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40th Anniversary "Kochikame Jump" Includes Artwork by Creators of Naruto, One Piece
posted on by Amanda Whalen
Weekly Shonen Jump is releasing a special "Kochikame Jump" issue celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Kochikame manga on August 16, and in it the creator of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, and the original artist of To Love-Ru -Trouble-, Kentarō Yabuki, will be drawing their takes on the manga.
The issue will also include a collaborative Kochikame poster featuring artwork by Hirohiko Araki of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Masanori Morita of Rokudenashi Blues, Eiichiro Oda of One Piece, Masashi Kishimoto of Naruto, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro of Toriko, Mizuki Kawashita of Strawberry 100%, and Yūsei Matsui of Assassination Classroom.
There are also plans for Kochikame-themed gag artwork by comedy manga artists Shūichi Asō of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Kyōsuke Usuta of Sexy Commando Side Story: You're Great! Masaru, Kōji Ōishi of Inumarudashi—, Yūjirō Koyama of Tonkatsu DJ Agetarō, Ryō Nakama of Isobe Isobee Monogatari ~Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo~, Shun Numa of Samon-kun wa Summoner, and Kōsuke Masuda of Gag Manga Biyori.
Kochikame's original creator, Osamu Akimoto, has created new color illustrations and a new story specifically for "Kochikame Jump." The anniversary issue will also include a variety of information about Kochikame, making it into a fan handbook for the series. It is priced at 500 yen, or US $4.91.
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Kochikame, which is short for Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo ("This is the police station in front of Kameari Park in Katsushika ward"), first appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1976 and has been serialized continuously since then, making it the magazine's longest running series. The story follows the everyday adventures of the middle-aged policeman Kankichi Ryōtsu.
The Kochikame manga currently has 199 volumes, and more than 140,000,000 total copies have been printed. The manga has inspired an anime, several animated specials, 2 anime compilation films, 2 live-action films, and a live-action drama.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, Kochikame will also be getting a new one-hour anime special on September 18 with the main cast reprising their roles, a new stage play, and a 6-part crossover novel anthology.
Source: Cinema Today Image: (c) Kochikame Jump/Shueisha