It may be the Year of the Horse according to the Zodiac calendar, but it’s the Year of the Frog in the anime world. 2026 marks the return of one of Japan’s greatest contributions to animated comedies: Sgt. Frog! The tale of five space frogs attempting to rule the planet despite its lazy leader has brought joy to people all over the world for nearly three decades. In the fall, a brand-new series is set to debut, with a new voice cast to boot.

Thankfully, the classic voices are given the chance to bow out graciously, in the form of the new film Sgt. Frog the Movie: The Earth Is in Mortal Peril as Soon as We Come Back! The first big-screen adventure with Keroro (Kumiko Watanabe), Tamama (Etsuko Kozakura), Giroro (Jouji Nakata), and the rest of the space frogs and Pekoponians since 2010, the movie attempts to go all out with the gags, the action, and the spoofs. However, in all of the chaos, it appears that chief director and screenwriter Yuuichi Fukuda forgot to add one small detail: a cohesive plot.

After a brief recap of the anime series, the film starts with Natsumi (Chiwa Saito), Fukuyi (Houko Kuwashima), and Aki (Akiko Hiramatsu) going on vacation in Okinawa. Keroro is left behind to do the chores when a plethora of invaders start arriving on Earth. Evil yokai are the first of the bunch, followed by titans, aliens, and your average tokusatsu goons. All of them are connected to the frog alien duo of Aruru and Deruru (both voiced by SixTONES member Jesse), who have a past connection with Kululu (Takehito Koyasu). And yes, for once, the Keroro Platoon hasn’t forgotten Dororo (Takeshi Kusao), who winds up being quite the MVP in some of these odd battles.

Most of the new Sgt. Frog film gives the characters a chance to riff on various series that they might’ve missed out on during their hiatus. From Yo-Kai Watch and Attack on Titan to Pretty Cure and Rebuild of Evangelion, the alien amphibians parody these hits with a slice of heart and respect for them. Sometimes the jokes and parodies work; other times, not so much. (A Gintama bit would’ve been light years funnier if they just had the original character designs and voice cast participate, considering Bandai Namco Pictures animates both series.)

As for the actual plot of the film, nothing is really clear until midway through the second act. Even though the Earth is constantly hit with these different invasions, the big world-ender doesn’t come around until the third act. While it attempts to give a sort of message about global warming and — say it with me — “the power of friendship”, the narrative kind of falls flat due to it being drowned out by the spoofs. For a movie that’s acting as the company bow for the original cast, I can’t help but feel like something grander should’ve been planned out.

Thankfully, even with a nearly nonexistent plot, the new Sgt. Frog movie still is pretty entertaining. On top of its humor, the animation is pretty great during the big battle scenes, something Bandai Namco Pictures rarely skimps on. The voice cast sounds just as fresh as ever, with Jesse bringing a lot of range to his voices for Aruru and Deruru. Singer Ano not only joins comedian Soshina for the catchy opening theme “Mata Kaettekita KERO! to MARCH”, but also contributes the hella good and hard-rocking closer “Kashippanashi Destiny”. 

Earth may be in mortal peril, but Keroro and his platoon find a way to keep on a smile on viewers’ faces. The new Sgt. Frog film is far from perfect, but it still manages to be a fun, funny, and feel-good time at the movies. Although it’s not the best way for the original voices to say their farewells, it does allow them to walk towards the sunset, leaving behind a legacy that will surely be hard to beat. Note to whomever is cast in the new series: you’ve got some big, web-toed shoes to fill.

Now in theaters in Japan. No worldwide release date as of this review.