Introduction to

(A long)

What’s ZIX…

• ZIX are part of Sun Promotion Entertainment.
• The members are Sugai Makoto and Hishida Mitsuru.
• Makoto came up with the name of the unit.
• Their logo is a diamond.
• They're Growth's rivals.
• They were supposed to debut with Koki, but he rejected the offer

and quit the agency.

• Because of that, they used to be on bad terms with Growth, but now

they've gotten past that and have a friendly rivalry.

• They weren’t friends before the unit was decided, so they refer

to their relationship as business partners, even if they’re now much

closer than then.

Songs!

• Brilliant
• BML

• Z.I.X.A.G
• Outsider Dance

• Break it!
• OverLoad

• Promise
• When the Worlds Collide (Makoto’s solo)

• DIAMOND FEVER TIME
• going (Mitsuru’s solo)

Sugai Makoto

• He's serious and arrogant, as well was very talented, a perfectionist with a high level of professionalism.
• His father is the Management Director of Sunpro.
• Due to his connections, people tended to say everything he had gotten in life had been due to that, even when he aced tests or when he became Sunpro's "top" junior, so he stopped caring about it.
• Despite his attitude, his friends think of him as a "goody two shoes" because of how serious he was about his work even as a junior.
• Considers Koki to be his rival.
• He’s a good guy at heart.�

Birthday: 15/08/1997 (29 as of 2026)

He’s a Leo!

Height: 180cm

Hishida Mitsuru

• He's sweet and playful in the eyes of the fans, but he's quite two-faced, he's ambitious, calculating and cunning.
• He likes teasing those he likes.
• He describes his relationship with Ryota as the opposite of love at first sight, and they were banned from working together back in their junior days.
• Despite that rivalry, they admit to being able to send texts to each other about normal stuff now. Mitsuru also bought Ryota’s Anokoro “Phantasmagoria” CD.
• He’s a good guy at heart.

​

Birthday: 13/01/1997 (29 as of 2026)

He’s a Capricorn!

Height: 175cm

Where does ZIX appear…?

• They have 5 CDs -4 with dramas- and 10 songs in total (as of 2024)
• They appeared for the first time in Growth’s “Kokoro no Puzzle” CD. They also appear in Growth’s Drama CD Vol 5, and ALIVE’s Tsukihana Kagura drama CD
• ZIX appears in Tsukipro the animation ep 8
• Mitsuru appeared in Tsukipro the animation 2 ep 8, and Makoto in Tsukiuta the animation 2 Episode 4
• They’re fairly regular in ALIVESTAGE as well

DRAMA CDs

Brilliant

​

• Makoto calls Mitsuru out for checking the script early, because the guests of the day are Koki and Ryota, Mitsuru calls him out about how focused he gets when he's in front of Growth.
• They wonder about the "what ifs" if they had debuted together, and Mitsuru says that despite seeing them just as rivals not people he'd talk personal things with, he does feel like doing that now.
• They go to drink with Koki and Ryota after work, and Makoto mentions that while he still sees Koki as his rival, he also knows it's different off stage.
• Makoto also says that Mitsuru and he know there’s no point in faking anything with them, so Koki and Ryota should also just say what they dislike of them freely.
• Ryo says that he won't forgive Makoto if he hurts any of Growth, and Makoto replies by defending Mitsuru from Ryota’s comments on his attitude, that Mitsuru being shady is just how he is, but he's also hardworking and can be honest.
• Mitsuru says that Ryota is quick to tease people over their weaknesses and he's the same, so he gets irritated about it.
• Koki talks about how before he would only get upset that he didn't hate them even when they got angry at him, and that he's happy that he can properly call them rivals now.
• �

Break it!

​

• This is the story of the debut of ZIX. They weren’t friends or anything before the unit, and it was born in a very different way than Growth’s.
• It starts with Makoto going to Sunpro and finding out that Koki had quit the agency, just when he was going to a meeting about the debut of the new unit, which had Koki, Makoto and Mitsuru as the members.
• Makoto wasn't interested anymore, being confused when Mitsuru didn't seem to care about Koki leaving the agency.
• Mitsuru attempts to provoke Makoto by saying he must be sure he'd get another chance at debuting even if Koki quit, because of his connections in the agency, but Makoto doesn't care about it, leaving him.
• Makoto thought it would end there, but he found out that the agency still planned to debut the unit, finding out due to his father that Mitsuru had sweet-talked the current president into continuing.
• His father advised him to give it a try, saying that Makoto isn't the type to throw away a chance, and that taking detours can lead to good views, which leaves Makoto thinking about it.�

Break it!

