#Hiroyuki Sakurada

[parakindo707]

[hakonohanayome]

Paradise Kiss - Ai Yazawa

[lilium-dragomir]

[mangolon]

Seasons of Kamen Rider Where a Rider’s Actor Sang a Song

1971

Hiroshi Fujioka (Takeshi Hongo) sings the first opening for Kamen Rider - Let’s Go! Rider Kick!

1973

Hiroshi Miyauchi (Shiro Kazami) sings the opening for Kamen Rider V3 - Tatakae! Kamen Rider V3

1980

Shunsuke Takasugi (Kazuya Oki) sings the opening for Kamen Rider Super-1 - Kamen Rider Super-1

Shunsuke Takasugi (Kazuya Oki) sings the first ending song for Kamen Rider Super-1 - Hi o Fuke Rider Ken

1987

Tetsuo Kurata (Kohtaro Minami) sings the opening for Kamen Rider Black - Kamen Rider Black

Tetsuo Kurata (Kohtaro Minami) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider Black: Hurry to Onigashima -  Ore no Seishun

1988

Tetsuo Kurata (Kohtaro Minami) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Black RX - Kuroi Yuusha

2002

Satoshi Matsuda (Ren Akiyama) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ryuki - Lonely Soldier

Ryohei Odai (Shuichi Kitaoka) duets with Tomohisa Yuge (Goro Yura) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ryuki - Dear Friend

Ryohei Odai (Shuichi Kitaoka) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ryuki - Kienai Niji

Takashi Hagino (Takeshi Asakura) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ryuki - Spinnin’ Around

2003

Masayuki Izumi (Yuji Kiba) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Faiz - Cross a river

Mitsuru Karahashi (Naoya Kaido) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Faiz - Yume No Kakera ~ Romantico

Yuria Haga (Smart Queen) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Faiz - I wish

Yuria Haga (Smart Queen) duets with Yoshika Kato for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Faiz - Taiyou no Kage Tsuki no Yoru

Ken Mizorogi (Keitaro Kikuchi) sings an insert song for Kamen Rider Faiz - Hang on

In 2018, Kento Handa (Takumi Inui) and Kohei Murakami (Masato Kusaka) sing a cover of the opening for Kamen Rider Faiz - Justifaiz

In 2020, Kohei Murakami (Masato Kusaka) sings a cover of an insert song for Kamen Rider Faiz - Existence ~KAIXA-nized dice

In 2020, Kohei Murakami (Masato Kusaka) sings a cover of an insert song for Kamen Rider Faiz - Red Rock

In 2023, Kohei Murakami (Masato Kusaka) duets with Masahiro Inoue (Tsukasa Kadoya) for a cover of the opening for Kamen Rider Faiz - Jusitfaiz - Kaixa Day Ver.

2004

Kousei Amano (Sakuya Tachibana) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Blade - Rebirth

Ryoji Morimoto (Hajime Aikawa) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Blade - Take it A Try

Takayuki Tsubaki (Kazuma Kenzaki) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Blade - Wanna Be Strong

Takayuki Tsubaki (Kazuma Kenzaki) duets with Terunosuke Takezai for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Blade - Shout it Out

Takahiro Hojo (Mutsuki Kamijo) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Blade - Hero

2006

Yuki Sato (Arata Kagami) sings alongside RIDER CHIPS for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kabuto - LORD OF THE SPEED

2007

Toshihiko Seki (Momotaros), Koji Yusa (Urataros), Masaki Terasoma (Kintaros) and Kenichi Suzumura (Ryutaros) all sing the second opening for Kamen Rider Den-O - Climax JUMP Den-LINER Form

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) duets with Toshihiko Seki (Momotaros) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O - Double-Action Sword Form

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) duets with Koji Yusa (Urataros) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O -  Double-Action Rod Form

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) duets with Masaki Terasoma (Kintaros) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O -  Double-Action Ax Form

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) duets with Kenichi Suzumura (Ryutaros) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O -  Double-Action Gun Form

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) duets with Shin-ichiro Miki (Sieg) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O - Double-Action Wing Form

Toshihiko Seki (Momotaros), Koji Yusa (Urataros), Masaki Terasoma (Kintaros), Kenichi Suzumura (Ryutaros) and Hochu Otsuka (Deneb) all sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O - Double-Action Climax Form

Dori Sakurada (Kotaro Nogami) duets with Daisuke Ono (Teddy) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O - Double-Action Strike Form

Hiroyuki Watanabe (Gaoh) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O: Ore Tanjou! - Double-Action Gaoh Form

Yuuichi Nakamura (Yuto Sakurai) duets with Hochu Otsuka (Deneb) for an insert theme from Kamen Rider Den-O - Action-ZERO

Takeru Satoh (Ryotaro Nogami) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Den-O - Real-Action

In 2010, Yuuichi Nakamura (Yuto Sakurai) duets with Hochu Otsuka (Deneb) for the opening for Chou Den-O Episode Red: Zero no Star Twinkle - Action-ZERO 2010

2008

The band TETRA-FANG is created to create music for Kamen Rider Kiva, with Koji Seto (Wataru Kurenai) on vocals

