Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
Encyclopedia
, abbreviated as Kimibou or Kiminozo, is a Japan
ese visual novel
adventure game
created by âge
. It was first released in 2001 for the PC
and was later ported to the Dreamcast (by Alchemist) and PlayStation 2
(by Princess Soft) under the title Rumbling Hearts as all-age versions. A Windows Vista-optimized version of the game, known as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Latest Edition~, was released on March 28, 2008.
The game was adapted into a fourteen-episode anime
television series, first airing between October 5, 2003 and January 4, 2004. The three DVD volumes of the series were released in the United States in December 2006, February 2007, and March 2007 respectively. The series was also licensed for release by Revelation Films
in the United Kingdom
and Madman Entertainment
in Australia
and New Zealand
, under the title Rumbling Hearts - Kiminozo. It was one of the first anime shows to be officially made available for the iPod
through the iTunes Store
and is also available through Microsoft
's Xbox Live Marketplace.
An anime OVA series called Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ began its release on December 21, 2007. The booklet that accompanied the first DVD release revealed that the OVA series will be four episodes long. Promotional videos for the new OVA were posted on December 4, 2007. The OVA series follows an alternate ending that centers around Haruka.
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's title , due to its length, is usually reduced to . This is officially read as "Kimibō", but many read it as "Kiminozo" instead. Both abbreviations are now considered to be acceptable, with "Kiminozo" being officially written as "君のぞ" instead (this is used in Kiminozo Radio). Early English-speaking fans of the series often shorten the title to "KGNE".
It is in the second chapter that the game allows the player to choose to pursue one of eight girls in the game and also has endings if the player chooses to pursue more than one of the girls at the same time. The original game and the Dreamcast version has 14 endings. Some fans complained that the Manami ending was too disturbing and nightmarish. In this ending, she kidnaps and tortures Takayuki, sodomizing and urinating on him while dressing him in girl's clothing while forcing him to undergo gender reassignment surgeries so he can be closer to his "Mommy" (Manami), reducing him to a child-like state. An additional ending was added for Manami where Takayuki professes his "Pure Love" for her and she becomes pregnant with his child. Two additional "bad" endings were added for Mitsuki in the DVD version. The Dreamcast and PS2 versions had the explicit sex scenes removed.
The Kimi ga Nozomu Eien 〜special FanDisk〜 released on June 25, 2004 contains "Kimi ga Nozomu Daiisshou (君が望む第一章 "The first chapter you desired"), a retelling of the first chapter of the game allowing for greater control over Takayuki's actions in the first chapter. The player is now allowed to prevent the accident or end up with someone else altogether. It also includes a collection of short stories featuring the game's various characters, a game version of True Lies from the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Drama Theatre vol. 4 Radio Special, the Kiminozo Rajio Shucchouban (君のぞらじお出張版) radio special, a parody of Muv-Luv Extra called Muv-Nozo (マブノゾ) featuring Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's characters and a version of the puzzle game Marii no Okataduke 2: Ayumayu Funtou-hen (マリーのおかたづけ2 あゆまゆ奮闘編).
The game was re-released on March 28, 2008 in a Vista-enhanced edition known as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien 〜Latest Edition〜. In addition to being built on an improved game engine and featuring improved graphics, the re-release also included the story content of the Special FanDisk and an all-new third chapter for selected heroines.
due to performance anxiety. Mitsuki stops Takayuki on her birthday and has him buy her a ring which results in him being late for his date with Haruka. At the end of the chapter, Haruka ends up getting hit by a car.
Although the above events always take place, there are decisions to make and the game spends time developing the type of relationships Takayuki has between Akane, Haruka, Mitsuki, and Manami (if the player doesn't choose to ignore her in this chapter).
Haruka:
Mitsuki:
Akane:
Manami:
Amakawa:
Fumio:
Ayu and Mayu have two endings each, one good and one bad.
based on the game and animated and produced by Studio Fantasia
first aired across Japan from October 5, 2003 to January 4, 2004 with the erotic elements from the game greatly toned down. The anime provides a realistic depiction of PTSD and a believable depiction of the effects the disorder has on personal relationships.
The series consists of three timelines:
The first one takes place before the accident, which is mostly contained in the first two episodes and covers the development of the relationship among Haruka, Mitsuki, Shinji, and Takayuki in their third year of high school. In Japan high school comprises grades 10 to 12 with students entering high school at age 15 or 16. Akane is also introduced. However, later episodes flash back prior to the beginning of this timeline and also depict photographs of events that happen in this timeline but are not shown; for example the photograph of Mitsuki, Akane, Haruka, and Takayuki at the pool. This timeline ends with all the friends at the hospital with a shot of Takayuki collapsed on the floor and Mitsuki wearing the ring that Takayuki bought on her left ring finger, much like an engagement ring. Unlike the US, the left ring finger is not reserved for engagement, wedding, chastity rings, or less common promise rings in Japan.
