History VisualNovel / AkaiIto

* SchoolgirlLesbians: Kei and Uzuki. She blatantly says she's in love with her respectful partner, and in Uzuki's true ending, says....a rather thinly veiled confession that she wants to have sex with her, stating in an embarrassed way that she wants to show her how much she loves her at night. The rest of the cast doesn't really count, since none of them are schoolgirls. [[spoiler:Yumei can become one in her own true ending. And yes, she and Kei are living like a couple, despite being cousins.]]

* NotSoDifferent: What Nozomi whispers into Uzuki's mind [[spoiler:after she accidentally slash Kei to near death]].

** Nozomi: Averted. At the end of her route, she doesn't get to be alive again. It's not known whether she's sent to FinalDeath when the Ryugetsu is destroyed in another routes.
* UnstoppableRage[=/=]BerserkerTears: Sakuya, when [[spoiler:Kei was gruesomely impaled by Nushi]].

* ThemeTuneCameo: Kei use the opening theme as her cellphone ringtone. [[LampshadeHanging It sounds somewhat sinister]], and in the OST CD, is titled "[[TarotMotifs Wheel of Fortune]]". [[spoiler: And it's also the LeitMotif for Nushi, titled "Utakata". Yeeeeeeah!]]

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler: Kei, after she got impaled by Nushi near the end of Sakuya route. Unless Sakuya give her an EmergencyTransformation.]] Also Nozomi [[HeroicSacrifice at the end of her route]], but she got better.

The story is about a girl named Hatou Kei who, as a result of a dead mother, heads to her father's house in order to claim her inheritance. However, she soon finds herself caught up in supernatural happenings after a dream concerning a huge tree and a mysterious girl...

* BloodyHilarious: Kei just keep on feeding Yumei during the later's route. ''Affectionately''. While being watched and commented by Sakuya and Tsudura. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments The game even make a small sub-screen during the CG to display them commenting!]]

** PatrickStewartSpeech: [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments "Surely, while there are many bad people in the world, not everyone are bad, right? If humans are scary, then is Kei-nee-san scary?"]]

* BigBad: [[{{Orochi}} Nushi-sama]] [[spoiler:who is inside KEI-kun]].

Besides its haunting, and melancholic atmosphere, the visual novel is well-known for its [[NintendoHard difficulty]] (as is its sister-game, ''Aoishiro'') with ''dozens'' of bad endings one can get.

* FurAgainstFang: Of the Individual Battles variety: Tsudura[[spoiler: fused with Obana's soul]] versus Nozomi and Mikage.

* MysteriousWaif: Yumei

** ScarilyCompetentTracker: And she can track Nozomi and Mikage by [[spoiler: the smell of Kei's blood that they drank]], even though those twins are ''vampire-ghosts hiding in a mirror''.
* NotSoDifferent: What Nozomi whispers into Uzuki's mind, [[spoiler: after she accidentally slash Kei to near death.]]

* PowerLevels: In the JIVE Guidebook. Sakuya (in Ragou mode) is listed as higher than Nushi and thus highest in the ranking, while Kei is (obviously) the lowest. [[spoiler: Oni!Kei and Horned!Sakuya aren't listed.]]

* Creator/RieKugimiya: Tsudura. [[PigeonholedVoiceActor Guess what]]. [[spoiler: Tsudura even says that she hates people since she's [[Manga/HayateTheCombatButler constantly targeted by bad people]], some of which aren't humans.]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Nozomi and Mikage. [[spoiler: Tsudura's werefox mode.]]
* RedStringOfFate: The literal translation of the title. When someone take Kei's blood ([[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything with her consent]]), there is a short FMV showing two blood-red sinusoidal wave synchronizing with each others into a straight line, showing adjoining of destiny. [[spoiler: This even become a running gag in Yumei route!]]
* RestoredMyFaithInHumanity: Kei, for Tsudura. [[spoiler: It doesn't stick, Tsudura returns to her [[{{Masquerade}} world of the onikiri]]. Unless you get her Happy Ending, in which Kei remember everything when Tsudura pass near her.]]

