Image: Space Academy/Chokkura Tsuki Made Filmkomitee
AMBot | 08/06/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The opening video for the anime film "Uchū Nanchara Kotesu-kun: Ukkari Detekita Uchūjin o Sagase!" ("Find the aliens who accidentally appeared!") has been released. The opening sequence shows the characters around aspiring astronaut Kotesu to the music of the title song "Uchū no Nanchara Nakama," sung by Shoko Nakagawa. The song has been available digitally since July 22 and will also be released on September 9 on Nakagawa's single "Twilight Magic," with which the singer celebrates her 20th debut anniversary.
Shoko Nakagawa, known in Japan by the nickname "Shokotan" and who has already sung numerous anime theme songs, expressed her enthusiasm in a statement: As a big space fan, it is a dream for her to sing the title song for "Uchū Nanchara Kotesu-kun." The song is a catchy earworm that you can dance to while learning the names of planets and stars.
The film is based on the free web manga by Yuji Nishimura, which has been published biweekly since August 2019 and tells the everyday life of Kotesu and his friends at the Animal Space Academy. A television series based on it aired between 2021 and 2023 in two seasons with a total of 64 episodes on NHK Educational. For the film, director Yoshinori Tsutsui, screenwriter Yoichi Kato, and the voice actors from the series return. In the plot, Kotesu hears rumors about aliens and gets the entire academy to search for them. The film combines newly edited animation material with real space footage, which comes, among other sources, from NHK science programs and the archives of the Japanese space agency JAXA. JAXA and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan are involved as cooperation partners.
In Japan, the film opens on Friday, September 11, at, among others, the Aeon Cinema chain; distribution is handled by Kadokawa and Aeon Entertainment. As a gift for moviegoers, there is an originally designed sticker in marshmallow style. The credits also present Japan's space efforts by JAXA and private companies in several thematic blocks. Advance tickets cost 1400 yen for adults and students, and 900 yen for children, teenagers, and seniors.
Parallel to the film release, Kotesu takes on a special role as ambassador: The city of Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, where the Tanegashima Space Center, described as the "most beautiful launch pad in the world," is located, has appointed the character as space support ambassador. The appointment was sealed on August 5 at a ceremony at the mayor's office and accompanied by a specially drawn collaboration motif. Kotesu is to appear at city events in the future and, under the label "SPACETOWN Minamitane," support children who aspire to a future in space.
Shoko Nakagawa, known in Japan by the nickname "Shokotan" and who has already sung numerous anime theme songs, expressed her enthusiasm in a statement: As a big space fan, it is a dream for her to sing the title song for "Uchū Nanchara Kotesu-kun." The song is a catchy earworm that you can dance to while learning the names of planets and stars.
The film is based on the free web manga by Yuji Nishimura, which has been published biweekly since August 2019 and tells the everyday life of Kotesu and his friends at the Animal Space Academy. A television series based on it aired between 2021 and 2023 in two seasons with a total of 64 episodes on NHK Educational. For the film, director Yoshinori Tsutsui, screenwriter Yoichi Kato, and the voice actors from the series return. In the plot, Kotesu hears rumors about aliens and gets the entire academy to search for them. The film combines newly edited animation material with real space footage, which comes, among other sources, from NHK science programs and the archives of the Japanese space agency JAXA. JAXA and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan are involved as cooperation partners.
In Japan, the film opens on Friday, September 11, at, among others, the Aeon Cinema chain; distribution is handled by Kadokawa and Aeon Entertainment. As a gift for moviegoers, there is an originally designed sticker in marshmallow style. The credits also present Japan's space efforts by JAXA and private companies in several thematic blocks. Advance tickets cost 1400 yen for adults and students, and 900 yen for children, teenagers, and seniors.
Parallel to the film release, Kotesu takes on a special role as ambassador: The city of Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, where the Tanegashima Space Center, described as the "most beautiful launch pad in the world," is located, has appointed the character as space support ambassador. The appointment was sealed on August 5 at a ceremony at the mayor's office and accompanied by a specially drawn collaboration motif. Kotesu is to appear at city events in the future and, under the label "SPACETOWN Minamitane," support children who aspire to a future in space.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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