u/Professional-Bus-749

### **DIGIMON BEATBREAK – Series Director Hiroaki Miyamoto Interview (GIFT Arc)**

**The GIFT Arc was a turning point that advances the story toward its final chapter.**

**Q:** In the previous interview, we spoke around the time the Tactics Arc began. This time, we’re speaking now that the GIFT Arc has reached a conclusion. In your mind, what kind of chapter was the GIFT Arc in the overall story?

**Miyamoto:**

In the Tactics Arc, we focused quite a bit on battles between Cleaners. However, in this world, there shouldn’t only be Cleaners — there should also be criminals and bounty targets who use Digimon. If we didn’t show that side, the story would feel like it was only about fighting Cleaners. So first, I wanted to introduce the existence of large-scale criminal organizations.

But on a deeper level, in *DIGIMON BEATBREAK*, I want to depict Glowing Dawn building a future where humans and Digimon can coexist as a major theme. There are people in the World Union who view Digimon as “bugs.” Ultimately, how Tomoro and the others confront that will be very important. So I wanted to create a flow where the dangers of what the World Union is doing become clearly visible to them.

That’s why I placed GIFT as a third force. By going through the GIFT Arc, the desire to “create a future where Digimon and humans can live together” becomes much clearer within Tomoro and the others. I saw it as a chapter that raises their awareness as they head toward the final arc.

**Q:** GIFT also felt like a reflection of the distortions in the society the World Union created. When depicting GIFT as a faction, what did you pay particular attention to?

**Miyamoto:**

This world isn’t a simple dystopia. Ordinary people receive benefits from the World Union and are helped by the convenience of Sapotamas. There are people living normal, comfortable lives. So I didn’t want to portray it as “everyone is being oppressed.” I wanted it to feel closer to reality.

However, within that world, there are still people who are suffering because of it. Their suffering is simply being ignored or covered up. The people who get drawn into GIFT carry those kinds of feelings. From Tomoro and the others’ perspective, there are parts they can empathize with and relate to. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to commit acts of terrorism against the world. I made this chapter with the understanding that things aren’t that simple or clean-cut. That’s why I wanted the focus to be on what kind of answer Tomoro and the others would arrive at.

**Miharu Kagemori was someone who “could have become like Tomoro.”**

**Q:** Miharu Kagemori appeared as a key character in the GIFT Arc and shared some similarities with Tomoro. What role did you envision Miharu playing in the story?

**Miyamoto:**

Tomoro, as the protagonist, starts from a somewhat outlaw-like position. He suffers from being treated like a “bug” because of his circumstances, and deep down, he also feels that “this world is wrong.” He’s not a protagonist who blindly believes in the world. That’s why he can somewhat understand what Miharu is saying. Miharu also picks up on that feeling from Tomoro’s vibe. I wanted to create characters who could connect with each other in that way.

In fact, I positioned Tomoro and Miharu as counterparts. Tomoro has an older brother who looked after him, while Miharu has an older sister. Tomoro was also once on the verge of thinking “Digimon should just disappear,” but he was saved by meeting his family. Miharu, on the other hand, was never saved in that way and ended up where she is now. Tomoro could have ended up on her side if things had gone differently.

I thought that through Miharu, I could highlight what it means for Tomoro to have his family, and that the answer Tomoro reaches could also become the key to saving Miharu.

**Q:** By confronting Miharu, Tomoro himself seemed to take another step forward as the protagonist. Could you tell us about the growth you wanted to depict for Tomoro during the GIFT Arc?

**Miyamoto:**

I hoped that by doing so, we could show Tomoro taking a step forward as the protagonist. What Miharu did is unforgivable, and she must atone for her sins. But I wanted it to end in a way where, even so, we were able to save her heart. It’s not a complete happy ending, but we were able to leave a light pointing toward the future. I think that was a good way to conclude it.

**Q:** Miharu being 13 years old was also quite striking. What was your intention behind portraying her as a girl who still retains some childishness rather than as an adult?

**Miyamoto:**

At first, I thought it might be fine to make her a bit older. However, I wanted the danger that comes with being a child. Because she hasn’t fully become an adult yet, there are parts of her thinking that are still immature. Moreover, since what Miharu does is quite severe, I wanted to leave room for her rehabilitation in the future by making her a minor. If she were too much of an adult, it would feel like there was no way to save her. I thought it would be better for Miharu to have a future where she can atone and start over. That’s why I ultimately set her age at 13.

Also, Miharu’s relationship with her Digimon is portrayed in a somewhat special way. The Digimon that became Mephismon originally came from her older sister, and even the Sapotama was something her sister used. In other words, for Miharu, that Digimon carries the image of her sister. She believes she’s acting on her sister’s words and protecting her sister’s last will. However, in reality, her own feelings have mixed in and become noise, leading to the Dark Digivolution. She genuinely believes she’s doing it “for her sister,” but the fact that she’s being driven by those feelings shows Miharu’s immaturity and danger.

**Q:** What were your impressions of Ayane Sakura’s performance as Miharu?

**Miyamoto:**

Miharu is, at her core, a pure character. She has strong feelings for her sister, but at the same time, she was also dependent on her. As a result, she had somewhat given up on thinking for herself, and that danger is what led to the current Miharu.

When I first met Sakura-san, we were still at a stage where the future developments weren’t fully decided, so I explained the backstory verbally — that she has this kind of background, an older sister, and so on. Sakura-san tried very hard to understand Miharu as a character and asked me many questions from the beginning.