The second timeline takes place one year after the accident. As a prelude to this, Takayuki arrives as the ambulance takes Haruka away from the scene and he witnesses the still fresh pool of blood next to Haruka's bloodied hair ribbons. This traumatic experience causes Takayuki's PTSD, which is portrayed in episode 5 of the series. This has affected him more than Mitsuki and Akane. Takayuki and Mitsuki both experience flashbacks, emotional detachment or numbing of feelings (emotional self-mortification or dissociation), insomnia, avoidance of reminders and extreme distress when exposed to the reminders ("triggers"), loss of appetite (Takayuki), feelings of misplaced guilt, memory loss (may appear as a difficulty of paying attention as with Mitsuki), excessive startle responses (animated as visual changes in the pupils of the eyes), clinical depression, and anxiety three years after Haruka's accident. Akane suffers from hyper-vigilance, misplaced guilt, and irritability. Haruka herself is left in a coma. At the end of this timeline, Haruka's parents ban Takayuki from seeing Haruka after he tries to remove her from hospital while comatose. Mitsuki offers herself sexually to Takayuki while he is at his emotional low point following the incident. Akane discovers an undressed Mitsuki on Takayuki's futon the next day.
The third timeline takes place three years after the accident. Takayuki is now working part-time at a restaurant called "Sky temple", along with the comic relief characters Ayu and Mayu. Mitsuki and Takayuki have agreed to live together but have difficulties finding a new apartment. Eventually, Haruka awakens from her coma, oblivious of what has happened during the last three years. In addition, she is diagnosed with anterograde amnesia
.
After having been awake for a month, Haruka still thinks it is three years ago. Akane contacts Takayuki to inform him that Haruka has awakened. The doctor warns Takayuki and Mitsuki that her condition is very fragile and informs them of the condition of her memory before they enter the room. She tells them not to let her know that three years have passed because she feels the shock would damage her psyche, possibly destroying her will to recover, and trigger a relapse. This does happen when Akane tells Haruka that three years have passed, Takayuki has been dating Mitsuki, and that everyone has been working to deceive Haruka. She then falls into another coma, although she wakes a few days later.
Haruka improves after seeing Takayuki. The only thing she can remember since the accident is Takayuki's visit. Takayuki is conflicted with his feelings of guilt and responsibility and must choose between Mitsuki and Haruka. The bulk of the rest of the story focuses on the suffering of the characters because of this predicament. Takayuki chooses Mitsuki after saying farewell to Haruka.
The plot consists of a blend of multiple game storylines, mostly the Mitsuki storyline with a bit of Haruka's storyline mixed with elements from the Akane storyline. The general fate of Amakawa is also disclosed through one scene between Fumio and Takayuki and a line by Fumio at the end of the final episode indicating she died. Manami is limited to one line at the very end and several dialogueless cameos. Materials not included in the game due to its perspective being in first person, such as depictions of Mitsuki having sex with Shinji (in certain routes) and Haruka telling Mitsuki that she has a crush on Takayuki while walking home, are also included.
distribution by FUNimation Entertainment
under the title Rumbling Hearts: Kiminozo. Rumbling Hearts is the title of the game's theme song and the title of the PS2 release of the game, while Kiminozo is an abbreviation for the name of the franchise. The North American release also used the tagline "Betrayal is a Bitch" included on the back of each DVD. The first two English dubbed episodes of the show are available for free, along with a significant amount of clips of the other episodes, on the official FUNimation website.
The writers for the English dub took a very liberal approach while producing the script taking creative license in many places resulting in an extremely interpretive script which at several points reworks the dialogue to have the characters say the opposite thing. By contrast, the writers for the subtitle script in the North American release produced a script which faithfully translates the original work, going as far as including honorifics.
In addition to the differences in dialogue, there is also a marked difference in the displayed level of affect
between the Japanese and English voicework. For the most part Takayuki's Japanese voice actor portrays him as severely emotionally-numbed (dissociated
), consistent with PTSD (one of the major themes). The English voice actor does not perform the role this way.
The English dub dialogue is different from the subtitles provided on the same disc. Some examples include:
Ending themes
Inserts
follows "Haruka's route", in contrast to the TV series' modified version of Mitsuki's ending. The solicitation for the series, animated by Brain's Base
and distributed by Bandai Visual, followed on August 25, 2007. The first three episodes were released in both regular and special editions on December 21, 2007, on March 25, 2008, and on June 25, 2008 respectively. The special editions contain a bonus CD soundtrack with each DVD and a different cover artwork. According to the website for the OVA series, the fourth volume is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2008. This website was launched on December 4, 2007, and includes a promotional clip for the series.
