As of January 3, 2025, a fourth character, Ibuki Taki, was added to the Japanese Virtual Idol group: AKATSUKI.

The associated Event, 浮雲＊照らす翔装の華月伝, was advertised as 紅月with滝維吹 (AKATSUKI with Ibuki Taki); bringing consumers the assumption that said collaboration would be temporary.

However, midway through said Event and after the equivalent of thousands of dollars USD were spent, it was revealed that not only would this collaboration be permanent, but also any and all old imagery of the unit which has existed for the past 10 years would be reworked and changed.

An unprecedented warning was issued to players, which stipulated that they must not discuss the content of the second half of the Event Story on social media on the grounds of preventing spoilers to the plot.

We believe this to be proof that the team working on Ensemble Stars was aware of how inflammatory this change would be.

We also believe it was an attempt to withhold information about the Event to extend financial and social engagement from players who would be dissatisfied upon learning of it.

To reiterate: Thousands of dedicated fans had shelled out money in the first half of the Event in an attempt to claim limited In-Game rewards only to in its finale learn that AKATSUKI was not simply collaborating with Ibuki Taki, but that Ibuki is now a member of the Unit.

As a result of this lack of transparency, we as customers have lost faith in Happy Elements. We feel that we have been misled and betrayed.

We are further concerned by the cultural insensitivity of Ibuki Taki's membership to AKATSUKI. 

Ibuki is Ryukyuan, while AKATSUKI is a Unit with a theme of traditional Japanese culture.

In the Event Story, Ibuki explains that he wants to find true 和風—or Japanese style—because he feels out of place within his identity.

As a result, he now wears traditional Japanese clothing and performs Japanese music while completely disregarding his Indigenous identity in the process framing it as a "Longing Identity" according to his solo posted to the official Ensemble Stars Japanese account.

The positive messaging framing that Ibuki ought to join AKATSUKI not only gives consumers the message that those of Indigenous descent should be ashamed of their identity, but also effectively promotes a Pro-Japanese Imperialism image as seen in the remaster of Akatsuki's debut song "百花繚乱、紅月夜 (Hyakka Ryouran, Akatsukiyo)," here: (Minute 1:08 Onwards)

The music video features multiple shots in which the stage lighting resembles the symbol of the Rising Sun, which marked the flags of the Empire of Japan.

This appears to us an endorsement of historical atrocities and support for the nationalistic ideology that fueled Japan’s colonization of the Ryukyu Islands and other parts of Asia.

We feel that this is insensitive to the history and culture of the Ryukyuan people, who were colonized and forcefully assimilated by the Empire of Japan.

We do not support the decision to add Ibuki Taki to AKATSUKI, and we have no desire to support a company who promote imperialistic ideas.

This series of events has caused severe harm to our trust in Happy Elements as a company and hurt our hearts as consumers who have loved and financially supported your products.

We ask that Ibuki Taki's membership to AKATSUKI be reversed or made temporary and that our concerns about cultural insensitivity be addressed.

Thank you.