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twilightmalachite · 2 years

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Hinata Aoi - Daybreak Heliolite 2

Author: Umeda Chitose

Characters: Hinata, Wataru, Leo, Makoto, Anzu

Translator: Mika Enstars

Proofers: meteorgreen

"I thought this back when I saw the designs too, but it’s kinda strange how completely different Yuuta-kun and I’s designs are."

Season: Autumn

Location: Yumenosaki Academy Garden Space

⚠️ This chapter is not yet JP Proofread!

Another day…

Hinata: …Fufu—Ahaha! Even just thinking about it, everything my seniors said was so funny!

They were supposed to help with my personalized outfit, but all they did was tell stories, like the one time Anzu-san went onstage…

Or the time Tsukinaga-senpai and Itsuki-senpai had gotten so worked up over something, they ended up forgetting about their outfit and broke into a fight instead.

It was like one intense episode after another, somehow. Honestly, it made Yuuta-kun and I coming up with the same outfit look like nothing—

…Ah, hold up, stop right there! We’ll be planting a different type of bulb starting here.

Makoto: Roger that~! Y’know, you’re pretty serious about your garden, Hinata-kun. You’ve got not just vegetables, but flowers like these here too!

Hinata: You too, Yuuki-senpai—you’ve been doing work here for a long time since last summer, y’know? Tilling, planting, harvesting…♪

Makoto: That’s right. I’m a homebody at heart, but I found a sense of serenity the moment I touched the soil. ♪

By the way, about your story right now… You said you guys didn’t even talk about your personalized outfit, so did it help at all?

Hinata: Ermm… Maybe, I guess… or maybe not?

Something about how “the art of representing yourself to the fullest turns into a melody,” and how “if you move on instinct, the universe expands beyond singing and dancing alone.”

But I can’t tell if it was about my outfit or not…

Makoto: Ahaha… But y’know, Hinata-kun, I think the fact you even listened to those guys is what makes you great.

If I were in your position, I probably would’ve turned them away. They’re two seniors I barely know… They seriously intimidate me.

Hinata: To be honest, I was also wondering, why me? But maybe the reason they were interested in me was because I was a junior they didn’t know very well.

And, well, I can’t help but jump into things that look fun and interesting.

If there’s something fun and exciting waiting there for me… I feel like I just can’t afford to miss out on that kind of joy~!

I might have not gotten any substantial advice… But I had a great time hanging out with Anzu-san and two of my amazing seniors. So, I’m glad I did.

Makoto: …Makes sense. It’s very like you, Hinata-kun—always looking at the positive side.

Hinata: Right, right? After all, I love things that are fun!

I wanna capture all the excitement and happiness of being on stage and turn it into my personalized outfit, that kind of thing!

And I don’t wanna keep this feeling to myself! So something that would make my fans feel the same hype would be even better…♪

Location: Dressing Room

A couple days later…

Hinata: (I contacted Anzu-san, and she replied telling me she was in the dressing room, but…)

‘Scuse me~…?

Anzu-san, good job out there! Here, it’s the pastry I picked out for you when I contacted you earlier… That, and my choice of drink!

The total? About that, I just bought what I wanted to, so don’t worry about it! You wrote that in your message, remember? So, leave the refreshments to me.

You’re the one making Yuuta-kun and I’s personalized outfits, after all. Let me do this much for you! ♪

C’mon, just take it! Think of it as a token of appreciation for being our producer.

…Hey, are those our personalized outfits over there? Can I get a closer look?

To think the outfits that were just only in a sketchbook not long ago are already taking shape…

I thought this back when I saw the designs too, but it’s kinda strange how completely different Yuuta-kun and I’s designs are.

You can really tell at a glance which outfit is mine, and which is Yuuta-kun’s.

When we stand beside each other, some people say we’re indistinguishable.

But, when it comes to how our aspirations and individuality take shape, there’s a whole world of difference… That’s what you feel the very moment you see these.

…Wawah?! You surprised me, grabbing onto me so suddenly! What is it~?

It’s still in the works, but… You’d like to see how my outfit looks on me?

Uwa~, I’m so nervous for some reason. How’s it look? D’you think I got it right?

(Anzu-san’s smiling… I think we made her worry at first, but I’m relieved she’s enjoying herself as she makes our outfits.)

(I can’t wait to wear the completed piece. How will we feel once we get to see each other in each of our very own personalized outfits, I wonder?)

……

…Hm~, I had a thought. We were planning to debut our personalized outfits during a live together, as 2wink.

Except, when we get on stage, we’d be wearing completely different outfits, instead of what we usually do.

We’ve done it before, of course, like with Toyland[2], but… A live show where we perform in our personalized outfits as “ourselves” is gonna be something special.

I want to make it something special, something memorable…

I’ve yet to tell the Vice Prez about it, but I want the set and performance to go a certain way. There’s actually something I want to have done for the live—

If it’s alright, could I talk to you about it for a bit? You’re the one helping our individuality take shape right now, Anzu-san, so I want you to listen…

← prev | story directory

In Toyland, 2wink and fine form a temporary 6-man unit. Since they’re not performing as “themselves” (as 2wink), they wear fairly different outfits. You can see them here and here.

#hinata aoi #makoto yuuki #anzu #scout #translation #daybreak heliolite

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johannwolfgangvongoethe · 1 year

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Further Umineko Posting

episode 1, part 2

battler is in the unique position of having been a Normal Guy™ ages 12 to 18, which explains a lot of his weirder comments on wealth (i didnt choose to be born rich.... my family owns a yacht.... pensive emoji) after all, he just got there. add to that, jessica (future heir) and george (oldest of his generation) bear the brunt of expectations while he is Just above a 9yo in the hierarchy. it makes sense the story focusses on his view, he is somewhat of an outsider and its easy to explain dynamics through his eyes.

saying the natural beauty of the island and its large wild bird population should give way for a golf course was a terrible take, still.

i said before that he is a very believable 18yo. so far the writing did well to capture that weird sort of liminal period between Playing Adult and internalizing the adult play behaviours so that they manifest in Being An Adult. hope this makes sense.

another conflict has been reoccuring; the servants call themselves furniture. there has been little direct interaction between ushiromiya family members and servants so far so its hard to tell whether this mindset is employed but them or the the older servants themselves. POSSIBLY related to that, shannons winged emblem is on her thigh. no idea whether this is a funny design choice or, more dubiously, marks her in her role for life. interestingly, gohda and kumasawa seem to be the only servant characters without this emblem. their names also dont follow the same convention as kanons and shannons. possibly because they existed elsewhere before they were hired to work here, while shannon and kanon ....??!?!? grew up in this enviroment and had to accept their names from it. maybe this is what "being furniture" means, their status is quite belonging-like. genji seems to have been with kinzo forever, so he fits that category too. would be funny if they ended up being some sort of enchanted candleholders, all beauty and the beast like.

i finally saw every family member, i believe. krauss and jessicas hair colour is suspicious but oh well. kinzos mental state has been tanking dramatically. he seemed stressed out in the intro but sociable at least. now he just appears as a drunken choleric. genjis is in the weird role of enabling his selfdestruction. how much of this is him spiralling over some business he has with beatrice and how much of it is ???? dementia? i up in the air. krauss believes it to be later. it struck me when he said his father is already dead, only a phantom remains.

