Akiko Nakano

Nakano provided key animation for episodes 1 and 4 of the original Dragon Ball, establishing foundational character movement during the series' earliest episodes. Later, the animator returned to the franchise for Dragon Ball Super episode 2, contributing key animation during the Tournament of Power's opening matches. This involvement across both classic and modern Dragon Ball anime underscores Nakano's sustained engagement with the franchise across its broadcast history.

Nakano's extensive animation portfolio spans over 200 television anime and films, with specialization in animation direction across comedy, action, and supernatural genres. Major credits include animation director roles on Chihayafuru seasons (multiple episodes), Overlord (combining animation direction and unit direction), and My Hero Academia. This multifaceted career demonstrates progression from key animation specialist to director-level creative responsibilities across Toei Animation and studio partners.