by The TV anime “High School! Kimengumi” will start airing on Fuji TV’s anime slot “Noitamina” from January 2026, and will be broadcast every Friday from 11:30 pm to midnight.
“High School! Kimengumi” is a manga by Motoei Shinzawa that first began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump (published by Shueisha) in 1980 under the title “3rd Year Kimengumi.” It was renamed “High School! Kimengumi” as the characters progressed through higher education. It was a massive hit for its time, a groundbreaking work. A TV anime adaptation aired on Fuji TV in 1985, sparking a huge boom.
The TV anime, “High School! Kimengumi,” will begin airing in January next year. The story follows the Kimengumi, a group of five middle school students led by Ichidou Rei. They embrace their ugliness as a unique quality, and with the motto, “Rather than being a cog in the machine of the world, let’s become the seasoning that adds flavor to the world,” they use their uniqueness to take one eccentric action after another, constantly surprising, troubling, and sometimes making those around them laugh.
The story is told in a high-energy, fast-paced, and energetic style. The film vividly portrays the unique characters surrounding the five members of Kimengumi, including their friends and teachers at the same school. This is a story that viewers can relate to, especially in a time when diversity is a key focus.
The film is directed by Kazuaki Seki, who has worked on this year’s films “Kakkaku Shikajika” and “Beethoven Fabrication,” as well as music videos for a variety of artists, including Perfume, Gen Hoshino, Fujii Kaze, and Vaundy. This marks Seki’s first time directing a television animation, and he will portray the Kimengumi in a way that reflects the Reiwa era.
The voice actors who will portray the unique characters that color the film, including the five central members of Kimengumi, have also been announced. Tomokazu Seki plays Rei Ichidou, the leader of the Kimengumi and the protagonist of the film. He is known for his perverse movements, and although he often gets scolded, he has a face and personality that never make enemies.
Among the Kimengumi members who travel with Rei are Reietsu Go, a wrestling lover with a trademark thick body hair, played by Takeuchi Shunsuke; Shusse Kiyoshi, a surprisingly sensible figure among the many perverts in the Kimengumi but a die-hard pervert with a penchant for women, played by Matsuoka Yoshitsugu; Daima Jin, a gentle-natured glutton who is lazy and habitually falls asleep in class, played by Kobayashi Chiaki; and Monohoshi Dai, a girly character with a strange sexiness, played by Toya Kikunosuke.
Shiraishi Haruka plays Kawa Yui, the heroine of the film, a cheerful and naive girl who is just as eccentric as the other members of the Kimengumi, and Hasegawa Ikumi plays Uru Chie, Yui’s best friend, a tomboy with a competitive personality. And to commemorate the TV anime adaptation of this work, Kawa Yui (CV: Shiraishi Haruka) and Uru Chie (CV: An image music video using a cover of “Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi,” the theme song of an old anime, by Ikumi Hasegawa has been released.
The cover song was produced by Night, a producer and DJ who is attracting attention as a pioneer of the recent city pop boom. Tempo was in charge of the voice acting. A teaser visual was also released. The visual is striking, with the five members of Kimengumi peering in as if taking a selfie with their smartphones, each sporting their own unique facial expressions, exposing their “Kimen.”
A Kimengumi stamp is featured in the bottom right, and comments from Yui and Chie are featured in the bottom left. If you could go back to your school days, what would you like to do? Dancing and instruments! Especially instruments! I can still do it now, but I wish I had started back then and continued! My parents were right! I’ve been inspired by what my mother said, and now I want to do it! Message to viewers: Back when Kimengumi was super popular. I also spent my school days with them. I always wanted to hang out with the Kimengumi members, Yui and Chie! I never thought the day would come when I’d be playing Ichido Rei! I’ll have fun and be perverted with the new Kimengumi (laughs). If you could go back to your student days, what would you do? I would start with small-scale investments starting from 100 yen. I bought Bitcoin when people started telling me to “buy now.” Since gold prices will only continue to rise, I will purchase it through a savings plan. I want to complete my ideal portfolio. Message to viewers: I’m Takeuchi, and I’ll be playing Gou, the school uniform and afro. I’m somehow destined to be playing Gou, and I’m happy.
A long time ago, a senior colleague whom I work under told me at an izakaya, “Take, speak in a higher voice! (deep bass).” Is that what it meant? I’m asking myself this as I approach the dubbing. I’m going to try various approaches to make Gou a character who is not doomed… but immortal. Shine! My azuki school uniform! I appreciate your support. If you could go back to your student days, what would you do? I am who I am today because of who I was then, so I want to continue living the same daily life without doing anything.
