Ask John: What’s the Background of Tsukihime?

Question:
I hear there is a video game for the anime “Lunar Legend Tsukihime” that addresses many of the questions needing answers in the series, and adds more depth to the background of many of the characters in the anime. Now, my question is does this anime cover the game in any way? Does it take place after the game, somewhere in between the game, or just the “world” of the storyline? Also, when exactly was the game released and for what system?

Answer:
Tsukihime is probably the most successful fan created video game ever released in Japan. The original Tsukihime game is an erotic supernatural “adventure game” (a text based interactive, illustrated novel) for the PC. It was created and released by the creator group Type Moon back in the winter of 2000. (Please note that Type-Moon’s Japanese website is restricted to visitors over 18 years of age.) The Tsukihime game became a massive hit, spawning spin-off PC games including expanded updates and side stories such as the Melty Blood fighting game series; the 2003 Shingetsutan Tsukihime anime television series; a manga adaptation of the anime; long running “4 koma” manga parodies of both Tsukihime and Melty Blood; numerous figure toys; plush dolls; countless fan created doujinshi comics; illustration books; soundtrack CDs, and much more. The massive success of Tsukihime even led to Type Moon incorporating itself as a professional computer game development company.

The Shingetsutan Tsukihime anime television series is a loose adaptation of the original Tsukihime computer game, not a sequel or side-story. The original Tsukihime game contains the equivalent of over 5,000 pages of text, making it a very dense, complex and story heavy game. The anime TV series adaptation has been often criticized for condensing that massive story into a brief 12 episode TV series. The anime feels disjointed and largely unexplained because it is. Because of its short running time, the anime had to discard or re-write large segments of the original game story and drop numerous significant plot and characterization details. The resulting TV animation has a palpable atmosphere, but not a strong sense of literary continuity or cohesion.

If you’re interested in learning more about Tsukihime, and particularly the original adult computer game, I recommend visiting Tsukihime and Type Moon fan sites such as The Moonlit World and Celestial Moon.