Illustrator Nagano’s Chiikawa became a hit in no time, and its quirky anime adaptation only brought even more fans into the fold. This year’s theatrical film has pushed the franchise even further into the mainstream.
Episode 380, “Parallel World 6,” aired in Japan on September 22. Adapted from the original manga, the episode sees Hachiware grow gigantic under the parallel world’s influence, becoming powerful enough to crush a bee underfoot without breaking a sweat. But the real scene-stealer was voice actor Makoto Tanaka, whose dramatically different voice for the supersized Hachiware earned plenty of praise from fans.
Tanaka effectively voices three different versions of the character in this episode, effortlessly switching from Hachiware’s usual adorable voice to a deep, commanding growl.
Despite being only 16, Tanaka has already spent four years voicing Hachiware. His changing voice has sparked plenty of discussion among fans as he has grown older, but his increasingly polished performance proves just how far his acting skills have come.
Fans were quick to applaud the performance, writing comments such as, “His acting is first-rate,” and, “Using his post-voice-change range to portray the character like this was absolutely the right call.”
Some fans had previously worried that Tanaka might struggle to recreate parallel-world Hachiware’s voice. As it turned out, the timing of his voice change made him a perfect fit for the scene.
Listen to Hachiware’s gigantic new voice in the episode below.
Tanaka’s voice change arrived at just the right time, giving him even more range to capture Hachiware’s transformation. The anime’s official account also shared a special illustration by Nagano, suggesting the creator was pretty pleased with the performance as well.
