Tsukihime
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese eroge
dōjin
visual novel
game created by Type-Moon
, who first released it at the Winter Comiket
in December 2000. It was adapted in 2003 into an anime
series, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, produced by J.C.Staff
and Geneon
, and a manga
series, which has been serialized since 2004 in MediaWorks
' seinen
magazine Dengeki Daioh
, with seven bound volumes
having been released so far.
Tsukihimes official subtitle states: "Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under The Crimson Air". Its fame and renown is often attributed to its comprehensive and expansive storyline and its writer Kinoko Nasu
's unique style of storytelling. As well as its anime and manga adaptations, it has also spawned numerous merchandising and memorabilia franchises. A remake to the series is also currently being planned.
An unofficial translation
patch for Tsukihime was released on November 5, 2006.
, a second year high school student of Misaki Town, who suffered a life-threatening injury when he was young. When he regained consciousness, Shiki was able to see "death lines", death lines are the lines by which things will eventually break when they die. This includes the death of inanimate objects as well as living beings and undead beings. Because of his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception making him see death lines Shiki has immense headaches as his mind cannot cope with the sight of death. Soon after he is given a pair of glasses that blocks the sight of these lines. The game then advances to Shiki's second year of high school. After his injury, he was banished to a branch family of the Tohno household. After eight years he is called back home by his younger sister, Akiha Tohno, when she assumed the responsibility as the family's head. After moving back Shiki has trouble adjusting to the old-fashioned lifestyle his sister lives by.
As the story progresses the plot diverges depending upon the choices the character makes. Shiki must use his powers to confront supernatural beings such as vampires (known as and )
the protagonist of the series. He has Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which allow him to see the death of things in the form of "lines" and "points" on objects and people; cutting the lines destroys the portion cut, while piercing the point destroys the existence of the object itself. He carries a pocketknife
named Nanatsu-yoru (later learned that it can also be pronounced "Nanaya") and is quite skilled in its use. He has been living with the Arima family, one of the branching families of Tohno, since an accident 8 years ago. At the beginning of the game, he moves back home with his sister, Akiha.
Arcueid is one of the main heroines in the series, a beautiful blonde with ruby red eyes, Arcueid is a mysterious vampire
princess. But since she is a True Ancestor, she lacks some vampiric qualities, such as that of needing to consume blood to survive, and being nocturnal. She seems to be quite knowledgeable about many things, but is very naive when it comes to modern ideas. She is killed by Shiki in the first chapter, but she doesn't actually die, because she's a vampire, and, in turn, recruits Shiki to help her fight Roa. The second heroine Ciel is the sole member of the Japanese tea ceremony
club and an upperclassman of Shiki's, or so it seems. She is actually the seventh most skilled executor for "The Burial Agency", a shadow branch of the Church created to exterminate "heretics". Her body was used in Roa's last incarnation for its superior magic circuit. She has a strange obsession for curry and will agree to almost anything for food that is curry-related.
Shiki's younger sister Akiha Tohno is one of five heroines in the series, she is currently the head of the Tohno family. She is very prim and proper and carries a grace and nobility about her. As the story progresses, the viewer discovers that she has had mysterious powers since childhood. When her Tohno blood awakens, her hair turns a crimson shade. Akiha can manipulate her hair in as if it was prehensile and she can drain the life force out of anything her hair is in contact with, which creates a burning effect on the object.
Hisui is the younger of the two twin maids in the Tohno mansion, Hisui is a childhood friend of Shiki. She wears a western maid uniform and attends to Shiki when he comes back to the Tohno mansion. She acts cold and unfeeling, but it is only an act to hide her kinder nature for the sake of her sister. Her name, Hisui, is the Japanese word for jade
, referring to her eye color. She is a Synchronizer, a person that can give someone life energy through exchange of body fluids. Kohaku is the older of the two twin maid
s in the Tohno mansion and along with Hisui, is a childhood friend of Shiki. She wears a Japanese kimono
and is always seen to be smiling and cheerful, being especially gifted with medicine
. She hides her tragic past behind a cheerful face and Hisui's cold demeanor. Her name, Kohaku, is the Japanese word for amber
, referring to her eye color. Like Hisui, Kohaku is a Synchronizer.