unhinged out there thing to say but kinzo reminds me so much of my own grandfather, though he had no beatrice..... there was always Someone bestowing evil unto him in his very potent paranoia, though. a few years ago i would not have been able to read umineko, i think. but my grandfather has been dead for a while and my family is poor and we didnt all get murdered on an island. so thats great!!! they are very similar though, lol.

also weird that i read two visual novels in a row and both of them closely describe how absinthe is prepared and looks. unlikely but not impossible. ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PERSONAL THING: funny how i Just learned about the hour of the ox from enstars of all places lmao. are both topics a staple in vn or am i just running into them by chance. whats happening.

according to kinzo, beatrices curse (everything she gave kinzo must be returned upon his death? or something?) manifests in the fact that all of his heird are incapable. i somehow think it will manifest in beatrice swallowing the family whole as if they never existed. women be eating.

i fully expect kinzo to die soon and for hell to break lose afterwards. currently the conference has the uncomfortable yet normal vibes of a family meetup but with his inheritance at stake it could get very ugly very soon. its funny genji hasnt come up in related conversations at all. it is not unlikely for him to inherit a lot as a lifelong butler and the only person kinzo tolerates around him.

oh so thats where all that comes from. huh.

"lol" rudolf said, and "git gud"

and i thought it was the witch who was supposed to murder

all siblings seem to be very business savy, safe for rosa perhaps, who openly admits that she still feels like a child. even before that battlers inner monologue informed us that being in adult in the ushiromiya family has little to do with age and all to do with success. indeed, krauss gets accused of embezzlement because there is no other way to explain the source of his funds. the siblings goals in all this seem quite clear for now. krauss needs his father financially to avoid debt and failure. eva sees herself as the most capable of the four, with an intelligent husband, son, and successful enterprise in the background. rudolf wants a piece of the cake. rosa is not yet as financially stable as she would like to be. and natsuhi is caught in the crossfire, with tons of responsibilities but little power, as she is not related by blood. her chronic headaches are probably psychosomatic and/or stress related. her own family, while not clearly explained (yet?) seems to be very unfortunate and this much nobler cutthroat enviroment is destroying her.

the girls are, once again, fighting

natsuhis struggle has much to do with gender. she is related by marriage, left another family, will never be seen as an equal in her new one, and has the expectation of producing a child. it is also mentioned she organizes the private household and family meetings, so she got stuck playing along with her conservative patriarchal wife role. this contrasts eva, who by all means is shown as empowered and ambitious (her husband took her name, she does multiple martial arts). by design those two are to be pit against each other, when they would have had no further beef otherwise.

the core issue seems to be whose child is to continue the main ushiromiya bloodline. their real problem does not lie with each other but with traditional values and expectations towards women. unfortunately being a narrative foil doesnt always mean you get to have gay sex or else we wouldnt be here.

#seagullposting

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toudens · 2 years

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Okay so I just saw someone else has already described him to you and they did a great job!!

But I'll gush a little bit about him nonetheless just to drive home how lovely he is!!

Like the other person says, he has a bit of a rough past and used to be a delinquent, but he's one of the kindest guys of the entire game. He cares so so deeply about his loved ones but also people he doesn't know! His compassion and kindness doesn't end with people he already knoes and loves but he extends it to others as well. When the school was being run by a pretty terrible regiment he was kind of involuntarily involved through his friendships, connections, and the unit he belongs to, which was pretty deeply involved with that at the time, but during all of this he managed to balance his loyalty towards his friends with still being very kind and helping out the students whose hopes had been crushed in their efforts to reclaim their dreams and reform the school. He was put into such a shitty situation back then and still managed to come out of it in a way in which he helped those who were suffering and tried to make things better.

Aside from that a little trivia – He's pretty insecure about his scary looks and it hits him kind of hard when people are intimidated by him. He's amazing at sewing, and he learned it from sewing his little sister's clothes and later on doing embroidery on her belongings to make her happy. After finishing school he's stated he wants to start to do fashion design next to his idol activities!!

Back at school he was rhe leader of the martial arts club and these days he still trains people there, including really really young kids and he's so proud of all of them!! He gets so happy when he talks about their progress and how motivated they are!

He's also expressed that he wants to learn how to do makeup from a friend (who's kind of a killer but that's opening an entirely different can of worms) and we never got a follow up but with his knack for design I bet he's amazing at it. He also does one of his unitmates' hair for live shows. He's honestly a man of so many talents!

Here he is with cats

And here he is doing his unitmates' hair (that's Souma and he is only a year younger but he is like a son to Kuro and Kuro supports him so much and is so proud of him, it's honestly adorable, this man is an amazing friend and teacher)

And here he's just hanging out with his unitmates (they are a family and they've been through so much and so much change and personal growth together!!!!)

Okay and that's it for now I hope that wasn't too much or too annoying!! Kuro is one of the loveliest characters I've ever seen in media but apparently in enstars, and I think he is insanely underappreciated. You can honestly feel so honoured to have gotten him as your result!!

Omgg 🥺💛💛💛💛 ty for all of this info I do feel honored to have gotten him!! I love him ty!!!!

Also this is relatable HIWIDKAHD

#asks #dontsteponthatfish

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bethygauw · 6 years

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[1/2] Online B’s-Log Interview with Satoru Kuwabara

Update: - (2 Sep 2020) Correction “ When we started making the unit songs, we didn’t make hip hop songs, afraid that the female players may stab us” --> “When we started making the unit songs, we didn’t make hip hop songs, afraid that it wouldn’t resonate with the female players”

* * *

Released 4 June 2018

Original source Part 1 The original article has pictures that complement well so please check it out too.

B’s-Log started a new project, “Creator Touch”, an interview series with creators of popular series. The first person they interviewed was Satoru Kuwabara, the music producer of Ensemble Stars!.

In this first half of the interview, they asked about how Kuwabara started to get involved with Enstars unit songs. Kuwabara also talked about the points he focused on in the song series that have been released so far. (~2.8k words)

In the second half, they talked about song numbers that left the biggest impression on Kuwabara, the 3D live concert, the voice actor live concert and Enstage. (~2.2k words)

Some of the info has already been published somewhere before, so this may be a repetition to some. But otherwise, it can be a refresher as well. Enjoy!

Q: Kuwabara-san, you’re also Arte Refact’s representative. Could you tell us what your job entails?

K: As part of Arte Refact, my work revolves around anime and game music. It doesn’t mean that I’m not working with other genres at all, but Arte Refact is basically a company where people who love anime and games gather around. So we want to surround ourselves in that world and conform to it as much as we can.

Q: Could you tell us what started your involvement in Enstars unit songs?

K: Before the game release, a person I was indebted to gave me a tip, “There’s this game that’s coming up,” he said, and showed me the proposal and illustrations. I had a look at it and thought, “I really want to do this!” If I remember it correctly, it was around about the start of the preregistration period, so the only information I had in hand was that it had the high school idol theme and idol units. It also had a simple description of each character and a main theme song. I was sure that they would already have songs for the units prepared as well, so when I was given the chance to introduce myself to Happy Elements, I made some unit songs while expecting to be shot down. There were 8 announced units, so I visualized and prepared 2 songs for each unit and went to present.

Q: This was before the game even started… So you made these songs with so little information to go on with.

