1,2,3! Minato Division! Represent ā¢ Minato Homies we are R.I.P MƤrchen! From our thrones, we look down on you Welcome to the Division! 1,2,3! Minato Division! Represent ā¢ Minato Homies we are R.I.P MƤrchen! We embrace the dark Welcome to the Division!
R.I.P MƤrchen (pronouncedĀ āripā)Ā is the Minato Division representative rap team, consisting of former idol Miku Shirazuki, SFX artist Reiaki Suzubayashi, and their leader, stage magician Queen Card. Their designated color is forest green.
All of the members have a sword symbol somewhere on their person. They can be found on Queen Cardās left earring, Reiakiās tattoos on her left middle finger and left hand, and Mikuās pendant.
The sword symbolizes power, protection, authority, strength, and courage; metaphysically, it represents the penetrating power of the intellect.
Their hand sign resembles a crown on top of their hand by fanning out their fingers and positioning them at the crown of their heads.
Minato is home to many art galleries and museums. Minato features Roppongi, a lively entertainment district known for its lavish and vibrant nightlife, landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, and the famous Rainbow Bridge.Ā
Aside from Queen Card, whose home location is unknown, both Reiaki and Miku live in Roppongi.
They call their fans āRead-Ing Pixies.ā
TwoĀ of the membersā surnames contain a kanji associated with dark fantasy.
Suzubayashi contains the character for āwoods/forestā.
Shirazuki contains the character for āmoonā.
Masterlist:
ā Queen Card ā
Old Character Profile (2022)
New Character Profile (updated 24/02/2025)
Moodboard
Birthday 2022, 2023, 2024
"Before the Crown and Glory"
"Of Obsidian and Apatite Track 1," "Track 2"
ā Reiaki Suzubayashi ā
Old Character Profile (2022)
New Character Profile (updated 24/02/2025)
Moodboard
Birthday 2023, 2024
"Memories of the Damned Track 1," "Track 2"
ā Miku Shirazuki ā
Old Character Profile (2022)
New Character Profile (updated 24/02/2025)
Moodboard
Birthday 2024
Idol Era Playlist
ā Extra ā
Character Inspirations
Minato-Toyama Leader Shuffle Event
Tokyo-Minato Leader Shuffle Event
Before & After
List of Other Characters (updated 25/02/2024)
Fashion Lookbook 1, 2
Voiceclaims
Miss Hypmic Pageant 2023
Halloween 2023, 2024
Mr. & Mrs. Hypmic Pageant 2024
The Team Membersā Homes
NSFW Week 2024
Day in the Life: Workplaces
Division Review Masterlist
Pride Month Headcanons 2024
Character Playlists (plus bonus playlist)
Characters' Handwritings
Official Character Colors
Appellations
Faceclaims
Height Chart
Timeline (uploaded 09/12/2025)
ā Albums (Songs & Drama Tracks) ā
The Beginning of the EndĀ [03/12/22]
Division Rap Battle + [20/06/2022]
Division Battle Anthem + [18/07/22]
The Block Party [08/08/23]
Rise From Dead [06/10/23]
SUMMIT OF DIVISIONS [22/05/2024]
Escape (Hex 13 Birthday Mixtape 2024)
Turn Off The Lights (Black Cat Birthday Mixtape 2024)
Rise or Fall (Queen Card Birthday Mixtape 2024)
A Tale of Christmas Miracles Day 1-1, 1-2 (Christmas 2024 Shuffle Team Concert)
A Tale of Christmas Miracles Day 2-1, 2-2 (Christmas 2024 Shuffle Team Concert)
Shift The Stars (Hex 13 Birthday Mixtape 2025)
When Screams Die (Black Cat Birthday Mixtape 2025)
A Tall Tale (Gold Edition) (Queen Card Birthday Mixtape 2025)
Because my own birthday is approaching, I wanted to do another sale on my comms! So! All of my services on ko-fi will be on sale for 30% off, starting on June 19, 2026 at 12:00AM PST, and it will be open until 11:59PM PST.
On the day of the sale, I will reblog this post along with the discount code which will directly send you to my ko-fi.
Whether you want your OC's to have a base design, or you would like to see birthday art of your OC's (so long as their birthdays take place after the month of July due to the time I need to prepare the cards) in any of the styles HypMic has released, or you want random fun artwork of your OC's doing just about anything, I hope to see you around and I hope I can make your OC's come to life! š„š¦
Because my own birthday is approaching, I wanted to do another sale on my comms! So! All of my services on ko-fi will be on sale for 30% off, starting on June 19, 2026 at 12:00AM PST, and it will be open until 11:59PM PST.
On the day of the sale, I will reblog this post along with the discount code which will directly send you to my ko-fi.
Whether you want your OC's to have a base design, or you would like to see birthday art of your OC's (so long as their birthdays take place after the month of July due to the time I need to prepare the cards) in any of the styles HypMic has released, or you want random fun artwork of your OC's doing just about anything, I hope to see you around and I hope I can make your OC's come to life! š„š¦
It's that time of the year again! In honor of Christmas coming up, from now (November 30) until December 25, all commissioned art is going to be 30% off original prices!
