Keiichirō Saitō

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.

Film Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur (2020; key animation) Bocchi the Rock! Re: (2024; director) Bocchi the Rock! Re:Re: (2024; 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)