Mr. Osomatsu
| Company type | Anime series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Entertainment |
| Founded | October 6, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Anime television series, films, manga adaptations, spin-off anime |
| Parent | Studio Pierrot |
| Website | osomatsusan |
Mr. Osomatsu is a Japanese comedic anime series produced by Studio Pierrot, adapted from Fujio Akatsuka's 1962 manga Osomatsu-kun. Developed as a tribute to Akatsuka's eightieth birthday, this iteration portrays the Matsuno sextuplets as adults, featuring humor that is more sophisticated than that of the original work.
The inaugural season was broadcast from October 2015 through March 2016, followed by a special episode in December 2016. The second season aired between October 2017 and March 2018, with the third season running from October 2020 to March 2021. Licensing rights for the first two seasons in the Americas are held by Viz Media. A fourth season was announced in June 2024, scheduled to premiere in July 2025.
A manga adaptation illustrated by Masako Shitaro was serialized initially in Shueisha's You magazine from January 2016 to October 2018, then moved to Cookie magazine from November 2018 until November 2020.
Three feature-length anime films have been released, debuting in March 2019, July 2022, and July 2023 respectively.
Additionally, a spin-off anime titled Matsu Inu aired from October to December 2023.
Premise
The original Osomatsu-kun centered on the mischievous Matsuno brothers—Osomatsu, Karamatsu, Choromatsu, Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu, and Todomatsu—who are identical sextuplets. In contrast, Mr. Osomatsu presents these siblings as adults living in modern times. Now portrayed as lethargic NEETs, each brother exhibits a unique personality. The storyline delves into their daily lives with elements of exaggerated comedy.
Matsuno siblings
- Osomatsu Matsuno (voiced by Takahiro Sakurai/Billy Kametz)
- The eldest brother and self-declared leader of the group. He is an enthusiastic gambler who frequently engages in pachinko and horse race betting. His signature color is red.
- Karamatsu Matsuno (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura/Ray Chase)
- Second oldest sibling who harbors an inflated sense of his own coolness and popularity. He refers to his admirers as "Karamatsu Girls" and often incorporates English phrases into his speech. Known for his thick eyebrows and blue clothing, he sometimes dons a leather jacket and sunglasses.
- Choromatsu Matsuno (voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya/Sean Chiplock)
- The third-born and the most responsible among the brothers. He typically plays the role of the straight man and is an otaku. Distinctive features include an angular mouth shape, smaller pupils, and absence of a cowlick. Usually wears green.
- Ichimatsu Matsuno (voiced by Jun Fukuyama/Kyle McCarley)
- The fourth sibling who is introverted with a sharp wit. Characterized by tired-looking eyes, messy hair, a hunched posture, and purple attire.
- Jyushimatsu Matsuno (voiced by Daisuke Ono/Michael Sinterniklaas)
- Fifth-born brother known for his boundless energy but somewhat scatterbrained nature. Features a wide mouth and a single prominent cowlick. Often seen wearing yellow.
- Todomatsu Matsuno (voiced by Miyu Irino/Max Mittelman)
- The youngest brother who is outgoing and uses his charm to influence others. Noted for his smaller mouth and larger pupils. His typical color is pink.
Other characters
- The series' female lead aiming to become a fish-themed idol to achieve fame and wealth; she exhibits a fierce temperament when angered.
- Maintains his original design from Osomatsu-kun and appears as a supporting character following his lead role in the 1980s anime adaptation.
- A former adversary of the sextuplets who now runs an oden food stall frequented by them.
- and
- The parents of the sextuplets with whom they continue to live as adults.
- Once a subordinate character, Hatabō has since become the head of a multi-million dollar enterprise while retaining childlike behavior.
- A character consistent with his portrayal in the original series.
- Known for frequently repeating his own name.
- A cat-themed idol admired particularly by Choromatsu.
- A mostly silent character appearing intermittently as comic relief or hidden references.
- A high school classmate of the sextuplets appearing exclusively in the theatrical film.
- and
- Artificial intelligence robots introduced during season three to assist the brothers in their everyday routines.
- Female counterparts to the Matsuno brothers, each possessing distinct traits.
