Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity

Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity
Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity visual novel cover
タユタマ -Kiss on my Deity-
Genre	Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Game
Developer	Lump of Sugar
Publisher	Lump of Sugar (Windows) 5pb. (Xbox 360)
Genre	Eroge, Visual novel
Rating	18+ (Windows) CERO : D (Xbox 360)
Platform	Windows, Xbox 360
Released	July 11, 2008 (Windows) November 5, 2009 (Xbox 360)
Manga
Written by	Yūya
Illustrated by	Yukiwo
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Comp Ace
Original run	January 2009 – July 2009
Volumes	1
TV anime
Directed by	Keitaro Motonaga
Studio	Silver Link
Licensed by	Sentai Filmworks
Network	Chiba TV, TV Kanagawa
Original run	April 5, 2009 – June 21, 2009
Episodes	12
Game
Tayutama: It's Happy Days
Developer	Lump of Sugar
Publisher	Lump of Sugar
Genre	Eroge, Visual novel
Rating	18+
Platform	Windows
Released	May 29, 2009

Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity (タユタマ -Kiss on my Deity-) is a Japanese visual novel developed by Lump of Sugar. It was first released as an adult game for Windows PCs on July 11, 2008 in both limited and regular editions, and is followed by an all-ages release for the Xbox 360. Tayutama is Lump of Sugar's third title along with their previous titles Nursery Rhyme and Itsuka, Todoku, Ano Sora ni.. The gameplay in Tayutama follows a linear plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios and courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the four female main characters.

Tayutama has since then received a spin-off title, Tayutama: It's Happy Days, and has received several transitions to other media: a manga adaptation, illustrated by Japanese illustrator Yukiwo and serialized in the manga magazine Comp Ace; an anime series was produced by the animation studio Silver Link, and began its broadcast in Japan on April 5, 2009; a drama CD adaptation; and an Internet radio show to promote the anime adaptation.

Gameplay

A conversation in Tayutama depicting the protagonist Yuri talking to Yumina.

Tayutama is a romance visual novel in which the player assumes the role of Yuri Mito. Its gameplay mainly consists of progression through the story by reading text that appears on the screen, which represents the story's dialogue or narrative. Every so often, the player will come to a "decision point", where he or she is given the chance to choose from multiple options. Text progression pauses at these points until a decision is made. Depending on the choices that the player makes, the plot will progress toward a specific heroine's ending. There are four main plot lines in the original release that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. This is increased to five plot lines in the Xbox 360 version with the extended scenario for Nue. In order to view all of the plot lines, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and make different decisions to progress the plot in alternate directions.

Plot

Sosei Academy as seen in Tayutama. Slightly's school building is seen to the left, while Flawless' school building is seen to the right.

Setting and themes

The main part of Tayutama takes place in a town called Ashihara-chō (葦原町), which houses various landmarks such as the Sosei Academy (創聖学院, Sōsei Gakuin), which the main characters attend, and the Yachimata Shrine (八衢神社, Yachimata Jinja). Sosei Academy consists of two departments: a notorious all-girls department named Flawless (フローレス, Furōresu), which stems its roots from the Sosei Girls' Academy; and a recently added coeducation department named Slightly (スライトリー, Suraitorii). The campus grounds are separated into two parts which houses the two separate departments. Students attending the Flawless department lives in a dormitory across from the school building, which is separated from Slightly's school building and schoolyard by a small forest.

The supernatural is a recurring theme in Tayutama. The fictional, mythological race Tayutai (太転依) is worshiped by the Yachimata Shrine, and is able to take shape in various forms such as humans. Various characters also possess supernatural abilities, such as Yuri who excels in shinto studies and practices, and Mashiro, who is a Tayutai herself. Yumina and Ameri both receive wings of different types, as a result of gaining the favor and allying respectively with Houou and Ouryu, two Tayutai. Mifuyu is befriended by Nue, a Tayutai, and is physically powerful enough to engage a Tayutai in battle.

Principal characters

The player assumes the role of Yuri Mito (泉戸 裕理, Mito Yūri, voiced by: Satoshi Hino), the protagonist of Tayutama. Yuri comes from a family that presides over the Yachimata Shrine, and holds a vast knowledge in shinto practices. He takes an interest in automobile maintenance, and also aspires to be an auto mechanic or designer. Mashiro Mito (泉戸 ましろ, Mito Mashiro, voiced by: Noriko Rikimaru), the main heroine of Tayutama, is a Tayutai girl who is the incarnation of the goddess Kikuramikami no Hime (綺久羅美守毘売, voiced by: Haruka Nagami). She falls in love with Yuri soon after being left in his care, to the extent that she claims to be his wife. She has a high understanding of spiritual powers, and strives to create a world where both humans and Tayutai can coexist together.

