Today we have some potentially disappointing news for those of you looking forward to Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa Heisei Reiwa.

Those of you familiar with the Momotaro Dentetsu series should know that series creator Akira Sakuma and illustrator Takayuki Doi have worked together for a long time on Momotaro Dentetsu. The colorful characters in Momotaro Dentetsu were originally conceived by Takayuki Doi and the copyright belongs to him.

But as we all learned last year, Takayuki Doi joined Bandai Namco Entertainment to develop Billion Road, a game similar to Momotaro Dentetsu that didn’t sell very well in Japan. When Akira Sakuma was asked if Doi-san will return to illustrate characters for the game, he told them he wasn’t and all the designs will be brand new:

今回、土居ちやんはいな。新しくした。

— さくま あきら (@isetta_23) September 8, 2019

This revelation is probably upsetting to some fans as the characters in Momotaro Dentetsu have a certain flair and style to them. We will all have to wait and see how the new design turns out next year.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.