Message to viewers: I am Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, who will be playing Idese Kiyoshi. There are a lot of people on set, and it’s chaotic, but there’s a lot of energy! There’s an atmosphere of, “Anything is OK!” (laughs) You can really feel that passion in this work, so I hope you enjoy it! If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? In high school, I spent my time working part-time jobs and pursuing hobbies, and didn’t join any clubs, so I would like to join the track and field club, tennis club, or any other club I was debating at the time. Playing friendly matches with other schools, competing hard, and then competing in the prefectural tournament… I would have loved to have experienced that kind of passionate youth. Message to viewers: I am Kobayashi Chiaki, and I have been allowed to voice Oma Jin.
The Reiwa era has arrived, and with the proliferation of various works and content, many moments during the recording really touched me with this work, which is filled with love amidst laughter, especially now. I’m sure this will be a work that will touch everyone’s hearts and bring laughter to their faces, so I hope you’ll look forward to it! If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? Right now, I hate bitter things, so I wish I had eaten a lot of bitter things when I was a student, to build up a tolerance for them and be able to eat bitter things when I grew up, so I would like to eat a lot of bitter things. Also, I would like to fall in love. Message to the viewers: I will be playing the role of Monohoshi Dai! I am Toya Kikunosuke! Dai-kun loves girly things and has a unique air about him, even among the exceptional members of the Kimengumi. He apparently takes a bath three times a day. I thought that was just like me. Baths feel so good, don’t they? If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? During my school days, I focused on work and extracurricular activities, so if I could go back, I would like to join a sports club and experience the “sports-driven youth”! While it seems like a tough job, it requires the kind of strong bonds and perseverance that can only be formed through club activities, so I’d like to give it a try. Also…I’m also longing for detours! When recording background noises on the way home from school during dubbing, I often say, “Hey, do you want to eat a crepe on the way home?” This is because I’m still hung up on the after-school activities I’ve always wanted to try… (laughs). If I could go back to my school days, I’d save the ghost of the crepe! Message to viewers: I’m Shiraishi Haruka, who plays Kawa Yui! Yui is a cute girl, just like her name suggests, but while you might think she’s a typical heroine…she’s surprisingly quirky and has a unique personality that makes her so appealing.
This series has such a strong comical element that it’s hard to contain my laughter even during recording, but there are also many times when the words of the Kimengumi will take your breath away. This is a fun series filled with messages that we want to reach, especially in today’s world, so please come and meet the Kimengumi in the anime! Thank you! If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? High school was the most lethargic time of my life, so I want to create something that makes me feel like I’m “passionate about this!”, whether it’s devoting myself to club activities or lessons, or just hanging out with friends. Message to viewers: I’m Hasegawa Ikumi, the voice of Uru Chie! I’m honored to have been entrusted with this role. Every episode, the Kimengumi members go way beyond my expectations, leaving me perplexed, amazed, and laughing… I’m enjoying the world of “High School! Kimengumi” while sharing Chie’s feelings! The recording studio is so hectic and lively that the air in the booth gets thin! Please look forward to the broadcast♪ . I’m excited to see how young people who are entirely unfamiliar with the original work or the previous anime will view the new Kimengumi, with a new time setting and voice actors. Of course, I’m also looking forward to seeing the reaction of fans of the original work and the previous anime. I’m looking forward to it too. The famous anime Kimengumi is coming back. It is a work that I first encountered when I was a student. I feel honored that we, as adults, can approach the job with the same feelings as we did back then.
The power of Kimengumi, which makes us feel this way, is also a work that will give you energy. I hope you enjoy the exploits of these five people, who will help you forget for a moment the unpleasant things you feel every day, and the various characters that surround them. I hope you will feel a sense of nostalgia and discovery! Kimen Flush! This will become an anime that will give you energy…! In a society that continues to be in turmoil, various difficulties are arising. In times like these, I can’t say that if you have energy, you can do anything! But without energy, nothing will start.
