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 using carbon fiber and reinforced plastic, with some of his creations being sold on 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 light of the backlash, the team behind Echocalypse issued a direct apology to both their fans and Awa no Umi, acknowledging the problematic design. They pledged to immediately replace the weapon’s design and revise their quality-control system to prevent similar oversights 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 situation. Although it may take time for the disputed design to be replaced, Awa no Umi requested that his fans avoid further speculation or aggressive actions toward any of the involved parties.
Mido