Silent Hill Creature Designer Responds To Madonna Fans After Music Video Inspiration Remarks Spark Backlash

Silent Hill carnal decorator and illustrator Masahiro Ito is clapping backmost astatine Madonna fans aft a remark helium made astir 1 of her euphony videos rubbed a vocal radical of listeners the incorrect way.

Masahiro Ito is the caput down immoderate of horror’s astir iconic monsters. The Bubble Head Nurses from Silent Hill 2, Pyramid Head, and galore different creatures from the archetypal 3 games successful the bid were calved astatine slightest successful portion from his originative vision, birthing monsters that person remained staples successful the genre to this day.

In May 2019, Ito opened up astir 1 of his inspirations for the nurses’ movements successful the Silent Hill franchise, citing the dancers successful Madonna’s 1999 euphony video for "Nothing Really Matters." In the video, Madonna and her backup dancers utilized Butoh-style creation movements, a benignant of Japanese choreography that emerged aft World War II characterized by slow, controlled motions, white, full-body makeup, and contorting one’s look and assemblage into absurd and grotesque expressions.

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Silent Hill’s nurses determination successful a akin way, truthful it’s not hard to spot wherever helium drew his power from. Years later, however, this factoid is getting immoderate flak from Madonna fans aft helium revealed that helium isn’t really into her music.

In May 2026, a instrumentality credited Madonna for “literally being the inspiration for the ambiance of Silent Hill 2” — but Ito didn’t needfully agree.

“I said I [was] inspired by Madonna's Nothing Really Matters video,” helium clarified. “But I meant the Butoh-like dances by Asian dancers painted wholly achromatic successful the video, not herself / her song. It was 1 of [the] inspirations for the Lying Figure, Bubblehead Nurses’ etc. animations. That's all. Please don't leap to conclusions.”

I said I inspired by Madonna's Nothing Really Matters video. But I meant the Butoh-like dances by Asian dancers painted wholly achromatic successful the video, not herself/her song. It was 1 of inspirations for the Lying Figure, BHNurse's etc anims. That's all. Plz don't leap to conclusions https://t.co/VBgBGiqGSD pic.twitter.com/RRT00G0kQt

— 伊藤暢達/Masahiro Ito (@adsk4) May 21, 2026

Unfortunately for him, Ito unintentionally kicked a hornet’s nest. A vocal conception of Madonna’s fanbase came retired of the woodwork to knock this peculiar statement, seemingly nether the content that helium was hating connected the iconic vocalist and trying to region his enactment from her.

“The archetypal station said the euphony video? So wherefore are you being shady? Madonna’s conception of the video is the crushed WHY you were inspired,” 1 argued astatine the time.

“So, you were inspired by the video? one don’t recognize the quality and large woody and the hatred that’s being sent to the archetypal poster for being excited that you said an facet of Madonna’s video inspired Silent Hill, which u conscionable confirmed it did…,” different wrote.

Still others informed Ito that the archetypal poster was astir apt being hyperbolic and humorous, with their station astir apt getting misinterpreted by him — but either way, Ito said helium was inactive facing fierce backlash owed to his clarification connected the subject.

It’s been implicit 2 months since then, and the disapproval hasn’t wholly died down. In August 2026, Ito erstwhile again posted screenshots from accounts harassing him astir his Madonna tweet (though admittedly, immoderate of them look similar elemental trolls looking to get a emergence retired of him, alternatively than being diehard Madonna fans).

The decorator described 1 of them arsenic a “typical, low-IQ stan who starts a combat and past plays the unfortunate erstwhile I conscionable blocked them without replying,” adopting the societal media stance of chap Twitter-savvy crippled developer Hideki Kamiya, who’s somewhat celebrated for blocking and insulting rude commenters.

"Commented connected purpose" - A emblematic debased IQ stan who starts a combat and past plays the unfortunate erstwhile I conscionable blocked them w/o replying. lmao pic.twitter.com/m17lzoaRD0

— 伊藤暢達/Masahiro Ito (@adsk4) August 11, 2026

Despite each this, the concern has sparked a question of enactment for Ito and reignited a treatment surrounding the inspiration of creation from chap artists, arsenic good arsenic sparking a renewed involvement successful learning astir Butoh dance.

For much astir Silent Hill, cheque retired our reappraisal of the Silent Hill 2 remake, arsenic good arsenic our sentiment connected Silent Hill f and its decidedly antithetic instrumentality connected the beloved fearfulness franchise.

Image Credit: YouTube - Madonna

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With 10 years of acquisition reporting connected games and entertainment, she’s got a storied inheritance successful the warring crippled community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her connected Twitter astatine @TheeMissGlaze.