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Destiny’s Play

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Individual-System

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Shout in the Moonlight

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Innocent Trap

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Supernova

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Roots of the King

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Silent Shout

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Message

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Rainy Rose

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Exterminate Time

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen RIder Kiva - Eternity Blood

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - No Matter Who You Are

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Prayer~Message 2

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Beginning~Message 3

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Mind Garden

TETRA-FANG performs an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Lightning to Heaven

Koji Seto (Wataru Kurenai) is a featuring artist with Crimson-Fang, singing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - With you

Keisuke Kato (Keisuke Nago) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Fight for Justice

Keisuke Kato (Keisuke Nago) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Don’t Lose Yourself

Kouhei Takeda (Otoya Kurenai) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - This love never ends

Yu Takahashi (Yuri Aso) duets with Nana Yanagisawa (Megumi Aso) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Feel the same

Keisuke Kato (Keisuke Nago) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - IXA-cise

Kenji Matsuda (Jiro) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Keep alive

Yu Takahashi (Yuri Aso), Kouhei Takeda (Otoya Kurenai), Nana Yanagisawa (Megumi Aso) and Keisuke Kato (Keisuke Nago) all sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Kiva - Inherited-System

2009

Masahiro Inoue (Tsukasa Kadoya) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Decade - Ride the Wind

Kimito Totani (Daiki Kaito) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Decade - Treasure Sniper

In 2021, Masahiro Inoue (Tsukasa Kadoya) covers the opening of Kamen Rider Decade - Journey Through the Decade

In 2021, Masahiro Inoue (Tsukasa Kadoya) duets with So Okuno (Sougo Tokiwa) on the ending theme of Rider Time: Kamen Rider Decade vs. Zi-O - Decade Mansion’s Death Game - INSIDE-OUT Decade ver.

Koji Kikkawa (Sokichi Narumi) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider W - Nobody’s Perfect

Renn Kiriyama (Shotaro Hidari) and Masaki Suda (Philip) perform an in-universe cover of an insert theme for Kamen Rider W - Finger on the Trigger

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Katsumi Daido) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate - W

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Katsumi Daido) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider W Returns: Kamen Rider Eternal - cod E ~E no Angou

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Katsumi Daido) with Koji Kikkawa (Sokichi Narumi) for the chorus sings the ending theme for Fuuto PI - Tsumi to Batsu to Underground

2010

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings alongside Maki Oguro for the opening for Kamen Rider OOO - Anything Goes! Special Edit

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider OOO - Regret Nothing ~ Tighten Up

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider OOO - Got to Keep It Real

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider OOO - Ride On Right Time

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider OOO - Sun Goes Up

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) duets with Ryosuke Miura (Ankh) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider OOO - Time Judged All

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider OOO - Shout Out

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) duets with Akira Kushida for an insert theme of Kamen Rider OOO - Power to Tearer

Hiroaki Iwanaga (Akira Date) duets with Asaya Kimijima (Shintaro Goto) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider OOO - Reverse/Re:birth

Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) and Ryosuke Miura (Ankh) sing alongside Ken Matsudaira for the ending theme of Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful: the Shogun and 21 Core Medals - Ole! Te wo Tsunagou

In 2019, Shu Watanabe (Eiji Hino) duets with Ryosuke Miura (Ankh) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders - Time Judged All ~ 8 Years Later

2013

Gaku Sano (Kouta Kazuraba) sings an insert theme of Kamen Rider Gaim - Rise Up Your Flag

Yutaka Kobayashi (Kaito Kumon) sings an insert theme of Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Baron - Unperfected World

Mahiro Takasugi (Mitsuzane Kureshima) sings an insert theme of Kamen Rider Gaim - Point of No Return

Gaku Sano (Kouta Kazuraba) duets with Yutaka Kobayashi (Kaito Kumon) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider Gaim - Ranbu Escalation

Yutaka Kobayashi (Kaito Kumon) sings alongside Gaku Matsuda (Zack) and Saku Momose (Peko) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gaim - Never Surrender

Yutaka Kobayashi (Kaito Kumon) sings alongside Gaku Matsuda (Zack) and Saku Momose (Peko) for an insert theme for Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Knuckle - Dance With Me

2014

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Yongo) sings the opening for Kamen Rider Drive - SURPRISE-DRIVE

Ryoma Takeuchi (Shinnosuke Tomari) sings alonside Yuu Inaba (Go Shijima) and Taiko Katono (Chase) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider Drive - Spinning Wheel

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Yongo) sings the ending theme for D-Video Special: Kamen Rider Yongo - time

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Yongo) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future - re-ray

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Yongo) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider Drive Saga: Kamen Rider Chaser - good bye little moon

Mitsuru Matsuoka (Yongo) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider Drive Saga: Kamen Rider Mach and Kamen Rider Heart - eternity (~from SURPRISE-DRIVE)

2016

Ruka Matsuda (Poppy Pipopapo) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - Pinple Pell

Ruka Matsuda (Poppy Pipopapo) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - PEOPLE GAME

Ruka Matsuda (Poppy Pipopapo) sings the ending song for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Trilogy: Another Ending - Para-DX and Poppy - Real Heart

Hiroyuki Takami (Masamune Dan) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - JUSTICE

