Celebrating the launch of Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, Capcom has released a new music video that parodies the Japanese pop song “Matsuken Samba.” The video, which features the titular Ken Matsudaira in his iconic gold kimono, has already amassed over 500,000 views on YouTube. Additionally, Capcom released a making-of video on its YouTube channel that interviews Matsudaira on how the collaboration came to be.
The “Matsuken Samba” is a Japanese pop song and comedy routine that became popular during the early 2000s. Ken Matsudaira is a famous actor who has appeared in period dramas, most notably as the shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune in The Unfettered Shogun. Matsudaira even made an appearance as Tokugawa in the Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful movie, where he performed a similar parody song.
In the music video, Matsudaira uses a play on words, replacing the word “Samba” with “Sunbreak.” In some scenes, you can see him holding a replica of a greatsword, while in others, he dances alongside kimono-clad background dancers. Furthermore, he urges players to “forget about sleeping” and take part in the hunt. Responses have been largely positive, with fans asking for Capcom to add Matsudaira’s appearance as layered armor in the game.
You can check out the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak Matsuken Samba music video below:
https://youtu.be/flQQmeKBEl0
If you’ve been following Capcom’s marketing, the editing style of the music video may also seem familiar. That’s because Capcom has done similar celebrity collaborations in the past, such as the Resident Evil Village music video, which featured a popular Enka singer. Similarly, the music video featured the singer in comical situations with heavy use of props and green screening.
Monster Hunter Rise and the Sunbreak expansion are both available to play on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
