A Conversation with Zagabond from Azuki

Azuki burst into the NFT scene in January 2022. It captivated audiences with anime aesthetics and immersive world-building. Fast. Bold. Different. While the NFT space was drowning in hype and knockoffs, Azuki took another path. Cinematic trailers. Clear vision. Community first.

Behind it all? Zagabond. An early DeFi guy who saw something others missed - tokenization could reach mainstream through stories and characters.

We talked about his journey, Azuki’s design thinking, and why they keep talking about this ‘garden’ thing. Plus that Animecoin project that’s been making waves.

Interviewer: Let’s go back to the beginning. Even for big projects like yours, people want the origin story. How did Azuki start?

Zagabond: Anime’s been my thing since forever. My mom tells me I’d spend hours drawing Dragon Ball Z when I was six. Never thought I’d actually create something in the anime world. Life’s weird that way.

I stumbled on Ethereum back in 2016. Before that, I was just another tech guy at Amazon and Google. Those places fascinated me, but they felt… controlling? Kind of like giant ad machines eating up people’s attention and data.

Then I learned about Ethereum - this decentralized computer that could run anything. Mind blown. Joined 0x in 2017, one of the first DeFi protocols. Helped grow it from like 5 people to 50. We actually came up with the term ‘DeFi’ in some Telegram chat. Those were the days. I saw firsthand how communities could grab technology and run with it.

Art, culture, fashion, music - that’s always been more my jam. NFTs seemed like the perfect way to bring tokenization to regular people. Finance is boring to most folks. But art? Characters? Stories? That hits different.

Interviewer: Cool background. What specifically made you create Azuki?

Zagabond: 2021 was wild for NFTs. But something was missing - Asian culture barely existed in PFP projects. As an Asian American who grew up on Toonami, I wanted something real. Got an engineer buddy involved. Brought in Steamboy from Blizzard who worked on Overwatch. The guy knows storytelling. We created Azuki as this East-West blend, just like us.

Interviewer: People definitely feel that authenticity. What drives your art direction?

Zagabond: We’re always pushing boundaries. Before our Mint dropped in late 2021, we made this live-action trailer. First of its kind, I think. Just a boy putting up posters in a factory. Mysterious. People didn’t see it coming. We want feelings, not just hype. Everything we make has to hit those Azuki values.

One of our things is being ‘proud but imperfect.’ We won’t die on the hill of perfection if there’s a great opportunity waiting. NFTs let us experiment. Try new stuff. Tell stories differently.

Interviewer: The quality shows. Talk about community. What makes Azuki’s community special?

Zagabond: Let’s be real - crypto communities care about money. Ours too. But our people really care about the brand, the IP, this world we’re building together. We call it a ‘garden.’ Not just some random metaphor. It’s where people grow things together.

Our holders spent over a million bucks customizing their Azukis. That’s commitment. Some community members start businesses or make content just because they love it. When someone makes something amazing, we showcase it. Like that Espresso Shot logo from our anthology - came straight from community vibes.

Interviewer: That’s rare integration. Tell me about Animecoin - how does it fit with everything else?

Zagabond: Platforms tend to make tokens all feel the same. Makes sense. Most memecoins eventually drop NFTs to build community. We flipped that script. Community first, then tokens to make the ecosystem stronger.

We’re building an open anime world. Azuki shows what co-creation can be. Tokenization is the next step for sharing culture. It feels like our generation’s thing.

Animecoin redirects value to fans and indie creators. These people have powered anime through cosplay, videos, fan art. They spark cultural movements but get crumbs. Now they can get stakes, fund projects.

We’re also building Anime.com. A place for anime lovers to talk, connect, get deeper into the culture. Early days still, but it’s gonna be big for the community.

Interviewer: What does this mean for creators broadly?

**Zagabond: I’m feeling optimistic. Creative tools are everywhere now. No need for expensive gear or fancy degrees. AI is making it easier to develop IP and find audiences. Look at tech media - independent voices often matter more than traditional outlets now.

Anime could go the same way. Independent creators launching IP faster than ever. Good news for pros and newcomers who grew up with these tools.

Interviewer: What’s next for Azuki?

Zagabond: We’ve built something solid in Web3. Now we’re reaching outward. Just launched our collectible card game starter deck. People seem to dig it. More content coming soon. Got something big cooking for later this year too.

About NFTs generally - people wondering if they’ll “come back” are just staring at floor prices. Ours is at 1.50 ETH, with BEANZ at 0.07 ETH. But it’s not really about that. It’s about utility. NFTs are becoming tools for expression and building creative concepts. That’s the exciting part.

Interviewer: I agree. We’re just getting started. Barely scratched the surface.

Zagabond: Right! We just dropped a collectible short film with our character Mizuki. Five bucks, publicly available. Proceeds go to creators. Not about hype - it’s about supporting art. In 2021, that might’ve seemed weird. But we’re evolving. Need forward-thinking brands like us to push things forward.

Interviewer: Great final thought. Thanks so much!

Zagabond: Thank you!