The official Japanese X account for anime gacha RPG Echocalypse: The Scarlet Covenant recently issued an apology regarding the official key art for the MR character Honorblade Chiraha. This comes in response to backlash following numerous accusations that the weapon design featured in the artwork plagiarizes the work of renowned Japanese bladesmith Awa no Umi.
Awa no Umi specializes in crafting unique sci-fi inspired knives and swords from carbon fiber and reinforced plastic, with some of his pieces sold via the Yahoo! Auction platform. On May 18, the bladesmith shared a post on his X account comparing the design in the new Echocalypse illustration to one he had created in 2023. Upon examining the side-by-side comparison, while the game’s weapon design is not an exact replica, the similarities—including the placement of specific decals on the handle and sheath—are unmistakable.
In the wake of the criticism, the team behind Echocalypse offered a direct apology to both their fanbase and Awa no Umi, admitting to the problematic design. They pledged to immediately replace the weapon’s design and overhaul their quality-control measures to avoid similar issues in the future.
In a subsequent post, Awa no Umi confirmed that he had been reached out to by the Echocalypse team, who provided a detailed explanation of their plan to address the matter. Although replacing the disputed design may take time, Awa no Umi urged his followers to avoid further speculation or hostile actions toward any parties involved.
Mido