The Day They Were Convinced, “This is Going to Be an Insane Group”

— Ever since Vantacrow came up with the name “Krisisis” in the GTFO (a co-op horror shooter game) collab stream back in 2023, you guys have continued to collab together both online and offline, and have even done a Mt. Fuji location shoot together. We would love to hear how you guys developed the closeness that you have now. Could you share any memorable moments that perhaps helped you form a bond?

Yu Q. Wilson (hereafter, Wilson): Sure. I think it was when we started hanging out together, when Claude had just recently joined the company, if I'm not mistaken. We just sort of got along really fast, all four of us. Krisis is three people, but many games are for four players. Our first thought was, "Oh, let's invite Claude. He's brand new and probably hasn’t had many chances to talk with the EN members yet, so let's just get him along." I feel like that was the mentality we had at the time. But what do you guys think?

Vezalius Bandage (hereafter, Vezalius or Zali): We’d been wanting to get along with him for a while, so just making him part of the boys was the plan.

Claude Clawmark (hereafter, Claude): You know the real, honest answer?

Wilson: What is it?

Claude: It was because I just really wanted to play GTFO with people. (laughs)

I was like, "Oh, there's three other guys. We can fill out this squad and play the game." That was kind of just how it happened in my eyes.

Vantacrow Bringer (hereafter, Vantacrow or Vanta): It’s kind of funny you say that, since the coincidence kind of doubles over into the group dynamic as well. Because with the three of us with Krisis specifically, Zali and Wilson never made me feel left out in any way. But there was always that one joke of like, "the American and the two French guys." So when you joined, it created this kind of duality that almost felt like a balance (*1). It all just felt so natural. It was kind of hilarious how perfectly it all fit together.

*1 → Vantacrow and Claude are American, while Wilson and Vezalius are French.

Vezalius: True.

— So you all just sort of gelled together immediately.

Everyone: Yeah!

Vantacrow: And I think if I had to pinpoint a particular moment, at least for me, it would be the ice cream cake debate (*2).

*2 → A moment during a collaboration stream in which the members discussed their strong opinions on ice cream cake, including whether sponge cake should be included, their ideal texture, and how ice cream cakes should be stored. The members' differing views of what constitutes an ice cream cake, stemming from where they grew up and their cultural backgrounds, sparked a lively and humorous debate.

Everyone: (laughs)

Vantacrow: I think that kind of cemented that we were going to be best friends no matter what. The fact that we were able to argue with each other and just say all kinds of crazy stuff to one another, and it was just no problem. It was pure banter. It was beautiful. I think that kind of cemented the moment for me, like, "Oh yeah, this is going to be a crazy group."

Wilson: Yeah, I agree.

— What sort of impressions do you have on each other and on Krisisis? Also, are your current impressions of each other different from your first impressions?

Wilson: I mean, my first impressions of Krisisis were very different from what they are now. When you debut in a group, it’s a lot of getting used to working with these guys and figuring out who they are, what they like, and how we can solidify a chemistry between the three of us. It solidified very fast—a lot faster than I anticipated. I was like, "Whoa, wait, what do you mean? We did one collab together and now I feel like I know everything?"

The interesting bit is always when you form a subunit and add someone to the group that already has such strong chemistry, you wonder, "How is this going to change anything?" and you pray that it doesn't change anything negatively. It didn't in this case. From the very first time we reached out to collaborate, nothing's really changed too much impression-wise for me as a group, at least. I'm glad that it's felt the same since two or almost three years ago.

Vantacrow: I think it's funny that you say things haven't changed. I feel like things have changed quite a bit. Can I be honest? I was kind of afraid of all three of you when I first met you. The way you guys spoke and carried yourselves, at the very least, gave me the impression that you have it together. That you seem really professional. I don't feel like I give off that impression, but you guys gave that impression to me.

But the moment that ice was broken and I got to know you guys more and spend more time, you see the flaws, you see the mistakes. Very occasional, mind you, but it lets me see the more human side of you guys. I definitely thought very highly of you, and I still do, but now I realize that even though we're talented people here for a reason, we're all just kind of winging it at the end of the day.

Vezalius: True.

