In today's latest episode of the anime "Chiikawa: Something Small and Cute" (Episode 241, "Kaki no Tane Wasabi"), fans immediately noticed a distinct change in Hachiware's voice. The reason? Voice actor Makoto Tanaka, who started at 11, is now 14, and his voice has clearly "broken" due to puberty, sparking a huge discussion online.
To address the buzz, "Chiikawa" illustrator and manga artist Nagano's official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a special illustration this evening (February 4th) featuring "Chiikawa & Usagi Hugging Hachiware." Fans were quick to praise the heartwarming gesture, deeply moved by the official show of support.
▼ Today, the keyword "声変わり" (voice change) was trending heavily on X in Japan, igniting widespread discussion.
The illustration itself was simple yet powerful. Nagano didn't add any text, just a sun emoji, subtly conveying warmth and support for Hachiware. In just a few hours, the post racked up over 190,000 likes, proving that even a simple message can profoundly express care.
(Image captured February 4th, 11 PM JST)
This vocal shift led some to speculate about a potential voice actor change, but many fans quickly voiced their support, hoping he'd "keep voicing Hachiware!" and that no replacement would be made.
Seeing Nagano's illustration, countless netizens flooded the comments with messages of encouragement for Hachiware's VA, Makoto Tanaka, cheering him on through his "voice change." They saw it as a testament to fans growing alongside their voice actor, urging him not to be disheartened. After all, he's just 14, and fans promised continued support, telling him to ignore any negativity and just be himself.
Fans also showered Nagano's post with praise, calling the simple, warm gesture – conveyed through Hachiware's best pals Chiikawa and Usagi – incredibly touching. QQ.
Of course, casting Makoto Tanaka at just 11 years old initially raised concerns about his voice breaking, as vocal changes are an unavoidable part of male puberty. While Chiikawa's VA, Haruka Aoki, is also only 13, female voices typically undergo less drastic changes, making it less of a worry.
However, with even author Nagano posting such a warm, silent show of support, fans who were worried about Hachiware potentially getting a new voice actor in the near future can likely breathe a sigh of relief.