K: The unit that I misunderstood the most was fine. It’s pronounced like “fee-nay”, which is different from the English pronunciation of “fain”, right? I ended up making a song with lots of the “fain” version in the lyrics (laugh). Other than that, I thought the “bits” in Ra*bits referred to, say, 1bit, so I thought that maybe their songs have lots of pinging sounds like those in a game. Turns out I was completely wrong for both (laugh). On the contrary, Trickstar, UNDEAD, and Ryuseitai were easy to figure out and I remember that it was a smooth process.

Q: Among the songs that you presented, were there any that actually got released as unit songs?

K: I think it would be Knights’ Checkmate Knights and Ryuseitai’s The Unrivaled☆Meteoranger!. Although we remade those after receiving the units’ proper background setting.

Q: You have been playing the actual game. Can you tell us your first impression or what it is about the game that attracted you?

K: My true first impression would be during the pre-release, but I thought that their illustrations were nice, generally speaking. In general, the art in a female-oriented series has that touch that doesn’t sit too well with guys. But Enstars feels like anime and its head count for the character design is actually pretty close to that of a real person and without being deformed in any weird way. So it’s also easy for guys to accept. When I first saw the illustration, it gave me a gush of inspiration and I could keep churning out songs. But after the game got released and I started playing, my impression shifted to, “It’s this dark?” (laugh) If I had to choose, male-oriented series have a fundamentally happy atmosphere and not many would delve into the characters’ upbringing or pasts. Even if they do, they only do it lightly or they would only touch on some characters with a considerably rough past… just like that. But pretty much all Enstars characters have something that they’re worried about, right? That’s what makes female-oriented and male-oriented series different, and what I think makes Enstars attractive.

I think of them as idols and create.

Q: Can you tell us specifically how you make these songs?

K: All units have already had a few songs released by now, so I would start from thinking about what kind of songs a particular unit would need next, while also taking their previous songs into account. I have the image within my mind that these characters are alive. My way of thinking will also change depending on the unit and the CD’s month of release. Take Ryuseitai’s album as an example (released on 7 March 2018). It was released around the “Repayment Festival”, so it had a White Day theme. If there are songs made based on established event stories, there are also those made simply because we wanted to make this kind of songs—the origin may vary. But if I know a lyricist who fits the image of a particular song, the first thing I’ll do is to place an order with that said lyricist.

Q: How do these lyrics come about?

K: Our main lyricists are Youhei Matsui-san and Saori Kodama-san. Enstars had its 3rd anniversary and at this point, a lot of content has been fleshed out. We want someone who understands the story and won’t cause discrepancies in the lyrics, so in the end it’s difficult to ask someone who isn’t used to the series. If I do ask someone other than those two, it’s often the case that I think their usual writing style fits a particular unit.

Q: An example would be how Arika Takarano-san from ALI PROJECT worked on Valkyrie’s Bewitching Theater.

K: Exactly. I asked Takarano-san beforehand that we may cause her a lot of trouble and may ask her to retake so many times and if she was alright with that, but she still said that she was going to do it. And in actuality, it was accepted without any revision so it was really cool!

Q: I believe there would be a lot of fans out there who would listen to one song and think, “This is the feel that this unit has, huh!” and then would get surprised by the approach of another song. But it was actually just the perfect balance. How do the artists begin their work on the songs and the lyrics?

K: It goes without saying, but Matsui-san and Kodama-san play the game as well. There are times when they come up with a selection of scenes because they want to write about those parts. The lyricists rely heavily on the script, but on the other hand the composers have told me that they make progress when they are given visuals. It’s really easy to understand when you look at an illustration, "so this is going to be a song where this character sings with this kind of expression, huh.” I’ve heard that the event CGs are their most helpful reference.

Q: Rather than a 2-dimensional character, they imagine that it’s a real singing idol as they make the songs.

K: That’s what I do—I think of them as idols who really exist as I make the songs. I don’t even think of them as game characters anymore. I’d say things like, “Hey check this out, this kind of song is nice, don’t you think? What? The pitch is too high for you? Nah, I know you can do it. You can, can’t you?” (laugh)

The 3rd season’s theme is “Love”!

Q: So far, the series has released 3 seasons of CD singles and right now the album series is ongoing, with one album being released after another. Could you tell us their concepts and any fixation you had on each series? To start with, how was the first season?

K: The first season was something that we made with zero-based budgeting, so in that sense, it was probably where I participated like a music producer the most*. In the first season I was being rather pushy about my opinion on how this particular song would definitely suit this or that unit. It was also because Happy Elements was not used to music production, so if I was hesitating, they would too. I thought that it would be better to give out a clear-cut proposal, so I told myself to express my opinion properly while also offering some options.

*[T/L note] I wasn’t sure if this would make sense to the readers since I still translated it quite literally, but basically since the unit song series just started out they didn’t have much luxury to call out to other composers/lyricists like they do now, so they had to use the limited resources (and human resources) to the best they could. Please note that this is my interpretation since the whole original sentence looked pretty vague to me.

Q: I feel that the first season is filled with many songs that exude each unit’s character and public image.

K: Personally that’s my intention. That being said, to be honest we started making the songs when the game was not even out yet. We didn’t know how far we could experiment with these songs. We also didn’t know if there was going to be season 2. So, of course we wanted to make more, but if there was no second season, we decided to make songs that would make these units complete. We wanted these songs to be popular too, so we made a lot of up-tempo songs that have a good beat. But I also wanted to make some ballads, so I included Checkmate Knights for Knights and Love Letter of the Brilliance of Cherry Blossoms for Akatsuki.

Q: Now, onto the second season. Some units have songs with a different taste compared to those from the first season. Did you intend to show another side to them that you couldn’t in the first season?

K: Let’s see. Now that the fans are aware of these unit songs, we started the second season by creating songs meant to be something original and asking artists we would like to place an order with. I had the impression that my job was to materialize the unit image that Happy Elements had in mind. If they had artists whom they would like to work with, I’d go around making offers, become the middleman, and suggest to brush up some parts of a song as we record the music. That was the kind of job I did. But among that, I think I let myself loose quite a bit when making songs for Valkyrie and Switch, who joined from the second season.

Q: How about the third season?

K: After observing the audience reception until the second season and receiving fans’ responses, we made songs “that are needed” and “that it should be like this!” on top of putting the unit members into consideration. The hidden theme of the third season is “Love”. Basically, there’s “Love” on the A-side. It can be love for their fans, or for their friends—it varies. Even though the word “Love” itself is not used in the songs, they still have “Love” as their theme.

Q: This makes me want to listen to them once again to find some “Love”…! Then, what about the album series that are ongoing right now?

K: The theme for these albums are “Presents”. It’s a thanks to the fans of course, but it’s also a thanks to their supportive friends. I want to make something that everyone can enjoy, so basically there are a lot of songs with lyrics that are filled with gratitude. It also has something akin to the third season’s “Love”, but that’s what idols are! I think fans would be happier to receive love that’s almost excessive (laugh).

Q: The albums also include the idols’ solo songs.

K: To many of the voice actors in the first season, it was their first time recording a song, so we talked a lot before we began to record. There were 8 units at that time and I was talking with this kind of feeling, “I want to make something that can get each of the unit up on the Budokan stage for 8 days and on the last day I want to see everyone perform at Tokyo Dome together. So let’s make lots and lots of songs!” The voice actors were really happy about that and they sang for us. So to me it felt like it’s the long-awaited solo songs.

Q: Especially with these solo songs, I can feel that you understand a fan’s mentality and the characters really well!

