Sentimental Graffiti
Encyclopedia
is the name of a popular dating simulation series by NEC Interchannel
. A TV anime
based on the series was later produced, titled Sentimental Journey. Three Japanese radio drama
s based on the series, titled Sentimental Night, Kaettekita Sentimental Night, and Only Sentimental Night 2 were produced. A number of non-broadcast Japanese audio dramas have also been produced. Several dojin games have been made based on the characters, including the infamous Sentimental Shooting scrolling shooter, which combines a very engaging (and difficult) shoot 'em up
with provocative imagery. Its nicknames amongst fans are typically Senchi or the contraction SenchiGura.
Following the 1994 hit success of Tokimeki Memorial
, NEC Interchannel initiated a cooperation between Tabeta Toshio and the main staff of the Graduation series with game production house Marcus in an attempt to produce a "Tokimeki-like" game. While the six central characters were cast by Seiji Productions, the remaining six were considered unconventional for the time in that they were selected for public appeal. At the time, many of the staff and cast were unknown by the general public, which spurred a large media sales campaign designed to widen the game's exposure and establish it as a new brand. Advertisements and articles were placed in many magazines such as Dengeki G's Magazine
as well as the TBS radio show Sentimental Night which aired in 1997. A unit entitled "SG girls" was formed and numerous events and concert were held. The promotion paid off, as sales of various related goods took off, the game received a positive reaction from fans, and copies became scarce.
What makes Sentimental Journey unusual is that each episode is completed unrelated to any of the others; instead, each episode focuses solely on one girl and tells a short romantic story. The only common element tying the stories together is the presence of a boy (and not even the same boy) in each girl's past, a boy who used to be puppy love, or an old crush, or a best friend, or just a short acquaintance. And this boy would have an influence over some part of that girl's present life. The stories ranged widely from straightforward girl-gets-boy romance to supernatural drama, and the actual storytelling and animation quality also tended to fluctuate noticeably, making it quite unusual.
Akira met the protagonist when he walked in on her practicing the violin and encouraged her to put true feeling to her music.
Asuka wanted to date the protagonist, imagining herself to be the heroine of a popular romantic comedy film, but she fell ill on the day that they were supposed to go out and he moved away soon after.
The protagonist and Chie were charged with arranging the school festival, and together they managed to make the event one of the biggest in school history, but the protagonist moved away before Chie could sing the song she had composed for him.
Emiru was ostracised by her peers for her strange mannerisms, but the protagonist didn't mind and became friends with her. When he had to move, they made a time capsule promising each other that they would continue to be friends after they grew up.
The protagonist was one of Honoka's few male friends, having won her trust in a riding accident when she fell off her horse and the protagonist let her fall on him. They kept an exchange diary until the protagonist had to move away.
Kaho is one of the best runners in her school, and had claimed crowns in every event except for the relay race. The protagonist is roped into joining the team and practices with Kaho every day, but he had to move away on the day of the race.
Manami was often ill and therefore absent from school, but after meeting the protagonist and taking care of an injured bird with him, she gained the courage to be stronger.
Miyuki worked in her parents' kimono store and felt tremendous pressure to inherit the family business because her siblings had run away from home. An offhand remark by the protagonist suggesting that the kimonos her parents sold were as beautiful as the paintings she made caused her to change her mind.
Rurika accidentally broke a fossil when cleaning up after class, but the protagonist (who also had cleaning duties that day) took responsibility for the act.
Taeko was the protagonist's neighbour when they were children (making her chronologically the first girl he met) and the two often teased by the other kids as the "Adachi couple".
Wakana was locked in the family warehouse as punishment for trespassing it; the Protagonist, though he was chased out for this infraction as well, sneaked back in at night to be with her so she wouldn't be afraid. The two then found an old music box that played a lovely melody.
Yuu met the protagonist by chance one evening during summer vacation and watched a meteor shower with him, but he transferred away before the school year began.
Sentimental Graffiti 2 was received on a much smaller scale than the first one. By this time, the momentum of the series had already been lost since three years had passed since the release of the original and by this time the genre was flooded with similar games. In addition, the original scenario writer was not in charge of the second game, stating that even if he did wanted to, it was impossible for him to write such a continuation as to have the original protagonist die in such a way. Moreover, fans of the series were upset by the change in Taeko Adachi's voice actress, who was played by Arishima Moyu for the sequel.
Interchannel
Interchannel is a Japanese game developer and publisher. Previously known as NEC Interchannel and before that NEC Avenue, it was originally a subsidiary of NEC before 70 percent of the company was sold to Index Corporation for approximately 3 billion yen in 2004...
