Togainu no Chi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese BL
visual novel
created by Nitro+CHiRAL
. The plot centers on Akira, a young man who was made to participate in a deadly game called "Igura" in post-apocalyptical Japan in exchange for being freed from jail. His goal is to beat "Il Re" (Italian for "The King"), the strongest person in Igura. The game was original released on PC as Togainu no Chi in 2005, with a PlayStation 2
version titled Togainu no Chi TRUE BLOOD being released on May 29, 2008. A PlayStation Portable
version is scheduled to be released on as December 23, 2010 asTogainu no Chi True Blood Portable.
The game has been adapted into two manga series, a novel and a twelve episode anime series. In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRAL
5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex
. The anime began airing on MBS
and TBS
on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network
.
Igra is a battle game held in Toshima that may result in the murder of participants. To participate, one must meet with Arbitro and tell him their reason for their decision. Upon meeting with Arbitro, participants are given five dog tags, each engraved like a card in a standard deck of playing cards. One tag must hang from the participant's neck as proof of participation. Participants must then put their lives on the line to collect others' tags, with the goal being to collect a Royal Flush. If a participant collects a Royal Flush set of tags, they earn the right to challenge "Il Re" in battle. Battles end when one party either dies or lets their back touch the ground. The winner takes the loser's tags and is free to do as they please to the loser after that, often resulting in the loser's death.
The game's main character, a young man named Akira, is falsely accused of a crime. Once arrested, a mysterious woman appears before him, offering him freedom if he agrees to participate in Igra and defeat Igra's strongest man: the king, or Il Re. The story follows Akira's life in the harsh, lawless Toshima as he fights both to survive and to unravel the mysteries developing around him.
adaptation of Togainu no Chi, illustrated by Suguro Chayamachi, began serialization serialized in Comic B's LOG in January, 2006, and is published by Enterbrain
. The manga was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Tokyopop in 2008. Another adaptation was illustrated by Yamamoto Kana and published by ASCII Media Works
. This version focuses on Keisuke's storyline. The complete volume was released on July 22, 2008.
5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex
. The anime began airing on MBS
and TBS
on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network
. The first DVD is scheduled for release on December 22, 2010.
Togainu no Chi Desktop Accessory is a program produced by Nitro+chiral
that included wallpapers, a screensaver, a silent version of the opening video, a clock of which can be switched to show images of most of the characters, a calendar, and a set of window straps.
BL game
Boys' Love games usually refers to otome games or H games oriented around male homosexual couples for the female market. The defining factor is that both the playable character and possible objects of affection are male...
visual novel
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...
created by Nitro+CHiRAL
Nitro+chiral
Nitro+CHiRAL（ニトロプラスキラル） is the BL game-making branch of the company Nitroplus that launched in 2004. Their first work was Togainu no Chi. Their team included scenario writer Kabura Fuchii and artist Kana Tatana, who resigned in 2006 and was replaced by artist Seiji Onitsuka.- List of works...
. The plot centers on Akira, a young man who was made to participate in a deadly game called "Igura" in post-apocalyptical Japan in exchange for being freed from jail. His goal is to beat "Il Re" (Italian for "The King"), the strongest person in Igura. The game was original released on PC as Togainu no Chi in 2005, with a PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version titled Togainu no Chi TRUE BLOOD being released on May 29, 2008. A PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version is scheduled to be released on as December 23, 2010 asTogainu no Chi True Blood Portable.
The game has been adapted into two manga series, a novel and a twelve episode anime series. In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRAL
Nitro+chiral
Nitro+CHiRAL（ニトロプラスキラル） is the BL game-making branch of the company Nitroplus that launched in 2004. Their first work was Togainu no Chi. Their team included scenario writer Kabura Fuchii and artist Kana Tatana, who resigned in 2006 and was replaced by artist Seiji Onitsuka.- List of works...
5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
. The anime began airing on MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
.
Synopsis
After being devastated in the third World War (known as The Third Division), Japan was divided in two. Several years after the end of the war, a crime organization called Vischio has taken control of the destroyed city of Toshima (formerly Tokyo, Japan's capital city), where they are holding a battle game known as Igra (romanized as Igura in the Tokyopop manga translation).Igra is a battle game held in Toshima that may result in the murder of participants. To participate, one must meet with Arbitro and tell him their reason for their decision. Upon meeting with Arbitro, participants are given five dog tags, each engraved like a card in a standard deck of playing cards. One tag must hang from the participant's neck as proof of participation. Participants must then put their lives on the line to collect others' tags, with the goal being to collect a Royal Flush. If a participant collects a Royal Flush set of tags, they earn the right to challenge "Il Re" in battle. Battles end when one party either dies or lets their back touch the ground. The winner takes the loser's tags and is free to do as they please to the loser after that, often resulting in the loser's death.
