Tsukihime
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Tsukihime (translates as Moon Princess) was an H doujin visual novel game released in late 2000 by TYPE-MOON. It sold successfully, and gained a fame above and beyond most games of its type, often ascribed to Kinoko Nasu's unique style of storytelling. It had an animated series, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, based on it and aired in 2003; however, a significant number of fans regard this series as a disappointment. There is also a manga based off Shingetsutan Tsukihime that has been licensed by DrMaster.
In addition to the original release of Tsukihime at Winter Comiket, there was an addition called "PLUS-DISC" containing several side stories, and a "Tsuki-Bako" box that packaged it with PLUS-DISC and Kagetsu Tohya.
Many characters in this game also appeared in the "follow up" fighting game for PC, Melty Blood and Melty Blood ReACT. The same universe is also found in TYPE-MOON's first commercial game, Fate/stay night, although the characters are different.
There are translations underway for both the original Tsukihime game and Melty Blood by Mirror Moon (http://www.mirrormoon.org) and Revolve (http://revolve.emuxhaven.net), but Melty Blood is on hold due to Mirror Moon (http://www.mirrormoon.org) becoming a sub-group of Revolve (http://revolve.emuxhaven.net) and both groups are joining forces to work on Tsukihime. They are looking for more Japanese translators to speed up progress. Mirror Moon (http://www.mirrormoon.org) also plan on translating all of TYPE-MOON's games, although Fate/stay night is already being worked on by New Life Anime (http://www.newlifeanime.com/).
For an effective synopsis of Tsukihime's plot and main characters, refer to Shingetsutan Tsukihime.
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Main characters
- Shiki Tohno (遠野 志貴 Tōno Shiki) - The protagonist of the series. He is able to see "death lines" on objects and people, which allows him to kill them instantly. He carries a pocketknife named Nanatsuya and is quite skilled with it. At the beginning of the game, he moves back home with his adoptive sister, Akiha.
- Arcueid Brunestud (アルクェイド・ブリュ ンスタッド) - A beautiful blonde with ruby red eyes, Arcueid (or just "Arc" sometimes) is a mysterious vampire princess. 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.
- Ciel (シエル) - An upperclassman of Shiki's, or so it seems. She is the only member of the Japanese tea ceremony club. She is actually a vampire hunter for the Catholic Church and finds Arcueid detestable (but is torn, because she likes Shiki). Her body was used in Roa's last incarnation, and until Roa dies, she cannot. Her outfit is not a uniform, but the result of one of her hobbies.
- Akiha Tohno (遠野 秋葉 Tōno Akiha) - Shiki's adoptive younger sister and the new head of the Tohno household. 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. Insecure about her flat chest.
- Hisui (翡翠) and Kohaku (琥珀) - The only two maids in the Tohno mansion. They are twin sisters but act very differently. Hisui seems to be very cold and emotionless while Kohaku is always smiling and cheerful. They even wear different dress; Hisui wears a western maid uniform while Kohaku wears a Japanese kimono. The name Hisui means 'jade', referring to her eye color, and Kohaku means 'amber', referring to her eye color as well.
- Nrvnqsr Chaos (ネロ・カオス) - Pronounced "Nero Cows", this vampire is known as the tenth of the twenty-seven Ancestors of Dead Apostles, the highest in rank of the vampires in Tsukihime. Has 666 beasts on his body, from deer and wolves to mythological creatures like unicorns. Nrvnqsr is a word-play: If you add each letter in the Hebrew numbering system, it becomes 666.
Minor characters
- Aoko Aozaki (蒼崎 青子 Aozaki Aoko) - A mysterious red-haired woman who always carries a suitcase. She met with Shiki eight years prior to the start of the series, and to this day, is the only person he will call "Teacher". She gave Shiki a pair of glasses(stolen from her sister Touko), the Magangoroshi, that blocks out the life lines and allow him to live a normal life. Champion beef-eater (in the literal sense).
- Arihiko Inui (乾 有彦 Inui Arihiko) - Shiki's classmate and best friend. His parents died when he was young, and he lives with his sister, Ichiko.
- Makihisa Tohno (遠野 槙久 Tōno Makihisa) The patriarch of the Tohno family. Dies just prior to the events of Tsukihime.
- Satsuki Yumizuka (弓塚 さつき Yumizuka Satsuki) - Shiki's classmate.
Other Characters
These are characters not in Shingetsutan Tsukihime. Most of them are minor, and reappear for more significant roles in Kagetsu Tohya.
- Ren - Ren is Arcueid's familiar, sometimes referred to as a succubus. She can take the form of a little girl or a black cat. Her only appearance in Tsukihime is to grant Shiki a dream of a sexual encounter.
- Akira Seo (瀬尾 晶 Seo Akira) - Akira is an underclassman of Akiha's. She has minor precognitive powers. In one of the side stories (幻視同盟, "Genshi Doumei"), she became acquainted with someone calling themselves Tohno Shiki, who was in fact a disguised murderer and was later taken care of by Ciel and the real Tohno Shiki.
- Souka Tsukihime (月姫 蒼香 Tsukihime Sōka) - Akiha's roommate at her private school. Rather punkish. Shiki thinks she's a guy.
- Hanei Misawa (三澤 羽井 Misawa Hanei) - Akiha's other roommate at her private school. Slow-witted.
- Tsukasa Shijyou (四条 つかさ Shijyō Tsukasa) - Another student at Akiha's school. Thought she could blackmail her over a love letter, and paid for it.
Significant differences from Shingetsutan
(This section has somewhat large spoilers.)
- Tohno Shiki - Shiki has two distinct personalities in the game. His normal one is much more cheerful and carefree then in the anime series, even in the midst of his poor health and the strange events surrounding him. The darker, amoral one that usually takes control while he is fighting is named 'Nanaya Shiki'. Though to be more precise, Nanaya Shiki is what he would have been like if he hadn't been raised by the Arima family for several years before being taken to the Tohno mansion. At no point on the canon storylines does Shiki ever take on this persona, it is purely hypothetical.
- Kohaku and Hisui - The maids, particularly Kohaku, are much more significant characters then in the anime series. The details of this are worth it to find out on your own.
- Yumizuka Satsuki - In all story paths though it isn't actually mentioned in several, Satsuki was bitten by a vampire (Roa) and became one herself. Shiki then had to deal with her in one story path. In the others, she just disappears. A popular dream among fans is to see a 'Satsuki path' with a happy ending in some future remake or re-release of Tsukihime; this is hinted at in the fanbook "Tsukihime Tokuhon Plus Period."