From Doodles to Anime, 15 Years Later
The story behind Chikyuu Daisuki! Kikkun starts with a pen and paper. In an interview with Japanese entertainment news site Anime! Anime!, Nakamaru explained that Kikkun grew out of an illustration series he maintained for nearly a decade. The original goal was a picture book. Early sketches were dark and a little unsettling. His manager nudged him toward something friendlier: simpler lines, brighter colors, characters you remember after a single glance.
The redesign produced Kikkun, a round, minimal alien from a distant planet. In the show, Kikkun and his invasion squad are dispatched to conquer Earth. Japan turns out to be too comfortable. The squad forgets the mission, falls in love with the country, and decides to protect the planet instead.
The picture book never happened. But during Japan's COVID-era lockdowns, Nakamaru started posting daily 4-koma manga strips on his agency's official social media. For the first time, the characters had dialogue and a running story. Looking back, Nakamaru sees that period as planting seeds whose shape he couldn't predict. They grew into a 52-episode anime produced at Kachidoki Studio (勝鬨スタジオ) and directed by Takeshi Onaka (尾中たけし). Nakamaru provides the story concepts and character designs; Onaka handles dialogue and scene direction.
One specific request from Nakamaru: urban legend elements. He's attended monthly urban-legend meetups for about five years and wanted the show to scatter subtle, slightly eerie details beneath its approachable surface.
Recording Alongside the Pros
Nakamaru doesn't just create Kikkun. He voices him. Professional voice actors, he observed, absorb animation on a single test pass and deliver near-final performances on the next take. Nakamaru wanted more practice time. He cheerfully admits his early sessions verged on panic.
Akio Ōtsuka (Batou in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) plays Mogura. When Nakamaru asked how anyone juggles a script, the on-screen animation, and cue timing all at once, Ōtsuka explained that experience collapses the three into one fluid process: the script is internalized, the screen sits in peripheral vision, and cues become instinct.
Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki Sakata in Gintama) voices Ika. Both Ōtsuka and Sugita were personal requests from Nakamaru, who came into casting discussions with their names ready. The full cast includes Yoshino Nanjō (Eli Ayase in Love Live! School Idol Project) as Tsuntsun, Sōgo Nakamura (中村壮吾) as Hakikun, Emi Nitta as Edamame, and Azusa Tadokoro as Soramame.
Nakamaru positions Kikkun as the "normal" member of the group. The character anchors the ensemble, giving the odder personalities something to bounce off rather than competing for attention.
Looking Ahead
Chikyuu Daisuki! Kikkun premieres in July 2026 within 5-ji ni Muchuu!, a long-running variety show on TOKYO MX. Each episode runs two minutes, with 52 planned across the year. A companion behind-the-scenes show, Kikkun no Choi Tashi!, begins airing July 2 on the same network.
No international streaming partner has been announced. As a short segment embedded inside a Japanese variety program, a standalone global release is unlikely for now.