is a Japanese director and key animator, best known for directing the first season of both Bocchi the Rock! and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.
Career In 2015, Keiichirō Saitō graduated from the Department of Animation in the Faculty of Manga at Kyoto Seika University. His graduation work, , received both the Excellence Award and the Production I.G Award at the 12th Kichijoji International Animation Film Festival.
In 2017, the aforementioned graduation work was nominated at the 15th Independent Animation Festival. Through this event, he met CloverWorks producer , leading him to work as an episode director for the studio and later being appointed as the director of Bocchi the Rock!.
In 2023, Saitō won the Best Director Award for Bocchi the Rock! at the 2023 Newtype Anime Awards. He also won the Best Director in 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End in 2025.
Filmography Television series In "Director(s)" column highlights Saitō's directorial works. Year Title Director(s) Studio Key Animation Other roles Ref(s)2015Absolute DuoAtsushi NakayamaEight Bit2016Love Live! Sunshine!!Kazuo SakaiSunriseIn-between animationDAYSKōnosuke UdaMAPPASecond key animationFlip FlappersKiyotaka OshiyamaStudio 3HzOccultic;NineKyōhei IshiguroA-1 PicturesMonster Hunter Stories: Ride OnMitsuru HongoDavid ProductionStoryboard, episode director2017Little Witch AcademiaYoh YoshinariTriggerACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.Shingo NatsumeMadhouseGamers!Manabu OkamotoPine JamThe Idolmaster SideMMiyuki KurokiTakahiro HaradaA-1 PicturesEpisode director, animation director, second key animation, in-between animation2018Hozuki's Coolheadedness (season 2)Kazuhiro YonedaStudio DeenEncouragement of ClimbYusuke YamamotoEight Bit2019Boogiepop and OthersShingo NatsumeMadhouseStoryboard, episode director, animation directorPokémon the Series: Sun & MoonKunihiko Yuyama Daiki TomiyasuOLMAscendance of a BookwormMitsuru HongoAjia-do2020Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu ZororiTakahide OgataBN PicturesAjia-doStrike Witches: Road to BerlinKazuhiro TakamuraDavid Production2021Wonder Egg PriorityShin WakabayashiCloverWorksI've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My LevelNobukage KimuraRevorootSonny BoyShingo NatsumeMadhouseStoryboard, episode director, animation director, second key animationTakt Op. DestinyYūki ItōMAPPAMadhouse2022Gunma-chanMitsuru HongoAscensionThe Heike StoryNaoko YamadaScience SaruPrincess Connect! Re:Dive (season 2)Takaomi Kanasaki Yasuo IwamotoCygamesPicturesThe Executioner and Her Way of LifeYoshiki KawasakiJ.C.StaffBocchi the Rock!Keiichirō SaitōCloverWorksOpening director, storyboard, episode director2022Mob Psycho 100 IIIYuzuru Tachikawa Takahiro HasuiBonesEncouragement of Climb: Next SummitYusuke YamamotoEight BitStoryboard, episode director2023Oshi no KoDaisuke HiramakiDoga KoboOpening key animationFrieren: Beyond Journey's EndKeiichirō SaitōMadhouse2024The Elusive SamuraiYuta YamazakiCloverWorksSecond key animation2025monoRyōta AikeiSoigne2026Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (season 2)Tomoya KitagawaMadhouseDirector support
Film Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur (2020; key animation) Bocchi the Rock! Re: (2024; director) Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: (2024; director)
OVA ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. - Regards (2020; director)
Original net animation (ONA) Reborn! × ēlDLIVE 24H – special collaboration mini anime (2016; in-between animation) Super Crooks (2021; key animation) Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season (2024; opening key animation) Takopi's Original Sin (2025; key animation)
Other works Fate/Strange Fake (2019; commercial, key animation) Azur Lane – 3rd anniversary promotional video (2020; character design, animation director) Azur Lane × Venus Vacation Prism: Dead or Alive Xtreme – collaboration promotional animation (2020; animation director)
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