This 2025 EP Collection represents Arknights at its most ambitious in terms of musical collaborations, pulling in heavy hitters from the Japanese music scene. Aimer's "Eclipse" is the headliner here -- her ethereal vocal style is a natural fit for Arknights' melancholic sci-fi worldbuilding -- while ReoNa dominates the tracklist with multiple versions of "End of Days," including a TeddyLoid remix that takes the track into glitchy electronic territory.
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Having five variants of one song might seem excessive, but each version genuinely recontextualizes the composition. The crossover with Ave Mujica from the BanG Dream! franchise on "in your blue eyes" is an unexpected treat, bridging two very different anime-adjacent gaming communities through MSR's production sensibility.
The character songs are equally noteworthy: Eyjafjalla's voice actress Risa Taneda delivers the warm "焦がれるひととき" (a fleeting moment of longing), while竹達彩奈 channels the chaotic energy of W into the delightfully named "Just got emo!"
The ensemble track "Faraway Hol" brings multiple character voices together in a way that feels celebratory rather than forced. What continues to set Arknights apart in the mobile space is the sheer caliber of artists willing to collaborate.
Raon's "STAR" and Ascentone with Rkiki's "Blossom" round out a collection that spans J-pop, anisong, electronic, and character-driven vocal performances without ever feeling scattershot. The inclusion of instrumentals and alternate versions shows a label confident enough in its material to let listeners pull it apart and examine the craft underneath.