You can order a drawing of your Hypnosis Mic OC in the original artstyle of the franchise.
Or!
If you have an OC whose birthday is between December 20-January 10 and would like to celebrate their birthday event, you can order a birthday card in any of the styles below for 30% my original price! Just be sure to contact me at least 2-3 weeks before their birthday.
My ko-fi page is now open so if you're interested in seeing your OC's come to life, click the link below to check out the price lists and get the discount code at checkout!
Visit Zephyrine Willburn at Ko-fi for 30% discount off Commissions
There's 10 slots left from now until the 25th, hope to see you around!
A complete timeline that includes (at least that are relevant to the girls) canon events listed in the Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Official Guide Book, just with more specific dates, adding the OCsā personal stories into it, and naturally, modifying the dates of the real events slightly so that they were more realistic and accurate. Because what do you mean TDD was only active for 1 month and they somehow took over Japan and then disbandedā I wasnāt going to let that fly, so I spent about 6 months fine-tuning the events given to us by that guidebook. But that was years ago already.
I did set things up so that the first Division Rap Battle takes place in 2020, plainly because that was the year my OCs were created and I donāt really feel like updating the years to match the real present day. This page will be updated periodically as more information on the charactersā backstories release or as the stories progress.
And as a word of advice: I'd appreciate it if any information leaked on this timeline not be used against my OC's in future interactions- at least without permission. Most events listed here are secrets that the OC's take to the grave and I'd like to keep it that way. Thank youā
Warnings (MDNI): angst, deceit, con, stalking, abusive relationship, yandere, abusive family, mentions of pedophilia, mentions of sexual assault, prostitution, pregnancy, drugs, addiction, human trafficking, slavery, domestic violence, violence, gore, blood, death.
26 years prior to the H Age (1992)
November 22: Anika Kiyozaki is born into a familial line of prodigious formula racers.
22 years prior to the H Age (1996)
February 26: Shian Meizono is born to high school students Hayata Meizono and Yurie Chuuza.
June 14: Reiaki Suzubayashi is born to Akihiro Suzubayashi, CEO of a department store franchise, and renowned brain surgeon Tamaki Suzubayashi.
21 years prior to the H Age (1997)
March 12: Hibiki Mitsumiya is born. From the moment theyāre born, theyāre put into more masculine clothes and their parents refuse to acknowledge their assigned gender.
At age 4, Anika begins her formula racing journey on dirt tracks under the coaching of her mother, former F1 racer Takako Kiyozaki. It becomes instilled in her that taking 1st place was the only thing that mattered in the line of racing.
19 years prior to the H Age (1999)
Rei becomes affiliated with the militaryās Development and Engineering Department.
Otome founds the Party of Words.
18 years prior to H Age (2000)
Upon noticing Reiakiās morbid fascination with bloodshed and monsters in films and playing or acting like the monsters in movies, nannies who have been tasked with caring for her become overly strict on herā borderline abusive and manipulative. Any minor mistakes during music, etiquette, or general education result in severe physical punishment that is left untreated and undiscovered.
April: Shian realizes how easy it is to leave her apartment and randomly wanders into a bookstore, where she becomes fascinated with picture books. Several hours later, store employees realize that she is separated from her parents and one volunteers to help her find her way home.
Shian routinely leaves the house while her parents are too busy fighting each other to go back into the bookstore and becomes a regular for the employees.
17 years prior to the H Age (2001)
January 13: Miku Shirazuki is born.
Anika begins formula racing and testing out formula cars on tracks.
16 years prior to the H Age (2002)
Anika begins signing with a sponsor. Despite being too young to be in F4, the media deems Anika a prodigy and that she will make it to F1.
For the sake of pleasing Takako, Anika gains a reputation for being overly aggressive on the tracks. All of her wins come after making contact with another car, some of which have resulted in the other driverās career-ending injuries or death. Due to Takakoās manipulation, the blame on Anika gets shifted to another.
June: Nearby police officers find Shian roaming the streets alone. They bring her back to her shabby apartment and lecture her parents into sending her to school.
July: Yurie takes Shian back to the bookstore. While she lets Shian roam about on her own, she picks up a Bible to bring home without purchasing it.
Yurie becomes enamored with Catholicism and repeatedly attempts to rope Hayata and Shian into it, which becomes the basis for more discourse.
December: Yurie forces Shian to be baptised and enrolls her into a strict Catholic school, where she is isolated from the rest of the students.
15 years prior to the H Age (2003)
September 1: Makina Setsukura is born.
14 years prior to the H Age (2004)
Otome and Rei meet.
Hibikiās parents force them to take on various odd jobs work to aid the struggling family financially. In between jobs, Hibiki notices other students studying in libraries or on buses. They begin to raid libraries and studying out of textbooks in order to catch up to schoolkids their age.
13 years prior to the H Age (2005)
World War III begins.
11 years prior to the H Age (2007)
World War III ends, but armed conflicts continue.
Rei receives a set of blueprints, one for technology that allows objects to transmute and another for weapons that have the capability to attack one's sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systemās. He leaves the military and independently forms a Hypnosis Mic development team.