This representative work of the vibrant comedy manga of the 80s is “revived in a position similar to health food for the modern anime industry.” With that in mind, I will do my best in the production. “Kimengumi” is one of the most representative comedy manga of the Showa era, and it continues to be passed down in various forms. Looking at the characters in the Reiwa era, I feel an even stronger sense of “We may be going through a lot, but let’s laugh away our daily worries together!” I hope you can appreciate not only their “crazy fun, energy, and facial expressions,” but also their “unique way of life and perverse power” that resonates especially in this day and age. I’ve always been a huge fan of the series, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without “Kimengumi.” I’m truly honored to be able to deliver this work to everyone in my role as a character designer, and I’m pumped away with joy every day. I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved and to Mr. Motoei Shinzawa. Once you see it, you’ll never forget its unique impact. It remains as strong today as ever, 45 years after the series began in 1980. It’s a face that deserves to be passed down to future generations as a tangible cultural asset. I’m honored to have been involved in even a second of this work, which I respect so much. We remade the original song, reconstructing it within a retro context. The characters’ charms suit the song perfectly, and it’s an interesting song. Please love it! Five middle school students, Ichido Rei, Reikoshi Go, Idese Kiyoshi, Oma Jin, and Monohoshi Dai, each have their own unique and chaotic personalities, and even repeated a year. Those around them highly regard them as the famous group “Kimengumi.” Transfer student Kawa Yui and classmate Uru Chie witness Kimengumi and become interested in them, and begin to hang out with them. Also, at the junior high school, there are several unique groups, including the popular “Ido-gumi” group led by Kiride Sho, the “Hyōbu” group of delinquents led by Nihiruda You, the “Ude-gumi” group of sports-loving students led by Undō Kai, and the “Ome-gumi” group of delinquent girls led by Amano Jako. Time flies by after they first meet, and they welcome a new spring. Takeuchi Shunsuke plays Reietsu Gou, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu plays Shusse Kiyoshi, who is surprisingly sensible among the many perverts in the Kimengumi but is a womanizer and a die-hard pervert, Kobayashi Chiaki plays Daima Jin, a gentle-natured big eater who is lazy and habitually falls asleep in class, and Toya Kikunosuke plays Monohoshi Dai, who has a girly personality and a strange sexiness. Also playing the heroine of this work is Kawa Yui, who is innocent and natural, and just as eccentric as the other five members of the Kimengumi.Kawa Yui (CV. Shiraishi Haruka) will play the role, and Uru Chie (CV. Hasegawa Ikumi) will play Yui’s best friend, a tomboy with a competitive personality. And to commemorate the TV anime adaptation of this work, Kawa Yui (CV. Shiraishi Haruka) and Uru Chie (CV.An image music video using a cover of “Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi,” the theme song of an old anime, by Ikumi Hasegawa, has been released. The cover song was produced by Night, a producer and DJ who is attracting attention as a pioneer of the recent city pop boom.Tempo was in charge of the voice acting. A teaser visual was also released. The visual is striking, with the five members of Kimengumi peering in as if taking a selfie with their smartphones, each sporting their own unique facial expressions, exposing their “Kimen.” A Kimengumi stamp is featured in the bottom right, and comments from Yui and Chie are featured in the bottom left. ◆If you could go back to your school days, what would you like to do? Dancing and instruments! Especially instruments! I can still do it now, but I wish I had started back then and continued! My parents were right! I’ve been inspired by what my mother said, and now I want to do it! ◆Message to viewers: Back when Kimengumi was super popular. I also spent my school days with them. I always wanted to hang out with the Kimengumi members, Yui and Chie! I never thought the day would come when I’d be playing Ichido Rei! I’ll have fun and be perverted with the new Kimengumi (laughs). ◆If you could go back to your student days, what would you do? I would start with small-scale investments starting from 100 yen. I bought Bitcoin when people started telling me to “buy now.” Since gold prices will only continue to rise, I will purchase it through a savings plan. I want to complete my ideal portfolio. ◆Message to viewers: I’m Takeuchi, and I’ll be playing Gou, the school uniform, and afro. I feel like I’m somehow destined to be playing Gou, and I’m happy. A long time ago, a senior colleague whom I work under told me at an izakaya, “Take, speak in a higher voice! (deep bass).” Is that what it meant? I’m asking myself this as I approach the dubbing. I’m going to try various approaches to make Gou a character who is not doomed… but immortal. Shine! My azuki school uniform! I appreciate your support. ◆If you could go back to your student days, what would you do? I believe I am who I am today because of who I was then, so I would like to continue living the same daily life without doing anything. ◆Message to viewers: I am Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, who will be playing Idese Kiyoshi. There are a lot of people on set, and it’s chaotic, but there’s a lot of energy! There’s an atmosphere of, “Anything is OK!” (laughs) I think you can really feel that passion in this work, so I hope you enjoy it! ◆If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? In high school, I spent my time working part-time jobs and pursuing hobbies, and didn’t join any clubs, so I would like to join the track and field club, tennis club, or any other club I was debating at the time. Playing friendly matches with other schools, competing hard, and then competing in the prefectural tournament… I would have loved to have experienced that kind of passionate youth. ◆Message to viewers: I am Kobayashi Chiaki, and I have been allowed to voice Oma Jin. The Reiwa era has arrived, and with the proliferation of various works and content, many moments during the recording really touched me with this work, which is filled with love amidst laughter, especially now. I’m sure this will be a work that will touch everyone’s hearts and bring laughter to their faces, so I hope you’ll look forward to it! ◆If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? Right now, I hate bitter things, so I wish I had eaten a lot of bitter things when I was a student, to build up a tolerance for them and be able to eat bitter things when I grew up, so I would like to eat a lot of bitter things. Also, I would like to fall in love. Message to the viewers: I will be playing the role of Monohoshi Dai! I am Toya Kikuno{suke! Dai-kun loves girly things and has a unique air about him, even among the unique members of the Kimengumi. He apparently takes a bath three times a day. I thought that was just like me. Baths feel so good, don’t they? If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? During my school days, I focused on work and extracurricular activities, so if I could go back, I would like to join a sports club and experience the sports-driven youth! While it seems like a tough job, I think it requires the kind of strong bonds and perseverance that can only be formed through club activities, so I’d like to give it a try. Also…I’m also longing for detours! When recording background noises on the way home from school during dubbing, I often say, “Hey, do you want to eat a crepe on the way home?” I think this is because I’m still hung up on the after-school activities I’ve always wanted to try… (laughs). If I could go back to my school days, I’d save the ghost of the crepe! Message to viewers: I’m Shiraishi Haruka, who plays Kawa Yui! Yui is a cute girl, just like her name suggests, but while you might think she’s a typical heroine…she’s surprisingly quirky and has a unique personality that makes her so appealing. This series has such a strong comical element that it’s hard to contain my laughter even during recording, but there are also many times when the words of the Kimengumi will take your breath away.
