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Kanade and Mafuyu are both members of the small, online-based music group 25-ji, Nightcord de. (Nightcord at 25:00), working as composer "K" and lyricist "Yuki" respectively. Mafuyu is a third-year high school student attending Miyamasuzaka Girls Academy, and whilst Kanade is also a third-year student, she instead attends online classes.
Kanade, grief-stricken and disordered, composed and posted songs online with the goal of "saving someone". By chance, Mafuyu happened to stumble upon one of her songs and instantly found that it made her feel an emotion she had long lost to strangling feelings of numbness and strife. After attempting to recreate Kanade's song with a synth, she uploaded it online, silently leaving a link to it in one of Kanade's comment sections. Kanade would later on go on to listen to the song and message Mafuyu with the goal of potentially partnering up. The two then grew to be acquainted over the online chatting app "Nightcord" through voice chats and DMs, using aliases, never even knowing each other's real names or faces until the events of 25-ji's Main Story.
Initial Cards[]
In Mafuyu's "The "Good" Me" card's second side story, after school, she logs into Nightcord and notices Kanade is online, so she greets her. Mafuyu mentions she'll possibly start working later because she has to prepare for her next day's classes, and upon receiving no reply, she shrugs off while wondering if Kanade put herself on mute. Mafuyu then starts talking to herself, pouring out her feelings and how lost she feels in regards to her identity. Kanade comments between that Mafuyu is being more talkative than usual, and Mafuyu apologizes for possibly disturbing Kanade's work. When Kanade asks if her apology came from her heart, Mafuyu says it didn't and apologizes again, and Kanade asks the same question, with Mafuyu affirming it wasn't. Kanade says Mafuyu is definitely changing because she feels less uncomfortable with herself, and Mafuyu thanks her, before asking if Kanade wants her to continue working where she last left off.
Main Story[]
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In 25-ji's Main Story, the group's kind-hearted and selfless lyricist, "Yuki", suddenly disappears for days on end. Kanade and the other group members, "Enanan" and "Amia", soon find themselves worried. Through the discovery of a mysterious place called SEKAI, Kanade and the two relocate Yuki, who to their surprise, is extremely displeased to see them.
She bluntly and without explanation ushers them out so that she may "disappear" in peace. The other members eventually revisit Yuki with newfound resolve. Despite Kanade and Amia's attempts to convince Yuki to leave the SEKAI and not give up on her life, they seem to be making no progress. Only when Enanan barges in, expressing grand feelings of frustration and jealousy towards Yuki in a fit of anger yet honesty, does the tide start to shift.
From there Kanade attempts to sympathize with Yuki. Kanade speaks of her own traumatic experiences and wishes to disappear, explaining her motivation and desire to save the girl. While Yuki fights back, screaming of her own suffering and deep desire to quit trying, Kanade pushes forward, vowing that she won't stop trying until she can "save" her. With this promise, Yuki tells Kanade that she will keep trying for just a little longer, and sheepishly asks if she will really keep making songs for her, to which Kanade reassures her that she will save her someday. This is the start of a closer and more meaningful bond between the two that only deepens as they continue to reveal more of themselves.
When they finally meet up in person at the family restaurant for the first time, they all learn that Yuki's real name is Mafuyu. Mafuyu asks Kanade if she can sit next to her, which Kanade agrees to. After everybody does their respective introductions, Mafuyu states she's alright with ordering whatever, to which Mizuki responds by telling her she's "gotta decide for herself." Mafuyu ends up asking Kanade what she's ordering, and orders the same thing for herself; wonton noodles and oolong tea.
Kanade notices Mafuyu's message
Later that night, Kanade gets a message from Mafuyu asking if she’s up. Kanade responds and tells Mafuyu that she is. Mafuyu tells Kanade she listened to the song that she wrote for her, and Kanade asks her what she thought of it. After Mafuyu doesn’t respond, Kanade assumes that she fell asleep. Suddenly, Mafuyu messages Kanade again and thanks her for "finding her." Kanade smiles to herself and thanks Mafuyu for finding her as well. Miku then expresses happiness that the two found each other, and the screen fades out as the main story reaches it’s end.
