Animation MV directed by Hodon, deputy representative of the video production collective “Kenja.” From “Kenja,” koya participated as an animator. A song in which different emotions coexist: a melancholy melody, crystalline vocals, and fierce drum and bass. In the visuals, fragmented memories of the past with family, recalled only in pieces, are carefully animated, while in the present timeline intense animation unfolds at a dizzying pace. Against the meticulous key animation by professionals assembled by Hodon, who primarily work in TV animation, koya’s fierce, untamed drawing style collides head-on. Bridging them are Hodon’s distinctive drawing-like special cuts, which function throughout the piece. On the compositing section, “Fukkun,” who has known “Kenja” for many years, took part. Combining broad knowledge with extreme ideas, he quietly handles the compositing process from an independent perspective. He pushes the material until the finished look is distilled to a point where one can judge how it should function within the video… all the way to the end… “Easy, because we’re putting everything into it.” When the video production collective “Kenja” first started, most of the work was directed by its representative, koya. Recently, however, more projects have been coming to Hodon, with koya joining in as an animator. It’s a lot of fun to leave things to the director and say and draw whatever we want, so please continue to support us, “Kenja.” 2024/04/20 koya

~Yellow little bear "GUCHON" receives an invitation from the veteran overseas label "CHIWAX." He hops on a plane and joins the party as a DJ on a beach where pistachios are running around...~ This music video began production to commemorate the release of the first analog record from an overseas label by "GUCHON," the owner of Japan’s long-established internet label "Sabakan Records"... but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, record production was delayed again and again, and the animation MV was created over a span of three years in a situation where no one knew whether the record would ever actually be released. The world was in a complete mess, but the world of the work is all about love and peace, and various members of domestic internet labels, as well as overseas labelmates, are turned into characters and appear in the piece. The creative team brought together members who have close ties with "Koya," known as "the sage," and the final film was completed while preserving each person’s distinct drawing style and animation style.

Music: Kokushi Musou "Kiaisocho"

Produced a concept film for SIGMA’s Art line. Through a group of lenses standing elegantly against the sky and the world seen through the windows of the letter A, the film metaphorically expresses the worldview of Art. Based on the concept that a lens’s value lies not in the lens itself, but in the world seen through it, we were careful not to forcefully proclaim the brand’s value.

To announce the debut of SIGMA’s new lens series for mirrorless cameras, the “I series,” we produced a promotional video. Its presence, born from the beauty and texture made possible only by exceptional quality, goes beyond being a mere tool and offers the joy of holding and handling it, as well as the pleasure of owning it. As a promotion for this new lens series, we aimed to create a visual presentation that would allow viewers to fully experience the lens’s outstanding build quality, the texture of its finer details, and the pleasant feel of operation.

The motifs from cosmetic packaging move pleasantly.

PRAISE - Making a Killing -

“SHINIGAMI NOTE” Mori Calliope Major Debut EP Releasing 7.20.2022

Matenrou Opera / Even if the pure white darkness repaints everything

WHISPER OUT LOUD - One More Time (Official Music Video)

