Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka

:anime voices|Wataru Hatano (anime):Jun'ichi is the main protagonist of the series. He is a second year high school student and had a quarrel with a transfer student, Yuuhi Katagiri on the first day of school. It turns out that Yuuhi is his fiancé as arranged by his family. His life takes a drastic turn with Yuuhi entering his life. He has a sister, Minato.

;Nihongo|Yuuhi Katagiri|片桐 優姫|Katagiri Yūhi:anime voices|Kazane (PC), Rie Kugimiya (anime/PS2):Yuuhi is the main heroine in the series. She is a transfer student to Jun'ichi's school and met him on her first day to school. She is a strong-willed and stubborn person, and is Jun'ichi's fiancé.

;Nihongo|Minato Nagase|長瀬 湊|Nagase Minato:anime voices|Hikaru Mizusawa (PC), Aya Hirano (anime/PS2):Minato is Jun'ichi's younger sister. She is a year younger than him and attends the same school as him as a first year high school student. She is capable in all areas of house hold related work and is proud of it.

;Nihongo|Tsukasa Kiryu|霧生 つかさ|Kiryū Tsukasa:anime voices|Mina Motoyama (PC), Marina Inoue (anime/PS2):Tsukasa is a second year student in the same class as Jun'ichi.

;Nihongo|Nagomi Shiraishi|白石 なごみ|Shiraishi Nagomi:anime voices|Miru (PC), Ryō Hirohashi (anime/PS2):A first year high school student

;Nihongo|Mitsuki Siina|椎名 観月|Shiina Mitsuki:anime voices|Misono Moritani (PC), Rie Tanaka (anime/PS2):Siina is the president of the student council at the school that Jun'ichi attends. She is a third year student.

;Nihongo|Mikoto Tachibana|橘 ミコト|Tachibana Mikoto:anime voices|Fūri Samoto (PC), Erino Hazuki (anime/PS2)

;Nihongo|Karen Ayanokouji|綾小路華恋|Ayanokōji Karen:anime voices|Emiri Katō (anime/PS2):Karen is a second year student that is in the same class as Jun'ichi. She is an original character that was first introduced in "Parallel".

;Nihongo|Fuyuhiko Nishino|西野 冬彦|Nishino Fuyuhiko:anime voices|Taiyō Sorano (PC), Akira Ishida (anime/PS2)

;Nihongo|Seijirou Sugishita|杉下 清次郎|Sugishita Seijirō:anime voices|Jin Aoshima (PC), Rikiya Koyama (anime/PS2)

;Nihongo|Sai Fijimiya|藤宮 彩|Fujimiya Sai:anime voices|Hikaru Kaga (PC), Yū Kobayashi (anime/PS2)

;Nihongo|Aya Nijo|二条亜矢|Nijō Aya:anime voices|Rokumi Maminami (PC), Fukuhara Kaori (anime/PS2)

;Nihongo|Yutori Shiraishi|白石 ゆとり|Shiraishi Yutori:anime voices|Nagare Aokawa (PC), Ryō Hirohashi (anime/PS2)

Development

"Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka" is the fifth project developed by the visual novel studio Feng, and is similar to their fourth title "Aozora no Mieru Oka". The producer for the game is Uezama. The project uses four different artists in character design: Tsubasu Izumi (designer of Yuuhi, Mitsuki, and Mikoto), Suzuka (designer of Minato and Nogomi), Naturalton (designer of Tsukasa), and Akira Sawano (designer of the protagonist, and the supporting cast).citeweb|url= http://www.akane-iro.jp/products.html|title=Products section at the PC version's official website|publisher=Feng|accessdate= 2008-06-29|language=Japanese] The scenario was entirely written by Kenji Saitō. For the PlayStation 2 version, an additional heroine named Karen Ayanokōji was included and is designed by Manabu Aoi.