Haruka Suzumiya awakens after a three-year coma. Time has deprived her of many important things, but one still remains: her love for Takayuki Narumi. They visit various places they remember as if to recover the time that was lost. However, there is one place they refuse to visit: the phone booth in front of the Hiiragi-cho Station where Haruka had her accident three years ago. The Next Season OVA series follows an alternate ending to the TV series where Takayuki chooses Haruka. This story was also featured in the 2008 re-release of the PC game, sub-titled ~Latest Edition~.
versions of Ayu and Mayu, and various other characters. Although it is technically a Kimi ga Nozomu Eien show, many characters and even a senjutsuki (type-00 Takemikaduchi, Meiya custom) from Muv-Luv
show up. The series contains many references to Muv-Luv (for example, in the second episode, Ayu uses an S-11 SDS and Haruka is turned into a 00 Unit) and the fourth episode is little more than a parody of Muv-Luv Alternative.
Several of the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien characters return in the alternate world sequel to Muv-Luv, Muv-Luv Alternative.
Haruka, Mitsuki, and Akane are members of the special task force A-01, also known as the Isumi Valkyries, and Homura Manami is a nurse at the Yokohama base. Mitsuki and Akane pilot senjutsuki, but Haruka is the command post officer. Takayuki is also mentioned. He was killed in action prior to the start of the game.
In the epilogue, Haruka and Mitsuki can be seen walking around together near the station, Mitsuki with her pre-accident hairstyle. This suggests that the events of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien may be taken by future games to have never happened, allowing for Mitsuki and Haruka to show up as best friends in newer games as they did in Alternative.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
created by âge
Âge
Âge is a division of Acid Co., Ltd., a Japanese publisher of adult video games and visual novels. Âge was formerly known as Relic and developed video games for consoles. It gained fame following the release of its 2001 adult visual novel Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. It was founded by Hirohiko Yoshida,...
. It was first released in 2001 for the PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
and was later ported to the Dreamcast (by Alchemist) and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
(by Princess Soft) under the title Rumbling Hearts as all-age versions. A Windows Vista-optimized version of the game, known as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Latest Edition~, was released on March 28, 2008.
The game was adapted into a fourteen-episode anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series, first airing between October 5, 2003 and January 4, 2004. The three DVD volumes of the series were released in the United States in December 2006, February 2007, and March 2007 respectively. The series was also licensed for release by Revelation Films
Revelation Films
Revelation Films is a British distributor of entertainment programmes on DVD.It was perhaps most well known as the company through which as of November 2006, the American anime company FUNimation Entertainment has launched its titles in the United Kingdom on region 2 DVD...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, under the title Rumbling Hearts - Kiminozo. It was one of the first anime shows to be officially made available for the iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and is also available through Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Xbox Live Marketplace.
An anime OVA series called Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ began its release on December 21, 2007. The booklet that accompanied the first DVD release revealed that the OVA series will be four episodes long. Promotional videos for the new OVA were posted on December 4, 2007. The OVA series follows an alternate ending that centers around Haruka.
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's title , due to its length, is usually reduced to . This is officially read as "Kimibō", but many read it as "Kiminozo" instead. Both abbreviations are now considered to be acceptable, with "Kiminozo" being officially written as "君のぞ" instead (this is used in Kiminozo Radio). Early English-speaking fans of the series often shorten the title to "KGNE".
Characters
- As the protagonist, Takayuki Narumi meets Haruka a year before Mitsuki sets them up during their third year of high school. When he witnesses the still fresh pool of blood next to Haruka's bloodied hair ribbons lying among the shattered glass of the phone booth, he develops a posttraumatic stress disorder. Later in the story, he works at a restaurant chain owned by the Sky Temple financial group called "The Family RestaurantRestaurantA restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
", after having regressed in his studies due to the disorder resulting from the accident. In Haruka's absence, he gradually begins to develop a relationship with Mitsuki. In the game the player assumes this role and can choose to pursue and end up with most of the female characters.
- Being a shy, timid girl, Haruka is set up with Takayuki by her friend, Mitsuki, while she is in high school. The two quickly become close, and develop an intimate relationship. She is involved in a serious car accident and ends up in a coma. The main thrust of the story begins when she awakens three years later. She is afflicted with anterograde amnesiaAnterograde amnesiaAnterograde amnesia is a loss of the ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. This is in contrast to retrograde amnesia, where memories...
, and because of her delicate psyche, her family and Takayuki conceal the truth that three years have passed, which forms much of the tension in the series.
- Mitsuki is friends with both Takayuki and Haruka, but secretly she has feelings for Takayuki. In high school she was a competitive swimmerSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, but shortly after Haruka's accident, she finds herself leaving swimming to tend to Takayuki. She finally reveals her feelings to Takayuki.
- Haruka's younger sister initially treats both Takayuki and Mitsuki as older siblings until she finds out they have been seeing each other behind the comatose Haruka's back. While Haruka is in hospital, she visits her every day. She, like Mitsuki, is a competitive swimmer, but feels as if she can never match Mitsuki, who she initially looks up to. Later, there are hints given that Akane feels something more for Takayuki, but these are not explored fully in the series.
