Shikinagi Akira

Shikinagi Akira (四季凪アキラ) is a Japanese Virtual YouTuber affiliated with NIJISANJI, debuting as part of the unit "VOLTACTION" (ヴォルタクション) alongside Fura Kanato, Watarai Hibari and Seraph Dazzlegarden. Previously, he was enrolled as a student in VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) as part of its first generation.

Profile
A former spy who was born into a family of spies that have continued for generations. He is now out of the organisation and opening a small office. He undertakes everything from the extermination of beehives to the elimination of thugs.

Personality
Despite his stoic appearance, deep voice, and backstory, Akira warned viewers as early as his debut stream that he was going to destroy the cool image they had of him. As such, Akira in reality has a more laid back and silly demeanor by his own admission, though he can also get very fired up and animated during competitive games and when talking about his interests (e.g., BL). He specializes in chatting and radio streams, and is a natural conversationalist.

He has been described by others as being surprisingly childish, and has a bit of a more openly perverted and yabai side to him, even by NIJISANJI standards. Despite this, Akira is ultimately a mature and thoughtful person who is known to give good advice; in part because of his varied life experiences, he has an open-minded outlook on many issues, such as sexuality and gender expression. Though often just as wacky as the rest of them, he tends to be the sole voice of reason among the colorful cast of characters that make up VOLTACTION, and ends up having to keep the others in line at times - even if he winds up being the recipient of friendly mockery for it.

He is also quite sensitive and can get very moody and pensive, especially in the early morning hours, with this side of him being referred to as 3AM Shikinagi Akira (深夜3時の四季凪アキラ); he has even advised people not to talk to him when he's in this state as if his 3AM self were a separate entity. He is the type of person to get lonely easily, and it has been stated that he sometimes lingers in voice chat until late at night hoping someone will join him.

Appearance
He has short black hair with slightly long bangs with black glasses and purple eyes. He wears a dark suit and purple tie with black vest.

Background
On 4 November 2021, Shikinagi Akira made his first appearance on the VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY channel as part of its first batch of students.

On 11 July 2022, ANYCOLOR announced that Shikinagi Akira would debut directly into NIJISANJI as part of the unit "VOLTACTION", the second wave of Livers formed from VTA graduates. In preparation for his debut, Akira received a full redesign, and all YouTube videos previously created during his time in VTA were hidden.

Akira's YouTube channel was created on 2 July 2022, and his Twitter account was created in June 2022. His first tweet was made on 13 July 2022.

Debut
VOLTACTION started their activities on 13 July 2022 and had their first stream on 16 July 2022. Akira was the third of the group to hold his first stream. Afterwards, all four members of VOLTACTION appeared on a special debut program on NIJISANJI channel, hosted by Hanabatake Chaika and Joe Rikiichi.

The short version of VOLTACTION's first original song, "INLAID" (インレイド), was released earlier on 13 July 2022. This song was written and produced by of STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION.

2022
On 16 July, on the day on his first stream, Akira reached 50,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

On 18 July, Akira reached 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel in less than 2 days after his debut.

On 5 August, Akira reached 150,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

On 26 September, Akira released his first music cover, of syudou's "Bakushō" (爆笑).

On 13 October, VOLTACTION's first voice drama, "Opening Today", was released.

On 12 December, Akira reached 200,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

2023
On 12 January, VOLTACTION announced that that all four members would receive their second 2D outfits, and would reveal them via a stream relay with 30 minutes allotted for each member. The relay was held in the same order as their debut streams with Akira going third, holding his stream at 23:30 JST that evening.

On 13 January, VOLTACTION celebrated their half-anniversary since debut by releasing their second original song, "Watercolor". The song was written and produced by the band. During a celebration stream for their half-anniversary held on the same day, they also announced the release of their second voice drama, "undertake any request", which was released that evening.

On 31 March, Akira reached 250,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

On 26 April, VOLTACTION announced a 3D model debut stream relay with Akira as the first person to have his 3D model debut on 5 May.

On 5 July, VOLTACTION announced that they would be celebrating their first anniversary since debut with a live 3D concert, "RAISE the VOLTAGE", which was streamed for free on the group's YouTube channel on 15 July. At the concert, they debuted their third original song, "RELOAD!!!!", which was written and produced by OSTER project. They also announced the release of the "Memories of Nostalgia" series of voice dramas over the course of the following months, each of which are set during VOLTACTION's formative years at Elforg College and focuses on a different member and their respective backstories/lore; the first, "Seraph Dazzlegarden-hen", was released shortly after the concert.