Imprisoned Marionette[]
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Secret Distance[]
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Carnation Recollection[]
After playing the demo for a song that fails to resonate with Mafuyu, Kanade meets Luka in the SEKAI with a revised demo. After giving it a listen, Luka prompts Kanade to think about where she wants the song to lead, saying that a song without a destination would only cause Mafuyu to become lost even further.
The next day, Kanade visits her father at the hospital. On the way back, as she's feeling regret over putting her father in that condition, she runs into Mizuki. After visiting a café, they find the park full of carnation flowers that Kanade used to visit with her parents before her mother passed away. This helps Kanade remember one of the memories from her childhood and she ends up crying. Later, as she mulls over the love and warmth she felt from her father's songs, Kanade asks herself how she wants Mafuyu to feel. She realizes that she wants to lead Mafuyu to a place full of happiness and warmth and wants Mafuyu to smile.
The next day, Kanade plays a new demo for everyone in the SEKAI. While Ena and Mizuki are more focused on the technical aspects of the song, Mafuyu listens and smiles, without even realizing it, and says "I think I felt warm."
Mirage of Light[]
Kanade holds Mafuyu's hand
While returning home from visiting her father in the hospital, Kanade comes across Mafuyu sitting on a bench by herself outside. Realizing that Mafuyu is sick, Kanade takes her to her house and tries to take care of her. She makes applesauce for Mafuyu, and as she's about to leave the room, Mafuyu pleads for her not to leave. Kanade replies with a soft smile, telling Mafuyu to hold her hand and that she'll never be alone.
The Warmth of Intersecting Melodies[]
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Someday, From the Depths of Despair[]
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What Lies Beyond Guiding a Lost Child[]
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And Now, I Wear This Ribbon[]
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At This Festival Bathed In Twilight[]
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Immiscible Discord[]
Kanade is messaged by Mafuyu's mother through Nightcord asking if they can meet up. Kanade agrees. During the meeting, Kanade tells Mafuyu's mother about Niigo, and Mafuyu's mother asks Kanade to tell Mafuyu to quit the group, saying that Mafuyu wants to be a doctor and Niigo is distracting her from her studies. Internally, Kanade is confused, since Mafuyu has never told her that she wanted to be a doctor. She tries to tell Mafuyu's mother that music is good for Mafuyu, even going as far as revealing to her that Mafuyu wanted to disappear and that music is helping her. However, Mafuyu's mother merely laughs off Kanade's seriousness and says that she'll just talk to Mafuyu later.
It's at this point that Kanade thinks back to the warmth and love she felt from her own parents, and realizes that Mafuyu's mother doesn't really care about or love Mafuyu. Kanade then declares that she will never trust Mafuyu's mother, and that no matter what she says, Kanade will never leave Mafuyu's side. Now realizing the true severity of the situation Mafuyu's in, and learning how cold Mafuyu's mother and life have been, her resolve to save Mafuyu is even stronger than before. Kanade realizes that she's deeply loved by her parents, and she thinks that if Mafuyu wants to distance herself from her mother, then showing her "that kind of love" is all she can do.
We Escape To Survive[]
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Saying Goodbye To The Masked Me[]
When Mafuyu's mother takes away Mafuyu's phone, Mafuyu realizes that her true wish all along was to be close to people who were suffering, mirroring how Kanade has always wanted to save those who suffer as well. Then when Mafuyu finally tells her mother how she feels, she says that she doesn't want to stop making songs with Kanade and the rest of Niigo. Mafuyu's mother then becomes angry, lashes out at Mafuyu and attempts to guilt trip her. Afraid, Mafuyu runs over to Kanade's house.
Kanade comforting Mafuyu in the rain
Kanade finds her outside in the rain after KAITO orders her to look there. Kanade goes over to comfort Mafuyu, hugging her and reassuring her that everything would be okay. Mafuyu then begins living at Kanade's house, which is confirmed after the 3rd anniversary update.
