Togainu no Chi

Togainu no Chi (咎狗の血) is a Japanese BL anime game made by the softwarehouse Nitro+chiral. The plot centers on Akira, a young man who was made to participate in a deadly game called "Igura" in post-apocalyptical Japan in exchange for being freed from jail. His goal is to beat the "Il-Re", the strongest person in Igura. Currently, there is the original PC game, Togainu no Chi, and a　PlayStation 2 version of the game named Togainu no Chi TRUE BLOOD, which was released on May 29, 2008. There are currently no plans to release a commercial version in English. However, an unofficial translation patch is being developed for the PC version by Yaoiforever.

In March 2010 an article posted on the Anime News Network website stated that a new, as of yet untitled, anime television series would be previewed at the Tokyo Anime Fair as part of the 5th anniversary of Nitro+chiral. One day later, it was confirmed that Togainu no Chi was the anime in question and that leading production warehouse Aniplex (Fullmetal Alchemist etc.) would be animating the series.

The official website for the anime lists A-1 Pictures (an Aniplex subsidiary) as the animating studio.

Synopsis
After being devastated in the third World War (known as The Third Division), Japan was divided in two. Several years after the end of the war, a crime organization called Vischio has taken control of the destroyed city of Toshima (formerly Tokyo, Japan's capital city), where they are holding a battle game known as "Igura". The game's main character, a young man named Akira, is falsely accused of a crime. Once arrested, a mysterious woman appears before him, offering him freedom if he agrees to participate in Igura and defeat Igura's strongest man: the king, or "Il-re". The story follows Akira's life in the harsh, lawless Toshima as he fights both to survive and to unravel the mysteries developing around him.

Characters
Voice Actor(s): Spoon Sakiware (PC, Drama CD), Kousuke Toriumi (PS2, Anime)
 * Akira (アキラ)


 * The game's protagonist. Akira is the cool and silent type. He has grayish hair, blue eyes, and stands at 172cm tall. Likes omelet rice flavored Solids. He grew up as an orphan along with Keisuke. Akira was an undefeated champion of the street fighting game "Bl@ster", where he participated in the RAY district under the name LOST. He was accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, but Emma got him out of jail so he could participate in Igura, which he does with slight reluctance. He usually acts cold and uncaring, but has a very naive side to him. His weapon is a knife.

Voice Actor(s): Nanimusha (PC, Drama CD), Tomokazu Sugita (PS2, Anime)
 * Keisuke (ケイスケ)


 * Akira's childhood friend and hard-working factory employee. Has brown hair and eyes and is 178cm tall. Likes green curry flavored Solids. They grew up together in the same orphanage. Because he is a bit weak, he has always admired Akira's strength. Though he is a bit quiet and shy, if Akira is involved, he suddenly becomes bold. Upon hearing Akira's situation, Keisuke chases after Akira and also joins Igura, despite his weakness and lack of fighting experience.

Voice Actor (s): Hayato Kiryuuin (PC, Drama CD), Jun Fukuyama (PS2, Anime)
 * Rin (リン)


 * A young blond, blue-eyed boy participating in Igura. 154cm tall. Though he is sometimes mistaken for a girl because of his small body, he is quite strong and able to get by in Igura. He helps Akira around the town and cheers up Akira when he's down. There is a rumor that he is somehow related to Shiki. He is a former Bl@ster participant (from the GHOST area) who fights with two small daggers and also enjoys taking pictures. Likes the yakiniku flavored Solids.

Voice Actor (s): Kazuya Ichijō (PC, Drama CD, PS2, Anime)
 * Motomi (源泉)


 * An unshaven, middle-aged information collector that knows a lot about the tournament. Has brown hair and eyes and stands at 183cm tall. He has a friendly, carefree personality and is a heavy smoker. He does not participate in the game, but is in Toshima to observe it. He carries a gun for protection.

Voice Actor (s): Masaru Hishi (PC, Drama CD), Kōsuke Okano (PS2)
 * Arbitro (アルビトロ)


 * Manager of the narcotics organization Vischio. A gaudy blond man who always wears a mask over his face. 181cm tall. Has a strange hobby involving appreciating and modifying the bodies of attractive young men. Due to this "hobby", his mansion is full of statues of nude men and he keeps Kau, a human being, as his pet 'dog'.


