Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese erotic visual novel
developed and published by Feng, released on October 15, 2010 for Windows. It was later adapted into a twelve-episode animated television series by Dogakobo
, airing from April 11, 2011 to June 27, 2011.
. The sheer quantity of decisions that can be made through the game ultimately means that the viewer will have to replay through the game several times to watch all the possible endings.
and, upset, Kazuma gives chase.
Minutes pass, and though scuffed and worn, Kazuma is able to recover the hat, only to realize that he is lost. Ui Nakatsugawa, a schoolgirl, happens upon the lad and happily leads him in the direction of the bus stop. After watching her skip across river rocks with ease, Kazuma attempts to duplicate the feat but trips, knocking Ui to the ground with an accidental kiss. As he is scolded by Ui's friend Ibuki Hinata, Kazuma leaves, disheartened that his time with Ui was momentary.
The following day, having moved into their rooms, Kazuma and Ayumu head off to their new school, Yamabiko South Academy, as transfer students. It is during his introduction to the class that Kazuma meets Ui and Ibuki again.
Feng had planned to release the game on December 11, 2009, but on November 26, the company announced that the date would be pushed to February 26, 2010. Attending Akihabara Denkigai Matsuri 2 on December 21, the date was once again rescheduled on February 8, 2010 to April 23. In identical fashion to the previous delays, on April 15 the date was changed to May 28, then on May 17 it was pushed to June 25. With the absence of a setback, Feng published nine additional work samples from May 31 to June 14, only for the game to be pushed on June 6 to July 30. After another screenshot was added, the game's opening animation was released for download, in conjunction with another postponement on July 20, pushing the game to August 27.
On August 12, Feng released a downloadable trial of the game. Shortly after on August 20, the game was postponed until September 24. Another trial was released on September 13 with yet another but final delay on September 24 to October 15. The third installment of the trials was released on October 10.
had also been released on the website, adding some additional functionality to the game settings while fixing issues with text and speech, bringing the game to a version of 1.01.
On February 14, 2011 Feng released a free, downloadable expansion to the game called the Valentine's Day Patch which brought the game to version 1.01a and subsequently added an additional path for both Ui and Hina.
The opening theme is "Hoshikaze No Horoscope" by Nomico and the ending theme is "Dash Do Cinerella" by Eriko Nakamura and Ai Shimizu. The ending theme for episode 10 is "Water Lily" by Ai Shimizu.
An OVA has also been announced on the official website, due to be released on December 21 2011.
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
developed and published by Feng, released on October 15, 2010 for Windows. It was later adapted into a twelve-episode animated television series by Dogakobo
Dogakobo
is a Japanese animation studio located in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. The studio was established on July 11, 1973 and has been involved in the production of a large amount of anime over the years.-Anime involved with:*Aria the Animation: 2nd Key Animation...
, airing from April 11, 2011 to June 27, 2011.
Gameplay
Following the formula of modern visual novels, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi is a text adventure with accompanying imagery and audio. Much like a television show, viewers watch and listen to scenes until presented with an action or choice for them to choose, usually on behalf of a character. Each response alternates the plot, moderately changing the direction of the story; being a mature product, predetermined sections contain pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. The sheer quantity of decisions that can be made through the game ultimately means that the viewer will have to replay through the game several times to watch all the possible endings.
Plot
Kazuma Hoshino is a young Japanese student who, in the company of his younger brother Ayumu, moves from an undisclosed urban location in Japan to the rural city of Yamabiko. On their way to Yorozuyo Inn, where they are prearranged to lodge, the boys get on the wrong bus and are forced to wait out the next ride at a stop. While they are lounging around and passing time, a wild monkey mischievously steals Ayumu's apple capNewsboy cap
The newsboy cap or newsy cap is a casual-wear cap similar in style to the flat cap. Sometimes also referred to as the: Baker Boy, Apple Cap, Eight Panel, Cabbie, Jay Gatsby , Fisherman's Cap, Pageboy and Lundberg Stetson.It has the same overall shape and stiff peak in front as a flat cap, but the...
and, upset, Kazuma gives chase.
Minutes pass, and though scuffed and worn, Kazuma is able to recover the hat, only to realize that he is lost. Ui Nakatsugawa, a schoolgirl, happens upon the lad and happily leads him in the direction of the bus stop. After watching her skip across river rocks with ease, Kazuma attempts to duplicate the feat but trips, knocking Ui to the ground with an accidental kiss. As he is scolded by Ui's friend Ibuki Hinata, Kazuma leaves, disheartened that his time with Ui was momentary.
The following day, having moved into their rooms, Kazuma and Ayumu head off to their new school, Yamabiko South Academy, as transfer students. It is during his introduction to the class that Kazuma meets Ui and Ibuki again.
Characters
- Voiced by Shintaro AsanumaShintaro Asanumais a Japanese male seiyū from Iwate Prefecture, Japan. He is affiliated with Office Osawa.-Anime:*Asu no Yoichi *Bokurano *D.C. II: Da Capo II *D.C.II S.S...
- Kazuma Hoshino is the main protagonist of the series. A rather ordinary, though warmhearted teenage boy, he moves out of the city and into the countryside for the sake of his brother Ayumu's delicate health. His acclimation to this environment is an initially rough and humiliating one, attracting the ridicule and distrust of some of his peers; overtime however, his gentleman demeanor and true intentions earn him respect and even the ardency of his female companions. Partially unaware that his childhood took place in Yamabaki, Kazuma experiences occasional flashbacks. It is shown that he has feelings for Ui and in the end confesses his love for her.
