- Type: TV
- Studio: Gallop
- Publish Date 1996-06-16
- Status: Completed
- Genre: Animation Comedy Police Slice of Life
- Scores: 2.53 by 4,405 reviews
- Duration: 25 min
- Views: 439
Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo (TV)
In the KochiKame story, Kankichi "Ryo-san" Ryotsu devises a money-making scheme by creating a new invention or capitalizing on a craze, achieves tremendous success, enlists Keiichi Nakagawa's assistance when things go south, and ultimately loses everything when the fad loses its appeal or control. While the narratives are gag-driven, much of the humor is generated by pairing ordinary folks with those who seem incredibly out of place, such as Nakagawa's wealth and transsexual Ai Asato. Everyone's lack of actual police work, the majority of which is never even remotely justified or explained, is what unites them. (Jump explains why Ryo-san is one of the top police officers at apprehending criminals.) Because of their language expertise, Nakagawa and Reiko Akimoto have special licenses from police headquarters (such as the ability to work in casual attire rather than a uniform). Despite the fact that the series began in the 1970s and is later obviously set in the 2010s, the plot continuously changed with the times, and the majority of the main characters do not actually age. The grandson of Buchao, who was a baby in the early volumes but is now near to junior high, is one of the characters who does age, as the author has self-deprecated in a few "look back" chapters/episodes. A wide range of people watch KochiKame, from young men in their twenties to middle-aged salarymen. Children who can laugh at an old clown and men who worry about aging buffoons themselves find amusement in Ryo-antics, san's which also frequently gently ridicule the most recent fads and trends. The stories mostly have benign themes, and the humorous violence that does occasionally exist is only used for chuckles rather than to titillate. Due to KochiKame's enormous popularity, real-life Japanese celebrities like Tetsuya Komuro have made cameo cameos in the comic strip.