| Togainu no Chi | |
Original PC game cover |
|
| 咎狗の血 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action, Boys' Love |
| Game | |
| Developer | Nitro+chiral (PC) HuneX (PS2, PSP) |
| Publisher | Nitro+chiral (PC) Kadokawa Shoten (PS2, PSP) |
| Genre | BL game, visual novel |
| Rating | 18+ (PC)
|
| Platform | Windows PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable |
| Released | Windows:
|
| Novel | |
| Written by | Tatana Kana |
| Published | February 7, 2006 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Suguro Chayamachi |
| Published by | Enterbrain |
| English publisher | Tokyopop |
| Demographic | Shonen ai |
| Magazine | comic B's-LOG |
| Published | November 1, 2006 |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kana Yamamoto |
| Published by | ASCII Media Works (2008) Biblos (2005) |
| Demographic | Shonen ai |
| Magazine | Magazine ZERO |
| Original run | July 22, 2008 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 1 |
| TV anime | |
| togainu no chi -Bloody Curs- | |
| Directed by | Naoyuki Konno |
| Produced by | Atsuhiro Iwakami |
| Music by | Masaaki Iizuka |
| Studio | A-1 Pictures Inc. |
| Licensed by | Aniplex of America |
| Network | TBS, MBS |
| Original run | October 7, 2010 – December 23, 2010 |
| Episodes | 12 |
Togainu no Chi (咎狗の血 lit. Blood of the Reprimanded Dog) is a Japanese BL visual novel created by Nitro+CHiRAL. The plot centers on Akira, a young man who was made to participate in a deadly game called "Igura" in post-apocalyptical Japan in exchange for being freed from jail. His goal is to beat "Il Re" (Italian for "The King"), the strongest person in Igura. The game was original released on PC as Togainu no Chi in 2005, with a PlayStation 2 version titled Togainu no Chi TRUE BLOOD being released on May 29, 2008. A PlayStation Portable version is scheduled to be released on as December 23, 2010 asTogainu no Chi True Blood Portable.[1]
The game has been adapted into two manga series, a novel and a twelve episode anime series. In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRAL 5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex.[2] The anime began airing on MBS and TBS on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network.[3]
Contents |
After being devastated in the third World War (known as The Third Division), Japan was divided in two. Several years after the end of the war, a crime organization called Vischio has taken control of the destroyed city of Toshima (formerly Tokyo, Japan's capital city), where they are holding a battle game known as Igra (romanized as Igura in the Tokyopop manga translation).
Igra is a battle game held in Toshima that may result in the murder of participants. To participate, one must meet with Arbitro and tell him their reason for their decision. Upon meeting with Arbitro, participants are given five dog tags, each engraved like a card in a standard deck of playing cards. One tag must hang from the participant's neck as proof of participation. Participants must then put their lives on the line to collect others' tags, with the goal being to collect a Royal Flush. If a participant collects a Royal Flush set of tags, they earn the right to challenge "Il Re" in battle. Battles end when one party either dies or lets their back touch the ground. The winner takes the loser's tags and is free to do as they please to the loser after that, often resulting in the loser's death.
The game's main character, a young man named Akira, is falsely accused of a crime. Once arrested, a mysterious woman appears before him, offering him freedom if he agrees to participate in Igra and defeat Igra's strongest man: the king, or Il Re. The story follows Akira's life in the harsh, lawless Toshima as he fights both to survive and to unravel the mysteries developing around him.
Three drama Cd's were released after the games release on Pc in 2005. Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 1 was released July 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Shiki's relationship. Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 2 was released August 26, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Keisuke's relationship. Togainu no Chi ANOTHER STORY ~ RIN was released December 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Rin.
A manga adaptation of Togainu no Chi, illustrated by Suguro Chayamachi, began serialization serialized in Comic B's LOG in January, 2006, and is published by Enterbrain. The manga was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Tokyopop in 2008.[4] Another adaptation was illustrated by Yamamoto Kana and published by ASCII Media Works. This version focuses on Keisuke's storyline. The complete volume was released on July 22, 2008.[5]
A novel Togainu no Chi written by Tatana Kana was released February 7, 2006.[6] It contained sets of short stories dealing with the characters after the events in the game. An art book titled Togainu no Chi True Blood Official Fan Book containing game information, character profiles, artwork and voice actors' interviews was released on July 3, 2008.
