Benizakura Shoga

* VOICEVOX
* A.I.VOICE

**Benizakura Shoga** (紅(べに)桜(ざくら)ショウガ), also known as **†Holy Knight Benizakura†** (†聖(ほー)騎(りー) 士(ないと)紅(べに)桜(ざくら)†), is a Japanese *VOICEVOX* and upcoming *A.I.VOICE* text-to-speech library developed by AI, Inc. in collaboration with the Japanese telecommunications media company DWANGO Co., Ltd. and VOICEVOX. He is capable of speaking in standard intonation and was released on February 22, 2023.

His voice is provided by Hyakka Ryouran (百花繚乱), the current CEO of Studio On-Site (スタジオオンサイト株式会社).

## Concept

As †Holy Knight Benizakura†, he is an eternally level 14, solitary holy knight who carries a "dark past". He carries a crimson, holy sword nicknamed "Beni" (紅). His favorite activity includes fighting and his charm point is noted to be his blood-stained armor.

As Benizakura Shoga, he is a 14 year old impressionable boy. He thinks having a low voice is cool and forcibly emulates his voice as such. He does not currently bear the armor of the Holy Knight due to his spirit being corrupted by the "dark past".

### Etymology

†Holy Knight Benizakura† was initially used as the handle name for Hyakka Ryouran's internet activities when he was just 14 years old at the time. The artistry of the name has captivated many people, and since then it has been forever teased by his fans, viewers, co-stars, and even management.

### Appearance

†Holy Knight Benizakura†'s illustration was created using AI image generation technology with modifications performed by hand to his design by his creator, Hyakka Ryouran.

## History

### 2022

†Holy Knight Benizakura† was announced on September 29, 2022 along with Kurita Maron through an official AI, Inc. press release as part of a collaboration with DWANGO Co., Ltd. and VOICEVOX with the aim of providing free, medium-quality text-to-speech vocal synthesis software based on the voices of the Nico Nico Douga representative Shigetaka Kurita and the President and Representative Director of Studio Onsite Co., Ltd., Hyakka Ryouran for the A.I.VOICE and VOICEVOX software.

### 2023

†Holy Knight Benizakura† (†聖(ほー)騎(りー)士(ないと)紅(べに)桜(ざくら)†) was formally introduced as a new character to be in development for VOICEVOX on February 9, 2023 as the first member of VOICEVOX's 7th generation of vocalists.

†Holy Knight Benizakura† was officially released for VOICEVOX on February 22, 2023 as a free digital download for users.

On September 8, the A.I.VOICE project for Hyakka Ryouran's vocal was formally announced, to be released as "Benizakura Shoga" (紅(べに)桜(ざくら)ショウガ). He was announced to be released on October 6, 2023. A new illustration was revealed with a character holding †Holy Knight Benizakura†'s helmet. Additional details were not provided.

## Voicebanks

†Holy Knight Benizakura†
* †Holy Knight Benizakura† (*VOICEVOX*), February 22, 2023

Benizakura Shoga
* Benizakura Shoga (*A.I.VOICE*); October 6, 2023

## Reputation

### Trivia

* Benizakura's "dark past" is Japanese slang for a embarrassing past to the point of being cringe-worthy. This is in reference to "†Holy Knight Benizakura†" being Hyakka Ryouran's own internet pseudonym when he was 14. Shoga in turn can be described as suffering from Chūnibyō, known as 8th grade syndrome, a term used to describe young teenagers who have some delusions (14 being the usual age for Japanese students to enter 8th grade), which is a common source of "dark pasts".

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://twitter.com/r\_housoukyoku/status/1624295910292467712
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://twitter.com/voicevox\_pj/status/1628319893295861761
3. ↑ https://voicevox.hiroshiba.jp/dormitory/horinaito\_benizakura/
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/ryouran2525/status/1561713384340328449
5. ↑ https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E2%80%A0%E8%81%96%E9%A8%8E%E5%A3%AB%20%E7%B4%85%E6%A1%9C%E2%80%A0
6. ↑ https://www.ai-j.jp/topics/7694/
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/voicevox\_pj/status/1623987372940722178
8. ↑ https://twitter.com/AIVOICE\_PR/status/1700097130181149072
9. ↑ https://www.japandict.com/%E9%BB%92%E6%AD%B4%E5%8F%B2

## External links

### Official

* Official Website
* VOICEVOX Dormitory †Holy Knight Benizakura† Character Page
* VOICEVOX †Holy Knight Benizakura† Product Page
* †Holy Knight Benizakura† Official Twitter (@r\_housoukyoku)