On 23 July, magazine revealed that VOLTACTION would be featured in its 2359th issue as part of its NEXT Generation 2023 segment, which was released on 2 August.

On 14 August, a Room 4S-centric voice drama, "Around 4S ~Tsuioku no Kyūka~", was released.

On 14 October, Akira reached 300,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel during a 3D endurance stream he held to reach the milestone.

On 23 October, VOLTACTION's second "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama, "Shikinagi Akira-hen", was released.

On 1 November, announced that VOLTACTION would be interviewed and featured in the magazine's December issue.

From 4-11 November, coinciding with the second anniversary of their VTA debuts, the 8 former members of VTA's first generation who ultimately debuted with NIJISANJI held the Ano 8-Nin Nayutan Medley (あの8人でナユタンメドレー), a cover relay in which each member sang a different NayutalieN song. Akira released a cover of "Andromeda Andromeda" (アンドロメダアンドロメダ) on 5 November as part of this relay. The relay concluded with a cover of "Alien Alien" (エイリアンエイリアン) by the full group on 12 November.

On 13 November, VOLTACTION's third "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama, "Watarai Hibari-hen", was released.

On 30 November, NIJISANJI announced that Akira would receive a 3.0 Brushup to his 2D model. He showcased his updated model and its new facial expressions in a reveal stream on 1 December.

At NijiFes 2023, which was held from 23-24 December, he was part of the cast of the "Sakuyui Theater" special stage on Day 1, and participated in the NIJISANJI Dance Live alongside the other members of VOLTACTION on Day 2.

2022

 * On 14 September, it was announced that VOLTACTION goods would be sold at Animate Girls Festival 2022, which was held from 5-6 November. A secondary campaign, "Luxiem × VOLTACTION ～Secret Mission～ in AGF2022", was announced on 2 November in collaboration with NIJISANJI EN's Luxiem; those who successfully solved the campaign's riddles would receive an exclusive acrylic keyholder.

2023

 * On 28 April, Taito Toys released a VOLTACTION Street Style series of original collaboration goods via kuji (i.e., received goods are randomized). The goods featured original artwork of the members in streetwear, and included a poster standboard, large cushions, face towels, badge sets, posters, and rubber charm straps.
 * On 29 May, makeup brands Love Liner and iCouleur announced a collaboration with the members of VOLTACTION, with tie-in goods available to purchase from 14-30 June. They featured original artwork of the members in casual clothing, and included eyeshadow palettes and liquid eyeliner designed by each member as well as acrylic stands, with stickers and postcards as purchase bonuses. The campaign also included a pop-up event at @cosme's flagship Tokyo location in Harajuku from 18-19 June.
 * On 15 August, convenience store chain announced a sales campaign in collaboration with VOLTACTION which ran from 22 August to 4 September, with customers reaching a certain purchase threshold eligible to receive goods featuring original artwork of the members.
 * On 25 October, perfume brand Anideal announced the 4th volume of its collaboration series with NIJISANJI, this time featuring the members of VOLTACTION. The collaboration featured original fragrances designed by the members, which were released on 28 November.

Fans

 * Akira's fans and channel members are officially called "Nagi-tomo" (凪友), a combination of the character "Nagi" (凪) from his name and "tomo" (友, friend).
 * His fanmark is 📄 (document), representing a contractor's request form. His fanmarks were originally 📄 (document) and ✒️ (black pen nib), but was changed to 📄 alone shortly after his debut on 16 July 2022.