. A TV anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
based on the series was later produced, titled Sentimental Journey. Three Japanese radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
s based on the series, titled Sentimental Night, Kaettekita Sentimental Night, and Only Sentimental Night 2 were produced. A number of non-broadcast Japanese audio dramas have also been produced. Several dojin games have been made based on the characters, including the infamous Sentimental Shooting scrolling shooter, which combines a very engaging (and difficult) shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
with provocative imagery. Its nicknames amongst fans are typically Senchi or the contraction SenchiGura.
Following the 1994 hit success of Tokimeki Memorial
Tokimeki Memorial
is a popular dating simulation series by Konami. It consists of 6 main games in addition to a large number of spin-offs. The games are notable in the dating sim genre for being highly nonlinear. Their nickname amongst their fans is the contraction TokiMemo....
, NEC Interchannel initiated a cooperation between Tabeta Toshio and the main staff of the Graduation series with game production house Marcus in an attempt to produce a "Tokimeki-like" game. While the six central characters were cast by Seiji Productions, the remaining six were considered unconventional for the time in that they were selected for public appeal. At the time, many of the staff and cast were unknown by the general public, which spurred a large media sales campaign designed to widen the game's exposure and establish it as a new brand. Advertisements and articles were placed in many magazines such as Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...
as well as the TBS radio show Sentimental Night which aired in 1997. A unit entitled "SG girls" was formed and numerous events and concert were held. The promotion paid off, as sales of various related goods took off, the game received a positive reaction from fans, and copies became scarce.
What makes Sentimental Journey unusual is that each episode is completed unrelated to any of the others; instead, each episode focuses solely on one girl and tells a short romantic story. The only common element tying the stories together is the presence of a boy (and not even the same boy) in each girl's past, a boy who used to be puppy love, or an old crush, or a best friend, or just a short acquaintance. And this boy would have an influence over some part of that girl's present life. The stories ranged widely from straightforward girl-gets-boy romance to supernatural drama, and the actual storytelling and animation quality also tended to fluctuate noticeably, making it quite unusual.
Heroines
-
- Location: Nagasaki, NagasakiNagasaki Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
- Birthday: October 31
- Voice actresses: Urarako Suzuki, Rhee Dong Eun
- Location: Nagasaki, Nagasaki
Akira met the protagonist when he walked in on her practicing the violin and encouraged her to put true feeling to her music.
-
- Location: YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, KanagawaKanagawa Prefectureis a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period... - Birthday: June 21
- Voice actresses: Asami OkamotoAsami Okamotois a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan.-Anime cast in:*Air as Shiraho*Sentimental Journey as Hoshino Asuka-External links:*...
, Yang Jeong Hwa
- Location: Yokohama
Asuka wanted to date the protagonist, imagining herself to be the heroine of a popular romantic comedy film, but she fell ill on the day that they were supposed to go out and he moved away soon after.
-
- Location: FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, FukuokaFukuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.... - Birthday: November 23
- Voice actresses: Chizu Yonemoto, Rhee Myeong Seon
- Location: Fukuoka
The protagonist and Chie were charged with arranging the school festival, and together they managed to make the event one of the biggest in school history, but the protagonist moved away before Chie could sing the song she had composed for him.
-
- Location: Sendai, MiyagiMiyagi Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
- Birthday: July 20
- Voice actresses: Ai Maeda, Rhee Ja Myeong
- Location: Sendai, Miyagi
Emiru was ostracised by her peers for her strange mannerisms, but the protagonist didn't mind and became friends with her. When he had to move, they made a time capsule promising each other that they would continue to be friends after they grew up.
-
- Location: Sapporo, HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
- Birthday: May 14
- Voice actresses: Mariko SuzukiMariko Suzukiis a seiyū who works for Aoni Production.-Anime:*Yu Takigawa in Air Master*Harumi Ikuhara in DearS*Tenko Himemiya in Detective Conan*Chigusa Iino in Green Green*Sarasa Wichita in Gunparade March*Urd in Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok...
, Ryoo Jeom Hooi
- Location: Sapporo, Hokkaidō
The protagonist was one of Honoka's few male friends, having won her trust in a riding accident when she fell off her horse and the protagonist let her fall on him. They kept an exchange diary until the protagonist had to move away.
-
- Location: OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, OsakaOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... - Birthday: April 19
- Voice actresses: Yukiko Mannaka, Yoon Mi Na
- Location: Osaka
Kaho is one of the best runners in her school, and had claimed crowns in every event except for the relay race. The protagonist is roped into joining the team and practices with Kaho every day, but he had to move away on the day of the race.