K: It’s because I love everyone (laugh). I also think of them as real people while creating. I think I do as I please during the recording, like suggesting that we should change the lyrics because I don’t think he will say this kind of thing for example (laugh). I also dare to play around with the song and rip things apart. Although I would also record a few versions and present it to Happy Elements to see which they would prefer, like, “(I think this one here is better but) what do you think?” (laugh) Also, I wouldn’t change the rough outline of the songs I receive, but I often discuss with the composer to tweak the melody line or adjust the key to match with the character.

The teachers’ songs are Mr. Kuwabara’s long awaited production!

Q: Apart from songs by the students of Yumenosaki Academy, you have also released songs by the teachers and the rival unit, Eden. How did the teachers’ CD come about?

K: I had always wanted to make songs for the teachers! Even when I first introduced myself to Happy Elements, I asked them if the teachers would sing as well, and then they replied “I suppose not.” (laughed) I asked them the same thing a few times after that as well, and finally around about the 2nd anniversary of the game’s release they finally said, “We’d like to make songs for the teachers,” and I replied, “I’ve been waiting to hear those words!” (laugh) That’s how it started. I personally like Jin Sagami a lot and in the game I just keep entering the nurse’s office “by mistake” (laugh). My wish of making the teachers’ songs came true just before the third season. In Akira-san’s mind, apparently they’re idols who dance with roller skates.*

*[T/L note] A reference to an older generation idol, Hikaru Genji, who performed with roller skates in the 80s. [YouTube]

Q: It felt like we had moved back a generation or two…

K: Yes, I also stopped myself and thought that the teachers were probably around 30 years old (laugh). I chose the direction that would lean towards that age group as best as I could.

Q: The CD jacket and design labels made a big impact.

K: This is, well, a total grownups’ practical joke (laugh). Someone suggested to make it an 8cm CD, but going that far would be difficult after all.

Q: I also felt that the sound quality felt close to that of the CDs released some years ago.

K: True, we added a bit more echo than usual to get close to the era we were aiming for. But the art and craft of audio recording continues to evolve from day to day, so without dropping the sound quality down too much, we chose to focus on bringing out the intended atmosphere and made it into a 12cm CD to match with the current age. Likewise with the acoustic pressure—if we dropped it down too much, it would also not be a good thing to suddenly hear a drop like that in quality if the listeners chose to add the songs into a playlist.

Q: On the other hand, Eden’s CD also ended up with a different taste than that of Yumenosaki Academy’s units’.

K: Eden’s setting is that they’re a rival unit that stands up before Yumenosaki Academy’s representative, Trickstar, and block their way. So Eden’s song has to surpass Yumenosaki Academy’s unit songs like Trickstar, fine, and Akatsuki. We’ve always been serious about making these unit songs, so the moment I was told that, I didn’t know what to do (laugh). And then, I asked them to lift the ban on rap songs. In the end the song wasn’t a pure rap, but up until now I had been asked to avoid rap as much as I can.

Q: Is that Happy Elements’ request?

K: Yes. When we started making the unit songs, we didn’t make hip hop songs, afraid that it wouldn’t resonate with the female players… But various series have made a hit with the genre and maybe it’s now recognized, so I went to discuss about lifting the ban. I asked them like this, “When they fuse into Eden, please let me give them rap”.

Q: With a hip hop-like element included, it became a unit song that had a different orientation from Yumenosaki Academy idols.

K: Right. I think they managed to exude out a different kind of mature feel. Their CD booklet is amazing too, don’t you think? It used special paper, special printing, unusual cutting… (laugh)

Q: Was the packaging your idea too, Kuwabara-san?

K: No, it was Happy Elements’. They wanted to make it that way. Each piece’s lumber quality was just so extravagant. The third season had clear sheets as well, but Eden’s CD booklet was really a surprise (laugh).

Continued to the last half of the interview: song numbers that leave the biggest impression, 3D live concert, voice actor live concert and Enstage.

#ensemble stars #staff #satoru kuwabara #B's-log

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matchwithurstars · 7 years

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Can I have a matchup, please? >w

Hello! Thanks for the first request, anon!!

Now get ready for your matchup! Your partner is….

MIKEJIMA MADARA!

A person who can’t say no to people’s requests is almost the same as Mama! Mama would find your charm in that fact at first. You can also nag about it to Mama when you get tired. Mama would never see that as your negative point because you still accept the requests anyway. But if it seems like you’re really troubled, Mama would come and do the works for you instead. He would praise you for your hardworks after!Because of the difference in your height and his, he would definitely lift you up from time to time even if it’s in front of a lot of people like at the road or at school.

The sweetest thing i can think about is that Mama would always kiss you on your forehead everytime after he walks you home. Of course there will be a lot of times when he would spoil you so listen to his request too every now and then okay? He would be happy with trivial things but important such as cooking for him, knit something for him, or even draw for him! When he wants to take a little break and relax, the two of you would just stay at home on holidays as you listen to music with him ~

Other possibilities:

NARUKAMI ARASHI!

After reading the knitting thing, Arashi came to my mind! Arashi can might help you with the design of even the knitting itself. He’s also the type of person that will always have something to talk about whether it’s about the weather, about his kouhai or unit, about his modelling work or even about fashion, so no need to worry about having no topic to talk about! Arashi is one of the most confident character in enstars so he might teach you how to be more positive about yourself and how to love yourself a little by little! He will also praise you about something at least once a day everytime he sees you. Arashi will help you whenever you’re in trouble so no need to hesitate to ask nee-chan’s help!

Last possibility:

TSUKINAGA LEO!

Is it surprising to see him on the list? No, it’s not. Leo is the guy who would always find a new inspiration everytime after he saw one of your drawings! He might as well ask you to listen to his new-composed songs after discovering your likes on music! Leo doesn’t like to sleep much but he thinks that it’s important for human’s body so he will wait for you to wake up if you fell asleep because you were too tired. On autumn or winter, Leo would go to you and ask you to knit him a scarf or a hat or gloves (just like what he asked to Izumi in star festival). And of course with this guy, there’s no possibility of the two of you having no topic to talk about. Even if it happens, the conversation will end up in something about aliens or space. Leo will frequently says “i love you” to you without warning and it’ll make you to slowly stop becoming negative as you feel like you’re loved by him. If he ever see you being troubled because you can’t say no to other people’s request, he would abduct you and take you somewhere else and keep you until the day is over going around and around.

There! Hope you like it!

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bethygauw · 7 years

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Enstars Magazine vol.2: Interview with Development Staff - Unit Concept

From Enstars Magazine vol.2 Knights, released in September 2016.

This segment writes comments from the staff on their image of each unit in Yumenosaki Academy. Includes 10 units, and Switch got a longer part because they just got recently introduced at that time.

Staff interviewed:

M.T: Chief Planner and Contents Director. Person in-charge of overall supervision for elements such as contents direction, world setting, scenario, outfit designs among others.

M.H: Art Director. On top of being the art director for illustrations, they are also in charge of the Live2D.

K.M: Lead Illustrator. In charge of character designing, copyright illustrations, and line art for 4* and 5* illustrations, among other duties.

Note: I had to take pictures quickly before I flew out and didn’t take proper ones for the post, so I will add more pictures when I get back.

1. Switch

Staff comment: We want to give you moments that become “switches” that bring forth all sorts of changes.

