New Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off announced for 2025

On Thursday, December 12, 2024, the official staff announced the production of a new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off, titled Raccoon Calcal Force (Araiguma Calcal-dan), with a teaser visual. According to the announcement, the spin-off series will premiere in 2025. Additionally, details regarding the voice actors and staff have arrived on the anime's official website.

Under the production of Nippon Animation, the original Raccoon Rascal anime premiered in 1977 and aired 52 episodes. The television anime series is based on the children's novel, Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, by Sterling North. Notably, Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder, and director of Studio Ghibli, was involved in the series' animation.

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The new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off set to be released in 2025 under the Nippon Animation studio

On Thursday, December 12, 2024, a website and X account were opened to announce the production of the new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off series, called Raccoon Calcal Force. The official staff unveiled a teaser visual to confirm the anime's 2025 premiere. A narrower release date is yet to be revealed.

The illustration depicts a raccoon, similar to Rascal from the original anime, wearing a space suit and gazing at the Earth from outer space. The teaser visual also has a tagline in Japanese, which reads thus when translated into English:

"Half a century since the timeless masterpiece, they come to Earth."

The anime stars Juniya Enoki, Kensho Ono, Yohei Azakami, Taku Yashiro, and Kenjiro Tsuda. Although the official staff has revealed the voice actors for the new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off, they haven't disclosed their roles yet. More information about the cast will be shared in the future.

The Raccoon "Rascal", as seen in the original anime (Image via Nippon Animation)

Nippon Animation Studio returns to handle the series' animation production, with Henry Hirakawa at the helm as the director. Ayano Yoshioka, noted for their contribution to Let's Make a Mug Too anime, is enlisted as the character designer.

Arisa Okehazama handles the music for the new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off, while Kisuke Koizumi is credited as the sound director. Kasumi Dekune from Nippon Animation and Hiroya Tanaka from Yomiuri TV are the producers, while Kozo Misawa from Yomiuri TV and Hitomi Hiratsuka from Nippon Animation are the chief producers.

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About the anime

Sterling and the Raccoon in the original anime (Image via Nippon Animation)

Unfortunately, the official staff hasn't revealed a synopsis for the new Raccoon Rascal anime spin-off. However, the plot of the original series revolves around a boy named Sterling North, who shelters a raccoon as part of his family. He soon realizes his efforts are futile, so he plans to release the raccoon into the wild.

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