YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World[lower-alpha 1] is a visual novel adventure game developed and published by ELF Corporation. It was originally released in 1996 as an eroge for the NEC PC-98 Japanese home computer and later ported to the Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows platforms without the sexual content. The story follows the protagonist travelling between parallel worlds to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance. The game uses concepts from science fiction, physics, mathematics, philosophy, history and religion to construct a unique fictional universe. The "Auto Diverge Mapping System" (A.D.M.S.) that displays the branching parallel worlds and storylines as a tree helps the player navigate the game world.

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World
Sega Saturn cover
この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO (Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shōjo YU-NO)
Genre	Science fiction
Developer(s)	ELF Corporation (original) 5pb. (remake)
Publisher(s)	Original ELF Corporation Remake JP: 5pb. WW: Spike Chunsoft EU: Numskull Games
Producer(s)	Remake Makoto Asada Chiyomaru Shikura
Designer(s)	Hiroyuki Kanno
Artist(s)	Yasuchika Nagaoka (original) Ryō Nagi (remake)
Composer(s)	Ryu Umemoto Ryu Takami Kazuhiro Kanae (original) Keishi Yonao (remake)
Platform(s)	Original NEC PC-98, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows Remake PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Release	December 26, 1996 Original NEC PC-98 JP: December 26, 1996 Sega Saturn JP: December 4, 1997 32-bit Windows JP: December 22, 2000 Remake PlayStation Vita JP: March 16, 2017 PlayStation 4 JP: March 16, 2017 NA: October 1, 2019 EU: October 4, 2019 Nintendo Switch JP: March 14, 2019 NA: October 1, 2019 EU: October 4, 2019 64-bit Windows WW: October 1, 2019
Genre(s)	Visual novel, adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Original video animation
YU-NO
Directed by	Katsuma Kanazawa[1]
Written by	Hiroyuki Kanno (original) Osamu Kudo (screenplay) Katsuma Kanazawa (storyboard)
Studio	Pink Pineapple
Licensed by	^NA NuTech Digital
Released	October 23, 1998 – September 24, 1999
Episodes	4
Manga
Written by	Sōji Ishida
Published by	Enterbrain
Magazine	Comic Clear
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	March 14, 2017 – March 15, 2018
Volumes	2
Anime television series
Directed by	Tetsuo Hirakawa
Produced by	Genco
Music by	Keishi Yonao Ryu Takumi
Studio	Feel
Licensed by	^NA Funimation
Original network	AT-X, Tokyo MX, ABC, BS Fuji
Original run	April 2, 2019 – October 1, 2019
Episodes	26

YU-NO was written and produced by Hiroyuki Kanno, and its FM-synth music soundtrack was composed by Ryu Umemoto,[2][3] Ryu Takami and Kazuhiro Kanae, who had previously worked on C's Ware titles such as Eve Burst Error (1995).[3][4][5] YU-NO was well-received and influential in Japan, where it revolutionized the visual novel industry and in turn had an impact on the manga and anime industries, inspiring numerous visual novel, manga and anime works.

In 2017, 5pb. developed and published a remake of the game for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4. Spike Chunsoft released this version for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in 2019.[6] The game has also been adapted into a four-part hentai original video animation, a manga and novels, and a TV anime series by Feel that aired from April to October 2019. The TV anime series is licensed in North America by Funimation.

Title

The bound of this world (この世の果て, kono yo no hate) referred to in the title is the location the protagonist reaches at the conclusion of the game. Yu-no is the name of a girl central to the story. The creators said "YU-NO", which comes last word in the Japanese title, is meant to be a subtitle. The English version of the title that is used in some artwork is stylized as "YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world.", with a period. A connection to Harlan Ellison's short story The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World has been noted by Robert Allen of Tech-Gaming.[7]

Gameplay

The PC-98 and Sega Saturn versions of the game are slightly different. Unless otherwise noted, the following information describes the PC-98 version.

Players travel between parallel worlds using a reflector device that uses stones to mark positions as returning locations so they can retrace their steps and enter an alternative universe. The game implements an original system called Automatic Diverge Mapping System (A.D.M.S.) that at any time in the game displays a screen showing the direction in which the player was heading along the branching plot lines.[8] Similar systems have later been used in the 2010 role-playing video game Radiant Historia [9][10] and the PSP version of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.[11]

A.D.M.S.

When a branch in the storyline nears, an indicator on the game's reflector device blinks. When the players' choice advances the storyline, their routes are recorded in the "divergence map" and the device plays a sound. The player is tasked with collecting eight jewels that are the power source of the reflector device; the divergence map shows the locations of all jewels within the storylines even before the player has reached them. In this way, A.D.M.S. is used to search through the parallel worlds. The divergence map displays time from left to right and concurrent parallel worlds are shown vertically.

