The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is one of the most ambitious new IPs from Too Kyo Games. It is widely regarded as one of the best and most unique visual novels released in recent times.
We recently had the opportunity to interview the Series Creator, Kazutaka Kodaka, and the Composer, Masafumi Takada. During the interview, we discussed their creative journey, the challenges of such an ambitious concept, and the future of the “Hundred Lineverse.” You can find the interview, complete with questions and answers, posted below.
Q1. How did the concept of The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy first come to mind? Could you share the main inspiration behind the game’s premise and overall direction?
Kodaka: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy began as TooKyo Games’ first original IP title. (We later partnered with Aniplex, which became the publisher.) We felt that we had to do something truly crazy to stand out among all the other games out there. To leverage the scenario, which is our strong point to the fullest, we decided to create a game with 100 different endings.
Q2. The idea of having 100 different endings is quite ambitious. Was this overwhelming during the conceptual stage, and how smooth was the process of implementing such a large number of outcomes?
Kodaka: The Hundred Line was conceived not merely as having 100 endings, but as a concept where branching paths could drastically alter the genre of the story itself. This is because I wanted our writers, starting with Uchikoshi, to not just adapt my scenario, but to fully bring out their own authorial voices. This is the concept of “The Hundred Lineverse,” where even the worldview changes depending on the branching paths. It was a great concept to start with; however, the actual work was incredibly demanding. It wasn’t just the scenario writing; consequently, the increase in art assets and the task of adding direction to each scenario became quite demanding, requiring the entire team of scenario writers to tackle it together.
It didn’t go smoothly at all, and the budget expanded, but we made up our mind to roll up our sleeves and finish the development. That’s precisely why I believe it became a truly one-of-a-kind game.
Q3. Why were the Nintendo Switch and PC chosen as the primary development platforms? Were there any design or visual limitations that arose due to developing for the Switch?
Kodaka: Ultimately, the decision was made by the publisher, Aniplex. The Hundred Line‘s battle parts are 3D, but it doesn’t require high specs and is story-driven, so I thought it would be a good fit for the Switch, a portable console you can take anywhere. PC is an indispensable platform when considering global sales.
Q4. (For Takada-san) What inspired the musical direction of The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy? Could you describe how the creative process for composing the soundtrack was structured?
Takada: I created the music by directly translating the game’s scenarios, designs, voice actor performances, and overall pacing into musical form. When playing the game without implementing music yet, I naturally heard sounds in my head, and it felt like I was simply composing as it was.
Q5. (For Takada-san) Given the game’s ambitious concept with multiple endings, what unique challenges did you face while composing music that fits such a diverse narrative structure?
Takada: While the number of stories is large, the arrival of morning creates a natural division. Therefore, I created daily theme songs for the daily scenes starting each morning using the method of Leitmotif and designed to naturally impress the worldview of The Hundred Line. Hearing the same phrase repeatedly at the start of each day creates a consistent impression that carries through to the various stories that follow. This approach extended beyond everyday scenes to meticulously design other settings as well. Even as multiple narratives unfolded, I consciously ensured that the world of The Hundred Line remained firmly etched within the player’s memories of both the ordinary and extraordinary experiences they encountered.
Q6. (For Kodaka-san) Among your past works, which experiences or lessons proved most valuable in shaping The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy?
Kodaka: I was committed to The Hundred Line with the mindset of making it the culmination of all my previous work, putting everything of my experience and connections into it. Therefore, I can say that all my past experiences proved useful and valuable.
Q7. Are there any current plans to release a Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade version of the game?
Kodaka: We haven’t decided on anything yet, but I would like to make it happen.
Q8. I hope you do not mind this question, but the project was reportedly close to breaking even the last time it was discussed publicly. Have things changed since then, and has the development investment now been fully recouped?
Kodaka: Thanks to the support of so many people, we were able to pay off all the money TooKyo Games borrowed to complete this game. We haven’t reached the break-even point yet, but sales are steadily increasing. We’ll continue to promote The Hundred Line and strive to boost sales even further. We want to use the profits to support new languages, create DLC, and invest in ways that will make Hundred Lines even more exciting.
Q9. (For Kodaka-san) Do you have any plans for a successor to The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, or would you prefer to focus on developing a completely new IP in the future?
Kodaka: The Hundred Line aims to be a game that continues selling for over ten years through various initiatives such as doing media mixes and creating DLC. At the same time, we will also work on new titles.
Q10. The transition from a visual novel format to a strategy RPG represents a significant shift for TooKyo Games. How did the team adapt to this change, and what were the main challenges in balancing difficulty and gameplay depth?
Kodaka: I didn’t think about the game system first; rather, since the theme of this scenario was “war,” the system that best expressed that in the game was a strategy RPG. I merely chose the SRPG to convey the story, and since it didn’t differ from my previous way of thinking, I didn’t see it as a significant shift. To create a sense of tension where 15 people are fighting in a desperate and extreme situation, a system was devised where each time an ally dies, it becomes more advantageous for the player. Since it features a playstyle different from typical SRPGs, achieving balance was extremely difficult. Since this is a new type of game play experience, we tried to be careful of balancing where allies die easily but clearing the game isn’t overly difficult.
Q11. Are there still plans to expand the game’s reach to additional platforms in the future, thereby introducing it to a wider audience?
Kodaka: This will ultimately be decided by Aniplex, but for now, we have no plans to release it on other platforms. However, if there is significant demand, we would consider it.
Q12. Lastly, thank you for creating such an inventive and distinctive experience. Do you have a final message for your fans and for those who have supported The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy?
Kodaka: Creating “The Hundred Lineverse”, with its 100 endings and even altering story genres, was truly challenging, but precisely because of that, I believe we were able to create a truly one-of-a-kind experience game. Thanks to the support of our fans and your voices, The Hundred Line continues to spread further and further around the world. Thank you so much. Please continue to recommend this game to others. TooKyo Games will keep challenging ourselves to create truly unique games. Stay tuned.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is available now for PC and Nintendo Switch.