This is the MV for Akiyama Kiiro, a male solo musician, and it had been a while since I’d done a boys’ MV, so I wondered if I’d be okay—but in terms of the song style and the content, I really felt it matched me perfectly. When I first got an email asking if they could put me forward as a director candidate, I still only knew the song title, but just seeing the word “Sonic Move” made me imagine almost exactly what the current concept would be. So I was like, “Please let me do this!” For lighting, it was Hirai from Office Doing, who I’ve worked with for a long time. Hirai is honestly such a great person, absolutely the best. He’s helped me so much since the days when I didn’t know left from right, and I’m always insanely grateful. And for the camera, I did it myself. There’s the saying “use a specialist for each job,” so part of me always wants to leave shooting to a cinematographer, but with green-screen work, it’s not an ordinary shoot, so if you don’t shoot with editing in mind, it’s basically meaningless. Lately I’ve also been vaguely thinking it might actually be faster to do it myself, so this time I shot it myself. There was only one subject, and I wasn’t planning to do any camera movement anyway. Still, I really want to get over this whole “I want to do everything myself” thing... I rented an FX6 because I wanted to try it, but it was so ridiculously pro-level that I had no idea how to use it and it was difficult, and with my level of understanding there was no way I wouldn’t totally bomb the shoot, so I didn’t even bring it. In the end I shot with my usual a7s3, and honestly it’s the best—easy to use, beautifully clean footage, absolute strongest. Love it. I recorded in ALL-Intra. Compared with H.265, editing is like ten times lighter, and when I was editing an MV shot in H.265 before, the accumulated edits toward the end made it so heavy that AE stopped working and I couldn’t even render it, which was way too dangerous, so ALL-Intra is definitely the way to go. With ALL-Intra, even if the edit gets heavy toward the end, it barely holds up. You need V90 SD cards and the files are big, but well, that’s a tiny trade-off. You can always convert only the parts you need to ProRes, but I end up doing all kinds of things all the way through anyway. So I shot a bunch of things, even rented a stunt bike for the motorcycle scenes, and wrapped the shoot smoothly. For offline editing, I had director Kotaro Saito, whom I often ask, do it, and although he polished it into a nice shape, editing with only green-screen material and no clues in the background is still hard, isn’t it... sorry... So from there I tweaked it a lot, big and small, to match my own tempo and sense of timing, and it was fun. For the CG too, the background for the motorcycle scene was made by a creator named Ai Ikeda, and it was amazing. The other scenes—the game center and the cityscape—were made by me. But you know, unlike the idol groups I usually work with, there’s only one person, so it’s just so much easier. Having that kind of freedom to make it interesting is the best. I could have done camera movement and tracking to get that realistic coolness, but since the subject was just one person, I decided to shoot it fixed and then do the camera work in CG afterward. From an editing standpoint too, this was overwhelmingly faster. Removing tracking markers takes several steps, and tracking itself takes time. With a short deadline, I didn’t want to spend time on that. If you think about shots where camera movement really matters, honestly up to around a trio, fixed shots might be fine. Well, it depends on the deadline. Anyway, since this time too the deadline was one of those classic major-label-short-turnaround situations, I shot with a shot list and system that anticipated the later editing schedule. In the end, I barely used any footage with actual camera movement, and almost everything was shot fixed and then moved afterward. By the way, from shooting to deadline it was less than 20 days, so for me it was cutting it pretty close. Since there was no time, I was making a bunch of things in parallel, and I didn’t have time to refine this and that, so I kept spreading out predictions—using instinct and experience to anticipate “if I do this, it’ll probably turn out like that”—and I made it with almost no detailed checking until the end. Still, I’m glad I was able to really push it right up to the very last moment. It’s really great work when making it is fun. Thank you very much. But in the end, the best part was that before making this, I had bought and studied a course on coloso by director/VFX artist Reo Wakui, and that was seriously, insanely useful. I’d been making green-screen videos for ages, and I was like, “Wait, I had no idea how to pull greens or handle masks at all this whole time!?” Thanks to that course, keying became much easier all at once, and as a result, even with color work—which I’d always been bad at—I’m not good yet at all, but I got to the point where it feels like if I study a bit more, I might actually be able to do it well. Things like linear workflows and ACES are apparently standard now, and I really would never have known that if I hadn’t bought this course, so I’m glad I studied... Also, I really think if I understand lighting and color correction, I’ll be the strongest. I’ve gotten this far just working alone by instinct with no knowledge at all, so if I study, I’d be way too powerful, right? My potential is insane. I also want to understand CG. I seriously don’t get it. I’m always making things by feel, just feeling my way through... Oh, and after this was released, I was ego-searching and found out that the drummer on this track was Hiroshi Kido, someone I’d met a few times in Kyoto when I was around 20. We were almost the same age, and back then I was also in a band and pretending to be a drummer, but Hiroshi suddenly appeared in the local live-house scene around that time as an absolutely incredible drummer. I thought, wow, amazing—and soon after, he became the drummer for Kenichi Asai’s band and turned pro. As for me, I kept smoldering away for several years, living a trashy life, the band broke up, I quit music, and now I’m where I am today through video work, which I started as a hobby. I doubt he remembers me, but it was nostalgic and somehow made me happy. So this is one way people can meet again, huh.

Since this was the music video for the opening theme of the hit anime *Ya Boy Kongming!*, we prepared costumes inspired by all kinds of party people. I thought this was the kind of project that avex is often known for, where they force a Japanese cover onto a foreign dance track like MAX’s “TACATA’” or DA PUMP’s “U.S.A.,” so rather than making it feel like a standard female idol dance MV, I wanted it to have a sort of joke-like quality. That’s why I took the feel of a Para Para instruction video, or those avex trance MEGAMIX videos that were everywhere in the ’90s and 2000s, and warped it through a 2022 sensibility to create a kind of outrageous spectacle you’ve never seen before. The background is constantly shimmering and insanely acidic, creating a totally incomprehensible cutting-edge design where momentum, madness, coolness, lameness, and stylishness all exist at the same time. The animation near the end, which shows Shibuya—the setting of *Ya Boy Kongming!*—being covered in hearts by a kaiju’s heart attack, was created by Rapparu!!!!! Thanks to this animation, the MV gained so much depth and became a very moving piece of footage. Rapparu’s animation is truly the best.