Wilson: Is that all you wanna add, Zali? “True. I couldn’t have said it any better.” (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Vezalius: (laughing) Just like Wilson, I don't think my impression changed that much. Wilson was the energetic yapper. Vanta was the cool guy, but I kind of discovered he has his "gap moe"(*3) as well. And Claude was the collected guy. Calm and collected, but also explosive. I don't really think it changed for me. The gap with Vanta I didn't expect at first but discovered over time. For the rest, I believe it's still on point, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

*3→ A term for someone who exerts two contrasting personality types (i.e When a usually cool, serious person displays a more cute/tender side to them)

Claude: I'm trying to think back what my first impressions initially were because it's been so long. We've gotten so close over time that to think it's only been roughly two years, it almost feels like we've been friends for longer. I can't even think back to what it was like before I had really gotten to know you guys, beyond the fact that, "Oh, these guys are really close. They already have a group going on, they already have their own sort of dynamic. I just joined. I'm just going to do my thing. At some point in time if they wanna do something together, then let’s do something together."

Now, it really is just the vibe of, "These guys are my close friends whom I will do anything and everything that they ask of me," just because that's how close we've gotten over the years.

Vezalius: Yeah, I think Wilson said it pretty well as well. A lot of games are for four people. Krisis is a group of three, and we were kind of looking for this fourth guy. Claude was just arriving at the right time, as well, so it kind of came along pretty naturally.

Vantacrow: Like we were three pieces and we could use a fourth, and then the fourth ended up fitting in better than we thought. That’s the vibes you’re all giving me. It just worked out well.

A Small Incident at the Mt. Fuji Lodge

— In March this year, the Mt. Fuji location shoot was released, and we heard that you were especially looking forward to milking cows. How was the location shoot experience for you? It would be great if you could share any memorable moments, or behind-the-scenes moments from the shoot. Also, we heard that you guys stayed at a lodge near Mt. Fuji after the location shoot. We’d also love to hear about your memories from your stay, to whatever extent you feel comfortable sharing.

Wilson: I guess for me, the best part will always be the fact that it's supposed to be work, but it's just a vacation trip with my friends where I get to do fun things. It felt a little bit like high school, like going on a high school trip with friends. It absolutely did not feel like work whatsoever.

It made me realize that whenever I do anything with these guys, even if we work on big projects—like the concert Krisis did (【3D CONCERT】Jamming with the Heroes of the Night!)—it still doesn't really feel like work. It just feels like I'm hanging out with my friends, and we're doing something we're all passionate about and have the same goal. It’s also really nice going out at night and eating with them after a day of shooting or anything. It just feels good. I just hope that we can always do that, and I pray that it will always feel like that as well.

Wilson: My favorite part was walking on the suspension bridge. Walking on the suspension bridge was kind of cool. I liked it. It was cold.

Vezalius: The view was very pretty.

Wilson: Yeah, it was really pretty. I liked it a lot. I can’t say the same thing about the zipline POV, though. (laughs)

Vantacrow: Well, I was excited for the trip because I hadn't been camping, even though I don't know if you'd call that camping-camping. Though I guess it was, yeah. I hadn't done anything like that in years. Outside of that, I thought it was really nice when we went out just a bit further than our lodge to go and see…what was it again?

Claude: We woke up really early, so… It was the sunrise, wasn’t it?

Vantacrow: Yeah, and then we didn't even get to see it because we were behind a mountain, and the mountain was blocking the sun! (laughs)

We probably would have had to be out there for another two hours to see it rise. It just never rose over the horizon. So, we just kind of failed. But I thought it was a nice activity. Everybody got up early and went out. That's a sweet memory. Even if it didn't fully work out, it was still funny.

Vezalius: One of us was just sleeping.

Wilson: Oh, yeah! Who was it that was sleeping?

Everyone else: You! (laughs)

Wilson: It was me?!

Claude: Bro is like, "I remember not seeing the sunrise." Yeah, brother, you were asleep. That's why you didn't see it. (laughs)

Vezalius: For me, chasing the sunrise. At the start, it was with Claude, and then Vanta joined along. That was pretty fun, trying to find a spot, going out in the cold.

