SURFACE
-Metaverse Label Arc-

START: CHUNITHM PARADISE (2021)
END: CHUNITHM LUMINOUS (2024)

J-Core/EDM ~ Sci-Fi ~ Long reading length (180k+ words)

People move forward, believing in the Metaverse, the peace that will come beyond the evolution of humankind.

All sacrifices were supposed to be the cornerstone of hope.
However, the Earth that the new human beings have seen is full of death.
Man's life leaves God's hand and is reshaped by man's hand.
The girl who bears the dreams of cruel people dreamed of the end of everything.
Wait for the time of choice, whether it is salvation extinction or chaotic prosperity.

- Text on several Surface Metaverse song jackets

- ABOUT THIS LABEL -

Laid out as a sprawling Sci-Fi epic, the Surface Metaverse Arc is a tale about war, surviving against impossible odds, camaraderie, and the human condition—even from those who aren't human. It's overall very dark in tone, but maintains a message of hope throughout.

Surface is directly splintered off from the events of the Digital Metaverse Arc, but reading Digital is not required. To a lesser degree, it also has influence and elements from the Seelisch Tact Label.

We recommend reading the Surface Arc if you like dense Sci-Fi stories with complex themes and politics. Also, if you like stories with a lot of attached lore; including world-building lore, species, and even non-story related things like etymology.

Surface is the most popular Metaverse arc according to devout CHUNITHM story fans.

- (META) INFORMATION -

This Arc is a novel format story. Meaning, if you read a character's episodes from later in the story chronologically, it probably won't make much sense. We highly advise that you do not read characters' stories as a one-shot.

Characters with [TBA] next to their name do not currently have full translations and will be added with future updates.
Characters are listed in the recommended reading order.

⚠️General disclaimer:

The Surface Metaverse contains extremely heavy subject matter, and thus has content warnings before character episodes where needed. Strong overarching themes of abuse, sexual abuse, discrimination, and generational trauma pervade this arc. It has a war setting, and thus has realistic depictions of the atrocities that come with it.

Please read the content warnings and proceed with caution if you're sensitive to any of the themes present.

Quick Links:

> The Moderate Faction Era <

> The Bathsheba War Era <

> Variants <

> Map & visuals of the Surface Metaverse <

> Glossary <

- The Moderate Faction Era -

CHUNITHM PARADISE ~ NEW!! (2021)

Long after humanity's retreat into the electronic paradise of the Metaverse, a new race of synthetic humans—Paragons—restore the polluted surface in preparation for the old humanity's return.

Newfound egos have splintered the Paragons into a moderate faction wishing for coexistence, and the hardline "Innovators" who rebel against their Machine creators and wish to eradicate the returning humans.

Lena Ishmael, the only survivor in the first wave of Returnees, quickly learns that the surface is not what she dreamed it would be—but she must carry on the light of hope for humanity nonetheless.

This arc is referred to as the "Paradise Incident Arc" (楽園事変) in Japanese.

Released: January 21, 2021

PARADISE ep. I

CHUNITHM PARADISE

Isabelle Yagrush

Released: March 18, 2021

KING OF PERFORMAI 2020

Mene Tercera

Released: May 13, 2021

PARADISE ep. III

Yonah Reise

Released: September 16, 2021

PARADISE ep. VI

CHUNITHM PARADISE LOST

Released: November 4, 2021

NEW!! ep. I

CHUNITHM NEW!!

Megiddo Gog

Ahav

- The Bathsheba War Era -

CHUNITHM NEW!! (2021) ~ LUMINOUS PLUS (2024)

After the death of Saint Bathsheba, Paragon leadership is fractured. The tides of war recede—but the conflict between Machines, Returnees, and Paragons continues to smolder.

As the Machines welcome more Returnees back to the surface, the Paragons continue their march towards a bright future of liberation under Saint Rhea and Prime Minister Void. In secret, a new heir to the Ahithophel name is born…

But, as war looms ever closer, the Returnee Mithra Tercera sets out on a journey to create a peaceful new world. When the new dawn breaks, will it welcome destruction? Or the peaceful world she dreams of?