Tsukihime Remake makes its western debut next week

Originally a PC visual novel released in 2000 and reserved for Japanese audiences, Tsukihime is coming to the West for the first time ever through a two-part remake- the first half of which will be available for purchase next week on June 27th. A standard digital offering will avail itself on the day of release, and a limited edition physical, with an artbook in tow, can be pre-ordered now. This first half will cover “the near side of the moon,” or two out of six routes that make up the entire story of Tsukihime. The second half, “the far side,” will include three of the other routes present in the original and one brand new route, but the release date for it has yet to be revealed.

Officially called “Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon,” the remake reimagines the now-dated original for modern times and to fit with console conventions. The original’s explicit sexual content has been removed, but according to players of the Japanese release. the violence and gore remains (and may have been expanded upon), earning it a mature rating across all regions. The official Twitter for the game stated that the PS4 version of the artbook has also been partially censored for its Western release, but luckily, the Switch artbook remains untouched. In terms of other alterations, it’s worth noting that the characters have been redesigned to match the remake’s new timeline and setting. Meanwhile, some of the additions include full voice acting, a stunning opening song by talented singer ReoNa, several new characters, and more that we’ll become aware of as the game lands on Western shores.

For the uninitiated, Tsukihime follows a modest teenage boy named Shiki Tohno who has been both cursed and blessed with a power beyond comparison: the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Capable of seeing the “end” in both living beings and inanimate objects, the supernatural eyes give Shiki the ability to end the existence of all that surrounds him by tracing their lines of life and striking at their points of origin. Not wanting to let the power define him, he tries to live normally even when his city is ravaged by grizzly murder cases and the killer remains at large. But a chance encounter with a strange blonde-haired girl forces him to confront the destiny he’s always turned away from, and to solve the mysteries surrounding both the murders and the god-like gaze sealed behind his glasses. Along the way, Shiki can romance a selection of heroines through choosing a specific girl’s route, and each route will provide players to learn more about Shiki, the girls, and the questions at the center of it at all. This first half will tell the stories of Arcueid Brunestud, the aforementioned strange girl, and Ciel, Shiki’s caring upperclassman in school.

The original Tsukihime was a cult classic because of its soft atmosphere, character complexities, tender romances, and themes of trauma and redemption. It juxtaposed those things against the violence of a murder mystery to paint a picture of the absurdity and beauty of life and death. Until now, Tsukihime, like its main character, kept its potential tucked away for only a few to see. But in just a few days, the rest of the world will finally be able to see one of the finest visual novels Japan has ever created- more confident than ever before, and as beautiful as a full moon hanging above the calm night sky.

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