Hiroyuki Takami (Masamune Dan) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid - Wish in the dark

Hiroyuki Takami (Masamune Dan) sings the theme song for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Trilogy: Another Ending - Genm vs. Lazer - Believer

Hiroyuki Takami (Masamune Dan) sings the theme song for Kamen Rider Genms - The Presidents - GAME CHANGER

2018

ISSA (SOUGO) is a featuring artist on Shuta Shueyoshi of AAA, singing the opening for Kamen Rider Zi-O - Over “Quartzer”

So Okuno (Sougo Tokiwa) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Zi-O - Zi-O, Toki no Ouja

Gaku Oshida (Geiz Myokoin) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Zi-O - FUTURE GUARDIAN

Keisuke Watanabe (Woz/White Woz) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Zi-O - Black&White

Shieri Ohata (Alpina Tsukuyomi) sings alongside Kamen Rider Girls an insert theme for Kamen Rider Zi-O - Tsuki no Michiru Toki

Hideya Tawada (Rentaro Kagura) sings alongside Sakuramen for the opening for Rider Time: Kamen Rider Shinobi - IZANAGI

ISSA (SOUGO) sings alongside Masayuki Tanaka, Shinichi Ishihara, Rica Matsumoto, Nanase Aikawa, Akira Fuse, YU-KI, AAA, Tourbillon, Gackt, Aya Kamiki, Takuya, Maki Oguro, Anna Tsuchiya, Shou Kiryuuin, Shonen no Kaze, Mitsuru Matsuoka, Kishidan, Daichi Miura and Beverly for the opening for Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever - Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever Medley D.A. Re-Build Mix

In 2021, So Okuno (Sougo Tokiwa) duets with Masahiro Inoue (Tsukasa Kadoya) for the ending theme of Kamen Rider Zi-O vs. Decade - 7 of Zi-O! - INSIDE-OUT Zi-O ver.

2019

Manyard and Blaise Plant (MetsubouJinrai), the lead singers of MONKEY MAJIK, sing the ending theme of Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider MetsubouJinrai - S.O.S.

Manyard and Blaise Plant (MetsubouJinrai), the lead singers of MONKEY MAJIK, sing the ending theme of Zero-One Others: Kamen Rider Vulcan and Valkyrie - Frontier

2020

Syuichiro Naito (Touma Kamiyama), Takaya Yamaguchi (Rintaro Shindo) and Ryo Aoki (Kento Fukamiya) all sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Saber - Rewrite the Story

Rina Chinen (Sophia) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Saber - Story never ends

Syuichiro Naito (Touma Kamiyama), Takaya Yamaguchi (Rintaro Shindo) and Ryo Aoki (Kento Fukamiya) sing alongside Asuka Kawazu for the ending theme of Kamen Rider Saber: Trio of Deep Sin - Bittersweet

Robin Furuya (Storious) sings alongside Kairu Takano and Koji Saikawa for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Saber - Rock Scissors Paper

2021

Subaru Kimura (Vice) is a featuring artist on Da-iCE, singing the opening for Kamen Rider Revice - liveDevil

Kentaro Maeda (Ikki Igarashi), Wataru Hyuga (Daiji Igarashi) and Ayaka Imoto (Sakura Igarashi) with backing vocals by Subaru Kimura (Vice) sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - Go with the flo

Kentaro Maeda (Ikki Igarashi) and Subaru Kimura (Vice) sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - VOLCANO

Kentaro Maeda (Ikki Igarashi) duets with Junya Komatsu (Hiromi Kadota) for the ending theme of Kamen Rider Revice the Mystery - Without You

Junya Komatsu (Hiromi Kadota) sings the ending theme for Kamen Rider Revice: Dear GAGA - Without You Dear GAGA ver.

Wataru Hyuga (Daiji Igarashi/Kagerou) sings an insert theme of Kamen Rider Revice - Mirage Mirror

Ayaka Imoto (Sakura Igarashi) duets with Miku Ito (Lovekov) for an insert theme of Kamen Rider Revice - Cherry-ish!

Subaru Kimura (Vice) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - #GekiyaVice

Hikari Kabashima (Hana Natsuki) sings the ending theme of Kamen Rider Jeanne and Kamen Rider Aguilera With Girls Remix - Riot in bloom

Subaru Kimura (Vice) is a featuring artist on Da-iCE, singing the ending theme for Kamen Rider Revice: Battle Familia - Dance Dance

Noritaka Hamao (George Karizaki) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - George Karizaki’s Rider System

Noritaka Hamao (George Karizaki) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - George Karizaki’s Rider System Dark ver.

