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1[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meltybposter_9743.jpg]]
2Spin-off FightingGame based on [[{{Franchise/Nasuverse}} TYPE-MOON]]'s famous visual novel, ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. As a direct sequel to ''Tsukihime'' and ''Kagetsu Tohya'', it is rather story-heavy, expanding the {{canon}} considerably; a surprisingly large amount of content can be taken as correct interpretations of various characters' skills and abilities.
3
4First co-developed by Watanabe Production (now French-Bread) and TYPE-MOON and released for the PC, the game has gone through several iterations:
5* ''Melty Blood'': The original, with the first storyline (Story Mode). Six playable characters with eight unlockable. Released in 2002.
6* ''Re-ACT'': Introduced Arcade Mode (unique string of matches for each character, and second storyline), new move sets for doppelganger characters, and two new playable characters (Len, Satsuki). Released in 2004. "Story Mode" tells a branching story of how the initial Tatari as Wallachia was beaten, and is not included in later iterations.
7* ''Re-ACT Final Tuned'': Patch that upgraded the game to resemble its console port. Introduced a new, analog-friendly control scheme, multi-button commands, interface adjustments, and changeable color schemes. Released in 2005.
8* ''Act Cadenza'': Arcade (then later console) port that, as a result of its focus on the fighting aspect, took out Story Mode (the first storyline). Introduced two new playable characters (Aoko Aozaki, Kouma Kishima) and upgraded sprites. Released in 2006.
9* ''Act Cadenza Version B'': Update (later PC port) that tweaked the controls to be a bit more context-sensitive. Introduced Tag-Team Mode, Four-Player Mode, the training dummy, [[PromotedToPlayable White Len as a playable character,]] stat changes for many characters, and a hidden storyline for Neko-Arc Chaos that introduced a new hidden boss, known as Neko-Chaos Black G666, that when beaten unlocks a new mode. Released in 2007.
10* ''Actress Again'': Added new fighting styles (Crescent/Half/Full Moon) and moves, new Guard Meter, and two new playable characters (Roa and Riesbyfe). The console version gets 3 more characters: [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryougi]], Akiha in her Seifuku outfit, and "Archetype:Earth", a fully-powered, fully awoken Arcueid.
11* ''Actress Again Current Code'': Essentially the [=PlayStation=] 2 version of ''Actress Again'' brought back to the arcade with some slight tweaking. Among the differences: different hardware (Sega [=RingWide=] instead of NAOMI), [=HQ2X=] Filtering on sprites, and some new visual effects, but nothing else major. It was later updated to Ver. 1.05 which adds one more playable character in the form of [[SmallGirlBigGun Powerd Ciel]] (yes, it's spelled that way, and the official term is Executioner Ciel). A final update has been released which includes a [[PromotedToPlayable fully playable,]] [[{{Nerf}} non-broken version]] of Archetype:Earth. It was later ported to PC in at the end of 2011, based on the latest arcade revision (Ver. 1.07). A [[http://shoryuken.com/index.php?p=7877 demo]] for the PC version is available. The game was [[http://arcsystemworksu.com/arc-system-works-releasing-5-titles-on-steam-by-summer-2016/ published by]] Creator/ArcSystemWorks for worldwide release through UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} on April 19, 2016.
12* ''Type Lumina'': Set in a WhatIf of the ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' remake, ''Type Lumina'' is a ContinuityReboot of the series, shrinking the roster to thirteen and featuring new characters Noel and Vlov who made their debut in the remake. [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber]], [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Mash Kyrielight, Edmond Dantes and Ushiwakamaru]] also appear as [[GuestFighter Guest Fighters]]. It was released internationally on September 30, 2021, a month after the remake's release. It is available for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/Playstation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}.
13
14What sets it apart is the atmosphere and the characters, who have powers rarely seen in fighting games in general.
15* LifeMeter: one for health (Physical Strength, yellow) and another (Vital Source, Red) for actual health-recovery limit.
16* ManaMeter: Magic Circuits, 0 to 300%, or 200% if playing Actress Again and using the Half-Moon Style. Used for special shielding, EX Specials, Shield bunkering, and combos. Can also recover health (up to the limit mentioned above).
17* ChargeMeter: certain attacks and some specials can be charged. In the game terminology these are called "Blowback Edges" but are usually simply referred to as charged attacks.
18
19It has incorporated many features from other fighting games; clashing (two attacks hit and cancel each other), cancelling (cancel one move into another), shielding and EX-Shielding (the latter allows for a riposte at cost of the Magic Circuit). Regular combos can be powered up by using the Magic Circuit. [[LimitBreak Specials made during Heat or Blood Heat]] Mode (when Magic Circuit is high) are called Arc Drives. Counters made during Blood Heat are called Last Arcs that [[RuleOfCool look very cool]] and deal a ton of damage with some causing Circuit Break to the opponent (self-explanatory).
20
21Where ''Melty Blood'' really begins to stand out are in the ways it plays with fighting game conventions. For starters, each special move a character has carries a super variant activated by doing the input and pressing the heavy attack button. This gives characters an unusually high amount of super moves for a fighting game, especially when one factors in the game's high meter gain. Upon reaching full meter, the player automatically enters into Heat Mode, which slowly drains meter and gives access to techniques like bursting and the aforementioned Arc Drives. This threat of all your meter being drained unless you efficiently use it coupled with easy to access and plentiful supers creates a game where resources are constantly being spent and insanely cool moves are being tossed out all the time. Later iterations would add further character diversity with the introduction of Moons, unique movesets for each character that can drastically change how each character plays to the point where official tier lists place the same character at multiple tiers depending on which Moon they have equipped. The combo oriented Crescent Moon, the powerful resource-spending Full Moon and the balanced Half Moon provide unique opportunities to play the same character and effectively triple the size of the cast. Lastly, ''Melty Blood'' is unique in that its air mobility for the cast is universal. Every character gets a double jump and an air dash whenever they enter into the air, meaning it can be difficult to pin people down as they zip about the stage. All of this combines to form a fighter that thrives on Rule of Cool while still providing a deep and enthralling experience.