* SaveTheDayTurnAway: Even though Tsudura [[spoiler: have become a very powerful onikiri, have eliminated the threat of Nushi-sama (''before it can even start''), have saved Kei from very certain death, have helped Ohashira-sama AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence, and most importantly: have found a person she need not be paranoid of, she can't be together with Kei because doing so will endanger Kei]]. [[TearJerker She does regret it]].

* SchoolGirlLesbians: Kei and Uzuki. She blatantly say's she's in love with her respectful partner, and in Uzuki's true ending, say's....a rather thinly veiled confession that she wants to have sex with her, stating in an embarrassed way, that she wants to show her how much she loves her at night. The rest of the cast doesn't really count, since none of them are schoolgirls. [[spoiler: Yumei can become one in her own true ending. And yes, her and Kei are living like a couple, despite being cousins.]]
* SecretWar: The conflict between the Onikiribe and the [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Oni]] has been on-going since the beginning of time. [[spoiler: Kei is only hidden from the preying supernaturals due to the blue marble charm that is her cellphone straps. And even that isn't fool-proof.]]
* SoundtrackDissonance: You would think that the final battle against Nushi will have OminousLatinChanting or something, but no. Well, it actually has its meaning
* [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen She Who Must Not Be Seen]]: Youko-chan, Kei's friend at the school. Also, Kei's ''father'' in the flashback; which is [[JustForFun/{{Egregious}} egregious]] because every other significant male characters (except Senba Akira) was seen.
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: Tsudura.]] Kei even says in her route something along the lines of [[spoiler: Tsudura]] being good at hiding sadness by smiling.
* SuperMode: [[spoiler: Sakuya, who morph into a near-human form whenever she drink Kei's blood. There's a level 2 of it, that's when she use Ragou. And then there is a level 3 of it, seen only in the Onikiri no Oni ending... maybe because she drink Kei's blood all the time.]]

* SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious: Kei's blood is ''very'' tasty and powerful. It's also an AmplifierArtifact[[spoiler:, and in the Onikiri no Oni ending, seems to be an UpgradeArtifact that allow Sakuya to be in her true Oni form]].
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: [[spoiler: Kei, after she ceases to be human in the Onikiri no Oni ending of Sakuya route.]]
* SurvivorGuilt: [[spoiler: Sakuya, who was a DeathSeeker after her tribe was annihilated. She got better after she met Emiko, Kei's grandmother.]]
* TalkToTheFist: When Nushi have taken over KEI-kun's body and is now in his full form, a muscular man with snake tattoo:

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Sakuya doesn't like Uzuki [[spoiler: or any onikiri, for that matter]]. Tsudura hates to be reminded of the duty of an onikiri. Uzuki [[KnightTemplar hates oni with a passion]] [[spoiler: and Sakuya is an oni]]. But they do have to sweep personal issues under the carpet, because 1) [[TheFettered it's the right thing to do]], 2) if Nushi get his hands on Kei, things will go downhill fast, and 3) [[LesYay they do want Kei]]. ''And it worked''.

* TheseHandsHaveKilled: [[spoiler: One of Kei's resurfaced memory, about her hands being covered in the blood of her father. Turns out that while the memory is real, it's not her, it's Hakuka's. At that time Nushi was controlling him.]]

* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: In Sakuya route, where she and Kei become the next Ohashira so they can be together forever. Yumei, now alive again, feel pity for them and is doing her best to allow them to live again.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler: Kei, ''of all people''. In Onikiri no Oni ending of Sakuya route, Sakuya [[EmergencyTransformation give her Mizuki Tribe blood to the dying Kei]], making her something that is not human. Then they become a couple who fight those who try to awaken Nushi-sama again, possibly ''forever''. Fans seems to prefer this ending so much over Sakuya's Happy Ending, that there is an unlockable MiniGame about Kei's life (unlife?) as onikiri in ''VisualNovel/AoiShiro''.]]
* TotalEclipseOfThePlot: Nushi cause lunar eclipse to happen [[spoiler: to prevent Sakuya from using her Ragou magic. ''However, it doesn't work'' because Sakuya was born during a new moon. Badassery ensued. Ouch.]]

