Ayase collaborates with "Monster Hunter Now"! He has written a new song "From Now!" filled with "Monster Hunter love"

■ “I wanted to pack the game with an overwhelming amount of Monster Hunter love, so I included all the Monster Hunter elements that I think are interesting.” (Ayase)

Ayase has collaborated with Niantic’s mobile app “Monster Hunter Now,” which allows users to experience Capcom Co., Ltd.’s globally popular “Monster Hunter” series in the real world.

A short version of Ayase’s new song “From Now!” will be exclusively released in advance within “Monster Hunter Now” from August 27th.

“From Now!” was written and composed by Ayase, a longtime player of the Monster Hunter series, to match the worldview of the Monster Hunter Now game. Yasutaka Nakata co-wrote the composition and also arranged the song.

This song can be heard by having your avatar wear the “From Now! Headphones,” which are part of the limited-edition “From Now! Outfits” that can be acquired by completing limited-time quests that require defeating large monsters, starting from 9:00am on August 27th. When your avatar wears the “From Now! Headphones,” the background music will change to “From Now!” while hunting in the game.

Furthermore, starting August 27th, the new TV commercial “Monster Hunter Now x Ayase Collaboration[From Now!]” will begin airing nationwide.

In this new commercial, Ayase appears as a hunter character holding a sword while his new song “From Now!”, which is filled with his love for “Monster Hunter”, plays. Ayas, who came to the real world from the world of “Monster Hunter”, challenges various monsters that appear in the city with the friends he met in this world. Also pay attention to Ayase wearing original armor drawn specifically for this commercial.

Additionally, there will be an event starting at 9am on August 27th where players can win the limited edition hunter medal “Monster Hunter Now x Ayase Collaboration[From Now!]Medal,” layered armor “[From Now!]Costume,” and gathered materials by clearing quests.

The official Monster Hunter Now X account (@mh_now) will also be holding a giveaway campaign where you can win original Monster Hunter Now goods autographed by Ayase. For more details, please visit the official Monster Hunter Now website.

■Ayase Interview
Q: What was your first impression when you received the offer to work on Monster Hunter Now?
I was very happy. I’m a big fan of the Monster Hunter series, so I was so happy to be able to work on it that I remember immediately saying, “I want to do it.”
Q: I heard that you read the Monster Hunter strategy guide until it was completely worn out, but please tell us your thoughts on this piece when you were creating the music. If there were any points that you paid particular attention to, please let us know.
I packed a lot of my thoughts about Monster Hunter into the lyrics when I created it. For this song in particular, I wanted to pack it with my overwhelming love for Monster Hunter, so I included all the Monster Hunter elements that I think are interesting.
Q: Do you have a favorite monster?
I recommend Diablos. He looks like a devil and is cool. He tickles the hearts of boys. The details, like his horns, are cool too. There are many other monsters I like, but I’ve been playing “Monster Hunter Portable” since it was relatively early on, so I have a special attachment to him because he’s been there since the beginning.
Q: Do you have a favorite weapon type?
I’ve always loved great swords. I like how they have a protagonist-like vibe to them. Dual swords and lances are cool, but I always picture myself using a great sword in every series. They’re cool, aren’t they?
Q: Monster Hunter Now is a game that can be enjoyed even when you’re outside, but what did you think of it when you actually played it?
Of course, I was really looking forward to it, and when I actually played it, I remember being thrilled that the day had finally come when you could play Monster Hunter with this kind of quality on a smartphone.
Q: How does the real-world hunting in Monster Hunter Now compare to previous Monster Hunter games?
I think that even fans who actually play Monster Hunter on game consoles become hunters at the moment they play, so if it becomes more linked to the real world, it’s impossible to escape the Monster Hunter swamp.
Q: Do you have any fond memories of the Monster Hunter series?
I like games, but I haven’t played that many titles. I usually play one series that I like, and Monster Hunter is definitely the game that made me like games. When I was a child, I first encountered it when I played the portable version I mentioned earlier, but up until that point, I only played party games with friends when I was with other people. Monster Hunter was the first game that I was so absorbed in that I would concentrate on it at home and play it when I got together with friends, so it was the game that started my gaming life.
Q: Where did you get inspiration from when creating this song?
When I create music, the most important thing for me is the atmosphere of the music that I want to have. Of course, I like songs that are “good” or “resonate”, but I also want the listener to feel a sense of surprise, excitement, and excitement like “What, this song, I’ve never heard it before”. Monster Hunter has been a series for a long time, but every time a new work is released, a new system is introduced, so it never gets boring, and I think that fans and new people who touch it feel a tremendous stimulation. The fun of such updated content is that when I create music as an artist, I want to make songs that are a series of fun that you never get tired of, or that you never think you’ll get tired of, and I think that feeling comes from this entertainment experience.
Q: “Monster Hunter Now” is made with the aim of giving you the opportunity to go outside and explore the real world while also connecting with other people. Have you gone outside recently and encountered anything interesting or had any interesting experiences?
Yes, I made this song together with Yasutaka Nakata, who is a senior who has been very kind to me in private as well, and I often go out drinking with him. The very first meeting to make the music for “Monster Hunter Now,” or rather, the first time we discussed what kind of song we should make, was over drinks. At that time, he took me to a delicious fugu restaurant. We talked about what kind of song we should make while eating fugu. It was a nice restaurant, but I suddenly noticed a sign outside that said, “We will be closing at the end of next week.” Reading it carefully, the owner said, “I had decided to keep this shop open until I was 80. During this time, I really grew to love this town and have many memories with the regular customers who used to come, but since I decided to stay until I was 80, I will close the shop now. I love this town, so I hope that it will continue to be lively even after I close this shop.” It was written in beautiful handwriting, and Yasutaka and I looked at it and it really touched my heart. Imagine the owner’s strong feelings, and we both pondered, “This place is going to be gone,” and that was the most interesting thing that happened when we went out recently, or that really touched me. It was an episode that made me realize that there are many things, like human history, in the town. I realized that the town is built on the history of people.
Q: Did you have any inspiration when writing this song?
Rather than coming up with some big new input or inspiration, I don’t often perform as a solo singer, so I made use of the experiences I’ve accumulated in my life so far, and the things I’ve cultivated while working with YOASOBI and other activities. Also, it was a big factor that Yasutaka and I worked on the theme of “Let’s have fun making it, let’s have fun doing it.”
Q: You said that you incorporated a lot of Monster Hunter elements into the game, but is there any part that you would like people to hear?
I initially wrote the lyrics hoping to link things similar to the monsters in Monster Hunter, the fact that as your Hunter Rank increases, more difficult quests appear, and the fact that you can clear quests that you thought were impossible after trying them many times, to things similar to how, in society, you face and overcome various things in your daily life, but sometimes you can’t overcome them and get frustrated, so I thought it would be nice to do so. But in the end, my love for Monster Hunter overflowed, and the song became full of Monster Hunter elements. I tried to include a lot of elements that people who play Monster Hunter would understand, such as monsters and sharpness, so I hope you will enjoy that throughout the whole song.
Q: Please say a few words to people who are starting to play Monster Hunter Now because of this song.
Well, of course I would like fans of the series to give it a try, and for those who are familiar with Monster Hunter but have never played it yet, it’s easy to get into because it’s on a smartphone, and I will take responsibility for making it a fun game, so please do try out the world of Monster Hunter and become a hunter.
■ Comment from Yasuta Nakata
I am very happy to have been involved in this music that colors the world of “Monster Hunter Now.”
Together with the wonderful artist Ayase, we have created an exciting song that expresses the charm of Monster Hunter. I hope you will enjoy it along with the game.