, often shortened to and known in English as ''KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops'', is a Japanese

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto. It takes place in the present day, in and around a neighborhood police station (

kōban A is a small neighborhood police station found in Japan. The term also refers to the smallest organizational unit in a modern Law enforcement in Japan, Japanese prefectural police force. Small kōban buildings, staffed by uniformed officers at ...

) in the downtown part of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, and revolves around the misadventures of middle-aged cop Kankichi Ryotsu. It was continuously serialized in ''

Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump (magazine line), Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many Action (fiction), action scenes and a fair ...

'' for 40 years, from September 1976 to September 2016. Its 1,960 chapters were collected into 201 volumes, making it the manga with the second-highest number of volumes for a single series. The manga has been adapted into an

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series, produced by Studio Gallop and broadcast in Japan by

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

, three theatrical animated films (by Tatsunoko and Gallop, respectively), two live-action movies, several stage adaptations, and a live-action television series. By 2014, the manga had over 157.2 million copies in circulation, making it the eighth best-selling manga series in history. ''Kochikame'' won the Special Judges Award at the 50th

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is ...

in 2005, and the 48th

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fic ...

for Best Comic in 2017.

Plot

The ''KochiKame'' plot involves Kankichi "Ryo-san" Ryotsu coming up with a money-making scheme by inventing a new gadget or capitalizing on a fad, achieving great success, calling on Keiichi Nakagawa's help as things turn sour, and finally losing it all as the fad runs out of steam or out of control. While the plots are gag-driven, much of the humor comes from the combination of mundane characters with those that are bizarrely out of place; such as Nakagawa who has wealth and Ai Asato who is transgender. What they have in common is everyone's lack of actual police work, most of which is never explained or rationalized in the slightest. (It is explained in ''Jump'' that Ryo-san is one of the best officers at catching criminals.) Nakagawa and Reiko Akimoto have special licenses (such as for wearing personal clothes instead of uniforms to work) from police headquarters because of their skills in linguistics. The plot consistently evolved with the times and most of the main characters do not really age, despite the fact that the series started in the 1970s and is later clearly set in the 2010s. However, some characters do age, like the grandchild of Buchao, who was a baby in the early volumes, but is now close to junior high, which the author has self-mocked in a few "look back" chapters/episodes. ''KochiKame'' has a broad audience, ranging from adolescent boys to middle-aged salarymen. Ryo-san's antics appeal to children who can laugh at an old buffoon, and to men fearing that they are becoming old buffoons themselves—and also because it often subtly mocks the latest fads and trends. The stories are generally innocent in content, and what little violence appears is comical, while the occasional risqué subjects are included strictly for laughs rather than to titillate. ''KochiKame''s immense popularity has led to guest appearances in the strip by real-life Japanese celebrities such as Tetsuya Komuro. For creator Osamu Akimoto, ''KochiKame'' is an homage to the working-class people and districts of old Tokyo, and most chapters open with an elaborate full-page illustration of a Shitamachi (downtown) street scene, typically with old wooden buildings and boys playing in the streets.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto, ''Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo'' started in Shueisha's manga anthology ''

'' on September 21, 1976. Akimoto debuted the series under the pen name of "Tatsuhiko Yamadome", but changed to using his real name in 1978, when it reached its 100th chapter. Periodically the chapters were collected into volumes by Shueisha, the first released on July 9, 1977. The series ended on September 17, 2016, in the 42nd issue of the year, in commemoration of ''KochiKame''s 40th anniversary. Its 200th volume was published on the same day. Shueisha reprinted the issue that included the final chapter on December 31, 2016, marking the first time a ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' issue has ever been reprinted. Akimoto created a new chapter of ''Kochikame'' for the 42nd issue of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' on September 16, 2017. On July 18, 2021, it was announced the manga would receive a 201st volume, which was released on October 4, 2021. A 46-page one-shot chapter was published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' on July 10, 2023, and another one on August 5, 2024. From March 2017 to June 2019, Akimoto serialized a sequel in the manga magazine '' Ultra Jump''. Titled , it is set in a next to a police station in Shitamachi, Tokyo.