This is a fun series filled with messages that we want to reach, especially in today’s world, so please come and meet the Kimengumi in the anime! Thank you! If you could go back to your school days, what would you do? High school was the most lethargic time of my life, so I want to create something that makes me feel like I’m “passionate about this!”, whether it’s devoting myself to club activities or lessons, or just hanging out with friends. Message to viewers: I’m Hasegawa Ikumi, the voice of Uru Chie! I’m honored to have been entrusted with this role. Every episode, the Kimengumi members go way beyond my expectations, leaving me perplexed, amazed, and laughing… I’m enjoying the world of “High School! Kimengumi” while sharing Chie’s feelings! The recording studio is so hectic and lively that the air in the booth gets thin! Please look forward to the broadcast♪ . I’m excited to see how young people who are entirely unfamiliar with the original work or the previous anime will view the new Kimengumi, with a new time setting and voice actors. Of course, I’m also looking forward to seeing the reaction of fans of the original work and the previous anime. I’m looking forward to it too. The famous anime Kimengumi is coming back. It is a work that I first encountered when I was a student. I feel honored that we, as adults, can approach the job with the same feelings as we did back then.
The power of Kimengumi, which makes us feel this way, is also a work that will give you energy. I hope you enjoy the exploits of these five people, who will help you forget for a moment the unpleasant things you feel every day, and the various characters that surround them. I hope you will feel a sense of nostalgia and discovery! Kimen Flush! This will become an anime that will give you energy…! In a society that continues to be in turmoil, various difficulties are arising. In times like these, I can’t say that if you have energy, you can do anything! But without energy, nothing will start.
This representative work of the vibrant comedy manga of the 80s is “revived in a position similar to health food for the modern anime industry.” With that in mind, I will do my best in the production. “Kimengumi” is one of the most representative comedy manga of the Showa era, and it continues to be passed down in various forms. Looking at the characters in the Reiwa era, I feel an even stronger sense of “We may be going through a lot, but let’s laugh away our daily worries together!” I hope you can appreciate not only their “crazy fun, energy, and facial expressions,” but also their “unique way of life and perverse power” that resonates especially in this day and age. I’ve always been a massive fan of the series, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without “Kimengumi.” I’m truly honored to be able to deliver this work to everyone in my role as a character designer, and I’m pumped away with joy every day. I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved and to Mr. Motoei Shinzawa. Once you see it, you’ll never forget its unique impact. It remains as strong today as ever, 45 years after the series began in 1980. It’s a face that deserves to be passed down to future generations as a tangible cultural asset. I’m honored to have been involved in even a second of this work, which I respect so much. We remade the original song, reconstructing it within a retro context. The characters’ charms suit the song perfectly, and it’s an interesting song. Please love it! Five middle school students, Ichido Rei, Reikoshi Go, Idese Kiyoshi, Oma Jin, and Monohoshi Dai, each have their own unique and chaotic personalities, and even repeated a year.
Those around them highly regard them as the famous group “Kimengumi.” Transfer student Kawa Yui and classmate Uru Chie witness Kimengumi and become interested in them, and begin to hang out with them. Also, at the junior high school, there are several unique groups, including the popular “Ido-gumi” group led by Kiride Sho, the “Hyōbu” group of delinquents led by Nihiruda You, the “Ude-gumi” group of sports-loving students led by Undō Kai, and the “Ome-gumi” group of delinquent girls led by Amano Jako. Time flies by after they first meet, and they welcome a new spring.
