Anime Lunar Legend Tsukihime

[Dagger]

I figured it was about time for us to have a decent Tsukihime thread (there's a short Tsukihime-centric topic that can be found by using the search function, but it's filled with unmarked spoilers, quadruple-posting and the like). It's a great show, and the R1 DVD release has a lot going for it. Moreover, I [i]know[/i] I'm not the only Tsukihime fan around these parts. ;)

Lunar Legend Tsukihime is a relatively new twelve-episode series, and the first anime ever to be based on a doujinshi ero-game. Despite its origins, the show has no hentai content and can stand alone as a separate entity. Rather than attempt to squeeze in every detail of the game's astonishingly intricate backstory, the creators opted to focus on character development and atmosphere. Fans of the original game and its sequels have complained about feeling underwhelmed, but in my opinion, the anime is a fascinating work in its own right.

The protagonist is Shiki Tohno, a teenager who can see the lines that bind everything together (and, by cutting them, utterly destroy everything from people to entire buildings). The plot mainly deals with his past and his relationship with the vampire Arcueid Brunestud.

Though Tsukihime's animation ranges from limited to adequate, with some moments of nice fluidity, its exquisite artwork is what really sets it apart. The beautifully painted backgrounds would threaten to steal the spotlight if the characters were not drawn with such lovely detail and shading. The music, alternately ominous and gently melancholy, lends the series a sense of weight and underlying sorrow.

I've found that Tsukihime has a lot of replay value, although I do have to be in the right mood to watch it. I'd love to discuss any aspect of the show.

~Dagger~

[Sol-Blade]

Okay bear with me here, Google doesn't cut it as good as it used to. :D

Well, seeing as you sparked an interest of the show in me, I decided to do a little research of my own...since I have never heard of this show. Ever. So, needless to say after reading many reviews...there seems to be a common line that seems to bother me.

Call it curiousity, but someone please explain this: "[spoiler]The day he moves back to the Tohno household is the day he stumbles upon a woman named Arcueid Brunstud and decapitates her with one stab of his knife in a temporary fit of insanity. When she suddenly showed up beside him later alive and well, and asked him to be her bodyguard![/spoiler]", don't give me any real deep details just clarify it for me and simplify it a bit. Kinda just went, *woosh*, right over me.

Oh if there was ever a time I was intrigued! So let me get this straight, the story starts off with our protagonist, reciving an severe injury as a child and is sent away to live with a relative. But then (I'm assuming this is several years later) Shiki ends up going back to his family because his father had passed away, and his sister is now the head of the household. But apparently he has a secret, which is the "Lines on objects" concept that I'm still looking into. lol

But uh, definitely an interesting way to start a story. Time for me to look for an OST! Oh and I got a question, how long is the series? Don't remember if you stated that, and I'm too lazy to look.

[Dagger]

[quote name='Sol-Blade]Call it curiousity, but someone please explain this: "[spoiler]The day he moves back to the Tohno household is the day he stumbles upon a woman named Arcueid Brunstud and decapitates her with one stab of his knife in a temporary fit of insanity. When she suddenly showed up beside him later alive and well, and asked him to be her bodyguard![/spoiler']", don't give me any real deep details just clarify it for me and simplify it a bit. Kinda just went, *woosh*, right over me.[/quote]

[spoiler]When he first sees her, it triggers a murderous instinct buried deep within him. By cutting the relevant "line," he instantaneously slashes her to pieces. Being a vampire, she's able to put herself back together. Having been deeply impressed by Shiki's ability (not many people can just kill an ancient being like Arcueid), she seeks him out and orders him to protect her as repayment for wounding and severely weakening her. They have an interesting relationship, to say the least.[/spoiler]

[quote]But uh, definitely an interesting way to start a story. Time for me to look for an OST! Oh and I got a question, how long is the series? Don't remember if you stated that, and I'm too lazy to look.[/QUOTE]

Twelve episodes spread out over three DVDs. The first two should already be in stores; the third is coming in February. The first OST was released stateside last summer, and the second should come out sometime this winter or early spring. I actually went out and bought the first OST (something I almost never do), because I was pretty taken with some of the piano themes in the show. It doesn't hold up quite as well on its own, because much of the music has a distinctly synthetic sound to it, but there are some great tracks.

