Although Saito Yosuke retired his “Santa Yosuke” series of livestreams some years ago, I still feel like a bit of that aesthetic permeates until this very day. Case in point: the most recent 4Gamer End of the Year/New Year statements from folks all across the video game industry. It’s from this article in which many NieR fans have been going wild with talk about the next installment in the NieR series.
Except, I feel like fans and various journalist sites are misrepresenting Saito’s quote, taking it out of context for what was intended. Saito isn’t suggesting that any of these things will absolutely occur in 2025 but rather he’s aware of the fan excitement over the 15th Anniversary and the anticipation that creates hype for news about the next installment in the franchise or other related events.
Simply, this is neither confirmation nor a dismissal for any of the aforementioned topics.
Question 4: What sort of aspirations do you have for 2025, and lastly, do you have a message for 4Gamer readers?
“Well, 2025 marks the 15th Anniversary of the NieR series, so we’d certainly like to do something to commemorate that huge milestone. We’re just thinking about what to do… I’m not quite sure about the next game or how things might unfold at this point, but I’ve certainly heard many expectations from fans, so it makes this an extremely difficult decision. As a producer, I may need to take a step back and be a little less involved, so I hope fans can be a little more patient for what’s to come.” Yosuke Saito, 4Gamer
As you can see, this statement is neither for nor against the idea of a future game being announced next year, but rather he’s simply acknowledging the fan anticipation for such a thing; therefore, it may be premature to definitively state that there will IN FACT be an announcement of a new game in 2025.
Additionally, what is acutely apparent from this statement is that they are keenly aware of fan expectations and are wondering what to do for the 15th Anniversary. It’s not something that can be decided upon easily, although should something occur next year, they’d already be well within the development stages by now (which means he knows but simply isn’t saying).
This is hardly Saito “teasing” the next installment in the series.
I would imagine there will be a Japan “End of Tour” extravaganza for ‘the end of data’ concert world tour, especially since Japan has been left out thus far. I would imagine they’d put on a big even similar to the Fan Festival back in 2022.
So, as always, I would suggest for fans to reign on the side of caution and/or skepticism when it comes to mainstream media interpretations of real quotes from official folks. I just hope that fans are able to take a step back and digest all the information that we’re given in an impartial and unbiased manner, and that includes those who would like to twist the words of those involved to rally the fanbase into a wild frenzy.
Believe me, I get the hype, but it needs to be warranted, and thus far, there’s nothing to entirely rejoice about. It’s all speculation at this point. Let’s hold out a little longer before definitively stating speculation as fact!
Today, December 29, 2024, was the NieR Dinner Show Somethin’ or Other 12024, held in a gigantic ballroom in the Prince Park Tower Tokyo, adjacent to the iconic Tokyo Tower. There were two shows, one at 1:00pm and the other at 6:00pm.
I have a lot to say about this event, but I hope to at least share some photos from the venue right away, so stay tuned for additional updates. The majority of this will be told in a sort of anecdote style for now.
This was an extremely busy day for me, especially since I’m still getting over pneumonia. I made it to one show of Bakuken 4, then had to cancel all my other plans, including both days at the Granblue Fantasy Fes 2024 and the final performance of Bakuken 4. I had applied for a booth at the Winter Comic Market (comiket), so there was no way I could miss out on that. I wasn’t able to release the complete fanfic for Penny Blood that I wanted to write, but I still managed to write a little teaser preview and offered some prints of the main key visual that I commissioned from a good friend. For my first time at Comiket, I think it was a great success even considering all the unfortunate occurrences.
So, right after Comiket, I hopped into a cab and had them drive me directly to the hotel where the NieR Dinner Show was to be held– although I was still about an hour early. I first wanted to check some of my luggage into the Cloak and that was RIGHT when the afternoon show was getting out, so I had to wait in line for quite a while just to get rid of my extra baggage. After that, I went to look around the hotel to find a place to waste an hour. It was an extremely ritzy hotel, but I figured why not splurge a little extra at the lounge while I waited? Before I got there though, I had to find it again after visiting the Cloak… and I got into the elevator with a couple other foreigners, but I guess they were going to the really fancy restaurant on the top floor… so the elevator went up and up to about the 35th floor, with a really creepy view out the window the whole way. I’m not afraid of heights, but I’ve had many nightmares related to elevators for whatever reason.