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23Gameplay footage can be seen here [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ip3QBqQ5UQ here]]. The game made its American professional tournament debut at Evolution 2010. A tournament-centric fansite exists for Western fans in the form of [[http://www.meltybread.com/ Melty Bread]].
24
25Received a SpiritualSuccessor in 2012 called ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'', where Sion appears as a GuestFighter (under the re-tweaked name of Sion ''Eltnum'' Atlasia).
26
27For blood that actually melts things, see BloodyMurder.
28
29----
30
31!!Provides Examples Of:
32* AdaptedOut: Due to ''Type Lumina'' being set over a week before the remake, unlike the original where it served as a sequel to ''Tsukihime'', TATARI and Sion have been explicitly stated to not be part of the new plot written for ''Lumina''.
33* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler: Zepia laments his failure to prevent [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Program No. Six]] in his [[FinalSpeech Final Speech]] to Sion, but his last words in the manga adaption is a more fitting example:]]
34--> [[spoiler: "I just wanted a future that could not be foretold..."]]
35* AllJustADream:
36** Hisui's route in Act Cadenza.
37** Ryougi believes that her route is this.
38* AllThereInTheManual: Every game assumes you have played the original visual novels as well as any previous iterations. This kind of gets thrown away as of ''Act Cadenza'' though, whose Arcade mode stories don't tie in to the original visual novels the way it did in the original ''Melty Blood'' or ''Re-ACT''.
39* AnimationBump: Compared to her appearance in ''Re-Act'', [[spoiler: [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever G-Akiha]] recieved ''quite'' the improvement when it came to her animation in ''Actress Again'''s BossRush, going from a static sprite with only one visible arm to a fluidly-animated monster of a boss character.]]
40* AntiFrustrationFeature: Inputting throws (grab) command on the ground in ''Type Lumina'' will have your character run forward a short distance before grabbing the opponent if they are within throw range instead of grabbing on the spot (and possibly whiffing due to throws' traditional short-ranged nature in fighting games, which often bugs newbies to no end) Note that this does not affect the defending side at all; the running phase has limited range, and throws can still be avoided or broken out in the same manner as before.
41** ''Type Lumina'' does interesting thing with various simple input features that were becoming popular with most fighting games developed in 2020s -- presenting them as additional game mechanics instead of being outright replacement. Casual players can forgo standard commands if they so choose, but competitive-level players must learn both the simple input features and the rest of the game if they want to succeed:
42*** Auto-combo in ''Type Lumina'' have it's own routing and can be used to cap off a normal combo even if all the buttons (standing and crouching) have been used up, so it can serve as extra damage source if player know when to use it rather than just mashing Auto-combo on its own.
43*** Dedicated guard button - Shield mechanic: force both players into a brief round of rock-paper-scissors if a hit is Shielded.
44*** 1-button special moves - Moon Skill: Easier to use version of pre-existing special moves that drain from separate Moon Gauge with altered purpose and properties, often weaker but faster or used as combo extender.
45* AntiVillain: Even though he is an AxCrazy vampire, Walachia's ultimate goal was to [[spoiler: somehow prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt that will occur in the future.]]
46* AxCrazy: Wallachia, especially notable during his Arc-Drive where he constantly screams "katto" ("cut"), which makes him sound like a slasher flick.
47** Understandable, since he [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121108032758/typemoon/images/0/07/Warakia1.png looks like a slasher flick]].
48* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: G-Akiha.
49* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Sion does this by turning her brain into a supercomputer (massively parallel processing). To be more specific, given her explanation, she's capable of up to 18.446 ''quintillion'' parallel processes, which is double the limit of a modern day 64-bit CPU.
50* BeamSpam: Aoko Aozaki's magecraft. One particularly impressive Arc Drive has her launching them off both her fists and her ''leg'' in midair.
51** [[http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/1499/aokobeamu.gif AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA]]
52* BewareTheNiceOnes: Arcueid, Satsuki, Hisui, and Kohaku.
53** The protagonist, Shiki, practically embodies the "nice guy protagonist" archtype.
54* {{BFG}}: The pile bunker that is Ciel's Seventh Holy Scripture. Not exactly a gun, but it sounds like one.
55* BigBad:
56** In the first game, [[EldritchAbomination The Night of Wallachia/TATARI]], the [[ThirteenIsUnlucky thirteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor]], exists as a living embodiment of rumors and haunts the city.
57** In the second game, [[SuccubiAndIncubi White Len]], Len’s EvilCounterpart formed from TATARI, traps everyone in a dream world, [[spoiler:although [[GreaterScopeVillain Aoko Aozaki]] created her]].
58** In ''Actress Again'', the Dust of Osiris takes the position. As [[spoiler:a future TATARI-fied Sion]], she wishes to convert all life into data and store it in her supercomputer, [[WellIntentionedExtremist allowing it to remain forever]]. [[spoiler:Though Archetype:Earth, Arcueid’s SuperpoweredEvilSide, takes over as FinalBoss in her mode after defeating Dust, leaving Arceuid to stop her.]]
59* BlindIdiotTranslation: The english translation for Mash's A storyline has her calling Dead Apostle Noel a Beast-class threat, which is bizarre since Noel never exhibits any power of the Evils of Humanity. The original Japanese text has her more accurately calling Dead Apostle Noel a Phantasmal Beast-class threat.
60* BloodBath: Vampire Sion's ending in ''Actress Again''. She defeats pretty much everybody, including Osiris. The ending CG shows her bathing in blood, completely naked, and her eyes glow red.
61* BloodFromTheMouth: Wallachia gets into such bloodthirsty frenzies that he drinks too much and [[{{Squick}} it starts flowing out of every orifice]].
62* BlownAcrossTheRoom : Any particularly strong attack.
63* BossRush: A highly-requested mode that eventually was added in the console version of ''Actress Again'' that pits the player against all boss characters from the previous ''Melty Blood'' revisions in exclusive "Eclipse" forms that give them their previous SNKBoss qualities. [[spoiler: It climaxes with a FinalBoss fight against the terrifying [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever G-Akiha]], now with a ''considerable'' AnimationBump.]]