​

• On Mitsuru's side, he’s working in a convenience store and having an attitude with a customer, for which his boss apologizes and later asks him to at least keep a friendly face. Yet he sends Mitsuru home early with some food so he could rest after working for Sunpro that day.
• When he gets home, Mitsuru realizes that there's smell of alcohol in his house, and as he rushes in, he finds his father passed out inside.
• He asks him if he ran away from rehab again, getting no reply. Mitsuru wonders from where he got the money to go drinking, and runs to another room to check his savings, realizing his father had stolen from him.
• Mitsuru tries to confront him, but his father doesn't wake up despite the shouting, and he stops only after a neighbor knocks on the wall as complaint for the noise.
• They have another meeting with Sunpro’s President, and after it, they have a talk as well, in which Mitsuru asks Makoto for one year.
• Mitsuru mentions how it’s an unusual chance for him, as others would be more popular to be with Makoto and Koki (Kensuke and Ryota, for example), but since he was chosen, he needs to go through it, wanting to make his debut before the actual president comes back.
• Mitsuru proposes a deal to Makoto, but he asks what’s in for him, because Mitsuru doesn’t have anything he might want, and he can’t think of anything to say to him.
• Even when Mitsuru pleads him, Makoto rejects making a deal and leaves.

�

​

Break it!

​

• Mitsuru is working while thinking what Makoto could want, refusing to give up even if he knows that if Makoto quits, it’s over for him.
• Someone calls out to him at the register, and that’s when he notices that Makoto was there with some friends after school. They have a small exchange, and while Makoto seems a little reluctant to leave, Mitsuru’s father enters the shop calling for Mitsuru, wanting to get discounts on food and alcohol.
• Mitsuru confronts him and they fight.
• Right after it, he realizes that Makoto was still there, and he tells him to leave, pushing him away, and starts shouting and throwing things until the manager comes to see what was going on.
• The manager takes Mitsuru behind the shop, stopping him from trying to quit, and comforting him.
• When Mitsuru gets out, Makoto calls out to him. He asks if he had been fired, and is surprised at how snarky Mitsuru is being, to what he replies that there’s no point in faking anymore and asking what he wants.
• Makoto then says that he will do it. He’ll accept the unit for one year, as Mitsuru had asked him to.
• Mitsuru (sarcastically) thanks him and says how nice he is, before breaking down, cursing out loud at how pity is all he can get. Makoto agrees that it's pity, and that Mitsuru can use everything to climb to the top.
• He asks that if Mitsuru doesn’t want pity, he’d be willing to let his help go, but Mitsuru accepts.

��

​

Break it!

​

• As they're getting closer to the debut, Makoto hears from his father that the actual president, Hinata, is coming back, after they dismissed Komatsubara after finding him mistreating some workers (Makoto’s father got the proofs against him).
• He says that they (Makoto and Mitsuru) will be in a tough spot for a while, but Makoto cuts him off and ends up admitting that he is enjoying his detour.
• Mitsuru’s father comes back promising to stop drinking, which Mitsuru doesn't believe him as he heard that before.
• His father tries to give him a card from the place he’ll work for after rehab, but Mitsuru doesn’t take it. As he’s leaving, he wishes him luck, asking Mitsuru to not become like him, because they're very different, since Mitsuru is bright.
• Mitsuru gives in and takes it, while also giving him the address of the place he’ll move to, inviting him to go once he’s cleared from rehab, but that he will kick him out if he smells any alcohol.
• Back to Sunpro, Makoto and Mitsuru see their stage costumes finished, and Makoto complains that they can’t do anything without a unit name, with Mitsuru replying that he rejected all his ideas without proposing anything.
• Makoto says that he does have an idea, which is “ZIX”.
• He explains that “Z” is the ultimate letter, being the last of the alphabet. “I” for themselves, and “X” for their combined effort. A name for a unit that will show the ultimate brightness to the world.
• With that, they agree on the name.
• At the end of a concert years later, Makoto wonders if their deal wasn’t valid for only a year, to which Mitsuru teases that he has no idea what he’s saying, and asks if they had written that somewhere, and Makoto accepts that they hadn’t, and they laugh as they go backstage.