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out AzureWolf's very well-written assessment of the show, which is listed at theOtaku. ^_~

~Dagger~

[Sol-Blade]

Okay, much better!

I understand what the premise is now, took awhile though. I read some more on the plot and backround and it seems to go into some really detailed events. Won't say much, but they aren't your usual backrounds, much more darker. This "Line" premise only makes me wonder even more, exactly how creative do they get with this concept? As much as I [i]want[/i] to go ahead and read all the summaries of the episodes...I'll refrain from doing so for now.

Anyways I really want to see this show, but again due to the extreme lack of infomation (Anyone got some good sites? I [I]honestly[/I] can't find much on this show right now.), would you happen to know if this show is airing on television at the moment? If not, guess I better go hit up Suncoast and Amazon! lol

Edit: No, I have not but I'll have to check AzureWolf's assessment right now.

[Dagger]

[quote name='Sol-Blade]This "Line" premise only makes me wonder even more, exactly how creative do they get with this concept? As much as I [i]want[/i'] to go ahead and read all the summaries of the episodes...I'll refrain from doing so for now.[/quote]

Nah, don't spoil yourself. The first half of the show is shrouded in mystery, and the second half contains some really great twists. Trying to figure out exactly what happened in the main character's past is part of what makes the show so involving. Without the initial suspense, I imagine that a first viewing of Tsukihime would feel rather slow. On the other hand, I've enjoyed revisiting it despite knowing what was going to happen, because I have an attachment to the characters. ^_^

I'm not totally sure what you mean by "creative." In the game, some of the characters have really incredible abilities and weapons. There's less of this in the anime, but Shiki's power is still very cool.

[quote]Anyways I really want to see this show, but again due to the extreme lack of infomation (Anyone got some good sites? I [I]honestly[/I] can't find much on this show right now.), would you happen to know if this show is airing on television at the moment? If not, guess I better go hit up Suncoast and Amazon! lol[/QUOTE]

It isn't showing on television (if it were going to appear anywhere, it would probably be TechTV, but the chances of that are pretty slim). On the plus side, Tsukihime is nice and short. Nearly all of the best and most shocking moments in the series take place after episode 7, but 1-6 are still quite solid.

EDIT: You can view a promo for the series [url=http://www.geneonanimation.com/main.aspx?PageUID=9601231d-3d88-4737-bd61-40609e2f2426][u]here[/u][/url]. Go to the box on the lower right-hand side of the page and scroll down to "Tsukihime." The choral music playing in the background is the OP; the trailer is made up mainly of clips from the show, but has one or two shots taken from the OP animation as well. I think it offers a fairly accurate impression of Tsukihime.

~Dagger~

[Sol-Blade]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']I'm not totally sure what you mean by "creative." In the game, some of the characters have really incredible abilities and weapons. There's less of this in the anime, but Shiki's power is still very cool.[/quote]

I was wondering what kind of situations, in which this power would come into play, would be like. I mean, I've never imagined such a thing and so I'm just curious as to how the conflicts would be like. Especially, if he can just tear apart someone just like [I]that[/I]. Frankly, considering it's realitively short length, I hope this doesn't end up like Hellsing and ending all too abruptly with almost no closure.

