by Fans of Bullet Train have a fun new collaboration to enjoy! Kai (Kai Ogasawara) and Ryoga (Ryoga Funatsu) have entered the retro, comedy-filled world of the popular Japanese animation channel MariMariMari as specially illustrated anime characters. The collaboration brings together two radio programmes broadcast by Bunka Broadcasting: MariMariMari Radio: Kaname and Reiji’s Secret Comedy and Ryokai Shimashita! Bullet Train QR.
The special project features original animated comedy videos starring Kai and Ryoga alongside MariMariMari’s characters, Kaname and Reiji. The first video, set in a classroom preparing for its school festival, was released for free on the official MariMariMari YouTube channel on November 4, 2026. A second video, titled “Special After Talk,” followed on November 5 through Bunka Broadcasting’s digital platform, QloveR.
The crossover has attracted attention from fans of both programmes, especially because it gives viewers an opportunity to see Kai and Ryoga in a completely different animated style.
Bullet Train’s Ryokai Duo Enters MariMariMari’s Retro Comedy World
The collaboration brings together two programmes with their own distinctive personalities.
MariMariMari Radio: Kaname and Reiji’s Secret Comedy is a radio programme that began in October 2026 on Bunka Broadcasting. It features Kaname and Reiji, the personalities associated with the popular anime comedy channel MariMariMari.
MariMariMari first began its activities in August 2020 and has built an audience through platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. The channel is known for its nostalgic visual style, particularly illustrations inspired by the city-pop atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s.
However, its appeal is not limited to retro artwork. Its animated comedy sketches combine nostalgic visuals with modern everyday situations, relatable conversations and unexpected, often surreal humour. This contrast between the old-fashioned aesthetic and contemporary comedy has helped the channel attract younger viewers.
The radio programme extends that style into audio entertainment, allowing Kaname and Reiji to bring their distinctive personalities and humour to a wider audience.
The other programme involved in the crossover is Ryokai Shimashita! Bullet Train QR, hosted by Kai Ogasawara and Ryoga Funatsu of the nine-member Japanese dance-and-vocal group Bullet Train.
The two members are also known as the Ryokai duo, a name that combines their individual names. Their radio programme began in October 2024 and is broadcast by Bunka Broadcasting.
The collaboration was made possible following an enthusiastic offer from the MariMariMari team. Kai and Ryoga were specially redesigned as animated characters so they could appear alongside Kaname and Reiji in MariMariMari’s comedy universe.
Kai and Ryoga Become Transfer Students in a School Festival Comedy
The main collaboration video is titled “The Day Before the School Festival, but We Haven’t Decided on Our Performance Yet, So We’re Having a Meeting.”
Released on November 4 at 7:00 PM JST, the animated sketch takes place at a high school on the day before its cultural festival. Despite the event being just around the corner, the class has still not decided what performance or activity it will present.
Kaname, who is visiting the school as a student teacher, finds herself in the middle of this unexpected situation. Things become even more chaotic when Kai and Ryoga suddenly transfer into her class.
The four characters then find themselves involved in a school festival discussion that develops into a special comedy scene.
Rather than simply placing the two Bullet Train members into an existing MariMariMari sketch, the project gives them newly illustrated character designs that fit the channel’s familiar retro animation style. This allows Kai and Ryoga to become part of the fictional classroom while preserving the distinctive atmosphere of the original comedy channel.
The video also incorporates familiar elements from the Ryokai radio programme, making the crossover especially enjoyable for regular listeners.
The main video was released free of charge on the official MariMariMari YouTube channel, making it accessible to viewers who want to watch the collaboration without a paid subscription.
Special After Talk Released on QloveR
The collaboration did not end with the YouTube video. A second instalment, titled “Special After Talk,” was released on November 5, 2026, at 9:00 PM JST.
The special video is available through the MariMariMari Radio: Kaname and Reiji’s Secret Comedy channel on QloveR, Bunka Broadcasting’s original digital distribution platform.
This instalment brings all four personalities together again: Kaname, Reiji, Kai and Ryoga. It offers viewers additional entertainment beyond the classroom sketch, with a deeper conversation between the participants.
