Is Pokeni being a bit too uninhibited?!
On the television, the screen went black, followed by a burning flame.
Half of the screen turned red.
In the center, a glittering Holy Grail appeared.
At the same time, a voice-over sounded:
"According to legend, the Holy Grail can grant the holder's wishes."
"For this reason, throughout history, many wars have been fought to seize the Holy Grail."
The screen darkened again, and under the blue moonlight, several different human silhouettes appeared.
Their mouths were split open, like man-eating ghouls.
They stretched out their hands, raising them high, wanting to obtain the Holy Grail in the sky.
"The 'Spirit Evocation Ritual: Heroic Spirit Summoning' is a decisive magic used to save the primate world.
Seven Heroic Spirits at the pinnacle of seven attributes—Grand Servants—will appear to eradicate the great disasters hindering the development of the primate world.
And for their own convenience, humans applied this magic to the Holy Grail War."
During this description, seven different cards appeared on the screen, their backs appearing to be made of metal, carved with different patterns:
Some held bows and arrows, others gripped sword hilts…
It only stayed for a few seconds; Yamada Masaharu hadn't had time to look at them one by one when the screen jumped again.
"Desire and dreams, who is the true master?"
The camera slowly rose from the endless darkness, reaching the sky, where it transformed into a magnificent array of colors.
The central position where the Holy Grail had been turned into a vivid red light within dense clouds, or perhaps a pulsating red heart, with blood extending like branches through the cloud gaps.
The red light burned the sky into a unique and beautiful spectacle.
A large line of text appeared on the big screen:
"FATE/STAY NIGHT"
"PlayStation Release Decided"
The camera gradually zoomed out, revealing layers of clouds in the sky, with light gathering and radiating outwards.
Music slowly began to play, flowing like water.
The scene switched again, showing a man and a child sitting under the eaves.
The moon was bright in the sky.
The two were chatting and laughing, though no sound could be heard on screen.
After about a few seconds:
"When I was a child, I once yearned to become a hero of justice." The man suddenly spoke and laughed.
"Hmm, what a pity. Heroes have an expiration date; it's hard to call yourself that once you become an adult. I wish I had realized this sooner."
The young man beside him stood up, clenching his fist.
"Dad can't do it because he's an adult, but I can. Leave it to me, Dad's dream."
"——I will definitely fulfill it."
The man laughed.
"Is that so."
Then he took a long breath.
"Ah—I'm relieved."
Following this, the scenes rapidly switched, from the seaside to a warehouse, and then, as the camera rotated, many magic circuits appeared on the screen.
They looked like circuit boards Yamada Masaharu had seen in college.
Light passed through the middle of the circuits and then rapidly extended forward.
Under the dim yellow sun, clouds surged outside the school's rooftop.
The camera pushed in, revealing a red-haired young man.
His name was written in the bottom right corner: [Emiya Shirou]
On the battlefield, a man embraced a child.
The sky was azure.
The magic circle on the ground glowed.
A golden-haired girl, wearing blue armor, stood under a tree, her tightly closed eyes suddenly opening.
In the bottom right corner was written [Arthur].
[Artoria Pendragon]
Although not in the same scene, the two were connected through the camera:
As if standing opposite each other, the camera rotated back, falling on the red-haired young man.
Emiya Shirou looked at the sky, which seemed to be on fire, and slowly raised his left hand.
On the back of that hand, there was a red engraving.
Next, the camera continuously switched, and the characters within the game appeared one by one:
A beautiful girl with long twin tails stood on a high-rise building, overlooking the brightly lit city below.
Beside her sat a short white-haired man in a red suit.
In a cozy home, a long purple-haired girl was cooking, wearing an apron and smiling happily.
As all the characters appeared, each staying for about 3 to 5 seconds, the following animation could be described as explosive:
The clash of blue and red light.
Light shimmering in the dark night, different Servants and previously appeared characters fighting fiercely, all battling to seize the Holy Grail.
Such a battle made Yamada Masaharu exclaim about the exploding budget.
Pokeni is too amazing, isn't it?
This PV really went all out.
In any previous game PV, where would you see this level of combat, with dazzling special effects, and character movements full of power and speed?
Rapid clashes and camera shifts made the entire game feel exhilarating.
Just the fight choreography alone, Yamada Masaharu felt, surpassed most current combat animations.
However…
He wondered if the game itself would also be like this.
Upon seeing this, Yamada Masaharu had only one question in his mind—
How would the game express such combat?
Finally, a man in golden armor flew into the sky, raising a long sword in his hand, the heavens and earth changing color, power surging, and with a look of disdain for the world, he pressed his wrist downwards.
A massive sword light, like a rainbow, poured out.