64* {{Bowdlerise}}: Later installments for the series dropped the blood splash effect some attacks inflicted on the opponents, such as Shiki Tohno and Shiki Nanaya's Arc Drives, and specific attacks from other characters as well.
65* ButNowIMustGo: Several endings in the first story end with Sion leaving the town for various reasons.
66%%* CallingYourAttacks
67* CatFight: Literally whenever any of the [[LethalJokeCharacter Neco]] are involved. Also Len, who [[ShapeShifter can turn into a cat]].
68* CanonImmigrant: [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryogi]] is in ''Actress Again'', despite WordOfGod saying they were in separate continuities. But then, {{Franchise/Nasuverse}} continuity is a funny thing. In her route, Ryougi says that the events of her route must be AllJustADream.
69* {{Catgirl}}: Len. Made from the corpse of a kitten and the soul of a dead little girl, she ended up equally cat and girl. Also, White Len, who mirrors Len's existence.
70* CatchPhrase: Before, during, and after matches, characters will recite both original lines and those from previous games (the top of the ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' entry has one).
71* ChickMagnet: The Tohno Gland: works on [[TheUnwantedHarem every single potential female protagonist, ever]]. Except, apparently, Ryougi, who isn't impressed.
72--> '''Shiki Ryougi''': You're ten years too early to talk about how to kill something... rather, three years too late? I'm your senior when it comes to these eyes, lady-killer. ''(victory quote over Shiki Tohno)''
73* ChineseGirl: Miyako, whose kung fu gets an insane boost because of Wallachia.
74* CombinationAttack: Hisui and Kohaku (when used together), Sion's Last Arc (with the "ghost" of another character), Wallachia's Arc Drive (with doppelgangers of various characters appearing for just an instant to hit the opponent). ''Actress Again'' adds teams of Kohaku & Mech-Hisui and Mech-Hisui and Neco-Arc.
75%%* {{Combos}}
76* ComicBookAdaptation: A manga is being written based off this game. Unlike the ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' anime adaptation, this is more of AdaptationDistillation. It condenses the plot and characters together in an excellent way. Also replaces the fight against Nero/Nrvnqsr that happened in the original game as a sign that Tatari is gaining power with with an ''excellent'' [[spoiler: TearJerker of an arc in which Tatari takes the form of Satsuki]]. It did well enough to get a second season which is... well, you could still call it a distillation, only this time what it's distilling is all the ridiculously insane parts of the games, like Mecha-Hisui and that sort of thing. It's... interesting.
77* CompanyCrossReferences:
78** Neko-Arc Chaos' Last Arc involves dropping a giant [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Kaleidostick ]](from ''Fate/hollow ataraxia'') on the opponent. Neko-Arc's Last Arc does the same, ''but with the goddamn [[{{Franchise/Nasuverse}} Nasu]] mushroom avatar instead.''
79** Everyone in ''Type Lumina'' has a Saber Alter palette available as a character color choice.
80** In ''Type Lumina'', Aoko mentions [[Literature/LordElMelloiIICaseFiles El-Melloi]], [[VisualNovel/WitchOnTheHolyNight Touko, and Alice]] during her ending.
81* ContinuityNod: To other Type-Moon works:
82** After defeating Dust of Osiris in Ryougi's route, White Len asks her if she was summoned by [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight the Counter Force]] to get rid of TATARI for them.
83* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In the manga, Akiha's punishment for Kohaku attempting to take over the Tohno mansion (and wiping out the Tohno family's fortune in the process of mass-producing her Mecha-Hisui army) is to invite everyone to a beach party - and Kohaku isn't allowed to change out of her heavy kimono and apron. She collapses approximately halfway through the day.
84* CoolVersusAwesome: Ryougi's ending [[spoiler:against a fully powered Archetype:Earth; a.k.a. "Princess Arcueid."]] [[note]] Hidden because of length: "RS: ........! What is this aura!? You mean I got the wrong one!?\
85AE: So it seems. The providence of the Air (Sky) and the providence of the Star (planet) are separate things, ours paths ones that will diverge one day and move apart.\
86AE: And yet It cannot suffer even that? Apparently, It has deemed that if they are fated to conflict, it is all the same to conclude things here.\
87AE: What impatience. The fault lies in that your Aspect (or maybe Phase?) is an Order that encompasses all. It is all well to have many options, but to lack uniformity is a deplorable thing is it not?\
88RS: What the.....I can't see your death isn’t the problem, no, you have no death.\
89RS: You're........so, you're the one.\
90AE: Yes, you need say no more. The target the Being that summoned you to eliminate is this vessel, the manifestation of lifespan (Life) most far-reaching on this planet.\
91AE: But even that is of little meaning, for you, you came simply to bring death to that which does not die, did you not? Your actions are ones drenched with emotion, but I will not mock that.\
92AE: Because, I am the same. Gazing at the severed limbs scattered about there, I cannot help but make a terrible smile. Thus, I will answer your provocation.\
93RS: Heh, so you want revenge for that weirdo huh? All of this is going to be a dream anyway and everything will be back just the way it was when we wake up, but my, aren't you the faithful one.\
94RS: But hey, why not? You got me interested, monster, because I can understand just how you feel.\
95AE: That is excellent. Then. Flee in terror, peon. End my smile with thy death.\
96RS: Says you, vampire. Whatever you are, however many billions long your life is, it doesn't matter.\
97RS: Either way, it's the end of the dream. Let's do it. I'll show you that I can kill anything alive, even god.[[/note]] [[LeftHanging We don't know what happens next.]]
98* CreepyChildrenSinging: The track "Tsukimori no Toki ni" consists of a young girl singing a song about [[{{Yandere}} not being beloved as she used to be and finding herself regrettably holding a blade]], but the verses are arranged as a sort of Japanese counting song using the hito-futa-mi system.
99* CrossOver: [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryogi]] in the console version of Actress Again. Taking bets on how many ports/releases it takes for [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber]] to find her way in.
