Chiikawa, the adorable creation by illustrator-manga artist NAGANO, only started in 2020 but quickly took the world by storm! After its TV anime debut, its unique charm captivated audiences everywhere, making it a universally beloved phenomenon.
Today (February 4), the latest episode, "Kaki no Tane Wasabi" (Episode 241), aired, and fans immediately noticed a change in Hachiware's voice. The term "voice change" even shot up the X (formerly Twitter) trending topics, becoming a hot discussion point.
▼ "Voice change" also trended on X in Japan.
Fans quickly posted comparisons between Hachiware's first appearance and the latest episode. Hachiware's voice actor, Makoto Tanaka, has grown from 11 to 14 years old, and for a boy, this is definitely the age for a voice change. You can probably hear the difference too!
It's been over two years since the "Chiikawa" anime first aired in April 2022. Many online had already noticed subtle shifts in Hachiware's voice, but this latest episode made the maturation of his voice unmistakably clear.
Naturally, "voice change" became a trending topic on X, with netizens pouring out their thoughts: "It's so heartwarming to feel Makoto Tanaka-kun's growth!", "It's really moving to see the character and voice actor grow up together," and "He's taken another step towards adulthood!" The discussion was absolutely buzzing.
This vocal shift, of course, led many to speculate about a potential voice actor change. However, a significant number of fans expressed, "I hope he keeps voicing him!" They're rooting for him to stay, finding it incredibly heartwarming to witness Makoto Tanaka and Hachiware grow together.
On another note, Kurimanju-senpai's drink also sparked a buzz. While the official reason hasn't been explicitly stated, past anime adaptations typically altered Kurimanju's drinking scenes.
Yet, in the latest episode, Kurimanju-senpai was openly chugging a beer clearly labeled "BEER"! Fans were utterly shocked, exclaiming, "Has the anime finally lifted its alcohol ban?", "They used to just vaguely show juice, but this time he's straight-up drinking!", and "Kurimanju-senpai drinking beer first thing in the morning? What a legend!" This ignited another wave of discussion across social media.
Of course, casting an 11-year-old Makoto Tanaka back then already raised concerns about his voice changing, as it's an unavoidable part of male development. While Chiikawa's voice actor, Haruka Aoki, is also only 13, female voices typically undergo less drastic changes, so that's less of a worry.
(Most other Chiikawa characters are voiced by adult voice actors.)
via： togetter.com