And with a cut of the camera, the golden-haired queen in blue armor, gripping a Claymore with both hands, drew it to one side, then opened her mouth wide and raised the sword high to the sky with both hands.
She swung down with force.
Immense power surged forth, soaring into the sky.
The music abruptly stopped.
At this point, the scene cut again.
In a quiet small grove, a white rabbit hopped around.
"FATE/STAY NIGHT"
"Producer: Takeuchi Takashi"
"Script: Nasu Kinoko"
"POKENI Produced in 1997"
"October 5th, launching on PlayStation platform.
Available at all major game stores."
…
Wow.
After watching the PV, Yamada Masaharu's heart pounded incessantly.
To be honest, this was probably the most spectacular PV he had ever seen in terms of combat and character presentation.
What kind of top-tier artists and cinematography is this?
But once it's linked with Pokeni, it seems perfectly reasonable.
"But… is this really a galgame?!"
A huge question surged in Yamada Masaharu's heart.
If the official statement hadn't said it was a galgame, he wouldn't have believed it for a second.
Because it was too different from the bishoujo romance games he knew.
However, Pokeni's initial onmyoji series seemed to have combat.
And modern mainstream galgames are basically defined by Pokeni; if they create a new genre themselves, it doesn't seem strange or surprising.
Now Yamada Masaharu had only one question:
"Can the game truly achieve such combat performance?"
…
"Those who know know that Pokeni is a game company; those who don't would think they make animations."
After watching the PV, Hiruta Masato, president of Elf Society in the same galgame field, let out a sigh.
It's too competitive.
Pokeni is truly too competitive.
To what extent does he want to improve the graphics before he's satisfied?
And it also has to be paired with such spectacular combat, as well as a worldview setting that Hiruta Masato is still completely confused about.
In short, this has basically departed from his understanding of the galgame genre.
Does it really need to be this good?
If games are made like this, what will competitors use to compete in the future?
However, the only thing that could bring Hiruta Masato comfort was—
At least Pokeni doesn't venture into the blue domain, otherwise they would truly have no way to survive.
Just think, players' appetites have been spoiled by Pokeni; in the future, if a galgame doesn't have a rich story, outstanding character designs, breathtakingly spectacular combat and visual presentation, and sufficiently amazing animated scenes…
You wouldn't even dare to call yourself a galgame.
…
After the PV aired, it sparked heated discussions among players.
"Wow, Pokeni's new game this time is actually a galgame! I haven't seen a Pokeni galgame in a long time."
"So excited! Pokeni's galgames are truly divine; I've played and collected every single one seriously, and even now, looking back, I still feel like crying.
Huh?
Why do I feel like crying?"
"Ah ah ah ah ah! It's finally here, Pokeni's galgame! I don't know how long I've waited.
Honestly, Pokeni's galgames are really great; whether it's character design, storyline, or visuals, they are all top-notch."
"This PV really amazed me. I feel like I wasn't watching a game PV, but rather an animated masterpiece."
"The graphics are superb, Pokeni's usual high quality, and the storyboarding, especially the combat storyboarding, is absolutely stunning."
"The character designs are also excellent; every character is so beautiful, whether male or female, they all have their own charm. It's a pity I didn't remember many of them."
"The production quality of Pokeni's PV is so high, it's a shame they don't make animations. Could they have outsourced it?"
"Obviously not. Pokeni's games, even the Waterloo 86, can achieve top-tier graphics. This is the skill of Pokeni's artists, coupled with their technical support. There really isn't any game production company in the country that can compare."
"The one who said they make animations, Pokeni already makes animations. Didn't Aoki Haruhi open a Moon River Company? I heard they are preparing to turn Your Name into an animated movie for the big screen."
"Really? Your Name is going to be made into a movie? I really didn't expect that. This is too good, isn't it? I really like the game Your Name."
"Pokeni, or more precisely Aoki Haruhi, is not just running an animation company. Didn't Pokeni also add two new magazines?"
The announcement of new magazines was in June this year. Now, after a series of complex procedures and completing the process, Pokeni has established a new subsidiary.
Its name is—
PoBook Bookstore Magazine Publishing House.
It has just established two publications: one is the Kitou bi-monthly, mainly publishing various comics, including official doujin.
The other is "Whispers," also a bi-monthly, focusing on light novels and also supporting serialization.
The two heavyweight awards previously established by the official, the [Pokeni Manga Award] and the [Pokeni Light Novel Award], have both been moved to the new publications.
Currently, in Kitou Manga, a serialized animation called Yu-Gi-Oh! is receiving special attention.
The top ten participants of the Pokeni Award previously are all being serialized in the new publications.
This can be considered Pokeni fulfilling its past promise, and also providing a new development space for more people who want to achieve their dreams.
In the future, highly popular manga and light novels might even obtain game adaptation rights.