* UndeathAlwaysEnds: Different end for different character.
** Yumei: [[HumanityEnsues Becoming alive again, physical body and all]] when someone take her position as Ohashira. [[spoiler:I.E., by KEI-kun at the Happy Ending at Yumei's own route, or by Sakuya and Kei at one ending of Sakuya route]]. It's also possible to retire from being an Ohashira if there is a (very powerful) magic that can act as a seal, [[spoiler: i.e. at the end of Tsudura route. In that case, Yumei AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence.]]
** KEI-kun: Dead, when Nushi completely took over his body.

* UnstoppableRage + BerserkerTears: Sakuya, [[spoiler: when Kei was gruesomely impaled by Nushi.]]

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: The oni is a decidedly broad category. Dead people walking around? Oni! Ghosts appearing? Oni! Evil god who demand blood sacrifice? Oni! [[spoiler: Your non-human ally? Oni! Those who murder people in cold blood, thus have no human heart? Oni!]]. Seriously, those onikiriyaku need to chill a bit.
* [[WhenThePlanetsAlign When The Stars Align]]: The requirement for Sakuya to use her Ragou magic. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, one of Nushi's power is control over celestial objects...]]
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: [[spoiler: Sakuya's lament when Kei dies is... touching. To be fair, she has lost absolutely everyone she knows in her very long life.]]

* TheAlliance: The cooperation between the Mizuki and the exorcists sent to defeat Nushi, long time ago. By now, it's completely fallen apart [[spoiler: amongst other things because [[FantasticRacism the exorcists have wiped out the Mizuki]] and the lineage of Nie no Chi dwindled, with Kei being the last generation]].

* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: [[spoiler: During Uzuki route, Uzuki has been knocked out by KEI-kun. Kei and co retreat to her BigFancyHouse, and do their best to supernaturally barricade the house with paper charms from Uzuki. Unfortunately, this time it's not just Nozomi and Mikage who is out to get Kei...]]
* AncientTradition: Sakuya is a one-woman ancient tradition who watches over the Nie no Chi. [[spoiler: If the Mizuki tribe still existed, it would have been their duty.]]
* AndIMustScream: Nozomi[[spoiler: is trapped inside the Ryugetsu for centuries after Nushi-sama is sealed. This is probably also her fate in the endings where the Ryugetsu isn't destroyed]].

* ArcWords: "Taisetsuna hito // inakunatta". Rough translation: "Someone important to me // have disappeared."

* BackFromTheDead: KEI-kun[[spoiler:, and it's Uzuki's job to make him dead again.]]

* BarrierMaiden: Yumei[[spoiler: or whoever is being the current Ohashira-sama.]]

* BattleCouple: [[spoiler: Kei and Sakuya, in the Onikiri no Oni ending.]]

* {{Beastess}}: Sakuya is big, has CuteLittleFangs, and has an animalistic aura about her. [[spoiler: When she drink Kei's blood or use Ragou, she is a shade removed from being a werewolf. And then in the Onikiri no Oni ending, she become an actual oni.]]
* BeautifulDreamer: Inverted. It's Kei who is seen sleeping by [[spoiler: Uzuki and Yumei]], in their respective route. For the former, it's the result of the ButThouMust, below. Because of this, fandom often depicts Uzuki as a creepy stalker.
* BigBad: Nushi-sama[[spoiler: who is inside KEI-kun.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: Yumei-san, all the time. [[spoiler: It's really her obligation to do so.]]

* BloodSplatteredInnocents [[spoiler: Some examples: Kei gets a fist through the chest. Her hand is covered in blood. She falls off a cliff.]]

* BrokenBird: Uzuki. The stress of being a morally-upright onikiri really gets to her nerve. [[spoiler: Of course, having a dead big brother is a huge factor.]] She literally never smile except in her route.

* CoolBigSis: Yumei[[spoiler:, somewhat literally even. She is/was the daughter of Kei's father's little sister.]]

* CrazyPrepared: [[spoiler: Tsudura fall into a well while running away in a random direction during an angst-laden fit? Don't worry! Earlier, Kei onee-san have tied a rope to climb out of the well!]]
* CreepyTwins: Nozomi and Mikage[[spoiler: subverted, Mikage is really Nushi's Wake-Mitama that took the form conforming to Nozomi's crumbling psyche while the former is [[AndIMustScream trapped in Ryugetsu]].]]