 * Kau (狗)


 * Arbitro's beloved 'pet', who is actually a young boy. He has white hair, is covered in black leather and a blindfold, and has a large scar and piercings on his stomach (due to Arbitro's personal preferences), and walks on all fours. Because Arbitro destroyed his eyes and vocal cords, he cannot see or speak. He does, however, have a keen sense of smell, and has been trained to pick up the scent of dog tags to help find rule-breakers within Igura. His name's kanji means "dog" in Japanese.

Voice Actor(s): Hikaru Midorikawa (PC, Drama CD, PS2, Anime)
 * Shiki (シキ)


 * A black-haired, red-eyed man standing at 188cm and covered in black clothing who arms himself with a katana. He is the strongest man in Igura. Because he often appears in front of Igura participants and slays them immediately and with no warning, he is extremely feared. Though he kills Igura participants frequently, he neither carries nor collects tags, and thus does not appear to be an Igura participant. He is a violent man shrouded in mystery. The first Il Re who has never been defeated. Shiki formed the Igura in order to battle against Line-compatibles, so he could kill Nano and quell his memories of the first time they met.

Voice Actor (s): Fuji Bakuhatsu (PC, Drama CD), Katsuyuki Konishi (PS2)
 * Kiriwar (キリヲ)


 * Executes the rule violators of the tournament. Though he works for Arbitro, his ties to him are loose and he often likes to get him mad. At 200cm, he is a tall, strong man who carries a metal pipe (which he has lovingly named "Mitsuko") as a weapon. He has short, black hair and a scar across his forehead. He is usually seen with Gunji, who he calls "hiyo" or "hiyoko" (which means "baby chick"). Kiriwar likes to mess with Arbitro and seems to not care much about his job. His name is pronounced "Kirio" but is officially written as "Kiriwar".

Voice Actor (s): Kazuya Sugisaki (PC, Drama CD), Kishō Taniyama (PS2)
 * Gunji (グンジ)


 * Executes the rule violators of the tournament. He is a 195cm tall blond man who fights with metal knuckle claws. He wears a bright red hooded jacket that is open at the front, exposing most of his tattoo-covered torso. Gunji is not very smart and acts spontaneously and violently, and is extremely sadistic in his killings, but still has a fun-loving, childish innocence to him. Gunji has an affinity with name calling. He is usually seen with Kiriwar, who he calls "jijii" ("old man"), calls Arbitro "papa", and Shiki "Shikitty". Gunji seems to confuse cats with dogs, since although Kau is supposed to be a pet "dog", Gunji refers to him as 'Tama', which is a common pet name for a cat. In the manga, he also names a cat that he finds 'Pochi', the common pet name for a dog. Also, though many English-speaking fans spell and pronounce his name as "Gunzi," the name "Gunji" is considered the 'official' name as it is used most often and also used on official merchandise.

Voice Actor (s): Kaori Okuda (PC), Asako Dodo (PS2)
 * Emma (エマ)


 * A beautiful one-armed woman. 167cm tall. She is the one who suggests participating in Igura to Akira as a way to free him of his false charge. She is often seen with Gwen. Very little is known about her.

Voice Actor (s): Kikutarō Namerikawa (PC), Takuo Kawamura (PS2)
 * Gwen (グエン)


 * A serious man in a suit and hat that appears with Ema to convince Akira to participate in Igura. An honest man with a normally harsh expression. 178cm tall.

Voice Actor (s): Takezō Koike (PC), Hideki Ogihara (PS2)
 * Takeru (猛)


 * A one-eyed youth participating in Igura with an extreme passion to win, no matter what it takes.

Voice Actor (s): Prof. Shiryuu (PC, Drama CD), Takumi Yamazaki (PS2)
 * n (ナノ)


 * An enigmatic figure throughout the game. He is not an Igura participant and carries neither tags nor a weapon, despite the dangers in Toshima. He dresses very conservatively, which adds to his unsettling behavior. 182cm tall. Though he often appears in front of Akira, it is a mystery as to whether he is a friend or foe. Nano's blood is the source of Line. His real name is Nicole Premier.

Voice Actor (s): Yuichi Nakamura (PC, PS2)
 * Tomoyuki (トモユキ)


 * A long-haired man participating in Igura. Though he seems to know Rin, they are not on very good terms with each other.