Release history

On July 23 2007, a free game demo of "Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka" became available for download at Feng's official website. [citeweb|url=http://www.akane-iro.jp/download.html|title=Download section at the PC version's official website| publisher=Feng|accessdate=2008-06-29|language=Japanese] In the demo, the player was introduced to the main characters in the game through a sequence that is typical of the gameplay found in a visual novel which includes times during gameplay where the player is given several choices to make in order to further the plot in a specific direction. The full game was first released on July 27 2007 as a DVD playable only on a Microsoft Windows PC, containing full voice acting with the exception of Jun'ichi. A PlayStation 2 version without adult content will be released on July 31 2008 by GN Software under the title Nihongo|"Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka: Parallel"|あかね色に染まる坂 ぱられる|Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka Parareru. [citeweb|url=http://www.goodnavigate.com/GN/products/akaneiro/index.html|title=PS2 visual novel version's official website|publisher=GN Software|accessdate=2008-06-29|language=Japanese]

Adaptations

Books

Two light novels have been produced. The first, published on December 15 2007 by Harvest, is written by Mutsuki Mizusaki and illustrated by Akira Sawano. The second, published on February 29 2008 by Kill Time Communication, is written by Mao Shinji, the front cover is illustrated by Suzuka, and the inside has illustrations by Piēru Yoshio. An art book for the visual novel called Nihongo|"Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka Official Fan Book"|あかね色に染まる坂 オフィシャルファンブック|Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka Ofisharu Fan Bukku was published on February 29 2008 by Broccoli.

Internet radio show

An Internet radio show to promote the "Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka: Parallel" called Nihongo|"Koyama Rikiya×Hirohashi Ryō no Akaneiro ni Somaru Radio"|小山力也×広橋涼のあかね色に染まるラジオ began broadcasting on April 2 2008 and is distributed on Nico Radio. [citeweb|url=http://www.akaraji.jp/|title=Internet radio show's official website|publisher=Feng| accessdate=2008-06-29|language=Japanese] The show is streamed online every Thursday, and is hosted by Rikiya Koyama and Ryō Hirohashi who voice Seijirō Sugishita and Nogomi Shiraishi from the visual novel. There are seven corners, or parts, to the show that each episode is divided into. Several voice actors from the visual novel have appeared on the show as guests who include Erino Hazuki (as Mikoto), Marina Inoue (as Tsukasa), Miyuki Hashimoto, Emiri Katō (as Karen), and Kaori Fukuhara (as Aya).

Manga

A manga adaptation began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen magazine "Comp Ace" on June 26 2008. [citeweb|url=http://www.comptiq.com/ace/index.php?%CB%DC%BB%EF%2F2008%C7%AF%2FVOL.28|title="Comp Ace" August 2008 issue|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|accessdate=2008-06-29|language=Japanese] The story is based on the visual novel that preceded it, and is illustrated by Homare Sakazuki.

Anime

An anime adaptation produced by the animation studio TNK and directed by Keitaro Motonaga began airing in Japan on Chiba TV on October 2 2008. [citeweb|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-06-28/akane-iro-ni-somaru-saka-game-to-get-tv-anime-in-fall|title="Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka" Game to Get TV Anime in Fall|publisher=Anime News Network|date=2008-06-29|accessdate=2008-06-29] The anime's opening theme, entitled Nihongo|"Ren'ai Parachute"|恋愛パラシュート|Ren'ai Parashūto, is performed by Miyuki Hashimoto and the ending theme, "Sweet Gift", is performed by Rie Kugimiya.

Music

The PC version of the visual novel has two main theme songs, one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme, Nihongo|"Setsunasa no Gradation"|せつなさのグラデイション|Setsunasa no Guradeishon, is sung by Miyuki Hashimoto, written by Aki Hata, composed by Akiko Tomita, arranged by Junpei Fujita. The ending theme, Nihongo|"Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka"|あかね色に染まる坂, is sung by Chiki-chan, written by Hata, and is composed and arranged by Yūichi Nakano. The PS2 version will use a different opening theme, Nihongo|"Akane no Saka"|あかねの坂, which is sung and composed by Hashimoto, written by Noboru Yamaguchi, and arranged by Masaki Suzuki. The PC game's original soundtrack called "Gradation!" was released by Lantis on October 31 2008 containing two discs. [ citeweb|url=http://www.lantis.jp/new-release/data.php?id=8e07dfccd6de1d9322d600d8ea0b184c|title="Akaneiro ni Somaru Saka"'s original soundtrack's official listing|publisher=Lantis|accessdate=2008-06-29|language=Japanese]

References

External links

* [http://www.akane-iro.jp/ PC visual novel official website] ja icon
* [http://www.goodnavigate.com/GN/products/akaneiro/index.html PS2 visual novel official website] ja icon
* [http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/akasaka/ Anime official website] ja icon
*ann anime|id=10095