Several characters also become involved in Yuri and Mashiro's attempt. Ameri Kawai (河合 アメリ, Kawai Ameri, voiced by: Asami Shimoda), another heroine, is Yuri's energetic and outgoing childhood friend. She frequently carries around candies, which she often shares with others, and has a crush towards Yuri, but is unable to carry her feelings further. Yumina Takanashi (小鳥遊 ゆみな, Takanashi Yumina, voiced by: Kaori Mizuhashi), also a heroine, is Yuri's stepsister who resided with his family until their mother's death. She is often shy and quiet in front of others, and takes an interest in activities such as drawing and cooking. Yumina transfers into the Flawless department early in the story, and often voluntarily takes care of the household chores for Yuri's family. Mifuyu Kisaragi (如月 美冬, Kisaragi Mifuyu, voiced by: Shizuka Itō), the last of Tayutama's heroines, is an honor student from the Flawless department. She is calm and intelligent, and tends to act as an elder sister figure to other Flawless students. She is skilled in various martial arts, and is in particular proficient in kenjutsu.

Story

The story of Tayutama revolves around the male protagonist Yuri Mito, a third year high school student who is a descendant of the Mito family of the Yachimata Shrine. One day during spring break, Yuri and his friends Ameri and Sankurou discover a wooden relic which bears mysterious symbols in the school's woods. The relic turns out to host the Tayutai race which the Yachimata shrine worships, but is deemed to be insignificant for preservation by the school, and will be demolished to allow the school grounds' expansion. Yuri later sneaks into the school to transfer the relic's spirits, after coming to the conclusion that destroying the relic may be harmful. As he performs the ritual, he accidentally summons Kikuramikami no Hime, a Tayutai goddess who explains to him the belligerent relationship between humans and Tayutai; Kikuramikami then incarnates as a young girl, Mashiro, hoping to maintain a mutual relationship with humans. The relic is then destroyed after an accident caused by Ameri, which accidentally releases the entire Tayutai race, among whom are Nue, Houou, and Ouryu, three influential Tayutai who hold humans in low regard, and are collectively referred to as the Three Mightiest.

Development and release

Tayutama is the third title developed by Lump of Sugar. The visual novel's scenario was written by Chihiro Fumikata. The character designs and illustrations for the visual novel were drawn by Fumitake Moekibara; Moekibara also served the same position for Lump of Sugar's previous titles. The game's music was composed entirely by Shigenobu Ōkawa, who was also one of the two composers for Itsuka, Todoku, Ano Sora ni..

Tayutama was first released for Windows on July 11, 2008 in both limited and regular editions. The limited edition contained the game itself, a vocal collection CD, an official fan book, character portraits, and a phone strap; the regular edition did not contain the aforementioned extras. A fan disc title of Tayutama, titled Tayutama: It's Happy Days, was released on May 29, 2009 in both limited and regular editions. The limited edition of the It's Happy Days contained the game itself and a visual fan book with short summaries of the game's characters, illustrations, conception materials, and an interview with the game's development team. An all-ages version for the Xbox 360 was released on November 5, 2009 by 5pb.. The Xbox 360 version contains remastered graphics, additional music, and additional scenarios for Nue, a supporting female character being promoted to a heroine. It was released in both limited and regular editions, and the limited edition contains the game itself, a phone strap, and a drama CD adaptation.

Adaptations

Printed media

A manga adaptation based on Tayutama was serialized between the January and July 2009 issues of the manga magazine Comp Ace. The manga series was drawn by illustrator Yukiwo and written by Yūya, and features an original story in which Yuri becomes a girl. The individual chapters were later compiled into a single bound volume published by Kadokawa Shoten on June 26, 2009. A series of four-panel comic strip anthologies, titled Magi-Cu 4-koma Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity, was published by Enterbrain. The anthology series spanned four volumes published under Enterbrain's Magi-Cu Comics imprint, released between April 25 and October 26, 2009. The contents of the anthologies were drawn by numerous artists, and eighteen different illustrators worked on volume one.

An art book titled Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity Official Book was released with the game's limited edition release on July 11, 2008. The book included content such as sketches of the characters and staff comments. A 112-page visual fan book for the fan disc, Tayutama: It's Happy Days, was first released with the game's limited edition release on May 29, 2009; it was also released separately on January 22, 2010. The book contains content such as illustrations and computer graphic artwork from the game, development materials, and staff interviews.

