The novel The Cold Sato-san Is Only Sweet to Me will receive an anime adaptation

Appearances can be deceiving, especially in the noisy hallways of a high school. Behind a cold stare and blunt responses, there is often an extreme level of shyness and social inexperience. This Wednesday, an official website was launched to announce the anime adaptation of the romantic comedylight novel written by Kazami Sawatari, The Cold Sato-san Is Only Sweet to Me (Shiotaio no Sato-san ga Ore ni Dake Amai). The production committee celebrated the news by releasing a first promotional trailer and confirming that the series will premiere on Japanese television during 2026.

The overall production of this sweet school romance was placed in the hands of the historic studio Tezuka Productions. The main direction of the project belongs to Fumihiro Yoshimura. The scripts will be under the strict supervision of Takashi Aoshima, seeking to capture the slow and tender pace of the original story. The character designs will be adapted for the television format by designer Daisuke Okushima, while the musical score will be handled by composer Shun Narita.

The initial announcement was accompanied by the revelation of the pair of actors who will lead the main voice cast to bring the protagonists to life:

• Hiiro Ishibashi as Sota Oshio.

An emerging young talent within the dubbing industry looking to consolidate his career by taking the leading role in this tender school story.

• Miku Ito as Koharu Sato.

An unmistakable actress acclaimed by the otaku community after portraying Miku Nakano in the hit romantic comedy The Quintessential Quintuplets.

About the work

Kazami Sawatari began publishing this narrative through the Gagaga Bunko literary label of the publisher Shogakukan in 2019, featuring character illustrations by Aitiki. The commercial success of the printed format allowed for the release of its twelfth compiled volume in Japanese stores this Wednesday. The franchise also has a faithful manga adaptation illustrated by Kaya Tetsuyama, which began serialization in May 2020 and currently has nine volumes on the market.

Synopsis of The Cold Sato-san Is Only Sweet to Me

The plot closely follows Koharu Sato, the most beautiful girl in her entire class. Despite her beauty, no one dares to approach her due to her seemingly hostile attitude. She never smiles, always responds bluntly, and has earned the nickname "the cold Sato-san." However, the reality is completely different: Koharu is an extremely shy girl who panics when interacting with others and simply doesn't know how to express herself. Her secret is revealed to Sota Oshio, an ordinary boy who works part-time at his family's cafe. After a chance incident that allows Sota to see the young woman's true and sweet personality, the two begin to grow closer slowly, closing the distance between them as they discover their true feelings in their daily lives.

Do you think the dynamic of the shy and misunderstood girl will manage to stand out among all the romantic comedies scheduled for 2026?