Directed and conceptualized the music video for DJ Shadow’s new track “Slingblade.” Based on the decadent and mysterious imagery of the track, the story and visuals were designed accordingly. By taking an unconventional approach that distilled ambiguity into the expression itself, the work was crafted into an organic and distinctive visual piece.

A collaborative video work jointly created through concurrent development of the visual concept by AC-bu and the music production by Creephyp. Packed with enough content to go beyond the length of a music video and amount to a full-length animated feature, it was made with the aim of creating something enjoyable again and again.

This music video portrays the protagonist’s struggle and recovery as a “choral member who has lost the joy of singing,” layering it with motifs of flowers and butterflies. The shifting color of the soothing herbal tea “butterfly pea,” which changes from blue to purple, symbolizes the members’ bond and the trigger for renewal, while the overlap between center Yunana Shibata’s member color and Nogizaka46’s signature color reflects a gradient of the heart moving from tension toward release. Butterflies resting their wings before taking flight once more. Inspired by that motif, flower petals rendered in CG drift upward from below to above, symbolically coloring the dance scenes. By singing together with companions, the work delicately depicts the rising emotions that break free from confinement and the shared energy that fills a single space.