The Satoru
Kuwabara scandal not only cost him his position at Ensemble
Stars!!: now he takes with him the entire creative staff of the label
he founded. Arte Refact announced on June 9 that all
of its affiliated creators will leave the company on June 30, leaving the
music label that has produced much of the sonic identity of Japanese anime and
video games in recent years virtually empty overnight.
The
decision, according to Arte Refact's statement, is designed so that ongoing
projects can continue without generating inconveniences to partners and
customers. The company expressed its appreciation to those who supported its
work and issued an apology for the concern and problems generated by the
current situation. Each creator will share information about their next steps
once the preparations are ready.
Among those
leaving is composer Yuki Honda, who confirmed that several creators
of the label, including him, plan to found a new agency starting in July. The
details of that new structure will be shared in the coming days.
Arte Refact
confirmed in a previous statement that the information circulating about
Kuwabara was "broadly factual," and described the use of the
company's facilities for personal matters in his capacity as director as
unacceptable conduct. Kuwabara had already publicly acknowledged that his
actions lacked ethical judgment, that the central points of the allegations
were true, and that his resignation as music producer of Ensemble
Stars!! had been accepted. He had also asked that unverified
information not be released to protect his family's privacy.
What
remains to be clarified is how Arte Refact will manage active projects without
its songwriting team, and what exactly the new agency Honda and its colleagues
are preparing will take.
About
Arte Refact
Arte
Refact is a
Japanese music production label operated under the Memento mori company,
founded by Satoru Kuwabara. Throughout its history, it contributed
to the sonic identity of franchises such as Ensemble Stars!!, THE
IDOLM@STER Million Live!, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby, as
well as numerous anime and video game projects. The simultaneous departure of
all its affiliated creators on June 30 represents a significant breaking point
for a company that until very recently was one of the sector's benchmarks in
Japan.