Another noteworthy feature is the "jewel save". The jewels that power the reflector device can be clicked to place a mark on the divergence map, which consumes the jewel. The divergence map can later be opened and players can return to the mark instantly, regaining the jewel. If a jewel save is made before a story branch point, players can explore one scenario then quickly return and explore an alternative. This feature is akin to saving or loading the game. Key items can be carried from one world to another through the jewel save.

After the epilogue, a new feature called "Start with Best Equipment" is added. This essentially returns all jewels placed on the ADMS back to the reflector device and sends the player back to the start of the branch, with all 19 items in their inventory. Their map progress is also saved.

Prologue and epilogue

Sections at the beginning and end of the game have a more traditional visual-novel-style gameplay, in which players choose commands like "Look" or "Speak" from a menu. There are no branching paths in these sections and the Reflector Device cannot be used until they end.

Characters

Character	Description	1997 Sega Saturn[12]	1998 OVA	2017 remake	2019 anime (Japanese)[13][14][15]	2019 anime (English)[16]
Takuya Arima (有馬 たくや, Arima Takuya)	The protagonist of the game who inherited the Reflector device from his "late" father to travel amongst different parallel universes and save his world from a catastrophical event.	Nobuyuki Hiyama	Susumu Chiba	Yū Hayashi	Yū Hayashi Saima Nakano (child)	Eric Vale Emi Lo (baby)
Yu-no (ユーノ, Yūno)	The titular character and a mysterious girl who Takuya encounters frequently after receiving the reflector device.	Kimiko Koyama		Ari Ozawa		Sarah Wiedenheft
Kanna Hatano (波多乃 神奈, Hatano Kanna)	Takuya's mysterious transfer classmate.	Yuka Imai	Ayaha Takazuka	Maaya Uchida		Kristen McGuire
Mio Shimazu (島津 澪, Shimazu Mio)	Takuya's classmate, the daughter of the mayor, and head of the historical research club with an interest in the paranormal.	Yumi Tōma	Yui Takama	Rie Kugimiya		Megan Shipman
Mitsuki Ichijō (一条 美月, Ichijō Mitsuki)	A teacher and Takuya's former lover.	Rei Sakuma	Kaori Okuda	Saori Ōnishi		Kylie Stewart
Eriko Takeda (武田 絵里子, Takeda Eriko)	The school nurse and Takuya's homeroom teacher.	Aya Hisakawa	Mie Sonozaki	Yū Kobayashi		Morgan Garrett
Kaori Asakura (朝倉 香織, Asakura Kaori)	A journalist investigating Geotech.	Michiko Neya	Mari Adachi	Rena Maeda		Kara Edwards
Ayumi Arima (有馬 亜由美, Arima Ayumi)	Takuya's stepmother and project manager at Geotech.	Kikuko Inoue	Ai Uchikawa	Kaori Nazuka		Dawn M. Bennett
Kozo Ryuzoji (龍蔵寺 幸三, Ryūzōji Kōzō)	The headmaster of Sakaimachi High and an old friend of Kodai.	Akio Ōtsuka		Taiten Kusunoki		David Wald
Ume Ryuzoji (龍蔵寺 梅, Ryūzōji Ume)	Kozo's mother.	Reiko Suzuki		Maki Izawa		Wendy Powell
Masakatsu Yuki (結城 正勝, Yūki Masakatsu)	Takuya's classmate and friend, who has a crush on Shimazu.	Tetsuya Iwanaga		Yūki Fujiwara		Justin Briner
Hideo Toyotomi (豊富 秀夫, Hideo Toyotomi)	A Geotech manager under Ayumi.	Shin-ichiro Miki	Shin-ichiro Miki (uncredited)	Takuya Eguchi		Kyle Igneczi
Amanda (アマンダ, Amanda)	Illia's younger sister and Kanna's mother.	Yūko Mita		Marina Inoue
Illia (アイリア, Airia)	Amanda's elder sister and a patrol knight assigned to the Border. She is amongst the first people that Takuya meets upon arriving to Dela Grante	Masako Katsuki		Kyoko Sakai
Kodai Arima (有馬 広大, Arima Kōdai)	Takuya's father. He was "killed" prior to the start of the story.	Fumihiko Tachiki		Keiji Fujiwara	Fumihiko Tachiki	Barry Yandell
Keiko Arima (有馬 恵子, Arima Keiko)	Takuya's mother and a former denizen of Dela Grante.	Chizuko Hoshino		Aya Endō		Marissa Lenti
Atsushi Hojo (北条 篤, Hōjō Atsushi)	A private investigator who worked for Ryuzoji. He is sent to investigate Kanna and comes at odds with Takuya.	Takeshi Aono		Yōji Ueda		Marcus Stimac
Marina (真理奈, Marina)	A security guard at Geotech.	Chinami Nishimura		Ayano Yamamoto
Mayor Shimazu (島津市長, Shimazu Shichō)	The mayor of Sakaimachi and Mio's father.	Eiji Yanagisawa	Masahiro Yoshida	Takehiro Hasu		Brian Mathis
Sayless (セーレス, Sēresu)	The latest incarnation of the priestess destined to save the world from a crisis. She is also Takuya's first wife.	Miki Takahashi	Haruhi Terada	Asami Sanada		Amanda Lee[17]
Sala (サラ, Sara)[18][lower-alpha 2]	A girl whom Takuya meets on his way to the Imperial Capital.	Yumi Takada		Mari Doi
Bask (バズク, Bazuku)[19]	The warden of the labor camp that Takuya gets sent to.	Tessho Genda		Biichi Satou
Kun-Kun (クンクン, Kunkun)[20]	A Nogard, a lizard-like creature in which Takuya and Yu-No adopt from her dying mother.	Tomoko Kawakami		Yumibō Tai	Yuki Nagaku
Yurika Imagawa (今川 由利香, Imagawa Yurika)	A professor acquainted with Kodai and Ryuzoji. She eventually rots away after being trapped in the catacombs, with her body later being found by Takuya during his search for Mio.					Katelyn Barr
Abel (アーベル, Āberu)	Eriko's former lover who was killed.				KENN
God Empress (神帝, Shintei)[21][lower-alpha 3]	The ruling monarch of Dela Grante. The position was first held by Ryuzoji until Ayumi ascertained his identity and took the position from him to protect both worlds.	Kikuko Inoue	Ai Uchikawa	Kaori Nazuka		Dawn M. Bennett
Kurtz (カーツ, Kātsu)[22]	A member of the Resistance. He is Yuki's Dela Grante counterpart.				Yūki Fujiwara	Justin Briner
Deo (デオ, Deo)[23]	A member of the Resistance. He is Toyotomi's Dela Grante counterpart.				Takuya Eguchi	Kyle Igneczi
Joe (ジョウ, Jō)	An inmate of Takuya from the prison. He is killed attempting to escape.				Takaki Ōtomari
Asche (アッシュ, Asshu)[24]	A Resistance member.				Yōji Ueda
Äichli:kkwádroú (エィッリィククワッドゥロッウ, Eirrīkukuwaddurowwu)[25]	The true identity of "Eriko Takeda", who is a member of an inter-dimensional police force dedicated to hunting down criminals from across all space and time.	Aya Hisakawa		Yū Kobayashi		Morgan Garrett
Ai (アイ, Ai)	A storytelling AI who reveals the history of Dela Grante to the Resistance while Takuya is with Ayumi.				Hina Kino
Grantia (グランティア, Gurantia)	A scientist from the first generation of Dela Grantians. To save her people from extinction, she became a mechanical being and served as a guide to future priestesses.				Yūko Kaida

