High School! Kimengumi, the classic 80s comedy anime, has just received a completely updated new version. Premiering on Amazon Prime Video in North America still in January 2026, the new series promises to bring the eccentric humor of the ‘funny faces’ club to a new generation. This is relevant because it modernizes a historic franchise, which was a major success in Japan between 1985 and 1987, while maintaining its original spirit with a contemporary setting.
The production arrives as a complete readaptation for the Reiwa era, meaning the present day. Thus, the story of the five eccentric students who befriend the most popular girls in school now takes place in modern Japan, and no longer in the 80s. Furthermore, the series is already airing on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block in Japan since January 9th, with weekly episodes. The Brazilian audience, therefore, eagerly awaits the official announcement of its availability in the local Prime Video catalog.
A production with classic DNA and a new touch
The direction is handled by Kazuaki Seki, who embarks on his first animation after working with live-action and music videos. However, to maintain the link with the past, the voice cast features the return of Kenichi Ogata, who reprises his iconic role of Principal Sakio Kochō from the original 1985 series. The creative team is also robust, with scripts supervised by Shigeru Murakoshi of ‘Zombie Land Saga’, and character designs by Yuka Abe, who worked on ‘Fire Force’. The songs, in turn, are handled by producer Night Tempo, who also gave a modern feel to the famous original opening theme ‘Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi’, re-recorded for this new version.
The ‘Kimengumi’ manga began its publication in 1980 in the legendary Weekly Shonen Jump, winning over readers for years. Thanks to this success, the first anime adaptation had 86 episodes and even a movie. Now, almost 40 years later, the story resurfaces with a new look. For more nostalgic or curious fans, the classic 80s version was made available with English subtitles on YouTube in 2025, a prelude to this revival. Thus, the new series on Prime Video is not just a release, but a celebration of a franchise that marked an era and seeks to regain its place in the competitive current anime market.
