Lunar Legend Tsukihime

Tsukihime, yet another manga about vampire beauty and some boy possesing mysterious power. It seems boring doesn't it? The thing is that it is the opposite! Story 9: It is great one, the main idea is that Shiki (protagonist) from the time which he had near-death accident 8 years ago, can see some mysterious lines which are the visualisation of death itself. In addition he can cut through them which leads to certain death of the thing he slice! Good start right? But in the same time background of action is typical one - you know some serial murderer case and Shiki involved in this becauseof meeting (one of the most interesting one in all of the mangas) with Arcueid Brunestud - beauty and in the same time vampire. The thing i love so much (like in the Berserker) is storytelling and retrospections in the story which is greatly developing later on. Art 8: Not the one I like the best but nice one, and what is important we can clearly see improvement of it throughout the manga. But some scenes are just epic with the way they are draught Characters 10: Yes, it is the best thing in the whole series. Each of the personalities are just extraordinary and very deep. They are the fillar of Tsuhikime and I deeply believe that everybody after reading will agree with me. The way emotions are showed, how they are changing and evolving from hatred to love from fury to lust... I am just speechles here. Enjoyment 10: Simply - I read it without any breaks with my eyes devouring what I saw and what i felt by reading, this strange feeling of uncertainity. Is that good enough to subscribe how enjoyable it was? Overall 10: Summarizing we have got one of the most epic manga ever, not only in it's own genre but in common too. I highly recommend this manga to anyone who likes extraordinary mangas with great story and deep characters. I hope that my review was helpfull for you, thanks for reading :)

Warning, this review may contains spoilers. First impressions: So, this manga is based off the hentai game and that adapts one the original routes in its entirety. It seems interesting enough, we’ve got vampires killing people and some romance developing in the background. I wonder how they will handle this. Story: 6/10 Our tale begins with our main character Shiki Tohno who’s moved back into his family home after years of being taken care of by distant relatives, which he went to live with after a major incident that nearly killed him and gave him the ability to see lines of death. While getting used to beingback with his sister and their twins maids, a mysterious case of vampire like murders is spreading out through the city like wildfire. One day while returning from school he comes across a mysterious foreign woman and like a good japanese citizen he cuts her up into multiple pieces, in what can be described as a psychotic rage. After a few days pass the same woman who he murdered visits him and reveals herself to be a vampire named Arcueid, who’s come to the city in order to kill a powerful vampire known as Roa, who is behind the recent murder cases and other supernatural shit that's going down in the city. It turns out though that she’s been badly weakened by Shiki’s attempted murder, so she decides to strong arm him into helping her complete her mission and so begins their partnership together. Tsukihime is probably one of the more interesting stories that have been done by type-moon, which doesn't revolve around "people die when they are killed" or "the archer class is full of archers". Jokes aside though, the story is pretty much Shiki and Arcueid going around together and killing lesser vampires while looking for Roa, which does get boring and repetitive after a while. Like how many times can you fight the same generic vampires before it gets stale? On the bright side, they do kind of flavor it with external and internal problems. For example, one external problem they face is when they go against Roa and this one vampire that’s made out of wolfs and shit. On the other hand, the internal problems they face are more about the main two characters and their dark sides coming out. One being that Shiki at times devolves into a bloodthirsty killer and Arcueid……... well, she’s a vampire, so it’s self-explanatory what's going to happen. There isn't really much to comment on, besides what’s already been mentioned, except for the bond they have together, which turns into a romance, which as far as romances go it isn't that bad, all things considered. Because I have seen quite a few romance stories that use a couple who are a completely different species altogether and use this as an excuse for cheap melodrama and over the top emotional expressions, that make me want to vomit. Luckily though, the story doesn't do this and instead their relationship and how it was developed felt very normal. Because it was very simple and to the point, it wasn’t bogged down by being overly emotional or being so pitch perfect that it felt robotic. It’s basically just them hanging out when they're not killing vampires and their relationship developing from that, so the romance is at least pretty decent. All in all, the story was pretty ok and even shockingly grounded for a supernatural series. The last thing I can really comment on is probably the negatives. For starters, this story feels very dated and doesn't have enough punch to it. It has a very dated presentation and I feel that when this story originally came out it was pretty interesting and fresh in people's minds, but stuff like fate/stay night have kind of made it obsolete. Maybe if this series got a readaptation then maybe it would be better, because some of the ideas the series came up were interesting. One example of which is the way it explores the concept of vampires in this world. I also find it interesting how the series plays on the many legends