Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time
Because of "Harukanaru Toki no Naka de"s success, the game has given rise to a franchise including several sequels, numerous drama and music CDs, a manga series, two OAVs, a movie, and an anime television series, and a live-action theatrical. Plot. On the first day of a new school term, high school student Akane Motomiya, her classmate Tenma Morimura, and their underclass friend Shimon Nagareyama are sucked into a mysterious old well. When they awake, they are in , another world that resembles Kyoto during the Heian Period. According to the young scion of  the , Fujihime, Akane is the who has come to save Kyō from the ambitions of the . In this task, Akane has the help of eight beautiful and single men known as the , and her friends Tenma and Shimon number among them. Initially, Akane is bewildered by her new circumstances, but she gradually comes to face up to her own destiny and understand the world of Kyō. Gameplay. "Harukanaru Toki no Naka de" places the player in the role of a girl who is surrounded by attractive young men, and gives her the option of trying to win the heart of  one and live happily ever after. The heroine must also fight evil with the help of the attractive young men. The result is a hybrid game with a visual novel–like interaction mode, a simple role-playing video game battle mode, and a board game–like map. "Haruka" is made up of ten chapters, eight of which involve the core gameplay. These chapters take place over a two-week period and involve traveling around the Kyō map, searching for various key items. Kyō is made up of roughly 20 areas and it is possible to visit three in one day . However, most areas are possessed by vengeful ghosts that must be dispelled before you can enter, and fighting them consumes one of the three visit chances. "Haruka"'s battle system is limited in comparison to most CRPGs of its day. The maximum party size is 3 characters, but only Akane is under the direct control of the player. Though Akane can attack and defend, her other abilities – the use of healing items and spells, and the ability to encourage her comrades, are more useful. There is no magic point system as such. Casting spells is based on the morale of  the Hachiyō members and the number of elemental cards Akane has. Furthermore, there is no experience system and the character's hit points are refilled automatically between fights. The main reward for fighting, besides gaining entrance to a given area, is the chance to gain the trust of Hachiyō. The greater a Hachiyō member's rapport with Akane, the more effective he will be in battle. Themes. The world of "Harukanaru Toki no Naka de" is based on the height of the Heian Period of Japanese history, and many aspects of Heian culture, as described in the great literature of  the time, are depicted in the game. Releases. All titles developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei / Koei Tecmo unless noted. List does not include limited editions, classic, or treasure box releases. Other "Haruka" video games. All titles developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei / Koei Tecmo unless noted. List does not include limited editions, classic, or treasure box releases. Adaptations. Manga. The first "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time" game was adapted into a manga series serialized in the Japanese manga magazine "LaLa DX". The series was also printed in volumes published by Hakusensha. The manga was  illustrated by Tohko Mizuno, who was also the game's character designer. The manga series was licensed in English by Viz Media as "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time" for serialization in their Shojo Beat magazine as well as tankōbon releases. The Japanese and English editions of the manga both were collected in 17 volumes. The sixth video game series received a manga adaptation in Kodansha's "Aria" magazine by the game's character designer Tohko Mizuno in 2015. Anime. There have been multiple anime adaptations of "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time". The first OVA was directed by Iku  Suzuki and produced by Zexcs. It was released in 2002 in two episodes and was based on the first video game. "Ajisai Yumegatari" describes briefly Akane's coming to Kyou and her involvement with the Hachiyou. An anime television series called "Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyō Shō" was produced by Yumeta Company and adapted Mizuno's manga adaptation of the story line of the first game. It was directed by Aki Tsunaki, and aired from 2004 to 2005 for 26 episodes. It was dubbed and released in English as "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time: A Tale of the  Eight Guardians". The anime series was followed by two OVA episodes "Ten" and "Chi". On August 19, 2006, a feature film titled was released. Tubi TV later added the series. Other "Haruka" installments received OVA adaptations. was produced by Yumeta Company and was released in three episodes from 2003 to 2005, covering the storyline of the second installment of the video game franchise. The third installment received several OVAs: was released on December 28, 2007 by Yumeta Company and was directed by Toshiya Shinohara. It was released as a single OVA with a bonus "Onsen Chibi special". On January 3 , 2010, a sequel was released. It was directed by Shigeru Kimiya. Movie. A live action movie was also released in early 2008 in Japan. Other games. The Koei Tecmo crossover game "Warriors All-Stars" is the first title featuring "Haruka" series elements to appear in an official release outside of Japan. The game features many characters from across Koei Tecmo's history of games, including the "Haruka" series itself, with characters from the sixth entry, Hajime Arima and Darius, included as playable. Arima is available as one of the initial playable characters, while Darius can only be unlocked under certain  conditions. Reception. On release, "Famitsu" magazine scored the Game Boy Advance version of the game a 31 out of 40. The manga adaptation was generally received poorly, with reviewers recommending other fantasy manga such as "Inuyasha" or "Fushigi Yuugi" instead. One reviewer said, "Looking past the fact that the plot is blatant rip-off of Fushigi Yûgi, Haruka is so poorly written as to be almost incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t played the game." Another stated that "The very ending of the [last] volume, and thereby the series as a whole, suffers from a lack of explanation", but did  offer praise for the art, saying "Mizuno's drawings really are a pleasure to look at."