WOAH your analysis is so well done!? and I'm happy to hear that I inspired you!
Looking back on my Samsa video I really wish that I looked more at Kanade's similarities to Gregor cause in hindsight theyre SO obvious but I was just too focused on Mafuyu at the time (wow I sound like Kanade lmao) I'm not familiar with any of Kafka's other works so it was interesting seeing the other connections you could draw. Plus you're so right in deducing that Kanade really is the more 'Kafkaesque' protagonist here. Her story is just so tragic and well written augh, I love her so much. Teniwoha has such a big brain for connecting The Metamorphosis to Kanade and Mafuyu's story.
i've been binge watching all your n25 videos and goddd i swear i can't get enough of them. i don't play proseka myself (lack of storage space + the fomo of joining a gacha game after having missed so many events would kill me i think) but i've always been very interested in n25's stories and wanted to learn more about them, and your videos were perfect for that. please never stop overanalysing those fucked up little anime girls because you're amazing at it. i genuinely can't thank you enough for infecting me with severe n25 brainrot, i am having the time of my life out heređĽđĽ
hahah thanks! im glad you enjoyed the vids!! always happy to pass on the nightcord brainrot đđĽ
(note: Throughout this card story Hinataâs name changes colour to show who is talking, him or Azel (his brother). Yellow is used to represent Hinata while purple is used to represent Azel. His speech also changes during these switches, with Azel speaking more formally compared to Hinataâs casual tone.)
-
Chapter 1
-card background-
??? (hinata): Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under. Come now, the clock has just hit midnight, which means itâs time for the curtain to rise on this festival of fun.
Oh? I donât think Iâve seen your face here before. Are you dead? Or perhaps youâre still alive? If youâre still of the living then I suppose I should greet you with a âBoo!â.
Fufu, I donât mind either way, youâre most welcome to attend. Welcome to this grand party of the dead that will only last this one night.
-starless hallway-
saki: Hm? Something fell onto the ground hereâŚ?Â
-saki picks up a patchwork plushie-
hinata: Miss! Where did you find that little guy!?
saki: He was just laying on the floor here.
hinata: I see. I misplaced it and was looking for him ever since. Thank you for finding him. Iâm sure that little guy is beyond happy to be hugged close by you, Miss. Oh I know, you should come with us too, please!Â
-starless lobby, full of halloween decorations-
hinata: Feel free to display that little guy wherever youâd like. On top of one of the coffins or below one of the graves. You could even put him with some of the other plushies, wherever is fine.
saki: Uwah, where should I put him? There are a lot of other dolls here that look just like this one.
hinata: Yeah, he has lots of friends. The âfreaky but cuteâ look is cool isnât it? Itâs cause our show is about all of us turning into skeletons and throwing a crazy fun party. So of course the entrance to the store has to look just as exciting!
saki: Youâre all skeletons?
hinata: Yep, once the clock strikes midnight, our skeleton leader, Mizuki, will call out to us all to wake up! And then weâll all emerge from our graves and have a blast! Itâll be a night of nothing but fun and good vibes.
The source for the show is uhh, what was it called again⌠Dance of Death? Or something like that, thatâs what Heath told me.
saki: Dance of Death⌠That sounds kind of scary, Iâm excited to see what itâs like.
hinata: Donât worry, itâll be thrilling but heaps of fun! Donât be scared, donât be scared âŞ.
Oh, I know! I have a good idea. You should become one of our friends, that way it wonât be scary at all. Yâsee, us skeletons scare off living humans by shouting âBoo!â at them. But we use a different greeting for our friends, make sure you remember it, ok?
Repeat after me, âNice to meetcha from 6 feet underâ!Â
saki: Um⌠Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under!
hinata: You got it, high five!
saki: Uwah, high fiveâŚ!
hinata: Perfect! With this youâre now a friend of the skeletons, weâre bonesties~âŞÂ
saki: Fufu, thatâs a cute way of putting it. Thank you.
hinata: Ehehe, I want to enjoy the party with everyone else. Tonight we all feel the same way, we all just want to have a blast! Humans donât always share the same opinions. Whatâs fun to one person may not be for everyone else.
hinata: Thatâs why Iâm quite fond of this night, since I know that I wonât be all alone.
saki: Huh? Hinata-san? Just now youâ
hinata: Hm? What is it, what is it? Something on my face?
saki: Oh⌠No, itâs nothing. Iâm looking forward to the skeleton party too.
hinata: As you should, this thrilling and fun night belongs to all of us after all. Come rattle and make a racket with the skeletons! Letâs enjoy this crazy festival that lasts for one night together âŞ.
-
Chapter 2
-starless stage-
-unbloomed cg
hinata: âBoo! Welcome to the spooky scary skeleton dance party âŞ.
Come now, everyone, make your bones rattle and dance! Itâs not like thereâs anything left in your grave to return to. No sweet candies, cute dolls, or happy memories, nothing.Â
So thatâs why weâve gotta enjoy the time we have now as skeletons to the fullest! Right up until this night comes to an end.â
-time pass, break room-
saki: Ah, there you are, Hinata-san. The skeleton party was so much fun!
hinata: âŚâŚ... (frowning)
saki: âŚHinata-san?
hinata: What should I do? This skeleton is broken.
saki: What?
-patchwork plushie is shown-
hinata: Even though weâd just been dancing together, itâs so sad.
saki: Oh, by skeleton you mean that doll. It doesnât look broken to me though?
hinata: His left leg, it just keeps getting looser when I pull on it, like itâs about to rip off. He canât dance anymore in this state.
saki: Hold on a moment, itâs ok. If we sew the leg thatâs come loose back together heâll be fixed.
hinata: You can fix it?
saki: Yes, once his leg is fixed heâll be able to dance again.
hinata: Is that so? I thought that he was happy up until now⌠We danced together, we played together and had so so much fun. I thought that it didnât matter if our head were to get ripped off, or if a leg were to fall offâŚ
When in reality, I was probably just pretending to have not noticed what was going on. Weâve always been this way, weâre no different from the skeletons.
saki: No different from the skeletonsâŚ? Itâs true that youâre playing the role of a skeleton right now, but youâre you, Hinata-san. Not a skeleton.
hinata: Thank you. Youâre so kind, Miss Saki. However, when the day comes that we break, thatâll be the end for us. And after that, thereâs nothing but darkness. Thatâs why I was satisfied with just knowing that weâd had fun. However, things are different nowâŚ
hinata: Miss, your hand is warm, unlike ours.
saki: Ah, um, are you ok, Hinata-san? Your hands are cold, do you want me to get you something to warm upâ
-hinata quickly steps closer-
hinata: I donât need anything so please donât go anywhere. Donât break away from me⌠The night isnât over yet, rightâŚ? Stay with me just a little longer. Until the night comes to an end⌠please.
