Legendary Gag Anime Returns: All-New Obocchama-kun REBORN to Air in 2027

Obocchama-kun, the legendary gag manga that began serialization in Monthly CoroCoro Comic in 1986 and kept all of Japan in stitches, is one of the defining comedy works of the Showa and Heisei eras. Its TV anime adaptation, which began airing on the TV Asahi network in 1989, became a social phenomenon, and now the beloved hit is being revived for the Reiwa era as Obocchama-kun REBORN. The long-awaited new work, the first since the original broadcast ended in 1992, has been confirmed to air in 2027 as an entirely new anime.

The series is a slapstick comedy about Chama Obou, a.k.a. Obocchama-kun, the ultra-wealthy heir to the world-famous, fabulously rich Obou zaibatsu, who drags everyone around him into chaos with his off-the-charts fortune, which defies all common sense, and his outrageous gags. Chamago, the unique language spoken by the protagonist, became a huge craze among children, with phrases like "Ohayogurt" (a pun blending "ohayo," or "good morning," with "yogurt") and "Sonna Banana" (a pun on "sonna baka na," or "no way," with "banana") entering everyday use. The work, which also won the 34th Shogakukan Manga Award in the children's category, is a symbol of its era.

In addition to classic episodes from the original manga that have never been animated, the new series will feature many original stories created under the full supervision of original creator Yoshinori Kobayashi. Chama Obou will once again be voiced by Chie Kojiro, who has breathed life into the character since the anime first aired in 1989 and could be called "the soul of Chama." Kobayashi praised her, saying, "The power of that voice is extraordinary. Voice actors really are amazing. There's no other anime with a voice that distinctive. Chama's voice is just so intense. It's incredible that she can still do it in the same voice today."

Along with the announcement, a teaser visual and a teaser trailer were also released. In the poster, Chama appears riding the familiar Jogametai (his turtle-riding squad), full of energy, with money and gold koban coins raining down around him, alongside the tagline "Kameback." (a pun on "kame," meaning "turtle," and "comeback"). In the trailer, Chama arrives on an island by helicopter, makes his way through the jungle, and emerges from a mansion beyond it. He fires off one Chamago phrase after another, including "Gobusatango" (a pun on "gobusata," or "long time no see," and "tango") and "Ohayogurt," looking just the same as he did back in the day.

The new series was born from the broadcast of the original anime series in India in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It became an explosive hit, ranking No. 1 in kids' channel ratings for 40 out of 52 weeks of the year, and following an enthusiastic offer from India, a production project for a new Japan-India co-produced series got underway.