Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Writer, Kazutaka Kodaka, Insisted Shinigami be Sexier Throughout Development

June 29, 2023 Nathan Mejia

During an interview with Famitsu about the upcoming Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, writer Kazutaka Kodaka was asked if he had any stories about the development of Yuma and Shinigami.

In response, he began to tell a story that during the development of Shinigami, he thought her initial designs were too modest. So, he would repeatedly tell them to make her sexier until they had no choice but to do it.

Comparatively, Yuma went through far fewer changes as his bobbed haircut was nearly from the beginning. The only notable alteration is that after Yuma was possessed, he was supposed to have bags under his eyes. However, after going through a few iterations, they decided to remove them entirely. The following exchange was translated by our team’s Ryuji and Nate, and checked by prominent translator Batts.

Interviewer: […] Do you have any stories of when you created Shinigami and Yuma’s designs?

Kodaka: Komatsuzaki probably remembers this better than I do, but Shinigami wasn’t showing a lot of skin. But I insisted rather strongly: “Make her sexier, make her sexier!” so he had no choice. I don’t completely remember precisely what I said, but I’m pretty sure I said something along those lines. (laughs)

Interviewer: (Laughs) Now, what about Yuma?

Kodaka: Yuma’s hairstyle being “coconut-shaped” was Komatsuzaki’s idea. He’s had that hairstyle ever since the first few design drafts.

Sakakibara: Yuma’s outward appearance…if I could point to one thing that changed, it was the bags under his eyes. He used to have those after being possessed by Shinigami, but as we moved forward with his design, we finalized it as he is now.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE has players control an amnesiac detective who is followed by a Shinigami and solve cases by examining crime scenes and evidence. The Shinigami will create a realm connecting the crime scene to the truth. Mystery Phantoms will try to impede your progress, and defeating them by utilizing the truth is the only way to go.

The gameplay comprises exploration throughout the Kanai Ward, which is entirely 3D. Players will have to examine several crime scenes and other locations alongside interviewing involved parties. Hidden clues are emphasized as being hidden via specific camera angles.