-unbloomed cg
hinata: Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under âŞ. Is everyone having fun? You havenât danced enough yet have you? Letâs keep enjoying this non-stop fun!
It doesnât matter if the moon is starting to yawn. Weâll just party even harder! Make merry, bump into each other, rib bones multiplying or decreasing and getting all mixed up, it doesnât matter. Just laugh, dance and have a total blast!
hinata: You too, Miss Saki. Enjoy yourself until your heart and mind have gone completely blank.
hinata: Letâs dance, Miss! Will you enjoy this night together with me?
hinata: The painful things, the unpleasant things, the sad things, forget them all and laugh. Youâre our friend, one of us. Itâs ok⌠Iâll never leave you all alone.
-
Chapter 3
-starless restaurant area-
hinata: The hall sure is quiet. Even though I knew that you were still here.
saki: Itâs because the show is over.
hinata: Yeah. The skeletonâs crazy party was a total blast, it was so much fun. The audience were all a part of it as well, nobody was left behind and we all became skeleton buddies. I was able to high five you and hold your hand too, Miss. I had fun, I was so happy.
saki: I was happy to have a fun party with you too, Hinata-san.
hinata: Iâm glad. Because once this fun party is over the sun will come up. The rest of the skeletons have already gone back under the ground. Weâre the only oneâs left.
saki: Hinata-san�
hinata: When the time comes I know that Iâll have to go. I understand that, I really do. But, what am I supposed to do? I donât want to let go of your hand. Once I let go⌠Thereâll be nothing left of us. I donât want to say goodbye, I donât want to leave yet.
-graveyard background-
The pitch black sky slowly began to change colour. And before they knew it, the skeletons who had been partying so enthusiastically stopped still in silence. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
See, our friends are disappearing one by one. Theyâve returned to their graves, since this party could only last for one single night. As my bones rattle, I turn towards the person Iâd laughed and partied with.
Now then, let us say our farewells.
I donât want to say goodbye.
I must return to my grave.
I donât want to go yet.
I never ever want to have to say goodbye, but if I have no other choice but to go, thenâ
You should come over to this side as well.
-starless restaurant area-
hinata: Yâknow, Miss. We didnât have a single thing to call our own from the start. Thatâs why we yearned for it. We wanted what everyone else had.
We were told weâd die sooner or later, we were told weâd always have a place where we could be together. So thatâs why I thought that I needed to enjoy the present as much as I could! And all that time, I never understood what it meant to have to let go of something.
Except, now⌠I do.
-he starts crying-
hinata: Iâm terrified of having to return to that grave on my own. Having to be all alone in that cold and lonely place, I canât imagine itâŚ
saki: Itâs ok, Hinata-san. Youâre not alone.
hinata: Really�
saki: See, Iâm holding your hand right now, arenât I?
hinata: Will you keep holding it like this forever?
saki: Yes, Iâll be right by your side.
hinata: Iâm sorry, Miss Saki.
hinata: Even though your hand is so warmâŚ
hinata: Even though I donât want to let go, youâre different, you're not a doll like us, Miss Saki.Â
hinata: But even so, I still find myself wishing that we could stay together⌠Iâm sorry,
hinata: I want to truly make you one of our friends. I want to take you with us by force.
hinata: (bursts into tears)
hinata: Iâm sorry⌠Iâm so sorry. I know I should but I just canât let go, I donât want to let go of your hand.
saki: Hinata-sanâŚ
hinata: Morning will be here soon. What should I do? I need to make a decision quick.
saki: Make a decision about what exactly?
hinata: Whether I want to say goodbye forever or be together forever in that cold, lonely place. You told us, remember? That youâll be right by our side.
hinata: If you were just lying then say so. Thereâs still time if you admit it right now.Â
saki: I wouldnât lie to you, Hinata-san.
hinata: Then please, come with me. Donât let this night come to an end. Please tell me that youâll never let go of my hand ever again. I want to hear you say thatâŚ
-
Chapter 4
-graveyard background-
corpse F (hinata): âŚWhat now? The moon is fading and I can barely see it anymore. Hey, is anybody there? Is anybody still awake? Somebody, anybody, answer me!
-he looks around-
corpse F: Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under! ⌠Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under! Nice to meetcha from 6 feet under!Â
-he looks around-
corpse F: Everyoneâs gone back to their graves⌠Itâs almost as if all of that fun didnât even happen.
-flashback-
corpse A (mizuki): Boo! You crazy skeletons, letâs go wild! Weâre gonna have the best night of our undead lives!
corpse B (lico): We own this place, whoever destroys the most stuff and has the most fun wins, right?
corpse C (heath): Ah, as a skeleton when I kick my leg it feels like it might come apart. It might fall off.
corpse D (ran): Ahaha, whatâre you doing, thatâs crazy! How about I pull my arm off as well then â .
corpse E (kongou): Make a racket with those fallen bones! If you have legs then stomp and rattle around! Laugh, dance!
corpse F (hinata): Ahahahaha!
-hinata comes close to the screen-
corpse F: Hey, câmon, letâs high five! Take my hand and letâs danceâ
-graveyard background-
corpse F: âŚThatâs right, there was somebody who held my hand. They were kind and their hand was so warm. We danced to our hearts content and commented on how fun it was while we laughed togetherâŚÂ
Just who was that person? Why arenât they by my side anymore? I canât remember anything about them. Not their voice nor their face⌠nothing.
Aargh! I hate it, I hate this! This is too lonely, someone please answer me. Once you go back to your grave itâs over. Thereâs nothing waiting for you there! Beneath the earth you wonât become a fossil or a gemstone, youâll just slowly lose both your colour and your form and turn to dust.