The game's main character, a young man named Akira, is falsely accused of a crime. Once arrested, a mysterious woman appears before him, offering him freedom if he agrees to participate in Igra and defeat Igra's strongest man: the king, or Il Re. The story follows Akira's life in the harsh, lawless Toshima as he fights both to survive and to unravel the mysteries developing around him.
Characters
- The game's protagonist. Akira is the cool and silent type. He has grayish hair, blue eyes, and stands at 172cm tall. Likes omelet rice flavored Solids. He grew up as an orphan along with Keisuke. Akira was an undefeated champion of the street fighting game "Bl@ster", where he participated in the RAY district under the name LOST. He was accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but Emma got him out of jail so he could participate in Igra, which he does with slight reluctance. He usually acts cold and uncaring, but has a very naive side to him. His weapon is a knife.
- Akira's childhood friend and hard-working factory employee. Has brown hair and eyes and is 178cm tall. Likes green curry flavored Solids. They grew up together in the same orphanage. Because he is a bit weak, he has always admired Akira's strength. Though he is a bit quiet and shy, if Akira is involved, he suddenly becomes bold. Upon hearing Akira's situation, Keisuke chases after Akira and also joins Igra, despite his weakness and lack of fighting experience.
- A young blond, blue-eyed boy participating in Igra. 154cm tall. Though he is sometimes mistaken for a girl because of his small body, he is quite strong and able to get by in Igra. He helps Akira around the town and cheers up Akira when he's down. In the anime, it is mentioned that Rin and Shiki are half brothers, having the same father but different mothers. He is a former Bl@ster participant (from the GHOST area) who fights with two small daggers and also enjoys taking pictures. Likes the yakinikuYakinikuYakiniku , meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term which, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat dishes. The present style of yakiniku restaurants are derived from the Korean restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo which were opened around 1945....
flavored Solids. He's also good at parkour, as he jumps from roofs and walls in the manga and anime.
- A black-haired, red-eyed man standing at 188cm and covered in black clothing who arms himself with a katana. He is the strongest man in Igra. Because he often appears in front of Igra participants and slays them immediately and with no warning, he is extremely feared. Though he kills Igra participants frequently, he neither carries nor collects tags, and thus does not appear to be an Igra participant. He is a violent man shrouded in mystery. The first Il Re who has never been defeated. Shiki formed the Igra in order to battle against Line-compatibles, so he could kill Nano and quell his memories of the first time they met.
- An unshaven, middle-aged information collector who knows a lot about the tournament. Has brown hair and eyes and stands at 183cm tall. He has a friendly, carefree personality and is a heavy smoker. He does not participate in the game, but is in Toshima to observe it. He carries a gun for protection.
- Manager of the narcotics organization Vischio. A gaudy blond man who always wears a mask over his face. 181cm tall. Has a strange hobby involving appreciating and modifying the bodies of attractive young men. Due to this "hobby", his mansion is full of statues of nude men and he keeps Kau, a human being, as his pet 'dog'.
- Arbitro's beloved 'pet', who is actually a young boy. He has white hair, is covered in black leather and a blindfold, and has a large scar and piercings on his stomach (due to Arbitro's personal preferences), and walks on all fours. Because Arbitro destroyed his eyes and vocal cords, he cannot see or speak. He does, however, have a keen sense of smell, and has been trained to pick up the scent of dog tags to help find rule-breakers within Igura. His name's kanji means "dog" in Japanese. He shows signs of severe Stockholm syndrome.
- Executes the rule violators of the tournament. Though he works for Arbitro, his ties to him are loose and he often likes to get him mad. At 200cm, he is a tall, strong man who carries a metal pipe (which he has lovingly named "Mitsuko") as a weapon. He has short, black hair and a scar across his forehead. He is usually seen with Gunji, who he calls "hiyo" or "hiyoko" (which means "baby chick"). Kiriwar likes to mess with Arbitro and seems to not care much about his job. His name is pronounced "Kirio" but is officially written as "Kiriwar".