100** Lo and behold, Saber has been confirmed for ''Type Lumina's'' roster, so the answer is either two or three, depending on if you count baseline Actress Again or not.
101* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Shiki Tohno, again. The guy really just loves living.
102* CursedWithAwesome: It's easier to list the characters who aren't.
103** Mystic Eyes of Death Perception: horrible headaches, shortened life, death with frequent use. Then again, you can destroy anything that exists under Gaia.
104*** Originally for Shiki Tohno, fixed for him later on for gameplay reasons. Ryougi seems to have no problems with it...because their eyes don't have the exact same source.
105** Vampirism: [[OurSoulsAreDifferent changes your soul]], slowly kills your measly human body, undying thirst for blood. Then again, superhuman strength, perception, agility, and immortality (as long as you drink blood) are nice perks...
106* DeadToBeginWith: Only Satsuki, really, as the undead form of vampire. Arcueid is a True Ancestor -- a form of vampire that isn't undead. Len's not so much undead as half-alive, due to her artificial creation from dead things.
107%%* DeathIsDramatic
108* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sion and Shiki, Sion and Akiha (generally more so when Sion loses).
109* DemotedToExtra:
110** Satsuki wasn't even in the original game, despite the story allegedly following her non-existent route. Even when she was introduced into the games as of Re-ACT, she's still not on Shiki's romance radar. And in the Manga Adaptation, [[spoiler: it's not Sacchin at all, but just a Tatari avatar]].
111** Despite being the villain of ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'', Roa (who amusingly is half-responsible for Satsuki's vampirism) doesn't appear until ''Actress Again''. The other guy, SHIKI Tohno hasn't appeared at all. Isn't it sad, Capslock-kun?
112* {{Doppelganger}}: Lots of 'em.
113* DownloadableContent: ''Type Lumina'' is the first game in the series to feature DLC additions to its roster with Dead Apostle Noel and Aoko Aozaki being the first ones in the lineup.
114* EasterEgg: If you play the PC version of ''Act Cadenza'' on a specific date, the game puts itself into HolidayMode, and you'll get an image at the title screen, referencing that date. [[note]]Or, if you don't want to wait, you can also change the date on your PC[[/note]]
115** On September 9th, you get a "Happy Birthday, Len!" image.
116** On December 25th, you get a Merry Christmas image.
117** On January 1st, you get a Happy New Year image.
118* EnemyWithin: The entire point of characters like Nanaya Shiki, Sion Tatari, Red Arcueid (Warcueid), and White Len. Many of them physically manifest due to Wallachia's (and later, [[spoiler:White Len's]]) power.
119** Shiki Nanaya: what Shiki Tohno would have become -- an amoral, assassin-of-demons who [[EvilFeelsGood loves his job]].
120** Red Arcueid: Arcueid if she gave in to her bloodlust, using her normally-restrained powers to kill.
121** [[spoiler:Archetype:Earth. The Full power of Arcueid Brunestud; not given in to just bloodlust but as a copy of the Crimson Moon itself. As in, the original vampire template.]]
122** Akiha Vermilion: Same deal as Red Arcueid - Akiha Vermilion has lost pretty much all of her humanity.
123** Sion Tatari: Sion if [[spoiler:she completely becomes the next Tatari]]. This is treated as an "AlternateContinuity" character. Sion Tatari and "Good" Sion as playables don't exist in the same timeline. [[spoiler: And the Dust of Osiris is a third Sion.]]
124* EnemyWithout: This is basically the point of the Tatari's ability in the games.
125** Subverted at one point. Tatari can cause the manifestation of all the above-listed [[EvilCounterpart evil counterparts]], and starting in ''Re-Act'', they all have a story mode...all but one, that is. White Len is immensely surprised when she realizes that the Vermillion Akiha who approaches her is, in fact, ''[[SuperpoweredEvilSide Akiha herself]]''.
126*** Also a rather funny moment when [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Vermillion Akiha]] confronts [[TheManBehindTheMan Aozaki Aoko]]... and they both pause and [[LampshadeHanging start muttering]] about how they look just like each other.
127* EvilCounterpart: See EnemyWithin above.
128* EvilFeelsGood [[EvilIsCool and Cool]]: Shiki Nanaya.
129* EvilLaugh: The psycho variety, courtesy of Wallachia. Pretty much anything he says eventually devolves into insane rambling.
130* EXSpecialAttack: All characters have more powerful variants of their regular special moves, and consume 100% of the Magic Circuit.
131* EyeBeams:
132** Mech Hisui (in addition to several other {{Homage}}s to HumongousMecha).
133** Neco-Arc and Neco-Arc Chaos (Shinso Beam and Chaos Beam, respectively).
134* EyesAlwaysShut:
135** Wallachia (because [[TearsOfBlood they're pools of blood]]).
136** Neco-Arc Chaos, which makes his EyeBeams [[FridgeLogic that much stranger]].
137* FightingYourFriend: The original Back Alley Alliance, there are instances where Sion and Satsuki are fighting to keep the other from getting killed.
138* FinalSpeech: The further you get into the (first) story, the longer the defeated tends to talk.
139* FinishingMove: Using an Arc Drive or Last Arc to finish will give a special message, nothing else.
140* FlashStep: The superhuman characters can teleport. Nanaya just moves too fast to see.
141%%* FragileSpeedster: Miyako.
142* {{Foreshadowing}}: ''Actress Again'' arguably has one for ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', with dialogue for Red Arcueid confronting Dust of Osiris over her plan, Red Arcueid notes that trying to destroy and then reconstruct all of humankind into an immortal form to overcome humankind's mortality has already been attempted before by "the Ancient I", with the thinking behind it being a thousand years out of date. This almost exactly descibes the end goal of [[spoiler:Beast I, Goetia, and considering it's all but established he attempted his plan in various timelines but only managed to get it off the ground in a handful where the conditions were just right, it seems in the classic ''Melty Blood'' timeline Goetia attempted his plan a thousand years prior and failed.]]