If thatâs the fate that awaits me, then Iâd rather just stay out here. Even if I become a thin, hollow and transparent human, I donât care. Iâll stay here even if my very bones crumble away once the sun comes up. Even if that happens, I still donât want to leaveâŚ.
-black screen-
I donât need the dawn. I wish that morning would never come.Â
Returning to my grave beneath the earth all alone would be too cold for me to bear.
Please come back, please stay by my side. And spend this never ending night together with us⌠please.
âŚ.Please.
-drops fall onto the screen-
-graveyard background-
corpse F: I feel something cold. Are these⌠Tears? Fufu, no, itâs just the morning fog. What am I, stupid? Skeletons obviously canât cry.
Ah, I wonder if morning will be here soon. If I donât head back to my grave, then the night will never end. Iâll wait for you here forever and ever.
-bloomed cg, hinata with smudged makeup frowning as he clutches his gravestone-
corpse F: If that person were to come back, would they find me and hold me close? If that were to happen, Iâm sure Iâd never forget them ever again.
I donât want to disappear⌠If I disappear then Iâll never be able to see them again. I hate this⌠Itâs so lonely being on my ownâŚ
Iâm right here, please find me⌠Ah, Iâm fading along with the moonâ
-screen becomes white as morning comes and then turns pitch black-
FireŕŚfly Interview with NILFRUITS, Iyowa & Harumotsu (English Translation)
This is an unofficial translation of the interview that NILFRUITS posted for the song FireŕŚfly! éĺ ŹĺźăŽçżťč¨łă§ă
Original interview: https://nilfruits.com/firefly/
Song link đĽ
âFireŕŚflyâ created through the collaboration of Iyowa and NILFRUITS, had its essence expanded upon even further by the illustrator Harumotsu (Koronosuke), who deepened its meaning with a striking music video. Anguish swims softly through the song. As the unease gradually grows more prominent, the sound of Iyowaâs piano and NILFRUITSâ guitar blend together in an elegant harmony. What are the secrets behind this groovy song that pushes the boundaries of comfort?
Interviewer: Komachi Mio
âHow was the work divided up for Firefly?
NILFRUITS: First of all, I created an outline for the entire song. I wrote up a draft for the first and last parts of the song and left the second verse open for Iyowa-kun to write. Despite the parts being divided up like this, I still had iwoya-kunâs piano arrangement playing throughout the whole song, so there is still that âIyowaâ element to the entire work.Â
This was my first time collaborating with Iyowa-kun, so there were many moments where I wondered if I was proceeding with things in the right way. However, I have known him for about five years now and am very familiar with his music so I think I was easily able to blend my style together with his.
âWhat things did you try in order to bring out the âIyowaâ element of the song?
NILFRUITS: I tried adding elements that would give off that âIyowa vibeâ that his fans are able to recognise. Whatâs funny though is that it was me who added that vibe and not Iyowa-kun himself (lol).
By utilising our deceptive gimmicks and paying respect to Iyowa-kunâs style I wanted to make it so our music complimented each other more. In order to make the collaboration go smoothly I was very conscious about the sound composition and how many notes were used.
The overall composition isnât too complex but there are some purposefully heavy sounds that are supposed to give the song an intimidating atmosphere when you listen to it. Iâd say the aggressive piano that acts like percussion would be one of its distinctive features. I was aware of that as well, so I think it made blending our styles together easy.
Iyowa: When I first received the demo from Nil-san the piano track hadnât been added yet. But even without it I could still tell that the song had been created with my style in mind. So from the start it was easy to work with what I was given, and as I played the piano I felt as though the song was supporting me. It was a strangely comfortable experience.
âWhat did you keep in mind whilst working on the song, Iyowa-san?
Iyowa: For the part I was in charge of, rather than trying to mimic Nil-sanâs style, I instead wanted to slightly change the mood whilst still having it feel like a natural development for the song. I purposefully made the piano melody more powerful and disorderly than usual to emphasise the violent emotions of the song. I myself wanted to blend into the world of the song too.
NILFRUITS: Iâve always wanted to create music that incorporates conflicting themes, like âcute but scaryâ or âcute but grotesqueâ for example. So thatâs why Iâve wanted to collaborate with Iyowa-kun for a while now, since his songs are able to combine both cuteness and harshness seamlessly. The kind of songs that I wanted to make never really lined up with his style, but this time I was finally able to find a theme that suited him.
âWhat made you choose Harumotsu-san to be in charge of the music video?
NILFRUITS: Because just like Iyowa-kun, I felt that Harumotsu-san is also someone who is able to combine cuteness and harshness effortlessly. The inspiration for Firefly was born from the 2023 horror film titled Pearl. So I wanted to work with people who would like the film and understand what makes it so great. Harumotsu-san loves horror movies, so I figured theyâd be the perfect choice.
I told both Harumotsu-san and Iyowa-kun, âPlease watch the movie Pearlâ, and then we began working on the song and music video respectively. I also really like how Harumotsu-san made the music video in a way that pays respect to Iyowa-kunâs usual style.
Harumotsu (Koronosuke): I saw some comments on the YouTube upload of the song mentioning that the style of the music video was similar to Iyowa-sanâs and I thought, âThey figured it out!â (lol).
Since I was working with both Nilfruits-san and Iyowa-san, I thought about how to capture that essence of Iyowa-sanâs music videos since I really like the way he makes them. I told him beforehand that Iâd be using his looping animations as a reference and incorporated them. I also tried to make the video and character design more akin to Iyowa-sanâs style.
Iyowa: It makes me so happy to hear that! I absolutely love how the music video turned out, it hit all the right notes with me (lol).
NILFRUITS: Like I said before, I think the fact that both Harumotsu-san and I paid so much respect to Iyowa-san really made the song come together into a unified work.
âIn addition to paying homage to Iyowa-san, I felt as though the MV expressed the world of âPearlâ really well.
Harumotsu: I decided to try and scatter all of the information needed throughout this MV. I think I managed to structure it in a way that if you watch till the very end, youâll be able to read between the lines and figure out whatâs going on.
