During Anime Expo 2025, Arc System Works held their scheduled panel, ARC Live – Anime Expo Interactive Edition, on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. However, after four days of the event, one would expect a Guilty Gear and fighting game charged panel would be the perfect thing to wake up these gamers to get through the final day of the event. However, Arc System Works set the mood with their first trailer showing off an emotional game called Dear me, I was.
I was likely as shocked as the rest of the room as the giant screens showed scenes of beautiful watercolor illustrations of characters that instill a sense of loneliness and intrigue. But what is it? Why did I come to a Hunter X Hunter Nen X Impact panel only to be brought to tears? Who is Taisuke Kanasaki? Why do I feel the need to see this narrative through? Well, here’s what we know.
A Thoughtful Journey Told Through Art
Dear me, I was is a text-free, narrative-focused experience featuring watercolor visuals and rotoscoped animation. Already, that sounds like a hard sale, so imagine being in a room with a hundred anime fans wondering what panel they signed up for. Regardless, the host expertly explained the game’s premise before the streamer guests, who are really good at fighting games, attempted to match the crowd’s watery-eyed energy.
Anyway, the game follows a woman reflecting on her past as she revisits key memories that shaped her life. Rather than relying on words, the game communicates emotion through movement, expression, and painted backdrops. It’s built for players seeking something slower, more intimate, and, in the words of the team, a little uplifting.
It’s launching digitally for Nintendo Switch 2 sometime this summer, marking an emotional detour from Arc System Works’ usual rhythm of air-dashes and counters.
Taisuke Kanasaki Returns to the Director’s Chair
The creative lead behind Dear me, I was is Taisuke Kanasaki, a veteran designer best known for his work on Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Born in 1971, Kanasaki got his start in the industry at age 18, later making his mark at Cing, a now-defunct studio that specialized in adventure titles with striking art styles and unconventional narratives.
Kanasaki directed and designed Hotel Dusk and its sequel, Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, which earned cult status for their noir storytelling and rotoscoped characters. These games found a niche fan base on the Nintendo DS due to their handling of pacing, subtlety, and adult themes. Trust me, during a time when I was mainly playing slice-of-life visual novels, Hotel Dusk was my trust adventure game awakening. His partnership with writer Rika Suzuki and a tight-knit team led to some of the DS’s most memorable interactive stories.
After Cing’s closure, Kanasaki and part of the original team regrouped to develop Chase: Cold Case Investigations – Distant Memories, a smaller title that kept their style alive on the 3DS. Now, nearly a decade later, Dear me, I was feels like a natural evolution, a return to contemplative storytelling through hand-crafted visuals.
A Different Beat for Arc System Works
Arc System Works is mostly known for its fighting game pedigree, but this isn’t their first foray into experimental or narrative-driven projects. Still, Dear me, I was stands out for its presentation alone. Using live-action reference footage painted over with watercolor textures, the team is leaning hard into atmosphere and tone over traditional gameplay. It’s designed to be approachable for players who want something different. No text. No battles. Just a deeply personal walk through one woman’s memories.
How do you feel about this turn toward intimate storytelling from a studio famous for fighting games? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to Noisy Pixel for more coverage.