THE FUSE

Spike Chunsoft’s 428: Shibuya Scramble was a cult hit when it debuted in 2009. Produced by Jiro Ishii, Scramble set a kidnapping caper in the middle of one of Tokyo’s most frantic wards. Its infamy and high-camp charm earned localization in the west a decade later. Last year Ishii announced a successor, Shibuya Scramble Stories, on the crowdfunding platform Ubgoe. It netted a handsome 54 million yen, well above its goals. When Ishii tried to claim the funds, he discovered a mystery that might be too absurd even for him: Ubgoe lost the money.