All creators under Kuwabara’s music label Arte Refact to leave on June 30
Image via Satoru Kuwabara’s X/Twitter account
The idol exposé poster Deathdol Note uploaded reports and photos onto social media last Thursday, alleging that musician and music producer Satoru Kuwabara had affairs with numerous women over at least the past two years. Kuwabara posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday regarding “the information that’s now spreading,” and said that while it “doesn’t paint a complete picture,” he nevertheless acknowledged “the main point” as true.
Kuwabara added that he has now resigned as music producer for the Ensemble Stars! franchise, with further announcements about his commitments to other projects and to his Sir Vanity band coming at a later date. Kuwabara had already announced on April 28 (before the allegations went public) that he would go on a one-month hiatus from work from May 11 to June 14.
Arte Refact, the music label which Kuwabara heads, announced on Tuesday that creators under the label will all leave on June 30. The label plans to honor its current agreements and contracts. One of the creators under Arte Refact, Yuki Honda, said on social media on Tuesday that he and other creators plan to establish a new agency in July. Kuwabara had said in his April 28 announcement that he was considering and discussing the possibility of stepping down as Arte Refact’s head and retiring from the music industry.
Deathdol Note’s posts alleged that Kuwabara was a married father during his affairs with female cast members, VTubers, and employees at music labels. Kuwabara supposedly provided tickets for concerts of his band or Ensemble Stars! to the women with whom he had relationships.
Kuwabara is best known as the music producer for the Ensemble Stars! male idol project, which has inspired games, manga, and both television and film anime adaptations. He heads the Arte Refact music label of the Memento mori company, under which he produces music for numerous other projects, including The IDOLM@STER Million Live! and The Idolm@ster SideM. He has produced and composed music or theme songs for such anime as Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!, Komori-san Can’t Decline, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Z/X Code reunion, and Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army. He is also the bassist of the band Sir Vanity.
Sources: Deathdol Note X/Twitter account, Satoru Kuwabara’s X/Twitter account via Yaraon!, Arte Refact website, Oricon News, Yuki Honda’s X/Twitter account
