Promise Mascot Agency News

🎨Designed by: Ikumi Nakamura & Mai Mattori
🎨Rendered by: Inko Ai Takita
🎨3D by: Rachel Noy



To-Fu is a beautiful, sensitive soul, trying to survive in a cruel world. He tries his best, but he often finds himself completely overwhelmed by….literally anything and everything. He doesn’t really understand why he cries all the time, but he knows he can’t stop 😭

🫸At school, To-Fu was bullied badly. An easy target who couldn’t stand up for himself, he resigned himself to being a victim. But he found a friend and protector for life in his classmate Pinky☆. We know that if there is one thing Pinky☆ hates, it’s a bully (and crusty old geezers, but mostly bullies), so she took it upon herself to stand up for To-Fu and throw hands (fingers?), at anyone who dared be mean to her friend.

To-Fu is the first mascot that comes to see Pinky☆ and Michi after hearing that the agency has reopened. He is being very brave, and following the advice of his therapist, who has told him that he should try pushing himself to try new things.

Will he be able to achieve his dream of becoming firm and strong? Or will he learn to accept that he is a soft, silken tofu boy? Help this sweet boy on his road to success and self love!

Developer notes:
To-Fu was actually the very first mascot that got modelled for the game. Poor old To-Fu has been the test case for everything. He has seen all of the horrors that game development has to offer, so there really has been no respite for this sweet silken boy.

I especially like To-Fu because the first game I really fell in love with was Resident Evil 2. That game was directed by Hideki Kamiya and featured a block of tofu as an unlockable character. Kamiya-san then worked with Nakamura-san and she designed To-Fu so it feels like he connects me back to my first video game love.
Oli Clarke Smith, Game Director

🎨Designed by: Ikumi Nakamura & Mai Mattori
🎨Rendered by: Inko Ai Takita
🎨3D by: Rachel Noy



Pinky☆ is angry. Shunned by a world that doesn’t think a severed pinky-finger is ‘conventionally cute’, a world that can’t appreciate her passion for violence, and worst of all, a world that doesn’t respect mascots. She has a small but fierce circle of friends in town, most of whom she’s helped out of a tight spot (she will do LITERALLY ANYTHING for her pals), but her mischief and superstar personality have proven too much for some townsfolk to handle.

She is the original owner of the mascot agency business, entrusted to her by Matriarch Shimazu, but it soon became clear her strengths lay elsewhere. So her business licence was soon revoked by Mayor Maeda (a crusty old geezer who can’t take a joke) after an unfortunate incident at the mayor’s granddaughter’s birthday party. As a last resort, Pinky converted the agency into a love hotel to keep a roof over her head. A severed finger has to do what she has to do!

When Michi moves into town to take over the business, he is super lucky to have Pinky☆ become his assistant manager (he’d be lost without her 💖) With Michi having to come to terms with operating in a civilian space post-yakuza, and Pinky☆ just needing someone to take a chance on her, together these unlikely besties help each other navigate the world, and fulfil their dreams ✨

Developer Insights:
Michi is a fish very quickly out of water in the game, so we needed a character that would be a guide for players throughout their journey. When we asked our artists to design us a mascot assistant to work with Michi, we knew we wanted her to have big Pop Team Epic and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Energy, so that was the main inspiration for her design.

The idea of the character that almost ends up completing Michi and complementing him so well, being a severed finger, after he had to cut off his own in atonement for his actions, was something that we really loved and felt profound. With this in mind, our art director, Rachel really strongly established the theme of characters keeping pinky promises to each other. We knew we wanted the game to be about chasing dreams, no matter who or what you are, and keeping promises naturally fed into that.

Pinky☆ is my favourite character to write. She’s witty and sarcastic, but she means well and has so much heart. She teases Michi constantly, but would do anything to support him. Pinky☆ is one of those people that just needs an opportunity and some support to achieve great things.

Oli Clarke Smith, Game Director

Michi grew up in a well-to-do family but rebelled against his parent’s pressure and fell into delinquency. After becoming a gang leader, he almost met his end when he stubbornly fought against some new rivals despite knowing he’d lose. The ensuing brawl left him bleeding out in the rain.