surrounding vampires and explains them in a very straight forward matter, like why vampires need to drink blood and the like. The original source material for this was written in a basement by a group of people who were starting a game company, so i’ll give the writing a bit of slack for that. At the end of the day tsukihime isn't badly written, especially when you consider the fact it's a manga adaptation of hentai game, so for that i give it a slightly good score. Characters: 6/10 The main character Shiki at first seems like another bland protagonist, who’s a quote unquote normal highschool boy, but as the story continues we find at that that’s not the case. Even though he has this generic upbeat, pacifist, loner attitude, he has quite a few interesting traits that aren't really found in a quote unquote normal highschoolers. For example, he doesn't fear death and all too often makes very light jokes or comments about death and shit like that. He also has this kind of evil side to him, where he becomes this near unstoppable sociopathic killing machine when he is the presence of supernatural beings. Unfortunately, he can't control this bloodlust and it leads him to at times go slightly insane, where it’s interesting to see him try and hold on to what humanity he has left when that side of him tries to take over. Arcueid is also interesting to a point. She has a very cat like personally, being very free spirited and not really getting bothered by much. The most interesting thing about her though is that she was originally a weapon made to seek out and destroy anything her creators told her to, but because of interactions with Shiki and the bond they formed together she basically broke out of her eternal cycle of wake up, hunt down and kill vampire, sleep, then rinse and repeat. Now because that cycle has been broken, she actually has time to enjoy the things in life that she never got a chance to enjoy, like going to the movies or just chilling in general, which is a concept which she really hasn't had the time to explore or learn more about. I found the interactions between Shiki and Arcueid really interesting, especially when they talk about concepts like for example, would you eat something that is equally intelligent as you or when Shiki takes Arcueid to places she hasn't been before, where she learns to have an attachment to the world around her. The side characters are pretty basic for the most part. The thing that’s pretty cool about the characters in general though is that we often get to know what they are feeling and thinking. Sadly, because the original source has so many routes that explore the characters in many different ways, so we don't get to see the full potential of each of the characters, as this manga only covers one route, in which it's mostly Arcueid that's gets focused on. What I will say about the other characters’ routes is that the focus on them is interesting to a point and there is definitely more there than you would have first thought. An example of this is when we find out that Shiki’s adopted family actually have a demonic bloodline and are half demons, that drink blood and go into a frenzy every now and then. The main bad guy, Roa feels very flat and comes off as some sort of psycho yandere. The reason for why he was like this was also kinda stupid. Basically, what happened is that he fell in love with Arcueid and didn’t understand the emotions he was feeling at the time. Eventually he came to think those emotions where hatred and because of that started this century’s long personal war, which caused many deaths and even turned a few unlucky souls into vampires. So because of his reasoning he just comes off as really flat and not that interesting, even if the idea itself of a person experiencing emotions and not understanding them is kinda interesting. They just didn't really do much with that idea and kind of left it vague and up to interpretation. Art: 6/10 The artwork is not the best they could’ve done, as is it looks pretty choppy at times. Now one positive thing I can say about the artwork is that it kind of fits into the kind of setting that’s presented. It also has somewhat ok fight scenes as well, that don’t really flow and basically boil down to how many body parts can our main characters remove in one strike. I like the characters designs, because I am a big fan of most things type-moon. Enjoyment: 6/10 So what I liked about this manga in particular is the romance, that was quite well done. The vampire fighting scenes were pretty cool was well. I also like how the main character is slowly losing his sanity, as he uses his powers more. I think the concept of being able to see death is interesting for an ability that people can have. Overall: 6/10 Conclusion: If you're a fan of type-moon or you want a human vampire romance that isn't like vampire knight or twilight then you will like this manga, but if you're not into romance or stories with plots that have been used before then I guess you won't like this. Special credit to my new script editor, Lonecrit.

Although i appreciate the lengthy detailed reviews of others, i'll keep mine a bit shorter and without actual examples in the hopes of drawing in any passerby's to an amazing manga while avoiding any and all spoilers. Let me just say this manga really is amazing, the characters are excellently developed and the story actually comes together in not so easily predictable ways. If i may say so, it appeals to me with one of the most touching stories i'v ever experienced as well as some very disturbing moments, all compiling a fantastic story that is well paced and perfectly balanced. The art isn't perfect,but it certainly doesn't detract from the enjoyment. Honestly, i love this series, just word of advice, don't watch the anime series, it feels entirely different. Visual novel is amazing too.