From M.T.:

For Switch, I look at the unit’s theme color, the number of members, and the image color of each member. I chose the color that won’t clash with any of the other units, green, and at first I thought of motifs such as plants and fairies. On the other hand, because there are three of them and they have traffic light colors, in the end I included their individual color into their unit outfits and made them into their hair color. Also, because we were also planning to include one of the Five Oddballs, we had their key motif to be something more fantastical than Wataru’s “magic tricks”, hence “magic”, and that’s how the unit’s themes expanded even further.

In the creation process, we had challenges and there were points we were fixated with. To a certain degree, I already had a fixed image when I passed the character description onto the person in charge of the character’s visual roughs. But we spent a lot of time in designing the unit outfit, adapting the word “sporty” into “idol outfits”. Valkyrie had a dark orientation throughout and their chuunibyou elements were easy to design, but we felt that it was hard to realize the opposite into shape, which is presenting something in a fresh and new way. For unit outfits, they have balanced elements to them, so for future event outfits we hope the different themes and motifs will demonstrate their charms from a different angle.

As for their personalities, like giving muscles to the skeleton, further depth was given to the character description by Akira-san. So for the details on their interaction and what they think of the other characters, we’d like the players to read the stories and see for themselves. Switch may give off a fresh feel as a newly formed unit like Trickstar and units with first-years focus, but I hope it becomes a unit that, more than anyone else, produces chemical reaction with all sorts of units. We want to give you moments that become “switches” that bring forth all sorts of changes. Maybe it’s amongst Switch themselves, maybe it’s from another unit towards Switch, maybe it’s from Switch to other units.

From K.M:

I’d like to talk about things to note about in their visuals. To start off, Tsumugi. It would be his frizzy hair, and his sweater that has overly long sleeves*. We didn’t want his hair to make him look too gloomy, so we had his posture look sharp and his accessories neat. He wears glasses and has fringe, so his double eyelids tend to stay hidden. But we made the depression in his eye socket more pronounced so that his expressions are easier to interpret and his gentle atmosphere can be brought out. Only Sakuma brothers, Shinobu, Mika, and Natsume don’t have this depression, while everyone else’s shapes differ slightly from one to another.

*It’s something moe, also called moesode (lit. moe sleeves).

Next is Natsume. We have a lot of characters with slanted eyes, so I made sure to make a different shape. Hokuto and Souma have almond-shaped eyes that are typical of that of Japanese, but the area around Natsume’s eyes leave a showy impression closer to Wataru and Shu’s. To give him more of a magician’s vibe, the eyeline at the corner of his eye is thick and curved. His expressions were tuned to show confidence and staggering atmosphere.

Sora’s hair has an unusual clumpy feel for the game, so I made sure to fit him into the game without ruining the atmosphere. I didn’t want him to look too young, so I made sure that he doesn’t only feel fluffy but also cool. There are already a number of students who are wearing parkers, so I chose slightly thick material. The strings around the neck are also thick to bring out his individuality. His triangular eyebrows and acorn-shaped eyes are to be noted.

During character designing and creation of event CGs, we pretty much already solidified their unique traits in terms of outer appearances the moment we received the three’s character proposal. But we also paid close attention to ensure there are enough differences between them and the already existing characters, so that they blend into the series. Everyone has unique hairstyle, so we’re really careful about adjustments of things such as the thickness of the hair tufts and the way we draw the hair ends. Tsumugi has a heavy perm and dark hair colour, he wears glasses, and he has unique traits that are not what you’d call a hot guy in general. So I thought about how to make him likened by many while still keeping these individualities and adjusted the details quite a lot. As you may have guessed from his character description, Tsumugi is not your typical hottie, but he has a slightly refined touch, delicate and seems kind. That’s the image I was striving for, hence the visual’s end result. I want to hear people say, “I like this part of Tsumugi!” so I was fixated on things like the nuance of his hair, his big and sinewy hands that show anxious gestures, a posture that gives him a high-class impression, and his accessories. We made his event CG before the script was ready, so it was difficult to picture his emotions from a specific scene. His unbloomed CG is a tragic scene, but despite being in despair, he performs on top of the stage, creating something akin to a beautiful painting. I hope it can give you such impression. His pose too—so that I can create a shadow on his face, I lifted his arm. The sense of negativity is to attract your attention to his expression even more. But he’s still part of fine, so I kept in mind to keep the movement elegant and brilliant. Conversely, his bloomed CG pictures him casting a gentle magic that gives happiness to people, as if expressing Tsumugi’s original nature.

As for Natsume, finding the balance was difficult. For example, his hair is divided into fringe and the back side, and its asymmetrical sidelocks are its unique trait. I wanted to let out a mysterious feel so I made sure that he makes complacent smiles. For the event CGs, I first drew Natsume then Tsumugi, but it was difficult to come up with compositions and poses that express the feel of both idols and magicians. I watched magical girl shows for young girls and movies and I was able to grasp the image of scenes showing how “magic is cast as if they bestow dreams to others.” When the curtains are lifted, Natsume would face the audience and click his fingers and release the first magic. That’s my image for Natsume’s CG, while Tsumugi would spin* some magic with his fingertips. Even with Natsume’s 2☆ card, I wanted people to be able to tell at a glance that he’s mysterious and gives off magical feel, and I had a hard time coming up with the pose.

*”tsumugidasu” which is usually used for “spin a tale”; “weave a story”

2. Trickstar

A unit that is close by your side and genuine, a unit that’s very high school boys-like.

M.T.: I think compared to other units, the combination of the four in Trickstar is the closest to the feel of high school boys. All members are second-years, they clash with their true feelings, they make stupid jokes, their interactions are like skits between the silly man and the straight man. You don’t get to see that kind of thing from anyone else that often. Trickstar’s charm is that compared to any other unit they’re the closest to your side, and you can easily build a sense of familiarity towards them.

M.H.: In their key visual, each of them is riding on a star. During the creation process of the key visual, we the staff discussed among ourselves what kind of unit Trickstar is. I think Trickstar is a unit that would burst out into the open and is lively. They would ride on the stars and would probably say, “It may be an unstable [ride] but we’re going to challenge ourselves on various things.” I made their visual packed with vigor that is characteristic of them.

3. Fine

Their theme is rulers who have the position to command others.

M.T.: It’s a unit that rules from the top of Yumenosaki Academy, so I think they have a ruler-like personality and confidence. Hence, they may seem to stand on formalities, or rather, there is a certain distance between the members. Compared to Trickstar, the members may not have a single common thought.

Fine’s outfit has the motif of a ruler’s, at any rate, Eichi, the leader’s image is strongly brought out. We also added an element of music, and they also have a theme of rulers who are in the position to command others. Also, we use angel’s wings as a motif in their unit logo. The way they put pressure on other students from above is perhaps like them taking the role of angels who relay messages from God, in a sense. Their unit colors are white and gold, and an angel’s wings are also pure white, aren’t they? It’s also a color of nobility, brilliance, and purity, so I chose it as their theme color.

4. UNDEAD

Their charm is the gap between their on-stage selves and their usual selves.

M.T.: UNDEAD’s image colors are black and purple, and their charm point is their wild feel like that of a beast. They’re a unit where we can show off sexiness the most. They’re wild, but rather than lunging at other units, it’s more like the way they appeal themselves as idols is thorny. So the members are actually tender-hearted, to put it in another way, there’s a rather huge gap between their on-stage selves and their usual selves. The way they behave towards their classmates and their juniors or seniors is distinguished properly.