Searching for a Reflection Beneath the Waters[]
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That Day, The Tone Was Played[]
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Next To The Unchanging Warmth[]
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Relax Teatime[]
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Reeling In The Light[]
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Let The Beautiful Sound Ring![]
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Unreliable Notes[]
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Kanade spends days attempting to recreate a song like the one Mafuyu said felt "warm," However, the "warm," feeling that Mafuyu felt was from her mother, shown in Mirage of Light. Despite this, Kanade pushes on, her health deteriorating day by day. Mafuyu, noticing this, brings her food. Kanade thanks her, going back to composing her song. This goes on for days, and one day, while Mafuyu was on Nightcord, her microphone picks up a loud noise in the background. Mafuyu turns around just to find out that it was Kanade. She had collapsed from overworking herself. When Kanade woke up, she admitted that she hadn't properly eaten the food that Mafuyu prepared for her, which leads Mafuyu to make some more food for her.
Moments[]
Wonderhorror~!? Test of Courage! Episode 8
Whilst talking with Honami and Emu, Mafuyu remembers when Kanade told her that she wanted Mafuyu to smile like she and her family did back then, wondering if Honami and Emu's words meant they also "think of her in the same way Kanade does".
Kanamafu is both Kanade and Mafuyu's most popular ship in both the Eastern and Western fandom, mainly rivaled by their other most popular femslash ships, such as Honakana and Mafuena. Kanamafu is often mostly shipped alongside Mizuena due to the four of them being 25-ji, Nightcord de. members, therefore being seen as a double date. Kanamafu and Mafukana are both widely used ship names in the fandom, and neither really has been adopted as the "true" or "proper" one. Although, Kanamafu is more typically used in the Western fandom, whereas the Eastern fandom usually uses Mafukana or sometimes Mafukanade, and there are also some who use Asayoi and Yoiasa, a variation of their ship name consisting of their family names,.
Kanamafu shippers often like to portray Mafuyu as blunt and unusual, doing strange things that make Kanade surprised or embarrassed. It is common for them to be depicted with Kanade smiling softly and Mafuyu poker-faced. However, many fan-artists will also display their relationship as Kanade managing to do something that breaks through Mafuyu's generally emotionless exterior, making her grow flustered or out of character.
Lately especially, shippers love the dynamic between the two, and both the Western and Eastern fandom like to lean into the angsty yet beautiful relationship they have. In the Western fandom they are sometimes called "doomed yuri", although "soulmates" is often a word used to describe them. Many Kanamafu fans find their relationship development emotional, and appreciate they went from their relationship focusing around Kanade wanting to save Mafuyu for more selfish reasons and Mafuyu only caring about finding herself, to the two having built a strong relationship with deep mutual trust and care for one another, with Kanade now wanting to be by Mafuyu's side and truly save her because Mafuyu is someone she cares for, and Mafuyu in turn not wanting to lose her connection with Kanade, and the "warmth" being with Kanade brings her, waiting for the day Kanade is able to save her.
There are some people who believe that much of the softer side of their relationship is simple fanservice and a dip in writing quality for both characters. Similarly like in Mizuena's case, many people have felt that Nightcord doesn't get treated as a whole group by the developers and is instead split into two ships. The biggest cause of this was the "Mirage of Light" event which featured Kanade taking care of Mafuyu when she was sick, Mafuyu expressing that she didn't want Kanade to leave her alone, and the two holding hands. Some people found this out of character, as Kanade, who is unable to properly take care of herself, is now able to look after and care for the sick Mafuyu. However, as time went by this belief began to change as it was shown that the two truly two care for each other deeply and Kanade is able to take care of people who are important to her.
There is also a faction of people, mostly in the Western fandom, that consider their relationship to be toxically co-dependent due to how Kanade was shown to be severely guilt-ridden and willing to neglect her health all for the sake of creating a song that could save the lost Mafuyu. As such, in the Western fandom it has been a big source of arguments and discourse to talk about whether Kanamafu would be unhealthy as a romantic relationship or whether Kanade or Mafuyu would even be ready or healthy enough to have romantic relationships with others. However, such discourse was mostly present in the earlier years of the game's release, and after key events such as "Mirage of Light", "What Lies Beyond Guiding a Lost Child", "Immiscible Discord" and "Farewell, My Mask" showed the development of their relationship, less people began to consider them to be toxic or unhealthy and start to realize the true depths to their relationship, with by now people who consider them toxic being much less common. With the release of "Unreliable Notes", this became a topic of discussion again in the Western fandom, as Kanade overworked herself severely for days on end without eating and sleeping to the point she passed out all to compose for Mafuyu. However, as Mafuyu was shown to be extremely worried about Kanade and even trying to get her to eat and sleep properly, fans also saw this as proof of their development and that rather than letting it happen, Mafuyu would put her foot down in situations where Kanade neglected herself.