Development

Having made the earlier successful adventure games DESIRE (1994) and EVE Burst Error (1995) at C's Ware, Hiroyuki Kanno and Ryu Umemoto were hired by ELF to create a game with a high budget available. The story Kanno pitched he had developed since his teens, and it was allowed to be fully realized by the budget. As with their earlier projects, Kanno and Umemoto collaborated closely. Each vital plot point was discussed in detail to achieve synergy between story and music, with musical pieces representing the characters' moods and emotions rather than characters or locations. Umemoto, a mathematics prodigy since an early age and a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, applied symbolic elements of his religion to his compositions via mathematical patterns. A new gameplay system called A.D.M.S. (Auto Diverge Mapping System) was made for the game.[26]

Releases

PC-98

YU-NO was released as an adult game on December 26, 1996, for the NEC PC-98; it was the last MS-DOS game developed by ELF. The price at the time was 9800 yen. Both floppy disk and CD-ROM versions were released; the CD-ROM edition contained arrangements of the music but was otherwise identical to the floppy edition.

Sega Saturn

YU-NO was released on the Sega Saturn console on December 4, 1997 with a recommended minimum age of 18. The price was 7800 yen, or 9800 yen bundled with a mouse. Several illustrations underneath the CD tray can only be seen after opening the game. A disk containing extra content that was later mailed out with the PC-98 version was integrated into this version. As in the Windows version, some incest references have been removed. Graphics were repainted to use more colors, animation sequences were added, the music was rearranged, character voices were added, two jewels were added (total of 10) and explicit sex scenes were removed.