March: Upon learning that he wasn't Makina's biological father, the man abandons her and her mother, Ran Setsukura.
June: Anika makes her F4 debut.
September 9: Reiaki's brother, Akifumi Suzubayashi, is born. She is smitten with him and vows to make sure he can avoid the caretakers' torture as he grows up.
9 years prior to the H Age (2009)
May: Reiaki, as relief from her nannies, begins taking her stress out on school bullies and delinquents, adding to her classmates' already-existing fondness of her. School authorities wouldn't relay her troublesome and vigilante-like behavior to her parents due to their intimidating high status.
To control her temper, Reiaki begins taking up kickboxing along with various other combat sports.
July 18: During a race, Anika's car unexplainably spins out of control into another car, resulting in a drastic accident for the two. The crash leads to losing her hearing and right leg.
July 25: One of Anika's competitors in the last race visits her in the hospital. She, with her newfound hearing loss, assumes he came to relish in her misery before his head mysteriously explodes in front of her.
August: In order to sustain the family, Hibiki resorts to working at a brothel.
October: In a group project, Reiaki's group is tasked with making a short film, where she discovers film makeup. She eventually takes up graffiti, illustrating her wild and eccentric imagination through spray paint and cosmetics.
8 years prior to the H Age (2010)
March: Anika graduates high school 1 year early. She officially retires from her racing career and enters university to pursue a career in psychology.
April: Hibiki racks up enough money to put themselves through school. However, the parents use Hibiki's money to register into the middle school as a boy.
Takako joins Chuohku and climbs up the ranks.
7 years prior to the H Age (2011)
Reiaki begins participating in underground fighting rings, easily ranking in win after win. Meanwhile, Akifumi begins showing interest in his father's business.
6 years prior to the H Age (2012)
April 3: Ran remarries to Kiyotaka Okano. Makina gains an older stepbrother, Hiroki, and her full name is changed to 'Makina Okano'.
Ran begins beating Makina regularly.
September 4: A girl with iridescent eyes awakens in a slave trade auction.
5 years prior to the H Age (2013)
April: Anika meets Chihiro. It takes some time, but they eventually begin dating.
May 31: At a school event, Shian's parents cause a scene due to their fighting, leading them to being escorted off school premises and even getting arrested. They eventually get bailed by Hayataās sister, though the incident becomes grounds for bullying.
June 3: Seeing the living condition of the Shian's home life, her aunt decides to have Shian move into her Minato apartment and transfer to the high school in the area while Hayata and Yurie get their lives together. The bullying from the previous school carried over to the new one.
4 years prior to the H Age (2014)
February 1: The girl with iridescent eyes is placed back on the slave trade market and sold to the Otojouji Family in Yokohama, Japan.
May 12: Miku passes the auditions to Universal Key Entertainment and meets CEO Kakuji Hayashida. Under the condition that Miku pleases Hayashida's sexual urges on demand, she would be guaranteed her dream career.
May 19: Miku meets her manager, Shohei Ikeishi, and moves in to the Universal Key dorms.
Rei completes the Hypnosis Mic.
April: Straight out of high school, Shian moves out of her aunt's apartment to attend university in hopes of becoming a novelist.
April: Straight out of high school, Reiaki moves out of her parents' mansion and into a small apartment, where she also makes the decision to attend cosmetology school.
July 9: Miku releases her debut song, which gains the positive attention of the internet due to her unique idol concept.
Miku wins the title of "Rookie of the Year" at annual award shows, and she will continue to win award after award for years.
3 years prior to the H Age (2015)
April: Straight out of high school, Hibiki rents out their own apartment and enters Chuoh's police academy. They begin incorporating more gender neutral to feminine clothing.
Otome purchases the Hypnosis Mic from Rei.
The military finishes the Hypnosis Mic prototypes.
Rei begins developing the Hypnosis Canceler.
2 years prior to the H Age (2016)
January: Hibiki graduates from the police academy and joins the police force.
Rei completes the True Hypnosis Mic.
August: Reiaki graduates from cosmetology school and begins working at haunted houses.
Ichijikuās younger sister, Natsume, is murdered. Ichijiku meets Otome and joins the Party of Words.
1 year prior to the H Age (2017)
Ichiro and Kuuko meet.
Samatoki and Sasara meet.
Hibiki fully assimilates into a feminine identity and joins the Party of Words.
March: Shian receives a phone call which prompts her to abruptly drop out of university and attend training for bail bond. She becomes so engrossed in her new line of work that she abandons her love for reading and anime.
April 21: Reiaki begins posting videos of turning herself into horrific monsters using special effects makeup to the internet and very quickly begins building an audience.
June: Shian signs to a bail bond company, where she meets a certain bail bondsman. While they don't befriend each other, they become close and will continue to work together on cases.
September 14: Universal Key Entertainment hires Reiaki as an SFX artist for Miku's upcoming music video, which will become a routine.
Rei completes the Hypnosis Canceler and gives the original Ramuda to Otome.
October: Makina starts streaming, using gaming and chatting with viewers as escapism.
Year 1 of the H Age (2018)
January: H Act is passed, and fighting with weapons is eradicated.