It was so fun to make that I can barely think of any other project I’ve enjoyed creating this much. Once I got into the work, it came together in no time at all. I just kept digging deeper and deeper into my own sense of humor, making it based on whether I could laugh first and think, “This is amazing! So cool!!” When the ocean scene (0:56–) came together, it was so funny that I was moved. Seriously, so cool. That said, I think the members who can really embrace this kind of comedy are amazing. People like that are incredibly rare. I think it’s because of the breadth of everyone’s expressiveness. I mean, you can’t even tell whether they’re doing it as a joke or seriously, right? They’re all completely serious. That’s why I think it’s the best, and that’s what really moved me. By the way, although I made this look like low-quality VHS footage, it was actually shot in 8K with a Sony a1 camera.

I just absolutely love the song! The moment I heard it, colorful candies started spinning around in my head. Since it’s “daishikyuu,” I wanted to make something fast-paced, chaotic, and above all super cute, so we had lots of costumes prepared, along with a bike, props, and all kinds of things for the shoot. With the theme of dreams you see while sleeping, I imagined a story like this: you desperately need to wake up, but you can’t get out of the dream world and end up going on a wild rampage! Also, I planned it with an image of a struggle over who has dominion over the dream—whether it’s Kana-chan’s dream or Sakina-chan’s dream, whose dream is it, anyway!? In the end, the domination battle element was removed, and it was shaped into more of a dream world, a cute little space, and that sort of image... When I listen to the song, it gives me the image of the two of them playing sports, and I pictured them wearing baseball uniforms in a gyaru style. I thought it would be absolutely adorable, so we went with it. (Kind of like Ayaya’s “Tropica~l Koi Shite~ru” lol) I also pushed for us to film the bike scene. When you think of speed, you think of a bike. The animation is also gorgeous, and for the very first OP animation, I asked misa to create something based on the idea that it takes place inside a girl’s dream. It’s insanely cute and amazing. The animation for the first chorus is the scene where they blow away the nightmare, and that was created by RaParu-san. I’ve loved RaParu-san for a long time and always hoped we’d get to work together someday... so I was really happy that my wish finally came true. And for the flashy effect animation in the baseball scene, of course it had to be Tetsuya Tatamiya-kun, the reliable go-to for effect animation!

A short movie for social media for ".ENDRECHERI." "IZONE BEAT." This five-part series warns about people becoming “social zombies” due to social media addiction, which is also a theme of the song.

At the opening of the comedy duo “Raland”’s solo live show “Shukuden Vol. 2,” a video was screened. Built around a look that combines cuteness and coolness with an anything-goes kind of chaos, we aimed to create an exciting video that would get the energy up as the first thing shown at the solo performance, while packing in little in-jokes that fans would instinctively smile at. We were responsible for the composition, editing, design, and animation.

A music video for singer-songwriter kim taehoon. Another Kim watches intently as a show featuring five Kims appearing in rapid succession unfolds. Aiming to convey the artist’s charm to the fullest, we created cute visuals that blend a 90s feel with a psychedelic touch.

Minato Aqua "uni-birth"

sana(sajou no hana) 『Brand new day』

Yume no Kessho POPY "Light the Fuse of the Ringing in My Ears That Echoes Across the World"

Kanaria "Cerebral Rendezvous"

FINAL FANTASY XVIのTVCM

The concept depicts a story of being trapped in karma and pursued by an unknown monster. It may not make much sense, but that’s what it is.

The concept is a music video dedicated to a departed close friend. I created the song, lyrics, and visuals.

Description: I am the vocalist and also handle composition in the band Chemical Glitch, and basically I do everything myself in a DIY way, from the visuals to the music. This song was released on 2024/3/1. The concept is: is it really right to lose your true self and what you once believed in by bending yourself to fit the many words found in various philosophers’ works and self-help books, just for the sake of believing in “our own rules” and moving forward? This is a work that lays my own will bare. I kept the production process as minimal and simple as possible. The only software I used was FCPX and Blender. The rendering was done in Eevee. It really comes down to a battle of ideas.

Produced for the Budokan performance

This music video was created out of the members’ overflowing love for a certain boxed lunch.

Only me ─── Just for me, mine alone With the feeling that “everyone grows up and gets shaped by society, but I want to cherish the things I’ve always loved and the worldview that is uniquely my own,” this image movie was created around an emotion close to empathy—without forcing individuality or a personal worldview on anyone, and without looking back on the past in a negative way.

No matter whether it’s a happy day, a sad day, or a day spent at home doing nothing, there is always a flower that suits that day. Even on days that may not seem as splendid as a bouquet, if you choose just one flower at the end of the day, before you know it, it becomes a bouquet. This music video is about giving yourself your own bouquet, for those of us living through ordinary everyday life.

