The anime adaptation of Eren the Southpaw is adding a new voice to its cast this week, and fans following the series should keep an eye on episode 6.
The production team announced that Natsumi Fujiwara is voicing Sachiyo Saitō, the manager of Akari Kishi. Sachiyo makes her first appearance in episode 6, which airs on Tuesday.
For Malaysian and SEA anime fans who enjoy stories about creative ambition, art school dreams, and the pressure to actually “make it” in a competitive field, Eren the Southpaw is one of those quieter titles worth tracking. It is not just another power fantasy or battle anime, bro — this one is about talent, ego, insecurity, and the grind behind creative work.
What Eren the Southpaw is about
The story follows Koichi Asakura, a high school student who wants to enter art school and become a designer. During that period where everyone starts seriously thinking about their future, Koichi encounters graffiti on an art museum wall that shakes him up.
The artist behind it is Eren Yamagishi, a left-handed student with serious artistic ability, but also a past incident that has held her talent back. Through drawing, Koichi and Eren begin to understand each other, with Koichi moving toward design and Eren chasing her own road as a painter.
That setup hits a bit different if you are in Malaysia or SEA, where creative careers can still feel like a risky path compared to the “safe” options parents usually prefer. Design, advertising, illustration, animation — all these industries exist here, but the hustle is real. So a series about young creatives figuring out whether they can survive on talent and obsession? Memang relatable.
Strong staff behind the anime
The anime is directed by Toshimasa Suzuki, whose credits include Fafner: Heaven and Earth, Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne, and RWBY: Ice Queendom. Animation production is handled by Production I.G and Signal.MD.
That studio pairing should catch attention. Production I.G has a long reputation for clean, polished work, especially on projects where character acting and atmosphere matter. For a series built around art, emotional tension, and creative identity, that matters more than flashy action cuts.
Taku Kishimoto is handling series scripts, and his track record is pretty stacked: BLUE LOCK, Haikyu!!, and Moriarty the Patriot. Character design duties include Takayuki Gotō, with Yuka Fukuchi and Akane Tamai also working on character designs and serving as chief animation directors.
The music side also has flavour. ALI performs the opening theme, “Funkin’ Beautiful feat. ZORN,” while Ima Murasaki performs the ending theme, “New Walk.” For a show about creative identity, a strong OP/ED package can really set the mood.
Manga background
Eren the Southpaw started as a manga by Kappi on the cakes web manga service in March 2016. A remake version, illustrated by nifuni, later launched on Shonen Jump+ in October 2017. That version ended in October 2022, with an extra chapter following in December of the same year.
Shueisha published the final compiled volumes, with volume 24 serving as the ending point for that run. The series also inspired a live-action drama in October 2019.
More recently, Shonen Jump+ began a new serialization on March 4. This new story is set in 2026 and focuses on a fresh “competition” inside the Meguro Advertising Agency. The manga’s 25th compiled volume shipped on May 1.
For SEA viewers, this is the kind of anime that may fly under the radar compared to louder seasonal titles, but it has a very specific appeal: creative people under pressure, agency politics, ambition, and the messy gap between raw talent and real-world success. If you are into anime about work, art, design, or chasing a dream that does not come with a guaranteed salary, this one is worth a look.
Source: Anime News Network