Relationships

 * "VOLTACTION" (ヴォルタクション) or "VOLTA" (ヴォルタ) - Akira, Fura Kanato, Watarai Hibari, and Seraph Dazzlegarden.
 * They are debut-mates and fellow graduates from the first generation of VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA), and are the first debut wave from NIJISANJI to have received their own dedicated social media and YouTube channel on launch.
 * The unit's name is a portmanteau of the English words "voltage" and "bolt-action"; the four of them came up with the name together.
 * Media: YouTube | Twitter | Instagram
 * Hashtags: #VOLTACTION - General tag #ヴォルタ - General tag (Japanese) #ヴォルタノアジト - Stream tag #VOLTA展 - Fanart tag
 * Emoji: ⚡🔫 (tentative)
 * "Room 4S" or "Rumufo" (るむふぉ) - Akira and Seraph Dazzlegarden; a subunit of VOLTACTION.
 * "Nagikaze" (凪風) - Akira and Fura Kanato; a subunit of VOLTACTION.
 * "Hibanagi" (ひばナギ) - Akira and Watarai Hibari; a subunit of VOLTACTION.
 * "Spy ☆ Dream" (すぱい☆どりーむ) - Akira and Amagase Muyu.
 * "Shishijūroku" (ししじゅうろく) - Akira and Umise Yotsuha.
 * "Nagiraki" (なぎらき) - Akira and Kaburaki Roco.
 * "BLueCheese" - Akira and Meloco Kyoran.
 * "Shikiori no Hana" (四季オリ花) - Akira, Sukoya Kana, and Oliver Evans.
 * "Perapera Chikuchiku Peppers" (ペラペラチクチクペッパーズ) or "Perachiku" (ペラチク) - Akira, Yaguruma Rine, Ex Albio, and Layla Alstroemeria. They were teammates in the NIJISANJI Splatoon Festival, which took place on 16 October 2022.
 * "New fACE Dragonz" or "NfD" - Akira, Fura Kanato, Maria Marionette, Kotoka Torahime and Sophia Valentine. They were teammates in the 2nd NIJISANJI VALORANT Custom, which took place on 2-3 May 2023.
 * "Ano 8-Nin" (あの8人, Those 8) - Akira, Amagase Muyu, Umise Yotsuha, Ponto Nei, Fura Kanato, Watarai Hibari, Seraph Dazzlegarden, and Kaburaki Roco. They are the 8 former first generation VTA students who ended up debuting with NIJISANJI.
 * "SESERAGI GUMI" (せせらぎ組) - Akira, Seraph Dazzlegarden, Umise Yotsuha, and Kaburaki Roco. They were former classmates in VTA's first generation's class 2 before debuting with NIJISANJI.
 * On 27 November 2023, Yotsuha announced their official group name on X (previously known as Twitter) after their The Game of Life (人生ゲーム) collaboration stream ended.
 * Hashtags: #せせらぎ組 - General, fanart, and stream tag

Identity

 * Color: #235AAA (main) purple (sub)
 * Background: Former spy.
 * Occupation: Head of a contractor agency.
 * He shares his character designer, Nozaki Tsubata, with Hiiragi Tsurugi of Neo-Porte and Kagami Kira of HOLOSTARS.

Character and Lore

 * The members of VOLTACTION were originally a group of close friends - all coming from criminal or otherwise morally ambiguous backgrounds - who attended the same boarding school, Erfolg College (エルフォルクカレッジ).
 * He and Seraph Dazzlegarden enrolled in the school as partners to carry out a long-term undercover mission for their previous employers. While they were already acquainted at that point as they had worked together prior to this, they did not meet face-to-face until becoming classmates.
 * He secretly worked as a with the ultimate goal of defecting from his family's espionage agency, something he eventually convinced Seraph to go along with as well.
 * He was an honors student and joined Erfolg College's student council alongside Fura Kanato, becoming vice-president to the latter's president - though as Seraph remarks, he probably would have preferred to have been the president himself deep down.
 * After honing their respective skills in the criminal underworld, Kanato gathered them together due to a shared desire to use these skills to instead bring happiness to people. To do so, they meet at a hidden base called the Laundry (ランドリー), and carry out missions in secret. After learning about NIJISANJI, the members decided to start streaming in addition to their activities as VOLTACTION.
 * He still uses some of the skills he developed as a spy as a member of VOLTACTION, primarily for intelligence gathering - for example, a near perfect ability to disguise himself as someone else. He reasons that there's no reason not to use these skills if it's for a good cause, though they are slightly rusty from disuse.
 * He describes what he did for his missions back when he was still operating as a spy as having "destroyed lives".
 * He still possesses multiple fake university student ID cards that he had used for undercover infiltration missions as a spy, which he has used since becoming a contractor to peruse various campus circles, including a mahjong circle.
 * His glasses are a spy tool, and are capable of projecting images, tracking the other members' movements when combined with locating transmitters, and acting as a central communications device.
 * Like the other VOLTACTION members, he does not age.

