Rikit

Topanto is a Japanese anime series that is based on the comic strips written by John Ashu under his pen name, Fujiko J. Fujio and illustrated by Koji Aihara.

Plot
Rikit is a Topanto sent by Jacaro's deceased cousin, Mokono Kamiya, from heaven to help his cousin Jacaro, an unlucky miserable 10-year-old boy who always get bad grades and is always made fun of.

Japanese Cast
Wasabi Mizuta: Rikit, Kana, Zotana Kamiya, Snaco Mizuta

Chisa Yokoyama: Jacaro Kamiya JR

Kaito Ishikawa: Jacaro Kamiya SR, Gio Date, Hakaru-Sensei

Hiroshi Kamiya: Susie Tezuka

Arsia Date: Additional Voices

Osamu Hoshi: Additional Voices

UK Cast
John Ashu: Rikit, Jacaro SR, Snaco Mizuta

Hetty Baynes: Kana, Jacaro JR

Will Hislop: Gio Date, Hakaru

Dwan French: Zotana, Susie

Colin Baker: Additional Voices

Riley Jones: Additional Voices

US/Canadian Cast
Paul Reubens: Rikit

Tress MacNeille: Jacaro JR, Kana, Susie

Mike Myers: Gio, Snaco, Hakaru

Bryn McAuley: Zotana

Susan Egan: Additional Voices

Jeff Bergman: Additional Voices

Production
During Computer Animals's run, John created Rikit as a request by Makoto Tezuka for another comic strip but Ashu didn't know what to created and began thinking about an animal with wings of a bird, oval-shaped fangs and two different tails and ears of a cat and dog. He didn't know what to choose so he decided to put them all together and create Rikit (John also stated that he wished he had a Topanto so he can steal his ideas). The name "Topanto" came from an Instagram account and John named the Topanto Rikit from a common Tatalog word from the Philippines.

Trivia

 * Originally it was supposed to be an OVA but John did not like it so it was made an Anime instead.
 * Despite being a Japanese Anime, Rikit was created by John Ashu in Ireland (just like all of the Bollard International Japan characters that were created by John Ashu).
 * During productions of Topanto, Fujiko F. Fujio Pro filed a lawsuit against Waku Animation claiming that Topanto is a rip-off of Doraemon but it was settled when one of the Bollard International Japan lawyers stated that Topanto was created and developed by John Ashu and has nothing to do with Doraemon.
 * According to Makoto Tezuka, one of the supervising Directors, Wasabi Mizuku only voiced Rikit because she thought that Topanto is an unrelated spin-off of Doraemon.