#unit info

Ichika Hoshino (vocalist/bassist/lyricist)

Ichika has been a bassist since her childhood, having learned from her father and inheriting his bass. It'd been her dream to make music with others, whether for fun or more, and for a while she did with three of her childhood friends. However, when one fell ill and the others broken apart from a fight in middle school, Ichika found herself alone, unable to bring herself to pick up her bass again. That was until she happened upon a Miku song by the faceless composer, K, that helped her find her spark once more.

Kohane Azusawa (drummer/videographer)

Shy and rather timid, Kohane floated through life with no goals or dreams, simply following whatever those around her asked of her. That was until she caught a rock band's performance at a summer festival and the beat of the drums left her heart pounding. She eventually worked up the courage to attend lessons, though quit soon after she overheard others doubting someone as small and quiet as her could ever make it far. The beat never left her, however, and she relegated herself to playing after school alone in an empty music room.

Akito Shinonome (vocalist/guitarist/arranger)

Ever since he saw that rock band perform at that summer festival and later, the farewell live of the band he looked up to the most, Akito dedicated himself to guitar and music with the aim of making it to that same stage. After meeting the very vocalist he admired and being gifted his own electric guitar, he managed to form a band with three others at school. However, a fight over their differences in goals left him alone once more. Trust broken, he vowed to make it there himself, knowing full well that would be an impossible task.

Kanade Yoisaki (backing vocals/synthesizer/composer)

A musical prodigy since she was young, an incident between that very talent and her own father left Kanade wracked with guilt. She poured herself into her music, soft melodies turning heavy and dark, and she began uploading her instrumental and occasionally Miku-lead songs, going by the alias, K. She wishes for her music to resonate with others facing their own struggles, but feels as if there is something missing in her digitally-composed songs, a human element that she alone can't replicate.

Virtual Singer: Miku Hatsune

Spunky, yet cool. She's very sweet with the girls, very encouraging and a good mentor, while with Akito, she loves to ruffle his feathers and bullies him any chance she can get.

Virtual Singer: KAITO

Has the vibe of a reliable older brother. He keeps Miku in check quite often and does his best to be a shoulder to lean on for the band. Very knowledgable in composition and loves treasure hunting in the junk piles.

Initial Impressions (Year 1):

Post Age-Up (Year 2):

🌵 Guchitsubo (ぐちつぼ)

Or saboten. Genkai's leader, one of Japan's biggest streamers and a really, really loud cactus. Self-proclaimed troll monster, the loudest, most talkative member with confidence and determination bordering on madness. He's chaotic, often causing mayhem and confusion just for the love of the game, breaking into random fits for a bit and acting completely unpredictably. Many times this seemingly erratic behavior turns out to be a brilliant strategy - he's actually rather intelligent and at times his genius skills make him a formidable force in Jinrou games. To keep the branding, he's averted to dirty jokes and polices himself when it comes to such topics, even though he finds them funny. He's described as being really tall (182 cm!) and having an appearance so menacing even street gangsters won't approach him. Has a habit of singing to himself a lot, but his only proper solo utattemita is a PowerPoint parody of Hated By Life Itself. about him getting banned on Twitter. On Signal Zero he appeared in a giant 2m tall mascot suit, but for Signal One got on stage proper. Aside from Genkai, he's a member of ZETA Division along with Yakipan (and is actually his kouhai!), associated with Bottom 4 (with Kiriyan, Torippy and Nobaman) and is very close with fellow streamers Radda and Peinto, the three loudest people on the block often streaming together, teaming up at gaming events and hanging out offline. And speaking of events, he has semi-yearly Guchitsubow events for other Genkai Members and World Championships for fellow Kenkou streamers, as well as two Twitch-wide SAVOGE RUST seasons to his name.

*note: you'll probably mostly see him named gutitubo, since japan still commonly uses kunrei-shiki for latin script (hence utu, syaoron, sinigami etc.), but i use hepburn system out of preference

🐰Genpyon (げんぴょん)

Genkai's adult and serious member confidently rocking a bunny suit. He usually speaks in a low, calm voice and is nowhere as loud as Guchitsubo, but has a habit of screaming unexpectedly and suddenly hitting notes so high viewers are warned not to wear headphones. He's described as a tyrant, not shunning away from harsh expressions, but ultimately he is reliable and kind when times need it. He's the only smoker in Genkai, sometimes dubbed Yani Bunny. Aside from streaming, he's doing almost every hobby under the sun - design, DJ-ing (and trying to teach Cino how), singing and meddling with SynthV (he has a VocaDB page!), cooking, building maps and testing his freshly-acquired driving license in GTA 5. He's a backstage helper in many events too, like SAVOGE RUST or Kenkou Minecraft server and even at live shows he tries to give the others a chance to shine - according to Genpyon himself, he likes working behind the scenes.