Overall I knew that I wanted it to have a retro vibe and used old film footage to express the timeline of events. I used the logo for âPearlâ as a reference and was very particular about even the small details.
I mentioned mimicking the way Iyowa-san uses looping animations but I also added effects with my own flare where I saw fit. So my own ideas were incorporated as well.
NILFRUITS: Iâm curious as to why the kaleidoscope effect is seen so many times throughout the MV. What was your intention behind that?
Harumotsu: I wanted to express both a sense of escapism and splendor. Kaleidoscopes are sparkly and beautiful, but they can also make you feel kinda sick. I wanted to draw out both of those aspects. I made all of the materials needed for the kaleidoscope effect myself.
NILFRUITS: The way you used it to transition between scenes was really well done too.
âThe way v flowerâs voice changes between each of your parts and brings out your individuality was another highlight.Â
Iyowa: It had been a long time since I last used v flower, so I tuned her whilst thinking back on how I did it in the past. I wasnât actually trying to make it sound distinct from the tuning of Nil-sanâs v flower. So once I listened to the finished song it was interesting hearing the difference.
NILFRUITS: I didnât think about how I was tuning v flower either, I just did it how I always do and made her sound the way I like. However, when I received Iyowa-kunâs files that signature âIyowa vibeâ was already there.
I was curious, so I analysed the files a little and discovered that the secret was in the way he utilised harmonies. I thought to myself âif I tune her like this, then itâll reverberate like this!â and it made me rethink the vocals that Iâd produced.
By adding more harmonies to my own parts I think it ended up having a better compatibility with Iyowa-kunâs style. I was aiming for it to be unclear to the listener whether it was me or Iyowa-kun who made certain parts (lol).
Iyowa: Everyone is dancing in the palm of Nil-sanâs hand (lol). I personally like longer choruses. Iâll usually always add fluctuating harmonies in addition to the main melody. Most people would generally only add lots of harmonies to the hook of the chorus but I like to add them throughout the whole song. Even for the verse that I was in charge of, I edited the song for the chorus to be longer instead.
âBoth Harumotsu-san and Iyowa-san are artists, so would you like to take this opportunity to ask Harumotsu-san anything, Iyowa-san?
Iyowa: I love how intricate the colouring and textures are in Harumotsu-sanâs illustrations. And regarding their music videos Iâve always admired how creative they are when it comes to animating the lyrics. Iâd like to ask what you pay attention to when deciding how to display the lyrics in your videos. Since lately Iâve gotten pretty lazy and just display them on the right side of the screen without any fanfareâŚ
Harumotsu: To be honest I donât think Iâm very good at adding text to my videos. I think the way you utilise handwritten text and make it move along with the songâs story is great. What I was particular about was making the lyrics look as though theyâd been printed on a poster. I chose the font and lyric placement to make it look as though it was part of the artwork.
Iyowa: Itâs very close to the realm of layout and graphic design, isnât it? I felt as though you could take literally any scene from the MV and it would make for a lovely piece of art, so I understand what you mean.
In my case I only start thinking about the video after Iâve drawn all the illustrations, so that sometimes leads to me rushing the rest. Like Harumotsu-san Iâd like to try creating something while looking at everything as one single composition, lyrics included.Â
Harumotsu: Thank you, Iâll be looking forward to seeing what you create.
NILFRUITS: Speaking of the melody, in the section of the song after my guitar solo and Iyowa-kunâs piano solo join together, it becomes only the vocals and piano. (âThe projected banquet was so beautifulâ) During this part I was in charge of the melody and let Iyowa-kun write lyrics that fit. Itâs the part where we truly came together as one creator.
Originally it was supposed to be me in charge of both the melody and lyrics for this section, but for some reason I just couldnât write anything that fit. So after I asked Iyowa-kun if he could write the lyrics, he sent me some that far exceeded my expectationsâŚ
Iyowa: Usually I create the melody first and then think about what kind of lyrics would fit afterwards. So it was a strangely refreshing experience having to decide what kind of lyrics and vowels would work with the melody that Nil-san had made. Even though I was thinking âAre you sure itâs ok for me to write this part?â I was happy.
NILFRUITS: itâs the part of the song where the instrumental mellows out and the vocals are the focal point, so I was interested to see how you would tackle it.Â
Iyowa: So you were testing me? (lol).
âIn 2024, starting with âHi ÎŚ CLUBâ weâve also done interviews on âFireŕŚflyâ and the songs on the album âMWLĂNDâ and it appears a lot of these songs were influenced by works in the horror genre.
NILFRUITS: Thatâs true. The core theme of my works is rebelling against the unfair and overcoming feeling powerless. Because of those themes I think that Iâve always had a high affinity for horror movies.
To me, horror is a genre packed full of things like explosive power, destructive impulses, challenging authority, as well as minorities fighting back against a society which has looked down upon them. And these are all things that Iâve always wanted to express through my work. And so I finally made that come to fruition in the album âMWLĂNDâ. Not to mention I also just enjoy horror in general (lol). Harumotsu-san also famously loves horror movies (lol).
Harumotsu: Is it really that well known that I like them? (lol). To be honest I had never planned to draw horror, but somewhere along the line I ended up becoming known as an artist who draws horror, itâs a strange feeling (lol). Iâve spoken with Nil-san a bit about this before, but whether itâs a game, haunted house, movie or song. What Iâve always liked about horror works is how they use wicked personality traits or clever concepts to shock and make the viewer uncomfortable.
Iyowa: Personally Iâm not a fan of horror that frightens me or is just filled with jumpscares. But I do like horror that disturbs you and leaves a lasting impression. I guess Iâd describe it as leaving you with an uneasy feeling. In my own works too I often aim to have that âuneasinessâ be wrapped up and engulfed in âcutenessâ. For me to portray a more direct kind of horror, first Iâd need some kind of context for that to occur.
Pearl is a movie that depicts an explosion of repressed emotions, it goes beyond being scary and instead was an exhilarating journey that gave me a devastating sense of catharsis. I think both Pearl and Firefly are wonderful works and theyâve made me want to broaden my understanding of horror.