Regarding their outfits, we thought something rock and black would be nice after all, so we chose leather jackets. Fundamentally for leather jackets, long sleeves predominate, and when I designed it in an orthodox way, it felt like they were wearing so much (laugh). It was also because the game’s development period was not in summer, so even if they’re a sexy unit their skin exposure is on the lower side. If we had made it half-sleeved, maybe it would have been something like PirateFes.

5. Knights

The appearance of the absent leader, Leo, was undecided.

M.T.: With the models as the top batters, everyone in Knights have a pretty appearance and gives out the air that they would protect someone, just like a knight. We use chess as their motif, so “pieces” are reflected in their relationships and the way they act, in some way.

The fact that the leader was absent was part of the setting ever since we were at the stage of unit creation, but whether the leader would make an appearance or not was not clearly decided. It was like, if an opportunity arises as the game moved along [then we’d introduce the leader].

When Leo was introduced as a new character, I wondered about what kind of position would an idol get the most attention. In the end, I thought it would be the moment the absent leader comes back. Originally, Akira-san’s suggestion also became the trigger of how he was created, “It would be interesting if there’s this kind of character.” He’s a character that lets you feel the connection in the Ensemble series.

6. Ryuseitai

M.T.: As a sentai group, each member of Ryuseitai is doing whatever they want, so compared to the usual sentai group they have a bond that is somewhat different and I think that’s interesting. There are no second-years, only first- and third-years. So there is somewhat distance in their relationships, which is also unique to them.

Every position has their own color, so I don’t have too much trouble figuring out their event outfits, however transformation suits like in Supernova was tough. I asked myself if this design would let them move as I created it.

M.H.: For Ryuseitai’s key visual, I wanted to make it so that their unique traits can be spotted with just one picture. We were told that their part in the main story was like a comic band, so I wanted to bring out not only hero-like feel, but also a little bit of them joking around. In the first proposal of the robot, Midori was the son of the grocery store so we were going to make the cabbage transform, but in the end we decided on eggplant and thus it became what we have now (laugh). To tell the truth, we were also thinking of another form where the robot is separated into pieces.*

*I’m actually not sure about the reference to this whole part, please let me know if I made a mistake.

7. Ra*bits

Nazuna is the one who pulled the other three along, who doesn’t know left and right yet.

M.T.: Ra*bits is also a unit composed of first- and third-years, just like Ryuseitai, but they have a different kind of relationship. The only third-year, Nazuna, demonstrates proper leadership, but he also has cuteness that blends in with the first years. A point to be noted is that everyone is “cute”. There are no less than three first-years who are starting out to become idols, and they don’t have a vision of what it’s like to be an idol just yet, so something to highlight is their development within the stories. Each of them would sell themselves in an adorable way while bringing out their own individuality—as a boy, they may be against it, but I hope we’ll be able to illustrate that kind of conflict. Their first-year peer, Tori, would use his cuteness on purpose (laugh), but those three are not so self-aware—it’s more natural.

I designed their outfit by making a sailor’s uniform become idol-like. The only ones who get to wear knee-length pants are Ra*bits (laugh).

8. 2wink

They shoulder a dilemma only twin brothers would have.

M.T.: 2wink are twins so the bond between them is strong, but what they think and what they aim for is different… They disagree and are unable to fit into each other, and they shoulder a dilemma only brothers would have. From the start they're already experienced in street performance, so they’re not shy in front of people, and they understand how to show themselves off. I think a little bit of that mastery is their unit’s charm. They would guide other units and give them advice. They are dependable first-years.

M.H.: Among all Yumenosaki Academy units, I think 2wink is the sportiest. The hue on their outfits somehow gives of a feel of pointedness, which becomes their theme*. They are a duo, so they present a challenge different from other units. How far should they match and where should we make them different is a point of consideration that always puts us at a loss every time. But that being said, if you just look at their expressions, I think we are able to make it so that you’re able to tell which one is Hinata and which one is Yuta.

*I’m also unsure about the nuance for this, sorry. I think it’s the way they’re being sarcastic, but not so spiteful inside. Most of the time. The original word used for “pointedness” is 毒っけ.

9. Akatsuki

They have masculine toughness and grace, but the three’s distance are that of a family’s.

M.T.: Akatsuki is the only unit with traditional Japanese elements, so their unique traits are the least blurry. Their theme color is red, and while they are substantial and solid as the academy’s number two, there’s also passion hidden within each member. They have that kind of image. During the initial stages, they were powerful people with masculine toughness and grace, but after Akira-san had a hand in them, their role became very clear. The distance between them are close, and I think you can see their strong bond like that of a family.

As for the outfits, it’s a combination of kimono, pants, and boots, which makes a good seasoning comprising traditional Japanese elements and idols.

Also, in their key visual, that becomes their first illustration, they used fans and traditional umbrellas instead of mics which bring out their showiness. This can only be done by Akatsuki. As for Souma, it’s very like him to bring around his sword during his idol activities as well.

10. Valkyrie

The unit’s motifs are “dolls” and “strings”.

M.T.: I think there’s still a lot of mysteries to unveil about Valkyrie’s relationship with other units. We will create more as we discuss with Akira-san, so please look forward to it.

Valkyrie’s motifs were already decided since the beginning: dolls and strings. “Pulling the strings” also connects to the relationship between the members. The antique motif is not really used in regards to other units, but the colors red and black are used a lot, so when I was thinking how I can bring out a different mood, I thought steampunk would make a good compatibility, so we decided to go in that direction. It’s a unit that was created later, so I included motifs that carry a meaning from the get go.

As for their outfits, Shu is the handicraft club’s captain so we chose laces and so on. So elaborate ornaments predominate.

#ensemble stars #enstarsmagz #worldnavi #switch #trickstar #fine #undead #knights #ryuseitai #ra*bits #2wink #akatsuki #valkyrie #staff

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bethygauw · 7 years

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Enstars Magazine vol.1: Interview with Development Staff - The Birth of Enstars

Released in August 2016. (!!! It’s way too outdated, I’m sorry...)

You may also find similar questions discussed in this interview elsewhere, so it may feel repetitive. But I’m not very good at summarising, and you may find other interesting info and perspectives in this as well. It’s one year old though, but I will still continue with the World Navi part of the mook series as much as I can.

Click here for interview with Akira-sensei from the same magazine. And here for translations of the mook series I found on Twitter.

This is an interview with: M.T, Chief Planner and Contents Director. Person in-charge of overall supervision for elements such as contents direction, world setting, scenario, outfit designs among others, and M.H, Art Director for illustrations and person in-charge of Live2D creation.

Until Ensemble Stars! was made

Q: What prompted the development project?

M.H.: It started during the development of Ensemble Girls!, where I was talking with the company’s female illustrators about how we wanted to make an otome game one day.

M.T.: That was three years ago. Our company has a lot of male-oriented titles, so there were people saying, “We want to make a game that we (females) can enjoy.” The staff normally talk to each other about what games they play and what kinds of anime they watch, so this topic came up from one of those idle talks.

M.H.: And the project made real progress starting around two years ago. The development process took a year.

Q: Where did you start from?

M.T.: When one hears “Ensemble Stars!”, the words they may come up with are “youth, idols, and high school students”. That component was already settled in the project plan presented by the female illustrators. We wanted to see a game that has both youthful life typical of that of high school students and the sparkles of idols. That became the basis of the game, so from the beginning we’ve had the concept solidified already.

