Harukanaru Toki no Naka de

This article is about the videogame Harukanaru Toki no Naka de. For the TV anime series, see Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyō Shō.
Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time

Cover art from the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de PlayStation video game
遙かなる時空の中で
(Haruka Naru Toki no Naka de)
Genre Romance, Fantasy
Game
Developer Ruby Party
Publisher Koei (PSX)
Genre Visual novel
Platform PSX, PS2
Released April 6, 2000 (Original PSX)
Manga
Written by Ruby Party
Illustrated by Tohko Mizuno
Published by Hakusensha
English publisher
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine Lala
English magazine Shojo Beat
Original run July 1999 – January 2010
Volumes 17
Original video animation
Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time ~Ajisai Yumegatari~
Directed by Iku Suzuki
Studio Zexcs
Released March 27, 2002 – January 22, 2003
Episodes 2
Original video animation
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 2: Shiroki Ryuu no Miko
Studio Yumeta Company
Released March 23, 2003 – February 2, 2005
Episodes 3
Anime television series
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyō Shō
Directed by Aki Tsunaki
Studio Yumeta Company
Original run October 5, 2004 – March 29, 2005
Episodes 26
Original video animation
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyō Shō
Directed by Aki Tsunaki
Studio Yumeta Company
Released December 23, 2005 – January 27, 2006
Episodes 2
Anime film
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Maihitoyo
Directed by Toshiya Shinohara
Studio Yumeta Company
Released August 19, 2006
Runtime 104 minutes
Original video animation
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 ~Kurenai no Tsuki~
Directed by Toshiya Shinohara
Studio Yumeta Company
Released December 28, 2007
Runtime 59 minutes + 7 minute Onsen Chibi Special
Original video animation
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 ~Owari Naki Unmei~
Directed by Shigeru Kimiya
Music by Yoshihisa Hirano
Studio Yumeta Company
Released January 3, 2010
Runtime 56 minutes

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de (遙かなる時空の中で, lit. "Within the Expanse of a Distant Time") is an otome adventure game developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei. It is a part of Ruby Party's Neoromance label.

Because of Harukanaru Toki no Naka de's success, the game has given rise to a franchise including several sequels, numerous drama and music CDs, a manga series, two OAVs, a movie, and an anime TV series, and a live-action theatrical.

Introduction

On the first day of a new school term, high school student Akane Motomiya, her classmate Tenma Morimura, and their underclass friend Shimon Nagareyama are sucked into a mysterious old well. When they awake, they are in Kyō (京), another world that resembles Kyoto during the Heian Period. According to the young scion of the Star Clan (星の一族), Fujihime, Akane is the Ryūjin no Miko (龍神の神子 Priestess of the Dragon God) who has come to save Kyō from the ambitions of the Oni Clan (鬼の一族). In this task, Akane has the help of eight beautiful and single men known as the Hachiyō (八葉), and her friends Tenma and Shimon number among them. Initially, Akane is bewildered by her new circumstances, but she gradually comes to face up to her own destiny and understand the world of Kyō.

Gameplay

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de places the player in the role of a girl who is surrounded by attractive young men, and gives her the option of trying to win the heart of one and live happily ever after. The heroine must also fight evil with the help of the attractive young men. The result is a hybrid game with an visual novel–like interaction mode, a simple role-playing video game battle mode, and a board game–like map.

Haruka is made up of ten chapters, eight of which involve the core gameplay. These chapters take place over a two-week period and involve traveling around the Kyō map, searching for various key items. Kyō is made up of roughly 20 areas and it is possible to visit three in one day. However, most areas are possessed by onryō (怨霊) vengeful ghosts that must be dispelled before you can enter, and fighting them consumes one of the three visit chances.

Haruka's battle system is limited in comparison to most CRPGs of its day. The maximum party size is 3 characters, but only Akane is under the direct control of the player. Though Akane can attack and defend, her other abilities - the use of healing items and spells, and the ability to encourage her comrades, are more useful. There is no magic point system as such. Casting spells is based on the morale of the Hachiyō members and the number of elemental fuda (札) cards Akane has. Furthermore, there is no experience system and the character's hit points are refilled automatically between fights. The main reward for fighting, besides gaining entrance to a given area, is the chance to gain the trust of Hachiyō. The greater a Hachiyō member's rapport with Akane, the more effective he will be in battle.