I have to be honest… if there weren’t other people in the elevator with me going all the way up, I may have literally freaked the F out as it was very eerily similar to several of my nightmares… haha dear god, not what I was anticipating… And my apparent phobia is about GOING UP through the ceiling rather than down… Maybe I was traumatized more than I knew from the Willy Wonka movie… haha
Here are a couple photos from around this area:
Heading back down the elevator, I eventually found the lounge and sat down for a rather expensive snack… I got a glass of champaign and a plate of mixed cheeses. It was really good but not $50 good. lol
By the time I finished this yummy snack, I headed back down to the ballroom area to wait in line.
The staff were directing those with VIP tickets to line up first, as they were the first to enter the ballroom, and then came those with S tickets and then A tickets. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a VIP ticket (it’s all decided via lottery), but a fellow chorus member from our Tsuki Oke group managed to snag one, so she was super excited. I was very happy for her. Also ran into Dominik, who stopped by my booth at Comiket, at the venue as well. It was nice meeting and talking with you for a bit!
Also it was nice to meet @RekkaAlexiel at Comiket and the NieR dinner! You did so much for the NieR community in all the past years! Thank you! ♥️
After entering the main ticket area, those who had tickets that came with merch were able to pick up the bag of goodies (our ticket lists that it comes with merch, but you also have to use the Square Enix Members smartphone app to process the transaction… I’ll post a couple images of this merch a little bit later in this post.
Once we picked up our merch bag, we continued further down the hallway and came across Yosuke Saito and Takahisa Taura standing there, posing for people as they walked by. Taura was holding an Emil head that was super cute. Thank you, Taura, for looking directly at me for this photo. haha He’s a good sport!
Also, a really fun thing is that many other Tsuki Oke members also attended this event. I ran into multiple chorus members while I was waiting in line. I wasn’t able to interact with many people this past time due to my broken leg, but I absolutely remember faces. It was great to see so many people I knew at the show!
Plus, a couple people actually visited my booth at Comiket and let me know that they’d be going to the NieR event later, so it was super nice to see them at the venue later in the evening!
Then finally, we were able to enter the fancy ballroom. It was absolutely massive!!
Here on the table included some of the extra goodies that came with our S tickets: a rubber Emil coaster, a little menu of our set meal, and a small booklet marked CONFIDENTIAL! I entirely overlooked that and started flipping through it before the dude sitting to my right suggested that I not look at it yet. It was apparently meant to remain secret until a particular time during the event. Woops! haha
Kicking off the event, Keiichi Okabe came out on stage then proceeded to sing the Japanese version of “My Way” by Frank Sinatra as he walked all around the room. Eventually making it back to the stage, he was joined by Yoko Taro with his Emil mask on, followed by Yosuke Saito and Takahisa Taura. They gave a very brief introduction before mingling around the whole ballroom, talking into microphones as they engaged in a fun conversation with each other. Yoko, still wearing the Emil mask, went to a special table in the back of the room where he sat for the majority of the evening and could remove the mask. There was also live video that was projected on two large screens on either side of the stage, so his face absolutely wasn’t a secret.
Next up was meal time, which was served in rounds all the while the four guys kept walking around the room and talking to the whole ballroom about various fun topics. They didn’t really talk about anything vitally important–just fun little anecdotes and stories here and there. I honestly don’t recall much about what they discussed here, actually. haha
At some point during the discussion, it was stated that Taura had actually left Platinum Games recently. I haven’t actually found any other word on this, but it seemed as though other fans had heard of this news even though it was brand new to me. He’s supposedly freelands right now.
We were also served a bowl of clam chowder, which I’m allergic to, so… I guess I naturally forgot to even take a photo of it… rip
The staff rarely came by to check on your beverages, so I felt like you had to wave them down to get a refill of anything. As for drinks, they offered both non and alcoholic drinks. I was in a wine mood, so I stuck to white wine for the entirety of the evening.
After dinner, was the start of the concert portion of the evening, which was absolutely amazing. Various songs across the entire repertoire of the NieR franchise were remixed in a jazz style very reminiscent of the Billboard LIVE back in 2019.
Regarding this setlist, I was quite shocked that Emi sang “Inori” from Re[in]carnation — it’s one of my favorite themes from the game, so it was an absolute treat to hear her version of it. Of course, I love KOCHO’s vocals as well, but Emi’s version brought a whole new feel to the piece that was really great to hear. My other favorite of the solo pieces was J’Nique Nicole singing “The Tower”. It’s so apparent she loves performing and glamming it up on stage for the crowd– it’s so fun, not only to enjoy her amazing voice, but also to see her own personality come out while in the spotlight.
