[Bushiroad Inc.] An official interview with YHU, the artist in charge of the theme song for the visual novel game “ROAD59 -New Era Ninkyo Tokku- Skyscraper Monochrome Conflict,” has been released! The song expresses the fate of people at the mercy of a conflict where ways of life intersect, through live jazz performances.
Bushiroad Co., Ltd. Press release: October 3, 2025 To Members of the Press An official interview with YHU, the artist in charge of the theme song for the visual novel game “ROAD59 -New Era Ninkyo Tokku- Skyscraper Monochrome Conflict,” has been released! The live jazz performance expresses the fate of people at the mercy of a conflict where ways of life intersect. Bushiroad Inc. (Headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takaaki Kitani) released an official interview with YHU, the theme song artist for the visual novel game “ROAD59 -New Era Ninkyo Tokku- Matenrou Monochrome Conflict” today, Friday, October 3rd. We kindly ask members of the media to please handle this information.
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–Please tell us your honest thoughts when you received the offer to compose the theme song for “ROAD59.” I heard that they listened to some of the music I’d composed in the past and selected me for this role. I’m happy that the anime theme song I worked so hard on is now being woven into the next story, and I’m extremely honored to have been asked to contribute. –What are your impressions of the “ROAD59” project? I hadn’t heard of “ROAD59” until I was approached, but when I read the proposal, I was delighted to see so many elements I like. That’s because I’ve always loved cyberpunk, sci-fi, and movies set in the near future. When I saw the visuals for Tenkai Ward, I was immediately drawn to the neon city lights, huge buildings, and flying cars. I also love chivalry movies, so I liked the central
organizations in “ROAD59,” like the Haruun-gumi and Shirogane-gumi. I was surprised to find that I hadn’t heard of a work that combined the near future with chivalry, so I found it fascinating. Another exciting twist is the bizarre setting of a skyscraper appearing at the end of a non-existent national highway, making it hard to tell whether it’s a dream or reality.
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–Who is your favorite character in “ROAD59”? When I was composing the music, the game wasn’t complete yet, so I was shown footage of the stage performance to get a feel for the world of ROAD59, and I thought Yahagi Bakuto was really cool. I think it’s probably due to the acting ability of the actor who played him, Kimisawa Yuuki, but he has a lone wolf vibe to him, and I fell in love with him as a man.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/14827/8986/14827-8986-d51af63099b030d7cbf25597d9f4b73b-1920×1122.png By the way, do you usually play games? I used to play games a lot when I was little. We had a PlayStation at home, and I especially loved action games (lol) I didn’t have any music games, but I remember having a blast playing the drum-only stages of Rhythm Heaven on my Game Boy. –YHU, in addition to “ROAD59,” you’ve also worked on music for various anime, but this game is in the visual novel genre. Is there anything you keep in mind when providing music for a work with a specific worldview? First, I need to understand the overall picture of the work. For example, I imagine the kind of place the events are taking place in, the atmosphere, the smells. The theme song for an anime I made a while ago was about a refreshing high school student on the surface, but with a murderous impulse lurking in the darkness. There was also a forbidden love affair, and the work was packed with elements like that. So I read all the original manga volumes, and from there I finally began to see the true darkness and sadness hidden in the story, and expressed it based on that image. In this way, I first get drawn into the work and empathize with the characters, imagine myself in the same world, think about how I would fight, and only after I have fallen in love with the work to the core do I turn it into music. –So the music for “ROAD59” was created in a similar way. That’s right. This time too, I looked at the materials and stage performances I was given, internalized the world of “ROAD59,” and once again expanded on my imagination as I composed the music. –So what thoughts did you have when you created the completed song
“INSANITYGRAY”? Personally, I think jazz elements suit and are essential for men living in a world of darkness. The overall feel of the song incorporates a jazz feel, incorporating elements such as the conflicted feelings of Himuro Shou, the game’s protagonist, who is unable to choose a path in life centered around a dark worldview, and Yatsuga Bakuto, creating an emotional atmosphere. The worldview of “ROAD59” contains contrasting elements of science fiction and the underworld. By incorporating elements of jazz and electronics into the theme song “INSANITYGRAY,” I was able to express the mixture of different elements that the work possesses through music. –So you’re incorporating not only jazz but also electronics. That’s right. For example, when the band plays alone, it sounds like a cool jazz performance, but by incorporating electronic elements in the middle section, I think I’ve been able to express a near-future sci-fi worldview. –The songs this time were recorded with live performances of saxophone, bass, piano, drums, and trumpet. Were there any parts of the instrumental arrangement that you paid particular attention to? The members I gathered for this performance are a team of trusted friends, including leading jazz musicians and studio musicians who support numerous major artists. The song I composed this time, “INSANITY GRAY,” has a fast-paced feel that makes it difficult to perform, but I felt confident that this group could accomplish it. This is my image, but the opening part of the song starts with a bass and drum groove, which evokes the world of “ROAD59,” driving down the fictitious Route 59. Then, as the piano comes in, the skyscrapers floating in Tokyo Bay come into view. Then, the saxophone and trumpet melody comes in, and I reworked and revised it many times before finally getting it to where I was satisfied. The reason for this is that I thought the melody that would stick in the listener’s mind first would be the one that came out first, so I put a lot of care into creating it.