- Although being friends with Takayuki, Haruka and Mitsuki in high school, he drifts off from the group after graduation. However, he becomes an important character towards the end of the series. He sometimes presents a counter-balance to the drama of the rest of the characters, as his relationship with his girlfriend (who remains off-screen) seems to be going well.
- (Ayu)
- (Mayu)
- They are two waitresses who work at the same restaurant as Takayuki. Ayu is the surly daughter of the chief executive officer of the "Sky Temple" financial group, who owns and operates the restaurant chain. As such, she is permitted to work at the restaurant as part of a market study by the financial group on the condition she does not reveal her identity. She works in order to experience society. Mayu is a soft-spoken but well-meaning klutz who has lost her parents and older brother. While serving as love interests in the game, they provide the only comic relief in the anime. After the credits of several episodes in the series, a 30-second short known as the "Ayu-Mayu Theater" shows them in a comical situation totally irrelevant to the main story with all characters super deformedSuper deformedSuper deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
. They are also known as AyuAyu and MayuMayu.
- (Hotaru)
- (Fumio)
- (Manami)
- They are three nurses at the hospital. Hotaru and Fumio attended nursing school together and are very close friends. Hotaru Amakawa suffers from a terminal illness that stopped her physical development so that she looks like a very young girl. She is is often referred to as "Fumio's child", as Hotaru has a very child like stature whereas Fumio has a very curvy and maternal stature. The two are inseparable. Manami, the green-haired nurse, is a student nurse who attended the same high school as Takayuki. Manami has a very strong mothering instinct with a desire to take care of people, hence her chosen profession. In the game, Manami is introduced in the first chapter and also is in love with Takayuki, but is also too shy to express her feelings for him. All three nurses are potential love interests in the game. The original Manami ending was so disturbing that fans wrote to the company calling to change it. So in the DVD and PS2 versions of the game, a new ending was added for Manami. In the series, Manami's role is reduced to one line and several silent cameos including a spoof of RinguRing (film)is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
in one "Ayu-Mayu Theater" segment where Manami comes out of the TV. Amakawa is given several short scenes in the hospital, where she drops many sexual innuendos into her conversations with Takayuki.
- She is the doctor in charge of Haruka.
Game
The game is played from the viewpoint of Takayuki with the player controlling his actions. Much of the game's dialogue involves an introspective view of Takayuki's thoughts on what he is feeling and what he thinks the other characters might be thinking or feeling. The original PC version, Dreamcast version, PS2, and DVD versions of the game are played in two chapters, with the first one revolving around the events leading up to August 27 and the second chapter set three years later.It is in the second chapter that the game allows the player to choose to pursue one of eight girls in the game and also has endings if the player chooses to pursue more than one of the girls at the same time. The original game and the Dreamcast version has 14 endings. Some fans complained that the Manami ending was too disturbing and nightmarish. In this ending, she kidnaps and tortures Takayuki, sodomizing and urinating on him while dressing him in girl's clothing while forcing him to undergo gender reassignment surgeries so he can be closer to his "Mommy" (Manami), reducing him to a child-like state. An additional ending was added for Manami where Takayuki professes his "Pure Love" for her and she becomes pregnant with his child. Two additional "bad" endings were added for Mitsuki in the DVD version. The Dreamcast and PS2 versions had the explicit sex scenes removed.
The Kimi ga Nozomu Eien 〜special FanDisk〜 released on June 25, 2004 contains "Kimi ga Nozomu Daiisshou (君が望む第一章 "The first chapter you desired"), a retelling of the first chapter of the game allowing for greater control over Takayuki's actions in the first chapter. The player is now allowed to prevent the accident or end up with someone else altogether. It also includes a collection of short stories featuring the game's various characters, a game version of True Lies from the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien Drama Theatre vol. 4 Radio Special, the Kiminozo Rajio Shucchouban (君のぞらじお出張版) radio special, a parody of Muv-Luv Extra called Muv-Nozo (マブノゾ) featuring Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's characters and a version of the puzzle game Marii no Okataduke 2: Ayumayu Funtou-hen (マリーのおかたづけ2 あゆまゆ奮闘編).
The game was re-released on March 28, 2008 in a Vista-enhanced edition known as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien 〜Latest Edition〜. In addition to being built on an improved game engine and featuring improved graphics, the re-release also included the story content of the Special FanDisk and an all-new third chapter for selected heroines.
Chapter 1: July - August 27, 1998
With the exception of the Fandisk version, the first chapter is played like a prologue to the second chapter. Regardless of player actions, Mitsuki and Shinji set Takayuki up with the bashful Haruka. Takayuki ends up in bed with a nude sprawled out Haruka, but their relationship is not consummatedConsummation
Consummation is the initial sexual act made within a marriage.Consummation can also refer to:* Consummation , 1970 recordingSee also:* Consummation of days, event predicted in Daniel Chapter 12, verses 1-4...
due to performance anxiety. Mitsuki stops Takayuki on her birthday and has him buy her a ring which results in him being late for his date with Haruka. At the end of the chapter, Haruka ends up getting hit by a car.