Having earned something of a reputation in Fukuoka for his fearlessness and recklessness, Matriarch Shimazu scooped him off the street. From that day, he swore an oath to his new boss dedicating himself to her service. Working in the Shimazu Family gave him purpose and familial bonds he had never experienced before. He managed to learn to control himself with her teachings, but the reputation of his past as “The Demon of Fukuoka” still follows him.

Michi got the nickname of ‘The Janitor’ because he always cleans up any problem his family has and leaves a scene spotless. Upon entering the Family, his first job was cleaning the office, and sweeping became a distraction to calm his mind. Later, his broom became his weapon as it’s inconspicuous, an extension of his body feared by anyone that crossed the Shimazu Family.

Michi is completely loyal to his new family, almost to a fault as he chooses his family over money in a deal gone wrong, a decision that plummets the Shimazu Family into a difficult situation. Instead of killing Michi as most yakuza bosses would, Shimazu fakes Michi’s death and sends him somewhere she knows no yakuza would dare to follow him.

Michi now finds himself in a dying town, hunted by a yakuza killing curse. He has been ripped from the life he knew and is struggling to find his way in a strange new world of mascot management. He is a man of duty and he will not let his Matriarch’s dream die, even if it kills him.

Developer Insight:
Michi, like a lot of our characters, was designed by Ikumi Nakamura and Mai Mattori. We asked them to design Michi with only a few key points, and the rest was left up to them. We were pleasantly surprised by a yakuza wearing sandals, a track jacket and carrying a broom. We loved how unique he was and how his appearance immediately told a story.

We can’t wait for you to get to know Michi!

We met Pinky☆ for an interview on our recent visit to Promise Mascot Agency, a mascot-for-hire agency ran out of what is seemingly an old and decrepit love hotel. Don’t let looks deceive you however, Pinky☆’s here and she means business! She may be in the gutter but she’s reaching for the stars!

We chatted to Pinky over a cup of tea, once she’d finished smashing all of the dirty cups in the small kitchenette and swearing about her good for nothing janitor. We didn’t drink our tea.



Interviewer:
I’ve never conducted an interview on a spinning bed before, this is a new experience! I wonder if you’d like to introduce yourself and your company?

Pinky☆:
I find rotating beds help clear the mind. There’s nothing like imagining the awful things that have been done on it to make you thankful for the life you’re leading.

Anyway, I’m Pinky☆! I’m the assistant manager of the Promise Mascot Agency. The manager can’t speak to the press because he’s dead. Kind of. Don’t worry about him.


Interviewer:
So we hear that you were once one of the biggest mascots in this town, arguably even in Fukuoka. What caused you to shun the spotlight and want to go behind the scenes?

Pinky☆:
I didn’t want to go behind the scenes, the goddamn mayor forced me to! That crusty old geezer got all pissy when I didn’t perform well at his granddaughter’s birthday party. The mascot business was going poorly due to factors OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL, and I was the only mascot left. So I had to do the event for His Majesty. I’m not a people person. Things were said that shouldn’t have been said. A knife was brandished when it shouldn’t have been.

Unregardlessly, we’re back in business, and I’m going to suffocate the life out of the mayor, if it's the last thing I do.


Interviewer:
How do you feel about Kaso-Machi? What are the local specialities and why should people come to visit?
Pinky☆:
Kaso-Machi is wonderful, if you like dying towns and curses! We don’t have a lot here, but we do have mountain nightmare spirits, a really handsome mechanic, my grandma’s coffee shop AND an S&M dungeon!




Interviewer:
If this is an abandoned, haunted town, why do you think your business will be successful here? Surely a town with no tourism doesn’t have a great need for mascots?

Pinky☆:
Well, for a start, we don’t have a lot of choice. For reasons I am not at liberty to discuss, if we don’t make this place a success, some people are going to die. To that end, me and the boss are working to rejuvenate this town ourselves. The crusty old mayor hasn’t been spending the government money to revive the town, so we’re pouring what little we have back into the town.

The boss is all about helping people achieve their dreams, even if it is a total pain in the ass, so we’re helping them rebuild their businesses. We’re doing it out of the goodness of our hearts AND to get a cut of the profits when the tourists come. Create the world you want to live in. Or something.

Interviewer:
Are you doing anything special for Halloween?
Pinky☆:
Buddy, it’s always Halloween in this town.