[quote name='Dagger IX1']It isn't showing on television (if it were going to appear anywhere, it would probably be TechTV, but the chances of that are pretty slim). On the plus side, Tsukihime is nice and short. Nearly all of the best and most shocking moments in the series take place after episode 7, but 1-6 are still quite solid.[/quote]

Meh, I'm not surprised. I'll have to look through some shops online then. I really want to hear what the music is like, if nothing else. You know me...:D

[quote name='Dagger IX1]EDIT: You can view a promo for the series[url=http://www.geneonanimation.com/main.aspx?PageUID=9601231d-3d88-4737-bd61-40609e2f2426][u]here[/u][/url']. Go to the box on the lower right-hand side of the page and scroll down to "Tsukihime." The choral music playing in the background is the OP; the trailer is made up mainly of clips from the show, but has one or two shots taken from the OP animation as well. I think it offers a fairly accurate impression of Tsukihime.[/quote]

Ah, I very much enjoyed that. Now I really, really want to see this series. It looks very good, seemingly fluid animation, sounds great, and by far...the story really has my attention. I thank thee for that link. So Geneon eh? Somehow, I figured that. They always seem to have a common theme running along their shows.

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*reads Sol-Blade's posts* O_o Coming on a little strong, aren't ya? I guess that's none of my business. ANYWAY...

I thought Tsukihime was ok the first viewing through. However, a lot of my ideas and perspectives changed the second time through. It was almost like I was meeting the characters for the first time. At first I thought Ciel was an ok character, and I wasn't all too fond of Shiki's sister. In the second sitting, however, I realized what an idiot Ciel was and how awesome Akiha is (she is now my favorite character in the series). More importantly, it became my favorite anime, haha.

I liked the first soundtrack, but the second one is really off-beat (in a non-slang, "bad" way). In fact, the two seem very unrelated. There are, of course, one or two good songs in the second OST, but overall, it's a wasted buy. Likewise, the Image Album (I think it's called 7th Moon) is the same song ten times with different pacing or instruments. There's one song that's good in there, though. Last, Ever After wasn't bad at all, but I can't remember anything specific off-hand.

There's a myriad of subtleties and little snippets that maintain the story and hold a solid, coherent story throughout that you just can't notice the first time around because you don't know the whole picture yet. I personally got confused near the end about what was going on, but having the big picture in mind the second time around, I was able to see how everything came together.

Specifically, [SPOILER]the whole two Shiki phenomenon. They kept switching gears and I did get confused, and then the sister's involvement between the two "brothers."[/SPOILER]

I've actually been working on two articles, and while only revision has been left for God knows how long, I'm not satisfied with them, so I haven't submitted them yet, heh.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Dagger]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Specifically, [SPOILER]the whole two Shiki phenomenon. They kept switching gears and I did get confused, and then the sister's involvement between the two "brothers."[/SPOILER][/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]

Haha, I'm still pretty confused about that. I think I had it nicely sorted out at one point or another, but now I'm just befuddled. Do you think you could explain it for me?

Oh, and I look forward to reading your articles, whenever you submit them. ^_^

~Dagger~

[outlawstar69]

[COLOR=Navy]*absorbs previous posts*

A friend of mine had told me about this anime a while ago, and I copied the subbed version from him, but I had almost forgotten about it, until I read the comments in this thread. So, I went and watched it all in one sitting, and I have to say that I am quite happy with the impression that it left on me. I understand most of what happened, though I would like a few answers on some things:

[SPOILER]Just what exactly are the Tohnos? It is clearly made certain that their blood is mixed with "something not human", and though Akiha is shown to be drinking the blood of the one maid, Shiki is reassured that she isn't a vampire. Akiha shows powers of some sort (that also change her hair color), but they never really touch on the subject. Is this something that is referred to in the game?
[/SPOILER]
Kinda makes me wish that I could read japanese, so I could play and find out.
[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']Haha, I'm still pretty confused about that. I think I had it nicely sorted out at one point or another, but now I'm just befuddled. Do you think you could explain it for me?[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue][SPOILER]The Shiki we know and love is from a family that Akiha's dad (and friends) killed off. Shiki was taken in because the dad had a son named Shiki as well. However, Tohno Shiki was later possessed by Roa, and went insane. The new Shiki protected Akiha from the deranged Shiki but was almost killed (or did he die completely?) in the process. Then the dad shoved his real son into that cellar, and Akiha gave some of her blood to her unrelated brother so he could live. At this point, Shiki's eyes got all funky. Mixing of bloods, maybe?[/SPOILER]