Although the above events always take place, there are decisions to make and the game spends time developing the type of relationships Takayuki has between Akane, Haruka, Mitsuki, and Manami (if the player doesn't choose to ignore her in this chapter).
Chapter 2: Three Years Later
There are no choices for the player to make until the shower scene involving Mitsuki and Takayuki on July 29. Mitsuki has been taking care of Takayuki and they have formed a relationship. Takayuki has also taken a part-time job at Daikuuji (Sky Temple) Family restaurant. After three years Haruka's father contacts Takayuki to tell him that Haruka has come out of her coma and is asking to see him. The player can choose to pursue a number of the female characters with the following endings:Haruka:
- Mitsuki sleeps with Shinji, then visits Haruka at the hospital and leaves the ring behind Takayuki originally bought for her birthday. She leaves town and becomes a teacher. Takayuki and Haruka end up together, with the four friends eventually meeting again on the hill, except the ring is on Haruka's left ring finger and Takayuki's hand is on her shoulder. The anime ~Next Season~ OVA series picks up from Mitsuki leaving.
Mitsuki:
- Mitsuki and Takayuki have a child together. Haruka writes her children's book and Mitsuki reads it to her son (the television anime ending is slightly modified as it leaves out the child and incorporates elements of Akane's good ending and Haruka's ending).
- Mitsuki gets pregnant and Haruka dies.
- Takayuki never forgives her for sleeping with Shinji and treats Mitsuki as a sex slave (DVD only).
- Mitsuki performs sexual acts in a dog outfit (DVD only).
Akane:
- Haruka becomes pregnant after she and Takayuki slept together when she comes out of the first coma. Haruka doesn't come out of the second coma and Akane acts as a surrogate mother for Haruka's child.
- Akane gets hit and ends up in a coma, with the cycle repeating itself (Haruka taking Mitsuki's place).
- "Haruka as the hidden wife," where Akane tells Haruka about the relationship between herself and Takayuki after she comes out of the second coma. Haruka seduces Takayuki at the hospital and becomes his mistress.
Manami:
- A very disturbing ending which involves Manami kidnapping and torturing Takayuki.
- Takayuki confesses his "Pure Love" for Manami and she ends up pregnant.
Amakawa:
- Amakawa looks like a little girl because of a serious terminal medical condition. Her wish is to find a boyfriend and have sex with him before she dies (which Takayuki does before she passes away).
Fumio:
- Bad ending only.
Ayu and Mayu have two endings each, one good and one bad.
Anime
A TV animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
based on the game and animated and produced by Studio Fantasia
Studio Fantasia
is a Japanese animation studio. It was founded on October 12, 1983 by Tomohisa Iizuka, then an employee of Tsuchida Production, 3 years before that company went bankrupt.Its headquarters are situated in Nerima, Tokyo.- OVA :...
first aired across Japan from October 5, 2003 to January 4, 2004 with the erotic elements from the game greatly toned down. The anime provides a realistic depiction of PTSD and a believable depiction of the effects the disorder has on personal relationships.
The series consists of three timelines:
The first one takes place before the accident, which is mostly contained in the first two episodes and covers the development of the relationship among Haruka, Mitsuki, Shinji, and Takayuki in their third year of high school. In Japan high school comprises grades 10 to 12 with students entering high school at age 15 or 16. Akane is also introduced. However, later episodes flash back prior to the beginning of this timeline and also depict photographs of events that happen in this timeline but are not shown; for example the photograph of Mitsuki, Akane, Haruka, and Takayuki at the pool. This timeline ends with all the friends at the hospital with a shot of Takayuki collapsed on the floor and Mitsuki wearing the ring that Takayuki bought on her left ring finger, much like an engagement ring. Unlike the US, the left ring finger is not reserved for engagement, wedding, chastity rings, or less common promise rings in Japan.
The second timeline takes place one year after the accident. As a prelude to this, Takayuki arrives as the ambulance takes Haruka away from the scene and he witnesses the still fresh pool of blood next to Haruka's bloodied hair ribbons. This traumatic experience causes Takayuki's PTSD, which is portrayed in episode 5 of the series. This has affected him more than Mitsuki and Akane. Takayuki and Mitsuki both experience flashbacks, emotional detachment or numbing of feelings (emotional self-mortification or dissociation), insomnia, avoidance of reminders and extreme distress when exposed to the reminders ("triggers"), loss of appetite (Takayuki), feelings of misplaced guilt, memory loss (may appear as a difficulty of paying attention as with Mitsuki), excessive startle responses (animated as visual changes in the pupils of the eyes), clinical depression, and anxiety three years after Haruka's accident. Akane suffers from hyper-vigilance, misplaced guilt, and irritability. Haruka herself is left in a coma. At the end of this timeline, Haruka's parents ban Takayuki from seeing Haruka after he tries to remove her from hospital while comatose. Mitsuki offers herself sexually to Takayuki while he is at his emotional low point following the incident. Akane discovers an undressed Mitsuki on Takayuki's futon the next day.
