Author: Mariko Nishimura, Forbes JAPAN

Translation: Old Fashion Research

Have you heard of the project called 0N1 Force?

This is an NFT project that started in 2021, and upon its launch, it became a craze among American entrepreneurs, musicians, and media figures, including Steve Aoki. The 7,777 characters, familiar to the Japanese as "Oni" (Japanese demons), Balinese gods, and samurai, were hand-drawn by the artist IMCMPLX. The community's mission is to create comics and animations centered around these characters.

Although 0N1 Force became a hot topic in early 2021, the project faced issues between the community and management (due to a lack of attention to the community) and was temporarily labeled a "dead" project. However, 0N1 Force now shows signs of revival.

Japan is currently closely watching community-based project operations, such as Web3 and DAOs. I myself am a member of a Web3 research group DAO that has separated from a Japanese digital agency. While people talk about the ideals of "community-centered projects," those with top-down project management experience may find it challenging to put this into practice. Despite having once angered community members, 0N1 Force has regained popularity by reconnecting with the community. Moreover, the new CEO is a former community manager who gained support in adversity. How can an organization become beloved by the community? We interviewed 0N1 Force CEO Starlody, artist IMCMPLX, and 0N1 Force Japan representative NORI for insights.

CEO Starlody resides in San Francisco, while artist IMCMPLX lives in Bali, Indonesia. The theme of the Japan tour is "REBORN------Rebirth." As a project that draws immense inspiration from Japan, 0N1 Force gathered in Tokyo to reboot with the cherished Japanese culture and community, gaining new inspiration. They held a long event to understand the world of 0N1 Force envisioned by community members and shared meals together. They discussed collaborating with KANSAIMAN (Kansai Super Studio) to embroider excellent works on pilot jackets and surprise giveaways. Other artworks were exhibited at a gallery called EDGEoff in Daikanyama, Tokyo, providing many opportunities for 0N1 Force NFT holders and creators to showcase their work.

I was fortunate to attend several 0N1 Force events in Japan. The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming, and I could clearly feel the sincerity, with the project team promising never to repeat past injustices to the community.

0N1 Force main team at the community art exhibition

Eliminating Community Anger and Gradually Changing the Team

So, Starlody was chosen as CEO from a new team supported by the community, but what is his background, and how did he become CEO?

Starlody: When 0N1 Force first debuted in the summer of 2021, I was following the project as a fan. At that time, I was running an art website and was immediately attracted to the highly artistic project created by IMCMPLX. It was a high-priced project, so I viewed it as an aspirational one. However, I started participating in community activities by making videos for the San Jose Anime Expo and gradually became more involved. Initially, I participated as a weekend volunteer but was gradually given more product management responsibilities.

While I believed that participating in blue-chip (top NFT projects like Bored Ape, CryptoPunks, Azuki, Doodle, CloneX, including 0N1 Force) projects would benefit my career, the enthusiasm of the community was truly remarkable. Many people on-site shared their dreams and passions for 0N1 Force, and there were artists willing to work together to promote the anime adaptation of 0N1 Force. I wanted to contribute to this community, so I became CEO in March 2023. Additionally, a major deciding factor was the opportunity to collaborate with my favorite 0N1 Force artist IMCMPLX.

IMCMPLX: I am responsible for the art of 0N1 Force and am one of the founding members, but when Starlody first joined, I was concerned about whether he was the right person for the job. This was because, at the time he joined, the community was angry about the project, and internal controls were not in place. I doubted who could calm the situation under such circumstances. However, seeing Starlody sincerely listen to the community's anger, advance internal matters, and formulate community plans and the future strategy for 0N1 Force made me feel that we could work together, and I invited him to join us.

The reasons for the community's anger are clear.

They love the 0N1 Force project. So, I felt that if I could eliminate the anger, extract their true intentions as stated, and reflect that in the roadmap, the project and community would have a bright future. As a Web3 project, we need to collaborate with the community, so it is important to extract their information without being influenced by emotions. Given that the characteristic of the Web3 community is its "decentralization," everyone has their own perspective. It is also crucial to focus on continuous, stable output and gradually influence the community's views rather than trying to make top-down decisions all at once.

What is the source of the community's anger? We spoke with NORI, who is more familiar with the initial conflicts within the community.

NORI: When I first saw this situation, I was really surprised. I attended the town hall held by the project in February 2022, where everyone was disparaging and criticizing the new community management team. People were even editing the roadmap created by the CEO on a shared Google document. The community's anger stemmed from the fact that 0N1 Force was clearly a community-first project, but the team seemed indifferent to the community, lacking vision and motivation. If you become a community member by acquiring a relatively high-priced NFT, and the outcome contradicts the promises, it is a natural result.

I was shocked after listening to the town hall, but I still insisted on listening until the end. The event was held at West Coast time, which was morning in Japan, but I was very interested in 0N1 Force and wanted to know if I could do something in Japan. So, I asked Starlody, who managed the community, to let me, as a Japanese person, participate in planning and other activities.