Opening movie for the smartphone game app Break My Case. Featuring the motifs of “the lights of a city shining at night” and “threads weaving destiny,” it expresses an urban, stylish world.

The seventh lineage song delivered by V.W.P, “Reunion” Ending theme song for the second season of the TV anime Muv-Luv Alternative.

A work depicting KAF who has wandered into the dizzying fantasy world of Hakushi Hasegawa.

Works by nim up to now.

Produced the opening video for TGS2023 × CR CUP Street Fighter 6. This event was held offline as a special main stage event at Tokyo Game Show 2023. Centering on the fist monument that symbolizes Crazy Raccoon Cup Street Fighter 6, this cinematic video was created around the theme that “one’s own pride, along with the feelings of teammates and supporting fans, is too heavy to bear alone, but only by turning that pressure into strength can one reach the top.” It tells the story that, because the first tournament drew such tremendous excitement, the memories of that moving event gave rise to the floating land in the sky. For the typography, the goal was to fuse the rawness of street culture with the formality of a grand stage. As an element of street culture, we created team tags and other tags using a graffiti technique known as tagging. In the animation, the overall look is elegant and chic, based on the design concept and the atmosphere of the typefaces used, while the tagging is given a sense of speed to serve as an accent. For the music, Trap EDM forms the foundation in order to incorporate the modern atmosphere of the game itself and its street-culture sensibilities. In the opening, fragmentary synth sounds inspired by the game’s BGM create tension, while deep reverb effects evoke a spacious environment suited to the visuals. In the scene where the floating land rains down upon the city, melodic dubstep elements are added while retaining the Trap EDM feel to express supernatural power, depicting the determination and passion of those taking on the tournament through pounding rhythms and melodies that surge violently up and down.

Created a trailer announcing the alpha test for the VR competitive action game “Brazen Blaze.” Brazen Blaze is a new VR game developed by MyDearest under the concept of “fulfilling desires that are forbidden in real life, but that you’ve always wanted to try.” This piece is structured in two parts. In the first half, the game’s world is expressed through full-cinematic 3DCG. While respecting the game’s overall image, the visuals make use of cinematic expression to create shots that heighten the viewer’s excitement. For the ambient sound, multiple layers of audio with different perceived distances were used so that changes in the subject’s distance between cuts can also be felt through hearing. Sounds for gauntlet activation and destruction effects were designed by concentrating slightly excessive peaks in volume at the height of the on-screen motion, then distorting them with distortion and delaying the signal phase with an all-pass filter, resulting in a crisp sound often heard in weapons and other effects in recent games. The short story of “a rebel protagonist destroying a stone statue that symbolizes authority” was inspired by the protagonist’s desire to become president and change the world, as well as the gameplay that allows players to smash everything on the map with their fists. To emphasize the exhilaration of the concept of “smashing things apart,” the buildup from tense cuts toward the punch scenes was especially important. In the second half, motion graphics introducing the game’s overview and the creators were combined with mockup footage. Centering on the violence where everything is decided by strength, the video was produced to convey a rough, edgy impression while also incorporating the digital feel of VR games and the sporty energy of esports. In impactful cuts, changes in tempo and dirty, distressed effects were used to depict the violent world of Brazen Blaze. The music was also crafted to feel rough and aggressive, with a Trap-based EDM sound that emphasizes heavy bass. For the segment introducing the staff involved in development, the track shifts into energetic, distorted sounds. By incorporating melodic phrases there, it reflects the ambition to make a great game, as well as the invincible superstar-like aura created by the gathering of such talented creators.

Produced the music video for V.W.P’s “Sadame” (Fate). V.W.P is a virtual artist group brought together by five cyber witches from KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO: KAF, RIM, Harusaruhi, Isekaijoucho, and Koko. Built on a narrative, cinematic 3DCG foundation, the piece incorporates typography at key moments, such as striking dialogue-driven sections and inserts. For the 3D compositing and character setup, we pursued a look that would harmonize the photorealistic background CG world with V.W.P’s characters. Based on the song’s content, we conceived it as a battle against oneself. The story unfolds through exchanges between witches in the present and the past, existing on different worldlines. In the first half, they physically confront another version of themselves; in the second half, the focus shifts to scenes where they face their own inner selves. Masks and hoods are used to distinguish the worldlines, with some scenes representing the past and others the present. Drawing from the concept of characters who exist across two worldlines, the present and the past, as well as a world where stable and collapsing states coexist, we also emphasized contrast in the composition and scenes. The logo and graphics were finished in a solid style to match the feelings of the witches resisting fate. In the logo animation, we added distorted afterimages with broken edges to express a world in collapse, while the dynamic in-and-out animation embodies V.W.P’s determination to defy fate.