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Interview with Katsuhito Akiyama, Executive Director of BEYBLADE X

Get ready to Let It Rip! Our writer sat down with the legendary animation director, Katsuhito Akiyama, to talk about his role as Executive Director of the new BEYBLADE X animation series. Since launching on Disney XD last summer, the series is also now streaming on Hulu and Netflix, so check it out!

Many of our readers have been fans of your work for decades. How has your extensive experience as an animation director prepared you for your latest role as executive director of the new BEYBLADE X series?

Akiyama: First of all, thank you to all the fans out there! Looking back, each experience I've had as an animation director has been like a building block, building a solid foundation for the next role. Working on “Gordian the Fighter” in 1980 was when my passion for animation was discovered. From there, I directed “Thunder Cats,” a Japan-US co-production, followed by the “Inazuma Eleven” series which I directed for six years. At that point, I joined the BEYBLADE world and was the series director and executive director of the “BEYBLADE BURST” series for all seven seasons. I have really enjoyed working on these long-running series as I'm able to see how the fans love and embrace the characters as much as I do. I'm able to take the fans along the journey with me. And now, as executive director of the new BEYBLADE X series, I am excited to continue the journey and see what the BEYBLADE fans think!

What inspired your vision for the new BEYBLADE X animation, following your role as series director and executive director of the BEYBLADE BURST series for all seven seasons?

Akiyama: My vision was very fresh for BEYBLADE X. The vision was to give BEYBLADE X an on-trend aesthetic, with a focus on the character narrative as well as the sport aspect. You'll notice that we created the characters in BEYBLADE X to be older and their aesthetic is more edgy and fashion-forward. We want the fans that have followed BEYBLADE BURST and grown up with the series, to now find inspiration in the BEYBLADE X characters' journeys as professional bladers in the pro league. You'll also notice that compared to the colorful, fantasy-like aesthetic in BEYBLADE BURST, we've aged it up with on-trend manga styling, inspired by Japanese street wear.

Across the BEYBLADE series, which character do you have the most affinity with?

Akiyama: It's really hard to pick a favorite character, but I especially love Multi Nana-iro and I think BEYBLADE fans will too! Multi is very clever and has the ability to master basically any craft. Despite growing up competing against Sigrid (the elder Nana-iro child), Multi never gave up on the chance to one day become a Pro Blader. Known by some as the 'Rainbow Blader', Multi's future is bright so stay tuned!

What kind of reactions are you hoping to receive from BEYBLADE fans when they watch the new BEYBLADE X series?

Akiyama: I'm really excited to see how the BEYBLADE fans react to BEYBLADE X! I'm looking forward to seeing how generations of BEYBLADE fans embrace the new series. I would love to have the overall story and the characters resonate with the viewers. Many fans from the original BEYBLADE series are now parents and eager to introduce their own kids to the world of BEYBLADE. The new series was created to appeal to both adult and kid fans, and I'm especially excited to see how the adult fans will reinvigorate the BEYBLADE world with nostalgia and a renewing of their youthful dreams as bladers!