Kaltain

aMazINC is a monstrous and captivating three-member group based in Electri City. They’re known for commanding a diverse range of sounds and having an unconventional style. They are a little dangerous and incredibly cool, but, beneath it all, they are funny, kind, and reliable big brother figures.

Lafta Vox (Mike Wazowski)

*Note that this name may not be the correct spelling, since JP isn’t always clear with r/l, c/k, ea/i, etc. differentiation

CV: Tasuku Hatanaka

"I'm a genius when it comes to hard work, y’see. No matter what kind of wall is in my way, I'll clear it with ease!"

His icon is 🎤

The mood maker of aMazINC.

He considers “cool” and “funny” to be the ultimate compliments and always wants to hear them.

Okay, at least they did the bare minimum and covered up one eye with his bangs. I was expecting them to do this or give him an eyepatch to emulate Mike’s single eye; this game’s designs are too safe for them to ever consider throwing out an actual cyclops character. He’s also got sharp teeth like Mike does and sort of unique pupils, so I will accept this. Wonder if he’s actually some kind of non-human…?

While I find the cream of the pants and middle of the hoodie to be kind of plain, I do like the electricity/spark-like bursts of green and purple on the sleeves. I don’t know if I necessarily associate them with Monsters Inc (I think of blue for Sully and green for Mike; the purple screams Randall instead of Sully’s dots), but hey, it works. The little battery-pack shaped necklace is also cute, although the lack of accessories in this group is now jarring compared to the plethora on Neo and co. Maybe little horn-like hair clips would enhance the look and make it feel less empty.

I think I’d still have a hard time deciphering what Disney character this is based on the clothes, but at least the face and hair are more Mike-y. This design definitely reads a little better to me than any of the ones in UPbeats! However, it still reminds me a lot of Enstars designs. More specifically, this guy, right down to the clothing:

This now makes TWO group leads that look ripped off from Enstars 😭 and I don’t know if that’s just a coincidence or not???

His name is… Well. Whenever there is a R/L sound in Japanese, I wonder how to translate the name, since there isn’t a single correct answer. It was between Rafta and Laf…ta… Holy crap, is that just LAUGHTER 🤡 (And this is why I went for the L variant of his name!) And his surname is VOX, like “voice”???? So bro’s name is LAUGHTER VOICE… We’re two for two for group leads with very on-the-nose names too. Gotta admit though, this one’s still more creative than Neo Michel.

What really trips me up here is Lafta’s description. He’s a “mood maker” and likes certain praise. Okay, I don’t think that actually tells me much about his personality other than he’s positive?? And maybe eager to please…? Which doesn’t help him stand out much…

Shuu Ayakashi (James P. Sullivan/Sully)

CV: Daiki Hamano

“Finally, I found this team. What matters the most is that everyone stays healthy and has fun."

His icon is 🥧

The leader of aMazINC (RIP Mike Wazowski).

He is the only son to the prestigious Ayakashi family, and is expected to have a bright future.

Contrary to his imposing appearance, he is actually mild-mannered/gentle and kind.

How did we backtrack what little progress we made with Lafta 💀 I could not tell you this guy is supposed to be Sully at ALL. I was expecting polka dots incorporated into the design somewhere and they completely missed that. I guess the colors of his hair and underlayers say “Sully”, but that’s not enough when the style itself doesn’t.

It looks like they really leaned into the ayakashi inspo for him?? Just based on the wisps on his pants and top. The accessories are either generic spikes or kinda remind me of oni clubs. This wouldn’t have been my first thought when it comes to Sully.

I noticed that this guy has non-human features too?? Like that silver thing sticking out of his head seems to be an actual horn, and he’s got pointed ears like Twst fae do. Will monsters actually be a thing in the Spalik world???

The super Japanese name in the sea of “Englishized” ones is throwing me off 😭 I guess this is to signal his affiliation with a fancy old family, but even it still feels weird to see.

I don’t remember anything Sully other than him being the golden child of the company, so I guess that’s why he’s the leader even though Mike is the one in the center of the group artwork. We see the golden child thing also reflected in Shuu’s high status family. The personality (looks scary, is kind) also fits Sully when he’s on the clock vs off; I just wish this was better conveyed by actually making him look physically intimidating. He should be bigger! Buffer!! Meaner in the face!!

Noah Slugger (Roz)

CV: Yoshiki Nakajima

"When it's time to work, I do. When it's not, I don't. Knowing when to switch gears is important, right?”

His icon is 🎧

The methodical and level-headed mastermind behind aMazINC.

He draws on his wealth of experience, gained over centuries of life as a member of the monster race, to guide Rafta and Shuu with strict yet precise direction.

Me: Okay Lafta isn’t TOO bad, I’ll give Spalik some credit h—

Spalik: She’s giving us too much credit, let’s go back to doing Nothing designs with the remaining 2 group members

I don’t think I have anything to say here???? The design is so… nothing. None of it harkens back to Roz except maybe the mole placement (btw the mole is barely visible) and the vague shape of the glasses. I would at least try to make the glasses more like Roz’s and maybe add squiggles to his hairstyle to allude to the shape of a slug without outright copy-pasting Roz’s hair. Maybe even a slicked back gelled hair look would work, as a reference to slugs’ slim trails.

I’m noticing his outfit has similar wisp patterns as Shuu, but I don’t see those on Lafta’s. Is it maybe because Lafta is the only one not stated to have an extensive background? Or cuz Lafta is the shortest looking one—

“Noah” feels like such a random name, whereas the surname is so… obvious?? “Slugger” is also just funny because it can refer to a strong hitter in baseball or someone who punches you 😭

I was kinda expecting the Roz character to be the serious and calculating “manager” of the group, and I got that part kind of right. His age and wealth of experience are probably meant to reflect how old Roz is and how she oversees the CDA to investigate and weed out corruption. What interests me is that Noah’s description confirms the existence of “monsters” as a race in the Spalik world. They seem to have an extended life expectancy (since Noah himself has lived for hundreds of years) and some different physical traits.

General Thoughts

A lot of the things I said in my UPbeats! commentary post still hold here, including the issues I had with the design philosophy of the game.

I still cannot tell who the majority of the characters are supposed to be, and there seems to be a lack of diversity in terms of character physique. (The Sully guy looks too slender to be considered “intimidating”.)

Shuu is a hot mess (too much is going on with his accessories), Noah is unremarkable, and Lafta is… okay? Lafta is definitely the least offensive design to me.

I thought that Lafta’s name was the most low-effort, but after looking at Shuu and Noah’s names 😂 Lafta’s actually the most high-effort name of the three. I know I ragged on it initially, but the name’s kinda grown on me over the past few days.

I like the purple and green as group colors more than the colors of UPbeats!

Based on the group’s description, it sounds like they may have a more “alt” feel. Maybe they’ll use various synthesizers and cool sound effects in their music?

The biggest reveal here was the confirmation that “monsters” are a race in Spalik. We know so little about them now, but I want to learn more and if there will be a conflict that arises between monsters and humans as a result of their differences.