56 in 1999, only 300 copies were distributed for free on 3½ floppy disks. The game was so early in the making that the cast had not been finalized yet. At the next Comiket
57 a trial edition was released with only 50 copies being distributed on 3½ floppy disks. The cast was still not finalized at this point. Both preview and trailer verions were later included in Tsukihime Plus-Disc. At Comiket
58 Tsukihime Half Moon Edition was released, 300 copies were sold for 1,000 yen each. This version contained Arcueid and Ciel's "Near Side of the Moon" storylines.
The final product of Tsukihime was first released at the 2000 Winter Comiket
. Soon after, Type-Moon released Tsukihime Plus-Disc in January 2001, a light-hearted addition to Tsukihime that featured three side-stories and assorted multimedia. The first edition includes wallpapers, the first four chapters of Kara no Kyōkai
, an early demo version of Tsukihime, a contemporary Tsukihime demo, and two short visual novel side-stories featuring Tsukihime characters. In April 2003, it was re-released along with Tsukihime and Kagetsu Tohya as Tsukibako. The newer version came with two new stories compiled from NScripter
to the more capable KiriKiri
engine.
In August 2001, Type-Moon produced and published a fan disc
to Tsukihime, at Comiket
. In April 2003, Type-Moon released , a specially packaged three-disc set that included Tsukihime, Plus-Disc (in an expanded version) and Kagetsu Tohya, a remixed soundtrack and other assorted multimedia. In 2008, a remake of Tsukihime was announced by Type-Moon, which would feature updated art and storyline, which they stated would be their next project after Mahōtsukai no Yoru
.
series adaptation titled was directed by Katsushi Sakurabi
and produced by J.C.Staff
. The series was written by Hiroko Tokita
and features original music by Toshiyuki Ōmori. It first aired between October 9 to December 25, 2003 on BS-i
, TBS
and Animax
, who also subsequently broadcast it worldwide, including its English language networks
in Southeast Asia
and South Asia
, under the title Lunar Legend Tsukihime. Two pieces of theme music
are used for the episodes; one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme was titled "The Sacred Moon" by Toshiyuki Omori, and the ending theme was by Fumiko Orikasa
.
Geneon
announced it had licensed the series for distribution in North America
in 2004 under the title Tsukihime, Lunar Legend. Upon Geneon's American operations having shut down, the newly instituted licensor Sentai Filmworks acquired the North American rights to the series, with Section23 Films
handling its distribution and marketing, along with other titles.
' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
. The series has been completed with 10 volumes published by Media Works. The manga was licensed for an English-language release in North America by ComicsOne
in 2004. In 2005 DR Master took over the publication of ComicsOne's manga titles including Tsukihime. The plot largely follows the game's Arcueid route with a mix of the other routes.
is a PC dojin
fighting game
developed by Type-Moon and French-Bread, it was originally released at Comiket
63 in 2002. The game features characters from the Tsukihime games as well as new characters specific for the games. Multiple updated versions of the game have been created as well as a sequel. It later spawned an arcade
version, titled Act Cadenza, that was developed by Ecole Software
and was later ported to the PlayStation 2
.
Kagetsu Tohya is a sequel takes place one year after the events in the main Tsukihime storyline. Shiki gets into an accident and has a repeating dream sequence in which he must relive the same day over until he finds Ren. As the player repeats each day they are able to make different choices which affect the flow of the narrative and unlock
extra content in the game, including 10 side-stories.
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese eroge
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
dōjin
Dojin soft
, also sometimes called , are video games created by Japanese hobbyists or hobbyist groups , more for fun than for profit; essentially, the Japanese equivalent of independent video games. Most of them are based on pre-existing material, but some are entirely original creations...
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...
game created by Type-Moon
TYPE-MOON
is a Japanese game company, best known for their visual novels, co-founded by author Kinoko Nasu and illustrator Takashi Takeuchi. It is also known under the name for its publishing and corporate operations...
, who first released it at the Winter Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
in December 2000. It was adapted in 2003 into an 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....
series, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, produced by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
and Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
, and a manga
Manga
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...
series, which has been serialized since 2004 in MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
' seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
, with seven bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
having been released so far.
Tsukihimes official subtitle states: "Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under The Crimson Air". Its fame and renown is often attributed to its comprehensive and expansive storyline and its writer Kinoko Nasu
Kinoko Nasu
is a Japanese author, best known for writing the novel Kara no Kyoukai and visual novels Tsukihime and Fate/stay night. Renowned for a unique style of storytelling and prose, Nasu is amongst the most prominent visual novelists in Japan.-Biography:...