In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRAL 5th anniversary an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex.[2] The anime began airing on MBS and TBS on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America will stream and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network.[3] The first DVD is scheduled for release on December 22, 2010.[7]
| EP# | Title | airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "LOST" "Uro Yume" (虚夢) |
October 7, 2010 |
| Akira, the series protagonist, is a participant in a fighting tournament called "Bl@ster," after a successful battle, he retires to his quarters. He's awakened from sleep when a group of police break into his room and pin the blame for a recent murder on him, a crime which carries a sentence of life imprisonment. With no way to defend himself against the charges, Akira waits in fear for his life. He's visited in jail by a woman named Emma who offers him the only alternative to a life spent in captivity - join a higher-stakes fighting competition, and defeat the man at the top. Faced with no other option, Akira gathers his things and leaves for the city of Toshima, where the Igra competition is held. He has nothing more than the clothes on his back and the dog tags that peg him as a participant, so when some thugs show up to harass him and take a hit of a drug giving them super powers, he has little recourse. He's only saved by a man dressed in black, who brutally murders his attackers with his sword. The man threatens Akira as well, only letting him leave with his life when Akira shows too much pride to beg for his life. | ||
| 02 | "Toshima" "Shi-gai" (死街) |
October 14, 2010 |
| 03 | "Igra" "Kyōzen" (狂争) |
October 21, 2010 |
| 04 | "Ease" "Kyū-kei" (休刑) |
October 28, 2010 |
| Rin finds Akira after he was dragged off by Takeru. Soon they encounter Tomoyuki, who is someone from Rin's past. But he just ignores him and tells him to shut up. Akira and Rin have a short conversation as they get back to the hotel and meet up with Motomi. There Keisuke sees Akira and is happy is okay. Rin comes with a bag full of solids and water and asks them if they want to do something fun. They all eat and chat on the roof of a building. At nighttime, Shiki appears and slays a group Line addicts. One person yells that he has appeared and Rin jumps at hearing his name. Akira runs after Rin but instead encounters Shiki in a nearby alley. They have a short fight, which Akira end sup on the ground. Shiki picks him up and pins him against the wall, asking if he really wants to die. He then starts choking him, but Akira fights back by folding up and kicking him away. Shiki is amused by this and tells him he'll play with him again soon. As he walks off, Akira is oddly energized by this and states "So that's... Shiki." | ||
| 05 | "Crack" (決蔑) |
November 4, 2010 |
| 06 | "Desire" (因念) |
November 11, 2010 |
| A man (in the shadows) murders everyone in a club, meanwhile Takeru drinks Line. Akira goes around the city searching for Keisuke, Rin is back at the hotel, and overhears a conversation between line users. Akira continues to search and discovers the bodies of the men in the club, to which he is sickened. While walking into an alleyway he is attacked and beaten by Takeru; Takeru licks Akira’s blood and begins to choke then slowly retreats. Rin and Motomi have a conversation about drugs/city/life. Takeru thinks about his sister and regrets leaving her, but dreams of winning Igra for his family. He is then discovered by Keisuke, who superpowered on line, crushes Takeru's skull. Keisuke then goes to meet Akira; whom he knocks out and then carries him off. | ||
| 07 | "Severed" (怒鎖) |
November 18, 2010 |
| 08 | "Rain" "Ame" (雨) |
November 24, 2010 |
| 09 | "Bond" "Kizuna" (絆) |
December 2, 2010 |
| Keisuke shows Akira all the tags that he gotten, and stating his desire to see more emotions, particularly the “troubled, agonized, dying” face. They begin to fight, throughout the battle Akira tells Keisuke how he really felt all this time which angers Keisuke even more. Akira gets his weapon knocked out of his hands causing him to get cut and bleed. Some blood gets onto Keisuke’s face and mouth which causes him to suffocate. Akira get some black flashes of his past, and snaps back into reality. He finds out that Keisuke is still alive and brings him to a bed, Akira watches over Keisuke until sun rise where Rin finds them and takes off with their tags in order to fight Il re. | ||
| 10 | "Il Re" "Il Re" |
December 9, 2010 |
| Rin prepares to fight Il re which turns out to be Shiki but gets defeated quickly, Akira comes to the rescue as the military begins to bomb the place. Shiki saves Arbitro and questions him about Akira. Rin and Akira takes shelter in a abandoned warehouse where they agree to meet Motomi at the church, Gunji and Kiriwar shows up. In order to escape, the two of them splits up, Gunji goes after Akira while Kiriwar goes after Rin. Akira gets beaten up badly and before he is killed, N comes to the rescue and carries him off to where Keisuke is. *Backflash* Akira meets Nano as a younger boy, in exchange for a promise to meet again, N gives him a knife *back to present* Akira wakes up and finds Keisuke unconscious. Emma and Gwen shows up as they are on a mission to bring Premier (Nano) back with them, Emma admits to framing Akira for the murder and got him stuck in Toshima. She shoots Gwen for getting in her way then before she shoots Nano, he uses his arm to pierce through her body. Shiki shows up while Akira gets Keisuke and prepares to escape. | ||
| 11 | "Convict" "Shujin" (囚人) |
December 16, 2010 |
| Shiki fights Nicole Premier, and ends up drinking Nicole's blood, from which Line is made, which would normally drive people crazy or kill them. Shiki survives and goes looking for Akira. He finds Akira and Keisuke as they are fleeing to safety. When Shiki tries to force Akira to come with him, Keisuke tries to protect Akira, but is killed by Shiki. | ||
| 12 | "Beginning" "Kaishi" (開始) |
December 23, 2010 |
| After Keisuke's death, Nicole Premier appear, the fight between Shiki and Nicole Premier continued. | ||
CHiRALmori was released January 25, 2008 and also known as the Nitro+CHiRAL amusement disk.[8] This PC game includes a Togainu no Chi minigame featuring chibi versions of the characters playing poker with their dog tags as well as two other minigames featuring characters from Lamento -Beyond the Void-.
Togainu no Chi Desktop Accessory is a program produced by Nitro+chiral that included wallpapers, a screensaver, a silent version of the opening video, a clock of which can be switched to show images of most of the characters, a calendar, and a set of window straps.[9]