Studio Kumasan, a Japanese game studio known for titles such as Girls Creation (a turn-based mobile gacha title that reimagines popular musicians like Vincent Van Gogh as cute anime girls) and Twinkle Star Knights (a magical girl gacha RPG of the same vein), recently announced its new “Kumasan Black” division. Separate from its other labels, Kumasan Black aims to pursue what the studio calls “edgy titles” that explore the “sharp sensibilities” of its creators.
While the word “edgy” sounds vague, representative director Yudai Hasegawa jokingly admitted in a Famitsu interview that the word is meant to soften the fact that Kumasan Black was created specifically to make “extremely erotic games.”
“… During a meeting with the CEO of Exnoa (the company that owns DMM Games and Studio Kumasan), we were asked to create challenging and edgy titles under the Kumasan brand. I can’t share the details of our first title yet, but I think players of existing Kumasan titles will be surprised in both good and bad ways. That’s how edgy it will be.”
According to Hasegawa, Studio Kumasan titles like Twinkle Star Knights typically feature classic storylines and worldbuilding, with a focus on “pure” and romantic love stories. He likens these mainstream, upbeat titles to the color white.
In contrast, Kumasan Black titles will feature more provocative, adult content (hence the division’s name). Though Hasegawa couldn’t reveal much about the division’s first game (which will formally be announced on April 10), he did mention that it would include “intense bedroom scenes” (made by a dedicated animator team) and feature a female character with a dual personality.
Hasegawa says that the addition of a new Studio Kumasan division was inspired by the bishoujo game industry, where studios would create separate labels to help players differentiate the content of their titles. In addition to the standard versions that feature X-rated content, Kumasan Black titles will also have toned-down, censored versions that will allow those interested to give them a try.
