Is there any connection between Luca and Blanca?
  - Luca is Machida-san's take on the 'wolfman'!

Will fusions be upgradeable and if so will they undergo an evolution or visible change? Thank you for your time and for making this project.
  - I want to make it so that you can raise their 'grade'

Will we see characters from a 'Valentine'-like family? I miss those quirky vampires.
  - No. But I'm thinking of a different family that will replace them, so let me know if you have any ideas!

Will the game have multiple endings? 
  - There will be 1 good and 1 bad ending.

Are the visuals currently being voted on for Luca "final"?
  - For Luca, the colors may change a bit, but the design itself will not change.

With the current funding, is it possible to make the world and length of Pennyblood be as large as Shadow Hearts 2?
  - The specs of the hardware have changed a lot since SH2... But I do want to make it as large.

thank you for making these wonderful games. What was your first favorite video game?
  - "The Black Onyx."

My wife is asking if the game will have multiples difficulty settings
  - There will not be multiple difficulty settings.

Was there any cut content in Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 that you would have wanted to implement?
  - With the direction that SH2 took, I had to go light on a lot of the grotesque expressions, so I want to make sure that sort of stuff gets into PB.  

In Shadow Hearts Covenant original trailer, it gave the impression that Nicolai was supposed to be the main character. Was it just a decoy to prevent us from knowing that Yuri was always meant to be the main character or was Nicolai supposed to be the main character originally? Is so, how the story would have differed?
  - With the original trailer, Yuri appears at the very end, so it wasn't meant to hide him, I just wanted to make sure Nicolai left an impression on viewers.

If the possibility arises, do you think you have any idea what to do for a sequel? Like as a continuation of Matthews story or  new one entirely?
  - If there is a Penny Blood 2, I think it will be a continuation of Matthew's story.

what would you most like to add to PennyBlood that wasn't possible for Shadow Hearts series?
  - Grotesque expressions, horror, and a story aimed at adults. I think I can do it all with Penny Blood.

what's your ideal breakfast? both on Machida's side and the translator's?
  - Very simple. I like toast. For the translator, eggs and toast.

Is Yoshitaka Hirota in the Discord server? If so, then what are his influences for the soundtrack?
  -  Yes, he is in the server. He loves 'chaotic' music.

Out of the characters shown to us so far, which one is your favorite?
  - That's difficult... Matthew and Emilia are special to me. I assume everyone likes them.

Any plans to Go to Tokyo Game Show as of Way to Promote the Game and getting more New People to back it?
  - No.

One of the most endearing elements of Shadow Hearts for me was the romance between Alice and Yuri. It added stakes and gave a lot of heart. Without trying to spoil anything, will there be any romance in Penny Blood?
  - Of course. But it will be different from the romance between Alice and Yuri.

In the past games there has been LGBTQ+ representation in some of the side characters, such as the brothers in Covenant and Wanderer Meiyuan in Shadow Hearts 1. Is there a plan to have similar characters in Penny Blood? Thank you
  - No 'comical' characters like there were in those games, since that doesn't fit with the values of this era.

Will the release date change based off funding?
  - It's possible.

Since you seem to be taking Shadow Hearts questions as well: In a previous interview, you revealed that you had wanted to create a Shadow Hearts that starred the Fathers of Yuri and Kurando. Is that what you attempted to implement at least one of those three times that you were called for a sequel?
  - In terms of the framework for the games, yes, including that was a possibility.

Machida-San, could I ask what your favorite Penny Dreadfuls are, if you have any?
  - I'm not sure if it qualifies as a Penny Dreadful, but I love the Frankenstein and Dracula novels. And Pied Piper of Hamelin

Will anything bad happen at low Sanity even if the stretch goal is reached?
  - You will become unable to guard or escape, and the characters' defensive power will be greatly lowered.

Will the game be using Unreal Engine 5?
  - The trailer you've seen so far was made in Unity.

Machida-san, your stories feature historical events and people. Is there a particular part of history or historical event that fascinates you?
  - The Russian Revolution.

Did Yuri find happiness after the Shadowhearts covenant ending?Lie to me if not lol
  - Yes, I think so.

Are we going to see very interesting side quests (Solomons Key, Man Festival, etc) like what was in Shadow hearts 2?
  - I'm not sure if Man Festival would fit with the atmosphere... I'd have to think about that. But the possibility of quests like that is high.

Balancing real world places and people with fictional settings can be difficult. What do you think helps with keeping the balance of believability?
  - I want to express the truth of history accurately and do justice to the ideals and beliefs of the historical figures. Everything aside from that, I imagine.