January: The Party of Words wins the battle against the government. The military is disbanded. The Party establishes Chuohku and distributes Hypnosis Mics to those interested.
January: Hibiki is moved to Chuohku's Criminal Bureau.
January: Reiaki makes her first job in a major film, boosting her popularity online.
Ichiro and Kuuko form Naughty Busters, a team under the control of Mozukuās Stairway to Heaven.
Samatoki and Sasara collect a group of delinquents and form Mad Comic Dialogue.
February 10: Hiroki, along with a civilian, are murdered. Ran and Kiyotaka are left in a near-dead state, leaving Makina barely unscathed in this incident.
While hospitalized, Ran and Kiyotaka are arrested on account of an unspecified charge and child abuse.
February 14: Reiaki begins dating graphic designer Rikuto Todo.
April: Hibiki is tasked with investigating the Otojouji Family under the suspicion that they were carrying slaves, and to apprehend them.
Ramuda makes contact with Jakurai and Yotsutsuji. Ramuda and Jakurai form Kuujaku Posse.
Mad Comic Dialogue and Naughty Busters rap battle one another. Afterwards, they team up to fight and win against Stairway to Heaven.
Otome buys the True Hypnosis Mic from Rei.
May 10: Makina meets Gencho Hosen and is placed in his orphanage in Ikebukuro, where she also meets the Yamada brothers.
August 1: Mozukuās crew and Hosen take Jiro, Saburo, and Nemu hostage in an act of terrorism. Samatoki and Ichiro meet Jyuto at the crime scene. Ichiro, Samatoki, Ramuda, and Jakurai work together to free the hostages.
August 15: Ichiro and Kuuko begin working with Mad Comic Dialogue.
August 20: All victims housed by the Otojouji Family are rescued by the completed Mad Comic Dialogue.
August: The court case for Ran and Hiroki takes place, but they are nowhere to be found. Shian is hired to retrieve them and during her search for them, meets Makina.
September 10: Rikuto pressures Reiaki into moving in with him.
October: Large-scale crimes mysteriously get resolved and large criminal organizations get taken down silently.
November 1: A Ramuda clone brainwashes Kuuko and Sasara. Kuuko tells Ichiro their friendship is over and returns home to Nagoya. Sasara says the same to Samatoki and returns home to Osaka.
November 4: Ichiro and Samatoki battle Kuujaku Posse. Afterwards, Ichiro, Samatoki, Ramuda, and Jakurai form The Dirty Dawg.
November 9: Shian starts her own bail bond company 'Mettle Bail Bonds' along with her business partner.
December 25: F1 racer Maaya Kiyozaki adopts Makina, changing her name to 'Makina Kiyozaki,ā in order to use her popularity to damage Anika.
Year 2 of the H Age (2019)
February 20: Maaya introduces Makina to the family of formula racers, including Anika.
March: Anika becomes a licensed hypnotherapist and finds work at a clinic. Later that month, her long-time boyfriend proposes.
The Dirty Dawg conquers Japan. A Ramuda clone places Yotsutsuji into a coma.
May: Anika is serving as a court case witness for one of her clients and Shian is hired to catch a fugitive.
May 19: A Ramuda clone brainwashes Nemu, who then joins the Party of Words.
May 19: Jiro, Saburo, and Nemu are taken hostage, and Ichiro and Samatoki fight over them. Jakurai fights Ramuda over Yotsutsuji. The Dirty Dawg disbands.
May 19: The Party of Words destroys the distributed Hypnosis Mics; at this point, they can no longer be used.
June 20: Shian blacks out and winds up in the hospital.
July 1: Shian reaches out to Makina and seeks out services from Anika for the both of them. Anika accepts Shian but denies Makina.
July 2: Anika, afer discovering the levels of emotional and physical abuse Maaya has inflicted on Makina, reports and files a court case against her cousin.
July 29: Reiaki seeks out Yamada Odd Jobs, where she meets the Yamada brothers and a pregnant girl with iridescent eyes, who's introduced as Juri Yumesato. Reiaki drives back to her parentsā manor to find that Rikuto has murdered her family and all of the workers in the manor. Upon the police's arrival, Reiaki is left with several stab wounds and Rikuto with several broken bones and his skull nearly caved in. Rikuto is arrested.
Reiaki begins to sleepwalk.
August: Reiaki holds a funeral for her family. While she keeps a partial share of her inheritance, she gives the rest to Hiroaki's right hand man, entrusting the enterprise to him.
September 28: Reiaki reaches out to Juri and they move in together in Roppongi.
Samatoki joins the Katengumi yakuza and moves to Yokohama.
December 3: Juri gives birth to her son, Ayato Yumesato, prematurely at 33 weeks at Shinjuku Hospital.
December 19: It is decided that the Party will hold the Division Rap Battle.
Year 3 of the H Age (2020)
Ichiro, Samatoki, Ramuda, and Jakurai receive microphones from Chuohku.
January 8: Ayato is brought home from the hospital.
February 11: Anika manages to win the court case and become Makina's legal guardian. Simultaneously, Makina decides to change her name once more, to āMakina Setsukuraā.
Ichiro accepts Jiro and Saburo as members of the Buster Bros!!!
