Project Sekai: Hue Shift
Unit Introduction: FOURWARD
FOURWARD is a rock band comprised of Shinonome Akito, Asahina Mafuyu, Kamishiro Rui, and Kiritani Haruka. The band was formed by Akito who wanted to make it big as a musician and be able to move far away from his home, which he perceives as being the source of all of his problems.
Member Overview:
Akito is an ambitious young musician. Similar to canon, when he was young he attended a concert that inspired his musical career.
He spent his middle school years isolating himself, focusing all his energy into learning and perfecting bass guitar. His desire to leave his undesirable home life motivating him to work even harder. Akito’s tunnel vision on his dream caused him to disregard the value of having other people at his side to help him.
He resolved to form a band after meeting Mafuyu, and failing to convince them to join him in his musical pursuit. Over the course of the main story he would meet and recruit the rest of the band, the four of the forming FOURWARD.
As a group they join Akito in his goal of escaping from their current situations, but now with eachother to rely on.
(Notes: It was pretty easy to make his back story work for this AU. I really only had to change the concert he saw and delay his teaming up with other people. I’m also playing up the “Shinonome dysfunctional family” to drive him and Ena’s stories a bit. Aside from that I don’t have much to say, I personally head canon him as gay or bi, I’ve deemed him gay in this AU.)
At the beginning of the main story Mafuyu is making music only as “Own”, they keep the same general backstory except without meeting N25. Instead Mafuyu is making his own music in an attempt to be able to feel again.
Mafuyu has the same dispassionate and distant attitude towards music they have in cannon, but music offers some level of escape from and control over his life. Going by their “Own” persona online also allows him to express his gender, when in his day to day life he’s unable. Overall, the broad stroke of Mafuyus character are the same. Although, he’s a little more rebellious in his own small ways, desperate to feel any control or sense of self.
Mafuyu is the first future bandmate that Akito meets. Initially, Mafuyu declines Akitos offer to make music together, after all his mother wouldn’t approve of it and music is already distracting from his studies.
Eventually, Mafuyu agrees to trying playing with Akito and the others and finds the small sparks of enjoyment in it. Being around someone like Akito, who’s unapologetically himself, makes Mafuyu want that for himself. Though, he feels unbelievably torn between wanting to escape his life and be with FOURWARD, and wanting to be the “perfect daughter” for his mother whom he loves so deeply.
(Notes: This summary ran a lot longer than Aki’s since I feel like there’s a lot more to explain here. Mafuyu’s personality is altered a little from canon to give them more agency and some will to rebel in their own small ways. Despite this I don’t think Mafuyu is ‘unrecognisable’ character wise. The thing that drives me their story is still wanting to be able to rediscover themselves and their emotions. But in this AU they actively seek it out themselves and find that in Akito/FOURWARD, as opposed to Kanade. Also Mafuyu is trans (ftm) in this AU, I’ve always liked that head-canon as I think it fits into Mafuyus story and conflict very well.)
Rui’s backstory also departs a good amount from canon. At the start of the story Rui is attempting to conform a bit more. He’s out cast and seen as a weirdo at school and attempts to hide his inventions a bit more to try and fit in.
He has an internship(?) as a technician at a local music venue, using his technical prowess in that way. He also took the job because he wanted to listen to the bands playing. He had bonded with Nene as a child over a shared love of music and performance, but they grew apart as Nene started secluding herself more and more. Still music had been something that brought him compassion before he hopes deep down it can happen again.
This venue is where Rui meets Akito. Rui is impressed by Akito’s musical skill and Akito sees potential in Rui’s technical skills. After some conversation Akito requests Rui team up with him, to which Rui accepts.
Rui is the first official bandmate of Akito, and despite some initial struggle they eventually warm up to each other and learn to work as a team. Akito continues to see Rui’s talent and values him as someone will to peruse his dream with him.
(Notes: honestly not much to add here, like Mafuyu, Rui’s backstory has to depart quite a lot from canon. This is also due to Nenes departure from his life, which results in him being truly and deeply alone. AU canon/head-canon wise, Rui is someone that reads as some form of queer to me. I like quite a few Rui ships personally, but I can also see him as the type of person that’s never had a romantic thought in his life.)
Haruka’s backstory is approximately the same as her canon backstory, her history as an idol and her reason for leaving is the same. Despite leaving the idol industry Haruka still finds herself yearning to preform again.
Haruka picks up the synthesiser/keyboard as a creative outlet, still having a passion for music and performance. Similar to Mafuyu, she meets Akito and Rui at a music shop, while she’s looking for accessories for her synth. After some convincing she joins Akito and Rui for a practice session, but she maintains her fear of being on stage again. Eventually she is able to overcome her fear with the support of FOURWARD.
With a reignited passion and friends to support her, Haruka resolves to help Akito achieve his dream. She hopes that this path with allow her to leave behind the unresolved baggage from her idol days.
(Notes: I have less to say about Haruka due to her storyline being so similar to the MMJ main story. I hope her relationships and dynamics with the rest of the group will be enough to set her apart from her canon story. Um, yeah, lesbian Haruka <3)
Station Sekai:
For FOURWARD’s Sekai I wanted to really capture the emotions of yearning for something new/different and a desire to escape. I decided on having their Sekai being one of those massive multitrack train stations. This also connects in with the themes of growth and progress I want to capture with FOURWARD, which would be the units true feeling as apposed to the surface level emotions of this Sekai.
My vision for this Station Sekai is countless tracks and platforms with trains constantly coming and going. Despite this the Sekai is relatively quiet as if all noise the Station makes is distant and muffled. In this Sekai will also be perpetually dusk since it’s a transitional time of day and I think it gives off a very melancholic feel.
(Notes: My primary inspiration for this was Union Station in Denver, CO (United States), since it’s a place I’m familiar with. It’s also a place I spent a great deal of time at, during a very emotionally turbulent time in my life. This Sekai is the one I have the most emotional connection with, as I’m able to project a lot of my own experiences and feelings into this unit.)
Virtual Singers:
The virtual singers I picked for FOURWARD are Vflower (referred to as Flower) and Ia. Flower fills the roll of L/N Miku and Ia does the same for L/N Luka. I felt the overall vibe these two have would fit nicely with a rock band. Additionally, I think their voices work very well with both each other and the characters in this unit.
Flower voice sample: Venom, Kairiki bear
Ia voice sample: Kagerou≒Variation, Yairi
Additional:
FOURWARD Main Story (fanfic) ~ coming soon
Cover concepts master list ~ coming soon