DIGIMON BEATBREAK: Revealing Sawashiro Kyou’s Past and Relationship with Murasamemon! Voice Actors Azaue Youhei and Hamano Daiki Discuss “In a Sense, They Are One and the Same”

The new DIGIMON BEATBREAK series, which started broadcasting in October 2025, is the first new work in the Digimon Adventure franchise in about two years. We’ve received an interview featuring the voice actors Azaue Youhei (who plays Sawashiro Kyou) and Hamano Daiki (who plays Murasamemon).

The “Digital Monster,” a virtual pet released in 1997, was a handheld LCD game that, despite its size, allowed players not only to raise monsters but also to enjoy battles with friends, a novel feature that won overwhelming support from children. Starting with the 1999 film Digimon Adventure, the anime has since produced 9 TV series and 13 film titles, continuing to be loved by a wide range of generations.

The new series, the first in about two years, is set in a world where “e-pulse,” born from human thoughts and emotions, is utilized as an energy source for AI support devices called “Sapotama.” Behind this remarkable development, terrifying monsters appear. They are lifeforms called “Digimon” that evolve by consuming e-pulse. Amamori Tomorou’s encounter with a Geckomon that suddenly emerges from his Sapotama draws him into this extraordinary world. The story unfolds around the new future that humans and Digimon will create together…

This time, Azaue Youhei (Sawashiro Kyou) and Hamano Daiki (Murasamemon) look back on the appeal of DIGIMON BEATBREAK and on Digimon Adventure, a series from their own generation.

First Impressions of the Script

Azaue: Being squarely from the Digimon generation myself, I was first and foremost genuinely happy to be involved in a new Digimon series again. It’s a real honor that the series I was obsessed with as a child has been passed down through the years, and I can participate in Digimon at a time that overlaps with my own career. The image of Digimon I’ve always had was of a pop, bright series with cuteness, but also one that could set a boy’s heart on fire.

However, when I read the script for DIGIMON BEATBREAK, I felt it had a deeper thematic quality and a dramatic pull that could draw in even adults, as if the target age had been raised a bit. And from episode one, some pretty heavy events are depicted, right? The world setting of the series is also expanding from a different angle than previous works, so I thought, “This is going to fuel a lot of analysis” (laughs). With foreshadowing scattered throughout, my impression was that this is a series you’ll want to follow for a long time.

Hamano: I’m also from the generation that started with Digimon Adventure, so my biggest surprise when first reading the script was, “It’s not just a story about the Digital World.” Digimon exist as a matter of course in everyday life, and with elements like Sapotama and e-pulse, it feels like Digimon updated for the modern era. The way the AI-like existence of Sapotama is closely intertwined with the story and the characters’ emotions is a point that resonates precisely because it’s our current time. The dialogue scenes are also very natural; it’s more like a script you can enjoy as a proper drama rather than something “simplified because it’s for kids.” Of course, it’s made so children can understand it, but I felt it’s a “Reiwa-era Digimon series” that adults can also enjoy.

Memories from the Digimon Adventure Era

Azaue: I was in the lower grades of elementary school. I’d wake up, sit formally in front of the TV to watch, and I played with the toys too. I had a lot of friends who had the Pendulum devices.

Hamano: I also started with Digimon Adventure and watched the movies in real-time. I remember playing with the Pendulum and D-Arc devices, of course, and also with the card game and game software.

Azaue: In DIGIMON BEATBREAK, Digimon from back then appear in slightly different forms too, so I get hyped thinking, “Whoa, nostalgia!” (laughs).

Hamano: Seeing Digimon I watched long ago appear in a slightly changed form in the modern day is really delightful as a fan too.

Favorite Digimon?

Hamano: Speaking of this series, Machmon is just so cool, isn’t he? Including the fact that Hiyama Nobuyuki-san voices him, that kind of hot-bloodedness from the Greymon lineage, that manly essence is irresistible.

Azaue: I really loved Terriermon from Digimon Tamers. While its appearance is fluffy, it also has this somewhat enlightened feel, and combined with the performance by Tada Aoi-san, it’s a Digimon that left a strong impression on me.