Characters

Main characters

The main character, she is a cheerful, forthright high school freshman. This character's default name is Akane, but the player can pick other names for her. Akane is summoned into the world of Kyō and becomes the Ryūjin no Miko (龍神の神子 Priestess of the Dragon God). She is the only person capable of communicating with the Ryūjin, and with the help of the Hachiyō, she can use the powers of the five elements to defeat the onryō that the Oni Clan has unleashed throughout Kyō.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Seiryū of Heaven (天の青龍). Yorihisa is a samurai in the service of the Imperial court. Serious and disciplined, he swears fealty to Akane as his master, and he always obeys Akane's commands. His elemental attribute is Wind, and his dragon jewel is located on his left ear.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Seiryū of Earth (地の青龍). Tenma is Akane's classmate and friend, who is pulled into Kyō with her. He has little concern for formality and can be abrasive, but he has a strong sense of responsibility to others. Tenma's younger sister has been missing for some time. His elemental attribute is Thunder, and his dragon jewel is located on his left arm.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Suzaku of Heaven (天の朱雀). Inori is a blacksmith's apprentice. He has a fierce hatred of Oni. Though he can be hot-headed, Inori has an open, honest personality, and he values his family. His elemental attribute is Fire, and his dragon jewel is located on his forehead.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Suzaku of Earth (地の朱雀). Shimon is junior high student and a friend of Akane who also is pulled into Kyō. The Oni Clan is said to have blond hair and blue eyes, and because Shimon has a similar appearance, the people of Kyō often mistake him for an Oni. His elemental attribute is Earth, and his dragon jewel is located on the back of his right hand.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Byakko of Heaven (天の白虎). Takamichi is a nobleman, and he works in the government as the Vice Minister of Civil Affairs. He has a serious but calm personality, and a strong sense of justice. His elemental attribute is Heaven, and his dragon jewel is located on the right side of his neck.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Byakko of Earth (地の白虎). Like Takamichi, Tomomasa is a nobleman, employed as a Lieutenant of the Left Imperial Guard. He is aloof and easy-going, and though he hides it much of the time, he is a good judge of character. His elemental attribute is Swamp, and his dragon jewel is located between his collar bones.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Genbu of Heaven (天の玄武). Eisen is the Emperor's half-brother who has left the Imperial Family and become a monk. He is a refined youth who hates conflict. He plays the flute skillfully. His elemental attribute is Water, and his dragon jewel is located in the palm of his left hand.
One of the Hachiyō, he is the Genbu of Earth (地の玄武). Yasuaki is an Onmyōji, and a disciple to the famous, historical Onmyōji Abe no Seimei. He is cold and analytical. Because he is an artificial human created by Abe no Seimei, Yasuaki lacks human emotions. His elemental attribute is Mountain, and his dragon jewel is located beneath his right eye.
She is the only remaining descendant of the Star Clan, who is destined to assist the Ryūjin no Miko. Fujihime is very responsible, and laments that her young age keeps her from being a greater help to Akane.

Oni Clan

The leader of the Oni Clan, he summoned Akane to Kyō. Akuram intends to use Akane's powers to rule Kyō. Akuram is a callous leader, who sees his fellow Oni as pawns.
An Aide to Akuram, Ikutidaal is in love with Inori's older sister, Seri, and the divide between Oni and humans causes him to suffer.
The only female among the Oni Clan, Shirin holds affection for Akuram. She flaunts her feminine charms as a shirabyoshi, and uses them to snare men. There was even a small chapter in the manga where she offered herself to Takamichi, but he refused her, sensing a sort of distrust about her when she danced for the officials. In the end of the chapter, he fights her to defend Akane and wounds her arm. Instead of killing her like most men would, he, instead, bandaged up her arm. If one were to look very closely at the scene, you could see her blushing and having a very thoughtful expression as she watches him wrap the sling around her forearm and as she leaves him to go back to Akuram.
This half-human, half-Oni boy was abandoned at birth, but Akuram took him in and raised him. Sefuru has no love for the Ryūjin no Miko.
The one among the Oni Clan that can summon Onryō. Ran is actually Tenma's long lost sister, whom Akuram abducted. She is the Kokuryū no Miko (黒龍の神子 Priestess of the Black Dragon), and she controls the yin aspect of the Ryūjin.

Themes

The world of Harukanaru Toki no Naka de is based on the height of the Heian Period of Japanese history, and many aspects of Heian culture, as described in the great literature of the time, are depicted in the game.

