Set to release October 2022, Cool Doji Danshi — the story of four guys masking their carelessness with cool exteriors — has a new PV trailer unveiling the voice cast. A slice-of-life tale full of comedy and relatable situations, this new anime should be light-hearted fun if it’s anything like Kokone Nata’s manga.
Studio Pierrot will handle the series’ animation. Best known for their work on shounen classics such as Black Clover and Naruto, it will be interesting to see the studio’s take on a slow burn ‘shoujo’ show. Regardless of the label, Studio Pierrot creates more than shonen; gag series Osomatsu-san and the slice of life anime Polar Bear Cafe are one of a few examples.
The plot of Cool Doji Danshi — also known as Play It Cool, Guys in English — is a hard one to quantify. It doesn’t follow a traditional structure with clear character goals and a major conflict. Rather, it introduces four main characters with a common dilemma. Sometimes, their careless attitudes lead to embarrassing situations. But in the end, each of them has their own way of dealing with their shortcomings.
Who is the voice cast of Cool Doji Danshi?
College student Hayate Ichikura will be voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi, best known for his work as Vinland Saga’s Askeladd and SK∞’s Langa. The reflective and introverted one of the crew, Ichikura seeks individuality while feeling directionless.
Kouki Uchiyama — Haikyuu!!’s Kei Tsukishima and Jujutsu Kaisen’s Toge Inumaki — will voice high schooler Shun Futami. Putting on a tough façade to mask his carelessness, Futami struggles with the way others see him, particularly the girls at his school.
Takayuki Mima, the aloof office worker, will be voiced by Goblin Slayer’s protagonist and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Weather Report, Yuuichirou Umehara. Unlike the rest of the crew, Takayuki is unaware of his clumsy nature and how it affects his coworkers.
Rounding out the cast is Shouya Chiba — 86’s Shin and Classroom of the Elite’s Kiyotaka — voicing Souma Shiki, the 19-year-old little brother of Takayuki coworker. His way of handling his absentmindedness is through positivity; Souma recognizes his mistakes but tries to put a positive spin on them.
Where can I read the Cool Doji Danshi manga?
Pick up all four volumes of the Cool Doji Danshi manga in Japanese from Square Enix. Both eBook and paperback editions are available through retailers such as Amazon Japan and the Manga Up app.
Translated as Play It Cool, Guys, the manga has been published in English by Yen Press. Fans can pick up the first three volumes — with a fourth available on September 20th — at their favorite book retailers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
2020’s edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, an annual reference magazine that ranks manga series, placed Cool Doji Danshi in its Top 20 Shojo list. Other selections included Not Your Idol — a drama that explores the life of an idol post-fame — at the top of the shoujo list and Spy x Family at the top of the shonen chart.