I didn’t want to portray Miharu as just a suspicious person. I wanted her feelings for her sister to subtly show through her words. But I also didn’t want to overdo it. Sakura-san was very good at reading that balance and incorporated it into the finer details of her acting. As the story got closer to Miharu’s true nature, her real feelings gradually came out. I thought the way she handled that change was very skillful.

**Evolution as a Moment of Becoming an Adult**

**Q:** In the GIFT Arc, we delved deeply into Makoto and Reina’s inner thoughts through their evolution episodes with Kilopmon and Pristimon. What points did you focus on when depicting each of their evolutions?

**Miyamoto:**

When I work on evolution episodes, I have a strong feeling that “evolution doesn’t happen without something happening.” I believe that unless we show the protagonists taking a step forward and becoming more mature, it’s not the right time for them to evolve.

In Makoto’s case, there were things he couldn’t say honestly regarding his family and his relationship with his parents. Facing that properly and being able to express it in his own words was, I think, the moment Makoto took a step toward becoming an adult.

On the other hand, Reina is originally a girl with a lot of potential. However, while carrying the weight of her family and moving forward, she gradually lost confidence in herself. She had anxiety like, “If I don’t work harder, I might not be able to stay in the family anymore.” But everyone in the family believes in her. That’s why I wanted to show her realizing, “It’s okay to believe in myself more,” and breaking out of her shell one more time. I felt that once we depicted that, her evolution would feel justified.

Some people might have felt that Reina’s evolution was “delayed” (laughs). Since we also had to advance the GIFT Arc story, timing it was difficult. However, the fact that her evolution came late ended up connecting to Reina’s own impatience. Because we were able to shape it that way, I think the timing worked out well in the end.

**Q:** Especially with Reina, I felt that during the GIFT Arc, not only her strength but also her sensitivity and anxiety were carefully portrayed. How did you approach developing Reina as a character?

**Miyamoto:**

Reina is surprisingly delicate. The fact that she’s been telling herself since she was little to “move forward especially when you’re scared” is because she’s the type of person who has to encourage herself in order to move forward. There were many moments where she felt like she would break if she wasn’t strong, and she’s overcome them.

That’s why she’s bad at showing her weaknesses to others. Pristimon has always understood that part of her and stayed by her side as a supportive partner. That’s why I think it was really good that she evolved into Bearcatmon in Episode 35, after that part of her was finally released. It feels like a more straightforward and pure side of Reina has come out.

**Q:** In *DIGIMON BEATBREAK*, we gradually see the inner sides of characters that differ from their first impressions as the episodes progress. When depicting characters, what do you keep in mind as the director?

**Miyamoto:**

I want viewers to not judge characters based only on the one-dimensional parts they see at first. Even if someone appears to be a certain type of character at the beginning, there’s usually a lot of struggle and effort behind how they became that way, or they may be consciously trying to present themselves in a certain way. I think every character has that kind of depth.

Tomoro, for example, probably seemed cool at first. But in reality, he has very strong feelings inside that he was forcibly suppressing. As those feelings are gradually released, his qualities as a protagonist become stronger and stronger. Makoto isn’t just a “good kid” either — he carries many things inside him. That’s why I had him shout his true feelings at Kilopmon in Episode 30. I think it becomes interesting when we gradually reveal the inner sides of the characters like that.

**The Next Stage of Glowing Dawn’s Growth in the Kyo Past Arc**

**Q:** During the GIFT Arc, there were scenes that connected back to previous parts of the story, such as the Tactics members and Maki’s episode. When bringing these characters back, what did you keep in mind?

**Miyamoto:**

Since there are many characters, we don’t always have the time to clearly explain everyone’s full backstory one by one. However, I tried to make it so that viewers could get a sense of the relationships between the Tactics members through the story. That part is also supported by the cast’s performances and the staff’s careful attention to small expressions, so I hope those elements help convey the relationships.

Maki-san’s episode was something I had always wanted to include. I felt that digging deeper into her character would add more depth to the work as a whole. Even though it’s a somewhat bitter past where two people couldn’t achieve coexistence between humans and Digimon, Maki believes that Tomoro and the others will take it and move forward. I’m glad we were able to depict it in that way.

**Q:** From here on, there will also be episodes focusing on Kyo Sawashiro. How do you think exploring Kyo as a character will move the story forward?

**Miyamoto:**

In a sense, Kyo is not a perfect saint. While he’s fixated on coexistence between Digimon and humans, as a person, he hasn’t fully matured yet. As I’ve said before, characters have sides that aren’t visible from just their one-dimensional portrayal. I want to explore that through Kyo’s past arc. If doing so allows Glowing Dawn as a family to grow one more step, that would be ideal. So it won’t just be about Kyo — it will also be a story that connects to Tomoro and the others’ growth.

Kyo has always had parts he deliberately never spoke about. Things like the scar on his chest and why he wears that bracelet were elements I always intended to depict eventually. It finally felt like the right time to show them.

However, in order to do that properly, we first needed to firmly establish Glowing Dawn as a family. That’s why we spent so much time building up to this point. Including what kind of connection Kyo has with Souji Kuroshio and how the Five Stars are involved, it’s going to be quite a heavy story. Those who watched the GIFT Arc might be tired, so they may need to brace themselves a bit. But in the end, I want it to be a proper *DIGIMON BEATBREAK* story. There will be heavy parts, but I hope you’ll look forward to what comes after that.