143* FriendlyEnemy: Due to nature of fighting games, most people who would have no reason to fight each other ([[AndZoidberg along with Ciel and Arcueid]]) fall into this. Most winning quotes of Shiki's love interests against him are variation of "huh, huh, I won, now you have to go on date with me <3". Contrast the winning quotes that [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Shiki]], Ciel, and [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Arcueid]] have against each other, to that they have against [[EldritchAbomination Nero]] or Roa.
144* GambitRoulette: Through training, Alchemists have the mental capacity to plan every possible outcome for a situation. However, once they reach a certain level, they realize all paths through history inevitably lead to the destruction of humanity and the planet itself, and are driven to despair and complete insanity by the fact that they can't plan a way out of it.
145* GratuitousLatin: Used often throughout the backgrounds of various stages, such as graffiti under a bridge declaring "Cogito ergo sum", "Dum spiro spero" and "Et arma et verba vulnerant" being carved into the walls of a temple, or a neon sign saying "Nihil sub sole novum".
146* FutureBadass: The Dust of Osiris is [[spoiler: a clone of Sion who became the Tatari]].
147* GenkiGirl: Miyako, Kohaku.
148* GlassCannon: [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Vermillion Akiha]] has insanely powerful attacks, but the second lowest defense in the game. The only character lower is Neco-Arc Chaos. Ironically, normal Akiha has the second HIGHEST defense in the game -- the only character who's higher is the horribly-broken [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth]] (at least before she got nerfed in Current Code).
149* GratuitousEnglish: Just look at the ''title''. It gets worse, naturally.
150** The names refer to the Tatari's habit of referring to everything it does in stage terminology.
151* GuestFighter:
152** [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryougi]]. Melty Blood also donated a GuestFighter to French-Bread's next game, ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' - Sion Eltnam ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS spelled Eltnum]]) Atlasia.
153** For ''Type Lumina'', [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber, AKA Artoria Pendragon]] makes a playable appearance. She would later be followed by [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Mash Kyrielight.]] Ushiwakamaru and the Count of Monte Cristo from the same game would also follow her.
154* HalfHumanHybrid:
155** Akiha Tohno/Vermilion Akiha, Kouma Kishima.
156** Arguably, Len, due to being part human and part cat. White Len is even a Tri-hybrid, of a human girl, a cat, and [[spoiler:TATARI]].
157* {{Hammerspace}}: Many, including Ciel, who can [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks throw dozens of swords without a break]], Mech-Hisui with tools like a [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]], Sion with an unlimited amount of ammo and most notably Hisui who has exploding bentos, chairs, an always filled watering can, a bucket full of water, several cooking tools (including pans, ladles and a wok) [[FridgeLogic even though she can't cook]], and a...table.
158* HappyEndingOverride: Miyako's story in ''Type Lumina'' ends with her defeating Akiha, thus allowing Shiki go return back home with his little sister where they can spend their lives together. When you boot up Boss Rush, it begins with [[spoiler:Neco-Arc ''breaking the ending to pieces'', informing Miyako that her "story" was nothing more than a dream scenario she was having, something she can't achieve unless she does something about her shyness.]]
159* {{Homage}}: Several to scenes in ''Tsukihime'' and ''Kagetsu Tohya'' (and ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' in ''Actress Again''):
160** Shiki Tohno's Arc Drive, the Seventeen Piece Dissection, is an homage to how Shiki cuts Arcueid into seventeen pieces in their first meeting. His quote during his Last Arc is the exact same as what he said when he defeated Roa in Arcueid's route of Tsukihime.
161** Arcueid's Last Arc, when used against Shiki, will hit exactly 18 times; a revenge for his "17 Dissection" of her in the beginning of ''Tsukihime''.
162** Hisui's Last Arc is a jab at the numerous grammar mistakes she made in the original ''Tsukihime'', including the famous "You ''will be'' the criminal". Her Arc Drive is a more badass version of the ridiculous-looking attack she uses in "Omogirisou" in ''Kagetsu Tohya''. As for special moves, her picnic lunch explosive trap is [[LethalChef plum sandwiches]]. She can also pull out the Chair. Yes, [[http://www.lurkmore.com/w/images/9/9e/Thischair.jpg ''that'' chair. That chair. That chair.]] [[MadnessMantra That chair. That chair. That chair. That chair. That chair...]]
163** Shiki Nanaya's Last Arc is the exact same move that he uses against Shiki Tohno in ''Kagetsu Tohya'' (he throws his knife at the heart, and simultaneously [[FlashStep leap]] over their head and break their neck).
164** Satsuki's Arc Drive does extra damage against Shiki Tohno (and Shiki Nanaya) as revenge for failing to protect her in ''Tsukihime'' - despite it having been out of his power to do so at the time. To emphasize the point, her Arc Drive ends with her screaming "BAKA!" ("idiot!") to the person on the receiving end, but changes to "USOTSUKI!" ("liar!") against both Shikis.
165** Kohaku's Arc Drive involves a quick change into the Chinese dress and accent she cosplays in during ''Kagetsu Tohya''.
166** For [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners Shiki Ryougi]]:
167*** Her [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic leitmotif]] makes it into her stage in ''Actress Again'', which is titled "...and nothing heart" (the subtitle of the second chapter and movie).
168*** Some of her moves are taken from the movies (the jump and upside-down spin knifing the enemy in the head is from the first movie against one of the ghosts; the throw is from the third movie against Asagami Fujino (with the addition of a stab), and her Last Arc is from the fifth movie [[spoiler: with the appearance of a katana-wielding Void!Shiki]]). And speaking of that Last Arc, it is a OneHitKill against you if you're in Heat or Blood Heat. Not so when you got hit? Well then, go into Heat or Blood Heat later in the round ''and see your HP get drained to one point.'' Truly a god-killing technique.
169*** Some of her lines come from the movies. The most awesome came from the third movie (where she says that [[BadassBoast she could kill anything that exists, even a god]]), [[spoiler: which she repeats in the end of her story mode in ''Actress Again'' against [[NighInvulnerable Archetype:Earth.]]]]