You've obviously seen Tsukihime more than once, Dagger. Did anything change for you the second time around? Hate/love changed to love/hate for certain characters or something to that effect? Did you notice any little subtleties?[quote name='outlawstar69][SPOILER']Just what exactly are the Tohnos? It is clearly made certain that their blood is mixed with "something not human", and though Akiha is shown to be drinking the blood of the one maid, Shiki is reassured that she isn't a vampire. Akiha shows powers of some sort (that also change her hair color), but they never really touch on the subject. Is this something that is referred to in the game?[/SPOILER][/quote][SPOILER]The Tohno family has demonic blood. As Ciel points out, she's not a vampire, but something else. As for the drinking of the maid's blood, I never really thought much about that. No clue. It's clear that stress forces her demonic side out more (by making her too weak to fight against it), so maybe blood helps satiate that side.[/SPOILER] Or maybe she just needed more blood, haha.

Aside from that, I don't know anything more specific, as I haven't played the game (yet... <_<).[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Dagger]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue][SPOILER]The Shiki we know and love is from a family that Akiha's dad (and friends) killed off. Shiki was taken in because the dad had a son named Shiki as well. However, Tohno Shiki was later possessed by Roa, and went insane. The new Shiki protected Akiha from the deranged Shiki but was almost killed (or did he die completely?) in the process. Then the dad shoved his real son into that cellar, and Akiha gave some of her blood to her unrelated brother so he could live. At this point, Shiki's eyes got all funky. Mixing of bloods, maybe?[/SPOILER][/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]

Thanks! Now that makes more sense. I completely missed (or forgot about) [spoiler]Akiha giving the unrelated Shiki her blood. I remember wondering how the heck he survived that injury.[/spoiler] Speaking of which, is there a reason [spoiler]Shiki's old stab wound opened back up when he encountered the grown-up Roa/original Shiki for the first time? It was a very cool scene, almost as cool as the first time Akiha's hair started glowing red, but if there's a deeper reason that Roa's very presence had such an effect on him, I totally missed it.[/spoiler]

[QUOTE][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]You've obviously seen Tsukihime more than once, Dagger. Did anything change for you the second time around? Hate/love changed to love/hate for certain characters or something to that effect? Did you notice any little subtleties?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

Well, I still have four episodes to go, so I can't comment on the most pivotal parts. But one thing that stood out for me the second time around was the amusement park episode. The first time I saw it, I didn't care for it, and the whole hot springs thing sort of made me cringe. I was actually dreading watching it again. But when I did see that episode, I really enjoyed getting to see all of the characters (especially the girls, haha) interact. Even the hot springs part serves a specific purpose, and the fact that [spoiler]Ciel doesn't join Satsuki and Arcueid in the water[/spoiler] is a pretty big clue--one which I just didn't pick up on when I originally watched it.

I like Satsuki and Akiha a lot more now, too. Satsuki doesn't seem quite so useless, and it's easier not to get hung up on Akiha's initial formality and coldness when you know [spoiler]how much she's suffered, and how deeply she cares for Shiki.[/spoiler]

~Dagger~

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Sorry for the wait. My muse left (again). >_< What a painful experience. Anyway...
[quote name='Dagger IX1]Speaking of which, is there a reason [spoiler']Shiki's old stab wound opened back up when he encountered the grown-up Roa/original Shiki for the first time? It was a very cool scene, almost as cool as the first time Akiha's hair started glowing red, but if there's a deeper reason that Roa's very presence had such an effect on him, I totally missed it.[/spoiler][/quote]Are you asking for a tangible reason? Haha, that was a cool scene, but I don't know if there was anything aside from a symbolic cause to [SPOILER]his wound opening up[/SPOILER]. On the other hand, if you think about it, [SPOILER]we don't know much about Roa's powers, and within the crazed Shiki, he could do weird things like that. Afterall, we do see Arcueid tear him to pieces with just a thought at the end, and he was supposedly getting as strong as Arc[/SPOILER]. Then again, that may have something to do with the blood relationship between the two: [SPOILER]that was the wound that Shiki got Akiha's blood for[/SPOILER].