Kentaro Maeda (Ikki Igarashi) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Revice - Kimi wa Sono Mama de

Wataru Hyuga (Daiji Igarashi/Kagerou) duets with Junya Komatsu (Hiromi Kadota) for the opening theme for Kamen Rider Revice Forward: Kamen Rider Live & Evil & Demons - Come alive

Kentaro Maeda (Ikki Igarashi), Wataru Hyuga (Daiji Igarashi/Kagerou), Ayaka Imoto (Sakura Igarashi), Junya Komatsu (Hiromi Kadota), Hayata Seki (Olteca), Kurodo Hachijoin (Go Tamaki), Hikari Kabashima (Hana Natsuki) and Noritaka Hamao (George Karizaki) all sing the ending theme for Kamen Rider Revice Forward: Kamen Rider Live & Evil & Demons - Love yourself

Noritaka Hamao (George Karizaki) duets with Hayata Seki (Olteca) for an ending theme for Kamen Rider Juuga VS Kamen Rider Olteca - Itoshi no Frenemy

2022

Hideyoshi Kan (Ace Ukiyo) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Star of the Stars of the Stars

Ryuga Sato (Keiwa Sakurai) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - I Peace

Yuna Hoshino (Neon Kurama) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Beat of My Life

Kazuto Mokudai (Michinaga Azuma) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Undead Fire

Hideyoshi Kan (Ace Ukiyo) duets with Fuku Suzuki (Ziin) for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Live for the moment

Weather Hearts, which has Tsubasa Sakiyama (Win Hareruya) and Kaname Futaba (Hiroki Amamiya) on vocals, performs an insert theme for Geats Extra: Kamen Rider PunkJack - ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ PUNK KING

Ryo Kitamura (Niram) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Non-fiction

Kazuto Mokudai (Michinaga Azuma), Ayaka Namiki (Beroba), Dai Goto (Daichi Isuzu) and Shihou Harumi all sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - Odds n’ Ends

Ryuga Sato (Keiwa Sakurai) duets with Hideya Tawada (Rentaro Kagura) for the opening theme for Geats Extra: Kamen Rider Tycoon Meets Kamen Rider Shinobi - IZANAGI Geats ver.

Ryuga Sato (Keiwa Sakurai) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Geats - IZANAGI - Ballad Version

Hideyoshi Kan (Ace Ukiyo), Ryuga Sato (Keiwa Sakurai), Yuna Hoshino (Neon Kurama) and Kazuto Mokudai (Michinaga Azuma) all sing alongside Kokoro Aoshima for the opening theme for Kamen Rider Geats: Jyamato Awakening - CREATORs

2023

Junsei Motojima (Houtarou Ichinose), Reiyo Matsumoto (Rinne Kudo/Mercurin), Yasunari Fujibayashi (Spanner Kurogane/Jupitta), Oto Abe (Kinkiravina), Rikia Tomizono (Sabimaru Tsuruhara/Televi), Alisa Sakamaki (Lachesis/Buglesia), Kanon Miyahara (Clotho/Vanfenrir), Rikuto Kumaki (Minato/Sayzombie) and Amon Kabe (Firemars) sing alongside Saki Fukuda and BACK-ON for the opening of Kamen Rider Gotchard - CHEMY × STORY - Gotcha Version

Jyutaro Yamanaka (Zukyumpire) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Kimi ni Zukkyun

Seiichiro Nagata (Houou Kaguya Quartz) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Living Legend

Junsei Motojima (Houtarou Ichinose), Reiyo Matsumoto (Rinne Kudo/Mercurin), Rikiya Tomizono (Sabimaru Tsuruhara/Televi) and Oto Abe (Kinkiravina) all sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Gotcha! Let’s Go!

Yasunari Fujibayashi (Spanner Kurogane/Jupitta) sings alongside Saki Fukuda for an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Blaze up

Rikuto Kumaki (Minato/Sayzombie) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - One Hint

Junsei Motojima (Houtarou Ichinose) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Dream Hoper

Alisa Sakamaki (Lachesis/Buglesia) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Sunao ni I love you O

Kanji Ishimaru (Fuuga Kudo) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - Kaze no Shugousha

Itono Okita (Atropos), Kanon Miyahara (Clotho/Vanfenrir) and Alisa Sakamaki (Lachesis/Buglesia) sing an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - CRY SIS

Kenta Kamakiri (Geryon) sings an insert theme for Kamen Rider Gotchard - God’s Rain

[kaibutsushidousha]

Memory in Children: Mechanical Choices (Sagrada Reset 3) - Epilogue

[INDEX]

Two years ago, on April 28th, Asai Kei met Souma Sumire.

It was around 6 PM on the tetrapods.

2 years and 142 days later, the two were on the tetrapods again.

Considering the time erased by Resets, that gap would be longer. But regardless, the two were together again on August 28th.

This time they were in opposite positions. Souma was sitting on the tetrapods and Kei walked to her.

If she were on the rooftop of the southern school building, he would have brought Haruki with him, but since Souma was on the tetrapods, Kei came alone.

It was around 6 PM, just like when they first met. But since they were in a different season, the color of the sky was completely different. The tetrapods were engulfed by the sunset on April 28th, 6 PM. But on August 28th, despite the sun starting to sink, the sky was still blue. Things aren't like they were back then.

Seeing Kei's standing figure on the tetrapods, Souma smiled.

"Hi, Kei."

Souma's voice. As leisurely as it was 2 years before.

Kei laughed, baffled.

"Hi. It's been a long time, but not to you, I guess."

"Yeah, to me it feels like we met 3 days ago."

"When was that?"

"In my mind, Mari's mother tried to leave Sakurada 3 days ago."

"Ok, that's all sorted then."

Mari's mother tried to leave Sakurada on August 13th. Three days after it was—August 16th. That was when Sasano Hiroyuki photographed Souma Sumire.

