Shirō Akabane serves as the in-game persona of Kojirō Arima, a programmer and architect of the virtual reality MMORPG *Planet*. In reality, Kojirō is a estranged father marked by a history of controlling behavior and physical aggression toward his children, triggered by minor incidents like spills or broken objects. His perfectionism and emotional detachment strain familial bonds, compounded by unresolved grief over the death of his youngest daughter, Aya.

Within *Planet*, Kojirō embodies Shirō Akabane, the authoritative yet protective leader of the Akabane Family guild. Under Shirō’s command, the guild—unaware its members include Kojirō’s real-life family—thrives under strict rules forbidding discussion of offline identities, forging unity despite real-world fractures.

Kojirō’s dual identity as game creator and guild leader fuels narrative tension. The Black Bird of Happiness, a supernatural entity born from an unintended AI glitch during *Planet*’s development, threatens players’ lives, eroding boundaries between virtual and real-world harm. Kojirō’s efforts to neutralize the entity by deleting linked AI inadvertently intensify conflicts, exposing flaws in his roles as both developer and parent.

Sporadic attempts to reconcile with his family surface through flashbacks, revealing fleeting efforts to embrace paternal responsibility. These moments often unravel due to recurring aggression or emotional withdrawal, contrasting sharply with Shirō’s steadfast leadership in-game.

The Black Bird’s incursion into reality—exemplified by the death of Kojirō’s assistant Hana, killed by its reality-warping powers—forces him to confront the consequences of his creation. His arc culminates in a fraught struggle to balance technical obligations to *Planet* with his family’s emotional needs, though progress remains uneven, leaving tensions unresolved.