's unique style of storytelling. As well as its anime and manga adaptations, it has also spawned numerous merchandising and memorabilia franchises. A remake to the series is also currently being planned.
An unofficial translation
Fan translation
A fan translation, in video gaming, refers to an unofficial translation of a computer game or video game.The fan translation practice grew with the rise of video game console emulation in the late 1990s. A community of people developed that were interested in replaying and modifying the games they...
patch for Tsukihime was released on November 5, 2006.
Gameplay
Tsukihimes gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most of the game's duration is spent on reading the text that appears, representing either dialogue between the characters or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. The player is presented with choices, some affect the story in large ways, others do not affect the story at all or affect it in small ways. Changes that affect Shiki's opinion on the characters and heroines usually change the direction of the story drastically. There are two scenarios: the Near-Side Route (as in "near-moon") which includes Arcueid and Ciel as selectable heroines, and the Far Side Route (as in far-moon) which includes Akiha, Hisui, and Kohaku as selectable heroines. Every heroine except Kohaku has two possible endings. When the player has achieved all possible endings, a new section is unlocked, entitled Eclipse. Eclipse is an ending to all routes, and an epilogue of sorts.Story
Tsukihimes follows the perspective of Shiki TohnoShiki Tohno
is a character and protagonist of the Japanese visual novel,Manga and anime series Tsukihime, its sequel Kagetsu Tohya and its spinoff Melty Blood, created by TYPE-MOON...
, a second year high school student of Misaki Town, who suffered a life-threatening injury when he was young. When he regained consciousness, Shiki was able to see "death lines", death lines are the lines by which things will eventually break when they die. This includes the death of inanimate objects as well as living beings and undead beings. Because of his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception making him see death lines Shiki has immense headaches as his mind cannot cope with the sight of death. Soon after he is given a pair of glasses that blocks the sight of these lines. The game then advances to Shiki's second year of high school. After his injury, he was banished to a branch family of the Tohno household. After eight years he is called back home by his younger sister, Akiha Tohno, when she assumed the responsibility as the family's head. After moving back Shiki has trouble adjusting to the old-fashioned lifestyle his sister lives by.
As the story progresses the plot diverges depending upon the choices the character makes. Shiki must use his powers to confront supernatural beings such as vampires (known as and )
Main characters
The player assumes the role of Shiki TohnoShiki Tohno
is a character and protagonist of the Japanese visual novel,Manga and anime series Tsukihime, its sequel Kagetsu Tohya and its spinoff Melty Blood, created by TYPE-MOON...
the protagonist of the series. He has Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which allow him to see the death of things in the form of "lines" and "points" on objects and people; cutting the lines destroys the portion cut, while piercing the point destroys the existence of the object itself. He carries a pocketknife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
named Nanatsu-yoru (later learned that it can also be pronounced "Nanaya") and is quite skilled in its use. He has been living with the Arima family, one of the branching families of Tohno, since an accident 8 years ago. At the beginning of the game, he moves back home with his sister, Akiha.
Arcueid is one of the main heroines in the series, a beautiful blonde with ruby red eyes, Arcueid is a mysterious vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
princess. But since she is a True Ancestor, she lacks some vampiric qualities, such as that of needing to consume blood to survive, and being nocturnal. She seems to be quite knowledgeable about many things, but is very naive when it comes to modern ideas. She is killed by Shiki in the first chapter, but she doesn't actually die, because she's a vampire, and, in turn, recruits Shiki to help her fight Roa. The second heroine Ciel is the sole member of the Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
club and an upperclassman of Shiki's, or so it seems. She is actually the seventh most skilled executor for "The Burial Agency", a shadow branch of the Church created to exterminate "heretics". Her body was used in Roa's last incarnation for its superior magic circuit. She has a strange obsession for curry and will agree to almost anything for food that is curry-related.
Shiki's younger sister Akiha Tohno is one of five heroines in the series, she is currently the head of the Tohno family. She is very prim and proper and carries a grace and nobility about her. As the story progresses, the viewer discovers that she has had mysterious powers since childhood. When her Tohno blood awakens, her hair turns a crimson shade. Akiha can manipulate her hair in as if it was prehensile and she can drain the life force out of anything her hair is in contact with, which creates a burning effect on the object.