NILFRUITS: I think that sense of âuneasinessâ is something that all three of us have in common. There are many different kinds of horror but I think that at least one of them is present in each of our spirits as creators.Â
Recently watched some of your videos on youtube about Kanade and Mafuyu's focus events and found them super interesting and fun to watch. I adore Mafuyu and Kanade a lot so seeing someone else get my brainwaves was super awesome. Kanamafu truthing!!! Kana6 trailer just released and since she's your oshi I was wondering how excited you are about this!!! Especially since the comm is by LonePi!!!
glad you liked the vids!! Iâm super excited for kana6 yes hahah, from the trailer the song sounds very dreamlike (kinda like tricologe) so im curious to see what the story is about! I actually wasnât familiar with LonePi before this but after listening to some of their songs I def vibe with their style đ
Blackstarâs 6th Anniversary! We spoke to YSK and the gameâs director Tsukaguchi. Stories behind the game's visual production and the specifics of the character designs will be exclusively revealed here!
Today (2025/9/10) the smartphone app Blackstar Theater Starless reached its sixth anniversary. This work depicts the underground world in which these âbad boysâ perform shows at the show restaurant âTheater Starlessâ. It has captured the hearts of many fans with its unique characters and thrilling story.
Just like last year, this yearâs anniversary interview will also be brought to you by 4Gamer.Â
We spoke with YSK who is in charge of the character design and Tsukaguchi Ayako, who is Blackstarâs creator and the one in charge of all the shocking developments in the gameâs story.
Weâll be bringing you lots of tidbids about the gameâs character designs and the story behind how the gameâs beautiful visuals are created.
âBlackstar started from a single email between Tsukaguchi and YSK!
4Gamer:Â Last year we held a solo interview with Tsukaguchi-san but this year for the gameâs sixth anniversary, character designer YSK-san has joined us too. So first, could you tell us how YSK-san became involved in the project?
Tsukaguchi:Â During the early production phase of Blackstar Theater Starless, I searched for illustrators on the internet. I happened to see one of YSK-sanâs works and immediately thought that this is the person I want to hire. I spoke with the gameâs producer Ando about it and then emailed YSK-san shortly after.
YSK: I wasnât acquainted with anybody on the Blackstar production team before this, so when I received the email I thought theyâd sent it to the wrong person. I proceeded to sleep on it for a whole day (lol). The next day I looked at the email again and came to my senses and sent back a reply along the lines of âIf you think that Iâd be a good fit for the job thenâŚâÂ
4Gamer: Sounds like things went very smoothly! What was it about YSK-sanâs illustrations that caught your eye, Tsukaguchi-san?
Tsukaguchi: Actually most of the illustrations that I first looked at werenât of humans, but I could still feel a huge presence from each character. I remember I had to persuade the producer by saying âIf they can draw non-human characters then Iâm sure they can draw humans as well!â
At the time I was struggling to explain to the production team that Blackstar isnât about idols, at its core itâs a game that depicts the underside of society. So I think the very first thing I asked YSK-san was âPlease draw me some edgy looking menâ.
YSK: Rindou and the rest of Team P are a bit brighter when compared to the others, but I was told to make sure their brightness wasn't too overwhelming and to bring out more of a fallen from grace vibe.
I was also told that Blackstar would be a work that values individuality, so I was asked to make sure none of the characters' aesthetics overlap.Â
And so, from there I thought hard about how to make everyone unique. Up until that point I hadnât had many chances to work on regular human characters.
4Gamer: A few years ago there were many games coming out that fell into the idol genre, so since the landscape wasnât as diverse as it is now, Blackstar stood out. How did you react when you were told about the gameâs premise, YSK-san?
YSK: Iâve always loved characters that look a little scary or have a couple screws loose. So when Tsukaguchi-san told me that she liked the way I drew crazy expressions I felt as though I might be able to go all out and add characteristics that I personally like.
Tsukaguchi:Â Looking back, that was a very unprofessional thing for me to say, wasnât it? (lol).
4Gamer: No no, it simply sounds like it was a meeting in which both parties were looking for the same thing. Speaking of the characters, do you remember who the first character you designed was?
YSK: It was the five team leaders (Kei, Kokuyou, Rindou, Mizuki, Mokuren) and I think Kei was the very first that I worked on.
Tsukaguchi:Â YSK-san works really fast, they submitted all five at the same time and I remember thinking âOh my god, theyâre already here!â
4Gamer: I see. When working on the character designs were there any unexpected changes in the direction or setting? Or any other stories youâd like to share?
Tsukaguchi: The setting surprisingly didnât change very much at all from the initial concept, there were only small tweaks made here and there. Thinking about it I remember we had a conversation where midway through a design I just said âAdd shark teeth!â (lol).
YSK:Â Yeah. Another thing I remember is that Keiâs hair colour used to be black.
Image:
A creative hairstyle? (The length of his bangs on the right side and the length of the hair at the left on his neck are asymmetrical)
I think the rococo style patterned costume has a royal vibe
I thought making the lining a gradient is good because itâs not too overwhelming nor too subduedÂ
His shoes are plain grey so they donât throw out the overall colour balance
Handwriting: Gradient colour | One ear only
4Gamer:Â Is that so? How come it was changed to the gold coloured hair he has now?
YSK:Â I think it was because I was told to give him a little bit more of an elegant vibe.
Tsukaguchi: It was also because the name Kei is taken from the unit of mass to measure the purity of gold. Like 18K, 24K, etc. That kind of âKâ. So thatâs why I asked for his hair to be golden.
4Gamer: I see! Going a bit off topic here, but could you tell us the reason behind the characters names? Iâm sure most fans are already aware that theyâre taken from minerals and plants.
Tsukaguchi: I decided to base the names on minerals and plants because thereâs lots of variety and they can have all kinds of different meanings behind them. The second reason was that I figured what kind of name someone wants to use would depend on the person.
The concept of them being stage names was developed later on. Almost all of the cast have pretty straightforward names, but some are a little harder to decipher, like Sin being based on the mineral cinnabar. Qu is also a really tough one to understand, so I kind of want to just leave it a mystery forever, I donât want to reveal its true meaning yetâŚ!
4Gamer: Thank you for the valuable information! YSK-san, when you received the commission request, did all of the characters already have their names?