Another common complaint about the ship by Westerners, one which is more common in the present, is that it is believed Mafuyu hogs a lot of Kanade's development as a character, as half of her focus events have focused more on Mafuyu than Kanade herself, and Kanade's character overall is focused on Mafuyu. Some of the Western fandom even feel that the two are too depressed just by themselves, so putting the two in a relationship would be unhealthy for the both of them and would make the ship too demoralizing.
However, majority of Kanamafu shippers in both the Eastern and Western fandom are very happy with their development, especially since the events of "Farewell, My Mask" where it was shown just how much their relationship with one another had grown and changed since the beginning of the game. The two tend also to receive mass quantities of fanart whenever they have an event focused on them and their relationship, or are even featured together in the same event and receive cards.
It is currently the 5th most written Project SEKAI ship on AO3 and the 3rd most written femslash ship with over 1400 works, as well as both Kanade and Mafuyu's most written ship.
Ship Weeks[]
The first Kanamafu Ship Week was held from June 21-27, 2022, under the KanamafuWeek2022 hashtag on Twitter. Prompts for the first day were "genuine or past", "lost or bunny" for the second day, "promise or cutlery" for the third day, "resolve or longing" for the fourth day, "gentle or AU" for the fifth day, "healing or sakura" for the sixth day, and "melody or free day" for the seventh and final day.
The second Kanamafu Week was held from June 21-27, 2023, under the KanamafuWeek2023 hashtag on Twitter. The prompts for the first day were "Nightcord or future", "date or courage" for the second day, "VOCALOID or school" for the third day, "ramen or winter" for the fourth day, "comfort or AU" for the fifth day, "Samsa or game" for the sixth day, and the seventh and final day was "progress or free day".
The third Kanamafu Week was held from June 21-27, 2024, under the KanamafuWeek2024 hashtag on Twitter. Prompts for the first day were "25:00 or knight", "flowers or karaoke" for the second day, "domestic or passion" for the third day, "parent or hand-holding" for the fourth day, "summer or AU" for the fifth day, "soft or SEKAI" for the sixth day, and "light or free theme" for the seventh and final day.
Their ship is referred to with the "🎼❄️" and "🎼🎭" emojis.
Their Kizuna Rank titles include: "The Sky Lights Up With You", "Their Curse", and "I'll Definitely Save You".
Some of their Cheerful Carnival Team names are "First Time Looking After Someone", "I'll Definitely Save You", "Cold Yet Warm Hands", "That's What It Was About", "The Key To Songwriting", "Reaching Past The Despite", "Before This Feeling Rots Away" and "Smiling Pianists".
Kanade is 154 cm whilst Mafuyu is 162 cm tall, giving them a height difference of 8 cm.
Kanade and Mafuyu currently have covered four songs together (Cutlery, Jishou Mushoku, Meru and Kokoronashi). They also have solo versions for Mafuyu's second focus song Saisei, and the cover song Phony.
Many fans have pointed out that Kokoronashi's lyrics fit Kanade and Mafuyu perfectly, and that this was also their first cover song since the events of "Farewell, My Mask" (with their last cover song Meru being over a year ago), liking to believe that was done intentionally.
Kanade has been featured as a 4☆ in 2 out of 5 of Mafuyu's unit focus events and a 2☆ in 3 out of 5 of Mafuyu's unit focus events, whilst Mafuyu has been featured as a 4☆ in 4 out of 5 of Kanade's unit focus events and a 2☆ in 1 out of 5 of Kanade's unit focus events.
