The Kamitsubaki City Ensemble opening features the story’s AI girl characters HARU, RIME, KAFU, SEKAI, and COKO in a variety of virtual urban environments, and has a spellbinding dance animation sequence involving KAFU (who is also the credited artist for the opening’s song, “Yurikago”). A couple of seconds are used to tease the Witchling characters Haru Asanushi, Rime Tanioki, Kafu Morisaki, Sekai Yorukawa, and Koko Rinne.
The opening movie, which was previously previewed in the game’s first trailer and teaser trailer, was animated by RIRI Yamashita and tori. The former, who has worked on animations like Project Sekai‘s “Journey” and Midnight Grand Orchestra‘s “Midnight Mission” music video, is also the director, storyboarder, and compositer.
As with “Midnight Mission,” Randy Xtravaganza and GOMI are credited on the production as the choreographer and dancer, respectively. Also part of the staff lineup are nim’s Nate as CG producer, nim’s NXTERIUM as CG designer, and Higashi no Sora made Aini kite, Sareko Natsuhara, and Meso as background artists.
Kamitsubaki City Ensemble was announced in 2023 and will feature songs from Kamitsubaki Studio’s music endeavours. The narrative premise of the Studio Lalala-produced game (HARDCORE TANO*C and Rocket Studio, Inc. are also given development billing in the opening’s credits) is described as:
Set in the rubble and ruins of a world destroyed, the AI girls who have awoken in the aftermath want to use their magical songs to rebuild what was lost.
How did the destruction happen? Why do the girls exist? All will be revealed when the music stops, and it’s up to you to find the truth.
Kamitsubaki Studio describes itself as “a creative label and new-age artist management which produces cutting-edge internet culture with the next generation of creators” with the intent to “research and develop the future of IP and entertainment through the development of artists, original stories, future XR experiences, and metaverse development.” Kamitsubaki City Ensemble is part of its Kamitsubaki City Under Construction “IP project,” which includes an upcoming anime and NFTs.
The characters are inspired by Kamitsubaki Studio’s virtual artists KAF, RIM, HARUSARUHI, ISEKAIJOUCHO, and KOKO, who are the members of V.W.P (-Virtual Witch Phenomenon-).
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Source: Kamitsubaki Studio YouTube channel