YSK: Yes, they were all sent along with the brief.
4Gamer: In that case, how detailed was the brief that you were given for the character designs?
Tsukaguchi: They were given details like the characters name, height and weight. As well as a description like âlooks amazing with his clothes offâ and an outline of each characterâs physique.
YSK: The briefs said things like âthis character has a slim but muscular build that appeals to womenâ or âthis guy has solid muscles and is built like a pro wrestlerâ⌠Ok yeah that one was Kongou (lol). Things could always be changed later, so these points were given as more of a guideline.
Image:
Short eyebrows that emphasise his square shaped eyes
I think it would be nice if he looks like a bear when he smiles. The rabbit is cute so it would be fun if it had a mascot name!
Added a chunky zipper for some uniformity with the rest of B Team
Instead of a bandanna a ramen shop owner would wear he has more of a street style headbandÂ
Heâs in his thirties so thereâs some shadow under his eyes when he smiles
Not much was changed on his outfit apart from some small details (I added strings to the hood)
Tsukaguchi: YSK-san understood the assignment basically every time though, so there were barely any rejects or remakes. I remember YSK-san once asked âAre you sure that design is ok?â
4Gamer: In that case, were there any characters that were particularly difficult to design?
YSK: That would be Qu. When I was first told that he had the aesthetics of a woman but was still well built I was unsure just how feminine I should make him. I was having trouble visualising a character that was neither too masculine nor too flashy.
Thatâs why it was only for Qu that I kept submitting rough drafts and asking if they were any good. He has a different ethnicity that gives him a Cleopatra-like vibe and since heâs a man I gave him a muscular build⌠I was going for something like that.
Tsukaguchi: The only thing that Iâd decided on was that he wears high heels. The design of Mokuren, who was intended to pair with Qu, went smoothly. But we definitely had a tough time finalising Quâs design.
4Gamer: I think that the design you ended up with is a very charming one. Are there any other tidbids that you remember?
Tsukaguchi: Kasumiâs hairstyle was difficult. I was bad at explaining how I wanted his bangs to hide his faceâŚ
YSK: I wanted to bring out a shadow-like and nondescript air, so I decided on his hair colour and overall aesthetics pretty quickly. The only thing that I was lost on was how to style his hairâŚ
Tsukaguchi: I knew that I wanted him to style his bangs up eventually, so from the onset we created some designs that showed his face. At exhibitions and such weâve displayed headshots of the cast members, but Kasumiâs was the only one that we couldnât reveal. His face was only unveiled in February of this year, just how many years did it take to be revealed again? (lol).
4Gamer: As much as Iâd love to dive deeper into each of the characters designs, thereâs a lot of them, so instead Iâd like to ask if any characters left a particular impression on you?
Tsukaguchi: I had fun when we were designing Sin. Even though I was the one who asked for it I was wondering how YSK-san would draw such a strange man (lol).
YSK: I was told that he had a cryptic way of speaking and was the oldest, so I thought about how I should portray that. He had to differ from a young and energetic image so I decided âIâll add some wrinkles under his eyes!â
4Gamer: If weâre talking about under the eyes, then Heath is also pretty striking. He has massive dark circles under his eyes which have quite an impact.
YSK: Well sickly characters commonly have eye bags⌠but Sin actually has faint dark circles too. In order to make Heathâs different I made his eye bags really dark. He looks as though he doesnât get a lot of sleep.
Tsukaguchi:Â YSK-san has mentioned that they pay particular attention to the eyes in order to differentiate each character.
YSK:Â Yeah. I want to avoid everyone looking the same if you remove their hair. I think that the eyes are the easiest place to add individuality to a character.
4Gamer: Thatâs true, if you just show the Blackstar characterâs eyes you can still tell right away who is who. Itâs amazing.
YSK: Come to think of it, at the time I was shocked to hear that characters might end up being fired if they werenât popular enough. So I designed everyone while hoping that they will do their very best to survive and gave each of them their own unique charmâŚ
Tsukaguchi: Every cast member received support from their fans and it was around the end of season 1 that I was finally able to feel that they were all safe.
âHow were all of those provocative visuals created? Exclusive production storiesÂ
4Gamer: Next, Iâd like to ask about the key visual illustrations. What is the process behind creating such eye catching visuals?
Tsukaguchi: We have two departments, the game production team and the content production team. Orders for new visuals often come from the content production side of things. The concept and general idea of what is needed gets written up and then sent to YSK-san.
YSK: Yeah, the requests are usually split between being for the game or for concerts and other events.
Tsukaguchi: The requests are usually formatted in a similar way, but just written up by different people. Nowadays I check over all of the requests regardless of who has written them and then send the final document off to YSK-san. A correction that I often send back to other staff members is âThis character would be smiling and we canât have thatâ.
YSK: Thatâs true. While the characters in Blackstar do smile, itâs always more of a sneer or has a cool vibe. Even on some of the illustrations I draw Iâm sometimes supervised to make the smiles less apparent.
Tsukaguchi: I may lift the ban on smiles one day, but they just donât really fit a concept like this⌠So Iâm always just apologising profusely as I check over the artworks.
4Gamer: True, big bright smiles donât really suit Blackstarâs image, do they? By the way, which image was the first to be created?
Tsukaguchi: I think it was the gameâs first key visual. We actually called this one âHellâs Staircaseâ. Thatâs what the common nickname for it was between members on the production team, but I think itâs because it was the shortened version of the initial concept, which was feeling as though you were walking down a staircase into hell.
4Gamer: I see! I was shocked the first time I saw this image and it left a lasting impression on me. At the time there were a lot of sparkly idol-esque games being released, so I was like âThis dark and scary visual is amazingâŚ!â.
Only a few of the characters are looking towards you and Kokuyou, Rindou and Mokuren are standing quite far back. Itâs very distinct for a key visual and I think itâs a really cool piece of artwork.
YSK: Thank you. If I remember correctly, I think I was directed to only have Mizuki opening his eyes wide (lol). I was like, this illustration is supposed to be the characters giving the viewer a warm welcome⌠isnât it? So even I was a bit baffled about it.