170** Finally (though maybe a coincidence), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYRMv_SgOiI this video]] shows a palette-swapped Ryougi. [[spoiler: Why hello there, Lio.]]
171** Also already in Act Cadenza: Aoko tells the enemy in one of her winning quotes to beat up a [[Literature/TheGardenOfSinners teacher-like, smoking woman, who uses her name to get money from the Association.]]
172** [[http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/932/crosscounterl.jpg In the first game we got this.]] A homage to a scene in Kagetsu Tohya in which Arcueid stole Ciel's lunch, resulting in a fist fight between the two in which they knocked each other out.
173* InconsistentSpelling: The initial release of ''Type Lumina'' has Saber's true name be rendered as "Artoria" like in some older works. A later update changed it to be read as "Altria," which is Nasu's preferred spelling.
174* JigsawPuzzlePlot: It's tricky to get the entire plot of ''Melty Blood'' because the first part was in Story Mode of ''Re-Act'' and that wasn't carried over to later versions. And even then, there's ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''VisualNovel/KagetsuTohya'' for everyone's backstories.
175* JokeCharacter:
176** Neco-Arc, the adorable super-deformed cat-eared Arcueid. Neco-Arc Chaos, the same thing for Nrvnqsr Chaos, except not as adorable, smoking a cigarette, and swearing quite a bit.
177** And in terms of the story, there are several instances of Satsuki and White Len trying hard not to become a [[PaintingTheMedium "gag character."]]
178* LargeHam: Neco-Arc Chaos' voice acting gives us ''JYAN JYA JYANNNNNN~'' and ''[[GratuitousEnglish "HEY, TAXI!"]]'' Neco-Arc Chaos' voice actor is Creator/JojiNakata, who has a [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620381/ very extensive resume]] of hammy villains, including Nrvnqsr Chaos himself.
179* LateArrivalSpoiler: ''Melty Blood'' mostly assumes that you have already played through ''Tsukihime'' completely, with it including characters like Akiha using her oni powers, Satsuki having her vampiric traits and the existence of Shiki Nanaya itself. ''Type Lumina'' follows suit, revealing Executor Noel, Vlov, and Roa right after ''-A piece of blue glass moon-'' released and one of the first DLC characters being Dead Apostle Noel.
180* {{Leitmotif}}: Every character has their own stage, which is tied to a specific theme song.
181* LethalJokeCharacter: Neco-Arc, Neco-Arc Chaos. Also, the noncombative characters in the original games -- the twin maids, for example -- are given comedic moves (most of Hisui's are tied to her cleaning of the mansion, for example).
182* LoveHurts: [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth]]'s Last Arc (pre-''Current Code'') is pretty much a guaranteed KO for any opponent. Any, that is, except for Tohno Shiki. When against Shiki as the opponent, her Last Arc does significantly less damage than usual, only cutting around a quarter of his health.
183* MagicalEyes: Shiki Tohno's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception that can see the "concept of death" on anything. His Arc Drives ''shatter the entire screen''.
184* MeaningfulName: Wallachia is a vampire. The real world Wallachia was a small country (now part of Romania) from whence Vlad the Impaler, the man {{Dracula}} is based on, came from.
185* MergingTheBranches: The game declares a combination of two endings (Ciel's and Kohaku's) plus events that never actually happened in any canon route.
186* MirrorMatch: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in Re-Act by Ciel and Arcueid in Arcueid's story mode, among other examples.
187-->'''Arcueid:''' ''Look who it is. Are you the real one?''\
188'''Ciel:''' ''That is understandable. I had to kick around many of my fake selves before I came here.''\
189'''Arcueid:''' ''If you're involved in something that troublesome, you're the real one. So, how are you doing Ciel?''
190** There are several curious matchups: for example, you can put normal Sion against Sion Tatari, despite the fact that both exist in separate timelines. Even more curious if you put any of them against [[spoiler:The Dust Of Osiris]].
191** Or, what about putting normal characters against Tatari avatars, such as Shiki Tohno Vs. Shiki Nanaya?
192** Or what about normal Akiha Vs. Vermillion Akiha? Or any of tham against G-Akiha?
193** Or Arcueid Vs. Red Arcueid, or Vs. [[spoiler:Archetype:Earth]].
194* MixAndMatchCritters + [[TwoBeingsOneBody X Beings, 1 Body]]: The whole existence of Nero/Nrvnqsr Chaos, whose body is made of chaos and consists of 666 beasts, who share consciousness with him.
195* MultiSlotCharacter: The game is ''infamous'' for its utter glut of doppelganger characters, with many of them being creations of TATARI. To wit:
196** Arcueid has Red Arcueid, an AxCrazy version of her who fully gave into her bloodlust[[note]]in ''Type Lumina'', she is instead Arcueid herself giving in to her darker impulses and is much less unhinged but still cruel and sadistic[[/note]], and Archetype: Earth, a fragment within Arcueid's mind who was her original form before her encounter with Roa.
197** Ciel has Powered Ciel, who's basically Ciel herself swapping her black keys and habit out for her [[{{BFG}} Seventh Scripture]] and a more revealing outfit.
198** Shiki Tohno has Shiki Nanaya, originally from ''Kagetsu Tohya'', who's basically a manifestation of Shiki's fear of becoming a cold-blooded killer.
199** Akiha has Vermilion Akiha, who is Akiha having lost her humanity, and Seifuku Akiha, who is Akiha... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin wearing a seifuku]].
200** Both Hisui and Kohaku are playable either as themselves or as part of a tag-team. Kohaku is also playable as a tag-team with one of her creations, Mech-Hisui.
201** Len has White Len, a clone of the former made from Wallachia's remains and some of Len's unused parts by Aoko Aozaki, and is noticeably more outspoken as a result.
202** Sion has Sion TATARI, a WhatIf of Sion where she succumbed to her vampire condition, and [[spoiler: the Dust of Osiris, an alternate version of Sion created by TATARI from the future who went back in time to KillAllHumans and leave an eternal record of their existence]].