Voice Actor (s): Daisuke Hirakawa (Drama CD, PS2)
 * Kazui (カズイ)


 * A black-haired man somehow connected to Rin and Tomoyuki who seems to resemble someone else Rin knows.

Voice Actor (s): Kentarou Itou (PS2)
 * Touya (トウヤ)


 * A young blond man participating in Igura with a team. He is his team's leader. Yukihito is one of his team members.

Voice Actor (s): Hiroshi Kamiya (PS2)
 * Yukihito (ユキヒト)


 * A red-haired man in his 20s and new character added to "Togainu no Chi: True Blood", the Playstation 2 version of the game. He is a former Bl@ster participant (from AREA: RUDE) who is currently participating in Igura as a member of Touya's team.

Terms

 * The Third Division (ザ・サード・デヴィジョン/第三次世界大戦)


 * History's third World War. After the war, Japan was divided into two: the east, now ruled by the CFC, and the west, now ruled by the Nikkou group. The war stirred up a lot of rage, leading confused young men both before and after the end of the war to participate in "Bl@ster" to vent their anger.


 * CFC
 * An abbreviation for "Confidential Company", a construction enterprise. The main power of the east side of Japan in charge of rebuilding. Their preference for more liberal political thought have led to them quarreling with the Nikkou group's side.


 * Nikkou Group (日興連)


 * An abbreviation for the "Nippon Fukkou Rengou" ("Japan Revival Union") political party. The main power in the west side of Japan after the war. Their preference for more conservative political thought has led to them quarreling with the CFC's side.


 * Toshima (トシマ)


 * An area which used to be Japan's capital, Tokyo, where criminals have gathered. There is no public order and the buildings are in ruins.


 * Igura (イグラ)


 * A battle game held in Toshima that may result in the murder of participants. To participate, one must meet with Arbitro and tell him their reason for their decision. Upon meeting with Arbitro, participants are given five dog tags, each engraved like a card in a standard deck of playing cards. One tag must hang from the participant's neck as proof of participation. Participants must then put their lives on the line to collect others' tags, with the goal being to collect a Royal Flush (10, J, Q, K, A). If a participant collects a Royal Flush set of tags, they earn the right to challenge the Il-re in battle. Participants may use weapons, but guns are not allowed. The rules state that all battles must have a witness standing by and watching. Battles end when one party (the loser) either dies or lets their back touch the ground. The winner takes the loser's tags and is free to do as they please to the loser after that, often resulting in the loser's death. This word was likely created from IGRA (игра), the Russian word for "game".


 * Tags (タグ)


 * A dog tag necklace that Igura participants wear as proof of their participation. Each dog tag has a card suit on it. The aim of the game is to collect a Royal Flush, similar to Poker. Since cards with a 2~9 on them are not useful for obtaining a Royal Flush, they are called "buta tags" (literally "pig tags") and are seen as junk tags. These junk tags, however, do have a use: in some safe areas of Toshima, participants can trade their junk tags for goods such as food, water, or medical supplies.


 * Il-re (イル・レ)


 * Written with the character for king (王) but pronounced "il-re". The Il-re is the strong reigning king of Toshima, standing at the top of the drug rings. No one has ever seen him. If participants collect a Royal Flush of dog tags, they earn the right to challenge the Il-re to a one-on-one duel at the Vischio castle. "Il re" means "the king" in Italian.


 * Vischio (ヴィスキオ)


 * The drug ring that currently rules over Toshima, where they have a castle. Though the Il-re is their boss, since no one has ever seen him, Arbitro runs things. Vischio means "mistletoe" in Italian.


 * Executioners (処刑人)


 * Vischio members who survey Igura and clean up the dead bodies. They also "take care" of people who break the rules or lose, often resulting in the death of everyone in the executioners' way. Kiriwar and Gunji are the main executioners, but due to their wild personalities and irresponsibility, the ones they execute are not necessarily rule-breakers; they'll usually strike down anyone when they feel like it. Because of their unpredictability and tendency towards violence, Igura participants are generally afraid of them.


 * Neutral Zones (中立地帯)


 * Neutral areas where Igura battles are prohibited, allowing Igura participants to rest. The "Meal of Duty" bar and hotels are examples of neutral areas. Here, participants can also find things like food and other supplies to trade their junk tags for.