- Executes the rule violators of the tournament. He is a 195cm tall blond man who fights with metal knuckle claws. He wears a bright red hooded jacket that is open at the front, exposing most of his tattoo-covered torso. Gunji is not very smart and acts spontaneously and violently, and is extremely sadistic in his killings, but still has a fun-loving, childish innocence to him. Gunji has an affinity with name calling. He is usually seen with Kiriwar, who he calls "jijii" ("old man"), calls Arbitro "papa", and Shiki "Shikitty". Gunji seems to confuse cats with dogs, since although Kau is supposed to be a pet "dog", Gunji refers to him as 'Tama', which is a common pet name for a cat. In the manga, he also names a cat that he finds 'Pochi', the common pet name for a dog. Also, though many English-speaking fans spell and pronounce his name as "Gunzi", the name "Gunji" is considered the 'official' name as it is used most often and also used on official merchandise.
- A beautiful one-armed woman. 167cm tall. She is the one who suggests participating in Igura to Akira as a way to free him of his false charge. She is often seen with Gwen. Very little is known about her.
- A serious man in a suit and hat that appears with Emma to convince Akira to participate in Igura. An honest man with a normally harsh expression. 178cm tall.
- A one-eyed youth participating in Igura with an extreme passion to win, no matter what it takes.
- An enigmatic figure throughout the game. He is not an Igura participant and carries neither tags nor a weapon, despite the dangers in Toshima. He dresses very conservatively, which adds to his unsettling behavior. 182cm tall. Though he often appears in front of Akira, it is a mystery as to whether he is a friend or foe. Nano's blood is the source of Line. His real name is Nicole Premier.
- A long-haired man participating in Igura. Though he seems to know Rin, they are not on very good terms with each other.
- A black-haired man somehow connected to Rin and Tomoyuki who seems to resemble someone else Rin knows.
- A young blond man participating in Igura with a team. He is his team's leader. Yukihito is one of his team members.
- A red-haired man in his 20s and new character added to "Togainu no Chi: True Blood", the Playstation 2 version of the game. He is a former Bl@ster participant (from AREA: RUDE) who is currently participating in Igura as a member of Touya's team.
Drama Cds
Three drama Cd's were released after the games release on Pc in 2005. Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 1 was released July 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Shiki's relationship. Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 2 was released August 26, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Keisuke's relationship. Togainu no Chi ANOTHER STORY ~ RIN was released December 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Rin.Manga
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation of Togainu no Chi, illustrated by Suguro Chayamachi, began serialization serialized in Comic B's LOG in January, 2006, and is published by Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
. The manga was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Tokyopop in 2008. Another adaptation was illustrated by Yamamoto Kana and published by ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
. This version focuses on Keisuke's storyline. The complete volume was released on July 22, 2008.
Books
A novel Togainu no Chi written by Tatana Kana was released February 7, 2006. It contained sets of short stories dealing with the characters after the events in the game. An art book titled Togainu no Chi True Blood Official Fan Book containing game information, character profiles, artwork and voice actors' interviews was released on July 3, 2008.Anime
In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRALNitro+chiral
Nitro+CHiRAL（ニトロプラスキラル） is the BL game-making branch of the company Nitroplus that launched in 2004. Their first work was Togainu no Chi. Their team included scenario writer Kabura Fuchii and artist Kana Tatana, who resigned in 2006 and was replaced by artist Seiji Onitsuka.- List of works...
5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
. The anime began airing on MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
. The first DVD is scheduled for release on December 22, 2010.
Episodes
| EP# | Title | airdate |
|---|
Video Games
CHiRALmori was released January 25, 2008 and also known as the Nitro+CHiRAL amusement disk. This PC game includes a Togainu no Chi minigame featuring chibi versions of the characters playing poker with their dog tags as well as two other minigames featuring characters from Lamento -Beyond the Void-.Togainu no Chi Desktop Accessory is a program produced by Nitro+chiral
Nitro+chiral
Nitro+CHiRAL（ニトロプラスキラル） is the BL game-making branch of the company Nitroplus that launched in 2004. Their first work was Togainu no Chi. Their team included scenario writer Kabura Fuchii and artist Kana Tatana, who resigned in 2006 and was replaced by artist Seiji Onitsuka.- List of works...
that included wallpapers, a screensaver, a silent version of the opening video, a clock of which can be switched to show images of most of the characters, a calendar, and a set of window straps.