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–I heard this song is quite difficult, but as a musician, do you always want to try difficult phrases? It’s not because I’m a musician, but regardless of whether I can play it or not, if I can include the sounds that come to mind, it’s always going to sound cool. So even if it’s difficult, I’ll include it without hesitation. I tend to prioritize making the song better over my own technical abilities. There’s another thing I’m particular about in this song: I used an acoustic bass instead of the more popular electric bass. This creates bass patterns that appear throughout the song that can’t be expressed with an electric bass, so I hope you’ll pay attention to that. Then there’s the epic section in the middle, where I incorporated a synthesizer called an electronic sequence, which mixes elements of popular music like hyperpop into the mix, rather than just halftime beat jazz. I listen to all kinds of music on a regular basis, so this song is the result of adjusting the music I’ve absorbed to the best possible balance and then outputting it. –Thank you for your valuable story! Finally, please tell us about your future plans for YHU. I’m currently in a band where I play original songs, and my goal is to take the band to the Budokan. Song information INSANITYGRAY／YHU Composer: Yu Hagiwara Arrangement: Yu Hagiwara Alto Saxophone / Tenor Saxophone / Programming：YHU Trumpet: Akihiro Osada Piano: Yuki Hirate Contrabass: Riku Takahashi Drums: Ryo Shibata ▼“ROAD59 -New Era Ninja Special District-Skyscraper Monochrome Conflict” OP video using “INSANITYGRAY”
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc6UtONpVNM Distribution Information Digital release now available on various music distribution services https://bmu.lnk.to/INSANITYGRAYwe Artist information
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/14827/8986/14827-8986-9645703230c0f2c1a06ec4b60f9df083-964×1485.png YHU (pronunciation: Yuu) Saxophone & Flute Player / comp.arr / Producer Born on March 10, 1992, to a Japanese father and a Hong Kong mother. In 2018, he joined the band “ALI” under the name YU. In addition to playing the saxophone, he composed and arranged the brass parts for “Wild Side” (ALI), the theme song for the TV anime “BEASTARS,” and the ending theme for the TV anime “Jujutsu Kaisen,” “LOST IN PARADISE (feat. AKLO)” (ALI). Since embarking on his solo career, he has continued to be active in horn arrangements for Kitani Tatsuya’s “Kitani Tatsuya Japan Tour “UNFADED BLUE (Re-colored),” “Next Episode Preview,” and “Manazashi wa Hikari.” The composer’s name is Yu Hagiwara. Photo: Yuta Hidaka (Arche.) ▼YHU official YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXXNKzMCfmA&list=PLU_oh97hCt0booY2mxbs7ZFu2R9RncaKr “ROAD59 -New Era Special District – Skyscraper Monochrome Conflict” Overview
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/14827/8986/14827-8986-715ce0b678e8b39cd8668f37c42d1411-1280×720.png Game Story Summary Tenkai Ward, a skyscraper floating in Tokyo Bay. There, beings with superhuman powers known as “Jingi” are engaged in a bloody conflict, fighting for their own survival. Although born as the heir to the Komanami-gumi, Himuro Shou desires a “normal, peaceful life,” and as the new boss, he will shoulder the fate of his family. While Shou remains unsure of his commitment to the yakuza, conflict intensifies in the Tenkai district over the “power of Orochi,” which is said to grant the wishes of anyone who possesses it. Furthermore, the largest faction, the Kurojo-gumi, begins to work behind the scenes to take over the Komanami-gumi. To protect his family, Shou is forced to make one impossible choice after another in a city swirling with betrayal and desire. What awaits them beyond this? Salvation or destruction…?
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/14827/8986/14827-8986-84aa18f2f6908ffc8c79ef2a7ac51e65-1920×1080.png Game Overview Title: ROAD59 -New Era Ninkyo Special Zone- Skyscraper Monochrome Conflict Genre: Visual Novel Game Compatible devices: Nintendo Switch(TM)/Steam(R) Number of players: 1 Voice: Partial voice Supported languages: Japanese (Subtitles in the following languages will also be supported) English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese CAST Shūya Sunagawa / Hiroki Nanami / Wakana Minami / Aina Aiba / Ryo Kitamura / Takuma Sueno Masahiro Inoue / Haruka Kudo / Yumi Okada Yūki Kimisawa / Misato Kawachi / Seiji Maeda / Atsushi Shiramata / Taiyo Ayukawa / Kohei Yamamoto Shōta Aoi / Kazuki Watanabe / Rihona Kato Yui Ishikawa / Kenjirō Tsuda / Riko Sasaki / Reon Tanie / Chikahiro Kobayashi STAFF Planning and Original Story: Bushiroad Character Design and Main Graphic Designer: Gidora Developed by: Rocket Studio Official website: https://game.road59.com/ Work official *Please include the following information when posting. (C)bushiroad All Rights Reserved.
