Togainu no Chi

is a Japanese BL visual novel created by Nitro+CHiRAL.
== Gameplay ==
For a visual novel, the game features relatively few choices, leaving the player with less influence on the events than would usually be seen (even choices which do not alter the plot).
== Characters ==
;Akira (アキラ)
:Voiced by: Kosuke Toriumi (PS2, Anime, Drama CD)
:The game's protagonist. Akira is the cool and silent type. He has grayish hair, blue eyes, and stands at 172cm tall. He 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 and Gwen had him removed from prison so he could participate in Igura, which he does with slight reluctance. He usually acts cold and uncaring with an indifference to life and death, but has a very naive side to him. His weapon is a knife.
;Keisuke (ケイスケ)
:Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita, credited as "Nanimusha" for the PC and drama CD
:Akira's childhood friend and hard-working factory employee. He has brown hair and eyes and is 178cm tall, and he likes green curry flavored Solids. He and Akira grew up together in the same orphanage. Because he is a bit weak, he has always admired Akira's strength and suffers from low self-esteem and self-deprecation. Though he is a bit quiet and shy, if Akira is involved, he suddenly becomes bold. Upon hearing Akira's situation, Keisuke covertly chases after Akira and also joins Igura, despite his weakness and lack of fighting experience.
== Plot ==
After being devastated in the third World War (known as The Third Division), Japan was divided in two: the CFC, which controls the east half of Japan, and Nikkouren, which controls the west. 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.
Igura is a vicious battle game that may result in the death or murder of participants. To participate, one must go to Toshima's palace, meet with a man named Arbitro, and tell him their reason for their decision to enter into Igura. 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 Straight or a Full House using cards 10 through Ace. (The game incorrectly refers to such a Straight as a Royal Flush, which is a poker hand that requires that all cards be of the same suit.) Tags representing cards less than 10 are referred to as "pig tags" and can be used in dedicated neutral zones to purchase sustenance, first aid supplies, and other essentials. If a participant collects a Straight or Full House consisting of the tags representing the cards 10 through Ace, they earn the right to challenge Il Re in battle.
The rules for combat dictate that battles must be between two participants with at least one non-participating witness present, and end when one combatant either dies or allows their back to touch the ground. The winner takes the loser's tags and is free to do as they please to the loser after that, often consisting of rape and resulting in the loser's death; however, many of the participants wantonly break the rules of the game. Two executioners, Gunji and Kiriwar, work for Arbitro, patrolling Toshima to kill rule breakers and to clean up the corpses of the fallen; however, they view themselves above the rules and often kill participants at their whims without consequences.
Many participants use a drug called "Rein," which temporarily boosts their strength significantly and gives them an advantage in battle; however, Rein has many side effects, is extremely addictive, and the withdrawal is unbearably unpleasant and can even be fatal. Il Re is involved in the distribution of Rein, which leads to him having a high level of wealth. If they defeat Il Re, they assume his position in distributing Rein and become incredibly wealthy, which is the primary motivation for many of the fighters who join Igura.
The game begins with the protagonist, a young man named Akira living in the CFC district of Japan and a champion in Bl@ster - a fighting game with much stricter rules and moderation than Igura - being falsely accused of murder and arrested. After some time in prison, a mysterious woman and man involved in the government visit him, offering him freedom from his sentence if he agrees to participate in Igura and defeat 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. The game has multiple endings, and binary decision points during the story determine which ending the player will achieve. Many of them are brutal, and the game contains themes around rape, BDSM, mutilation, and murder.
== Release ==
;Togainu no Chi
:: February 25, 2005
:: February 25, 2020
;Togainu no Chi True Blood
:: May 29, 2008
;Togainu no Chi True Blood Portable
:: December 23, 2010
=== Related media ===
The game has been adapted into two manga series, a novel and a twelve episode anime series. In March 2010 as part of the Nitro+CHiRAL 5th anniversary, an anime adaptation was announced for Togainu no Chi with production by Aniplex. The anime began airing on MBS and TBS on October 7, 2010. Aniplex of America streamed and simulcast the series in North America on Anime News Network.
== Music ==
;Togainu no Chi
:INSIDE
;Togainu no Chi True Blood
:Togainu no Chi True Blood Original Soundtrack
== External links ==
== References ==