+1 MANTICORE

[sharktrash]

GROUNDBREAKING: BASSIST WAS KIDNAPPED
INTO ANOTHER BAND?!

Farrah Bennett for Vista Weekly

It seems that the competition between music stars has gotten fierce even under the roof of the same labels. A few days ago, Tsubomi Kido has entered the stage with MANTICORE for the first time, raising many questions. Did she leave System Crash, no doubt breaking the hearts of countless fans and band members alike, or perhaps she was just helping out the metal band that still hasn’t managed to replace their prodigy bassist, Ryuko Matoi, while keeping up the "band's single female is a young tomboy girl" aesthetic? Kido has frequently been seen collaborating with the band’s lead, Genos, however rumors have it that this time it’s something much more than simply lending her bass to fellow musicians in need.

Several witnesses claim seeing MANTICORE’s cellist and probably the rowdiest member, Superbia Squalo, approaching Kido in the Vista City Mall last week. A reliable source reports that he “ran her over with a shopping cart!!” several times, then put a bag on her head and carried her out to not be seen again until the aforementioned concert. One of the mall’s security guards, Ray, claims that Squalo didn’t quite run her over, but “shoved that poor girl in a potato sack and fled the scene before any of us could react”. He also recalls the same musician being temporarily suspended by mall security before, when he allegedly rode a shopping cart down the escalators. Either way, the cart, the bag and the blatant kidnapping of Tsubomi Kido in broad daylight seem to be the constants in everyone’s versions of the story.

Has MANTICORE grown desperate? Rumors have it they’ve threatened to throw the fill-in musicians out the window on several occasions. It’s also not the first time the band deploys borderline illegal means to recruit new members. Their guitarist and pyrotech specialist, Roy Mustang, has joined the band after being threatened at knifepoint (again by Squalo) and literally cornered by the rest of MANTICORE after his old band’s warm-up show for Pride’s group.

Or is this some strange foreign kind of courtship where a bride gets pretend-kidnapped by the groom’s relatives? Has Kido’s allegedly platonic relationship with Genos go beyond that definition? Did love make her swear off her old band and join her soulmate? What does her alleged girlfriend, Momo Kisaragi think about this, or did old lovers already turn into bitter enemies?

Or perhaps there is some kind of demonic rivalry going on between Squalo and Lucifer of Junkyard Carnival, another band notorious for recruiting their members through unorthodox and not always voluntary means? The two seem to be spending a lot of time in each other’s company, almost always surrounded by some kind of destruction or cult-like aura, and may very well be running a betting pool for who can claim the most souls before the next Solstice...


In order to shed some light on these matters, our reporters have reached out to the central figure in all of this: Tsubomi Kido. It appears that she’s really busy past the move, as she was running a lot, but we finally managed to catch up with her in Vista’s many establishments and have a short interview in a cute private place.


F: Is it true that you have left System Crash and joined MANTICORE? Is SC breaking up? How do you think your fans will react to this?

K: (sweats, starts and cuts off several times, stutters) Yeah, I got moved to MANTICORE, but not because of anything bad??? I don't think they're splitting up, they know how to keep things together so please keep supporting them.

F: I'm sure there's a bunch of fans who still want to support YOU, and you're sure to gain new ones now. It's quite a genre jump. How are you handling being metal?

K: I don't want them to forget where I came from. System Crash is a great band, but so is MANTICORE. I haven't done a lot with them yet, but they were... enthusiastic? (It sounds like she's trying really hard to say it nicely.) I already knew most of them from hanging out with Genos. I guess I played so much with him on the side that it seemed reasonable. It's a little weird being the young one.

F: Are you happy being closer to Genos? Maybe it’s part of the reason you switched? How does your girlfriend feel about all this?

K: I didn't get much of a choice, but it's a relief to be in a band with a friend, yeah. When it comes to Momo I don't think I have to worry. I'm not breaking up with her any time soon and she's played with me and Genos before and everything.

F: Not much of a choice? How ominous. Speaking of which, multiple witnesses claim that Squalo kidnapped you in broad daylight after running you over with a shopping cart. Is there any truth to that? Were you actually forced into the band? Can you say that you feel safe around him?

K: (after a bit of stumbling and more sweating) It happened. I didn't get hurt or anything, so I think I'll be fine. I doubt they want to find another replacement again so soon.

F: "Another replacement"? That sounds serious. Do you plan to press charges?

K: Charges??? No, why would I press charges? I didn't get hurt and I like it here…

F: I really think most people would, but I’m glad to hear the matter was resolved peacefully. Is there anything else you would like to tell your fans?

K: Just to continue to support all of us and that I'm glad to have them.

F: Thank you for your time!


As we can see, while Kido appears to be living in fear and quite possibly held hostage, she also seems pretty content and hopeful. Contradictory? Is it Stockholm Syndrome? Are things actually going well and both bands are happy? Time will tell.