I have a little anecdote for Claude as well. I never told anyone, but at the lodge, in the bathroom, I think I was the first one to use it. I brushed my teeth and everything. Eventually, I came back, and Claude just brushed his teeth or something, and I noticed he put his toothbrush in the same cup as mine.

Claude: I did?!

Vezalius: I was like, "Wow, it's kind of like the classic intimate living together scenario."

Claude: I did that?!

Wilson: That's so domestic of you, Claude! (laughs)

Claude: I don't even remember that! (laughs)

Vezalius: I was like, “Dang!”

I thought it was funny, but I forgot to talk about it, so here it is now.

Claude: I think the fact that we even got the chance to do a location shoot was kind of crazy. Personally, it made me happy to be included in a bigger project, especially one that’s fully produced and fully staffed. That for me was probably the most memorable, to kind of feel like, "Okay, we have a plan. This is what we're going to shoot. These are the shots we need to take." The planning and everything, all the shot compositions. That to me is what's really cool.

I think also just conceptually, as I said in the video, "I got hired to play video games, but here I am milking a cow." This is probably the last thing I'd ever expect to be doing at this point in my life. One day I'm playing Valorant, and the next thing you know, I’m outside in the cold on a zipline.

One of the things that I do remember the most was the four of us needing to get dinner before we were going to head out. We were like, "Oh, it's our first time doing this. We might as well just get something nice." And because we are just a bunch of guys, we also eat a lot. So, under the impression that we eat a lot, we decided to get the large size pastas for each of us individually.

Little did we know, we kind of read past the part that says "large serves two to three people," and better yet, we also decided to get a pizza on top of that. The fact that we ate a crazy amount of food, came back, said, "Okay, we got to wake up at 5:00 AM," and then just knocked out after that, I think, was something that was really funny.

Wilson: We all managed to finish it. When something says it's big in North America, we know what to expect. The sizes in Japan are completely different, but that time, even by North American standards, it was not small. It was genuinely America big, and we were like, "Crap, that served two to three people." (laughs)

Claude: That pasta was GOOD! We actually were able to finish it.

Vezalius: Yeah, there are a lot of things to talk about. I remember Wilson just trying to make discussion around the campfire, or just trying to make the sauna work, which didn’t go as planned. We kind of tried to enter and make it warm, but it didn’t get as warm as expected. But we still went inside and talked for a bit. Everything, including stuff that is not part of the plan, was very, very fond memories. A very fun trip.

“Together, We’ve Accomplished More Than We Could Alone”: Krisisis Continues to Push Each Other Higher

— For the next question, we would like to ask about each of your activities independently. As you near your third anniversary since debut, looking back on your journey so far, are there any moments that stand out to you? And where do you feel you’ve grown or changed the most?

Wilson: I would say last year is where I probably grew the most as a Liver in general. I feel like a lot of my identity pushed through more in 2025, with things that made me stand out a lot more than before. My community was a lot more active, and they had a more defined identity. A lot of running jokes came along last year, and more character-defining moments, or just funny moments in general. Yeah, I feel like my identity really pushed through last year. Also, when I did Terrasanji (*4), of course, that was a big deal.

*4 → “Terrasanji: Echoes of the Dark Realm” is an original fantasy-comedy play written and directed by Yu Q. Wilson, performed by 18 NIJISANJI EN Livers, including himself.

Vantacrow: I don't know if there was a particular moment, but I think it was an epiphany that I had pretty recently. It kind of came to a start when I lost my voice in 2024. I slowly realized that a lot of things that were driving my action or inaction, both in and out of the company, and even with you guys, was anxiety. It’s kind of ruled my life for a long time at this point, I'm finally addressing it now. So, coming to that realization and kind of acknowledging it, but still appreciating it for what it was. Despite the fact that I was very anxious around the two of you guys and pretty much everyone in the company, everything's just better now. I'm no longer letting that define me.

Wilson: So you feel like you’re more relaxed, or even more comfortable, you’d say?

Vantacrow: Yeah. I have a lot of goals with you guys, too, so even more so.

Vezalius: For me, I don't know how much I've changed from before, honestly. I just feel like, even more than before, the past year I feel more motivated. I do feel more prone to take on challenges, to try new things, to try to get out of this comfort zone a bit, and just be challenging new stuff and new projects.