The third timeline takes place three years after the accident. Takayuki is now working part-time at a restaurant called "Sky temple", along with the comic relief characters Ayu and Mayu. Mitsuki and Takayuki have agreed to live together but have difficulties finding a new apartment. Eventually, Haruka awakens from her coma, oblivious of what has happened during the last three years. In addition, she is diagnosed with anterograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia is a loss of the ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. This is in contrast to retrograde amnesia, where memories...
.
After having been awake for a month, Haruka still thinks it is three years ago. Akane contacts Takayuki to inform him that Haruka has awakened. The doctor warns Takayuki and Mitsuki that her condition is very fragile and informs them of the condition of her memory before they enter the room. She tells them not to let her know that three years have passed because she feels the shock would damage her psyche, possibly destroying her will to recover, and trigger a relapse. This does happen when Akane tells Haruka that three years have passed, Takayuki has been dating Mitsuki, and that everyone has been working to deceive Haruka. She then falls into another coma, although she wakes a few days later.
Haruka improves after seeing Takayuki. The only thing she can remember since the accident is Takayuki's visit. Takayuki is conflicted with his feelings of guilt and responsibility and must choose between Mitsuki and Haruka. The bulk of the rest of the story focuses on the suffering of the characters because of this predicament. Takayuki chooses Mitsuki after saying farewell to Haruka.
The plot consists of a blend of multiple game storylines, mostly the Mitsuki storyline with a bit of Haruka's storyline mixed with elements from the Akane storyline. The general fate of Amakawa is also disclosed through one scene between Fumio and Takayuki and a line by Fumio at the end of the final episode indicating she died. Manami is limited to one line at the very end and several dialogueless cameos. Materials not included in the game due to its perspective being in first person, such as depictions of Mitsuki having sex with Shinji (in certain routes) and Haruka telling Mitsuki that she has a crush on Takayuki while walking home, are also included.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
English distribution
The anime was later licensed for AmericanNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
distribution by FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
under the title Rumbling Hearts: Kiminozo. Rumbling Hearts is the title of the game's theme song and the title of the PS2 release of the game, while Kiminozo is an abbreviation for the name of the franchise. The North American release also used the tagline "Betrayal is a Bitch" included on the back of each DVD. The first two English dubbed episodes of the show are available for free, along with a significant amount of clips of the other episodes, on the official FUNimation website.
The writers for the English dub took a very liberal approach while producing the script taking creative license in many places resulting in an extremely interpretive script which at several points reworks the dialogue to have the characters say the opposite thing. By contrast, the writers for the subtitle script in the North American release produced a script which faithfully translates the original work, going as far as including honorifics.
In addition to the differences in dialogue, there is also a marked difference in the displayed level of affect
Affect (psychology)
Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion. Affect is a key part of the process of an organism's interaction with stimuli. The word also refers sometimes to affect display, which is "a facial, vocal, or gestural behavior that serves as an indicator of affect" .The affective domain...
between the Japanese and English voicework. For the most part Takayuki's Japanese voice actor portrays him as severely emotionally-numbed (dissociated
Dissociation
Dissociation is an altered state of consciousness characterized by partial or complete disruption of the normal integration of a person’s normal conscious or psychological functioning. Dissociation is most commonly experienced as a subjective perception of one's consciousness being detached from...
), consistent with PTSD (one of the major themes). The English voice actor does not perform the role this way.
The English dub dialogue is different from the subtitles provided on the same disc. Some examples include:
- Leaving out exposition, such as in chapter three the information that Mitsuki and Takayuki have not seen each other in a long time.
- Changes portions of the plot, like in episode five where Mitsuki strips naked and desperately offers herself as a replacement for Haruka to Takayuki. According to the subtitles she says, "Am I not good enough," but the actual dub is, "Do you love me." This plot point is important because it is revisited in episode twelve.
- The English dub portrays Takayuki's and Mitsuki's relationship as heating up when Takayuki calls her at work the months before Haruka wakes up, but in the subtitles it is on shaky ground.
- In episode two of the dub, Takayuki has already read Mayauru's Gift, telling Haruka it is his favorite story. This creates a continuity error. If he already knew the plot, he would not need Haruka to tell it to him in episode fourteen.
- Ayu is made younger in the dub as it is stated she just got her drivers license. However, according to the subtitles she has had her drivers license for three years. This makes her at least 21 as one must be at least eighteen years old to test for his or her driver's license in Japan. It is also inferred in both versions that Mayu can also test for the drivers license.