Samatoki and Jyuto accept Rio as a member of Mad Trigger Crew.
Jakurai accepts Hifumi and Doppo as members of Matenrou.
Ramuda accepts Gentaro and Dice as members of Fling Posse.
December 3: Ikeishi and Miku crash their vehicle into a Yokohama container port, where Ikeishi dies on the scene and Miku is declared missing the following day.
December 5: Each divisionās preliminary battles begin. Buster Bros, Mad Trigger Crew, Fling Posse, and Matenrou advance to the championships.
December 8: Upon seeing how the stress over Mikuās disappearance has affected Reiakiās sleepwalking, Juri begins searching for leads on Mikuās potential whereabouts, starting at the scene of the crash.
December 9: Juri begins her investigation under a disguise with the aid of Reiaki.
Itās exactly what it sounds like, itās a linear chart made up of the main OCās (as in OC's who are in divisions and in teams, not side characters because that would be an endless list) who have full-body artwork, running from shortest to tallest.
Art by: @nugsters , Zephyrine Willburn (hi, thatās me! I have 10 slots left if you want to get art for your OC's- hypmic or otherwise- for 30% off original prices!)
It's that time of the year again! In honor of Christmas coming up, from now (November 30) until December 25, all commissioned art is going to be 30% off original prices!
You can order a drawing of your Hypnosis Mic OC in the original artstyle of the franchise.
Or!
If you have an OC whose birthday is between December 20-January 10 and would like to celebrate their birthday event, you can order a birthday card in any of the styles below for 30% my original price! Just be sure to contact me at least 2-3 weeks before their birthday.
My ko-fi page is now open so if you're interested in seeing your OC's come to life, click the link below to check out the price lists and get the discount code at checkout!
Visit Zephyrine Willburn at Ko-fi for 30% discount off Commissions
There's 10 slots left from now until the 25th, hope to see you around!
The 2025 Hypnosis Mic Shuffle Tournament has come to an end. It was a good competition throughout the month and I thank all the teams and OCs who participated.
With that, it is now time to reveal the winning teamā¦
Lunaria (8) vs. Hellrazor (7)
Winner: Lunaria
Congratulations to Team Iolite (Lunaria) for winning the 3rd Annual Hypnosis Mic Shuffle Team Tournament!
Team Iolite (Lunaria):
Miku āHex 13ā Shirazuki (Team Captain)
Kureha āEclipseā Koizumi
Lyall āCorvusā Shiba
Eko āAoiā Seishin
The winning team was bequeathed $100,000 for each member to use as they see fit. Congratulations to them and the other participating teams!
Thank you to all who participated in this tournament. I know this wasnāt exactly a good one with most of the admins being MIA or absent but I thoroughly enjoyed it, no matter what some people may think about the songs involved or who was chosen to sing them. Again, I appreciate everyone who participated, and if enough people ask for it and liked how this yearās tournament turned out then I look forward to seeing you all again for it next year.
āMiku Shirazuki-san, how are you feeling as team Captain of Lunaria, leading them into victory of the 3rd Hypnosis Mic Shuffle Team Tournament?!ā
āAhahaā¦ Iād hardly call it āleading them into victoryāā¦ everyone arranged their own songs and worked with the sound engineers all on their own, they should be able to take credit for their own numbersā¦ And of course, the staff worked hard to make all of our visions come to life.ā
Weird, isnāt it?
Youāve done this so many times, you can hardly count up your past awards. You got so used to winning nominations after nominations and receiving almost nothing in returnā¦
Until that woman worked her magic and roped you back in for the Division Rap Battleā
Haha, no, thatās not itā¦ you willingly stepped back in because she gave you an offer you couldnāt resist and you chose to believe in itā¦
Would the DRB be like this, too?
āI think all of the participants held their weight and performed well, so they all deserve their praise. And Team Iolite may have been chosen by random fate, Iām glad theyāre the team I ended up with.ā
Well, at least youāre not lying.
In a way, it feltā¦ funā¦ because for the first time, I was unsure of the outcomeā¦
āWhat a wonderful statement! Now, about the prize money. What do you plan on doing with all of it?ā
What am I going to do with the prize moneyā¦?
In the pastā¦
Any money I made through daily music shows or annual award showsā¦
Under the agency, I was contracted to give 95% of the money I made straight to the CEOā¦ the remainder was partially for me to keep, to give to my parents, to pay out the other staff that had been hired to assist me in my stagesā¦
āI know this is a shuffle collab event, but I still rep R.I.P MƤrchen, soā¦ for the final part in this tournament, I at least wanted to pay some homage to the fairytale concept my home team represents. I had a lot of trouble deciding if I wanted to go for something more heartwarming and intimate, or something grand and cinematicā¦ or something else. But I guess I stuck with my roots and what Iām most known for and then dramatized it. āMy Down-to-Earth Loverā is about the dreamer-type singer to the ādown-to-earth,ā more grounded lover, and how the contrasting personalities balance each other out.
And thereās the āintimateā sound I was talking about. Itās hard to make mellow, bittersweet love songs listenable in a performative setting, but the heavy orchestral percussions became a nice balance, and that key change at the end was very needed to keep the audience on their toes. Koizumi knows what sheās doing.