There are still a lot of things I want to do. For example, ever since the Mt. Fuji recording, I kind of want to challenge more stuff like this, making content that the fans will enjoy the most, and of course, we will enjoy as well. I just feel like I'm going towards the direction of trying new things, and I'm excited to show that to everyone.

Claude: I feel like a part of me has kind of been more comfortable with myself over the course of being here. I think I've solidified who I am, what I want to do, what is the type of community that I want to have, and I guess the better word is that I feel like I've become more principled in that sense. I have certain values that I hold that are very important to me, and what I expect of people I surround myself with.

I also feel like I had a similar situation as Vanta, where a lot of my actions and the way that I lived for a long time was pretty heavily dictated by being anxious about the way that I sounded or was interacting with people on stream. There were so many doubts about whether or not who I am as a person was seen as “valuable”. There was so much I wasn’t sure about, like, is this the right thing to do? Is this funny enough? Am I playing well enough? Is this game fun or not fun for people?

At some point, I kind of just realized, I can't determine that for everybody. At the end of the day, what I do is just a matter of, "Am I having fun or not?" If I am having fun, then I can be the most interesting, the most entertaining, and I can't force that. So, for me, it is realizing it is okay to be myself and to not let what someone else thinks of me dictate what I choose to do and not to do.

— Do you feel like the fact that you've been doing stuff in a group for a decent amount of time had any influence on that feeling of becoming more comfortable with yourselves?

Claude: I would say so. I think specifically because there is that feeling of camaraderie. I am equally just as concerned with myself, but I also know full well these guys are also down to do something. As nervous as I am about doing something, I feel like I'm pretty confident doing something absolutely ridiculous if I do it with these guys.

Wilson: They give me confidence.

Claude: Yeah, it's very calming in that sense, where I don't feel like I need to worry.

Vantacrow: I feel that, honestly. I don’t think I could have said it better myself.

Wilson: We don’t really go out of our way to be like, “Oh man, you gotta do it!” or anything. But seeing each other get more comfortable or do things is enough to make me want to do it too. I see you going out of your way to do something, it encourages me to follow you because I tell myself that if you can do it, I can do it. And I hope that when I do something, it makes you feel, "If Wilson can do it, I can do it." That's it.

Vezalius: I’ll be honest and say that I do think we push each other to do some things.

Wilson: Yeah. But most of the time when I do push myself, it's not necessarily when someone tells me to. It's just a moment of realization, like, "Oh, wow. Claude's working really hard. I should work really hard, too." It's when I see you guys doing something really cool, and it makes me want to work harder, is what I mean.

Vezalius: I do feel personally that we've kind of pushed each other to do more than we could have done alone. Whenever someone tries to do anything, Krisisis is always here to help each other. I feel like we do better when we are near each other, for sure.

Wilson: We influence each other in a very productive and positive way.

New Dreams Krisisis Wants to Take on Together, Here and Now

— Is there anything you'd like to challenge yourselves with in the future, or a new side of you that you'd like to show to the fans?

Vantacrow: I think the biggest one is pushing myself to sing more and to do covers, whether it be group covers or solo covers. I'd like to do at least one solo cover this year. Also, just push myself in the voice acting department as well. As a group, I also want to do more stuff with the four of us, voice acting-wise. I feel like it's that "iron sharpens iron" type thing. I feel like it just makes sense for us to pursue it more.

Wilson: I think we should do more singing together.

Vezalius: A singing goal for me is an original song. I definitely want to eventually be able to release my very own original song. I also want to do more 3D content as well, something else similar to the Mt. Fuji shoot. And participating in more concerts as well.

Wilson: I want to have Krisisis versus another wave. It could be Krisisis vs BY THE BEAT in a game or something. I want that. I feel like it'd be so fun.

— For a second there I thought you were talking about doing a rap battle. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Vantacrow: Freo (Freodore) can rap in like three languages, so let’s not. (laughs)

Claude: I feel like I'm in a weird transition period where I’ve done different tournaments and events, so I'm trying to rediscover what exactly it is I want to do. So, now I'm making a shift away from playing almost exclusively Valorant for a long time to trying out different games, like Deadlock, and maybe a comeback to Overwatch.