Hisui is the younger of the two twin maids in the Tohno mansion, Hisui is a childhood friend of Shiki. She wears a western maid uniform and attends to Shiki when he comes back to the Tohno mansion. She acts cold and unfeeling, but it is only an act to hide her kinder nature for the sake of her sister. Her name, Hisui, is the Japanese word for jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
, referring to her eye color. She is a Synchronizer, a person that can give someone life energy through exchange of body fluids. Kohaku is the older of the two twin maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
s in the Tohno mansion and along with Hisui, is a childhood friend of Shiki. She wears a Japanese kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
and is always seen to be smiling and cheerful, being especially gifted with medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. She hides her tragic past behind a cheerful face and Hisui's cold demeanor. Her name, Kohaku, is the Japanese word for amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
, referring to her eye color. Like Hisui, Kohaku is a Synchronizer.
Development
Satsuki Yumizuka was originally meant to be one of the heroines in Tsukihime with her own scenario, however it was cut from the final product. It may however appear as the sixth route in the remake.Release history
Several trial versions of Tsukihime were released before its full release. The first preview version of Tsukihime was released at ComiketComiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
56 in 1999, only 300 copies were distributed for free on 3½ floppy disks. The game was so early in the making that the cast had not been finalized yet. At the next Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
57 a trial edition was released with only 50 copies being distributed on 3½ floppy disks. The cast was still not finalized at this point. Both preview and trailer verions were later included in Tsukihime Plus-Disc. At Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
58 Tsukihime Half Moon Edition was released, 300 copies were sold for 1,000 yen each. This version contained Arcueid and Ciel's "Near Side of the Moon" storylines.
The final product of Tsukihime was first released at the 2000 Winter Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
. Soon after, Type-Moon released Tsukihime Plus-Disc in January 2001, a light-hearted addition to Tsukihime that featured three side-stories and assorted multimedia. The first edition includes wallpapers, the first four chapters of Kara no Kyōkai
Kara no Kyokai
is a Japanese novel series, authored by Kinoko Nasu and illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. It is also known under the nickname . Its subtitle is The Garden of Sinners.-History:...
, an early demo version of Tsukihime, a contemporary Tsukihime demo, and two short visual novel side-stories featuring Tsukihime characters. In April 2003, it was re-released along with Tsukihime and Kagetsu Tohya as Tsukibako. The newer version came with two new stories compiled from NScripter
NScripter
NScripter is a software engine that is used for the creation of visual novels, written by Naoki Takahashi. Due to its simplicity and its liberal license , it quickly became popular in Japan, and was used for a number of high-profile commercial and dōjin titles, such as HaniHani and...
to the more capable KiriKiri
KiriKiri
is a scripting engine by Japanese developer "W.Dee". It is almost exclusively used with the KAG framework to produce visual novels. Usually, the package of the two components is regarded as the whole engine, and referenced with major version numbers. Thus, the current version is called...
engine.
In August 2001, Type-Moon produced and published a fan disc
Fan disc
A fan disc is an expanded-content game disc, usually released by a game company after the game's first successful launch. The content adds new images, music, minigames, character information, demos, etc. It usually extends the game's time line by adding in a new shorter game; however, they are not...
to Tsukihime, at Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
. In April 2003, Type-Moon released , a specially packaged three-disc set that included Tsukihime, Plus-Disc (in an expanded version) and Kagetsu Tohya, a remixed soundtrack and other assorted multimedia. In 2008, a remake of Tsukihime was announced by Type-Moon, which would feature updated art and storyline, which they stated would be their next project after Mahōtsukai no Yoru
Mahotsukai no Yoru
, officially subtitled as Witch on the Holy Night, is a novel written by Type-Moon co-founder Kinoko Nasu, initially released on July 28, 1996...
.