Room 4S

 * Room 4S is a freelance agency founded by Akira, and is also a front for VOLTACTION's activities in conjunction with Fura Kanato's CAFE Zeffiro. Akira works as a contractor, hiring freelance agents (like Seraph Dazzlegarden) to fulfill requests sent to the agency. As such, he is technically Seraph's boss when employing him, though Seraph refuses to accept this and prefers to instead calls him a middleman.
 * Akira's motivation for founding the agency was a desire to "fulfill the requests of people who live normal lives", to "work on behalf of people who are in distress", and to not have to hide in the shadows and instead "live where the light can reach".
 * 4S stands for Secure, Smart, Speedy, and Secret, representing the four things that the agency promises to provide to its clients.
 * The mission requests that the agency accepts are quite varied, including finding lost pets, private detective work, bodyguard work, stolen object or missing person retrieval, neutralizing assassins, among other things.
 * In order to protect clients' privacy, the primary way clients can contact the agency is by first ordering a small espresso with four sugar cubes at CAFE Zeffiro. As orders and requests are relayed through Kanato and Watarai Hibari, it can be determined if the request warrants involving VOLTACTION as a whole; requests that are simpler or don't require as much intelligence gathering are handled by Room 4S alone.
 * As the agency's motto is to "undertake any request", Seraph often appears to be overworked in-universe. This has lead to Kanato and Hibari jokingly accusing him of being a bad boss when Seraph had to join a VOLTACTION collab late because he was out on a mission for Akira; Seraph himself has also complained about the volume of requests that Akira takes on and referred to him as his akutoku jōshi (悪徳上司, corrupt boss) after Akira summoned him to work in the middle of his 3D model debut to fulfill a sudden urgent request.
 * When shown in 3D, the Room 4S office appears to be a one-room space with a work desk and computers, a large sofa and coffee table, bookshelves, and a full kitchen.

Preferences

 * Likes:
 * Boardgames: mahjong, TRPG
 * Camping
 * Survival game
 * Anime: Made in Abyss, Pui Pui Molcar, Shirobako, Akiba Maid War, Bodacious Space Pirates, Land of the Lustrous, Future Diary, Bocchi the Rock!
 * Manga: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Chainsaw Man, Kengan Ashura
 * Drinks: Black tea (honey lemon tea), Lipton Milk Tea
 * Food: Indian curry, Mapo tofu (a secret recipe passed down the Shikinagi family line), Matsuya's pork miso soup, stew, tuna mayo, margherita pizza, cup noodles (chili tomato flavor)
 * Food: Indian curry, Mapo tofu (a secret recipe passed down the Shikinagi family line), Matsuya's pork miso soup, stew, tuna mayo, margherita pizza, cup noodles (chili tomato flavor)

Miscellaneous

 * Akira's profile from Amamiya Kokoro, Yorumi Rena, and Matsukai Mao's Game-Lu? Game-Ru! Episode 52:
 * If you weren't a Liver, what would you be?: "A zookeeper, though I would probably become too attached to the animals and cry whenever something sad happened to them."
 * Something you really don't like to be told: "Your quips don't have a lot of variety, do they? (By Umise Yotsuha)"
 * What would put you in in a good mood all day?: "Good sleep! (9 hours preferably)"
 * What recent video would you recommend?: "Yukopi's 'Kyoufuu All Back' (強風オールバック)."
 * What would you do if you won 1,000,000 yen?: "Buy equipment."
 * When did you most make someone angry?: "In elementary school, the time that I didn't do my cram school homework for about a month."
 * Someone you want to collab with?: "The boys who recently debuted! (Oriens and Dytica)"
 * What's the game you have spent the most time on?: "."
 * What game character are you like?: "The player character in (tires quickly after running)."

Live Chat Etiquette

 * VTuber chat etiquette is cleanly summarized here: "VTuber Chat Etiquette"
 * From stream descriptions:
 * As an anti-spam measure, comments are enabled for subscribers-only.
 * Please use moderation, good manners, and use of appropriate content and language in your comments.
 * Please avoid mentioning Akira's name in others Livers' streams unless the Liver mentions Akira first.
 * In order to enjoy the stream together, please refrain from making comments that are not related to the content of the stream.
 * Akira will not read any superchats that contain questions or slanderous or unethical content.

Media

 * Shikinagi Akira's corporate profile on NIJISANJI website
 * 四季凪アキラ / Shikinagi Akira - YouTube Channel
 * 四季凪アキラ📄＠にじさんじの請負人 - TwitCasting Channel
 * @Shikinagi_2434 - Twitter Account

Twitter Hashtags

 * #四季凪請負中 - Stream tag
 * #四季彩画 - Fan art tag
 * #四季凪の任務資料 - Thumbnail art tag
 * #四季欲 - NSFW art tag
 * #四季の薔薇 - BL-related fan art tag (can involve inanimate objects, original works, Akira himself/selfcest; no mention should be made to other Livers in this tag)
 * #四聴凪 - Comments about voice release
 * #四季凪応答せよ - Egosurfing
 * #四季凪これスゴいぞ - BL-related egosurfing tag (e.g., BL recommendations; no mention should be made to other Livers in this tag)
 * #アキラへの報告書 - For sharing other fan works (clips, collages, itabags, handmade goods, MMD, etc.)