Q: So it’s a project that stemmed from a wish to make an otome game, but in the end there are no romance elements in the game. Why is that?

M.T.: Dividing in general, there are those who like otome games, those who are interested in otome games but never played one, and those who are not very good at otome games*. If we restricted it to an otome game, the player demographic would also narrow. And if it’s an otome game, it’s inevitable to have a lot of interactions between the protagonist and the male characters. So to create a bigger perspective… we wanted to make it so that we can observe various characters having their conversations from a close distance. We wanted to make a game where you can play as an individual in the academy and have fun and agonize with everyone together, and experience youth. That’s how the game came to be like this.

(*) I’m not sure about my choice. The Japanese uses 苦手, and depending on context it can also mean “not fond of” or “can’t handle”.

Q: Certainly, if it’s a romancing game the player would have to choose someone.

M.T.: Yes. In Ensemble Stars!, the player is not restricted to someone. We want the players to have a good time with any character. Even with boys who are not originally their type – when the player reads the story and sees them talk with their favorite boy, maybe they can discover a new, positive aspect regarding those types.

Q: Please tell us how you ended up deciding to have this game become part of the Ensemble series.

M.T.: We received good reviews from Ensemble Girls! players regarding the game’s illustrations, so maybe if we make those characters into boys they will look attractive? That kind of topic came up within the company. We also wanted to make a game that has both outstanding illustration and story, so we asked Akira-san who is writing for Ensemble Girls!. We thought there is no other person who can write every character who is full of unique traits so distinctively, and moreover, write unique script. We believed that even with a female-oriented project, Akira-san would be able to make an interesting story that stars characters with strong individuality. That is why we asked Akira-san first.

Q: When you asked Akira-san to write the script, what reaction did you get?

M.T.: Our main means of communication was through emails. We informed Akira-san of the project plan, and as a reply we received a non-hesitant consent, “I’ll do it.”

Q: How did the game’s overall world setting came to? This includes Yumenosaki Academy, among others.

M.T.: The visuals are produced in-house. Dreamfes and the academy’s hierarchy and all the implementation around idols are by Akira-san. Setting-wise, I think Akira-san contributed more.

Q: Which character was born first?

M.H.: Subaru and Hokuto.

M.T.: We had one of them look like a protagonist and the other look like from the other extreme. After deciding the profile’s roughs, we started from deciding the overall art style.

M.H.: At first, the head count was lower and they had a touch of shonen manga elements. Their eyes were bigger, and if I have to choose I’d say they had a cute feel to them.

Q: What would be the thing you pay attention to the most when creating illustrations catered towards a female audience?

M.T.: In the case of male-oriented projects, the points I get to “show off” would be the energetic feel, cuteness, and a flash of exposed skin. But for female audience, if you ask me whether the skin is the most important element, I’d say it’s not. I think the first thing that will be seen is the face, so the details in hairstyle, hair color, and gaze would be what I’m most particular about.

Q: There are over 30 characters in the game. Wasn’t it hard to come up with so many?

M.T.: When Ensemble Girls! was released, I got to experience making 60 characters, so I didn’t think it was as difficult as that. If I think about giving various traits and quirks to all characters without exception, 30 surprisingly could be done in an instant. I first came up with the character’s profile and then the visual, but us the staff exchanged opinions as we created them.

Q: Are there any characters who were born easily, and others not so?

M.T.: Creating the characters wasn’t such a difficult task, but deciding the art style was tough. Take the characters we mentioned before, Subaru and Hokuto, as examples. Their head counts and facial features are in the middle of the spectrum, and we made Rei look the most mature amongst the students. His eyes are smaller. Rei would be the character with maximum maturity, but it was difficult to decide the limit, since it can change the balance significantly at later stages. We went through quite a bit of trial and error, and the illustrators told me they also found Rei’s wavy hair to be difficult to deal with.

Q: So the character with childish looks at the maximum would be Tori?

M.T.: I suppose, yes. He’s like a little devil, has that pink hair and adorable looks. The lead illustrator who first drew the character is also someone who originally draws male-oriented illustrations, so Tori was their specialty, relatively speaking.

Q: At what point did Akira-san start contributing to the setting and characters?

M.T.: It was after we had the visuals for the 30 characters and their profiles ready. From that point on, we asked Akira-san to come up with what kind of story.

M.H.: Tsukasa and Midori weren’t around yet.

M.T.: At that time there were 30 people including the teachers, but if we’re going to label it as “There are 30 idols” it wouldn’t be right to count the teachers, we thought. That’s when we added Tsukasa and Midori.

Q: Were you surprised by any character after you read Akira-san’s script?

M.T.: We had Akira-san write the main story and character’s individual sub story concurrently. So the first time we got to know what kind of characters they were was by reading the sub stories, but…

M.H.: We can’t not mention Arashi, can we? (laugh)

M.T.: Indeed (laugh). Within the company we knew Arashi by “the good-looking model”, but Akira-san made Arashi look like an onee character*, so it took a 180 degree turn.

(*) Before, I think I translated this as “big sister character” without clarifying the connotations: often associated with gay men or queer who use feminine speech, have feminine gestures etc. The word itself stems from “big sister”.

M.H.: Also, Chiaki was more passionate than I expected.

M.T.: He was just a “refreshing and enthusiastic upperclassman”, but in Akira-san’s words he became a character who would be like, “flare up that passion even more!” and towards any character, he would close up the distance.

Q: So that’s how the character gap in each character was born.

M.H.: No one could have done it except Akira-san.

M.T.: We received feedback from the players that the characters were quite different from what they imagined pre-release.

M.H.: That’s true. There’s a lot of that kind of comments.

M.T.: Those who like female-oriented content tend to predict personalities according to appearance. It’s an idea that someone comes up with because he’s a guy, and I’m glad we asked Akira-san after all.

The game’s charming points and behind-the-scenes of the game-making processes

Q: Among the many game apps that are female-oriented, what do you think is the charming point of Ensemble Stars!?

M.T.: First thing would be the uniqueness of the characters. We were particular about their appearance. We made it so that its character design can be easily accepted not only by female audience but also by male audience. That’s why I hope it’s received well by a wide range of demographics. Then, Akira-san looked at each of the character’s visual and gave a unique personality to each and every one of them. I think there’s not a lot of titles that can let you taste both of these elements at the same time. Other than that, it’s the Live2D. Especially during the development stages, the Live2D element was not there and it wasn’t the main feature. Even up to this moment, I don’t think there’s a lot of games that have movements of the body and hands as big as Ensemble Stars!.

Q: There’s a lot of male players too, isn’t there?

M.T.: We don’t get their feedback directly, but our connections and colleagues from other companies told us, “He’s a guy but he’s really into it.” My impression is that Ra*bits is quite popular. It seems that cute characters would look cute from a guy’s perspective as well, which makes me happy.

M.H.: Actually, manly characters like Adonis and Kuro are popular among those around me. It seems like they like either the cute type or the manly type.

Q: Each month, there are two new time-limited events and two new scouting events. Could you tell us regarding the making process?

M.T.: At first we decide which characters are going to appear, and what kind of timing this event is going to be held in. Of course, we also consider the frequency of the characters’ appearance, but the relationships between the characters are also important, so we discuss which combination would be best as we choose them. In another case, when we want to tell a particular story, we choose the members based on the content of the story. After that, we establish themes to match the period or the seasons. Then we ask Akira-san or Yuki Yoshino-san to write the script, work out the details of the outfit designs… that kind of work flow.

