Posted in: Anime, TV | Tagged: Kill Blue

Kill Blue Anime Set for 2026: De-Aged Hitman Heads Back to High School

At Jump Festa, the voice cast and premiere date were announced for Kill Blue, the anime about a hitman who is de-aged to a high schooler.

DMM.com released new information about the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Kill Blue at Jump Festa! Set to premiere in April 2026, this event revealed a new teaser trailer showcasing the many colorful characters present in this adaptation of the quirky Shonen Jump manga, as well as the acclaimed actors set to voice them!

A legendary assassin at 39. Starting over… as a middle schooler.

Jūzō Ōgami is a legendary hitman who has never failed an assignment, no matter how impossible. One day, after wiping out a powerful organization, he is stung by a mysterious wasp and collapses. When he wakes up, the fearsome 39-year-old assassin has been transformed into a 13-year-old boy! Before he can even process what happened, his boss delivers a new order: "In that body, infiltrate a middle school." What awaits him is an unexpected school life filled with colorful classmates, youthful chaos, and looming danger. Can Jūzō ever return to his original form? Or will the assassins closing in on him end his second life before it even begins?

Kill Blue Voice Cast Speaks

In Kill Blue, Shunsuke Takeuchi will be playing Jūzō Ōgami (Adult), but the cast will now be rounded out with a number of talented and accomplished performers who eagerly shared their thoughts on their latest roles!

Yuko Sanpei will play Jūzō Ōgami (teen version), a 39-year-old legendary hitman who gets transformed into a child and rediscovers his zest for life via the classes he takes while undercover in Rikka Middle School. She said, "A long-held dream of mine to play an old guy has finally come true, and I'm incredibly excited. I'll be teaming up with Takeuchi-kun as an uncle duo, and we'll do our best together!! I can't wait to see what kind of KILL BLUE anime we can create alongside this wonderful cast and staff. Please look forward to the peaceful(?) school life of these vibrant youths… and one middle-aged man. For now, I'm going to slurp some ramen."

Fuka Izumi plays Noren Mitsuoka, the daughter of the major corporation Mitsuoka Pharmaceuticals, who helps out her uncle's ramen shop and is targeted by assassins for unknown reasons. "I'm Fuka Izumi," she announced. "And I'm honored to be playing the role of Noren Mitsuoka! Noren is truly incredible… She's tough, positive, and has such a strong sense of self that you'd never believe she's a middle schooler. As she spends more time with Jūzō, she begins to show a wider range of emotions, so I hope to portray her honestly and with all the feelings that come naturally. All of the characters in this series speak and act so candidly that you can't help but grow attached to them. I'm really looking forward to seeing them come to life so vividly in the anime!"

Shuichiro Umeda voices Kotatsu Nekota, Jūzō's partner in the assassin organization "Z.O.O.," who supports Jūzō in both his daily life and on missions:  "Nice to meet you! I'm Shuichiro Umeda, and I'll be playing Kotatsu Nekota. He's Jūzō's reliable partner, his go-to home-cooked meal 'mom," and very much a Gen Z kid at heart. I'm really looking forward to supporting "Aniki (big bro)" together with Kotatsu! Thank you all! Now I'm craving Kotatsu's omurice!"

Takeo Otsuka as Tenma Tendo; a second year student with superhuman athletic ability, making him a member of "Unicorn" which is a group of elite students at Rikka Middle School: "I was thrilled this year watching Shohei Ohtani make his big two-way comeback in Major League Baseball and I never imagined that I would get to play a "three-way" superstar "Unicorn." I'm truly happy to take on this role. I'm excited to see what kind of performance Tenma Tendo will deliver in the anime. I'm also very much looking forward to his interactions with the other characters and the overall atmosphere of the series. Thank you, and please look forward to what's to come!!"

Atsumi Tanezaki as Chisato Shiraishi, a third-year student at Rikka Middle School and the head of the Home Economics Club, who Jūzō refers to as "Anego" or "Big Sis": "I'm Atsumi Tanezaki, and I will be voicing Chisato Shiraishi. She's affectionately called "Anego (big sis)" by those around her. As the head of the Home Economics Club, she has a bit of a motherly presence as well. I hope to watch over Jūzō and the others with that same warm perspective. I hope you enjoy the TV anime KILL BLUE!"

Yumi Uchiyama plays Eri Wanibuchi, a brilliant scientist within "Z.O.O." who's Jūzō's ex-wife and currently looking for a way to turn him back into an adult: "Following the voice comic, I'm truly honored to be involved with KILL BLUE once again!I'm excited to play Eri Wanibuchi, Jūzō Ōgami's ex-wife, and I hope to bring out the fun and charm in her character! In addition to the engaging story, the series is full of unique, captivating characters, and I hope everyone looks forward to seeing them in action along with all the dynamic battle scenes!"

Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the creator of the KILL BLUE manga, as well as the acclaimed Kuroko's Basketball and ROBOTxLASERBEAM manga, also shared the following message to fans during this monumental event:  "Thank you all for coming to the KILL BLUE stage here at Jump Festa! Finally—at long last—KILL BLUE is… becoming an anime! Well, saying "at long last" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but… Yes, it's becoming an anime!

"Is this a little too laid-back? No, this is about right. Because KILL BLUE was always meant to be a light, easy read. Even if you brace yourself… nothing crazy is going to happen. There are no demons, no monsters—none of that. But there's one thing I really want to point out. Just because a snack tastes crisp and light doesn't mean the people who make it whipped it up effortlessly. And KILL BLUE is the same way. It may feel light and easy to read, but it definitely wasn't created "effortlessly." Just look at this amazing staff and cast. Everyone is giving it their all. They're working with full power to bring you a light, fun KILL BLUE anime. So if you can approach it with the same kind of excitement as, "Hey, my favorite snack is getting a new flavor next year!" —that level of hype is perfect. Thanks, and we hope you enjoy the KILL BLUE anime!"

The first four volumes of the Kill Blue manga are currently available in the US, with volume five releasing on February 3rd, 2026 and volume six releasing on April 7th, 2026. The manga serial reached its conclusion just a few months ago, so the anime will have plenty of material to adapt. The premiere date for the anime series will be announced at a later date for multiple streaming platforms.

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