 * Solid (ソリド)


 * A solid portable food being distributed throughout Toshima. These little food bars come in a variety of flavors, such as omelet rice and green curry.


 * Line (ライン)


 * A drug used and distributed throughout Toshima. Because of the way the drug boosts physical strength, many Igura participants choose to use it (after obtaining it through means such as purchasing it in neutral zones with junk tags). The drug also has an effect on the user's mental state, often making them uncontrollably violent. Though Vischio controls the drug's distribution, the origin of the drug is a mystery.


 * Bl@ster (ブラスター)


 * A sport-like street fighting game. Unlike in Igura, killing people in Bl@ster battles is prohibited. Though it began as simple street fighting, it became very popular among young people and rules eventually developed. The winner is awarded with prize money. There are singles divisions and team divisions to battle in. Though it originated in the CFC area, Bl@ster has now spread all over Japan.


 * Pesca Corsica (ぺスカ・コシカ)


 * The strongest team in Bl@ster. The leader of Pesca Corsica is named "Koat" kooto (コート).The word comes from russian "кот",meaning "male cat", as it was stated later in the game. Like many other names, team's name is  derived from Italian. "Pesca di Corsica" means "peach from Corsica".

Related merchandise
All goods have been released only in Japan unless otherwise specified.


 * INSIDE (Togainu no Chi Official Soundtrack)


 * An official soundtrack released on March 25, 2005. Contains 24 music tracks from the PC game.


 * Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 1


 * Released July 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Shiki's relationship.


 * Togainu no Chi Image drama CD vol 2


 * Released August 26, 2005. This drama CD centers around Akira and Keisuke's relationship.


 * Togainu no Chi ANOTHER STORY ~ RIN


 * Released December 29, 2005. This drama CD centers around Rin.


 * Togainu no Chi (novel)


 * Released February 7, 2006. This is a novel adaptation of the story, with front cover drawn by Tatana Kana. Contains a set of short stories dealing with the characters after the events in the game.


 * Togainu no Chi (manga)


 * This manga adaptation of the Togainu no Chi made by Suguro Chayamachi. It has been serialized in comic B's LOG since January, 2006, and is published by Enterbrain. This manga has been licensed by Tokyopop and its English adaptation was released in January of 2009.

Current Japanese volumes and release dates:


 * Volume 1: November 1, 2006
 * Volume 2: March 31, 2007
 * Volume 3: August 13, 2007
 * Volume 4: December 27, 2007
 * Volume 5: June 30, 2008
 * Volume 6: December 1, 2008
 * Volume 7: August 1, 2009
 * Volume 8: May 31, 2010

Current English volumes and release dates:
 * Volume 1: January 2009 (released)
 * Volume 2: May 2009 (released)
 * Volume 3: August 2009 (released)
 * Volume 4: November 2009 (released)
 * Volume 5: February 2010 (released)
 * Volume 6: Date Unknown (not released) ((confirmed releasedate: November 31, 2010))
 * Volume 7: Date Unknown (not released)
 * Volume 8: Date Unknown (not released)


 * Togainu no Chi (manga)


 * This version of the manga was made by Yamamoto Kana and published by ASCII Media Works. Released on July 22, 2008.


 * CHiRALmori


 * Released January 25, 2008 and also known as the Nitro+Chiral amusement disk. This PC game includes a Togainu no Chi minigame featuring chibi versions of the characters playing poker with their dog tags as well as two other minigames featuring characters from Lamento -Beyond the Void- (another Nitro+Chiral game).


 * Togainu no Chi Desktop Accessory
 * This program includes the following: wallpapers, a screensaver with four unique options and a random function to use them all, including a silent version of the opening video, a clock of which can be switched to show images of most of the characters, a calendar, and a set of window straps. All of this content works in Windows 2000 and XP, and most gives no problem in Vista. The exception to that are the window straps, which must be used in compatibility mode by Vista users. The window straps have another requirement that all must meet to run them, the computer calendar must be set before 2005 before installing. It can be set back after the straps are installed. This particular piece merchandise requires the computer to be run constantly in Japanese.


 * Togainu no Chi True Blood Official Fan Book
 * Contains game information, character profiles, artwork, voice actors' interviews, etc. Released on July 3, 2008.