{"id":668015,"date":"2025-05-09T03:42:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/bustafellows-season2s-surprising-return-with-minetaka-and-kenn\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T03:42:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:42:29","slug":"bustafellows-season2s-surprising-return-with-minetaka-and-kenn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/bustafellows-season2s-surprising-return-with-minetaka-and-kenn\/","title":{"rendered":"BUSTAFELLOWS season2’s Surprising Return With minetaka and KENN"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In an unexpected comeback, the otome visual novel series<\/a> <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i><\/a> announced its return with the brand-new sequel, <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i><\/a>! <\/span>season2<\/span><\/i> picks up after the aftermath of <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> with the same protagonist Teuta \u2014 a brilliant freelancing journalist with the ability to briefly go back in time and find clues \u2014 and her crime-fighting gang of love interests. Having endured many hardships during the first game<\/a>, they must now uncover the darkness that continues to plague their city, New Sieg, whilst deepening their relationships with one another.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With the anticipated release of <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i> and its demo now out on Steam<\/a>, Anime<\/a> Trending had the opportunity to conduct an email interview with <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS <\/span><\/i>producer <\/span>minetaka<\/b> and Limbo\u2019s voice actor <\/span>KENN<\/b>. The two of them reminisced about the creation process of <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i>, the game\u2019s immersion that is centered around American culture, and hinted at brand-new developments for the second game.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

minetaka on the development of <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a9 NIPPON CULTURAL BROADCASTING EXTEND INC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How long has <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/i><\/b> been in development for? Were there any challenges that your team faced throughout the development process?<\/b>
<\/b>
<\/b>minetaka:<\/b> When we released the first game in 2019, all the ideas and everything we wanted to create about <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> were packed into the first game, so to be honest, we felt like we had used up just about every idea we had. But then a huge wave of support came in, and people fell in love with the characters and the setting of New Sieg. I started thinking things like, \u201cYou know, I want to see more of New Sieg too\u2026\u201d We needed to consult all the main staff, make the necessary preparations, and start planning it from scratch in an empty notebook, so it took two to three years to get everything together.<\/span>
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Since 2020, the impact of the COVID pandemic has been significant, and not being able to meet and talk with the other staff members in person made it extremely difficult. I had assumed that texting or talking over the phone would be enough to continue development, but it turned out that things like casual conversation or just chatting over a meal are things that create a polished end product.<\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There were physical challenges like these, but more than that, the fact that it was a sequel was an even greater challenge. As I said earlier, we had packed everything we wanted to do into the first game, and so we felt empty.<\/span><\/p>\n

The localization of <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/i><\/b> is a huge win for Western fans, especially since many otome games unfortunately stay region-locked to Japan. How was the decision to localize the game decided, and what do you expect the future of otome games in the West to look like?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

minetaka:<\/b> Having PQube localize the first game and for <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> to become known all over the world through the English version was a very precious experience for me.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I think there are many games that get localized into multiple languages, but visual novels are particularly difficult to localize because the amount of text to be translated is quite significant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever stopped and thought about how much text is actually in your average visual novel? Many contain enough words to rival 40 to 50 novels, so translating them becomes an ordeal in and of itself. Depending on the game, you might need to localize more naturally in a method called \u201cculturalization,\u201d but for <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i>, the English release ended up faithfully retaining the idea of a fictional American city imagined by myself, a Japanese person. I was nervous about how people might react to my interpretation of America, but I was pleased to see that it was received positively.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Will the game be tied into the original <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/i><\/b>, or will it be a brand new, standalone story? What kinds of surprises should fans of the original expect to see?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

minetaka:<\/b> As the title suggests, <\/span>season2<\/span><\/i> is a continuation of the previous story. If you played the first <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> game, then you\u2019ve probably seen the epilogue with a certain someone from New Sieg. The story of <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i> concerns this person and what happ<\/a>ens to them. We didn\u2019t just want to make a story for the sake of making one, so we took great care to ensure it\u2019ll be the type of story that can allow fans of the original to appreciate the setting and characters more than ever before.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Should fans expect to see a <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/i><\/b> Season 3?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

minetaka:<\/b> Honestly? I\u2019m not sure. I put my all into this release, much as I did with the first game\u2026 So once again, I feel empty.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, we have received so many messages, so much love and support from overseas fans. We are seeing more opportunities to explore the world of <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> like with the radio show in Japan, the big event we ran in Kyoto, the stage event at Anime Expo 2024, and the release of the Chinese version \u2014 all which make me feel like I would like to discover even more of their stories.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

KENN on voicing Limbo in <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a9 NIPPON CULTURAL BROADCASTING EXTEND INC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Please tell us about your favorite scenes in <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS <\/i><\/b>and <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

KENN:<\/b> In the first <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i>, there was a scene where Limbo speaks French, and I remember really struggling during the recording. Limbo has this innate coolness \u2014 like he can do anything impeccably. So to properly express that, I had to re-record my lines numerous times until I could speak French smoothly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i>, there\u2019s a certain scene where another character pretends to be Limbo. It was a funny scene because I voiced Limbo, but I was also in charge of voicing the person pretending to be Limbo too. I\u2019d like for everyone who\u2019s going to play <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i> to look forward to it, so while I can\u2019t give any details, I really think it\u2019s a scene that people should be excited about.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Besides Limbo, is there another character that you find interesting?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

KENN:<\/b> All of the characters have really interesting stories, so it\u2019s hard to choose, but I would say I like Mozu and his episode. Mozu has a distinct personality, but in <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i>, he interacts with a very peculiar character. That\u2019s another thing I hope people will look forward to. While there are some pretty gut-wrenching scenes, you\u2019ll also experience some heartwarming episodes as well.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What do you like about <\/b>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/i><\/b>?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

KENN:<\/b> minetaka previously mentioned that he is really fond of American culture, and that he loaded the things he knows and likes about the US into the game that came to be known as <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i>. That affectionate worldview makes everything feel so real, and that\u2019s what really draws me in. The characters in that world are truly alive, and you just don\u2019t really see that in other games. It feels like if I were walking through an American town, I might just run into Limbo. The characters are so realistic, and it actually feels just like that.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thank you to PQube for the interview opportunity. <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS<\/span><\/i> is available on <\/span>Nintendo Switch<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Steam<\/span><\/a>, while <\/span>BUSTAFELLOWS season2<\/span><\/i> will release on the same platforms on July 17th, 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n