Whatever the case, there are two things we know definately: [SPOILER]Shiki's body always recalls the past. We see that when he remembers that there was another kid in his childhood memories[/SPOILER]. Second, [SPOILER]Shiki was stabbed/killed by... Shiki. The thing that relates the two Shiki's together is Akiha. It was when Shiki started living with Akiha that he started remembering things about his past, and seeing the other Shiki may have triggered that similar but different response[/SPOILER].

Short answer: I have absolutely no clue. Yet another reason to play the game. I'm planning to play it this summer, regardless of whether I get to enjoy its poetic language, or just wade through engrish. [QUOTE]Well, I still have four episodes to go, so I can't comment on the most pivotal parts. But one thing that stood out for me the second time around was the amusement park episode. The first time I saw it, I didn't care for it, and the whole hot springs thing sort of made me cringe. I was actually dreading watching it again. But when I did see that episode, I really enjoyed getting to see all of the characters (especially the girls, haha) interact. Even the hot springs part serves a specific purpose, and the fact that [spoiler]Ciel doesn't join Satsuki and Arcueid in the water[/spoiler] is a pretty big clue--one which I just didn't pick up on when I originally watched it.

I like Satsuki and Akiha a lot more now, too.[/QUOTE] That was, and still is, my favorite episode. ^^ It's a nice, light-hearted break, which ironically pulls the story into darker times. What did you dislike about it the first time, out of curiosity?

I always loved Satsuki Yumizuka (everyone calls her Satsuki, and I have to think a bit before I remember that, for some reason, I call her Yumizuka). To be honest, I thought her story about [SPOILER]not being at the hotel on the day of Chaos' rampage[/SPOILER] was fishy. I really thought she [SPOILER]was a vampire who was in love with Shiki[/SPOILER], but it wasn't so.

Yeah, and it's kind of funny how we both didn't pick up on the Ciel thing the first time around. I mean, why didn't we? You do know about her "cosplaying" before then, haha. Arcueid did get her good with that remark, though.


Anyway, what I found most interessting the second time around was the whole Akiha sidestory. I took it the wrong way the first time around, but I think I know why. It's because of the perspective. You see Akiha from Shiki's point of view. So, initially, [SPOILER]when only a handful of the secrets are revealed, it almost feels like Akiha is lying just for her own convenience, rather than to take care of whom she sees as her real brother[/SPOILER]. In fact, I think this episode makes things worse, because [SPOILER]Akiha refuses to like Ciel[/SPOILER]. When you finally learn the [SPOILER]psuedo-truth[/SPOILER], you don't really see much of Akiha and so your disposition towards her doesn't change too much.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Dagger]

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]That was, and still is, my favorite episode. ^^ It's a nice, light-hearted break, which ironically pulls the story into darker times. What did you dislike about it the first time, out of curiosity?[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote]
I guess I disliked it because it felt as if nothing really happened. Or maybe I was just craving more darkness and angst. :p Honestly, I have a hard time remembering why it rubbed me the wrong way--I believe it might have been that I just thought the episode diverged too much from the tone & atmosphere created by previous episodes of the series. Now, knowing that [spoiler]all hell breaks loose[/spoiler] shortly afterward, I can look at it as a pleasant breather.

Tsukihime accomplishes a lot, even with very few episodes to work with. I became more aware of this when I realized the American release has only one DVD (four episodes) remaining. When I think about how many plot twists popped up and surprised me the first time I watched the show, that's pretty impressive.

I'll try to respond to the other parts of your post later (I never suspected Satsuki of that, but if true, it would have made perfect sense!). Must totter off to bed. Don't know if I've said this before, but your FMA banner and avatar are [i]indescribably[/i] cool.

~Dagger~