I think I want to take this year to do a lot more, finally upload another cover song after so long. I also think I want to be part of another official program. I'm with Vanta on trying to make the shift to a little bit more in terms of voice acting. I think it is just one of my goals to kind of rediscover myself in a sense, exploring a lot of different things, whether that be other FPS games beyond what I’m already good at, other aspects of singing, or even trying new production flows.

— It sounds like you all share music-related goals. Is that something you feel personally as well?

Wilson: Because we tie together so well in every other media—whether it's shooting for entertainment or playing games together, where it's a perfect sync 100%—I guess that need to do music probably comes from the fact that, "Oh, since we sync everything else, why don't we just do more music together? We might as well, right?" It's such a good form of media that we haven't really explored together as much as a group that we should try to do more.

Vantacrow: We all have a close connection to music regardless of how we started. Music has just been an important part for me as well, and singing is always something I wanted to get good at. Now that my voice is back and I'm healthier than I've ever been, it makes me want to sing more. It’s another step we can take on the journey.

Vezalius: Claude and I are the most experienced when it comes to singing in the group, but we’d be happy to see Vanta and Wilson focus more on it. It’d be very exciting to do something in a group, for sure.

— Lastly, are there any words you would like to share with one another? In addition, are there any words you would like to share with your fans?

Wilson: Thank you for being so welcoming to Claude, unironically. When you're a full group and you add someone in, it can be a little tricky sometimes, but with Claude, it felt perfect. I'm just thankful that everyone was so welcoming of him being part of stuff, and he feels just right at home. I hope that we can continue doing more stuff together as a group.

Whenever we do anything together, it's always a blast to hang out with Zali & Vanta, even though we've been a wave for almost 3 years, it honestly feels like we've been together all three of us for much longer, I can honestly only hope we can keep having more great memories for as long as possible.

Vantacrow: If I had to say something to each individual member of Krisisis… Let me start from the top.

Claude, I hope you sing more and that you do pursue voice acting because I think that you're an extremely talented voice actor. I honestly look up to you in voice acting, and I hope that you pursue those aspects of yourself because you're a really multifaceted guy.

Zali, I hope that you're never too hard on yourself because Wilson and I have always put you on a pedestal to some degree. There's always been that undertone joke of like, "Zali's got it together. He’s got it under control." And you do! But I hope that you never feel like you aren't living up to that. I hope you know that you are that person.

To Wilson, I hope you're nicer to yourself in 2026. I feel like you don't give yourself enough praise. I really hope that you are nicer to yourself and give yourself a bit more credit. You do a lot of projects and you're passionate about a lot of things. I understand wanting to raise everyone else up, but don’t forget to do that to yourself as well. Don't burn yourself out because you don't let yourself have your flowers.

To my Vantacrew, I love you guys. I wouldn't be here without you. Thanks for supporting Krisis, and also supporting Claude.

Vezalius: Vanta, I know you're quite an overthinker, and just letting you know that sometimes things are not as big of an issue as you think it is. I know that you can push it through, and don't let those thoughts get too much control of you.
Wilson. You’re a talented guy, so believe in yourself more. I’ll be here to help you with anything.

As for Claude... We’re always here for you, man. I know sometimes you can go through a lot, and yeah, just letting you know that we're always here if you need any help or anything.

Claude: My man.

Vezalius: Thank you to all the fans out there supporting Krisisis. I really appreciate it. You can feel like everyone is super hyper every single time we do something together. We can see the voices of the fans being super excited for what's coming for Krisisis. I’m very grateful for that. Thank you very much.

Claude: I talk to these guys so much on an individual level that I can only really echo a lot of what's already been said. Wilson, believe in yourself, man. You got to trust yourself. Vanta, we're going to play Overwatch later. And Zali, we're gonna get dinner later. You guys are great. You guys are my best friends.

To the fans in particular, thank you so much for being with all of us for so long and for allowing us the opportunity to do what we do now. I’m grateful to those who’ve allowed me to join in with the antics and have fun with my friends. I don't think any of us would be here without the support that everyone has given us thus far. Thank you guys very much, and I hope that we can continue to do really cool things that everyone can enjoy.