Reynatis creators muse about making The Ultimate Chūnibyō in a Famitsu interview translated by NIS America

NIS America shared a behind-the-scenes interview with some of the key staff behind upcoming action RPG Reynatis. The interview was originally conducted by Weekly Famitsu and NIS America has officially translated the interview which involved creative producer Takumi, scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, and composer Yoko Shimomura.

One of the first points of discussion centered around the name 'Reynatis' itself and what that meant. Takumi provided the following response:

It is based on two different words. First, in Latin, “renatus” means “birth,” or “rebirth.” In Spanish, it can mean both “king” and “birth,” so it holds the meaning of a “born king.” As you play the story, you'll understand the meaning behind “birth” and “rebirth.” REYNATIS as a title was a result of combining all of these things. In addition, the word itself has a significant meaning when it appears in the game.

When thinking about who should helm the project, Takumi actually had both Nojima and Shimomura in mind already and decided to reach out to them. Famitsu inquired them about their initial response when Takumi contacted them.

Nojima: There aren’t many people who will provide a concept and theme that is easy to understand from the initial explanation stage of the project. Because of that, it felt refreshing when TAKUMI clearly presented the concept of "suppression and liberation.” I also happened to have some time available…

Shimomura: You intentionally made time, didn’t you? (laughs)

Nojima: Yes, I wanted to do it, so I made time in my schedule (laughs). I want to work with people that I haven’t had the opportunity to work with before, so I accepted the request to work on REYNATIS.

Shimomura: When I received the request from TAKUMI, he said, “I absolutely want you at the helm!” He really impressed me with his passionate proposal. “Well, if you’re that intent on it…!” was what I told him when I accepted.

Some of the most amusing parts of the interview revolve around Takumi's enthusiasm that he was able to successfuly reach out to Nojima about the project. Since Nojima hadn't made his contact details public, Shimomura decided to contact him with her own SNS account as a bridge to connect Takumi and Nojima.

Shimomura: I think there’s a part of me that is hesitant to say this, but I could really feel TAKUMI’s strong desire to get in touch with him. So, it made me happy to hear him say, “I got in touch with Mr. Nojima!”

Nojima: Hearing that story makes me smile (laughs).

TAKUMI: I wouldn't have continued this project if I couldn’t have both of you involved. I told my boss that if either of them wasn’t available, the project would be over (laughs).

Shimomura: The conversation wouldn’t have moved forward if Mr. Nojima hadn’t given his okay. Once his participation was confirmed, work on the music quickly progressed. I also think that games are based on their stories, so I was deeply impressed by the way TAKUMI thought about his work and how he wanted to request music after the scenario was decided.

In discussing about works that influenced the development of Reynatis, Takumi looked to Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy series. Although players may see a similar setting to them when look at Reynatis, Takumi believes that his project has its own unique feel. Throughout the creation process of the game, Takumi and Nojima often talked about their definition of the term “chūnibyō” to guide the planning and setup of the scenario. They wanted to create "the ultimate chūnibyō” in Reynatis through one of the main characters, Marin Kirizumi (the left character on the image below).

NIS America provided a translator's note to describe what chūnibyō is.

Translator's Note

You may be familiar with the term “chūnibyō” from Japanese anime, manga, or video games. It is said to have been coined in 1999 by the comedian Hikaru Ijūin, where he used it as a self-deprecating term to describe cringey things middle school kids do to look cool.

It was later popularized on the internet in the mid-2000s as a term that referred to people or characters who have an inflated sense of self-importance, act like know-it-alls, or believe they have special abilities. If you do things like drinking black coffee even though you don’t like the taste because you think it makes you look more mature, you might be a chūnibyō!

Read the whole translated interview on the official Reynatis English website. Another translated interview from NIS America about the game will be coming in the near future, as well.

The western release of Reynatis is coming Fall 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). Learn more about the game when its western localization was announced back in February.