Tsuda Brings the Warmth as Hanawa's Loyal Butler
Kenjirō Tsuda (Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Overhaul in My Hero Academia) returns as the ever-devoted Hide-jii in the latest chapter of Suntory's "Premol-ko-chan" campaign — the long-running live-action CM series that imagines Sakura Momoko's Chibi Maruko-chan cast as grown-up, "premium" adults sipping The Premium Malt's beer.
The new spot, titled "Premol-ko-chan: Hide-jii Stargazing," picks up at the same location as the previous installment: Hanawa-kun's villa on a private island owned by the Hanawa family. This time, the group gathers under a starry sky to enjoy their Premium Malt's in classic laid-back fashion. The CM closes on a genuinely sweet beat — Hide-jii, watching from the side, is moved when Hanawa-kun makes a wish on a shooting star, prompting the butler's signature "Bocchama..." Tsuda also handles narration duties for the spot.
The 'Premol-ko-chan' Cast
The CM series has built a surprisingly stacked cast around its simple premise. Suzu Hirose plays the "premium" adult version of Maru-chan, Sairi Itō takes on her best friend Tama-chan, and Joe Odagiri brings effortless cool to Hanawa-kun — the wealthy classmate whose butler Hide-jii has been a fan-favorite supporting character since the manga's early days.
The "Premol-ko-chan" campaign launched in early 2025 and has steadily expanded its scope, moving from reunions and love letters to private islands and now stargazing. Each installment plays as a self-contained vignette with original stories set in Sakura Momoko's world, built around the question: "What if Chibi Maruko-chan grew up to be a premium adult?"
For anime and manga fans, Tsuda's casting is the obvious draw. While he's best known internationally for voicing characters like Jujutsu Kaisen's Nanami Kento, seeing him in a live-action role playing a beloved manga character with that same understated gravitas hits a different note entirely. The "Bocchama" moment is pure Hide-jii — loyal, dignified, quietly emotional.
Looking Ahead
The "Hide-jii Stargazing" CM begins airing nationwide across Japan on June 8, 2026, in both 15-second and 30-second versions. Suntory's official YouTube channel is expected to host both cuts, as it has for all previous installments in the series.
For international fans, the Premol-ko-chan spots are region-locked commercials rather than standalone content, so don't expect a Crunchyroll simulcast. That said, previous entries in the series have reliably surfaced on Suntory's YouTube channel, which is accessible worldwide. Chibi Maruko-chan itself remains one of Japan's longest-running anime franchises, though international streaming availability for the main series varies by region.