Probably the most restrained Iāve seen Shiba be with a mostly acoustic ballad. Itās pretty well-textured in that it starts off plainly with the piano and strings, and then after the first chorus, the electric guitars and drums are introduced and it turns into a glam-rock-styleā¦ still ballad, I think? Itās mostly mellow and slow-paced, so I wish there was a more dramatic change, but itās pretty as-is.
After a grace period that should leave the audience in their feels, looks like Seishin brings the energy through a J-rock-style song. The vocal composition and the instrumental move at almost the exact same pace, so sometimes itās hard to hear the two distinctly. But I mean, it does blend. From what I can pick apart, I do like that we can hear the lows and the highs. The melody repeats without the use of ostinato. Itās catchy.
And so this is the final team weāre up against in this collaboration tournamentā¦ so Shinomiyaā¦ huh. Once again, instrumentals and vocals line up, beat-for-beat, especially in that prechorus and chorusā¦ but itās done in a way that the audience can cheer along to. And Iām glad to hear a mix-belted high noteā I do wish she opened her mouth more on those E5ās so we can really hear that intensity she mentioned in her confessional, but thatās me being nitpicky. When itās the last thing listeners hear in a song, itās going to be what they remember most, so smart move to end on a big note.
Hmmā¦ Remember when I said vocal tracks and instrumentals should be distinct from each other? This one has a separate beat-count, but they still use the same rule of bars. Usually itās moreā¦ I guess important in rock or hip hop to follow that sorta unspoken rule, but itās nice to hear on an electronic-swing song Chinen arranged. I did like all the switch ups with the light, floaty sounds with the light, typical swing-style beats that fall into those growls and the heavier percussions in the instrumental. Keeps the ears entertained.
I can appreciate a melody that feels slower and while thereās a piano-riff going on in the background. I guess when you expect anything from Kanzakiā a V-Kei musicianā itās a rock song with orchestral instruments mixed in. The flow he uses reallyā¦ flow. Like, he opts for a very fluid flow, rather than going for anything sparse or punchy. He does seem to like using that quick de-crescendo toā¦ I guess highlight that dream-like vocal sequence.
And then last but not least, Umemotoā hm? Iām talking about the grouchy-looking one. Also I didnāt expect those high notesā what were they, G#4? And then A4? He made them sound really easy, too. Also didnāt expect him going for the smooth r&b sound. I mean, despite the soft, easygoing beat, he still manages to add enough attitude to keep the audience locked in. So itās all light-hearted, but hey, it works well, and the audience liked it too.ā
What am I doing, Iām going on a tangent when Iām supposed to keep it brief in this confessionalā¦
Hahā¦ guess you really canāt take away your inner music nerd, huh, Miss Sell-Your-Body-To-The-Devil?
Keep it professionalā¦ keep it professionalā¦
āMaybe itās the idol in me talking, but I think everyone worked hard and produced some good results. But itās not really about what I think, itās up to the audienceās vote.
So.
If Team Ioliteās Lunaria is the team you want to see bring home the victory, cast your vote. Weāll see you after the votes have been tallied up.ā
The votes have been tallied and the winners of the semifinal rounds have been chosen! As I stated before, Iād like to thank all those who participated by sending in videos/songs for their OCs. It, as always, is, was, and always will be very much appreciated.
So without further ado, I will now present the winners of the semifinals who will move onto the final round:
1. Suns of Summer (5) vs. Lunaria (8)
Winner: Lunaria
2. Hellrazor (7) vs. Ur-Anus (6)
Winner: Hellrazor
Congratulations to the two final teams moving onto the final round! Iām sure you all know the rules by now, so letās move onto the final theme for the tournament.
Lunaria vs. Hellrazor
Theme for Battle: Love
The final round begins this Saturday, November 15th at 2PM (CST) and will last until next Tuesday, November 18th, with the poll closing at midnight. As always, I look forward to the songs that are sent in, and a good contest. Until next time!
āWe're at the homestretch nowā¦ the final roundā¦ Now the next theme isā¦ āloveāā¦ I donāt know what toā¦ the only āloveā I know are from singers writing love songsā¦ or from watching people getting into relationships and also watching them end poorly.
Hahā¦ I donāt know if I can really get away with twisting the concept like I did for the semi's, I donāt really want to be doing the same thing in the same tournament twiceā¦ I guess I got a few more days to figure out a composition and arrange it.ā
āTechnically I did sing on theme. Itās justā¦ itās not how youād imagine it. I went the feminine rage routeā¦ the singerās perspective on a predatorās lust. I hope everybody enjoyed my take on this weekās theme.
For a start, I didnāt think Kanata would hit us with a rock-style song. Solid belted high notes, I liked the aggression and energy he exuded in his number. It felt very rawā oh gross, I donāt like saying that when we all got a concept like ālustāā
Sekiguchi surprised us with a mellower song. I can get behind a beat that has that echo and reverb so that itād help withā¦ I guess tie in to that ālustā theme. I guess if you want to give a song a sexier feel, you sing the whole thing in a breathy falsetto. Or I guess with all the repeated notes, itās gonna leave a lingering effect.