* DeathByOriginStory: Senba Akira, whose death is a ''very'' major element in Uzuki's [[spoiler: and KEI-kun's]] background.

* DemonicPossession: Poor KEI-kun. [[spoiler: Later on during Uzuki route, Nushi-sama begin to possess Kei, which can lead to a very bad end.]]
* DevourTheDragon: [[spoiler: During Tsudura route, Obana is killed by Nozomi. Tsudura fall into HeroicBSOD... and then eat Obana's corpse, fusing the kitsune into herself. And then she become a super-powered werefox mage.]]

* EmotionlessGirl: Mikage. [[spoiler: She is not really an individual.]]

* FlashbackNightmare: Kei. [[spoiler: However, some of it belong to Hakuka, and some are outright fakes; either created by her own mind or planted there by Nushi.]]

* KarmaHoudini: Nozomi[[spoiler: in her route. Elsewhere, she gets what is coming at her.]]
* KnightTemplar: The onikiri (exorcists) are very prone to this. The tenet of the Senba is basically "if it's an oni, it should die. No exception". Just how far Uzuki is willing to carry this creed vary between routes. [[spoiler: The Wakasugi have wiped out all of the Mizuki Tribe save for Sakuya, even though they were protecting the Seal of Nushi.]]

* [[LastOfHisKind Last of Her Kind]]: [[spoiler: Sakuya. And it's the fault of the Wakasugi onikiri.]] And you wonder why she doesn't get along with Uzuki.

* LeitMotif: "Itsuka no Hikari" for [[BigGood Yumei]], and "Utakata" for [[BigBad Nushi]], both of which were later made into full-fledged ImageSong.
* LesbianVampire: While none of the characters are vampires and more like oni, their drinking Kei's blood definitely invokes this image. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]], too, with Kei comparing [[spoiler: Sakuya to ''Dracula'', when the Sakuya need blood for her power, to save both of them out of a cliffhanger situation.]]

* [[spoiler: OedipusComplex]]: Want to know who amongst the romanceable characters Kei is most attached to? [[spoiler: [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil You guess it, it's Yumei-san]]. She says that Yumei is like a mother and a big sister to her. Doesn't stop her from wanting to live with Yumei, in a way that's more like a couple. ''Yumei doesn't object to that, not at all''.]]
** The whole story can be said to revolve around this trope. There is that bit about Kei's memory of [[spoiler: staining her hands with her father's blood]]. The memory is true, [[spoiler: although it's ''not hers''. ]] And the plot starts with death of Kei's mother. The other character whose Happy Ending shows her living together with Kei? [[spoiler: Sakuya, who has been watching the lineage of those with Nie no Chi and who have consoled Kei during the death of her grandmother and mother.]]

* OurSoulsAreDifferent: The Wake-Mitama, houses a part of Nushi's divine soul. In most route, the Wake-Mitama is inside the Ryugetsu, [[SealedEvilInACan which is sealed since long time ago]]. Nushi can manipulate those who gets too close to his Wake-Mitama into freeing his true soul. Works both way too: those who wield the Wake-Mitama can harm Nushi more easily... [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu if they are of sufficient power]].

** Blood Requirement: N/A ! Nozomi, Mikage, and Yumei doesn't need human blood to survive, at all. They are more like spirits sustained with magic (and blood, especially blood of a Nie), than traditional vampires. Nozomi and Mikage only seek human blood to awaken Nushi.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Sakuya is 17-[[spoiler:''centuries'']] old.
** Subverted for [[spoiler: Yumei, who have only been an Ohashira for about 10 years, and when she became a spirit was only 16 years old.]].
* Creator/RieKugimiya: Tsudura. [[PigeonholedVoiceActor Guess what]]. [[spoiler: Tsudura even say that she hates people since she's [[Manga/HayateTheCombatButler constantly targeted by bad people]], some of which aren't humans.]]

