Like the holy trinity, Yoko Taro is flanked by producer Yosuke Saito and composer Keiichi Okabe. After a quick discussion about how their shoulders hurt, Saito drops the big question. “So do you have anything new that you want to do now, Mr. Yoko, Mr. Okabe? Relating to the NieR series?” To which Taro says, “Something I would like to do relating to the NieR series eh?”. He pauses for a second, “Nah, nothing!” Saito doubles back, asking Taro if he’s “fine not doing anything more with YoRHa?”, and Taro, re-energised, exclaims, “That’s right. We announced it here today folks. The NieR series is now finished!” Okabe chuckles alongside them, likely composing future bangers in his head as the camera rolls. Saito reminds Taro that his announcement “may well be proved a lie” and Taro responds, “I guess so”, turning to the camera knowingly. “But you never know…”, he says, “I might do more if I get a big ole’ pile of money…” But that’s not all. The conversation continues and it’s just really fun. Saito asks Taro what he’d like for Christmas and Taro responds, “Christmas eh? Hmm… I think I would like to be made into a kind person…” Later, they all lament over their ailing shoulders again and joke that “they might not last for much longer” as a result. Then one final flash of info. Taro says that they’ve “talked about a few different things here today, but there was actually an important secret message hidden somewhere in the conversation!” And that “anyone who can solve the mystery and tell us what it is will win half of Yosuke Saito’s bank account!” Incredible news! Shout-out to the setup too. The festive border is neat. The blinds provide a nice contrast to the white wall in the center. The shuffle of office noise in the background, with a touch of NieR’s oos and aaas on top. And of course, just three legends hanging out and having a really good laugh. This gives it a genuine merry feel, as opposed to an insincere block of text or a dev in a suit. Bless them, I hope they have a well-earned break.