​

In-yo series (In/Dark)

​

• They’re having a meeting with TOBARI and some executives, hearing how they came up with the theme of the new albums, which was decided to be the same for two units, TOBARI and ZIX.
• After it, Makoto and Mitsuru discuss the topic as well, and they have no problems about sharing the concept, to have two CDs with one solo and one unit song, like TOBARI, and are ready to proceed with their manager.
• They consider the matter to be done, until Makoto receives the reply from the manager asking them which one would be "In" and which "Yo" to what Mitsuru replies that it's obvious, and when they say it, they realize they overlapped, thinking the other fits "Yo" (light) while they themselves fit "In“ (darkness).

In-yo series (In/Dark)

​

• There's a peek back to ZIX’s debut, when Makoto and Mitsuru were having interviews, and Makoto notices that one of the interviewers was only talking to him, and asks Mitsuru if he's not frustrated.
• While Mitsuru admits to it, he knows that he doesn't have the "light" that Makoto has, but now that he has the chance, he promises that he will outshine Makoto.
• Back to the present, they meet again to discuss the pending decision on Makoto's apartment.
• They put out their views on what's "In" and "Yo" and argue on how they fit it. While Mitsuru tries to discredit Makoto's opinion on why Mitsuru fits "light“; he counters in how that's not just his opinion but fans' as well, since Mitsuru shows off as the chatty and cheerful of the duo, so he's the "Light" fitting one, while Makoto considers himself the "dark" one, the one that doesn't change and doesn't want to, that doesn't have many faces.
• Mitsuru ends up giving up and accepts it, and thus they decide their themes.

In-yo series (Yo/Light)

​

• It starts with Mitsuru getting up and going outside his balcony, watching the people going to work. As he's basking in the sunlight, he thinks how far he came from that gloomy apartment from the past.
• They meet with Koki and Ryota as they had the same job, and Koki starts praising ZIX for the contrast in the theme of their CDs.
• Mitsuru is a little bedazzled with Koki’s “Real light" and wonders for how long Koki has been a real adult, questioning his honesty. Ryota mentions how everyone grows and can change or not, but that they admire the side from Kou that doesn't change.
• A staff calls them to talk about the next topic for the job, different summer-related activities, one of them being a haunted house.
• Koki is affected by that info, and ZIX are happy to know that Koki also hasn't changed in that aspect. Kou freaks out about it, and then declares that he’ll go to the haunted house.
• They question why Koki would want to, and he says that he knows that people mean that he doesn't change in a good way, but that he views changing as a sign of growing, and that being able to change is also a strength, and that he admires the ability to change, which he also thought when hearing ZIX's song.
• Makoto and Mitsuru wonder why, since their relationship is the same- Business partners, but Ryota adds that he also thinks they've changed.
• With that, they decide to go back to try the haunted house.

​

​

In-yo series (Yo/Light)

​

• When their visit ends, ZIX goes to Mitsuru's apartment, and Makoto, who was visiting for the first time, admits that he expected something fancier, like in magazines.
• They laugh about how it'll be weird seeing the other the next morning, and how while being together might be common for those at Tsukino, they don't wanna see each other everyday.
• They also talk of all the sounds they can hear in Mitsuru’s apartment compared to Makoto’s, but he says that what he prefers is the sunlight that he has all day.
• Mitsuru mentions how Koki, who is “light” dislikes darkness, while it’s the opposite for him, he’s “darkness” and likes “light” to what Makoto replies that at least in ZIX he’s the “light” one, so he shouldn’t lose against him.
• As well, he also says that he was amazed that they were able to touch Koki through their songs, too.
• After that, Mitsuru says that when Makoto gets up the next morning, he should go to the balcony, since the morning sun feels nice, it’s sparkling and bright. Makoto says that Mitsuru really likes the sunlight, and Mitsuru counters that he’s in charge of the “light” in ZIX after all.
• With that, they look for something to eat with their drinks for their first sleepover.

Others...