Kei put his hands on the ground and sat next to Souma. It was like he was retracing her every movement.

"You've grown a lot taller. I'm a bit surprised."

"It's because I used to be short. Now I'm my class' average."

"How have you been doing in these past two years?"

"It's been alright. A lot happened. Both nice things and tragic things."

"Are you getting along better with Haruki?"

"A lot better than 2 years ago. Haruki changed. She's a pretty normal girl now. And she'll still change more."

"Yeah."

Souma smiled. A regular smile with no good or ill intent.

"Are you fine with that, Kei?"

It wasn't a question he'd hesitate to say yes.

"Of course. It's great that this is happening."

And yet, Souma disagreed.

"But didn't you fall in love specifically with the Haruki from 2 years ago? The invariably simple girl with a sense of self? Didn't you fall in love specifically with the girl who resembled the concept of pure good?"

"I'm not sure. I don't remember anymore."

Souma put on an amused smile. She had many smile variations.

"I can tell you went through many different experiences and got quite strong."

Kei didn't clearly understand what she meant by "strong". He thought he knew before but he could tell that he was misunderstanding it. It was difficult to understand the meaning of strength when all your previous knowledge of it was wrong, he thought.

Since he couldn't tell, his answer wasn't a yes or a no.

"I can at least tell that I changed in some way."

"Do you have an example?"

(Do I...?)

After some pause, Kei answered:

"If a girl invited me to watch the sunset with her, I wouldn't refuse."

"Even if you have a novel to finish?"

"Yeah. I can take my time to read after it's dark and I'm back home."

(What would have changed if I had gone to watch the sunset with Souma on the day of our last conversation? Would I have managed to get a deeper understanding of her?)

"I have two questions for you.", Kei brought up.

"Only two?"

"For now. Two are enough as a starting point."

"Fine by me. Then what's the first?"

"It's about something that happened two years ago, before you fell into the river. You recorded your voice to send to yourself with Tomoki's ability."

ー Can you hear my voice?

Souma sent this simple message to herself two years in the future.

"I did, what about it?"

"I never got to hear the exact time. When you will get the message?"

Souma Sumire shifted her gaze to her thin wristwatch.

"In about 5 minutes from now. I set it for 6:30 today."

"Makes sense."

Now he could tell why she prepared that.

It's the Swampman question. Was the girl in front of him the real Souma Sumire or someone else who just happened to be identical in every way? She had the tools necessary to get a concrete answer. If she was Souma Sumire, she would get the message addressed to her. And if she wasn't, she wouldn't.

(That must be what this is about.)

"And what's the second question?", Souma tilted her head.

Kei nodded and asked:

"Why did you die?"

An accident is not a reason to die when one has Future Sight as their ability.

She chose her death. In cold blood. Immediately after a Reset. She intentionally timed her death in a way Kei and Haruki's powers combined couldn't hinder it.

Despite the dark subject, the sky's blue remained as clear, deep, and quiet as always. Souma's answer had the same tone as this sky.

"She had her reasons why her death was necessary."

The girl sitting next to Kei said "She".

She referred to the Souma from two years ago as "She".

"Reasons necessitating death.", Kei repeated dodging the pronoun detail.

"Yes. Reasons to die a sudden and sloppy death that would look like an accident."

"But you're here now."

Just as Souma Sumire planned two years ago. It wasn't an ordinary suicide since she went out of her way to revive later. What was the need to die?

"Everything was necessary. Both her death and the origin of her clone, me."

"Why?"

"That's a secret. Let me keep it to myself. It won't be for long."

He didn't even want to imagine what reasons would necessitate a girl's death.

But he had to. Because Souma Sumire died. Even if the girl next to him is the real Souma Sumire, it doesn't change that she died once.

"You have the right to hate me. I did enough to deserve it.", she mumbled with hints of solitude.

He didn't have an immediate answer.

Souma Sumire's death scarred Haruki—or to be more accurate, Kei was the one scarred by her death. But hurting Kei simultaneously hurt Haruki. So much so that it distorted her ability. It scarred Haruki so bad that she could no longer use her ability by her own command.

Souma knew this would happen. She knew everything.

Kei sighed and agreed.

"Right. I can't forgive you."

What she did wasn't justifiable.

Souma slightly lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry. I mean it. But I really had to. I can't stop what was set in motion, even though it hurt you and will still hurt you more."

(Of course it will. She chose to die and come back to life. That can't be the end of the insanity. It was obvious there was more to come.)

Kei looked into her eyes with a prayer in his heart.

"What's your goal?"

She lowered her eyelids before speaking.

"Say, Kei, do you know why I named the black stone MacGuffin?"

The MacGuffin. The stone used to unite Kei with the persons with the necessary abilities and to indicate Souma's machinations. A worthless pebble, just charged with overblown rumors.

"A MacGuffin is the prop that invites the protagonist to the plot."

The plot device that leads a specific individual to where they can be the story's protagonist. A MacGuffin could be a mysterious suitcase forced on their hands, an indecipherable letter, or anything of the sort.

Souma nodded.

"I chose you to be the protagonist of the story I arranged. Every event this far has been in preparation for that."

"And what's the plot you prepared?"

That was her goal.

A girl's reason to die and come back to life.