- Takayuki constantly refers to Mitsuki as "Babe" in the dub. In the subtitles he never refers to her by any pet names at all.
- Expletives and epithets are added to the dub that are not in the subtitles. For example, Shinji calls Takayuki a "tool" in episode one in the dub while the subtitles do not include this. Also, there are several instances where other characters refer to Mitsuki as a "bitch" in the dub but not the subtitles.
Theme songs
Opening theme- "Precious Memories" by Minami KuribayashiMinami Kuribayashiis a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress from Shizuoka prefecture.Her involvement in the game and anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, where she voiced the role of one of the characters, Haruka Suzumiya and performed and penned the theme songs and other songs relating to the series, has brought her...
(episodes 3-13)
Ending themes
- "Rumbling Hearts" by Minami Kuribayashi (episode 2)
- "Hoshizora no Waltz" (The Waltz of the Starry Sky) by Minami Kuribayashi (episodes 3-13)
- "Kimi ga Nozomu Eien" by MEGUMI (episode 14)
Inserts
- "Nemuri Hime" by Minami Kurbayashi
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ (OVA)
The company that made the original game, âge, announced on August 25, 2006 that a new animated adaption of the game would be produced. The original video animationOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
follows "Haruka's route", in contrast to the TV series' modified version of Mitsuki's ending. The solicitation for the series, animated by Brain's Base
Brain's Base
is a Japanese animation studio.-TV series:2002*Daigunder2003*Pluster World2005*Kamichu!*Gunparade Orchestra2006*Innocent Venus2007*Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula*Baccano!2008*Kure-nai*Natsume's Book of Friends...
and distributed by Bandai Visual, followed on August 25, 2007. The first three episodes were released in both regular and special editions on December 21, 2007, on March 25, 2008, and on June 25, 2008 respectively. The special editions contain a bonus CD soundtrack with each DVD and a different cover artwork. According to the website for the OVA series, the fourth volume is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2008. This website was launched on December 4, 2007, and includes a promotional clip for the series.
Haruka Suzumiya awakens after a three-year coma. Time has deprived her of many important things, but one still remains: her love for Takayuki Narumi. They visit various places they remember as if to recover the time that was lost. However, there is one place they refuse to visit: the phone booth in front of the Hiiragi-cho Station where Haruka had her accident three years ago. The Next Season OVA series follows an alternate ending to the TV series where Takayuki chooses Haruka. This story was also featured in the 2008 re-release of the PC game, sub-titled ~Latest Edition~.
Theme songs
Ending themes- "Next Season" by Minami KuribayashiMinami Kuribayashiis a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress from Shizuoka prefecture.Her involvement in the game and anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, where she voiced the role of one of the characters, Haruka Suzumiya and performed and penned the theme songs and other songs relating to the series, has brought her...
- "Eternity" by Minami Kuribayashi.
- The first ending song is also the opening song in the second and third OVAs.
Ayumayu Gekijou
Ayumayu Gekijou is a comedy "web anime" that was broadcasted from September 2006 to January 2007 on Kiminozo Radio's homepage. The main characters are SDSuper deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
versions of Ayu and Mayu, and various other characters. Although it is technically a Kimi ga Nozomu Eien show, many characters and even a senjutsuki (type-00 Takemikaduchi, Meiya custom) from Muv-Luv
Muv-Luv
is a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
show up. The series contains many references to Muv-Luv (for example, in the second episode, Ayu uses an S-11 SDS and Haruka is turned into a 00 Unit) and the fourth episode is little more than a parody of Muv-Luv Alternative.
Ayumayu Gekijou characters
- Ayu Daikuuji
- Voice: Kiyomi AsaiKiyomi Asaiin Tokyo, is a Japanese voice actress. She is affiliated with Mausu Promotion. She is one half of the voice actress duo "UYAMUYA", alongside Kozue Yoshizumi, her co-star in the web anime Ayumayu Gekijou, where the duo voiced Ayu Daikuuji and Mayu Tamano respectively.- Anime :* Baki the Grappler *...
(浅井 清己 Asai Kiyomi) - From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Voice: Kiyomi Asai
- Mayu Tamano
- Voice: Kozue YoshizumiKozue Yoshizumiis a Japanese voice actress who works for Arts Vision. She's one half of the seiyu duo "UYAMUYA", alongside Kiyomi Asai, her co-star in the web anime Ayumayu Gekijou, where the duo voiced Mayu Tamano and Ayu Daikuuji respectively...
(吉住 梢 Yoshizumi Kozue) - From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Voice: Kozue Yoshizumi
- Haruka Suzumiya
- Voice: Minami KuribayashiMinami Kuribayashiis a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress from Shizuoka prefecture.Her involvement in the game and anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, where she voiced the role of one of the characters, Haruka Suzumiya and performed and penned the theme songs and other songs relating to the series, has brought her...