First Impressions of Their Characters and Audition Stories

Azaue: When I first received the audition materials, I was reading the script intending to audition for a different character. Kyou was also in those materials. I basically made a direct appeal, saying “…I want to audition for this one too.” A character like Kyou, who is in a “mentor position” or “big brother position” from the protagonist’s perspective, was exactly the kind of role I wanted to start challenging myself with in my career. At a time when I was gratefully being entrusted with more roles in that kind of position, I felt like I had met a character like Kyou, who is exactly the “show by example” type. Along with the happiness, there was also a big anxiety of “Can I do this justice?”

From the audition stage, Kyou’s love for his family and the intensity of not forgiving anything that would hurt them were clearly written in the materials. I also received direction from the director saying, “It’s okay if there’s an unsettling kind of fear about him,” so I was very conscious of how to balance both that strength and kindness in my reading.

Hamano: From the studio audition stage, I was called for Murasamemon. Thinking, “Oh, so I’m not on the human side” (laughs), I read the materials, and my impression was that it was quite a bold position for a Digimon, including the fact that it’s already a Perfect-level from the start. However, as I read the script, I felt Murasamemon is a Digimon strongly reflecting Kyou’s life up to now and the experiences he’s had. How Kyou thinks and feels directly connects to Murasamemon’s very existence. Even though it was an audition, the director gave us proper direction as if it were the real session, so much so that I felt “Maybe the actual work had already started from that point.”

Azaue: Kyou is a reliable leader to Tomorou and the others, but there are parts of his own weakness and fear that he keeps to himself. There are moments where Murasamemon gives voice to those parts he doesn’t show, and the relationship between the two is really interesting to portray.

On Kyou’s Popularity

Azaue: I’m grateful to feel that so many people truly love him. But, I’ve also been told by viewers that they think he might betray them or something (laughs). I myself also don’t know the future developments yet. With a long series like this, there’s room to change the developments even now. That’s part of the fun, but there’s a part of me that also thinks, “Maybe that will actually happen…”

Hamano: Like the protagonist and mentor fighting, that kind of thing.

Azaue: Exactly. But being able to participate in a series where all sorts of developments are possible is truly something to be grateful for, and I think being able to walk slowly together with this role over a long series is precious. Being able to continue performing without knowing the future is an experience you don’t get often, so I’m really looking forward to what comes next.

On Murasamemon’s Official Character Visual

Hamano: Finally! I was feeling a little lonely, you know. While other character visuals were being released one after another, I was wondering, “When will mine be released?” and then when it was unveiled, it was just Kyou (laughs).

Azaue: The visual was just Kyou, and moreover, it was a composition of him looking back over his shoulder, so it felt like we were further fueling speculation that “Kyou is the mastermind after all, isn’t he?” (laughs). We got comments like, “His partner isn’t there,” but later I heard the behind-the-scenes story that Murasamemon was actually too big to fit in the same visual (laughs).

Hamano: I’ve heard there will be opportunities to unveil him to everyone at events, just like the other characters, so I’m really looking forward to that, including that aspect, and it makes me happy.

Murasamemon’s Cool Design

Azaue: My first impression when seeing the design materials was, “This is the embodiment of a man’s romance.”

Hamano: The texture and coloring of the armor, and the three-segment structure of the legs that looks like reverse joints, it’s such a Digimon-like form. I was looking at it thinking, “This will absolutely look awesome as a 3D figure” (laughs).

Azaue: It’ll probably be easy to merchandise. Though, the cost will surely be high too… (laughs).

Hamano: I hope someday, somewhere, we can show you a figure of Kyou and Murasamemon together.

The Relationship Between Kyou and Murasamemon

Hamano: There’s a sense that the two start the story from a somewhat completed state of relationship. Having been together since they were small, they know each other’s every strength and weakness, so there’s no particular need to put things into words.

Azaue: That’s why there are so few pieces to pick up on.

Hamano: Right. Even the exchange in episode 1, on the surface, there are many scenes handled with light banter, but behind that lies the atmosphere of a long time shared. That’s precisely why a single word from Murasamemon can push Kyou forward, or conversely, Kyou’s decisions can change Murasamemon’s state of being. They are separate existences, but in a sense, they are also one and the same—that balance is something we handle with great care.

Azaue: It’s hard to put into words, but it’s really a relationship like inseparable companions. Because they’ve experienced all the hardships and joys together up to now and completely know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s a relationship where they can understand each other without even having to converse. So, I think the stage of “learning various things from him” is already in the past.

