Director: Nobuhiro Kondo
Director: Satoshi Sano
Series Composition: Toshimitsu Takeuchi
Character Design: Hatsue Nakayama
Color Design: Keiichi Funada
Art Directors: Kenichi Tajiri, Shintaro Inoue
Director of Photography: Teruyuki Kawase
Editing: Daisuke Imai
Sound Director: Yo Yamada
Music: Kan Sawada
Production Cooperation: Bridge, Aile
Animation Production: BN Pictures
CAST
Sergeant KERORO: Makoto Koichi
Private TAMAMA: Rika Nagae
Corporal GIRORO: Toshiki Masuda
Sergeant Major KURURU: Co-suke Echigoya
Lance Corporal DORORO: Keishi Inomata
via： X@アニメ『ケロロ軍曹』公式