NEK-01

The original prototype android that put Superfuture Technolabs on the map.

A terse, but strangely lovable android that became the original proof of concept that android technology could work. Perhaps trying to emulate the nature of a cat, the developer who originally created NEK-01’s personality tried to make her friendly, but also a bit difficult to approach… and may have over-corrected a bit too much. The result is NEK-01 constantly wanting attention, but always seeming to push others away while saying very little. Still, she seems to have an odd soft spot for Bun-E03, protesting being around the entertainment android while also seeming to linger around her much longer than others.

She’s even been seen blushing, which nobody remembers including in her design document, raising even further questions about what NEK-01 is capable of.

I wanted to go for a slightly more robotic look for NEK-01, with some see-through bits and more non-skintone sections to suggest that her design isn’t quite complete. Despite being the “earlier” model, I ended up coming up with her design backwards from Bun-E03. Her palette is primarily made of colors that compliment Bun-E03 well – orange and red versus Bun-E03’s blue – as she and NEK-01 were the first android characters I designed.