- From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Voice: Minami Kuribayashi
- Mitsuki Hayase
- Voice: Tomoko Ishibashi
- From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Takayuki Narumi
- Voice: Kishou Taniyama
- From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Kenzo Sakiyama (崎山 健三 Sakiyama Kenzō)
- Voice: Kazuo OkaKazuo Okais a Japanese vocal actor born on January 15, 1948, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He is employed by the talent management firm Arts Vision.-TV:*Argento Soma *Brave Police J-Decker *Dragon Drive...
(岡 和男 Oka Kazuo) - From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Voice: Kazuo Oka
- Akane Suzumiya (涼宮 茜 Suzumiya Akane)
- Voice: Kaori MizuhashiKaori Mizuhashiis a Japanese voice actress who is employed by Arts Vision. Her debut was in 1998 with the game First Kiss Story.-TV anime:*Ai Yori Aoshi *Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ *Angelic Layer...
- From Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
- Voice: Kaori Mizuhashi
- Takeru Shirogane (白銀 武 Shirogane Takeru)
- Voice: Soichiro HoshiSoichiro Hoshiis a Japanese seiyū. He is affiliated with Arts Vision.He uses the name when appearing in adult games.With the exception of Jungle Emperor Leo , he has been cast as a major or supporting character in every Goro Taniguchi directed anime.-Anime:...
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Voice: Soichiro Hoshi
- Sumika Kagami (鑑 純夏 Kagami Sumika)
- Voice: Hiroko TaguchiHiroko Taguchi, is a Japanese voice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture who is attached to Haikyo. She sometimes goes by several pseudonyms, including , , and .-TV Animation:*ef: A Tale of Melodies. as Miyako Miyamura*ef: A Tale of Memories. as Miyako Miyamura...
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Voice: Hiroko Taguchi
- Yuuko Kouduki (香月 夕呼 Kōzuki Yūko)
- Voice: Emi MotoiEmi Motoiis a Japanese voice actress.-Anime:*Ai in Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island* Carline le Britannia in Code Geass*Chisato/Mrs. Roku in Magical Girl Pretty Sammy*Chappu in MÄR*Chouun, Shiryuu in Koihime Musou...
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Voice: Emi Motoi
- Kasumi Yashiro (社 霞 Yashiro Kasumi)
- Voice: Minami KuribayashiMinami Kuribayashiis a Japanese singer-songwriter and voice actress from Shizuoka prefecture.Her involvement in the game and anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, where she voiced the role of one of the characters, Haruka Suzumiya and performed and penned the theme songs and other songs relating to the series, has brought her...
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Voice: Minami Kuribayashi
- Miki Tamase (珠瀬 壬姫 Tamase Miki)
- Voice: Hitomi (ひと美)
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Paul Radhabinod (パウル·ラダビノッド Pauru Radabinoddo)
- Voice: Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
- From Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Voice: Norio Wakamoto
Episodes
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Songs
- Theme song: Koi no Bakudan Deito (恋の爆弾でいと)
- Singer: UYAMUYAUYAMUYAUYAMUYA is a Japanese seiyū duo made up of Kiyomi Asai and Kozue Yoshizumi. The duo had been heard on "Kiminozo Radio", an online radio spinoff of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. Also, they voiced the central characters of Ayu Daikuuji and Mayu Tamano respectively in the web anime Ayumayu Gekijou, and sang...
- Singer: UYAMUYA
- Episode 4 insert song: Carry On
- Singer: Endou Masaaki
Akane Maniax
Akane is the main heroine in the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien spin-off and Muv-Luv prequel, Akane Maniax.Muv-Luv
Akane returns again in Muv-Luv, still a student in Hakuryou Hiiragi. Also, part of "Rumbling Hearts", the Kimi ga Nozomu Eien game opening theme, is played when Sumika, one of the main heroines, got hit by a car.Muv-Luv Alternative
Haruka, Mitsuki, and Akane are members of the special task force A-01, also known as the Isumi Valkyries, and Homura Manami is a nurse at the Yokohama base. Mitsuki and Akane pilot senjutsuki, but Haruka is the command post officer. Takayuki is also mentioned. He was killed in action prior to the start of the game.
In the epilogue, Haruka and Mitsuki can be seen walking around together near the station, Mitsuki with her pre-accident hairstyle. This suggests that the events of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien may be taken by future games to have never happened, allowing for Mitsuki and Haruka to show up as best friends in newer games as they did in Alternative.
See also
- Muv-LuvMuv-Luvis a Japanese visual novel developed by âge, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC in February 28, 2003. Subsequent versions with the adult content removed were sold for the PC and Xbox 360...
- Akane ManiaxAkane Maniaxis an adventure game released for the PC by âge. It is a prequel of sorts to Muv-Luv and side story to Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, and features Suzumiya Akane from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien as its main heroine...
- List of anime based on video games
- List of television shows based on video games