Will you be doing a live play through of the game anytime in the near future?
  - That would be really fun. I hope I can.

Are we going to see how Macdeva fusion looks in-game during the Kickstarter?
  - Unfortunately, no.

Do you have a favorite fusion yet?
  - Demna, Macdeva, and the next one we'll unveil... I like them all. I spent a lot of time on their designs.

Is it fully voiced? English & Japanese?
  - Depends on the budget, but I want to for both languages.

Are the fusion forms planned to be less human-like, or will they mostly stay bipedal humanoid? Some of my favorite fusions for Yuri were the ones that made him more creature-like
  - The motif is 'knight,' so they will all be humanoid to some extent.

Are all of Matthew's Fusions going to be sword wielders?
  - No. They will use different weapons.

Any possibility that characters will be able to wear multiple outfits throughout the game, or though a costume system?
  - I'd really like to include that. But it depends on the budget.

What is it that draws you to horror and lovecraftian themes? It's so unique for JRPGs!
  - I was influenced by a Lovecraft novel I read when I was a kid. It was really scary and fun to read.

I read something about splitting the available characters into two parties, is this going to be something like one party is just in the background or will this be more of a feature for puzzles and exploring?
  - For exploring.

Last question on negative Sanity: You still get EXP?
  - We're thinking about how to handle that now.

Is it safe to assume that Luca is our 7th Main party member?
  - One of the 8 party members.

Are you planning to unveil all the playable characters in this kickstarter?
  - Yes. All 8 will appear.

What is your favourite JRPG?
  - I'm not sure if it counts, but Mother 2 (Earthbound)

Is there any plan to add accessibility options like font size adjustments?
  - Yes, I want to add options like that.

Will we be locked out of countries in the game or can we go back to previous areas?
  - That will depend on the location.

Is there an American historic event you’ll be twisting a bit for the game?
  - Yes. But I can't reveal it just yet.

Will there be a character that pick random objects as weapons?
  - Yes.

What's your favorite battle music from the Shadow Hearts series?
  - Last boss music from SH2.

Will there be a blessed membership?
  - I'd like to implement a similar system.

Are there any animal frame characters like Blanca and Mao this time?
  - Various animals appear.

Will Penny Blood also visit sites and scenic spots around the world?
  - We will be showing some of them in the coming updates. Please look forward to seeing the Kickstarter updating.

Will there be elderly members?
  - Not in party members.

We can't get the previous characters, but is it possible to smell them like Atam? Like a relative of Blanca for example.
  - Although they are different stories, the worldviews are connected, so you can feel the atmosphere of Shadow Hearts.

Are there any items like 'Shanghai Heaven'?
  - Shanghai Heaven' is difficult to comply with.

Are there any historical characters that appear in the game?
  - They appear in China, the Soviet Union, and many other countries.

Is there any in-game collaboration with Armed Fantasia?
  - I'm undecided at this time, but I'd like to do it.

Is there any kind of online gameplay or coop play?
  - I'm not considering

Are there detailed descriptions for weapons, items and monsters?
  - Yes.

Do you have any funny events with Sigil Spirit?
  - Yes.

Are there any changes in motion depending on the fusion figure?
  - Yes.

Is there control support for Steam?
  - I'm undecided, but would like to support it.

Backer has a beta access. Do you have any plans to release an early access version for the general public?
  - Beta access is a privilege for backers, so we do not consider it for general users.

How many attributes do you plan to use?
  - 7

It is difficult to support Mac on Steam...?
  - No.

I really liked the gore version of the game video, will the actual game be the restricted gore version?
  - Gore expression can be selected with or without.

In Shadow Hearts, you even made the color of the underwear, will you do it again this time?
  - I can't do it from a compliance standpoint.

If it is set in 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake comes to mind for me. Is there any connection?
  - That's an astute question. There may be something to it.

I want to clear the kickstarter campaign, is there any good way to cooperate with English speakers and armed fantasia people?
  - I don't have any ideas either. Any good ideas?

Is there any parody material this time around like there was during the Blanca event in SH2?
  - Yes.

Will there be big cockroach?
  - Yes.

Many of your past works have been inspired by the mythology of various countries. Is there any particular mythology that you like or are particularly influenced by?
  - There are. I like the various myths about each area.

Are you making some progress with the publishers?
  - Thankfully, we have received many different offers.

Will there be familiar enemy characters such as Tamacos and Bugs?
  - Yes.

Will there be a dollhouse?
  - I would like to put out something close.

Will there be familiar and important items such as the Emigre Codex?
  - Yes.