Kobayashi and Tomita Headline the New Additions
Chiaki Kobayashi (Stark in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Mash in Mashle: Magic and Muscles) takes on Ren Misono (三園蓮), Sōta's classmate and best friend. Ren helps push Sōta and Koharu closer together, though he occasionally shows a colder, harder-to-read side. Kobayashi described the character as unpredictable, promising that Ren would serve as "a pinch of accent" in the sweet rom-com.
Miyu Tomita (Riko in Made in Abyss, Miko Iino in Kaguya-sama: Love is War) voices Rinka Sudō (須藤凛香), Koharu's cousin and a third-year middle school student. Despite being younger than the leads, Rinka is mature beyond her years. Tomita said she paid close attention to balancing the character's youthful energy with her surprisingly grown-up composure.
Four more additions round out the supporting cast, as reported by Japanese comics news site Comic Natalie. Yoshino Aoyama plays Shizuku Misono (三園雫), Ren's older sister and a college student whose big personality livens up every scene. Hisako Kanemoto takes on Mayo Nezu (根津麻世), Shizuku's college friend who watches over the main couple's halting romance with a drink in hand. Yasunori Matsumoto voices Seizaemon Oshio (押尾清左衛門), Sōta's father and owner of café Tutuji. Matsumoto admitted the old-fashioned name had him bracing for a stern, traditional character, only to be "betrayed in the best way" by the actual design and personality. And Yuki Wakai plays Madoka Murasaki (村崎円花), a second-year high school student from a seaside town. Wakai couldn't hide her excitement about voicing a "blonde tsundere delinquent," calling the character "absolutely my type."
A character PV and first key visual were released alongside the casting news, spotlighting the full ensemble.
What the Show Is About
The Salty Koharu Has a Soft Spot for Me follows Sōta Oshio, who works part-time at his father's café, and his classmate Koharu Satō. Everyone calls her "salty Satō-san" for her cold attitude, but Sōta discovers she's not standoffish at all. She's just painfully shy and bad at expressing herself. What follows is a mutual-crush rom-com where both characters are completely obvious to everyone except each other.
The series is based on Kazami Sawatari's (猿渡かざみ) light novel published under Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko imprint, with original character designs by Achiki (Aちき). A manga adaptation by Kaya Tetsuyama has been running since 2020.
Tezuka Productions, the studio behind The Quintessential Quintuplets, handles animation. Fumihiro Yoshimura directs, with Takashi Aoshima on series composition, Daisuke Okushima designing the characters, and Shun Narita composing the music. The two leads, announced earlier this year, are Hiiro Ishibashi as Sōta and Miku Itō as Koharu.
Looking Ahead
A pre-screening event is scheduled for September 20, 2026, at Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo. Lead actors Hiiro Ishibashi (Sōta), Miku Itō (Koharu), and Miyu Tomita (Rinka) will appear on stage. Ticket lottery registration through Lawson Ticket opened on June 26.
The anime premieres in October 2026 as part of the fall season. No international streaming partner has been confirmed yet. The source light novel and its manga adaptation do not currently have official English-language releases, so international fans will be watching for a Crunchyroll or other platform pickup as the premiere approaches.