🌶 Tarako (たらこ）

Don't be fooled like many else, he's a guy and his avatar is a girl just because he feels like it. He's not particularly fond of cod roe (tarako itself) either. Eccentric self-proclaimed idol whose primary hobbies include gaslighting and mental terrorism. He's an incredibly skilled player in many games and particularly enjoys PVP, plus his... let's say unique way of thinking gives him advantage in puzzles and escape maps. He's also a nightmare of a troll both in games and in real life. During his own streams and even with Genkai members he'll probably be up to random things like brushing his teeth, shuffling cards, clipping nails or cleaning his whole appartment (he takes neatnessvery seriously, even licking the floor to prove how clean it is and coming over to Guchitsubo's house to clean out the mess). Him, Yakipan and Gonkane are collectively called sanbaka (三バカ).

☕️ Nsome (んそめ)

Sometimes still called Consome, since words can't start with N in Japanese, and his character has a consomme cup on his head. Scarily athletic (his divine physique has a mythical status among kenkou members), well-educated, calculating and overall reliable all-rounder. Not only is he great at physical activities and trivia, but FPS, horror and action games are not a problem for him too. For a while him, Yakipan and Gonkane were collectively called "genkai substitutes" and even now they often hang out independently from the other three members. Nsome the only one with common sense out of the bunch and has to keep the other two in bay so they don't combust on spot. Don't let his proper image fool you, that's still a Genkai member: he's a crybaby and a habitual poker player (doesn't bet real money, tho), but his trolling attempts are overshadowed by Tarako and Guchitsubo. His personal project hosted with Hection's help, Seisou o Wataru Yado (星霜を渡る宿), revealed his abilities at project organisation and even roleplay (highly recommend!!).

💰 Gonkane (ごんかね)

Gonkane is... truly an enigma. He's airheaded and out of this world in a sense that understanding him, his motives is challenging even for other members and he's been called the worst out of Genkai members a few times. A lot of his remarks and actions come off as bizarre, not helped by his abysmal skill at reading kanji and a soft high voice similar to Yakipan. In public, he's actually very nervous and reserved, relying on his groupmates for support. He's the only member not from around Kanto, so he barely appears in hangouts and live-action videos. His alien character and name are derived from an Ultra character named Kanegon that got verlan-ed for legal reasons. Also, he has three cats who interrupt him during streams sometimes and he makes sure to meow back.

(i try my best to use illustrations from stream backgrounds/channel headers but i swear this man has NOTHING so sorry if this looks clunky i'm working with what i have. also theres like zero merch from him cuz he doesn't work with shops like village vanguard so he's the first one to get sold out at most events ww)

🍞 Yakipan (焼きパン)

Aka Varvalian. Very naive and charming, he really is like a soft warm bun! He's absolutely adorable both in games and real life, other members have commented on his disarming cuteness more than once. He's a ditzy airhead who gets lost easily and is the primary target of other members' pranks. Some say it's a miracle a pure soul like him ended up in this marginal gang, but don't let his cutesy aloofness fool you - he can turn into a relentless psychopath in time's notice without even going out of character. He's also pretty smart and the one holding academic exams for other members (which they usually fail spectacularly). He's a professional cyber athlete associated with ZETA Division and a common guest on cybersport events for Valorant and APEX, and outside of that he has been ranked a number one osu! player in Japan. His mascot is a tiny penguin with a red scarf, and his name is shortened from "yakisoba pan".

Notable projects and associates

Shizuku Hinomori

After becoming an idol at the suggestion of a friend and making her way to becoming the center of her unit, Shizuku found she was only being judged by her looks rather than the work she had been putting in. Through that journey, she found a love for costuming and how different outfits could make her feel like a completely different person on stage. After quitting the idol industry, she began to think about how she could move forward with her new found love of costume design.

