Who served as chief director of the original Pokémon TV series until 2023?

Kunihiko Yuyama served as chief director of the original Pokémon TV series until 2023.

Yuyama was closely associated with the anime from its beginning and directed the first Pokémon feature film as well as many later films. His long tenure helped shape the visual style, pacing, and continuity of the animated adaptation across multiple generations of games and characters.

The series premiered in Japan in 1997 and followed Ash Ketchum and Pikachu through regions inspired by the video games. Although the cast, settings, and production staff changed over time, Yuyama remained a central creative figure for more than 25 years.

The director should not be confused with Takeshi Shudo, who was the original head writer, or Masamitsu Hidaka, who directed early episodes and served as supervising director for part of the series. The anime’s later story transition also coincided with Ash’s final major arc and the introduction of new protagonists.