Anime

See also: List of Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity episodes

A Tayutama anime adaptation was first announced in Enterbrain's Tech Gian magazine on December 20, 2008. The anime series was produced by Silver Link, directed by Keitaro Motonaga and written by Makoto Ueda. The anime was first exhibited as a video at Media Factory's Spring Anime Festival in the Ryōgoku KFC Hall in Tokyo, on March 29, 2009. The exhibition featured a public showing of the anime's first episode along with Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom and Queen's Blade's respective episodes, and also talk shows featuring voice actors from the three series. The anime was first broadcast in Japan between April 5 and June 21, 2009 on the Chiba TV broadcasting network as a UHF anime. The series was released in Japan as six separate Blu-ray Disc and DVD volumes between June 25 and November 25, 2009; each volume also contains an animated extra titled Tayutayu: Pure my Heart (たゆたゆ -Pure my heart-). Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime for distribution by Section23 Films in North America, and the series was released as a volume of two DVDs on March 16, 2010.

An Internet radio talk show titled Tayutama Radio: Hirusagari no Yometachi (タユタマらじお -昼下がりの嫁たち-) was hosted by Noriko Rikimaru and Asami Shimoda, who voiced Mashiro and Ameri respectively in the anime. The radio show was first streamed on the Japanese Internet radio network Onsen on March 9, 2009, and continued to do so every Monday until its tenth episode on July 13, 2009.

Music

The visual novel Tayutama has four main theme songs, the first opening theme "Konna Haru no Sora o" (こんな春の空を, "Through the Spring Sky"), the second opening theme "Shunkan Supurain" (瞬間スプライン, "Instantaneous Spline"), the ending theme "Niji o Mitsuketa Yō na Iro de" (虹を見つけたような色で, "A Rainbow-like Color"), and an insert song "Cherry". Both the first opening and the ending themes were sung by Haruka Shimotsuki, while the second opening theme and the insert song were sung by Kicco. There are also four additional insert songs, one for each heroine and was sung by their respective voice actresses. The insert song for Mashiro is "Marital Vows"; the insert song for Ameri is "Going My Way" (ごーいんぐまいうぇい, Gōingu Mai Uei); the insert song for Yumina is "Flower Doll"; and lastly, the insert song for Mifuyu is "Rainy Pain".

The first music album release was a maxi single entitled "Shunkan Suparain". The single contains the titular theme song and "Cherry", and was released on June 27, 2008. The game's original soundtrack was released on July 9, 2008. Of the thirty-one tracks collected in the album, two are the theme songs "Konna Haru no Sora o" and "Niji o Mitsuketa Yō na Iro de". Another maxi single, titled "The Fine Every Day", was released on April 22, 2009. The single contains the opening theme for the anime, "The Fine Every Day", and the opening theme for Tayutama: It's Happy Days, "Jōnetsu no Uoburu" (情熱のウォブル, "Passionate Wobble"), both sung by Kicco.

Reception and legacy

Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity was the second most widely sold game on Getchu.com for July 2008, only falling behind Little Busters! Ecstasy, and was also the sixth most widely sold game of the year. The game was also the twenty-seventh most widely sold game on the website for the month of April 2009. The game received two awards from the 2008 Bishōjo Game Awards panel, a silver prize for graphics, coming behind Akabeisoft2's G Senjō no Maō, and a gold prize for character designs. Tadamoto Ōsawa, the editor-in-chief of the Japanese bishōjo magazine BugBug, praised Moekibara for his heroines' appealing character designs, and cited Mashiro as a character fitting for the award.

The anime adaptation received mixed reviews. Chris Beveridge of Mania.com praised the series' aesthetics. He stated that it "has a solid looking presentation to it with its animation style and character design," and in particular found the costume and setting designs appealing. However, he critized how the storyline "has a whole lot of the familiar ... that keeps it from standing well on its own," and described the series as "not bad, it's just another show that we've seen before." Stig Høgset of THEM Anime Reviews also noted the characters are "generally pleasant to look at." He described the adaptation's story as "fairly straightforward and hardly difficult to follow," but criticized it as "basically written with a complete disregard for logic and common sense." Høgset concluded by comparing Tayutama's anime adaptation to Natsume's Book of Friends, stating that although the former is "honestly trying to tell a decent story about the possible friendship between two different races ... [the latter] does this a hell of a lot better."

External links

• Lump of Sugar's official Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity website (Japanese)
• 5pb.'s official Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity website (Japanese)
• Tayutama: It's Happy Days official website (Japanese)
• Anime's official website (Japanese)
• Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia