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iridesenescenceThis coming April (the season of cherry blossoms), the curtains will finally rise on the revolution— A beautiful but cruel tale of reminiscence
This is a text-only version of these images. I highly recommend checking out the images too! (I worked very hard on editing them,,,)
The legend carved into Enstars!' history
Eichi: The sickly angel aspiring to achieve a revolution
Wataru: The beautiful theater genius that Eichi admires
Tsumugi: The jester dancing for Eichi
The reasons that hit idol game Ensemble Stars!! is so beloved are its brightly shining idols, its brilliant songs, and stories that warm your heart... But that's not all. The brutal, but beautiful reminiscence stories that are overflowing with intense love for idols as they depict the past — that is part of the appeal of Enstars as well.
Reminiscence Selection "Element" will be streamed starting from April as a 3DCG anime. With the story being a long-time fan-favourite, there are surely many fans bursting with excitement over its new adaptation. To those who haven't read the original story, this will also be a good chance to discover Yumenosaki Academy's past. And so, we have interviewed the developer team on the appeal and points to look out for in this project! Read this, and prepare yourself for April, when the cherry blossoms bloom.
————————————————
What is Element: The story of Yumenosaki's past, and of Eichi's revolution
Reminiscence Selection "Element" depicts a story of the past revolving around the event story "Reminiscence＊Gathering of the Three Magicians", released in the Enstars! app on 31 August 2016. The things Eichi sacrificed, and the things he did to revolutionise the once-corrupt Yumenosaki Academy — we will reminisce on these from Sakasaki Natsume's perspective. This story is a must-read for understanding and enjoying the Enstars!! in the present too.
Who are the Five Eccentrics?
5 eccentric geniuses, given this label by Eichi.
Worshipped as the symbols of the old, evil system, these 5 possess exceptional talent, even amongst the academy's students. By Eichi's plans, they are initially admired and respected, but later are shunned by the student population — "it's all the Five Eccentrics' fault that we can't shine".
Who are ex-fine?
4 angels, attempting to subjugate the Five Eccentrics to improve the academy.
The unit formed by Eichi to subjugate the Five Eccentrics. They stand on stage clad in outfits with a white base, meant to resemble the angels heralding the world's end. By defeating the Eccentrics with the new DreamFes system, they aim to give the unmotivated student population hope that they too can become shining idols through hard work.
Sakuma Rei: The eldest of the Five Eccentrics. Charismatic and with a rough manner of speaking. Though he is the president of the student council, he's often overseas and seldom present on campus.
Shinkai Kanata: One of the Five Eccentrics, he has a calm and relaxed personality and loves the sea. He's said to possess talent that surpasses even Hibiki Wataru in some areas.
Itsuki Shu: One of the Five Eccentrics. He is part of Valkyrie with Nito Nazuna and Kagehira Mika, and they are highly acclaimed in the industry. His reputation takes a hit after a malfunction in audio equipment during a DreamFes against ex-fine.
Hibiki Wataru: An idol with a talent for theater, he holds the record for the highest ever score on the academy's entrance exam. Eichi admires him greatly. One of the Five Eccentrics, he steps onstage as the last to be subjugated by ex-fine.
Sakasaki Natsume: The son of a famous fortune-teller, and an idol who proclaims himself as the magician of Yumenosaki Academy. As a result of what Tsumugi tells Eichi, he becomes the only first year to be part of the Five Eccentrics. Affectionately calls Wataru "Master (Shisho)".
The beauty of the Five Eccentrics, as told by the developer team:
With the outstanding skills they possess, they're only ever seen as existences to be admired, off in a league of their own. We think they were each dealing with some form of loneliness. By being dubbed "the Five Eccentrics", they met with friends that they could view as equal peers — we think there's beauty to be found in the unique bonds formed by the Eccentrics as they deepen their friendships.
Tenshouin Eichi: The son of a powerful financial conglomerate, but born with a sickly constitution. To reform Yumenosaki Academy, he made arrangements such as gathering ex-fine and the Five Eccentrics. His love for idols is second to none.
Aoba Tsumugi: The manager of ex-fine, he tends to be burdened with work due to his good-naturedness. He's cooperating with Eichi's plans as a friend. A member of the library committee, he's well-informed on happenings within the school.
Tomoe Hiyori: An idol working as part of ex-fine after signing a contract with Eichi. He's the son of the Tomoe Foundation, and not very fond of Eichi. He's been close to Nagisa since childhood.
Ran Nagisa: An idol working as part of ex-fine after signing a contract with Eichi. Speaks and acts in a somewhat otherworldly manner. Adores Hiyori, calling him "my sun".
The beauty of ex-fine, as told by the developer team:
While ex-fine is a unit held together by a businesslike contract, its members are all extremely devoted to being idols. The feelings of wanting to become their own ideal idol and wanting to be idols together is shared amongst the four of them; we think there's beauty to be found in their strength as they shoulder those feelings and reform the school, even as they find themselves hurt in the process.
Natsume: The classy youngest child of the Five Eccentrics
The charm of Sakasaki Natsume, as told by the developer team:
Q: In the PV, Sakasaki Natsume appeared seemingly as the narrator of this series. Why have you placed him in this position? Please also tell us about his charms.
In Reminiscence Selection "Element", the story unfolds primarily from Sakasaki Natsume's point of view. In the original story, he's portrayed as a classy person, but in this series, there are several scenes where he deals with huge waves of emotions. We think it's precisely because Natsume is normally such a calm and collected character that fans will be able to easily empathise with him.
The two who eventually become part of Switch
Tsumugi and Natsume were enemies as part of ex-fine and the Five Eccentrics, but it seems they were acquainted in their childhood too. What relationship between them can be seen by looking back in time...?
————————————————
8 questions to unravel the mysteries behind the Reminiscence Selection
We're sure there are plenty of readers who are excited for Reminiscence Selection "Element", but are also wondering what exactly it will be like! And so, we brought up some questions about this series to the developer team. We have no doubt you'll be even more excited for the release after reading this Q&A!
1. Element is a story that generated a lot of buzz when it first released, and its popularity has held up to this day. At which point while developing Enstars was the Reminiscence series that began with Valkyrie's "Reminiscence＊ The End of The Marionette's Strings" conceptualised?
The addition of new characters every half a year and the two remaining members of the originally-undisclosed Five Eccentrics had been planned since Enstars' release in 2015. The fact that Nito Nazuna was once a member of Valkyrie had been decided since planning began for the unit, so naturally their event had to take place in the past. By giving these past stories the "Reminiscence" series title, we managed to create something that could regularly excite fans.
2. Element was also released as episodes in the 2019 TV anime. What was the intent behind remaking it as a 3DCG anime now?
Element unfolded from Tenshouin Eichi's perspective in the TV anime, but in the Reminiscence Selection, we've made it a point for the audience to view the story of the Five Eccentrics and ex-fine primarily from Sakasaki Natsume's perspective. As for the timing, 2023 is the 4th year since the transition from ! to !!. We would just like the audience to know that preparations have been underway for several years so we could release the anime in this 4th year.
3. What was it like watching the cast's acting during the recordings? Element is also slated to be fully-voiced in the game — what is the difference between the anime and the game's fully-voiced version?
Through the fully-voiced stories and things like the TV anime and the movie, we feel that the cast have increased their mastery of the post recording. As for the difference between the anime and the fully-voiced version, some lines have been cut or adjusted to better suit the video format of the anime. On the other hand, the game will receive the totally unedited story but fully-voiced, so we hope fans can see the appeal in each of them.
4. In the teaser PV that was shown, there was quite a stir over whether Eccentric Party Night's vocals had been rerecorded.
In the Reminiscence Selection, Eccentric Party Night will be sung in the past, so we have done a rerecording only for Sakuma Rei (CV: Masuda Toshiki-san) to account for his different personality at the time.
5. The animation is being done by Dandelion Animation, which also handles the in-game MVs. Please tell us more about what the footage is like.
For the in-game MVs, to accommodate the changing of characters and outfits, real-time rendering is done, but the Reminiscence Selection is pre-rendered footage, so it includes things that wouldn't have been possible with real-time rendering. The character 3D models have also been remade from scratch for the anime, so we hope fans will pay attention to them.
6. What sort of communication did the developer team have with the anime staff such as director Yamasaki Osamu-san and series composition + scriptwriter Inozume Shinichi-san? Please tell us about interesting moments from production, things that are being handled particularly carefully, and the feelings being put into production.
We think director Yamasaki exercised great care over how best to adapt the game content to a video. Inozume-san was involved with the TV anime episodes of Element as the chief writer, and this time he went to great pains to make Element a complete story on its own, and set it apart from the TV anime.
7. In Element, Eichi is portrayed as the key person of the story, and he has particularly deep ties to Aoba Tsumugi and Hibiki Wataru. Please tell us about the appeal of his relationships with each of them.
Eichi and Tsumugi: They're a pair that make you think about the relationship between 'friends'. Tsumugi doesn't need a reason to befriend someone, and Eichi does. We hope you'll pay attention to how their friendship turns out. We think that it's precisely because they think differently that their distinctly 'human' fluctuation of emotions is appealing.
Eichi and Wataru: Element depicts the process of how Eichi ended up standing on stage alongside Wataru, who he admires as an idol. Eichi's struggle and pain from having to subjugate the idol he loves, and Wataru's way of living as an actor and changes in emotions as he immerses himself in the role of a villain are the highlights. We think the bond that forms between these two from different backgrounds is also appealing.
8. Lastly, please tell the fans who are excited for the streaming some highlights or things you want them to look forward to!
The story's perspective is different from the TV anime, and we think this version of Element better captures the atmosphere of the original story. We think it will be enjoyable for everyone, whether they have watched the TV anime version or not, so please look forward to it.
The two who eventually become part of fine
Eichi labels Wataru whom he admires as one of the Five Eccentrics, and Wataru chooses to be subjugated of his own free will. What twist of fate brings these two to the fine of the present—
This is a text-only version of these images. I highly recommend checking out the images too! (I worked very hard on editing them,,,)
The legend carved into Enstars!' history
Eichi: The sickly angel aspiring to achieve a revolution
Wataru: The beautiful theater genius that Eichi admires
Tsumugi: The jester dancing for Eichi
The reasons that hit idol game Ensemble Stars!! is so beloved are its brightly shining idols, its brilliant songs, and stories that warm your heart... But that's not all. The brutal, but beautiful reminiscence stories that are overflowing with intense love for idols as they depict the past — that is part of the appeal of Enstars as well.
Reminiscence Selection "Element" will be streamed starting from April as a 3DCG anime. With the story being a long-time fan-favourite, there are surely many fans bursting with excitement over its new adaptation. To those who haven't read the original story, this will also be a good chance to discover Yumenosaki Academy's past. And so, we have interviewed the developer team on the appeal and points to look out for in this project! Read this, and prepare yourself for April, when the cherry blossoms bloom.
————————————————
What is Element: The story of Yumenosaki's past, and of Eichi's revolution
Reminiscence Selection "Element" depicts a story of the past revolving around the event story "Reminiscence＊Gathering of the Three Magicians", released in the Enstars! app on 31 August 2016. The things Eichi sacrificed, and the things he did to revolutionise the once-corrupt Yumenosaki Academy — we will reminisce on these from Sakasaki Natsume's perspective. This story is a must-read for understanding and enjoying the Enstars!! in the present too.
Who are the Five Eccentrics?
5 eccentric geniuses, given this label by Eichi.
Worshipped as the symbols of the old, evil system, these 5 possess exceptional talent, even amongst the academy's students. By Eichi's plans, they are initially admired and respected, but later are shunned by the student population — "it's all the Five Eccentrics' fault that we can't shine".
Who are ex-fine?
4 angels, attempting to subjugate the Five Eccentrics to improve the academy.
The unit formed by Eichi to subjugate the Five Eccentrics. They stand on stage clad in outfits with a white base, meant to resemble the angels heralding the world's end. By defeating the Eccentrics with the new DreamFes system, they aim to give the unmotivated student population hope that they too can become shining idols through hard work.
Sakuma Rei: The eldest of the Five Eccentrics. Charismatic and with a rough manner of speaking. Though he is the president of the student council, he's often overseas and seldom present on campus.
Shinkai Kanata: One of the Five Eccentrics, he has a calm and relaxed personality and loves the sea. He's said to possess talent that surpasses even Hibiki Wataru in some areas.
Itsuki Shu: One of the Five Eccentrics. He is part of Valkyrie with Nito Nazuna and Kagehira Mika, and they are highly acclaimed in the industry. His reputation takes a hit after a malfunction in audio equipment during a DreamFes against ex-fine.
Hibiki Wataru: An idol with a talent for theater, he holds the record for the highest ever score on the academy's entrance exam. Eichi admires him greatly. One of the Five Eccentrics, he steps onstage as the last to be subjugated by ex-fine.
Sakasaki Natsume: The son of a famous fortune-teller, and an idol who proclaims himself as the magician of Yumenosaki Academy. As a result of what Tsumugi tells Eichi, he becomes the only first year to be part of the Five Eccentrics. Affectionately calls Wataru "Master (Shisho)".
The beauty of the Five Eccentrics, as told by the developer team:
With the outstanding skills they possess, they're only ever seen as existences to be admired, off in a league of their own. We think they were each dealing with some form of loneliness. By being dubbed "the Five Eccentrics", they met with friends that they could view as equal peers — we think there's beauty to be found in the unique bonds formed by the Eccentrics as they deepen their friendships.
Tenshouin Eichi: The son of a powerful financial conglomerate, but born with a sickly constitution. To reform Yumenosaki Academy, he made arrangements such as gathering ex-fine and the Five Eccentrics. His love for idols is second to none.
Aoba Tsumugi: The manager of ex-fine, he tends to be burdened with work due to his good-naturedness. He's cooperating with Eichi's plans as a friend. A member of the library committee, he's well-informed on happenings within the school.
Tomoe Hiyori: An idol working as part of ex-fine after signing a contract with Eichi. He's the son of the Tomoe Foundation, and not very fond of Eichi. He's been close to Nagisa since childhood.
Ran Nagisa: An idol working as part of ex-fine after signing a contract with Eichi. Speaks and acts in a somewhat otherworldly manner. Adores Hiyori, calling him "my sun".
The beauty of ex-fine, as told by the developer team:
While ex-fine is a unit held together by a businesslike contract, its members are all extremely devoted to being idols. The feelings of wanting to become their own ideal idol and wanting to be idols together is shared amongst the four of them; we think there's beauty to be found in their strength as they shoulder those feelings and reform the school, even as they find themselves hurt in the process.
Natsume: The classy youngest child of the Five Eccentrics
The charm of Sakasaki Natsume, as told by the developer team:
Q: In the PV, Sakasaki Natsume appeared seemingly as the narrator of this series. Why have you placed him in this position? Please also tell us about his charms.
In Reminiscence Selection "Element", the story unfolds primarily from Sakasaki Natsume's point of view. In the original story, he's portrayed as a classy person, but in this series, there are several scenes where he deals with huge waves of emotions. We think it's precisely because Natsume is normally such a calm and collected character that fans will be able to easily empathise with him.
The two who eventually become part of Switch
Tsumugi and Natsume were enemies as part of ex-fine and the Five Eccentrics, but it seems they were acquainted in their childhood too. What relationship between them can be seen by looking back in time...?
————————————————
8 questions to unravel the mysteries behind the Reminiscence Selection
We're sure there are plenty of readers who are excited for Reminiscence Selection "Element", but are also wondering what exactly it will be like! And so, we brought up some questions about this series to the developer team. We have no doubt you'll be even more excited for the release after reading this Q&A!