Production and release
The anime series Mr. Osomatsu was produced by Pierrot and animated under its Pierrot division, with its original broadcast running from October 6, 2015, through March 29, 2016. It marked the franchise's initial official English-language release through simultaneous international streaming on Crunchyroll. The debut episode, which included numerous parodies, was removed from streaming services on November 12, 2015, and replaced by an original video animation in the home video editions. Additionally, the third episode—containing a risqué parody of Anpanman—underwent edits for its BS Japan broadcast and was modified further for the home video version.
In September 2016, director Kanchi Suzuki indicated interest in producing a second season. A special episode created in collaboration with the Japan Racing Association aired on December 12, 2016. The second season was officially confirmed in April 2017 and broadcast from October 3, 2017, to March 27, 2018.
An anime feature film bearing the title was announced in August 2018 with the original creative team and cast returning; it premiered on March 15, 2019. Prior to the movie’s release, a short series consisting of seven episodes aired between March 1 and March 15, 2019.
The third season was revealed in July 2020 and subsequently aired from October 13, 2020, until March 30, 2021.
In June 2021, two additional theatrical films were announced. The first film, Mr. Osomatsu: Hipipo-Zoku to Kagayaku Kajitsu, debuted on July 8, 2022; it was directed by Yoshinori Odaka with the original staff and voice cast returning. The second film titled Mr. Osomatsu: The Soul's Takoyaki Party and the Legendary Sleepover Party premiered on July 21, 2023.
A spin-off anime based on the canine character merchandise line Matsu Inu was announced in August 2023. This series was animated by Point Pictures and directed by Tetsuya Endo—who also co-authored the scripts—and aired as part of TV Tokyo’s Eeny Meeny Miney Moe programming block from October 7 to December 23, 2023.
The fourth season was announced in June 2024. Following a rebranding in July 2024, Pierrot’s second studio became Pierrot Films and will oversee production. Directed once again by Yoshinori Odaka, this season is scheduled to premiere on July 8, 2025, across TV Tokyo and affiliated networks.
Distribution
In Australia and New Zealand, Madman Entertainment released the first season on DVD on December 7, 2016, while also making it available via AnimeLab streaming service.
During Otakon 2017, Viz Media acquired licensing rights for the first two seasons covering North America as well as Central and South America and simulcasted the second season. Viz released the initial season on Blu-ray in North America on March 9, 2021; however, episode one was excluded. The English dub was originally scripted and directed by Patrick Seitz, who departed mid-project; subsequently Christopher Bevins took over to rewrite and re-record all episodes except for episode one. The second season’s Blu-ray edition was released by Viz Media on September 14, 2021.
Other media
A manga adaptation of Mr. Osomatsu, illustrated by Masako Shitara, started serialization in Shueisha’s You magazine on January 15, 2016. Following the discontinuation of You, the series transferred to Shueisha’s Cookie magazine in November 2018 and concluded its run in November 2020. A novelization authored by Yū Mitsuru with illustrations by Naoyuki Asano was published on July 29, 2016. Additionally, an ongoing manga crossover titled Ultramatsu, linked to the Ultraman franchise and set after Season One events, is serialized on LINE.
Bandai Namco Entertainment launched a party game for the Nintendo 3DS platform on December 22, 2016. An otome game developed by Idea Factory was released for the PlayStation Vita in 2017.
A live-action film adaptation named Osomatsu San Movie, representing the franchise’s first official live-action project, was announced in August 2021. Directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa, it stars the nine-member boy band Snow Man portraying the Matsuno sextuplets alongside Ryōta Miyadate, Shōta Watanabe, and Ryōhei Abe as original characters Period, End, and Close respectively. Snow Man also performed the movie’s theme song "Brother Beat." The film had its premiere on March 25, 2022.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 2015 anime television series debuts
- 2016 manga
- 2017 anime television series debuts
- 2020 anime television series debuts
- 2025 anime television series debuts
- Animated series focusing on brothers
- Animated series reboots
- Anime reboots
- Fujio Akatsuka
- Japanese comedy films
- Josei manga
- Madman Entertainment anime
- Osomatsu-kun
- Parody anime and manga
- Studio Pierrot
- Shueisha manga
- TV Tokyo original programming
- Viz Media anime