203** Mech-Hisui is playable either by herself or as part of a tag-team with Kohaku or Neco-Arc.
204** In ''Type Lumina'', Noel has Dead Apostle Noel, who's basically Noel as a Dead Apostle.
205* MusicalNod: The soundtrack of ''Type Lumina'' is mostly new content, but the Moonlit Altar stage music has the first section of "Blood Drain", the opening for ''Actress Again'', in its composition.
206* NinjaMaid: Kohaku and Hisui (thanks to the influence of TATARI; they are otherwise total non-combatants).
207* NoAntagonist: Unlike all of the other games in the series, ''Act Cadenza'' does not have an overarching BigBad who drives the plot like Wallachia, White Len/Aoko, and the Dust of Osiris have/would do in the games inbetween, with most of ''AC'''s storylines covering 'dream match' scenarios from the perspectives of various characters (such as Nrvnqsr settling his score with Arcueid, or Shiki battling his 'sensei' Aoko [[SNKBoss on more fairer terms than when he did in the previous game]]).
208* NotSoDifferentRemark: [[spoiler: What Walachia tells Sion when Shiki and her confront him. He tells her that they cannot live without taking something from others, information for Sion and Blood for Walachia. This causes her to freak out and allow her SuperPoweredEvilSide to take over, and Walachia lets her loose on Shiki.]]
209* OddCouple: Shiki and Arcueid (a {{Canon}} pairing.)
210* OddFriendship: Satsuki and Sion (tragic vampires unite!). [[spoiler: Now with Riesbyfe-brand Spirit Church Knight goodness!]]
211* {{Ojou}}: Akiha.
212** Akiha even has an attack, consisting of her crossing her arms and push-kicking her opponent, nicknamed "Gangster Princess Kick" by fans.
213** Ryougi Shiki can qualify as well.
214* OneSteveLimit: Subverted. As of ''Melty Blood: Actress Again'', there are at least three Shikis. Also, two Sions, (technically) two Lens, two Arcueids, three Akihas, and depending on your interpretation, the Neko versions of Arcueid and Nero Chaos may also count, as well as Mech-Hisui being based off Hisui. [[spoiler: Plus the 17th and 18th incarnations of Roa may also count...]] And as of version 1.05, there is now another Ciel which is essentially a playable version of Executioner Ciel from Re-ACT.
215* OnlyMostlyDead: Characters defeated in Story Mode are never actually dead. Except the bad guys.
216%%* OurVampiresAreDifferent
217* PolarOppositeTwins: Hisui and Kohaku.
218* PuppetFighter: In ''Actress Again'' we have a team conformed by Kohaku & Mech-Hisui, and other by Mech-Hisui & Neko Arc: You control Kohaku in the first one, and Mech Hisui in the second, with their partners ready to assist when called via special moves, however, unlike Hisui & Kohaku (Who also counts), You can't change characters.
219* RecurringRiff: Aoko's theme is an instrumental rock remix of the original game's main theme song. Ciel's new stage in ''Actress Again'' is yet another remix of the very same theme, but this time with a (naturally) OminousLatinChanting motif to it.
220* RetCon: Nero/Nrvnqsr Chaos as the boss of the first game was later retconned to be a Tatari Avatar.
221** Then again, a fair bit of stuff was retconned when they did Re-ACT.
222* SequelHook: In ''Type Lumina'', any foreshadowing to the upcoming routes in ''[[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Tsukihime -The other side of red garden-]]'' could count. Of particular note is Noel's ending which hints at a her having a potential role in [[AscendedExtra Satsuki Yumizuka's]] route.
223* ShoutOut:
224** Giant Akiha is one [[IncrediblyLamePun bigass]] shoutout to Apocalypse as encountered in ''X-Men VS Street Fighter / Marvel Superheroes vs. Street Fighter'', complete with EyeBeams, [[ThisIsADrill drill attack]], her onscreen appearance consisting only of one arm and upper body... The only gameplay difference is that she can turn to face either direction, as opposed to Apocalypse, who was [[AchillesHeel easy pickings]] once you got behind him.
225*** Getting there is another story entirely. GIANT UPPER!!!!!
226** From the ''All Around TYPE-MOON'' drama CD comes Ryougi calling Arcueid "stupid woman" in her victory quote, as well as ''"This is the answer -de gozaru!"'' after a Last Arc Finish.
227** Neco-Arc's theme in ''Type Lumina'' samples the Stage 4 music of ''VideoGame/RagnarokBattleOffline'', one of French-Bread's early works as a doujin circle. You can listen the two side by side [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NahoZV7pmYY here.]]
228* {{Sliding Scale Of Silliness Versus Seriousness}}: Within the same game, there's two "modes" of reality. One is completely serious, the grimdark world of ''Tsukihime'' and all. The other has super deformed catgirls and catboys, mecha-maids, Magical Amber, and Giant Akiha. Satsuki has to put up with both.
229** In fact, it has gone so out of control that there are ''two'' manga adaptations : ''Melty Blood'', that puts up with the Sion/Wallachia serious storyline, and ''Melty Blood ACT Two'', which follows the raw silliness of Miyako and Kohaku's antics.
230** In general, if we include an AffectionateParody named ''Anime/CarnivalPhantasm'', we might place ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' in the serious extreme, and ''Carnival Phantasm'' in the silly extreme, with ''Melty Blood'' in the middle.
231* SharedLifeMeter: Hisui & Kohaku, when fighting together, share the same life bar, and it depletes regardless on who's in charge. Should they be KO'ed, the girl receiving the last blow will be the one who is knocked down, while the other laments the defeat.
232* {{Shotoclone}}: Full moon-Style Aoko.
233* SNKBoss: Certain non-playable characters verge on this (Executioner Ciel, G-Akiha, etc...)
234** Mech-Hisui, but that's namely [[AxeCrazy due to her playstyle]].
235** [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth pre-Current Code definitely qualifies with insane frame advantage, high damage output and defense, an exclusive Moon Style (Eclipse) which allows her to Circuit Spark even if she's not in Max Mode and automatically refills her Magic Circuit gauge and not to mention her damn infinite combo.]] Largely why she's banned in tournament play.
236* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The Neco characters. Is it Ne''c''o or Ne''k''o? Most people can't seem to agree on it (there are even examples of it on this very page), though most people use Neco. Interestingly, their names are spelt as Neko in Japanese, while TYPE-MOON decided to romanize it as Neco for the English translations.
237* SuccubiAndIncubi: Len and White Len are succubi, which ups the {{Squick}} since they both ''[[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld look]]'' about [[NoYay twelve]].
238* SuperDeformed: Neco-Arc and Neco-Arc Chaos.
239* SuperpoweredEvilSide: Vermilion Akiha and Sion Tatari. Also, see EnemyWithin above.
240* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: In terms of function, [[spoiler:White Len for Wallachia]] in ''Act Cadenza''; they are very different otherwise.
241* TagTeamTwins: Hisui and Kohaku can fight solo, or together as a team: [[SharedLifeMeter They share the same life bar]], you play one at a time (with the other providing some special moves) but you can change them at any time; they even have an Arc Drive move where they can stun their opponent on place, and proceed to beat him/her up.
242* TakeThat: One of the moves of Neco-Arc in ''Type Lumina'' involves her bringing open her "Neco Packet 2022" (read: her phone) and going on [[Website/TwitterX "Tmitter"]], where doing so [[CriticalExistenceFailure causes her phone to catch fire]]. Even better, [[FlameWar Neco-Arc glows red and has super armor for a few seconds afterward]].
243* TimeTravel: The first Tatari is NighInvulnerable unless his CurseEscapeClause is met. [[spoiler: The Red Moon shines down on him. Since this won't happen until 1000 years or so; Arcueid reaches forward in time and pulls the moon temporarily to the present; so that Shiki or Sion can destroy him permanently.]] This leads to the events of ''Actress Again'' [[spoiler: in the alternate future that Arcueid pulled the moon from; humanity died and only the Dust Of Osiris was left. She follows the moon to the present and decides she'll end the world ''now'']].
244* TitleDrop:
245** Arcueid's Blood Heat Arc Drive is called "Melty Blood." Though Arc is the main heroine of the franchise, Sion is technically the main heroine of this spin-off, not that it really matters given the nature of this game.
246** There is also the stage in which [[FinalBoss the Dust of Osiris]] is fought in ''Actress Again'', "[[UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} Emerald Table]]: Melty Blood Texture;" [[spoiler:the AlternateUniverse in which most of humanity has perished and has been turned into Philosopher's Stones (which make up the blood-red sand in the background) that are used to empower TATARI.]]
247* TooSpicyForYogSothoth:
248** In Nero Chaos' win quote against Kohaku, he tells her he will spare her life and she should leave. It really has to mean something if the embodiment of chaos, who usually eats and devours his victims, tells you to leave because his beasts have trouble dealing with you.
249** In Ryogi Shiki's scenario, if you lose to Nero, he eats Ryogi, only for his body to start collapsing due to her connection with the void. He remarks that he ended up drinking the worst kind of poison.
250%%* TragicDream
251* VampireRefugee: Sion is actively looking to reverse her vampirism, and despite her SuperPoweredEvilSide; does manage to handle most of the symptoms quite well in her "good" storyline; though Arcueid says an outright "cure" is impossible.
252** Sion falls and falls hard in her "V. Sion" story branch.
253** Vampire Sion's summons in-game are actually her friends and are "good" (Riesbyfe, Arcueid, Akiha, Satsuki, Ciel), as opposed to Wallachia's summons of Tatari "villains" (Red Arcueid, Nero Chaos, Shiki Nanaya and Vermillion Akiha).
254* TechnoBabble: Sion with the Etherlite in the storyline.
255* TournamentPlay: Popular with arcade and PC versions. Was part of the Super Battle Opera tournament lineup in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 and Evo 2010, and is considered one of the most balanced 2D fighters ever made.
256* {{Tsundere}}: Akiha, White Len. Sion probably counts as well towards Shiki at times.
257* UnexpectedGameplayChange: In ''Current Code'', playing as [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth]] through the arcade mode will pit you against 10 stages instead of the usual 9. Also, on the last stage, [[spoiler: you suddenly get to control Arcueid, fighting Archetype:Earth as the final boss]].
258* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth!]]Arcueid. Although her 'girlfriend' status is questionable, [[spoiler: when Ryougi Shiki kills Tohno Shiki at the end of her story route in ''Actress Again'', the exchange below occurs. Despite the fact that Archetype:Earth claims not to have anything resembling sentimentality, the sight of Tohno's corpse is enough for her to have the desire to kill Ryougi.]]
259-->'''[[spoiler: Archetype:Earth]]:''' Looking at those battered limbs, an awful smile comes over me. Therefore, I am willing to buy into this challenge.\
260'''Ryougi Shiki:''' Heh, is this vengeance for that weird person a while back?
261* WallJump: Ciel, who can then throw a projectile or go for a kick.
262* WaveMotionGun:
263** Sion's Black Barrel Replica, which is a lesser copy of the EldritchAbomination fighting weapon from ''Literature/AngelNotes''.
264** Aoko has wave motion ''finger''.
265* WeirdnessCensor: Inverted. People noticing [[UrbanLegends strangeness that isn't there]] actually ''causes'' the BigBad to appear. It would be hard to explain.
266* WritersCanNotDoMath: Despite being called Seventeen Piece Dissection, Shiki's Another Arc Drive hits seventeen times. Go on, try cutting something seventeen times and see how many pieces you get.
267* YouWillBeSpared: During [[spoiler: Archetype:Earth]]'s story mode, she decides on a whim to try destroying the planet and everyone on it just to see what it's like. Before she does so, she promises that she'll spare the lives of two people - the first is, obviously, [[OfficialCouple Shiki]], and second is her [[FriendlyEnemy sort-of-enemy sort-of-friend Ciel]].
268* ZettaiRyouiki: Sion's legs. As well as Ciel when she's with her {{BFG}}

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