I got an absolute kick out of locking eyes with various members of the cast throughout the show. First up was with Keiichi Okabe when he was walking around the room, talking and shaking hands with people as he went. We were actually able to speak for a good, long time at a previous engagement, so he came up and shook my hand firmly. It was very nice.
Then, throughout the concert, there were a couple songs in which both Emi and J’Nique came down from the stage and stood on the far left/right apron, which was directly in front of me. It was so funny, to see them notice me– I was deathly afraid I might have distracted them simply by sitting there… xD
At the end of the music concert, the entire cast stood on the stage for a nice photo op. Unfortunately, my table was still quite far from the stage, so my phone wasn’t able to take very good photos.
One really amazing happening occurred tonight… I got talking with the girl sitting on my left about various NieR related events, and I mentioned the NieR:Automata PlayStation Presents at LOFT in early February 2017… and I showed her a photo… and she was like, that’s me! She was literally sitting one person over from me then. This was 7 years ago! Such a small world!
I’m not exactly sure who took this photo at the venue, but suffice it to say, it wasn’t me. haha
I really do believe that there are all kinds of small miracles like this happening all the time, but we often don’t notice them or we don’t engage with people around us enough to discover these cool connections. It really makes me want to get over my social anxiety and engage more with other fans.
Lastly, I’ll post a couple more photos from the very end of the event as I was leaving…
Since I had to man my booth at Comiket earlier in the day, I brought an extra set of clothes to switch into for the NieR event… but I had already switched back to my normal clothes by the time I took the photos below. Sorry about that! I had asked a couple nice dinner show attendees to take my silly photo in front of one of the the main event posters. Thank you!
And lastly, let’s take a look at some of the merch that came with my S ticket (I wanted to get some of the other merch, but I sort of ran out of money, so… lol)
Here in these images you can see the special goodies that came with some tickets. The main item is the ceramic Emil jar. I’m not really sure exactly what it’s meant to be used for, but I’m using it to stick the Emil balloon that I got from some event, I think it was a promotional item from Animate (I’ll have to take another look at it to remember). We also received a nice handkerchief with an embroidered illustration of a Lunar Tear on it. It’s quite nice quality and I can’t imagine actually using it… We were also given a rubber Emil coaster. Some people actually used it during the dinner, but I kept mine in the little protective baggie. As for the other two booklets, one included the menu, setlist, and messages from the main cast, while the booklet must remain CONFIDENTIAL. There was a huge section during the dinner in which they discussed the contents, but I’ll leave that to your imagination. It was quite interesting nonetheless.
(Also, please note that they specifically asked us not to disclose the content from this booklet– so if you spot anyone talking about it or disclosing the content, just know that they’re blatantly betraying the trust of the crew for personal clout.)
In the very last segment here on this page, I’ll mention one interesting thing that Yoko mentioned… He said that he had been working on several different things but they were all cancelled… He’s still currently working on something, but they’re not ready to announce anything yet. You can take that as you like. I want to say that the cancelled stuff may have been part of the recent SQEX cancellations several months ago during this really horrible lull in the gaming industry. It’s really unfortunate and I’d really like to know exactly what ideas of his were cancelled… but he’s still clearly working on something, so that’s at least a little bit of good news among the dismal situation of the gaming industry these days.
▶︎ Article by Famitsu
Sugihara from Famitsu was also at the dinner show on Sunday night. You can view his article here.
I’m still pretty skeptical anything will come of this, but the audio/visual setup was well-established enough for a BD/DVD release sometime later. Unlike the Billboard LIVE even, there was no video/audio setup, so at least this time they could have captured the event well enough for a potential commercial release for all fans to enjoy. Here’s to positive thinking!
All-in-all, I think Japan has finally reached the level of content for the recent world tour across the world in terms of VIP meet-ups and such. That sort of thing simply wasn’t done here before, so even having the chance to obtain VIP tickets was a huge step for us here in Japan.
Mics from left to right: Yosuke Saito, Yoko Taro, Keiichi Okabe, Takahisa Taura, Kaoru Akiyama (name hidden since she was supposed to be a secret guest for the afternoon show), Emi Evans, and J’Nique Nicole.