Tsukaguchi: Opinions within the production team were actually quite split on whether or not we should have Mizuki smiling in this image. Some were worried it strayed from the concept that we were trying to present, but we eventually decided that at least one person should be grinning in the first visual for the game (lol).
YSK: Usually main visuals depict their characters in a setting that allows you to immediately understand the workâs tone. Or theyâll have the main characters inviting you into their fun world.
Blackstar isnât like that though. And in order to show that the characters arenât on good terms with each other I made it so none of them are making eye contact. And the result was an illustration with a very underground vibe, so much so that you probably wouldnât expect it to be a game aimed at women.
Tsukaguchi: I was ok with some of the characters being far away with their faces too small to be properly seen. It couldnât be helped since I wanted the image to invoke the feeling of walking down a staircase and into the building. I said with my whole heart âThis is Blackstar!â and decided on that direction.
If I remember correctly at this time the voice drama was also being recorded. So continuing off that point about nobody making eye contact, these characters donât talk to each other for longer than necessary either. Once the voice directors explained that to all of the voice actors, I felt as though the atmosphere for both the key visual and the voice drama were complete.
4Gamer: Thatâs also really cool. I do honestly think that the first key visual is a masterpiece.
Tsukaguchi: We used that visual for almost five years right at the top of the official website. However, after the first year of the game, Mizuki and Mokuren had changed teams and wore different outfits⌠So we ended up creating an updated key visual. That one is âHellâs Staircase 2â (lol).
4Gamer: Other than the group illustrations, at events like AGF (Animate Girlâs Festival) youâve released individual illustrations of all of the characters, havenât you?
YSK: Yes. When drawing individual characters I need to make sure that none of the poses overlap, so I end up redrawing a lot of rough drafts. If Iâm given specified poses the character's vibe can still end up feeling similar, so it takes a lot of trial and error.
Tsukaguchi: There are 28 characters after all⌠Everytime Iâm reminded just how fast YSK-san is with a pen.
4Gamer: In that case, could you share any works that left an impression on you?
YSK: The AGF2020 illustrations that were monochrome and utilised ribbons.Â
These werenât used in-game and were entirely for display. I was requested to draw each character either playing with or being tied up by a ribbon and what I chose to do with the ribbon depended on the characters personality and setting. I remember thinking that they turned out being illustrations that are aimed at a more adult audience.
Tsukaguchi: I wasnât in charge at the time of these illustrations, but the merch was popular and theyâre all very high quality illustrations donât you think?
4Gamer: These were impressive illustrations too, I remember thinking that they matched my interpretation of each character. Theyâre all individual illustrations but when you look at them all together itâs stunning.
Are there any illustrations that left an impression on you, Tsukaguchi-san?
Tsukaguchi: Letâs see⌠First thereâs the ones for BLACK LIVE IV. Akira and Mokuren are in the middle of a kick, but I especially think the silhouette of Mokurenâs body is beautiful. Those illustrations were released around the same time I returned to the team, so I remember looking at them and thinking âWoah, what amazing illustrations!â.
YSK: On an actual human body, the leg that Mokuren isnât kicking with would bend a little when doing a pose like this. But, if I were to draw Mokuren like that, it would give off the impression that they arenât very flexible. If Mokuren were to do this pose, I believe they wouldnât need to shift their centre of gravity, and so thatâs how the illustration turned out this way.
4Gamer: I totally agree with you. Most of the other AGF illustrations are quite provocative too, arenât they?
Tsukaguchi: For the AGF themes we collect ideas from the staff members, but even I was shocked at how bold the 2021 theme of âsoaking wet bad boys + fruitâ was.Â
YSK: Blackstar is always treading the line of whatâs appropriate (lol).
Tsukaguchi: It always makes me wonder just how far we can take it⌠but in comparison we made sure to give them lots of clothes last year! (2024)
YSK: These costumes werenât designed by me and theyâre all packed with so many intricate details. Each character is wearing a different one too, so while I was working on these illustrations I probably spent at least a quarter of the time just staring at the costume references (lol).
I wanted these visuals to be a little rougher than usual, so I drew them whilst hoping people would enjoy that aspect as well.
Tsukaguchi: This yearâs casino series is nice too. We left the costume design to YSK-san for this one.
YSK: At first we discussed that they should be showing some skin, but since theyâre all casino dealers I thought it would be fitting to only get a glimpse of their wrists. So they ended up being fully clothed and that idea wasnât approved (lol). So because of that I added some netting to Kokuyou-sanâs arms and adjustments were made to make some of their midriff visible.
Tsukaguchi: For these illustrations we literally had a meeting to discuss how we should expose their skin (lol). YSK-san came up with the idea of netting and I was impressed by their creativity as always.
YSK: There may be less skin exposure when compared to previous years, but every character is still showing some. So please look forward to it (lol).
Tsukaguchi: I know weâre talking about AGF but another recent illustration set left an impression on me as well. The ones for the âNautilus Blueâ event (July 2025).
These illustrations were actually ordered quite a while back, but due to some complications they hadnât been used. So when we revisited them, there were discussions of whether it would be ok to add such naked cards to the game. But câmon, pro wrestlers donât wear shirts and everyoneâs fine with that! (lol)
4Gamer: Thatâs a good pointâŚ!
Tsukaguchi: I think that these illustrations really show the beauty of the human body. The poses are interesting too and the tattoos leave an impact. Theyâre not the kind of illustrations you get to make often, so even now I still think it would be cool to see oneâs like this for all 28 of the characters.
4Gamer: Listening to you two talk about it, I can tell that it isnât just as simple as âtake their clothes offâ, but instead that a lot of care and planning goes into everything.
Tsukaguchi: Looking back on everything, the way the 4th anniversary illustrations came about was pretty amazing as well. YSK-san was asked to âPlease injure the castââŚ
YSK:Â Yep, that did happen!
Tsukaguchi: I returned to the team around the gameâs 4.5 anniversary, so I remember when I first saw these illustrations I gasped like âHis nose is bleeding, is that ok!?â (lol). The nosebleed was even specified in the brief⌠I was so shocked to see an order like that went through.
YSK: Yes. But nosebleeds can have a certain appeal to them sometimes (lol). In the brief the severity and grading of the injuries was outlined, and to imagine it being like a bloody fight.