Hamano: In that sense, I think it’s a different relationship from the one between Tomorou and Geckomon.

On Episodes 7 and 11

Hamano: These are also episodes where you understand why Kyou doesn’t delete Digimon and continues to carry them with him. The fact that he had been bearing that alone all this time felt like both Kyou’s strength and weakness while I was recording. It’s also an episode where you understand that the sight of everyone living there, properly rooted and thriving, is the world Kyou idealizes. I still remember that part well.

Azaue: While Kyou is always strong and reliable, that weakness of his is hardly visible. That part is a bit unsettling, or perhaps connects to a certain suspiciousness, and I watched it thinking that Reina probably feels a loneliness from not being able to see that hidden part. The line at the end, “Everyone gets a chance to start over,” shows Kyou’s mindset of wanting to give even enemies a chance to try again, and I felt it was a line that stays with you regardless of age. In that scene, I was conscious of performing not just the coolness he’s shown so far, but also including that weakness and tenderness.

On Episode 11: “Black Emotion”

Azaue: The fact that Kyou was from Gogyousei (the Five Planets) was also in the lines of the script I received at the audition stage, so there was a sense of “So it is like that.” Considering his strength and position, I did think, “He’s probably not just some ordinary guy” (laughs). From episode 11, Kaito, a rival-like existence from his Gogyousei days, also appears, and the parts about Kyou’s past and why he is the way he is now are gradually delved into. It’s also an episode where Kyou, who has been undefeated until now, properly experiences defeat, so that’s a point to watch for.

Hamano: When the new Digimon, Flaremon, appeared, that was personally really intense for me too. With a Digimon standing in his way as Kyou’s so-called rival, I got the impression the heat of battle, the kind that stirs a boy’s heart, increased all at once. I hope people will also look forward to seeing how the members of Growing Dawn evolve from here and when all their Perfect forms will gather.

Memorable Moments from Recording Sessions

Hamano: It’s just fun every time. Every session, Irino Miu-san brightens up the studio, Han Megumi-san joins in… it’s all very harmonious (laughs).

Azaue: There was a time Irino-san suddenly said, “I feel like eating pizza, let’s order some,” and he actually had it delivered (laughs). From there, the staff also got fired up and prepared various meals for us.

Hamano: So in a good way, it has a family-like feel. But, once recording starts, I spend more time listening to other people’s conversations than my own parts. Because of that, I get to feel up close the amazing skill—the change in air and tension the moment they smoothly slip into character. It’s not about comparing, but I think every time, “They really are pros active on the front lines,” and it’s a very stimulating environment. And yet, there’s also an atmosphere like a boys’ school where laughter never stops, so it’s very comfortable.

Azaue: When we get too rowdy, Sonozaki (Mie)-san, who plays Maki, tightens us up by saying, “Focus, focus!” We often end up saying, “Sorry!” (laughs).

Hamano: Ahahaha, that happened (laughs). It’s a great studio where laughter never ends.

Final Messages to the Fans

Azaue: We are approaching this work while holding onto the emotional connection of being a generation that grew up with the Digimon series since childhood. On the other hand, I think there are also people who will experience Digimon for the first time with this DIGIMON BEATBREAK, and cases where those who watched it long ago are watching now feeling “Nostalgic.” I feel it’s a story that will resonate no matter how you come to it, so I hope you’ll see it through to the end.

Hamano: As the latest work in the long-running Digimon series, it’s a real honor to be able to play Murasamemon. Whether you’re someone who has followed the series until now, someone starting with DIGIMON BEATBREAK, or children watching in real-time, I hope you can savor this work in your own way. Of course, the human-side drama and Tomorou’s growth story, but the Digimon battles in this work are also depicted in a very stylish and dynamic way. It’s a work where the excitement and thrill grow bigger with each episode, so if you think, “I’m a little curious,” I’d be happy if you could watch from episode one with us.

Staff & Cast

TV Anime ‘DIGIMON BEATBREAK’
Currently airing every Sunday at 9:00 AM on Fuji TV and others from October 5th.
*Broadcast times and days may vary by region.

(C) Hongou Akiyoshi / Fuji TV / Toei Animation

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