• Tsukihana Kagura (Before the Second Blooming, they were from a country that fell when Ashura invaded them. They became mercenaries for them, until they escaped after helping Mamoru and Sora. In the present, they live in Mushiki, an island in the center of the world, where they act as guards and are in charge of the security of the Tsukihana Kagura festival.
• Tsukino Hyakkiyakou- Makoto is one of the gods, a Wolf-based god, (Okuchi no Makami) while Mitsuru is a water yokai (Kappa).
• Machine Elements (Kisosekai): Makoto and Mitsuru work as investigators for the Guild Federation.
• Taikyoku Denki- Makoto is a human and the Third Imperial Prince of Later Shin from the modern era, (He’s a descendant of Rei's and Shu's half brother, so they're distant relatives.) Mitsuru is a Gokuzoku bound by a technique to act as bodyguard to the Prince. The condition of the contract from his side is political influence, and he desires to make Makoto the Emperor to get back to those that underestimated him.

While they don't tend to appear officially in the alternate universe (Since they're from a different agency) they have gotten settings in some due to them being in ALIVESTAGE (THE ACTORS ARE AMAZING DO CHECK THEM OUT)

Some of these alternate universes include:

ALIVESTAGE

ALIVESTAGE -Side Story-

ZIX STAGE- Break it!

Sugai Makoto and Hishida Mitsuru are chosen to form a new group under Sun Promotion Entertainment (SunPro).

Every day it’s filled with their discussions.

Envy, jealousy, betrayal, a drama full of expectations and feelings behind their dramatic relationship.

In a world full of brilliant lights, there’s also a deep darkness.

​

Friendship? Bonds? No, nothing of that. The only thing between Makoto and Mitsuru was mutual benefit.

Igarashi Kakudo (Tact)

-He’s a dancer and choreographer, he made the choreo for half of the ZIX’s songs they've performed, the choreo for ep.6 theme “Gift for the music”, and also the choreo for the “Yumemigusa” version they did in Tsukista ep.11 Tsukihana Kagura.

-When he was younger he tended to be told he looked “feminine” so he particularly likes Makoto’s “manly” side.

-As Tact is older than Riki, he felt like he had to close the gap between them, so he sent him a message being clear with what he thought, and that made Riki really happy.

-He was Mammon in Kuro to Shiro. (Not Movic, but he was Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen stage.)

-He wrote and directed a play! T-gene stage has him around~

-Though he had already appeared in scenarios before (He was a dancer for SQS Blazing & Freezing) Makoto was one of his first stage roles.

-He was in a bl short movie I got to watch after visiting sus sites

​

​

(Changed his name!)

Yamane Riki

-Another newbie with his first role in Ivesta, he said he didn't even know which side of the stage was which back then.

-In my opinion he deserves the credit for being able to dance next to a professional without the breach being obvious (and with the heels of his first stage costume!! That gotta be like 5cm!)

-For ZIX STAGE, when Tact was teaching them the choreo, he marked a noise for them to follow the rhythm, and even though the dancers picked it up immediately, Riki had no idea what sound was he talking about. (It was one at the start of the song.)

-Tact brought up that he had grown from being someone who cries because he can't act like he wants, to be someone who cries because he's acting (Zixsta!)

-When they were still getting to know each other before ep1, Tact invited him to an expensive restaurant with private rooms, and when he got there Tact told him he'd be there a little later and to go in, but Riki got to nervous and waited for him outside.

-Both ZIX’s actors are quite introverts which I find it funny considering their roles, but I adore them 🥺💕

💎 Extra data! 💎�

• They're regulars in a horoscope section, Sun Sun Fortune, in which they dress with animal onesies, Mitsuru's a fox and Makoto's a wolf. Their phrase is "With a sunny smile, have a lucky day!” 
• Their manager said that ZIX meetings are fast, and they agree that it's because they're on the same page about what they want to do, and it rarely clashes with what the agency wants as well.
• Makoto has a dog called Gonzaburou.
• Mitsuru likes the "sounds of the city" and living in a "sunny place”
• Makoto doesn’t like carrying cash with him.
• Mitsuru likes all commodities, even simpler ones like the artificial wind of the AC (Makoto once complained that he didn’t like it when Mitsuru turned it on at Makoto’s place).
• Makoto once treated Nozomu to a meal.
• Ryota said they're like a fine-tuned gear, they know when they need each other.
• For one of his birthdays, Mitsuru got Makoto a limited edition bracelet that he wanted but missed on, even if he hadn't told anything about it to Mitsuru. (Growth helped him find the gift).
• Mitsuru didn’t tell Makoto that he had moved, he heard it from the manager, and Makoto complained that he should at least tell him the address.
• They had their first sleepover after Mitsuru invited Makoto over to his new place in the latest drama (It would be a topic for fanservice).

��