Guess I also didnāt expect to hearā¦ whatās that genre calledā¦ that 8-bit-heavy soundā¦oh, dubstepā¦ this round. But itās Youseiā I mean, I donāt know them so well, so I donāt know what I was expecting. But itās fun and you do want to sorta dance to it.ā
āMiku Shirazuki-san, what are your thoughts on Hisoka Tetsumasu's song title?ā
āā¦ Anyway, Tetsumasu hits again with a bass voice that synchs with the trap-trad-type beat. Sometimes it surprises me how someone can rap in the exact same note for almost two minutes. Wow?ā
āKoizumi blows through the verses with that breathy falsetto, so I guess thatās what would help her fit into that theme again. She pulled off the theme well by changing how she sings. Plus I liked the orchestral instrumental and arrangement. Feels like it belongs in a concert hall but it feels intimate.
And then there's Shiba. Iād bet anything this guy had the time of his life this time. Or maybe he went in and hand-selected this theme from a hat, I donāt know. By now, I donāt have to keep saying the falsetto thing. I like that he went the slow funkā or I guess r&b style.
Seishin gave us the most pop-y track for this roundā or for this theme, I thinkā¦ I guess I really felt this suited the ālustā theme in the prechorus where everything slows down and quiets down and those snaps are added in. Not sure why the number was just over a minute though.ā
The votes have been tallied and the winners of the first round have been chosen! As stated before, Iād like to thank all those who participated by sending in videos/songs for their OCs. It, as always, is, was, and always will be very much appreciated.
So, without further ado, I will now present the winners of the first round, who will move onto the semifinals:
1. Court of Law (5) vs. Suns of Summer (7)
Winner: Suns of Summer
2. Lunaria (8) vs. The Chaos Emeralds (4)
Winner: Lunaria
3. Hellrazor (7) vs. Bullet Bloom (5)
Winner: Hellrazor
4. Pendragonās Crusaders (2) vs. Ur-Anus (10)
Winner: Ur-Anus
As shown on the bracket, these are the four teams moving onto the semifinals. If your team didnāt come out ahead, my apologies. However, do not think that your OC wonāt be featured in the Collab Event; that is definitely not the case.
For the winning teams, I will now present the themes for the next round. As stated before, if you cannot find a song that fits the theme or doesnāt sound entirely like your OC then you are absolutely free to discard the theme and choose a song you feel like fits best for your OC.
Now with that out of the way, here are the themes for the semifinal round:
1. Suns of Summer vs. Lunaria
Theme for Battle: Lust
2. Hellrazor vs. Ur-Anus
Theme for Battle: Joy
The semifinal round will begin at 2PM (CST) this Saturday, November 8th. As always, I look forward to the songs that are sent in and a good contest. Until next time!
āHuh, my first tournament in one of these and I got into the next round?
ā¦
Sorry, I have to choose my words carefullyā¦ Iām not the most articulate when Iām not reading off of a script or being told what to sayā¦ I guess Iām happy to be around music again so truthfullyā¦ nevermindā¦ this competitive setting is fueling my music brain and forces me to arrange songs within a time frame, itās sortaā¦ it reminds me of being an idol again.
But ālustāā¦? I mean, I guess thereās not much else you can do with a concept like that other than being hornyā¦ and making a goth or dark pop song about sexā thereās no shortage of thatā¦
I wonder if thereās a song I can pull off that still technically fits the conceptā¦ā
āI donāt usually write songs in relation to Greek mythologyā¦ but I thought the story of Sisyphus felt kinda fitting to the āHopeā theme. As for the composition, I really stuck to my roots since this is the first round, so itās very cinematic The message is pretty meaningful, so I hope you all enjoy it.
I can appreciate a retro J-rock style song from Koizumiā whatā¦ I offended some viewers by calling 2000ās style music āretroā? Well they can get over it. Anyway, I liked the contrast between the pace of the lyrics against the constant guitar riffs in instrumental. That way, we can hear the vocals and the instrumental apart from each other.
I like how Shibaās number started with the single-note staccato singing before entering the verses that have that sorta trap vibe. But then it slows down, and extra effects are added before that beat drop. The vocal melody is pretty simple, so thereās more emphasis on the instrumental which can be a cool switch up from the rest.
Seishin went with an electronic-pop-style track with thoseā¦ I always forget what itās called, but itās that light percussionā¦ I give up. But while I canāt get into it ācause of the heavy autotuneā even if itās intentionalā the ostinato is bound to make the song more memorable ācause of the repeating notes.
This oneās cute and upbeat. I liked the flow of low notes that then transition to those higher mixed belt notes, and then the hand claps all throughout, so it keeps your ears entertained. I do have to admit thoughā¦ Iāve never met Kamiyama before, but he sounds a lot more mature here than I thought he wouldā¦
Hiroyaās the last person Iād imagine to sing a really mellow, subdued, almost entirely acoustic song. But the vocal melody is really pretty and they sounded really effortless. But then those heavy percussions come in later so you donāt feel like youāre listening to the same thing repeatedly. Itās calming without being boring.