However, I wasnât allowed to make the injuries look too painful. Kei in particular isnât very wounded at all. There are actually a lot of minor differences like that depending on the character.
4Gamer: Did you have any trouble with regulations when putting blood in the game?
Tsukaguchi:Â App store regulations donât seem to mind as long as the blood isnât red in colour. Thatâs why in cases where red blood does appear, itâs only in very small amounts.
4Gamer: No matter how provocative the illustrations may seem, I think they all still suit Blackstar. Is there anything that you make sure to keep in mind while drawing them, YSK-san?
YSK: Iâm very mindful of how to bring out a sense of sex appeal. I rarely ever get other commissions that are focused on making male characters seductive. I always make sure to pay particular attention to the angle and expression of the eyes.
I think expressions can usually be split up into three categories, smiling, serious and sad. However in the case of the Starless cast, Iâm often directed to draw more niche expressions, like a character looking down on you or giving a flirtatious glance. I always try my best to properly express those distinctions.
4Gamer: I seeâŚ! The characters' personalities and the story are a big part of Blackstarâs charm, but thanks to YSK-sanâs illustrations, I think that these charms can be expressed even more strongly. A gameâs visuals also play a very important role.
âWhy are Blackstarâs characters always so naked!? Expressing the beauty of the human body and the current state of the gameâs story
Tsukaguchi: I use the word âatmosphereâ a lot, but I truly love the atmosphere that YSK-sanâs illustrations possess. Thatâs why I like using the phrase ânew picturesâ for the new illustrations. Because just like a real photograph, Iâm thankful that the atmosphere of YSK-san's drawings has not changed since the beginning.
4Gamer: Thatâs true. I have one more thing that Iâd like to ask you, YSK-san. Is there any kind of illustration that youâd like to one day draw for Blackstar?
YSK: Iâd like to see the whole cast wearing proper black suits. They could still have some of their chest exposed around the collar area of course, but I think that seeing the whole cast lined up in black suits would be really cool. I kind of want to try drawing that one day.
Tsukaguchi: Noted! (lol).
4Gamer: Theyâre usually not wearing much so part of me does want to see them fully clothed, but do you always make sure to have some skin exposed?
Tsukaguchi: I think itâs more that theyâre not the kind of people who would wear a suit properly. Of course there are cast members like Kei and Rindou who would be capable of wearing one properly. But do you think Mizuki would wear one correctly?
YSK: I doubt he would be able to tie a tie by himself (lol).
Tsukaguchi: He would probably have someone else tie it for him every time⌠The manner in which someone wears a suit can differ greatly depending on the person, so Iâm hesitant to have them wear suits as I wouldnât want the differences to be too big.
I know that there are some guests who would love to see those kinds of outfits on the characters though, so if the opportunity arises it may be possible.
YSK: I just remembered this now, but one of the reasons that they offered the job to me was because I could draw muscles to a certain extent.
Tsukaguchi: Yes, thatâs right. I didnât want the characters to have frail bodies. This relates to the topic of their exposed skin, but I thought that the beauty of these performers' bodies would be an interesting angle to pursue. YSK-san and I often discuss how much skin would be ok to show.
4Gamer: Meaning, you still havenât hit the limit yetâŚ?
Tsukaguchi: It depends on the design of the costume. I think that it would be easier for them to dance with less obtrusive clothing on. Like how in ballet the dancers wear form fitting outfits, I think that the shows the Starless members put on display the beauty of the body.
4Gamer: I totally get what you mean. You mentioned in last yearâs interview that youâre careful not to go into full gravure territory, and I think youâve managed to hit a wonderful balance in the work's artistry.Â
YSK: I aim to draw their muscles in a way that shows off the beauty of how well trained and sculpted they are without leaning too heavily into it being lewd. We want all of the illustrations to be their own thing, so I want to keep expressing each characters' unique charms.
4Gamer: I suppose we should start wrapping the interview up nowâ
Tsukaguchi: Excuse me, but thereâs just something that Iâd quickly like to say to YSK-san. In the past I explained that all of the mysteries will be resolved in season 6, however that didnât end up being the caseâŚÂ
The members of Starless all tried their best, but ultimately what they ended up learning from season 6 is that sharing information with each other is very important. It took them six years to remember the importance of reporting, contacting and consultation (lol).
YSK: Thatâs fine, donât worry about it!
Tsukaguchi: The final chapter of season 6 featured the longest violent scene in the gameâs history. It contains the most text weâve ever written and yet the problem wasnât resolvedâŚ
However Iâm sure that weâll get to see something resolved in season 7. So weâll be continuing to work with YSK-san from here on out, please look forward to whatâs to come!
4Gamer: I hope that new mysteries will continue to arise and eventually get resolved as well.
Tsukaguchi: Itâs not that I just keep adding mysteries as I think of them. Itâs just the characters that keep selfishly saying they want to solve thingsâŚ
YSK: I see, they really are alive, huh? (lol)
Tsukaguchi: Yes. Even once all of the mysteries are resolved, life will still go on.
4Gamer: Lastly, would you like to leave a message to the fans or anybody else that may be reading this?
YSK: Blackstar isnât about idols, itâs a work with violence, shady developments and an underground atmosphere. And while you may not get to see many sparkling moments, Iâd like for you to watch over these men who crawl along the ground and continue to live even if it means they have to drink mud. Iâm having fun with my involvement as the photographer, so please continue to enjoy the game!
Tsukaguchi: I am very sorry for causing you all trouble again this year⌠I said the same thing in last yearâs interview, so I feel bad that Iâm always just apologising.
Itâs not that the characters donât want to wear clothes, or that they particularly want to wear them either. Theyâll just properly wear whatever it is that theyâre given and enjoy performing. And if the guests enjoy the show too, then I think that will make them happy.
If youâll allow me, Iâd like to promote our sixth album âBLACKSTARVIâ which will be releasing in October of this year! YSK-san drew the album cover. This time you can vote for an original work to be adapted for each team. So please participate in the voting if it interests you.
We also have no idea what will be decided on, so weâre nervously awaiting the result (lol). Iâm sure that the characters will take whatever the show is head on, so please look forward to it.
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