"If you got that black stone, then you already know."

Under that painfully blue sky...

Souma watched Kei with eyes deep as the sky itself.

"The owner of the MacGuffin will control all abilities in Sakurada."

What she said was overblown.

Absurd.

Kei sighed again. (Not very convincing.), he thought.

Next, he asked:

"Did you get to hear your voice?"

Souma Sumire's voice from two years ago. ー Can you hear my voice?

It was already past 6:30. She already had her answer.

She slightly tilted her head.

"Which do you want the answer to be?"

Late to the job, the lowest part of the sky was starting to turn red.

"I'm sure your choice will be the right one."

Her voice was quiet, but certain.

[vrysrsimportanttokushipbracket]

Total Vote Count!

Some final data for a true Eurovision style ending; counting up the votes themselves to see what the final placement is!

So, Who has the most dedicated fanbase?

Junichi Chouno/Tsubaki Shuuichi - 6 Kazuki Komon/Jun Himeya, Matoi Tatsumi/Yuji Kudo, Kouta Fukuda/Makoto Shidou - 14 Kiriya Kujou/Graphite - 19 Daimon Tatsumi/Eiji Nagase - 20 Shinji Kido/Shiro Kanzaki, Hayato Ichimonji/Amazon - 21 Parad/Kuroto Dan, Sougo Tokiwa/Woz - 22 Chihiro/Hiroki Nagase, Yuka Osada/Keitaro Kikuchi, Kuroto Dan/Emu Hojo - 25 Hikari Nonomura/Haru Tokashiki - 26 Right Suzuki/Z, Jun Maehara/Ryuusuke Ootaki - 27 Long/Rio - 29 Sosuke Esumi/Renn Kousaka, Kaoru Kino/Koji Majima - 34 Mirai Hibino/Ryu Aihara - 37 Belial/Kei Fukuide, Miyuki Tezuka/Jun Shibaura - 39 Tatsuya Asami/Ayase - 43 Lucky/Stinger - 49 Shou Tatsumi/Big Douser - 50 Kiriya Kujou/Emu Hojo - 55 Gunpei Ishihara/Hant Jou - 56 Matsuri Tatsumi/Denus, Basco ta Jolokia/Captain Marvelous - 57 Miyuki Tezuka/Ren Akiyama - 59 Haruka Mizusawa/Mamoru - 61 Homare Soya/Hiroyuki Kudo - 62 Sou Yaguruma/Shun Kageyama - 63 Urataros/Kintaros - 64 Sougo Tokiwa/Heure, Domon/Honami Moriyama - 65 Alain/Makoto Fukami - 72 Jin Takayama/Izumi Nanaha - 78 Kagura Izumi/Mio Natsumi - 81 Hayato Ichimonji/Kazuya Taki - 84 Hideyuki Kagawa/Satoru Tojo - 91 Sid Bamick/Joe Gibken - 93 Ryouga Hakua/Mikoto Nakadai - 96 Asahi Minato/Saki Mitsurugi - 97 Enter/Hiromu Sakurada - 106 Momotaros/Ryoutarou Nogami - 110 Joji Yuki/Shiro Kazami - 137 Balance/Naga Ray - 145 Ikkou Kasumi/Yousuke Shiina - 152 Yuji Kiba/Takumi Inui - 156 Ren Akiyama/Shinji Kido - 170 Miu Sutou/Saki Rouyama - 183 Shoutarou Hidari/Philip - 187 Hanaya Taiga/Hiiro Kagami - 192 Ruriko Midorikawa/Hiromi - 197 King OOO/Ankh - 202 Tsukasa Kadoya/Daiki Kaito - 203 Teddy/Kotaro Nogami - 232 Takeshi Kuroki/Masato Jin - 256 Jugglus Juggler/Gai Kurenai - 273 Shuichi Kitaoka/Goro Yura - 369 Akira Date/Shintaro Goto - 469 Yusuke Godai/Kaoru Ichijou - 485 Momoi Tarou/Sonoi - 534

Congratulations to winner of most dedicated fanbase; Momoi Tarou/Sonoi!

[kazarinn]

The official DigiFes 2019 event (held at the Maihama Amphitheater on July 28, 2019) had a “20th Anniversary Memorial Pamphlet” sold on-site. The first section, “Animation Play Back!!”, contained comments from staff for all of the Digimon animated series released to date:

Digimon Adventure: Hiromi Seki (producer) and Hiroyuki Kakudou (series director)

Digimon Adventure 02: Hiromi Seki (producer) and Hiroyuki Kakudou (series director)

Digimon Tamers: Hiromi Seki (producer) and Yukio Kaizawa (series director)

Digimon Frontier: Hiromi Seki (producer) and Yukio Kaizawa (series director)

Digimon Savers: Atsutoshi Umezawa (producer), Hiroaki Shibata (producer), and Naoyuki Itou (series director)

Digimon Xros Wars: Hiroyuki Sakurada (producer), Tetsuya Endou (series director), and Yukio Kaizawa (series director)

Digimon Universe Appli Monsters: Daichi Nagatomi (producer) and Gou Koga (series director)

Digimon Adventure tri.: Yousuke Kinoshita (producer) and Keitarou Motonaga (director)

[sutorobery]

Teenagers Arashi and Hiro-kun from Gokinjo Monogatari

[sailorrjupiterr]

Paradise kiss by ai yazawa

[rinayazawa]

[hakonohanayome]

Paradise Kiss - Ai Yazawa

[rkiss00]

PARADISE KISS.

