Bless Anime Reveals a Quiet New Face

Kōki Uchiyama joins Bless as Meiji Nakano, a reserved high school student learning makeup. His new character PV offers the first taste of the character’s voice...

Not every character needs to dominate a room to make an impression. Sometimes, the most interesting person is the one who says the least.

The upcoming anime Bless has introduced another member of its cast: Meiji Nakano, voiced by Kōki Uchiyama. A new character promotional video has also been released, giving viewers their first chance to hear Uchiyama perform the role.

A Student With More Going on Beneath the Surface

Meiji is a high school student learning makeup at Mirror, where he looks up to fellow model Akira Ōya. He is described as someone who does not talk much, leaving much of his personality and inner thoughts unspoken.

That reserved nature could make him an interesting presence in a story built around appearance, confidence and the work that goes into presenting oneself to the world.

Makeup and modelling are often treated as subjects that revolve around outward beauty. But the people involved bring their own insecurities, ambitions and relationships to the process. A character like Meiji offers room for the story to explore what happens behind the polished image.

His respect for Akira also gives his introduction a personal angle. It is not simply a matter of learning a skill; the people a student admires can influence how they approach their own ambitions.

Why Kōki Uchiyama Is an Interesting Choice

Uchiyama, known to anime fans for a range of roles, is taking on a character whose personality is deliberately restrained. That makes the voice performance particularly worth watching.

A quiet character cannot always rely on long speeches to communicate emotion. Small changes in delivery, pauses and the way a line is spoken can carry much of the meaning.

In his comment about joining the project, Uchiyama explained that the worlds of makeup and modelling had previously felt distant from his own experience. Reading the original manga allowed him to discover the story with fresh eyes, and he welcomed the opportunity to take part in an anime with an unusual central theme.

He also highlighted his intention to handle Meiji's inner thoughts carefully.

That is an encouraging sign for a character whose appeal may depend less on what he says and more on what the audience can sense he is keeping to himself.

What This Adds to Bless

The new PV is a character introduction rather than a major plot reveal. It does not, by itself, answer how important Meiji will become or how his relationship with Akira will develop.

What it does is widen the picture of the people surrounding the story. Every additional character can bring a different relationship with beauty, self-expression and personal growth, giving the series more ways to explore its subject.

For viewers who enjoy character-driven anime, that approach may be more appealing than a story focused only on competition or dramatic makeovers. The emotional reasons behind a character's choices can be just as compelling as the final look they create.

Meiji's reserved personality also sets him apart from the more openly expressive characters often associated with school-based series. Whether his admiration for Akira eventually pushes him to speak up, take a bigger risk or reconsider his own goals remains something to watch for.

What We Know So Far

Anime: Bless
New character: Meiji Nakano
Voice actor: Kōki Uchiyama
Character detail: A high school student learning makeup at Mirror who deeply respects Akira Ōya
New material: A character PV featuring Meiji's voice

An anime release date and streaming platform have not been announced in the official update, so those details remain unconfirmed.

The next thing to watch is whether the series reveals more about Meiji's place in the story and the people who shape his development.