The difficulty is extremely high, but I hope you will enjoy the reward – Ryukishi07 at Pyrkon
2 April 2026
Some stories can pull you in so deep, that the line between fiction and reality begins to blur. Secrets uncovered step by step, questions with no simple answers, and characters, whose tales stay with you long after the story has concluded. At this year’s Pyrkon you can meet a creator who has been masterfully spinning such tales for his audiences for many years.
As a joint guest of Manga and Anime Zone and Gaming Zone, we are excited to announce Ryukishi07 – a screenwriter and the leading member of the 07th Expansion doujin circle, whose creations fascinate fans all around the world.
Who is Ryukishi07?
Ryukishi07 (Ryūkishi Zero-Nana) comes from Japan, where he worked as a civil servant for years, before he focused on scriptwriting for games at the age of 29. With his younger brothers, he started their own doujin group – 07th Expansion – so we could meet some of the best fleshed out Yandere archetypes (and more 😉)
He’s been called a poet, a cruel heart butcher, but also “a kind, loving mother that hugs you at the end of a nightmare… of his own creation”. Is he really all that? The deciding voice is with the people familiar with the stories he penned!
The mysteries of Hinamizawa and Rokkenjima
His most recognised works are the visual novels: “Higurashi When They Cry” and “Umineko When They Cry”. Each of these games garnered a cult following thanks to a combination of an immersive criminal mystery and an atmosphere of rising unease.
In Higurashi, a seemingly quaint village of Hinamizawa hides dark secrets, which are slowly unravelled, as the reader gets through consecutive versions of the same story. Umineko on the other hand transports the audience to a secluded island of Rokkenjima, where a complicated game takes place, full of mysteries, symbolism and intellectual duels.
Each of the series became a pop-cultural phenomenon – there’s been anime adaptations, mangas, light novels and many fan-created interpretations. Despite the main plot being dark and mysterious, it’s the relationships between the characters that are at the core of these stories: friendship, trust, and understanding other human beings.
In addition, there’s a third game with the same subtitle: Ciconia. It is, however, not yet finished.
A new chapter of Silent Hill
The works of Ryukishi07 are much more than just visual novels. The author is also responsible for the scenario and script for the “SILENT HILL f” game, the latest installment of the cult horror series created by Konami Digital Entertainment.
From the moment it was announced, the game got fans’ interest, and after the release it got great recognition and awards such as IGN Japan GOTY 2025 and Steam Awards 2025, to name a few. The distinctive narrative style of Ryukishi07, combining unease, mystery and emotional depth, was the perfect match for Silent Hill’s atmosphere.
And only the cicadas cry…
Although many of his works appear to be centered on the horror genre, their real strength lies in emotions and relationships between the characters. In Ryukishi07’s stories, dread often sets the stage for tales of friendship, love, trust or hope.
If you want to learn more about how these creations get made, be sure to check out his program events!
Agnieszka Muczke
W dzień social media manager i organizatorka eventów fanowskich, w nocy cosplayerka. Cosplayem zajmuje się od 2016 roku i na koncie ma ponad 100 różnych cosplay'i oraz niewiele mniej sesji zdjęciowych. Jej ulubioną częścią każdego projektu jest pozowanie przed kamerą i tworzenie kontentu, który w następstwie udostępnia na swoich Social Mediach. Tutaj pisze i dzieli się swoją wiedzą na temat gier, mangi i anime.