Anime

A 30-minute animated film adaptation of ''KochiKame'' produced by Tatsunoko Production which was shown alongside an animated adaptation of Izumi Matsumoto's '' Kimagure Orange Road'' at a ''Shonen Jump Anime Festival'' hosted by Shueisha in 1985. It was directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa, knwon for his directorial work on Tatsunoko's other works such as '' Speed Racer'' and the '' Time Bokan'' franchise. It was issued on home video by Shueisha under the ''Jump Video'' imprint as a prize for winners of a contest that took place in several issues of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for the magazine's 20th anniversary in 1988. An anime television adaptation of ''KochiKame'' began airing on Fuji Television on June 16, 1996. Produced by Studio Gallop, it ran for eight years and 382 episodes before ending on December 19, 2004. Two animated theatrical films were also produced; on December 23, 1999, and on December 20, 2003. On September 18, 2016, an hour-long special by Studio Gallop aired on Fuji TV for the manga's 40th anniversary. features several voice actors reprising their roles from the previous series, as well as director Akira Shigeno. A short anime featuring characters from the series was produced to popularize the sport of

goalball Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a visual impairment, vision impairment. Participants compete in teams of three, and try to throw a ball with bells embedded inside it into the opponents' goal. The ball is throw ...

, ahead of the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Remow licensed the series in English and started streaming it on its It's Anime

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel.

Live-action

''KochiKame'' has had live-action film, TV drama and stage adaptations. The movie was directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, starred Mitsuo Senda as Ryo-san and was released in 1977. A live-action TV series starring Katori Shingo as Ryo-san began airing on TBS on August 1, 2009. A second live-action movie, based on this TV series and titled ''KochiKame - The Movie: Save The Kachidiki Bridge!'', opened in Japan on August 6, 2011. Another play adaptation opened in September 2016 for the series' 40th anniversary and, like the others, it was directed, written by and stars Lasar Ishii as Ryo-san, who is also the voice actor for the character in anime adaptations.

Other media

As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, the series received a 6-part crossover anthology novel with various characters from other series on September 17, 2016. Titled , the other series are '' Girls und Panzer'', '' Osomatsu-san'', '' Haruchika'', '' Cheer Boys!!'', ''

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen is a Japanese light novel series written by Yoshinobu Akita. It was adapted into manga, two anime television series and a Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, video game. As of December 2019, the novels had over 14 million copies in ...

'' and '' Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de''. Ryotsu appears playable in the ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' crossover fighting video games '' Jump Super Stars'', '' Jump Ultimate Stars'' and '' J-Stars Victory VS''. Other characters from the series appear in a non-playable capacity. ''J-Stars Victory VS.''s North American and European release (as ''J-Stars Victory VS.+'') marks the first official release of ''Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo'' material in English-speaking territories. In addition, various toys and collectibles have been created, including some items that first appeared in the manga as creations of Ryo-san.

Real-life ''KochiKame''

Kameari Koen is an actual park in Tokyo's Katsushika ward. The police station is fictional, but it is modeled after a real one located on the north side of Kameari railway station. The manga has brought considerable fame to the neighborhood, and it draws sightseers from all over Japan. There is only a vacant lot where the police station is actually supposed to be located. In February 2006, two life-size bronze statues of Ryo-san were erected at the north and south gates of Kameari Station. There is currently a trail of 14 statues in the area.

30th anniversary

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of ''Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo''s serialization, several special events were held. Separate one-shots of the series were published in thirteen different Shueisha magazines between August and October 2006.

Reception

By 2014, ''Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo'' had sold over 157.2million copies. With 200 volumes, the series held the Guinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" from September 2016 to July 2021. In November 2014, readers of '' Da Vinci'' magazine voted ''Kochikame'' as the seventh ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''s greatest manga series of all time. ''Kochikame'' won the Special Judges Award at the 50th

s in 2005. Akimoto received the Special Prize at the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for the manga in 2017. ''Kochikame'' was awarded the 48th

for the Best Comic in 2017. On

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, ''KochiKame'' ranked 35th. In 2005, the anime ranked 36th on its list of the Top 100 Anime conducted by TV Asahi. Mike Toole of ''

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

'' included ''Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo the Movie'' at number 56 on The Other 100 Best Anime Movies of All Time, a list of "lesser-known, lesser-loved classics." He called it "''Kochikame'' at its best, a zippy combination of daffy comedy and solid action set pieces," with one of the funniest false endings ever.

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{Seiun Award - Best Comic 1985 films 1999 anime films 1999 films 2003 anime films 2003 films Anime and manga about law enforcement Anime series based on manga Anime and manga set in Tokyo Comedy anime and manga Fuji Television original programming Gallop (studio) Japanese animated films Japanese television dramas based on manga Live-action films based on manga Manga adapted into films Remow anime Shueisha franchises Shueisha manga Shōnen manga TBS Television (Japan) dramas World record holders