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW No manga has been on my plan to read list longer than Tsukihime. I first started to notice it after watching "Fate stay/night : Unlimited Blade Works" which is written by the same author, Kinoku Nasu, last year. But my list just got more and more stacked over time, and the fact that i wanted to watch "Kara no Kyoukai", Nasu´s other work, first meant that i had to postpone Tsukihime again.But i have finally found the time to read it and im very happy that i finally did. Story - 8/10 The tone of the story feels very much the sameas in Fate and Kara no Kyoukai. It is dark, violent and features elements of action, horror, mystery and romance. However, i have to say that from all of Nasu´s works, "Tsukihime" is probably the most straightforward and also the easiest to get into. No expansive timelines,lore or time travel like in "Fate" and no drugs, rape and personality disorders like "Kara no Kyoukai". But the fact that it is more "normie" is not to be taken negatively. The story is well thought out and brings enough new things to the table, especially the "Vampire lore" was refreshing and a nice break from a lot of stereotypes. From all the genres above, i have to admit that the romance aspect was by far handled the best. This is definitely the best written romance that Nasu has ever done.It was build up well over a long time from both perspectives, it didn´t feel forced. It was very intense and romantic without being stereotypical or, dare i say, "cringe". The mystery was also really good and keeps you guessing up until the final chapters. The flaws of this manga lies in it´s lack of some important information. Both with the mystery aspect as well as with the lore it felt like some info was kept a secret just for the plot to go further on. Another problem are the fights, who are more visual and gory spectacle than strategy. This may work in an anime-format, (Just look at Demon Slayer and Fate) but in a manga, unless the art is insanely top tier, it makes the fights seem a bit bland and forgettable.There were still hype moments though, and i would bet money that if this got an anime adaptation by ufotable, like Nasu´s other works, this would have gotten a lot more recognition. I also think that the pacing was a bit off sometimes, with some big infodumps that can be a bit hard to follow. This manga only has 75 chapters which is really short and i really apreciate the effort that has gone into making this such a unique and interesting story. Art - 8/10 This may be an unpopular opinion, but i really liked the art in this manga. A lot of people online said that it didn´t age that well (Ths manga is from the early 2000s) and wasn´t detailled enough. While i kind off agree with that, i want to point of the things the art did right: setting the tone. The dark and twisted nature of the story is portrayed perfectly with the art. The different shades of black and grey gives every scene during nighttime this dark and eerie vibe. The character designs are what you would expect from Nasu. Some people find them bland but i myself have gotten so used to them over time that i just came to really really enjoy them. Character - 9/10 Like i said, this manga is absolutely carried by it´s main couple, the protagonist Shiki Tohno and his love interest, the vampire Arcueid Brunestudd. I really liked Shiki as a protagonist. Seeing the world through his view was very intense and dramatic. He reminds me a lot of Shirou from Fate stay/night, but he wasn´t as whiny as him. But the real star of the manga is of course, Arcueid. She steals every scene she is in be it a bloody and gory action scene in nightime or a nice lunch at a restaurant.The constant switch between romance during the day and action during the night really helps the characters to develop and show multiple sides of their personality. Her backstory was super intersting to read and really makes her stand out in comparison to other female protagonists. The side characters were also a nice addition. Given that this manga only has 75 chapters don´t expect everyone to have an ocean-amount of depth to them. The ending of their story togther was also satisfying af. Enjoyment - 9/10 This was a very short but also highly enjoyable read. Every fan of Fate and Kara no Kyoukai will love this, but i can definitely see an even wider audience enjoying it. Like i said, this is much more simple and straightforward than something like Fate. If you like your dark action and romance this manga may be for you. - Marco_Yooo P.S There exists an anime adaptation of the manga, but it was received so incredibly poorly that to this day, the Tsukihime fandom denies it´s sheer existence, so watching that is probably not a good idea. If you want the full experience, read the original visual novel. If you are like me and don´t have the time for a 200 hour visual novel anymore, this manga is your best option. FINAL SCORE - 9/10