Q: Sometimes unexpected characters appear.

M.T.: Fundamentally, we often have the whole unit appear. But leaving to that factor alone can lead to bias, and they’re students after all so we also want to show their relationships among classmates and clubmates. I think it’s nice to see a glimpse of how a senior or a junior interact with each other, that kind of vertical relationships. So you will see that kind of combination sometimes.

Q: What about the process of making the illustrations?

M.H.: After the theme is set, we will have the illustrator in-charge to make the outfits based on the document material. After that, we create the event CGs.

Q: There are also new stages and music in the time-limited events.

M.T.: Yes. At the time of release, the BGM was of quite low priority, but we thought we had to bring out the mood according to the season. The players will play the Produce courses for a long time after all, so we thought it would be good to have some variation. That’s how we added the feature somewhere along the way.* We place an order for the BGM creation after the event concept is decided.

(*) If I remember correctly, it started in Duel. So the first three events didn’t have their own event BGM.

Q: How far ahead are you in terms of event planning?

M.T.: Around two to three months.

Q: For apps, you can see the players’ responses in real time. Isn’t it tough to create new events despite that?

M.T.: In general I have a lot of things I’m particular about, so because of that I think I’m giving myself a hard time. A piece of outfit gives me trouble each time – how should I present it? What is the most fitting composition that gives the best view of a character? To also increase the player’s affinity to the stories and event CGs, the staff exchange opinions with each other as we create them.

M.H.: That’s right. We really value the characters’ expressions on the event CGs. We create them while reconciling our ideas with the illustrators, and with scenes that are easy to understand we all have the same image. But there are times where, with scenes that have complex nuances, it’s hard for us to reach an agreement. We think together about the scenario before and after the CGs while drawing their expressions, for example, “This is what this boy is thinking, but just now someone told him that. This makes me sad.”

Q: How many people are involved in the making of Ensemble Stars! right now?

M.T.: Right now it’s just under 30 people.

M.H.: There are 13 illustrators, by the way.

M.T.: For the illustrations, it’s like everyone is involved. Not just the card illustrations, we also make the Live2D and SD versions of the outfits, so often everything proceeds concurrently. We divide up tasks to one extent, but it’s difficult to divide everything, so various people are involved.

Q: A lot of projects outsource illustrators, but at Happy Elements the art is drawn in-house.

M.T.: Yes. We outsource part of the background illustrations, but the characters are all drawn in-house. We want to have a uniformed way to view things and create impression. For example, to decide on the balance of locks of hair, we decide which part should be drawn thicker or shorter. We share our opinions about every detail, and we draw as we grasp the points we agreed on.

The game’s world setting and idols

Q: Regarding Yumenosaki Academy, did you model it off a location? Or do you have an image of a location?

M.T.: We don’t have a pinpoint location to be able to say something like, “It’s this place in Japan.” As for the image of a location, it’s somewhere with a shopping district, the sea and a mountain, and a school. A place like that in Kansai region, where our company is, would be somewhere like Kobe. But during the actual design processes we don’t have anything like, “This is this place.” We also don’t have a definite setting on the climate.

Q: The four seasons in the world of Ensemble Stars! are quite pronounced.

M.H.: I suppose. It’s probably because I’m also from Hokkaido. Deciding how much snow would fall in winter was hard (laugh). We make it so that the game follows the season changes in the real world, so I hope the players can spend time with the characters in the same setting.

Q: I think each player would have their own image of the transfer student, the protagonist. What was your thinking process during the character making?

M.T.: In Produce courses, the player is able to make choices to interact with the idols. We pay attention to the differences in the use of words towards seniors, juniors, and her peers. We took her image from the story written by Akira-san. It’s rare for the transfer student to take action, so to give a comparison, I think she’s like a transparent existence. To the players, she may be whom they project themselves as, or she may be a proper standalone character. There are many ways the players can see her. As for us, we’d like to direct the players to the idols first and foremost. Which is why we headed towards this path, where we didn’t give the protagonist individuality. The transfer student is an existence that naturally supports everyone.

Q: How was each unit born? Did you decide on their music genre at that point already?

M.T.: We finalized their design aspects like appearance and outfits, but we didn’t have any precise image on what kind of melody they would sing and perform. We started to think about it during the making of the unit song CDs. For example fine has a theme of “a ruler”, so we thought of something orchestrated. Another is UNDEAD with rock songs. Well, it’s also because Koga keeps mentioning “rock” (laugh). In case of UNDEAD, every time we make the event CG we discuss whether or not we have Koga carry a guitar, and we also give quite a lot of attention to the composition to make it look “rock”.

Q: I think the leaders of the units in Yumenosaki Academy hold a special position. What is your opinion on this?

M.T.: Let’s see. For idols in the real world, someone may be assigned as a leader but they would still hold the same position as other members. When something happens, the leader would put things in order, and they are often the ones who’ll take the initiative to do the talking, but that’s about it. In Yumenosaki Academy, the leaders find jobs, cooperate with other units, and they become the point of contact for any event. So in that sense, the leaders are well-known. They’re still students, so I think that’s why they would take the initiatives themselves to take action.

Q: Also, often the unit leaders are the club captains as well.

M.T.: They catch attention as idols, and they’re also popular, so I thought they’d be appointed as club captains without any problem. One thing though, the tea club is something made by Eichi, so while he’s the club captain, he’s also like the chairman. Either way, he’s a big shot (laugh).

Q: Will the idols make a debut after they graduate?

M.T.: No, actually they’ve debuted already, so their idol activities have become part of their job. It’s just that they’re still students, so I suppose they’re active as both students and idols. After they graduate… we don’t have anything in particular set yet, but boys who want to prioritize their studies may attend college while still being idols, or they may dive into the entertainment world as idols right away. There may also be some units where the current third-years graduate and the unit may dissolve temporarily, then they gather again. Trickstar members are all in the same year, so a possible scenario for them is to work with the same members. There may also be others who will choose a path other than being an idol because something happens before they graduate. The leader of each unit seems to be the one who suggests the direction in which the unit will head to, but whether the other members would just nod to that depends on each of them. The Repayment Festival is the finale of the year, so I think you will be able to see what happens then.

Taking a look back and future prospects

Q: It has been more than a year since the game’s release. How do you feel right now?

M.T.: Before release, I couldn’t imagine how it will be received, at all. Fortunately, it’s been played by a lot of people and has been garnering attention from all sorts of directions, so I am extremely grateful. From then, we have had opportunities for mixed media adaptations, and since the project can develop and move forward further, we intend to make things more exciting.

M.H.: The players really value each and every character, and Ensemble Stars! gets its support from there. I feel nothing but gratitude. We’d like to do our best so that we can answer everyone’s expectations from now on too. Regarding illustrations and each of its expressions and gestures, we hope we can show it to you and have all of us together feel what those characters are thinking at that particular time and all those things.

M.T.: That’s right. There will be new unit song CDs coming out this year too, so I hope you can look forward to its release from now on as well. The game itself too – I think there will be chances where you’ll be able to see scenes that show a new side to a character, or interactions that are different from usual, or how a character actually feels at a particular scene. I hope you’ll look forward to it. Thank you.

#ensemble stars #enstarsmagz #staff #worldnavi

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