Releases

Release DateTitleCharacteristic Genre NameDeveloped BySystemRegions
April 6, 2000Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time Ruby Party PSX JPN
April 1, 2005Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time ~Hachiyousho~ Ruby Party PS2 JPN
Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time ~Maihitoyo~ Ruby Party PS2 JPN
September 28, 2001/February 28, 2002Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 2 Ruby Party Windows/PS2 JPN
December 22, 2004Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 3 Ruby Party PS2 JPN
September 22, 2005Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 3 ~Izayoiki~ Ruby Party PS2 JPN
March 23, 2006Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 3 ~Unmei no Meikyuu~ Ruby Party PS2 JPN
Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 4 Ruby Party JPN
August 28, 2008Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time ~Yume no Ukihashi~ Ruby Party DS JPN

Remakes and ports

Release DateTitleSystemDeveloped ByNotesRegions
August 23, 2002Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time GBA Port JPN

Adaptations

Manga

The first Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time game was adapted into a manga series serialized in the Japanese manga magazine LaLa DX. The series was also printed in volumes published by Hakusensha. The manga was illustrated by Tohko Mizuno, who was also the game's character designer.[1]

The manga series was licensed in English by Viz Media as Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time for serialization in their Shojo Beat magazine[2] as well as tankōbon releases. The Japanese and English editions of the manga both were collected in 17 volumes.

Anime

There have been multiple anime adaptations of Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time. The first OVA adaptation in 2002 was two episodes, and followed the story line of the first video game. In 2003, a second OVA was made titled Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time 2 ~Priestess of the White Dragon~, which covered the story line of the second video game.

An anime TV series adaptation of "Haruka", Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyō Shō, began in 2004 and adapted the story from the manga, which covers the story line of the first game. It ran for 26 episodes.

Shortly after the series finished, a two episode OVA titled Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Ajisai Yumegatari (遙かなる時空の中で 紫陽花ゆめ語り In a Distant Time: Hydrangea Dreamtale) continued the story from the TV series. In 2006, a feature film titled Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Maihitoyo (劇場版 遙かなる時空の中で 舞一夜) was released, and continued where the OVA left off.

On December 28, 2007, a 1 episode OVA titled Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Kurenai no Tsuki (遙かなる時空の中で3 紅の月) was released which adapted the story line from the third video game. On January 3, 2010 a sequel was released, entitled Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Owari Naki Unmei (遙かなる時空の中で3 終わりなき運命).

Movie

A live action movie was also released in early 2008 in Japan.

Related products

CD

Drama CD

Variety CD

Vocal and Soundtrack CD

Reception

On release, Famitsu magazine scored the Game Boy Advance version of the game a 31 out of 40.[3]

The manga adaptation was generally received poorly, with reviewers recommending other fantasy manga such as Inuyasha or Fushigi Yuugi instead.[4][5][6] One reviewer said, "Looking past the fact that the plot is blatant rip-off of Fushigi Yûgi, Haruka is so poorly written as to be almost incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t played the game."[7] Another stated that "The very ending of the [last] volume, and thereby the series as a whole, suffers from a lack of explanation", but did offer praise for the art, saying "Mizuno's drawings really are a pleasure to look at."[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Haruka -Beyond the Stream of Time- Manga Ends in Japan". Anime News Network. 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  2. ↑ "Viz's Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat Shake Up Manga Lineup - News - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  3. ↑ ゲームボーイアドバンス - 遙かなる時空の中で. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.123. 30 June 2006.
  4. ↑ Sizemore, Ed (2008-09-07). "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time Books 1 and 2". Retrieved 2013-02-20. Haruka was a disappointing read. After the first chapter of the series, nothing significant happens. Volume two was a complete waste of time. Instead, I recommend another historical fantasy with a time travel priestess, Inuyasha.
  5. ↑ Jones, Erin (2009-04-03). "Haruka -Beyond the Stream of Time- Vol. #03 - Mania.com". Mania.com. Retrieved 2013-02-20. Leaving out the obvious comparisons to other anime and manga series, Haruka still manages to fail in the most important storytelling aspects--and even somewhat pretty boys cannot overcome creepy love interests and a lack of reader connection.
  6. ↑ Kimlinger, Carl (2008-03-28). "Haruka -Beyond the Stream of Time- GN 1 - Review - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-02-20. Haruka is Fushigi Yuugi bled of all its delicious melodrama and minus Yuu Watase's skill with a pen.
  7. ↑ Thompson, Jason (2009-10-15). "365 Days of Manga, Day 30: Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time". Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  8. ↑ Silverman, Rebecca (2012-10-06). "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time GN 17 - Review - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  9. ↑ Sizemore, Ed (2008-11-27). "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time Book 3". Retrieved 2013-02-20. The one high point of this book is the artwork. Mizuno does gorgeous free-form panel layouts. I don’t think there are two pages with same layout in the entire 179-page book. It’s definitely worth the time to flip through the book and see the variety.... It makes me all the more disappointed the story doesn’t lives up to the artwork. This is the last volume of Haruka for me. There’s simply too much good manga available to waste any more time on a substandard series.

External links

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