The popular Kinnikuman manga is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a new anime series! You can find the teaser trailer, as well as character artwork and a series poster below.
Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc will see Mamoru Miyano lending his voice to the titular character. Kamiya, who voiced the character in the first anime series congratulated Miyano and said (translated from Japanese): "I'm really happy that Kinnikuman is being made into a new anime and I'm even more happy that Mamoru Miyano, who I love, will be playing Kinnikuman."
Akira Kamiya will be lending his voice to both Mayumi Kinniku and Prince Kamehame, both of which you can see below!
The upcoming anime adaptation will be directed by Akira Sato with studio Production I.G handling animation. Music will be by Yasuharu Takanashi.
A combined issue of Weekly Playboy 3 and 4 will include a conversation between Miyano and Kamiya regarding the new adaptation. The conversation will be released on January 4th, 2024, with a the Kinnikuman YouTube channel releaseing a video of the conversation on the same day.
Kinnikuman is a clumsy and foolish professional wrestler who discovers that he's actually an alien prince from the planet Kinniku, a world filled with mighty super humans. His goal? To become the best wrestler in the world.
Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc will begin broadcasting in Japan in 2024.
About Kinnikuman
Kinnikuman is a Japanese manga series, known for its combination of wrestling, comedy, and superhero themes. It was created by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, who work together under the pen name Yudetamago. This collaboration brought together Nakai's art and Shimada's writing to produce a distinctive style in manga.
The series debuted in 1979 in the Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine. Originally starting as a parody of superhero shows, Kinnikuman gradually incorporated professional wrestling elements, shaping its narrative style.
The story centers around Suguru Kinniku, an incompetent superhero who is later revealed to be the prince of planet Kinniku. Despite his flaws, Suguru engages in wrestling matches to assert his heroism and protect his homeland from various challenges. The series is known for its exaggerated characters and humorous, often surreal, plotlines.
Kinnikuman gained popularity in Japan and led to a broader franchise, including anime adaptations, movies, video games, and merchandise. It has garnered a fan base outside Japan, attracting audiences with its genre fusion and distinctive characters.
The series has influenced the world of professional wrestling, introducing the concept of wrestling superheroes. This theme has been echoed in various aspects of professional wrestling globally.