-
- Location: TakamatsuTakamatsu, Kagawais a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
, KagawaKagawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:... - Birthday: March 12
- Voice actresses: Machiko Toyoshima, Rhee Hyeon Jin
- Location: Takamatsu
Manami was often ill and therefore absent from school, but after meeting the protagonist and taking care of an injured bird with him, she gained the courage to be stronger.
-
- Location: KanazawaKanazawa, Ishikawais the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
, IshikawaIshikawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast... - Birthday: February 16
- Voice actresses: Yuki MakishimaYuki Makishimawas born on September 9, 1976 in Kobe. She is a voice actress and pop singer.-Anime roles:*Tokimeki Memorial Only Love as Sayuri Amamiya*Argento Soma as Violetta *Black Jack as Mother...
, Kim Hyo Seon
- Location: Kanazawa
Miyuki worked in her parents' kimono store and felt tremendous pressure to inherit the family business because her siblings had run away from home. An offhand remark by the protagonist suggesting that the kimonos her parents sold were as beautiful as the paintings she made caused her to change her mind.
-
- Location: Nagoya, Aichi
- Birthday: August 22
- Voice actresses: Hiromi KonnoHiromi Konnois a Japanese voice actress from Hokkaidō, Japan.-Anime:*Air as Potato*Amagami as Sae Nakata*Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G Revolution as Matilda*Beyblade as Bijo A ; Girl...
, Kim Na Yeon
Rurika accidentally broke a fossil when cleaning up after class, but the protagonist (who also had cleaning duties that day) took responsibility for the act.
-
- Location: AomoriAomori, Aomoriis the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
, AomoriAomori Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province.... - Birthday: January 19
- Voice actresses: Junka Okada, Chae Eui JinChae Eui JinChae Eui Jin is a Korean voice actor.She joined the Tooniverse voice acting division in 1997, which she left for the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's voice acting division in 1999.-Broadcast TV:* Futari wa Pretty Cure...
- Location: Aomori
Taeko was the protagonist's neighbour when they were children (making her chronologically the first girl he met) and the two often teased by the other kids as the "Adachi couple".
-
- Location: Kyoto, KyotoKyoto Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....
- Birthday: September 16
- Voice actresses: Michiko Oda, Kim Seon Hooi
- Location: Kyoto, Kyoto
Wakana was locked in the family warehouse as punishment for trespassing it; the Protagonist, though he was chased out for this infraction as well, sneaked back in at night to be with her so she wouldn't be afraid. The two then found an old music box that played a lovely melody.
-
- Location: Hiroshima, HiroshimaHiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
- Birthday: December 18
- Voice actresses: Yuka Nishiguchi, Rhee Ji YeongRhee Ji YeongLee Ji Yeong is a Korean voice actor.She joined the On-Media Voice Acting Division's voice acting division in 1995.-Broadcast TV:* Ouran High School Host Club - Haruhi Fujioka...
- Location: Hiroshima, Hiroshima
Yuu met the protagonist by chance one evening during summer vacation and watched a meteor shower with him, but he transferred away before the school year began.
Sentimental Graffiti 1
The first game focused on the relationship between a boy and the various girls he met throughout his life. The protagonist, Tanaka Ichirou, is a high school student who, prior to the spring vacation of his third year, receives a letter simply stating "I want to meet you." During middle school, his frequent transferring of schools allowed him to form unique relationships with various girls. In order to search for the sender of the letter, he travels nationwide to various places, and meets the 12 girls of his memories once again.Sentimental Graffiti 2
The second game takes place in a world in which the first protagonist died in a traffic accident during his journey. The game takes place in a college town in which the original 12 girls have gathered to attend. The protagonist, Shiina Kouhei, is a second-year college student and a member of the Photography Club. He has been tasked with the job of finding his own model for the photo exhibition at the upcoming school festival, and thus turns to one of the now emotionally scarred girls in hopes of convincing them to become his model.Sentimental Graffiti 2 was received on a much smaller scale than the first one. By this time, the momentum of the series had already been lost since three years had passed since the release of the original and by this time the genre was flooded with similar games. In addition, the original scenario writer was not in charge of the second game, stating that even if he did wanted to, it was impossible for him to write such a continuation as to have the original protagonist die in such a way. Moreover, fans of the series were upset by the change in Taeko Adachi's voice actress, who was played by Arishima Moyu for the sequel.
External links
- Sentimental Graffiti 2 - Gene-X's Page for Sentimental Graffiti 2 PC
- Sentimental Museum