Unlike the main YouTube video, the QloveR after-talk is distributed as paid-member content. Viewers interested in watching it should check the programme’s official QloveR channel for membership and access information.
The two-part release gives fans different ways to enjoy the crossover: a free animated comedy sketch on YouTube and an additional special video for QloveR members.
MariMariMari Members Share Their Reactions
The MariMariMari team also shared comments about the collaboration, with Kaname and Reiji adding their own humorous descriptions of the story.
Kaname’s Comment
Kaname described the unusual situation that unfolds during the school visit:
“I’m Kaname. When I went to a high school for my teaching practice, I was surprised to discover that it was the day before the school festival and they still hadn’t decided on their performance. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Ryoga-kun and Kai-kun transferred into the school. They became friends and even had an after-talk. There are so many surprises! Everyone should be surprised too.”
Her comment reflects the deliberately chaotic premise of the animated sketch, where an already unprepared classroom becomes even more unpredictable with the arrival of two unexpected transfer students.
Reiji’s Comment
Reiji also shared a characteristically playful message:
“I’m practising how to split disposable chopsticks neatly! This is Reiji. Kai-kun and Ryoga-kun blended into the class really well! I’ll do my best to blend in with everything, just like them! And be sure to check out the after-talk, which will impress even the most dedicated after-talk enthusiasts!”
His comment praises how naturally Kai and Ryoga fit into the animated classroom while adding another humorous reference to the special after-talk.
What Makes This Collaboration Special?
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is the combination of two different entertainment styles.
MariMariMari is known for its animated comedy sketches, nostalgic illustrations and surreal conversations. Bullet Train, meanwhile, is a Japanese dance-and-vocal group whose members are active in music, live performances and entertainment programmes.
By bringing Kai and Ryoga into the MariMariMari universe, the collaboration connects music fans with viewers who primarily follow online comedy content.
The specially drawn characters are another important part of the project. Instead of relying on ordinary photographs or live-action footage, the collaboration presents Kai and Ryoga in the same illustrated style as Kaname and Reiji. This makes the crossover feel like a natural extension of MariMariMari’s existing content.
The school festival setting also provides an easy-to-understand situation for viewers. A class struggling to decide on its festival performance is a familiar school comedy premise, while the unexpected arrival of two transfer students creates opportunities for the kind of surreal humour associated with MariMariMari.
For existing Bullet Train fans, it is a chance to see Kai and Ryoga portrayed in a new way. For MariMariMari viewers, it introduces two new personalities to the channel’s animated world.
About the Two Bunka Broadcasting Radio Programmes
The collaboration also highlights the growing connection between online entertainment channels and traditional radio broadcasting.
MariMariMari Radio: Kaname and Reiji’s Secret Comedy
- Broadcaster: Bunka Broadcasting
- Started: October 2026
- Regular broadcast: Thursdays, 8:30 PM–9:00 PM JST
- Personalities: Kaname and Reiji
- Digital platform: QloveR
The programme brings MariMariMari’s comedy style to radio, combining its distinctive characters and humour with a broadcast format.
Ryokai Shimashita! Bullet Train QR
- Broadcaster: Bunka Broadcasting
- Started: October 2024
- Regular broadcast: Mondays, 1:30 AM–2:00 AM JST
- Personalities: Kai Ogasawara and Ryoga Funatsu
- Digital platform: QloveR
The show features the Bullet Train members Kai and Ryoga, whose lively conversations and chemistry have helped establish the programme among the group’s listeners.
The two programmes coming together for this crossover create an opportunity for their audiences to discover something new.
The collaboration between MariMariMari Radio: Kaname and Reiji’s Secret Comedy and Ryokai Shimashita! Bullet Train QR is a fun meeting of music entertainment and animated comedy.
Kai and Ryoga’s transformation into specially illustrated characters gives Bullet Train fans a fresh way to enjoy the duo, while the school festival storyline fits naturally into MariMariMari’s humorous world.
With the main animated sketch available for free on YouTube and the special after-talk released through QloveR, viewers have two different pieces of content to explore.
For fans of Kai, Ryoga, a nd MariMariMari, this crossover is a welcome opportunity to see familiar personalities in an entirely new setting.