Emu Ootori

Daughter of the head of Pheonix Wonderland, Emu spent the majority of her childhood surrounded by entertainment. After her grandfather passed, entrusting the future of the Wonder Stage to her, she did her best to keep the modest performance area attractive to guests, but it unfortunately began to fall by the wayside. Upon meeting the eccentric storyteller Rui, the two hit it off and work together to bring the Wonder Stage back to its former glory.

Mafuyu Asahina

When she was younger, Mafuyu had seen a play that sparked her dream to become an actress herself. However, as she voiced those wishes, her mother urged her to choose a more secure future as a doctor. Emotionally beaten down over years, Mafuyu eventually forgot her love of theatre, now unsure of why performances and scripts cause her heart to ache.

Rui Kamishiro

Rui had been creating stories since childhood, using his coinciding interest in robotics to build small toys to aid in his tales. His performances often got out of hand, causing those around him to shun him. That passion never wavered, however, and he went on to host street performances, often within Pheonix Wonderland, much to the chagrin of security. Upon meeting Emu, with whom he found a kindred spirit, he agreed to help her bring back the joy to the Wonder Stage.

Virtual Singer: Miku Hatsune

A princess who cares for Mafuyu, hoping to guide her through her fantasies and find her true self once again. Sweet and fun-loving, she is grateful to the others for wanting to help Mafuyu as well.

Virtual Singer: MEIKO

Rather cold on the exterior, she stands guard for both Miku and Mafuyu, initially skeptical of the others who stumbled into Mafuyu's SEKAI. Deep down, she cares greatly for their wellbeing, and becomes a pillar for the troupe.

Saki Tenma

From learning piano at a young age and being in a short-term band with her childhood friends, Saki was always inclined to music. When she was hospitalized, she happened to catch a TV viewing of an idol group and she fell in love with everything about the genre. Once released and in awe of her brother's dedication to the promise he made to her, she herself was determined to become an idol in hopes of helping others the way idols helped her.

Tsukasa Tenma

Seeing his sister's love for idols and how they made her smile while hospitalized, Tsukasa made Saki a promise to become the greatest idol that would give her hope. Over the few years since, he'd taken up dance and singing lessons and applied to various agencies to better understand the world of idols, though never made it past any auditions. Upon Saki's release and learning of her wish to join him as an idol, they formed the underground duo Sunny☆Star.

Minori Hanasato

Minori became a superfan of idols when she happened to catch a TV broadcast and heard the words of encouragement that she needed at that time. From then, she delved into the world of underground idols, going by the alias Clover online and keeping up with new groups in the scene. She dreamed of becoming an idol herself, applying and failing many auditions, yet always remembered the idol's words that brought her so far and the encouragement from her online friend Amia.

Mizuki Akiyama

Obsessed with anything cute, Mizuki naturally gravitated to the world of idols. She is especially fond of underground idols and immerses herself in online circles under the name Amia. She often posts dance covers as well, though is not particularly well known. While the two have never met in person and only know each other by their online names, she is friends with Minori and encourages her to fight for her dream of being an idol, holding back on entertaining her own wish to be one too.

Virtual Singer: Miku Hatsune

Very bubbly and is always coming up with new ideas for costume and stage design. She seems a little air-headed, but is very perceptive and down-to-earth when the situation calls for it.

Virtual Singer: Len Kagamine

Always tries to act older than he seems, but caves easily to Miku's wild ideas for a while before catching himself. He's very skilled in choreography, though lacks in the fanservice department, try as he might.

Toya Aoyagi

Toya had been trained in classical music since his youth, and while he initially enjoyed it, eventually came to despise it as the overbearing pressure from his father weighed on him. He rebelled, turning to join an indie rock band as a bassist. His motivation in doing so, however, led him to doubt his passion and, while caught in the middle of an argument between his bandmates, he chose to run once again.

Nene Kusanagi

Having seen a performance by a musical artist when she was younger, Nene dreamed of becoming a singer herself. Earnest studying managed to land her the lead role in a musical until it all fell apart when her voice broke and she forgot her lines. Utterly discouraged and feeling like a burden for ruining the performance for her castmates, Nene withdrew, pouring herself into games and trying to forget the dream she longed for.

Haruka Kiritani

A former member of the popular idol unit ASRUN, Haruka only wished to bring hope to her audience through music. When her words of encouragement to one of her groupmates backfired, she began to question whether it was right for her to be pushing such a message to those she knew, let alone her fans. She quit the industry, choosing to lock her voice away and fade into obscurity.