Before February 2022, there were many NFT projects with Japanese themes, such as 0N1 Force and Azuki, but the founders were from countries outside Japan. My motivation to reach out to Starlody was to somehow connect Japan with the world. However, initially, I was unsure about their understanding of Japanese culture. When I spoke with them, I realized that they had a deeper understanding of anime and art than I did. I initially thought that Japanese people should be responsible for Japanese-themed projects, but this idea changed after meeting IMCMPLX and Starlody. Seeing their respect for Japanese culture made me decide to continue working with them.

In summary, the community's anger primarily stemmed from unmet expectations and neglect from the original team. However, Starlody's sincere listening to community opinions, improving internal controls, and formulating a clear roadmap for the future of 0N1 Force helped rebuild trust. As CEO, Starlody emphasized the importance of closely collaborating with the community and making steady improvements, step by step. His collaboration with IMCMPLX and other artists, along with his appreciation for Japanese culture, contributed to the project's development and success.

Web 3 Art Project: 0N1 Force

The community's dissatisfaction began in the fall of 2021, over a year ago. So, why didn't the community leave, and how did the new 0N1 Force led by Starlody come to be?

IMCMPLX: I think a significant reason is that people like Starlody, who value the community, became CEO. The community may feel that they can bring about a change in the CEO. While the previous CEO founder's push for Starlody was a typical Web2 personnel change, Starlody's appointment feels more like a Web3 approach. Additionally, as a Web3 project, we have been advancing innovative initiatives, which may be another reason the community continues to love us.

For example, our project itself was launched in a Web3 manner. We collaborated with artists like JR, whom we met on Clubhouse when everyone was in different places. Other NFT projects are usually run by friends, colleagues, or funding, but we advanced our project "0N1 Force" by investing our time and gathering members from around the world. This may be an early example of a Web3/decentralized NFT art project.

Furthermore, 0N1 Force was the first to create an allowlist system, which is now common in NFT projects, prioritizing the issuance of NFTs to those who contribute to the community. Its creation was to allocate access so that when everyone tries to access at the same time, the gas fees for NFT transactions do not become too high.

0N1 Force Founder/Artist IMCMPLX

The Idea Behind the "Devil"

Why did 0N1 Force choose "Oni" (demon) as its theme?

IMCMPLX: I respect Japanese culture. Besides 0N1 Force, there is another project called "Inari," inspired by the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. The origin stories of Shinto and its deities are fascinating. The doctrines and narratives themselves are very appealing. 0N1 Force was born out of a love for this aspect of Japanese culture.

As for why it is Oni, part of it is personal experience. Someone once told me that even when I am happy, I have a devilish expression on my face. Also, when I get excited, my face turns red, so I am called the Red Demon. The existence of demons has always been close to me. Having experienced this since childhood, I wondered whether those familiar demons are really evil and if they might also have a kind side. This background led to the birth of 0N1 Force. The characters of 0N1 Force also incorporate the Balinese god "Barong" from my homeland, Indonesia. We want to ask a question through 0N1 Force: "Are gods and demons similar?"

While demons and deities coexist, we want to create a nostalgic and warm world. Initially, popular NFT projects were cool but cold or cynical. Therefore, our goal is to create something that feels warm and nostalgic, expressing the feeling of being in this area alone in a room at 3 AM.

The leading team of 0N1 Force has had disputes with the community. How will this baptism connect to the future?

We want to combine the IP of 0N1 Force with the creativity of our community to create anime and manga. Additionally, by utilizing Web3/blockchain, we hope to focus on the transparency and credibility of our activities without doing what existing Web2 companies do.

We want our new content to be creative, allowing people to feel humanity in an era coexisting with AI. I grew up in Silicon Valley and have seen many companies like Facebook that focus solely on profit without fulfilling corporate responsibility. As a leader in Web3, 0N1 Force hopes to move forward with trust and respect for the community and all stakeholders.

NORI: Currently, participating in Web3 projects is synonymous with constantly updating oneself. Therefore, we want to focus on creating new forms of IP without worrying about continuous evolution and development. We aim to spread the voice of the 0N1 Force community to a broader range of stakeholders and make 0N1 Force the standard for the next generation of IP.

In community activities, we met an artist from the United States who created art inspired by the 0N1 Force universe using AI, while another artist talked about their expertise in creating virtual spaces. The project aims to utilize not only the talents of artists but also the skills of every participant, leveraging technology and decentralization to tap into globally distributed talent. We look forward to closely following the 0N1 Force project, which is an example of a Web3 art project, paving the way for the future of art and entertainment through continuous innovation in organization and IP.

How will the "REBORN------Rebirth" tour of 0N1 Force unfold in the future?

You can watch from the sidelines or join the community and help build together; it depends on you. We should take Starlody's words to heart: the future IP should be something that contributes to our own growth.