* BloodyHilarious: Kei just keep on feeding Yumei during the later's route. ''Affectionately''. While being watched and commented by Sakuya and Tsudura. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny The game even make a small sub-screen during the CG to display them commenting!]]

** PatrickStewartSpeech: [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming "Surely, while there are many bad people in the world, not everyone are bad, right? If humans are scary, then is Kei-nee-san scary?"]]

* {{Onmyodo}}

** In fact, Yumei's [[{{Leitmotif}} theme song]] was later made into an ImageSong (with vocal!), which nicely sums Kei's story in Akai Ito. It's a shame that the song isn't featured in the game. Definitely a Missed [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Music]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming of Heartwarming]].

* [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen She Who Must Not Be Seen]]: Youko-chan, Kei's friend at the school. Also, Kei's ''father'' in the flashback; which is [[{{Egregious}} egregious]] because every other significant male characters (except Senba Akira) was seen.

''Akai Ito'' (''アカイイト''), known in English as ''Red Strings'' (Referencing the legendary strings of fate) is a {{visual novel}} created in 2004 by Creator/{{Success}}, it is essentially a supernatural horror adventure with some GirlsLove and mystery elements thrown in.

Besides it's haunting, and melancholic atmosphere, the visual novel is well-known for it's [[NintendoHard difficulty]] (as is it's sister-game, ''Aoishiro'') with ''dozens'' of bad endings one can get.

* ActionGirlfriend: Kei rarely, if ever, fight the enemies herself.

* AncientTradition: Sakuya is a one-woman ancient tradition who watch over the Nie no Chi. [[spoiler: Were the Mizuki tribe still exist, it would have been their duty.]]

* SecretWar: The conflict between the [[TheHunter Onikiribe]] and the [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Oni]] has been on-going since the beginning of time. [[spoiler: Kei is only hidden from the preying supernaturals due to the blue marble charm that is her cellphone straps. And even that isn't fool-proof.]]

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: The oni is a decidedly broad category. Dead people walking around? Oni! Ghosts appearing? Oni! Evil god who demand blood sacrifice? Oni! [[spoiler: Your non-human ally? Oni! Those who murder people in cold blood, thus have no human heart? Oni!]]. Seriously, those [[TheHunter onikiriyaku]] need to chill a bit.

* WorldOfBadass
* YouAreNotAlone

* TheHunter: Uzuki. Being a hunter is pretty much the job of the onikiri.

* {{Beastess}}: Sakuya is big, has CuteFangs, and has an animalistic aura about her. [[spoiler: When she drink Kei's blood or use Ragou, she is a shade removed from being a werewolf. And then in the Onikiri no Oni ending, she become an actual oni.]]

''Akai Ito'' (''アカイイト''), known in English as ''Red Strings'' (Referencing the legendary strings of fate) is a {{visual novel}} created in 2004 by Creator/{{Success}}, it is essentially a supernatural, horror, adventure with some GirlsLove, and mystery elements thrown in.

* BadAssGay: Everyone.

* TimeDissonance: To [[spoiler: Sakuya]], the UsefulNotes/WorldWar2 was something that happened ''just recently''. Granted, she is possibly 1000 years old...

You can now buy it on PSN for the PlayStation 3. Has slightly improved resolution, and Dual Shock 3 support.

* SaveTheVillain: There is a Nozomi route. [[spoiler:However, it's rather short. It's at least partially canon, because Nozomi is hanging around Kei in the ''VisualNovel/AoiShiro Kaeishou'' manga.

''Akai Ito'' (''アカイイト''), known in English as ''Red Strings'' (Referencing the legendary strings of fate) is a {{visual novel}} created in 2004 by Creator/{{Success}}, it is essentially a supernatural adventure with some GirlsLove thrown in.

[[caption-width-right:300:Yumei and Kei [[KissingCousins cuddling]] ]]

** [[DragonBallZ Super Mizuki-jin 1/2/3]]?

* AllThereInTheManual: The AkaiIto JIVE Guidebook.

* SaveTheVillain: There is a Nozomi route. [[spoiler:However, it's rather short. It's at least partially canon, because Nozomi is hanging around Kei in the ''AoiShiro Kaeishou'' manga.