Summary
There are plenty of great duos in gaming: Banjo and Kazooie, Ratchet and Clank, Link and a whole host of different fairy companions, and many more. Joining their ranks in 2025 are Michizane, aka “Michi” and Pinky, the main characters of Kaizen Game Works' upcoming titlePromise Mascot Agency.The pair, who run the titular agency together, consist of a disgraced, exiled yakuza with a stoic demeanor and a sentient severed finger-shaped mascot with a foul mouth totally at odds with her cutesy fairy ancestry. When developing Michi and Pinky’s dynamic, thePromise Mascot Agencyteam drew from Western buddy cop films, Japanesemanzaicomedy, and more.
Many brilliant minds went into the creation of Michi and Pinky: game director and Kaizen Game Worksco-founder Oli Clarke Smith, art director Rachel Noy, artist and designerIkumi Nakamuraand her collaborator Mai Mattori, and manga artist Inko Ai Takita. Game Rant spoke to Clarke Smith, Noy, game designer Phil Crabtree and marketing lead Sam Smith about the development of Michi and Pinky’s duo dynamic, how the two very different characters came to complement one another so well, and how Michi adapts to his new rural, potentially cursed village home with Pinky’s help.
Pinky Introduces Michi To His New Life
At the beginning ofPromise Mascot Agency,Michi is unceremoniously exiled from the yakuza and thrust into a new life in near-deserted Kaso-machi, tasked with revitalizing the agency and earning enough money to restore his honor and make up for his mistakes. Clarke Smith and the team quickly realized they needed someone who could explain to both Michi and the player how the world ofPromise Mascot Agency -in which mascots are a separate species and host a variety of events and functions - works. Similar to Kaizen’s previous title,Paradise Killer,though, the two characters are far more than just the role they serve within the game’s world; the duo, particularly Pinky, have unique designs and larger-than-life personalities.
Pinky is part-traditional “cutesy” mascot and part-yakuza themed mascot, giving her an adorable appearance coupled with a mouth that would put the cast of theYakuzaseriesto shame. “She’s the unhinged one, even though she’s cute,” said Noy about Pinky “and Michi’s…got it together, even though he’s a yakuza.” The result is Pinky eagerly explaining everything to Michi, sometimes at the top of her lungs, while Michi generally accepts the bizarre reality of his new world, to the mascot’s frustration. Pinky consistently referring to Michi’s “implacable, stoic slab of meat that he calls a face” as they work together to restore Kaso-machi is an ongoing delight.
The Pair’s Dynamic Is Humorous And Memorable
When discussing the development process ofPromise Mascot Agency,Oli Clarke Smith described Michi and Pinky’s dynamic as his favorite thing to write, and expressed regret that he was not able to fully establish a similar dynamic between protagonist Lady Love Dies and the alien Shinji inParadise Killer.
“When I get to write a good Michi and Pinky bit, it’s the best thing. It just flows. They’re really fun to write… I think it’s enjoyable, just hanging out with these two idiots…And it’s a great way of going through the game. You’re exploring the world, but there’s always someone there to bounce off that has something interesting to say, or something funny”
Clarke Smith went on to compare their dynamic tomanzai,a Japanese-style duo comedy consisting of a “straight man”(tsukkomi)and a goofy, wise-crackingboke.Comedy of this type inspired several side quests in theYakuzaseries, theJack Bros.' dynamic inPersona, and much more. This combination of a goofy routine and a genuine connection to one another makes Michi and Pinky an engaging duo that players can quickly connect with whenPromise Mascot Agencyreleases in 2025.