Wasnāt expecting to see rock elements and rap together, usually in the music world, itās blasphemy. But I think Kazanariās arrangement works, especially with a more rhythmic verse which flows into an anti-beat drop. I know weāre all rappers here, but this guyās flow is satisfying.
Our third rock song this round. No complaints here. Since the instrumental is very drum-heavy, thereās more attention put on her vocals, but then the exact opposite happens in the prechorusesā and obvious the post-chorus. Itās a good audio-texture.
Theyāre all solid arrangements, so I guess however you decide to vote will be entirely up to your personal preferences. Iāll be representing Team Ioliteās Lunaria this year, so support myself and my team members by voting for us.ā
Two days ago, the eight teams for the Collab Tournament were revealed. Today, Iāll be showing which teams are competing against each other as well as the general rules for the tournament.
And I know you all are asking, what happened to @uenodivision ? Isnāt he usually in charge of the planning and execution for the Collab Event? Yes, he was, however, due to hisā¦ever expanding hiatus, I have taken it upon myself to keep the project going in his stead. Now I know that the past Collab Events wereā¦mediocre to some at least and should this Collab Event be the last one then I want to end it off on a good note where everyone can be involved whether youāre still active in the fandom or not.
Now with that out of the way, letās get to the rulesā¦
Rules:
Schedule: The Collab is scheduled to begin on November 1st, the first Saturday of the month and will continue through the rest of the month until the 5th Saturday which is the 29th. Iāll try to have all of the songs posted by or around 2 P.M. (CST). If not by then, then definitely before 6 P.M. (CST).
Song Selection/Sending In Songs: After the theme has been chosen (and a winner from the previous round has been announced), you will send me a song that you want your OC to sing by DMing me either on Tumblr or Discord (if youāre part of the community discord; more information can be found here). The song can be whatever you want, if itās animated or sung by a real person, itās fine, I donāt judge; I know how hard it can be to find a song/singer that sounds or feels like OC (This is completely optional but if you want to personal name the title of the song your OC is singing then feel free to do so but otherwise, weāll just use the default title)
IMPORTANT: If possible, please try to send your songs in ASAP. Iād like to have all songs by no later than Thursday night or Friday morning at the very latest so I can begin working on the weekās songs. If you need help finding a good song or think you wonāt be able to post a song in time, please either let me or one of your teammates know and weāll do our best to help. If you donāt, Iāll leave the choice of song in your teammatesā hands, if you donāt like the song choice then Iām afraid thatās tough luck.
Themes: After discussing it with my fellow Admins, itās been decided that I along with fellow admins Edo (@edogawa-division) and Zephie (@minato-division03) will be choosing the themes for each teams to perform in. The themes will generally be only one word revoking around a certain feeling or emotion (quite similar to what Paradox Live does). Again, I have been talking with many other Admins and we will try to pick a theme thatās easy for people to find songs for, but if you canāt find a song that fits the theme or doesnāt sound like your OC then you are absolutely free to discard the theme and pick a song that you like, once again, I know how hard it can be to find a song that fits your OCs voice range or general aesthetic.
Voting: Voting is scheduled to begin as soon as the Tournament Songs have been posted (which is why Iāll be trying my best to make sure they are all out by 2 P.M. (CST) if possible). At the moment, Iām not sure which voting system Iāll use but Iām sure by the time the tournament comes around, youāll all find out.
As stated, voting is scheduled to begin each Saturday evening and will last until Tuesday evening, which is when the winning teams will be announced along with the new themes and brackets. As soon as you have listened to the songs, be sure to head to the poll and vote for the team you think won.
IMPORTANT[2]: I feel like this should go without saying but please try and refrain from being biased when voting for the winning team, please donāt vote for a team just because it has your OC in it, yes yes boring I know but letās at least try to give everyone a fair chance here.
I believe that covers everything, if thereās anything else, Iāll be sure to let everyone know.
So now, without further ado, allow me to show the tournament team bracket for the first round:
1. Court of Law vs. Suns of Summer
Theme for Battle: Yearning
2. Lunaria vs. The Chaos Emeralds
Theme for Battle: Hope
3. Hellrazor vs. Bullet Bloom
Theme for Battle: Rage
4. Pendragonās Crusaders vs. Ur-Anus
Theme for Battle: Domination
So, these are the first round teams and themes that will take place on the 1st of November. I look forward to the songs sent in and a good contest. Until next time.
āIāve never done one of these before. The last time I competed on anything music-relatedā¦ upcoming Division Rap Battle asideā¦ maybe when I was still an idol. Here, the win isnāt that vital to me, but I do kinda want to see what everybody else comes up with. So good luck to them.
Also, is it just me, butā¦ why are three out of the four of us in Team Lunaria having that sortaā¦ that moon themeā¦ and how is it that we all happen to have blue as a representative color? I thought this was randomizedā
But āhopeāā¦ lookā¦ take my past awards out of the picture, my signature is dark or goth popā¦ witchesā¦ the supernatural? I feel like āhopeā is the last thing that describes my craft? Well, I guess I got some time to think this through, so weāll see what I can come up with in that timeā¦ā