1. Element is a story that generated a lot of buzz when it first released, and its popularity has held up to this day. At which point while developing Enstars was the Reminiscence series that began with Valkyrie's "Reminiscence＊ The End of The Marionette's Strings" conceptualised?
The addition of new characters every half a year and the two remaining members of the originally-undisclosed Five Eccentrics had been planned since Enstars' release in 2015. The fact that Nito Nazuna was once a member of Valkyrie had been decided since planning began for the unit, so naturally their event had to take place in the past. By giving these past stories the "Reminiscence" series title, we managed to create something that could regularly excite fans.
2. Element was also released as episodes in the 2019 TV anime. What was the intent behind remaking it as a 3DCG anime now?
Element unfolded from Tenshouin Eichi's perspective in the TV anime, but in the Reminiscence Selection, we've made it a point for the audience to view the story of the Five Eccentrics and ex-fine primarily from Sakasaki Natsume's perspective. As for the timing, 2023 is the 4th year since the transition from ! to !!. We would just like the audience to know that preparations have been underway for several years so we could release the anime in this 4th year.
3. What was it like watching the cast's acting during the recordings? Element is also slated to be fully-voiced in the game — what is the difference between the anime and the game's fully-voiced version?
Through the fully-voiced stories and things like the TV anime and the movie, we feel that the cast have increased their mastery of the post recording. As for the difference between the anime and the fully-voiced version, some lines have been cut or adjusted to better suit the video format of the anime. On the other hand, the game will receive the totally unedited story but fully-voiced, so we hope fans can see the appeal in each of them.
4. In the teaser PV that was shown, there was quite a stir over whether Eccentric Party Night's vocals had been rerecorded.
In the Reminiscence Selection, Eccentric Party Night will be sung in the past, so we have done a rerecording only for Sakuma Rei (CV: Masuda Toshiki-san) to account for his different personality at the time.
5. The animation is being done by Dandelion Animation, which also handles the in-game MVs. Please tell us more about what the footage is like.
For the in-game MVs, to accommodate the changing of characters and outfits, real-time rendering is done, but the Reminiscence Selection is pre-rendered footage, so it includes things that wouldn't have been possible with real-time rendering. The character 3D models have also been remade from scratch for the anime, so we hope fans will pay attention to them.
6. What sort of communication did the developer team have with the anime staff such as director Yamasaki Osamu-san and series composition + scriptwriter Inozume Shinichi-san? Please tell us about interesting moments from production, things that are being handled particularly carefully, and the feelings being put into production.
We think director Yamasaki exercised great care over how best to adapt the game content to a video. Inozume-san was involved with the TV anime episodes of Element as the chief writer, and this time he went to great pains to make Element a complete story on its own, and set it apart from the TV anime.
7. In Element, Eichi is portrayed as the key person of the story, and he has particularly deep ties to Aoba Tsumugi and Hibiki Wataru. Please tell us about the appeal of his relationships with each of them.
Eichi and Tsumugi: They're a pair that make you think about the relationship between 'friends'. Tsumugi doesn't need a reason to befriend someone, and Eichi does. We hope you'll pay attention to how their friendship turns out. We think that it's precisely because they think differently that their distinctly 'human' fluctuation of emotions is appealing.
Eichi and Wataru: Element depicts the process of how Eichi ended up standing on stage alongside Wataru, who he admires as an idol. Eichi's struggle and pain from having to subjugate the idol he loves, and Wataru's way of living as an actor and changes in emotions as he immerses himself in the role of a villain are the highlights. We think the bond that forms between these two from different backgrounds is also appealing.
8. Lastly, please tell the fans who are excited for the streaming some highlights or things you want them to look forward to!
The story's perspective is different from the TV anime, and we think this version of Element better captures the atmosphere of the original story. We think it will be enjoyable for everyone, whether they have watched the TV anime version or not, so please look forward to it.
The two who eventually become part of fine
Eichi labels Wataru whom he admires as one of the Five Eccentrics, and Wataru chooses to be subjugated of his own free will. What twist of fate brings these two to the fine of the present—