We’ve got bat mascots, an eel mascot with his stomach split open, a mascot that might be a ghost, and two mascot brothers that think they’re gods. Not to mention the weird cult that meets in a cave, and the door to another dimension in the hills. Oh yeah, there’s the ghost at the train station as well. If you like the occult, we’ve got you covered.

Interviewer:
In a world full of colourful and cute mascots, what do you think is the biggest charm of the mascots at Promise Mascot Agency?
[Might be good to mention here how they are all misfits but they recruit mascots being themselves so clients get something fresh]
Pinky☆:
All of our mascots are misfits. We’re not like those lame mainstream mascots. All of our mascots have a unique charm. It might be tempting to call it a freakshow, but that goes against our HR policies, so let’s just say that we provide mascots for events that you won’t find anywhere else.


Interviewer:
What makes Promise Mascot Agency unique, and what can you offer customers that other mascot agencies can’t?

Pinky☆:
Well, we’re desperate so we’re relatively cheap. And degenerates online loves seeing weirdos fail, and we can provide that by the bucket load.

“PINKY☆!”

Sorry, that was the boss. He’s really uptight about me speaking to the press. We’ll have to blur him out of the photo.




Interviewer:
What are the goals for Promise Mascot Agency and its mascots?

Pinky☆:
TO MAKE HELL OF MONEY AND NOT DIE!

That’s number 1. Number 2 is to crush all other mascot agencies under our boot. In doing so, we will help all of our mascots achieve their dreams. So long as their dreams aren’t too time consuming.

Listen, I was abandoned by my dad, the mayor ruined my business, and lots of people think I’m a joke. The boss needs to atone for a mistake and save his family or whatever, but let me tell you something, if it helps make this agency a success, I will do something worth atoning for. You feel me?

Interviewer:
What do you like and hate about your job?

Pinky☆:
I like not having to run a love hotel anymore. People make me sick. I also like being driven around by the boss so we can meet all my friends. Hey, you ever been to Bar Itai? Mama-san’s good people. I’m also having a lot of fun antagonising the mayor. I think we’re pretty close to giving him a heart attack.

I hate how poor the people in this town are. Like, why do we have to work so goddarn hard to get paid? I’m in the prime of my life, I shouldn’t be busting my hump so much with this.


Interviewer:
What do you like to do on your time off?

Pinky☆:
Before reopening the agency, me and Shiori, one of our employees, used to enjoy doing shakedowns on the pervs visiting the love hotel. Nowadays, I don’t get a lot of time off. Making dreams come true doesn’t leave me with a lot of downtime. I’m forced to selflessly devote myself to other people.


Interviewer:
Anything else you’d like to add?

Pinky☆:
Please come to Kaso-Machi, open a business, and hire our mascots for all of your promotional events! If you don’t, I want to know what your goddamn problem is.

[A voice from another room shouts] “PINKY☆!”


Anonymous sign-off comment from the mysterious owner:
Thank you for your support. We endeavour to provide mascots that entertain and delight. We’re looking forward to doing business with you.



Thank you, Pinky☆ and the mysterious owner!
we’re looking forward to doing business with you too.

“Be the boss. Turn a profit. Recruit and manage a chaotic roster of magnificent Mascots”

Promise Mascot Agency is due for release in 2025! Available to wishlist now!

📽️ Coming in hot from the stage of Tokyo Game Show, we are thrilled to present a brand new look at Promise Mascot Agency:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

✅Was that a block of Tofu sobbing in the back of a truck? Yes, of course.
✅What’s the deal with the business cat? For the right price, maybe he’ll tell you.
✅Is that severed pinky finger going to be my new best friend? Absolutely yes she is.

Only you can bring peace (and job stability) to the packed roster of extraordinary Mascots that you’ll meet and hire in Kaso-Machi. Ranging from cute and cuddly, to what some might describe as horrifying, there is a Mascot for everyone within this Definitely Not Cursed town 😉

Being the boss for this bunch of misfits isn’t going to be easy, but we’re 100% sure you’re the only available best person for the job! So strap in, it’s going to be a wild ride!

We can't wait to share more exciting updates about the game, so make sure to Follow and Wishlist so you don’t miss out on all the upcoming Mascot mayhem!