Anime
A 12-episode TV animeAnime
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....
series adaptation titled was directed by Katsushi Sakurabi
Katsushi Sakurabi
is a Japanese anime director.-Filmography:*Asatte no Houkou*Gunparade March*Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie*The Melody of Oblivion*Tsukihime, Lunar Legend*Yomigaeru Sora - Rescue Wings-External links:...
and produced by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
. The series was written by Hiroko Tokita
Hiroko Tokita
is a Japanese animation director and script writer.-Productions worked on:*Bonobono*Chocchan's Story*Descendants of Darkness*Galaxy Angel A*Mamotte! Lollipop*Master Keaton*Miracle Girls*Mirage of Blaze*Mizuiro Jidai...
and features original music by Toshiyuki Ōmori. It first aired between October 9 to December 25, 2003 on BS-i
BS-i
is a satellite broadcasting station headquartered in Asakaka Gochome, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its channel name is BS-TBS . It is a member television station of Japan News Network.-Channels:*Television: BS-TBS is assigned BS161ch - 163ch....
, 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 ....
and Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, who also subsequently broadcast it worldwide, including its English language networks
Animax Asia
Animax Asia is the Japanese anime TV network Animaxs English language feeds in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as its feeds across other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, under the title Lunar Legend Tsukihime. Two pieces of theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
are used for the episodes; one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme was titled "The Sacred Moon" by Toshiyuki Omori, and the ending theme was by Fumiko Orikasa
Fumiko Orikasa
is a Japanese voice actress and singer who works for Atomic Monkey. Her record label is Geneon Entertainment. Shopping is one of her hobbies. She is a skilled dancer, and is referred to as "Oririn" by fellow voice actors and fans. She also performed a fair number of anime insert and character image...
.
Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
announced it had licensed the series for distribution in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 2004 under the title Tsukihime, Lunar Legend. Upon Geneon's American operations having shut down, the newly instituted licensor Sentai Filmworks acquired the North American rights to the series, with Section23 Films
Section23 Films
Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...
handling its distribution and marketing, along with other titles.
Manga
In 2003 a Tsukihime manga, illustrated by Sasaki Shonen, began serialization in ASCII Media WorksASCII 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...
' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
. The series has been completed with 10 volumes published by Media Works. The manga was licensed for an English-language release in North America by ComicsOne
ComicsOne
Comics One was an American distributor of Asian Comics , established in 1999. ComicsOne was based in Fremont, California...
in 2004. In 2005 DR Master took over the publication of ComicsOne's manga titles including Tsukihime. The plot largely follows the game's Arcueid route with a mix of the other routes.
Video games
Melty BloodMelty Blood
, is a visual novel and fighting game, co-developed by dōjin circles Type-Moon and French-Bread, originally released at Comiket on December 2002...
is a PC dojin
Dojin
, often romanized as doujin, is a general Japanese term for a group of people or friends who share an interest, activity, hobbies, or achievement...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
developed by Type-Moon and French-Bread, it was originally released at Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
63 in 2002. The game features characters from the Tsukihime games as well as new characters specific for the games. Multiple updated versions of the game have been created as well as a sequel. It later spawned an arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
version, titled Act Cadenza, that was developed by Ecole Software
Ecole Software
Ecole Software is a Japanese video game developer/publisher.-Productions:* Death Crimson * Death Crimson 2 * Death Crimson OX...
and was later ported to the 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...
.
Kagetsu Tohya is a sequel takes place one year after the events in the main Tsukihime storyline. Shiki gets into an accident and has a repeating dream sequence in which he must relive the same day over until he finds Ren. As the player repeats each day they are able to make different choices which affect the flow of the narrative and unlock
Unlockable (gaming)
Unlockable content refers to content that is available in video games but not accessible unless something is performed by the player to get access to it. Different genres of games have different styles and options of unlockable content that is standard among their games...
extra content in the game, including 10 side-stories.
Music
A remake of the visual novel's soundtrack was released on February 24, 2004 entitled Ever After ~Music from "Tsukihime" Reproduction~. Two soundtrack compilations were released for the anime Shingetsutan Tsukihime, titled Moonlit Archives and Moonlit Memoirs. The music was composed by Keita HagaKeita Haga
is a Japanese composer, including of the lyrics of some of the music from Fate/stay night and visual novel Tsukihime.-External links:*...
.
Reception
The manga series has shown high sales figures in its later volumes. Volume seven stayed in the Japanese comic ranking for two weeks and volume eight stayed in for three weeks.Further reading
External links
- Type-Moon's official Tsukihime website (outdated since 2003)
- Type-Moon's current commercial website
- Shingetsutan Tsukihime official website
- Tsukihime anime at J.C. Staff