{"id":56754,"date":"2026-02-16T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=56754"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:09:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T04:09:31","slug":"former-idolmaster-directors-new-visual-novel-valkyrie-tune-synthesis-of-souls-takes-a-surprisingly-serious-philosophical-turn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/former-idolmaster-directors-new-visual-novel-valkyrie-tune-synthesis-of-souls-takes-a-surprisingly-serious-philosophical-turn\/","title":{"rendered":"Former\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0director\u2019s new sci-fi romance\u00a0visual novel\u00a0Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls\u00a0takes a surprisingly serious, philosophical turn, set in a world that\u00a0\u201cfeels off\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Good Smile Company,\u00a0Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls<\/strong>\u00a0is the latest work of former\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0series director\u00a0Akihiro Ishihara. The title is\u00a0currently in development for PC (Steam<\/a>)\u00a0and Switch, with a\u00a0free demo set to launch on\u00a0March\u00a016.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curiously, the upcoming \u201csci-fi romance suspense\u201d visual novel is based on Good Smile Company\u2019s original bish\u014djo plastic model franchise, which is likewise themed around music. To find out more about how the project came to be, AUTOMATON interviewed Ishihara, who shared some interesting insights into what players can expect from his new game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Waking up to six girls calling you the Messiah<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls is a story-driven title that places players in the role of Rei, a young man who awakens from years of cryosleep in the domed city of Initium with no memory of his past. Upon waking, he is greeted by a group of women who refer to him as the \u201cMessiah.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeking to recover his lost memories, Rei begins living alongside the six members of TUNED (Tactical Unit for Neutralization and Enhanced Defense), an all-female squad equipped with specialized \u201charmonic weapons.\u201d As he adjusts to life in a world strictly governed by cryptic rules, he gradually forms bonds with the girls. However, beneath the calm of his everyday life, Rei feels that something is \u201camiss,\u201d and slowly heads towards the revelation of hidden truths about both the world and his own role within it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Deceptively cheery visuals<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Valkyrie Tune\u2019s concept art and character designs give off an uplifting atmosphere, the game\u2019s narrative will be more serious than the visuals let on, according to Ishihara.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first, it\u2019s enough if players simply enjoy the characters and the vibrancy of the world. However, as the story progresses, it\u2019s designed so that they gradually begin to question the nature of that world and of the girls themselves,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the early chapters depict a relatively calm everyday life. It\u2019s precisely because of that sense of security that the later developments leave a stronger impression. Questions such as \u2018Is this world truly the future?\u2019 and \u2018Who are these girls, really?\u2019 begin to surface, linking directly with the player\u2019s own emotions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heroines that aren\u2019t merely objects to be consumed<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a unique departure from Ishihara\u2019s past work, Valkyrie Tune is designed to \u201cquietly and gradually build up a sense of unease about the world.\u201d On the other hand, the new title will fully inherit the established style Ishihara is already known for, with an emphasis on creating deep psychological connection between the player and the heroines, as well as using music as an essential means of conveying emotion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cWhat [Valkyrie Tune] shares with my other works is portraying characters not as objects to be consumed, but as beings with whom emotions are shared. However, rather than placing the player in a position of cheering the characters on, this work emphasizes a sense of sharing the same time with them, at a much closer distance. Because the period of hardship depicted within the game is so long, the feeling of going through both joy and suffering together may be even stronger than in any of my other previous works.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ishihara believes the visual novel will resonate with players interested in character-driven stories and ethical or philosophical themes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another highlight of the game is, as previously mentioned, music \u2013 with vocal and instrumental tracks composed by Shota Horie. Ishihara emphasizes that Valkyrie Tune\u2019s music will be a means to visualize the protagonist\u2019s inner state, rather than simply background ambiance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls<\/strong>\u00a0is\u00a0set to launch in July 2026\u00a0for PC (Steam<\/a>)\u00a0and Switch. Good Smile Company\u00a0will release\u00a0a\u00a0free demo\u00a0on March 16, introducing the game\u2019s themes and worldbuilding.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interview with former\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0series director\u00a0Akihiro Ishihara about his latest work, Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":56757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64,10],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-56754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-development","category-interviews","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0director\u2019s new sci-fi romance\u00a0visual novel\u00a0Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls\u00a0takes a surprisingly serious, philosophical turn, set in a world that\u00a0\u201cfeels off\u201d\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Interview with former\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0series director\u00a0Akihiro Ishihara about his latest work, Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/former-idolmaster-directors-new-visual-novel-valkyrie-tune-synthesis-of-souls-takes-a-surprisingly-serious-philosophical-turn\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former\u00a0Idolmaster\u00a0director\u2019s new sci-fi romance\u00a0visual novel\u00a0Valkyrie Tune: Synthesis of Souls\u00a0takes a surprisingly serious, philosophical turn, set in a world that\u00a0\u201cfeels off\u201d\u00a0 - 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