{"id":48497,"date":"2025-05-29T23:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T14:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=48497"},"modified":"2025-05-29T23:09:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T14:09:03","slug":"brainwashing-society-to-embrace-furries-we-ask-fuga-melodies-of-steels-developers-about-their-long-history-of-furry-themed-passion-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/brainwashing-society-to-embrace-furries-we-ask-fuga-melodies-of-steels-developers-about-their-long-history-of-furry-themed-passion-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Brainwashing society into embracing furries. We ask Fuga: Melodies of Steel\u2019s developers about their long history of furry-themed passion projects\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CyberConnect2 released Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3<\/strong>, <\/strong>the finale of the Fuga: Melodies of Steel TRPG trilogy, on May 29 for the PC (Steam\/Epic Games), Nintendo Switch, PS4\/PS5 and Xbox One\/Xbox Series X|S.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic cats and dogs, the Fuga: Melodies of Steel series tells the story of children who, having lost their homes and families to war, are thrust onto the battlefield. Despite the cute appearance of its characters, the franchise tells a rather dark drama about survival and sacrifice.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuga series developer CyberConnect2 has consistently pursued its passion for furry-themed games alongside the contract development work it does for other companies. Why are they so deeply devoted to creating furry content? AUTOMATON spoke with CyberConnect2\u2019s representative, Hiroshi Matsuyama, to find out. Be sure to check out part one of this interview<\/a> too, where we talk about the Fuga franchise\u2019s sales and nuanced depiction of \u201ccruel\u201d themes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the obsession with furries? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015To start off, why are you and CyberConnect2 so devoted to furries?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
CyberConnect2 has done a lot of contract development work on Weekly Shonen Jump titles like Naruto, JoJo\u2019s Bizarre Adventure, Dragon Ball Z, and Demon Slayer over the years. But between those, we\u2019ve also been working on our own IPs. About 30 years ago, when we started out as a 10-person company called CyberConnect, the very first game we created in-house was Tail Concerto (1998), an action-adventure platformer themed around furries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tail<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So it was where everything started for CyberConnect2. Are furries an important theme for you?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
I would say it\u2019s the foundation of CyberConnect2. About 10 years ago, we celebrated our 20th anniversary. Many game companies don\u2019t last that long \u2013 so I thought, if we\u2019ve made it this far, surely we won\u2019t go out of business overnight. That made me think of starting something new under our own brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So instead of just doing contract development for other companies, we started self-publishing. When the time came to discuss what we were going to make, I figured I should lead by example, so I came up with the proposal for Fuga: Melodies of Steel \u2013 a game set in the same world as Tail Concerto and Solatorobo: Red the Hunter \u2013 or what we call the Little Tail Bronx universe. That\u2019s how the Fuga series started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the trilogy is reaching its finale, the team and I really feel like we\u2019ve managed to achieve what we originally set out to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Solatorobo:<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Since the Fuga: Melodies of Steel project was launched at your initiative, was adhering to the furry aesthetic your choice?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
Yes, mine and a portion of the team\u2019s (laughs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Was it more about inheriting the identity you established with Tail Concerto, or simply a \u201clet\u2019s just make what we love\u201d approach?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama: <\/strong> 
It was both. Personally, I was greatly influenced by the anime Sherlock Hound. But even prior to that, I loved not only furry- but animal-centric shows like Osamu Tezuka\u2019s Kimba The White Lion. As a kid, I found it easier to empathize with works that depicted animals rather than other boys and girls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was drawn to those kinds of worlds throughout my childhood, and then when I encountered Sherlock Hound \u2013 it was like everything just clicked into place for me. I remember thinking, still a child, that a masterpiece had started airing. But then it got cancelled, and I was in complete disbelief. The worldbuilding, the theme song, the art \u2013 I couldn\u2019t understand why other people didn\u2019t get it. I was frustrated for a while after that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, when I was in high school, a show called Uch\u016bsen Sagittarius started airing. Technically, it was more about aliens than about furries, but I was entranced by it. However, just like Sherlock Hound, it didn\u2019t resonate at all with the general public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These experiences made me start questioning whether I was the weird one, whether I was out of sync with what the rest of the world enjoyed. While I was a kid, I really believed that to be true. But when I became an adult, I snapped out of it. I decided that I wasn\u2019t wrong \u2013 the world was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So growing up, furry-themed content helped you get over this gap you felt with the rest of the world?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
