Tsukihime, Lunar Legend

Tsukihime, Lunar Legend (Japanese: 真月譚 月姫 Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Tales of the True Moon, Moon Princess) was a 12-episode Japanese anime that was broadcast from October 9 to December 25, 2003. Tsukihime, Lunar Legend was based on Tsukihime, a very popular H doujin video game in Japan created by TYPE-MOON. However, like many other H game to anime conversions, the anime contains no adult material itself. Many fans of the original game have criticized this anime, as several characters and much of the story were cut due to length.

Tsukihime, Lunar Legend is the story of Shiki Tohno. As a young boy, Shiki suffered a very life-threatening injury. As a result of the injury, he is now able to see "life lines" on objects and people which, when cut, will destroy them. Still a young boy, he is given a special pair of glasses by a mysterious woman that allows him not to see the lines.

Fast forward to Shiki's high school days. After years away from the Tohno household (where he was sent after his injury), he moves back home following the death of the head of the Tohno family, Shiki's father. Shiki's sister, Akiha assumes responsibility of being the new head.

One day, Shiki is walking home from school when he meets a beautiful woman, Arcueid Brunestud. Shiki feels drawn to kill the woman, but he later thinks that her murder was all just a nightmare, until she reappears in front of him. Arcueid is a vampire princess. As a result of this, Arcueid recruits Shiki to help fight Roa, the antagonist vampire who has been on a killing spree of late.

Main characters

• Shiki Tohno (遠野 志貴 Tōno Shiki) - The somewhat nerdy protagonist of the series. He is able to see "life lines" on objects and people, which show the easiest way to destroy them. He carries a named pocketknife name Nanatsuya and is actually quite skilled with it. At the beginning of the series, he moves back home with his sister, Akiha. Seeks to fight Roa with Arcueid.

• Arcueid Brunestud - 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 episode, but she doesn't actually die (because she's a vampire) and, in turn, recruits Shiki to help her fight Roa.

• Ciel - 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.

• Akiha Tohno (遠野 秋葉 Tōno Akiha) - Shiki's 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.

• 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.

• Nrvnqsr Chaos - Pronounced as "Nero", 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 deers 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. Shiki fights him along with Arcueid by the first third part of the story.

• Roa - Not much is known about Roa at the start of the series, only that he is a vampire on a killing spree.

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, the Mystic Eyes Killer, that block out the life lines and allow him to live a normal life.

• 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 (who never appears in the anime.)

• 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.

External links

• geneon-ent.co.jp (http://www.geneon-ent.co.jp/rondorobe/anime/tsukihime/index.html)
• jcstaff.co.jp (http://www.jcstaff.co.jp/sho-sai/tsuki-shokai/tsuki-index.htm)
• An English website on Shingetsutan Tsukihime (http://www.geocities.com/max3075/top.htm)
• Information about the Tsukihime game, but provides more background than the series. Contains many spoilers. (http://ex.sakura.ne.jp/~valhalla/eng/tsukihime/)
• ramuneanime.com (Another English website on Shingetsutan Tsukihime, updated frequently) (http://www.ramuneanime.com/tsuk/tsuk.htm)ja:真月譚 月姫