Honami Mochizuki

As a drummer in her youth, Honami had been in a band with her childhood friends until one fell ill. Caught in the middle of a confrontation between the remaining two, her indecision led her to drift away from them. Kind to a fault, Honami did everything to please those around her, leading classmates to abuse that kindness. She works as a part-time janitor in the condo where Toya's family lives, thus the two have met in passing, exchanging nothing more than a brief greeting.

Virtual Singer: Miku Hatsune

Soft and gentle, she wants nothing more than to see the four acknowledge their true selves. She comforted Honami alone until Luka and others joined them.

Virtual Singer: Luka Megurine

Level headed and has somewhat of a big sister air about her. She often has to find Miku when she gets lost in the SEKAI. Always knows the right advice to give to help the four on their way.

ignite's came almost instantly when i started thinking about what type of font i wanted. i knew i wanted san-serif and a fire motif, so once i realized if i italicised it, the beginning I looks like a match being struck; hence 'ignite' (big brain moment huhu). the line through it to make the match was actually inspired by the font linkin park used for hybrid theory (not the only time you're gonna hear me yap about LP with this AU). the flame is the same style as on the fuel outfits.

pashopara's also came to me pretty easily. knew i wanted tsukasa's fuckass flag to be included, so it just made sense to have the word 'parade' look like a parade. when i made custom profiles for each unit, yuruka was one of the ones i used for pashopara's. the cute, fun style lends well to their vibe. the block colouring on the letters is also a ref to mmj's logo.

neogura's was the second one i made a concept for after ignite, and continued to just be pretty literal with the font style, having 'neon' be like neon tubes and 'graffiti' look like it's spraypainted. kinda like a neon sign hanging above some graffiti art on a wall, which is pretty much neogura's whole sekai. very reminiscent of vbs' logo. the gradient is their image colours, going airi > ena > shiho > an.

fantayori's was...... tough, so have a dump of my thoughts lol they've got more of a 25ji vibe about them than wxs, so i wanted something a little more mature-feeling. i spent hours scrolling through fantasy-like fonts and seeing what they looked like with the name and this one (starstruck fyi) just felt the most right. the meaningful part comes in the diamonds/sparkles.

starstruck's Q looks honestly like an O with a swirl, so i used that to make a connection from top to bottom. the colours and placement along the path are intentional as well; emu's connects to rui (he was the first she invited), emu and shizuku being together on the T (emu was also the one to invite her), and shizuku connects to mafuyu hiding by the S at the bottom (as she was the one to convince her and pull her up). this design miiiight change if i come up with something different for the japanese version (they're the token full-japanese-name-a-la-25ji).

Ena Shinonome

Discouraged from following the fine art path by the very father she looked up to, Ena took to staying out of the house as much as possible to avoid contact with him. She happened upon Vivid Street during one of those days and, seeing the graffiti decorating the buildings' walls, began experimenting with the same art form as a rebellious outlet. She'd been best friends with Airi since middle school, supporting her through her idol journey and the subsequent fall out.

Airi Momoi

When she was younger, Airi had been enamoured by the way idols were able to hype up and interact with their audience, and she wanted to become one to give others the same feelings she had as a fan. She soon achieved that dream, though was eventually relagated to variety shows instead of the stage. Airi still wished to get back out there and perform, hopefully without the hassle of agencies dictating her every move, but had no idea where she could start.

An Shiraishi

Surrounded by music since she was born, An knew she would follow in her father's footsteps and host a legendary event of her own. The shadow he cast, however, left the much of the town referring to her as merely the daughter of that legacy. Determinded to break past that and encouraged to do so by her own father, An knew she would need more than just herself to pull off that daunting ambition.

Shiho Hinomori

A former guitarist under her father's wing since childhood, Shiho once formed a band with three of her childhood friends. When one fell ill, her relationship with the others became strained, something she still blames herself for. Around that time, she gained a further interest in music production and mixing, encouraged by a veteran DJ introduced to her by her father. Shiho aims for the professional scene and cuts no corners to achieve that dream, even if it means going at it alone.

Virtual Singer: Miku Hatsune

The reliable, older sister type. Effortlessly cool when performing, and always ready to lend an ear to the girls when they need it.

Virtual Singer: Rin Kagamine

High energy and competitive, she's always on the move and loves taking center stage.