Yeah, I realized the world just hadn\u2019t caught on to the appeal of furry content yet. I started looking at things from the perspective, \u201cMaybe I\u2019m just ten years ahead of my time.\u201d From there, I started wondering about who would be the one to make a change. How, and when? Eventually, I decided, \u201cLet\u2019s just do it ourselves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So it was<\/em> your obsession with furries that started everything, Matsuyama. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
No, no, it wasn\u2019t just mine! (laughs) Sure, I took the lead, but the team is just as passionate, we all think of it like \u201cIf we\u2019re going to make a game, it\u2019s got to be a furry game.\u201d That\u2019s why we end up making one furry game every 10 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015So it\u2019s like you get a returning itch you have to scratch every 10 years?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
We really can\u2019t give it up! We made Tail Concerto first, then Solatorobo 10 years later, and finally started working on Fuga after another 10 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fuga:<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2015<\/strong>When you get new employees, do they mention liking furries? Conversely, do you ask applicants during interviews?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
Not at all \u2013 we don\u2019t ask, and they don\u2019t mention it either. Almost everyone comes in saying they love Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, or they want to make Demon Slayer or Dragon Ball Z games, or how they\u2019ve loved the .hack series since childhood and can\u2019t forget about it. Of course, we\u2019re always happy to hear that, but no one ever mentions Tail Concerto or Solatorobo when applying!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, after they join and some time has passed, they realize what’s going on in the company. They realize there\u2019s a furry game called Fuga: Melodies of Steel being made. And that\u2019s when they start coming forward, showing interest. And I\u2019m like, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, why are you suddenly wagging your tail?\u201d That\u2019s when they confess. \u201cActually, I\u2019ve always loved furries.\u201d For some reason, no one says it upfront. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone keeps quiet about it at first, but once they find out we\u2019re working on furry games, they come and ask me \u201cHow can I get on that team?\u201d Whether it’s within CyberConnect2 or on a global level, there\u2019s this awareness that liking furries is very “out there.” However, that\u2019s exactly what makes it worth pursuing for me. I really believe we can push it further into the mainstream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, I feel like there\u2019s some kind of medical condition that makes people pressured to say they love Weekly Shonen Jump when applying for CyberConnect2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2015Oh, I kind of get where they’re coming from. CyberConnect2 has a strong reputation for working on the Jump titles you just mentioned, so your brand inevitably gets associated with Weekly Shonen Jump.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
Yeah, I call it the \u201cCyberConnect2 Syndrome.\u201d I think this makes it even harder for our new hires to say \u201cI like furries\u201d right off the bat. But then when we take them for a company get-together and dig a little deeper, they suddenly come out with it. That\u2019s why I\u2019d like to make the Fuga series even bigger globally and create a world where people can feel comfortable saying \u201cI love furries\u201d from the get-to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014So your agenda is to give furry fans the freedom to be open about it? And on a global level.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
That\u2019s right. We need to be the ones to lead the way \u2013 there\u2019s no alternative. I feel like with manga and anime, the hurdles are still pretty high, but with games, it\u2019s a lot easier to cross borders.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before diving into Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3, you can refresh your memory using Fast Mode <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2015And all of this has culminated with the release of Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
Although each entry in the Fuga series might seem like a standalone title, the story actually continues from Fuga 1 to 2 and now to 3, kind of like a shonen manga split into separate story arcs. It\u2019s a connected narrative, like our <\/em>.hack series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, many of the plot threads we laid out in Fuga 1 get resolved in 2 and 3. Our fans have been picking up on that too, connecting the dots between the games and enjoying them the way you’d enjoy a shonen manga series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And naturally, we plan to deliver on their expectations \u2013 all the narrative threads we deliberately left untouched in Fuga 1 will be picked up in 3. The fact that fans are already hyped and creating fan art before the release really motivates us, and I hope players will be satisfied with how everything plays out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014It\u2019s been a while since I played Fuga: Melodies of Steel 1. I honestly don\u2019t remember all the details, so playing everything from the start would probably make it more enjoyable.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matsuyama:<\/strong> 
That\u2019s right, and that\u2019s precisely what Fast Mode is for. You can skip through the battles, get rid of enemies with Reaction Bombs, and quickly progress through the story. You\u2019ll clear the game in about 1\/4 or even a fifth of the regular playtime. So even if you already played Fuga 1 back in the day, I encourage you to revisit it in Fast Mode. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014I feel like a key part of the Fuga series are its complex game mechanics and tough choices. The decision-making is a huge part of the appeal, so adding a mode that lets you experience only the story feels like quite a bold move.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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