Hidarikiki no Eren

Hidarikiki no Eren, or Eren the Southpaw, really captivated me with its passion. Among the releases this current 2026 Spring season, this series in particular left the strongest first impression with its down-to-earth storytelling. The first episode was well-done and spoken to the raging artist within me, and the second episode in a similar fashion was moving to see. The third one felt really fast-forwarded, but interesting nonetheless. Some of the bigger critics I would give is the lack of linkage between episodes, too fast pacing (be it manga-aligned or not), and just massive time-skips that leave one wondering back to some of the core ... characters. In a way, it is realistic you could say, not like anyone keeps up to date much with old colleagues. But with that said, I highly doubt this would be a series your average viewer could find the nuance to appreciate it for what it is. I personally enjoy watching it thus far, especially as someone who is a bit artsy.

This series in my opinion is worth giving a try to see if it suits you. I certainly was not expecting much given the animation style not necessarily to my preference, but a well-thoughtful story trumps all that for me. I do think this could work better as a live-action interestingly enough. Which is also to say, in a way, that if the animation adaptation was more design-appealing, with heavier emotional directive, I think it would have spoken more to the viewer.

9/10 plot; 6/10 animation; ~7/10 OST (OP and ED meh though). PASSION 100/10

Overall, hovering around a 8/10, give or take. Will have to see more.

Work Ethic vs. Talent. It is a common debate. Here we have Koichi Asakura who aims to be a designer whose biggest strength is his work ethic. Eren Yamagishi meanwhile his very gifted in comparison. So far the show has dealt with the realities of what a hard worker is as an adult. Especially as it focuses on Koichi so far. There are some elements that are done well.

Through 3 episodes, the pacing is a bit awkward. As their time in high school overstayed its welcome, being 2 episodes instead of 1. And there were 2 time skips starting in episode 3 and in the ... middle of episode 3. This uneven pacing could be seen as a redflag.

The show has potential, but at the same time it is hard to get a grasp of what it wants to go for. It doesn't help that the cast doesn't feel likable at all. Perhaps it is the intention to give something that feels relatable. Production-wise, it's a collaboration between Production I.G. and Studio M.D. It's fine. Nothing out of this world, but it gets the job done. Art direction is the one part that looks awkward at times.

If you are looking for something unique, this might be worth a shot, as a visual arts series focusing on one's passions is something you don't get too much in anime. But it really hasn't done well enough that I would recommend it yet.

No charm at all to keep me hooked. Other airing anime has better stories and production, so i don't want to waste my time on anime that i dont find interesting.
Tbh i picked this up because the eren name...(Shoutout to eren aot lol) And the story feel kinda similar to blue period, so i thought it'll intrigued me. But nah, the plotlines kinda don't make sense. And the characters too. Plot was just messy for the first three eps. Like i don't have any idea what the story will brought me.
So yea i don't want to waste my time so decided to dropped ... it.