For the longest time, people have been speculating that there’s some sort of deeper connection between No2 (A2) and Kaine. I may have been the culprit for this with my initial speculation after going to the original YoRHa Ver.1.0 stage play in 2014, whether that’s accurate or not, I don’t really know, but there was one line in which the titular character mentions her “false memory” of growing up on a farm with her grandma that stuck in my memory at the time. I initially thought this detail was unusually specific and drew some connections to Kaine, who also grew up with her grandma, although the details were quite different.
Over the years I grew to distance myself from this speculation, but it seemed like the overall fanbase liked this correlation between the characters, so no matter how much I might suggest people only view this as speculation, it seemed to make people believe it all the more. Whether this is actually what happened with the fanbase or not, it doesn’t really matter, but for me, I tend to dislike it when people state this obvious speculation as absolute fact. It’s one thing to have a fun head canon and another to preach to others that it’s the only correct outcome.
Additionally, it seems like some folks are getting a little carried away with this speculation, so allow me to address some silly comments recently made on 4chan, which you’re free to have your own opinions on the medium… But since they mentioned me by name, I felt it was my responsibility to respond, although indirectly with this post.
▶︎ The Comment
“Kaine did not live on a farm with her grandmother.
The original human Kaine lived in a mansion and she was an experimental weapon made from Curly’s genetics and Legion DNA. This is in the Drama CD.
Replicant Kaine lived in that place outside the Aerie and it is most definitely not a farm. Moreover, she is a Replicant so they wouldn’t have used her memories.
A2’s original personality is the one we see in the stage play and in episodes 6 and 17 of the anime. She is an innocent cheerful girl and that is why they named her Freesia. She only became vengeful after the betrayal and loss of her family. Her story arc in Automata is about her regaining her humanity and opening herself up to others (she is the opposite of 9S), so we barely see her vengeful self at all, especially in the anime (though the game localization kind of messed up her personality imo).
This entire theory was created by Rekka because she sloppily thought it matched up. She has since said that it was an incorrect theory and asked people to stop spreading it because it was wrong.” ー4chan
So, first of all I’d like to remind people of the timeline of these events.
The first YoRHa stage play debuted in October 2014.
If we’re to tackle the localized interpretation of her character, you’re going to run into some issues because there are clear actors who want to equate A2 to Kaine, but there is actually very little connecting the two. The issue is the distance between the original game and the localized English version, which lends to what we see in the localized version of the anime… There are many aspects that are altered or slightly skewed for whatever reason. The fact is that neither version is entirely 1:1 accurate and you sort of need to make your own acceptance with this incongruity.
All that to say that A2 is HARDLY on the same personality level as Kaine. She began as an extremely timid girl and was sharpened into the slick blade that she became due to her harsh experiences of being used as a mere tool that can be discarded and losing her dear friends under her own watch. That alone will change a person, and that is exactly what happens to her. That doesn’t necessarily mean that she becomes a completely violent person with a vile mouth. That’s not A2. That’s Kaine. That is where these two characters differ greatly. Of course, you could draw some similarities if you wanted, but I honestly don’t seen enough that would absolutely solidify this, that A2 and Kaine are essentially the same person, as fact.
What it seems like the main hang up that people have is the difference between speculation and reality. Granted, these ideas that I initially had, no matter when I first posted them, were cultivated from what I learned at the initial YoRHa stage play in 2014. This was when the YoRHa idea and NieR had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with each other.
And yet I still speculated some ideas here and there. One of my ideas was largely based on a singular line by No2 that distantly resembled the past of Kaine from NieR. You can read more about this here.
▶︎ Scene from the YoRHa Ver.1.2 Musical
No2: Our memories… are pseudo memories. No4: They’re false memories programmed in order to promote diversity and evolution on the battlefield. No2: In my memories, I lived in the country with my grandma. No4: In my memories, I hung out a lot with my friends at school. No2: Everyday, grandma and I would tend to the farm and knit… The cold of the rain, the ferocity of the storms. The silence of the snow. The gentle warmth of spring… No4: After school, we’d go eat the most delicious things, have fun dressing up, playing games… No2: Since we lived in the country, I couldn’t have everything I wanted. But because the other villagers looked out for me, including my grandma… strangely, it wasn’t so hard. No4: As long as I had my friends, I could endure my studies. We’d laugh day after day; no matter what hardships came our way, we were able to overcome them. No2: ……My grandma taught me “kindness,” a gentle heart to cares for others. No4: ……My friends taught me “hope”, a strong heart to laugh even in the face of difficulty. No4: Holding tightly onto these false memories, we fight. No2: But they are also our precious memories. No2 & No4: The time… draws near… No2 & No4: Our final moments… are about to begin…
Although the above blurb comes from the YoRHa Ver.1.2 Musical, which debuted in 2018, this setting also existed in the original play penned by Kaoru Asakusa in 2014, so that alone might be an important factor. We don’t necessarily know how far Yoko’s setting extended and where Asakusa created on his own; although it’s more likely that Yoko made this setting from the very beginning.
