Artist Creates Blue Archive Doujin to Beg for NPC to Become Playable
Ogata Zen is an adult manga artist who, in August 2024, released a Blue Archive doujin titled “Onegai Idainaru Kim Yong-ha Toukatsu P! Jinrikisha-chan Jissoushite”, which roughly translates to:
“Please, the great director Kim Yong-Ha! Make Rickshaw-chan playable!”
Kim Yong-Ha is the production director of the mobile game Blue Archive, and this doujin is Ogata Zen’s attempt to turn a character who was merely an NPC into a playable one.
Who is Rickshaw-chan?
Since I don’t play Blue Archive and lack story context, please forgive me if I make any mistakes. However, based on what I found, in a certain in-game event, a student appears and briefly interacts with the player. You can see her image below:
In the game, she doesn’t even have a name, only being referred to as “Rickshaw Student” (人力車の生徒), with “Rickshaw” being a type of light three-wheeled vehicle commonly used to transport passengers. It can be pulled by a person on foot.
Because of this, fans simply call her “Rickshaw-chan.” Many became intrigued by her since she is cute, has a unique design, and even features a distinct halo.
Artist Creates Blue Archive Doujin to Beg for NPC to Become Playable
Then, in August 2024, adult manga artist Ogata Zen released his doujin “Onegai Idainaru Kim Yong-ha Toukatsu P! Jinrikisha-chan Jissoushite”, where he pleaded with the game’s director to make Rickshaw-chan a playable character.
As mentioned, the title directly addresses Blue Archive’s production director, requesting that this nameless girl be given a playable role.
The most curious part is this particular page—the very first one you see after the cover—where the doujin’s author raises various questions about Rickshaw-chan.
He pleads to God, Buddha, and even the Pope for her to become a playable character! He asks that if she isn’t made playable, at least her name should be revealed so that people can refer to her correctly.
He also questions why she has a unique halo design if she is just an NPC, giving fans hope that she might become playable in the future.
He even drew her in different outfits and illustrated what he imagined her post-battle poses would look like, among many other things. Clearly, we have a dedicated fan obsessing over a simple NPC!
Why Is Kim Yong-Ha’s Name Censored?
You might have noticed that there is a blue censorship mark on both the cover and the inner pages. This censorship covers the name of the game’s director, Kim Yong-Ha.
According to the doujin’s author, he had to censor Kim Yong-Ha’s name; otherwise, he wouldn’t be allowed to sell the doujin.
It’s fascinating how sometimes NPCs receive a surge of popularity and gain dedicated fans, just like in this case. Will Rickshaw-chan ever get her own name and become a playable character?
via Cakemoe