"Wow, Pokeni has already launched an all-out attack. There's nothing you can't think of that they can't do."
"But I think this is great. Games, manga, and light novels are actually related. Before, if you wanted to read official doujin, like the Quilt Man doujin comics, you couldn't find them."
"That's right."
The internet is not yet developed enough, so there isn't as much doujin creation online yet.
Otherwise, related comic books would have already been flying everywhere.
Only some enthusiasts draw them privately for their own enjoyment, which has no circulation.
But now, Pokeni has opened this window through magazines, giving the power of doujin creation to countless Authors.
Perhaps something particularly interesting will be born in the future.
This is actually the biggest difference between Pokeni as a game company and traditional publishers, and it is also Pokeni's advantage.
With a huge game user base, doujin works can continuously expand, spreading outwards from the core point.
Therefore, Kazuma Takahashi admires Aoki Haruhi immensely.
Think about it, after so many years of development, the publishing industry in Japan has already had its territory completely divided. Any newcomer who wants to break into this field has almost no place to stand.
But Pokeni naturally has a foothold, able to advance or retreat, differentiate itself, and then attract other Authors.
This is Aoki Haruhi's cleverness.
The official personally stepped in, allowing Authors to create corresponding doujin. Even though many of Pokeni's games have not yet truly been animated, they already have extremely high popularity in galgame.
Think about it, isn't Yuuki Rei's doujin in Onmyoji attractive?
The male and female protagonists in reverse degree person couldn't be together.
Isn't it also a comfort for doujin to complete the regrets that the official couldn't?
...
On the official website, many topics related to the new update's PV were discussed.
Everyone was drawn in by its gorgeous graphics and beautiful character designs.
"But I don't recognize the names of the Producer and script Author. They seem to be two newcomers?"
"Takeuchi Takashi, who is this? A new person from Pokeni? But is it really okay for such a new person to be a Producer right off the bat?" a netizen with a good memory responded.
"And Nasu Kinoko, that doesn't sound like a name a human should have, does it? They couldn't possibly have found some strange creature to write the script, right? Hahahahaha..."
"I personally find it very difficult to understand why Furuhara Tsubaki and his team aren't properly making galgames and insist on making strategy games.
If they had made galgames earlier, I believe with Old Thief Furuhara's ability, they would definitely have set new records."
"Given the PV's graphics, you have to give it a try, right? Pokeni hasn't released a galgame in a long time. If I don't get it this time, I don't know when the next time will be."
"Mmm, I don't care if it's Gen Urobuchi or Maeda Jun, even if it's Nasu Kinoko, whom I've never heard of, I'll still give it a try. Just for this PV."
"But did you notice something very interesting?
I vaguely remember the name Arthur appearing in the PV."
"Huh?! Really? Why would there be Arthur?"
"And Arthur is a blonde girl."
"What? Making Arthur a girl? Isn't that absurd?"
"Hahahaha, my first reaction was also like that, but I don't know what it will be like in the game. Arthur in my impression should be a bearded uncle, right?
Suddenly turning into a blonde beauty, it's a bit hard to accept."
"Has Pokeni's imagination soared to this extent?"
"It's terrifying. Is this new Author named Nasu Kinoko into this kind of thing?"
"Why did you have to tell me the fact that Arthur is an uncle? I originally quite liked this character. When I watched the PV, I thought the blue-armored swordsman, paired with shiny golden hair, looked too good, didn_t she?
Both cute and cool at the same time.
This is clearly the girl of my dreams.
I don't accept that Arthur is a man."
"It's over, it's over, you are all pitiful fellows brainwashed by Pokeni. Now you can even accept that Arthur is a girl?"
"Whether she can be accepted or not depends on the game, right?
If it's done well, I can choose not to see her as the legendary Arthur.
Can't she just be a cute girl with the title of a king?"
"But seriously, after Pokeni's PV was released this time, I was deeply shocked. I still haven't fully understood the entire worldview.
It just feels incredibly chaotic.
It's urban magical girls, ancient heroic spirits, and the Holy Grail.
Compared to all that, whether Arthur is a girl or not seems irrelevant to me now."
"No, no, it still matters. This new Author, Nasu Kinoko, is a bit too unrestrained."
"Parallel universe theory, right?
In this world, you might be a boy, but in another dimension, perhaps you are a cute girl?"
"Hahahaha. How do I feel like I've seen such a comic book somewhere?"
"Huh?! Where have you seen it? Can you tell me? You're a good person, I'll pray for you every day."
"But seriously, I have a strong premonition that even if this game doesn't turn out great in the future, just based on these character designs, especially the beautiful Arthur, there will be very, very many related comic books."
"Uh... it's not 'possibly,' it's 'definitely.'"
"Stop talking, the more you talk, the more excited I get."
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