For other uses, see The Red Thread (disambiguation) and Red string.

Akai Ito

Developer(s)
Success Corporation

Designer(s)
Hal

Platform(s)
PlayStation2

Release date
JP October 21, 2004
JP October 27, 2005
(SuperLite 2000 Series)

Genre(s)
visual novel, adventure, horror, yuri

Mode(s)
Single player

Rating(s)
CERO: C (Ages 15 and up)

Media
1 DVD-ROM

Akai Ito (アカイイト, Akai Ito? lit. “Red Thread”) is a Japanese adventure game by Success Corporation, released for the PC in Japan on October 21, 2004. The title refers to the East Asian belief of the red string of fate. The Playstation 2 version, included in developer and publisher SUCCESS’ SuperLite 2000 Series, was released on October 27, 2005.

Contents

• 1 Story
• 2 Character
• 3 Staff
• 4 Music
• 5 Adaptations
• 6 Notes and references
• 7 External links

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Story

To arrange the inheritance because of the loss of her mother, Kei Hatō heads for her father’s house in Hemizuka. In the train on the way there, Kei has a mysterious dream of a huge tree and a woman who seems to be lost in sadness. In Hemizuka, Kei learns the secret concealed in her own blood through various meeting with an Oni Slayer, a friend of her late mother, a young girl accompanied by a white fox, and even the mysterious girl from her dreams. Throughout the story Kei is antagonized by the twin oni Nozomi and Mikage. Akai Ito’s story varies greatly based upon the player’s decisions, which not only affect the flow of the story but also the ending the player receives (several of which suggest romantic feelings among the female characters).

Akai Ito has not been officially released in the Western Hemisphere since visual novels are not currently in demand in the western world, but recently there has been an effort to translate it, similar to the popular doujin game Tsukihime.

Character

Akai Ito’s main characters, as depicted in the novel adaptation.

• Kei Hatō (羽藤桂, Kei Hatō?) (CV:Miyu Matsuki)

The main character of the story, Kei is a rather careless person, which is quite ironic considering her favourite phrase is “always be prepared”.

• Yumei (ユメイ, Yumei?) (CV:Yuko Minaguchi)

The mysterious girl from Kei’s dreams.

• Uzuki Senba (千羽烏月, Uzuki Senba ?) (CV:Akeno Watanabe)

The Oni Slayer Kei meets at the train station, her sword is the very bane of the oni.

• Tsuzura Wakasugi (若杉葛, Tsuzura Wakasugi?) (CV:Rie Kugimiya)

A girl half Kei’s age, accompanied by a white fox. Kei meets her in her father’s now abandoned house.

• Sakuya Asama (浅間サクヤ, Sakuya Asama?) (CV:Asami Sanada)

A friend of Kei’s deceased mother. She goes by the nickname “West”.

• Nozomi , Mikage (ノゾミ・ミカゲ, Nozomi , Mikage?) (CV:Megumi Kobayashi)

Twin oni and the antagonists of the story.

• Kei (ケイ, Kei?) (CV:Kazutaka Ishii)

A mysterious male, later known as Kei’s brother called Hakuka.

• Mayumi Hatō (羽藤真弓, Mayumi Hatō?) (CV:Nana Furuhara)
• Yōko Nara (奈良陽子, Yōko Nara?) (CV:Mamiko Noto)
• Rin Tōgo (東郷凛, Rin Tōgo?) (CV:Miyuki Sawashiro)

Staff

• Character design / Original picture : HAL
• Script : Tomoyuki Fumotogawa
• Music : MANYO (Little Wing)
• Background : J.C.Staff

Music

• Opening theme song 『 Mawaru Sekai de (廻る世界で) 』 by Haruka Shimotsuki / Riya
• Ending theme song 『 Tabiji no Hate (旅路の果て) 』 by Haruka Shimotsuki / Riya

Adaptations

Besides a web-based light novel adaptation, Akai Ito has also received two manga adaptation: a one-shot by Muttri Moony published in the July 2004 issue of Yuri Shimai, by the name “Swear”; and a short manga published in the May and June 2007 issues of Monthly Comic Rush.

Notes and references

1. ^ Morishima, Akiko (April 2007). “YurixYuri Kenbunroku” (in Japanese). Comic Yuri Hime (8). ASIN B000PAAJN8. 

External links

• Akai Ito official website (Japanese)
• Akai Ito opening movie(ｵｰﾌﾟﾆﾝｸﾞﾑｰﾋﾞｰ), demo movie(ﾃﾞﾓﾑｰﾋﾞｰ), game demo(体験版) Download for Windows
• SUCCESS official site (Japanese)
• Aoi Shiro Official Site (Japanese)
• ZoharContact’s Akai Ito Fan Translation (English)

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akai_Ito”
Categories: 2004 video games | Bishōjo games | Fantasy video games | Horror video games | Japan exclusive video games | Manga of the 2000s | Manga series | Light novels | PlayStation 2 games | Romance video games | Visual novels | Yuri