But whether this speculation is accurate or notー that’s sort of not the point because that’s what speculation is. We merely bring up interesting or odd coincidences and try to make sense of them, drawing from what we already know.. That doesn’t necessarily mean these speculations are accurate or correct in any way.
So, it would be nice if people could separate speculation from 10 years ago from what we currently know as fact… Personally, I think it’s perfectly okay to believe whatever you want as your own headcanon, but it’s also important to acknowledge the facts a little bit and to weigh everything against each other in order to come to a reliable assessment.
In the end, what you want to believe is up to you, and that’s totally okay, but for me personally, I’d greatly appreciate it if people could please leave me out of this situation. 10 years is a long time to have stated a simple bit of speculation for people to still be believing it as fact or blaming me for its inaccuracies. It’s about time to move on… xD
With the 4th iteration of Yoko Taro’s Bakuken stage play series quickly approaching, there’ve been all sorts of promotional events getting into full swing, like the rebroadcasts of previous plays, and the following livestream that will be happening later tonight. Several of the cast members along with Yoko Taro himself will be present. Be sure to check out the details below!
Leading up to the 4th iteration of Yoko Taro’s Bakuken stage play, each of the previous shows will be livestreamed on Nico Nico Douga. Please keep in mind that you do NOT need to watch each of these stage plays in order to understand and enjoy the newest 4th entry in the series.
Below is a list of times and dates for each of the shows that will be livestreamed. Additionally, the final performance of Bakuken 4 will be livestreamed on December 23 (I will be present at this show).
Available until 11:59pm on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
You can watch this program once during the period after the livestream has ended.
Please note that your time shift viewing access will expire 24 hours after you begin watching.
▶︎ NOTICES
READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE PURCHASING TICKETS
Viewing Devices Paid live broadcasts are only available on computers or through the Niconico Live Broadcast app (Android/iOS). Please note they cannot be viewed using the Niconico Douga app or other devices.
Changes in Content In the event of unavoidable circumstances, such as a performer being confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, performers and content may change. Please note that refunds will not be issued for such changes.
Mistaken Purchases If multiple tickets for the same program are purchased, viewing rights will only apply once, regardless of how many tickets you have. Refunds or cancellations due to mistaken purchases cannot be accommodated, so please double-check the ticket details before completing your purchase.
Purchase Timing It is recommended to purchase tickets early on the day of distribution. High access volume or network congestion may occur, delaying your transaction.
Notes When Viewing Programs can only be viewed with the account used to purchase the ticket. Logging in with a different account will not grant access. If you have multiple Niconico accounts, ensure you are logged into the correct one. If you experience issues viewing the program after purchasing a ticket, consult the Help Page for assistance:
Prohibited Acts 1. Recording or filming this performance or program, as well as uploading such content to video-sharing sites or social media, is strictly prohibited. Any violations may result in reporting to the appropriate authorities and legal action.
2. Selling or transferring tickets to third parties for commercial purposes, or attempting to resell them via internet auction sites, is also prohibited. Please note that we are not responsible for any issues arising from resale activities.
In addition to this new information, we also have a new story overview for Bakuken 4:
▶︎ Bakuken 4 – Story Overview
The Taisho Era, a time when the samurai had vanished, and the call for enlightenment and a strong, prosperous nation echoed across Japan.
Imperial Army Major Akiyama Yoshifuru, concerned about the future of his country amidst encroaching Western powers, devised an audacious plan: to summon swordsmen from the Sengoku period and form them into a covert assassination squad.
The summoned swordsmen witness the dawn of a new era, while Nobunaga’s ambitions take shape once more. The battle for the nation’s foundation and its future hurtles toward an unimaginable conclusion.
NOTE: All translations listed here are unofficial and by Fire Sanctuary.