- Voiced by Maki Hibino (game), Eriko Nakamura (anime)
- Lively and upbeat, Ui Nakatsugawa is a second-year high school student who is arguably the most iconic character of the series. She is the first girl Kazuma meets and without a doubt, the first to kiss him. An energetic, carefree individual, Ui is fun, outgoing and adored by everyone, though she is comparatively naive to her peers. Of her most outward traits, Ui has an outrageous appetite for food. It is shown that she has feelings toward Kazuma and in the end she confesses her love to him.
- Voiced by Ringo Aoba
- Ibuki Hinata is a fellow second-year student, her class representative, and Ui's closest if not best friend. Besides her academic excellence and status on the student council, she is also an active member of the archeryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
club, having practiced the sport since middle school. Her first acquaintance with Kazuma is a suspicious and disparaging one; much to her own confusion, his kindness rubs off and she ultimately develops a soft-spot for him. Although Ibuki can be tough and difficult, she succumbs to her feelings and can be particularly tender and shy.
- Voiced by Ran Suzuki (game), Chiaki TakahashiChiaki Takahashi (actress)is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...
(anime) - Prim and quaint, Tsumugi is a third-year student and one of the most respectable cast members. A gentle, down-home country girl, Tsumugi is courteous, knowledgeable and acts as a sort of mediator for those around her. Tsumugi is a lover of nature and the rural life, enforced by her part-time work at the Yorozuyo Inn. She is the oldest of three sisters, Koyori and Kasane Toudou. With a brassiere size of F, Tsumugi sports the largest bust of the female cast.
- Voiced by Ichigo Momoi (game), Aiko Okubo (anime)
- Koyori Toudou is a first-year student and the vivacious younger sister of Tsumugi, second oldest to Kasane. An animated, headstrong, tenacious and often loud girl, Koyori, much like Ibuki, does not welcome Kazuma with open arms at the start of their introduction, though after cushioning her fall from a tree she has a change of heart. In spite of her almost spitfire disposition, Koyori enjoys helping others and appreciates those who help her.
- Voiced by Misono Moriya (game), Mayumi Yoshida (anime)
- Calm and peculiar, Hina Sakai is a third-year student, who unlike the rest of the cast, is one of the more difficult to discern. Her habitually aloof and reticent nature distinguish her as an intrapersonal, somewhat mysterious person, a trait she is well known and admired for at school; her encounter with Kazuma, and the time she spends with him and the group however, serve to relieve this. Despite her refined image, Hina madly adores anything cute and even personifies plush toys. Her parents own a famous distillery, a common motif of her's to study marketing in college. Of the entire cast, Hina is the tallest character.
- Voiced by Asuka Isuzu (game), Ai ShimizuAi Shimizuis a Japanese voice actress who is employed by Haikyou. She also has a career as a singer an signed to Lantis. She has released 14 singles and four albums. She covered Yumi Matsutoya's "Toki o Kakeru Shōjo" as the B-side of her first single "Angel Fish" in 2003...
(anime) - Madoka Komoto is a first-year student, who outside of her time at school, doubles as the local Shinto shrine mikoMikois a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...
. Bashful and delicate, she is often found sweeping leaves off the sandōSandōA in Japanese architecture is the road approaching either a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Its point of origin is usually straddled in the first case by a Shinto torii, in the second by a Buddhist sanmon, gates which mark the beginning of the shrine's or temple territory...
, reading books to children at the Yamabiko library or less commonly, in the company of friends. Having grown up sheltered, Madoka dresses old-fashioned, is mildly androphobicAndrophobiaAndrophobia is an abnormal fear of men. The word is derived from the Greek άνδρας and φόβος .:)Androphobia may be related to traumatic events in the sufferer's past...
, and beyond her time in school, is not familiar with or interested in subcultures. Her history with Kazuma nonetheless is the longest of anyone, spanning at least a decade. Madoka enjoys writing and is skilled at nage-waza.
Development
Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi was officially announced by Feng on May 8, 2009. The official website for the project had also gone live around this time, and from May 28 to November 11 character data, six voice clips, and eight sample artworks were added to it.Feng had planned to release the game on December 11, 2009, but on November 26, the company announced that the date would be pushed to February 26, 2010. Attending Akihabara Denkigai Matsuri 2 on December 21, the date was once again rescheduled on February 8, 2010 to April 23. In identical fashion to the previous delays, on April 15 the date was changed to May 28, then on May 17 it was pushed to June 25. With the absence of a setback, Feng published nine additional work samples from May 31 to June 14, only for the game to be pushed on June 6 to July 30. After another screenshot was added, the game's opening animation was released for download, in conjunction with another postponement on July 20, pushing the game to August 27.
On August 12, Feng released a downloadable trial of the game. Shortly after on August 20, the game was postponed until September 24. Another trial was released on September 13 with yet another but final delay on September 24 to October 15. The third installment of the trials was released on October 10.
Release
Three days before release, Feng announced that it would having a launch event in Akihabara, selling game merchandise and autographing copies of the game. Having been postponed for well over a year, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi was released on October 15, 2010. A patchPatch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
had also been released on the website, adding some additional functionality to the game settings while fixing issues with text and speech, bringing the game to a version of 1.01.
On February 14, 2011 Feng released a free, downloadable expansion to the game called the Valentine's Day Patch which brought the game to version 1.01a and subsequently added an additional path for both Ui and Hina.
Anime
On December 22, 2010, it was announced that Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi would be redeveloped as an animated series. The opening and closing themes were later chosen on March 3, 2011.The opening theme is "Hoshikaze No Horoscope" by Nomico and the ending theme is "Dash Do Cinerella" by Eriko Nakamura and Ai Shimizu. The ending theme for episode 10 is "Water Lily" by Ai Shimizu.
An OVA has also been announced on the official website, due to be released on December 21 2011.