Meiji Tokyo Renka is a Japanese visual novel series about Mei Ayazuki, an ordinary high school girl who is sent back in time to the Meiji period by a magician called Charlie and loses her memories. In this strange era where the existence of spirits is seen as normal, the amnesiac Mei encounters various spirits and historical figures during her stay as she has the ability to see spirits.
A mobile game by Dwango with the same name was released in 2011, then the novel got adapted into 2 animated movies, a TV anime series, and a live-action movie.
Meiji Tokyo Renka contains examples of:
- Adventures in the Bible: Main character Mei Ayazuki is sent back from present day to Meiji Era Tokyo, where she encounters many real-life historical figures in her month's stay.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: It's an otome game/anime, so this is par for the course.
- Continuity Cameo: Koyo, Rentaro, and Taikan all appear in the 2019 anime for short amounts of time.
- Everybody Do the Endless Loop: During the "electricity rap", Mei's dance consists of a two-second looped animation.
- First Girl Wins: While Charlie is the first boy Mei meets, it is Ougai who picks her off the road and gives her a place to stay. The Visual Novel lets you pick which route to take, but the 2019 anime heavily favors Ougai.
- Harem Genre: The reverse kind, with 7 boys in the original Visual Novel, 8 in the 2015 movie and 2019 anime, and 11 in mobile game Haitara Date.
- Historical Beauty Update: The main male characters all clearly look very different from their real-life selves.
- Historical Domain Character: All of the romanceable characters are famous Japanese poets, authors, playwrights, actors, or warriors from the 20th century.
- I See Dead People: Mei has had the natural ability to see ghosts since she was a child, which is the reason why she does not have many friends in the current day. In the Meiji Period, she is known as a Tamayori, and is highly prized because of this.
- Kyoka and Tosuke are also Tamayori.
- Yakumo used to be a Tamayori before he injured his eye.
- Goro is not a Tamayori, but can see the reflection of the spirits in his cursed sword.
- Ridiculous Future Inflation: Ougai and Hishida are scandalized when Mei says she'd like a 380 yen meal. Apparently 380 yen (equivalent to a little over 3 American dollars in the 21st century) is enough to buy an entire shop in the Meiji era.
- Romance Game: The mobile game is an otome, harem game with 11 handsome men surrounding the pretty female protagonist.