-MIWAKO & HIROYUKI.

EP 7.

[fendaira]

[demonoflight]

Remember Ishida Hiroaki’s coworkers from Adventure/02, Chioka (with the bandana) and Sakurada (with the radio cassette player)? So these guys are based on two real life Toei employees, assistant director Chioka Kimitoshi and assistant producer Sakurada Hiroyuki.

Two decades have passed since then, and Chioka and Sakurada are no longer assistants - they are a veteran director and veteran producer in their own right! And they’re finally returning to where it all began: Digimon Ghost Game is produced by Sakurada and directed (in part) by Chioka!

I hope they give us something fun and raise Gammamon to be the best Gammamon he can be!

[kaibutsushidousha]

Memory in Children: Mechanical Choices (Sagrada Reset 3) - Chapter 3: The end of a summer (2 years later/August 30th, Wednesday)

[INDEX]

The 16-year-old Asai Kei and Haruki Misora sat on the tetrapods under the quiet light of sunset. The silence continued until the twilight sank.

When the last bit of light disappeared under the distant buildings on the other side of the coast, Murase Youka appeared. And when the azure of night started to recolor the pink clouds of sunset, Sakagami Yousuke appeared.

The users of every ability necessary to take Souma Sumire out of her photo have gathered together.

Sakagami had left Sakurada two years ago at the end of the school year. But he always returned to the city around this time of the year, for the mourning rites on Souma's death anniversary. Kei already knew that.

That was their only window of opportunity. He already explained the purpose and usage of each ability in the previous day.

(We'll bring Souma Sumire back to life.)

Murase felt resistant to the idea of reviving the dead. But she ultimately agreed. She remembered her brother, who also died in an accident. Sakagami, on the other hand, actively wanted to bring Souma back from the dead. And it didn't start now. He had been like this since the day after Souma died two years ago. What he felt for Souma was close to religious worship.

Haruki Saved on August 28th, a date before Kei explained the operation. All preparations were already in order.

The 28th—two days before. That was the day Sakagami came to Sakurada. And before he learned about the plan to take Sumire Souma out of the photo.

Kei's choice of day to Save was very deliberate. It was timed so Sakagami wouldn't remember anything after the project's resolution. Kei didn't know if that choice was right or wrong. He believed there was no correct option on this one.

At this point, he couldn't find the words to say. He shared impersonal greetings with Murase and Sakagami and pulled the photograph out of his pocket.

It was a picture Sasano Hiroyuki took of those tetrapods 2 years ago. The image of Souma from 2 years ago was contained within the frame.

Kei, Haruki, Murase, Sakagami—each of the four grabbed a corner of the photo. With a tug, the picture is ripped apart, making a crispy noise.

Immediately after it, their sight is taken over by a powerful white light. A light like the flash of a camera. Sakagami screamed.

Kei closed his eyes for an instant and opened them back.

The temperature was not that different.

Same silence too.

But the sun that he saw sink behind the buildings was still in the sky. The scenery seemed like time was rewound less than 10 minutes. But the world recreated here was from 2 years ago.

As proof, Souma Sumire was there atop the tetrapods behind him.

The 14-year-old Souma was still the same mature-looking girl with mysterious hints of childishness. She was extending her hand in his direction. With the MacGuffin on top of it.

At the moment, the thought of saying something to her didn't cross his mind.

She was also looking at him without saying a thing. She had a beautiful smile under the sunset.

The girl who died two years ago. She looked daring, solitary, and capricious like a stray cat. But this girl planned everything down to every tiny detail and executed her design flawlessly. Now he could see a glimpse of the emotions hidden behind that smile.

The android girl.

The girl chained by the future. Her every action followed the codes of a program. The girl who died unable to break the chain of the future—the girl who arranged her own death.

Sakagami watched her with stunned awe.

Then he crawled up the tetrapods. Murase followed behind him. Kei sighed. He noticed he wasn't breathing. He chalked it up to nervousness.

Haruki Misora turned her back on Souma. It seemed like her usual behavior at first glance but there was a mix of hidden emotions in the gesture. Kei was the only one who saw it.

"Will you not go?", she quietly asked.

With a smile, Kei shook his head.

"I feel like my moment to talk to her is not now."

(Will we be a trio again? Will we be able to have a space like the one we had on the rooftop? That's probably asking for too much. There's no turning back. Our only chance to remain ignorant is two years in the past.)

Sakagami was shouting upon getting up close to Souma. Behind him, Murase looked displeased. Eventually, Sakagami touched Souma's and Murase's shoulders. Murase with his right hand and Souma with his left.

Murase looked at Kei, nodded, and spoke loud enough for him to hear it from over there.

"Body, reset."

With that, Murase was immune to the effects of the Reset. And so was Souma, via Sakagami's copy of Souma's ability. They could fully cancel the Reset's influence.

"Haruki, Reset.", Kei whispered.