Additionally, Kanade was featured as the 3☆ in Mafuyu's first mixed focus event, "The Warmth of Intersecting Melodies", and Mafuyu was featured as the 4☆ in Kanade's second mixed focus event, "Relax Teatime".
As of the 4th anniversary, almost all of the official Project SEKAI visual fanbooks' relationship charts have Mafuyu and Kanade's parts with each other having a different version due to their relationship significantly developing.
In the first version, Kanade's part says "I feel sympathy for her." and Mafuyu's part says "She makes amazing songs."
In the second version, Kanade's part says "I'll definitely make a song that can save you." and Mafuyu's part says "...I'll be waiting for you."
In the third version, the current one, Kanade's part says "I'm here beside you." and Mafuyu's part says "It's warm to be together with you..."
In the official Chinese translation of the current version, Kanade's part says "I'll stay by your side." and Mafuyu's part says "Being together feels warm..."
Kanade's family name, "Yoisaki" (宵崎) doesn't exist as a family name outside of Project SEKAI. It was made to contrast "Asahina" (朝比奈), Mafuyu's family name, as Yoi (宵) means "night" and Asa (朝) means "morning".
Kanade has appeared alongside Mafuyu in her cards 5 times, whilst Mafuyu has appeared along Kanade in her cards 5 times.
Their trained anniversary cards match, as Kanade's has white lilies and Mafuyu's has black lilies.[1]
In Kanade's Burning Resolve card, the purple butterfly she is seen protecting in her trained art is intended to represent Mafuyu.
Kanade and Mafuyu's 3D models are the only models in the game that are incapable of emoting properly, even when put in the place of a character who does.
They are the only characters who have multiple sets of matching cards with one another.
In each others' 3rd focus events, their respective 2☆ cards are hinted at to be matching with one another as well.
Kanade and Mafuyu are often depicted reaching for each other, be it in MVs, live performances, official art, single covers.
In Mafuyu's 2022 birthday art, she can be seen reaching for Kanade's hand.
In Kanade's 2024 birthday art, she is shown with a blush on her cheeks as she reaches for a purple butterfly floating above her hand. The butterfly shown is the same butterfly present in her Burning Resolve card, intended to represent Mafuyu.
In an official art celebrating 11 days until Project SEKAI's 4th anniversary, Mafuyu is shown in the background covering Kanade with a blanket, as Kanade has fallen asleep.
On 25-ji Nightcord de's 3rd single art, Mafuyu is looking up at Kanade whilst she and Kanade reach their hands out towards one another.
In the Lower's 2DMV, both Kanade and Mafuyu's moons create a full moon, which is also similar to Ena and Mizuki's moons.
In a frame from Kitty's 2DMV, the cat representing Kanade is shown chasing after the cat representing Mafuyu, who is running away.
Like Mizuena, in Nightcord's event 3DMVs, Kanade and Mafuyu have been shown wearing different variations of each others' outfits. Kanade wears wearing Mafuyu's outfit in Saisei and Kagirinaku Haiiro e's, and Mafuyu wearing Kanade's outfit in Nomad's.
In Mafuyu's ColorFes side story, it is revealed that Mafuyu's favorite picture book when she was a child was about a black rabbit that could not sleep, so it snuck out of its house and met a white rabbit. Two years later, Mafuyu snuck away from her own house and entrusted herself to someone with white hair, namely Kanade.
Additionally, a white and black rabbit are depicted presumably kissing on both Mafuyu's 2024 birthday card[2] and as a hanging charm on the costume that comes with her ColorFes card.[3] Said costume was also worn by both Mafuyu and Kanade (as well as Miku) in her 2024 birthday live.
Mafuyu's fourth focus song Engeki includes the lyric "As I ran away, further up ahead I found that little light to break my curse", which mirrors the events of the event it was commissioned for (where Mafuyu runs away from her home to Kanade).
In the "Relax Tea Time" event, Kanade pours Mafuyu a tea linden herb tea. According to the Greek legends, linden trees are said to be a symbol of marital love and of the perfect wife, of simplicity, innocence and kindness. In Japan, lindens are also often given the meaning of a happy marriage and love that unites.
