There's definitely a character in "Azure Promilia" you'll fall in love with. In the CEO interview, we learned about their passion for the highly anticipated new release.

At the Tokyo Game Show 2025 held from September 25 to 28 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Manjuu Games unveiled its new title “Azur Promilia” (PC/PS5/iOS/Android) for the first time in Japan as a playable demo, marking its domestic debut. The general public opening day saw long queues forming immediately after the venue opened, highlighting just how much anticipation surrounds this title.

For details on our hands-on report, please see the article here. The characters are adorable, the action is engaging, and there’s definitely a lot to look forward to.

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From Manjuu’s Shanghai headquarters, Deputy President and CEO Shuyin Lin visited Japan. Alongside Manjuu’s Representative Director and CEO in Japan, Yekai Zhang, Mr. Lin graciously took part in an interview—here are some of the questions we asked.

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Deputy President and CEO of Manjuu Shanghai, Shuyin Lin

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CEO of Manjuu, Yekai Zhang

4Gamer:
Thank you very much for taking the time today. This is your first playable appearance in Japan with Azur Promilia. After releasing Azur Lane (iOS/Android), how exactly did this new project come about?

Shuyin Lin (hereafter, Lin):
Manjuu has long specialized in girl-focused games. However, since Azur Lane has always been a 2D game, we wanted to challenge ourselves by exploring the full potential of character expression through 3D—so that’s how Azur Promilia was born.

Yekai Zhang (hereafter, Zhang):
Although Manjuu is widely recognized in Japan as “the company behind Azur Lane,” we’re not content with just that image. With Azur Promilia, we’ve taken a bold step into the new territory of 3D open worlds. We aim to reach broader audiences and establish a fresh position for ourselves in the Japanese market.

4Gamer:
Over recent years, there’s been an increasing number of Chinese anime-style titles using 3D graphics. As a later entrant, how does Azur Promilia stand out?

Lin:
Artistic quality is our main strength. We have confidence that our visuals are among the best in the industry. Beyond the character designs reminiscent of Azur Lane, we’ve created many other charming characters—like the adorable Pam tribe members and cute figures like Kibo—offering diverse and appealing visual designs.

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4Gamer:
Players tend to expect strong character designs from Manjuu titles, and after trying the demo, I can confirm it delivers. The characters are both visually appealing and charming in their movements. But compared to Azur Lane, aren’t these designs more restrained? Is this due to differences between 2D and 3D development—or is it just early-stage caution? (laughing)

Lin:
(Laughing.) We definitely wanted a different kind of appeal than Azur Lane. In 3D, we can express character charm from many angles. While Azur Lane emphasizes sexiness, Azur Promilia focuses on cuteness and creates moments that make players’ hearts race.

4Gamer:
When you say “heart-racing,” does this mean there’s a bond-building system where characters show affectionate gestures as relationships grow?

Lin:
I can’t go into details yet, but I promise: every interaction and exchange we’ve included will meet your expectations.

4Gamer:
We’re eager to see it!

Two things surprised me during the demo. One was Kibo—the game clearly goes beyond a simple “girls-focused” title; it’s clear this feature has been deeply implemented. Why did you decide to include such substantial content?

Lin:
Manjuu employs illustrators skilled not only in beautiful, elegant styles but also in cute, kawaii designs—some of whom worked on Azur Lane’s SD characters. So we thought: “What if we combined a cuter character type into Azur Promilia?” That was one motivation. Personally, I enjoy pet-collecting games too—and since both my passion and expertise align with this idea, Kibo naturally fit in.

4Gamer:
The game could easily stand alone as a core mechanic around Kibo systems, while still featuring Manjuu’s signature girl characters—this is quite ambitious!

Lin:
Wouldn’t it be great if you had both beautiful girls and adorable Kibos in one game? Then why not include both? When building the world of Azur Promilia, imagining what kind of ecosystem exists in each region, which creatures live there—it’s a lot of fun.

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Zhang:
That’s why our content keeps expanding (laughing). That very richness is actually one of the game’s defining features. Beyond environment and ecosystem, we’re incorporating diverse cultural elements—expressed through characters too—to create a deeper, more immersive world.

4Gamer:
When designing ecosystems, where do you start?

Lin:
We usually begin with map design. Different regions have different climates and cultures, so the inhabitants would live accordingly—and naturally, certain Kibos would exist there as well.

4Gamer:
Another surprise was the combat action system. The game features six units—three characters plus three Kibos—with each character’s skill activation upon switching encouraging frequent rotation. Also, right-clicking triggers a parry, so defense must be used precisely. It feels much more serious and action-oriented than I expected from its overall tone. What was your design intention behind this balance?

Lin:
As a player myself, I want the game to be fun. And honestly—combat has to be enjoyable.

4Gamer:
Straightforward answer. But it’s quite bold in execution. As someone who loves action games, I had a great time testing it. However, if someone came in just for “Kibo is so cute” and then discovered this intense combat system… they might be surprised. Still, the fact that you’ve leaned hard into gameplay tells me the team behind this game are real gamers.

Zhang:
Exactly—this is an action game made by actual gamers (laughing).

Lin:
We’re still in testing phase, so we’ll continue adjusting balance and making it possible to change difficulty levels. We have various plans for improvement underway.

4Gamer:
Honestly, no matter where you look—in characters, Kibo systems, or combat—this game is clearly high-quality. I’m truly looking forward to future updates and announcements.

Lin:
Thank you! Although the demo version didn’t include it, there’s actually a housing system in the full game. We hope players who enjoy relaxed content will find this particularly appealing too.

4Gamer:
Oh—there’s also a housing system? Now that I think about it, gathering materials and production mechanics were present too, so that makes sense. Still, one thing we’re most curious about is: when will the game launch?

Zhang:
We can’t share specific timelines at this moment, but rest assured—we continue to refine and optimize gameplay content. We are committed to delivering an experience players will truly enjoy. It may take some time, but I’m confident we’ll soon unveil Azur Promilia in its best possible form.

4Gamer:
Looking ahead, during the event you mentioned that Manjuu is not only developing original games but also actively pursuing media mix initiatives—including comics, anime, and merchandise—and currently devoting full effort to the latest project: Azur Promilia. That stood out to me.

Lin:
What I can say now is simply this—this isn’t just a game. Please stay tuned for more!

4Gamer:
You’re clearly all-in on the girls.

Lin:
I love beautiful girls too (laughing). At launch, we’ll have at least double the number of characters shown in today’s demo. I’m absolutely confident that among them, you’ll find at least one character you fall for!

4Gamer:
A game built to cater to player preferences.

Lin:
Leave it to us!

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Official Website for “Azur Promilia”