[shihalyfie]

I know you wrote about how the Adventure reboot had different story priorities and other staff members influence a series' direction but I do find it interesting how Ghost Game feels so different even if it shares writers with the Adventure reboot (with Tomioka having a cowriting credit for the first episode)..

Yep! Well, when looking at staff members, you do also have to see it as "general trends this staff member specializes in" and if there are any recurring patterns in their attitude/approach rather than binding things about the series, especially when multiple people are involved and there's a conscious decision "we're going to go in this direction" -- after all, the folks at Toei are quite versatile people. Even Adventure through Frontier all share tons of staff, and you could say they have a lot of similar elements (especially in terms of being headed by Seki, whose priorities on human relatability in drama permeate all four series), but they're also very different.

I think the reboot was the way it was mainly because there was a conscious decision to make it that way, in the same way Tamers came out of a conscious decision to be different from Adventure and 02. I mean, when you really think about it, the three series Kaizawa Yukio helmed as director (Tamers, Frontier, and Hunters) are all very different; Tamers sticks out allegedly because Kaizawa was still a Digimon newcomer who was following others' lead at the time and came more into his comfort zone during Frontier, but even Frontier and Hunters are hardly all that similar, and he ended up becoming a regular episode director for the reboot, too.

For a more extensive unpacking of staff:

Sakurada Hiroyuki: An assistant producer on Adventure and 02, and ultimately a full-on producer of Diablomon Strikes Back, Xros Wars, the reboot, and Ghost Game. Also the one higher-up staff member whom we know for sure is shared between the original Adventure and the reboot. There's been a lot of comparisons drawn between Xros Wars and the reboot in terms of being action and spectacle-oriented, but Xros Wars is undoubtedly still far more of a character narrative (in both human and Digimon terms) than the reboot is. He's also the producer behind the 2007 series of GeGeGe no Kitaro, which is also a character-driven narrative, albeit significantly more lighthearted than the more horror-focused 2018 series that Ghost Game merits the most comparisons to. Note that he's most likely the "S" signing off the tweets on the official Twitter for Ghost Game (this will be important in a second).

Takami Akira: A figure so enigmatic that we don't even know if this is the correct way to read their name. Was a producer on the reboot, but is visibly not a producer on Ghost Game. My guess is that they seem to be an "understudy producer" since all of their credits lead to works that have more experienced producers also at the helm (such as 2018 Kitaro and Dragon Ball Super), so it's likely Toei is training them up by having them shadow others, but they seem to have been influential enough to have been signing off the reboot tweets. What their full influence was on the reboot, and Ghost Game not having them means, has yet to be seen.

Mitsuka Masato: A younger director at Toei who seems to have watched Adventure as a kid, and director on the reboot and Ghost Game. His major series director debut seems to have been with Maho Girls PreCure (a character narrative in a similar way to how Digimon is), with the reboot and Ghost Game being his only two other series direction credits; however, he'd worked on many Toei series beforehand as an episode director, including Xros Wars, a handful of PreCure series, and 2018 Kitaro. For Ghost Game he's sharing the role with Chioka, and his role seems to be very downplayed in the few staff discussions we've seen so far compared to Chioka, but it's also likely Chioka's role is being especially played up due to his portfolio on prior Digimon series and Kitaro.

Chioka Masatoshi: Series director for Ghost Game. An assistant director on Adventure and 02 who made his episode directorial debut on Tamers and participated in some form on Frontier, Savers, and Appmon (interestingly, Xros Wars and the reboot, the only two Digimon TV series he had no known participation in, are ones Sakurada helmed, so together the two of them make some pretty comprehensive Digimon representation). His extensive prior experience on Digimon has been pretty well-advertised. Also director for Dragon Ball Super and Hakaba Kitaro, the latter of which is known for probably being the most horror-oriented and spooky Kitaro in the lineup.

Tomioka Atsuhiro: Head writer on the reboot, and, as you said, it seems he may be helping out as an episode writer on Ghost Game (we'll have to see if he keeps this up for future episodes). Interestingly, Tomioka is actually well-known among kids' anime fans as a character narrative writer, so the reboot is quite the outlier for him! But Pokémon fans will tell you that even the different series he wrote are all very different, and some fans of Inazuma Eleven (which is definitely a character story) feel that his absence in the most recent two series might be a big reason they were received poorly compared to the first four that he was on, so his presence or absence has never really made or broken a series (rather, he seems to adjust himself to the demands of the higher-up decisions).

Sogo Masashi: Head writer for Ghost Game, and one of the episode writers for the reboot (so basically, he and Tomioka have swapped spots). This one's an interesting case in that while he's had extensive head writer credits before, most of them seem to be adaptations of existing works, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs with Ghost Game being a completely original story.

Ultimately, I don’t think the reboot being the way it is comes from the above staff members not being good at character narratives or nor disliking making them. Actually, if you look at their profiles and portfolios, Ghost Game seems to be more of a return to form with what they're usually used to making, because the reboot is somewhat of an outlier not just for Digimon but also for Toei works in general! I can't tell you what their thought process was back there in the staff room, but the circumstances of the reboot needing to be an accessible lure for new kids at any means necessary was probably a huge factor, and now that Ghost Game has the groundwork that the reboot set up, it can go back to being a more conventional narrative.