Windows

The PC-98 version of the game was ported to Microsoft Windows as part of the "ELF Classics" range and released on December 22, 2000. The graphics and music are equivalent to the PC-98 version but the sexual content was removed.

Fan translation

An English-language fan-made translation patch for the Windows version was released in September 2011 by TLWiki. As well as the translation, it provides re-inserted voices from the Sega Saturn version, explicit sex scenes, Ryu Umemoto's original FM score and Sega Saturn CGs. Hardcore Gaming 101 praised the patch for the quality of its translation and called it "one of the finest examples of fan efforts in video gaming".[2]

Remake

A high-definition video remake of the game was released in March 2017. It was developed by 5pb., which acquired the rights from the now-defunct ELF. It features a remixed soundtrack and new artwork redone in a different style, with Ryo Nagi of Ar Tonelico as character designer. The decision for a new art style was made because something easier to depict in animated form was wanted, with the 2019 anime adaptation already in mind.[27] The remake was announced in December 2014[28] and its release date was delayed several times – first to February 2016,[29] then to the second quarter of 2016,[30] then late 2016[31] and finally to March 2017.[32]

An English localization was released by Spike Chunsoft on October 1, 2019 worldwide for Microsoft Windows, and in North America for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4; the game was released in European markets on October 4, 2019.[33] The Switch Day 1 Edition included a side-scrolling shooting game called 8-BIT YU-NO’s Great Adventure.[27]

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score Sega Saturn Magazine 27/30[34] RPG Fan 97%[8]

As of March 2017, all versions of YU-NO have sold a total of over 380,820 copies in Japan.

YU-NO holds an average rating of 94 out of 100 on ErogameScape (EGS),[35] making it the second highest-rated visual novel on the site.

In 2017, Famitsu readers voted YU-NO the 12th best adventure game of all time.[36]

PC-98

According to statistics compiled by Digital Media Insider, 45,844 (30,553 CD edition, 15,291 floppy edition) copies were sold by November 30, 1997, excluding ELF's direct mail-order sales. In the 1997 annual ranking in Digital Media Insider, the CD edition was listed in 14th place, with number-one-ranked "SHOCK PRICE Mah-jongg" selling 77,102 copies, and the top-selling adult game "Sadistic King Rance" at number three, selling 72,572 copies.

The PC version of YU-NO went on to sell over 100,000 copies,[37] as reported in the March 1997 edition of Comptiq.

YU-NO won a reader's choice award in Blitz King's "2nd Video Game Awards Grand Prix" in May 1997. The game also was ranked ninth in E-Login's "Game and Heroine of the year 1996", and fifth in Comptiq's "1st Video Game Awards Grand Prix" in 1998.

Sega Saturn

The news that the PC-98 edition would be ported to Saturn was reported by several magazines including Sega Saturn Magazine, Dengenki Saturn, and Famitsu. Sega Saturn Magazine included a four-page feature on YU-NO. The Sega Saturn edition sold 139,509 copies in December 1997,[38] and sold 240,820 copies as of 8 February 1998.[39]

Sega Saturn Magazine scored the game 27 out of 30, with its three reviewers each rating it 9 out of 10.[34] RPGFan gave the game a 97% score, including ratings of 100% for story, 100% for control, 85% gameplay, 80% graphics, and 80% sound/music. Reviewer WooJin Lee said the story is "amazing" and praised the A.D.M.S. for adding replay value, concluding that "I feel this game to be THE best Graphical Adventure game ever, which from me (I play tons of these games) is a huge compliment".[8]

Remake

Reception (remake)
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic PC: N/A PS4: N/A NS: 64/100 [40] Review scores Publication Score Nintendo Life 5 out of 10[41] Nintendo World Report 6/10[42] Digitally Downloaded [43] Pelit 91/100 [44] RPG Fan 86%[45] RPG Site 4/10[46] Tech-Gaming 91%[7]

The remake sold over 40,000 copies within its first week of release, March 2017, which 5pb celebrated by releasing a YU-NO-themed wallpaper.[47]

Fall 2019 marked YU-NO's first official release in English, via the remake. Its belated arrival outside Japan was greeted with mixed reviews. Some felt that the game was outdated and surpassed by later visual novels,[41][46] whereas others found it had stood the test of time.[45][7]

Digitally Downloaded was captivated by the plot once it moved onto more intellectual topics after what the reviewer saw as a deceptively mundane intro involving a panty shot, proclaiming: "Yu-No is smart, you come to quickly realise, and then you'll start paying very close attention to every line of dialogue."[43] PRG Fan was similarly gripped in a new review for the remake.[45] The final route was praised by Tech-Gaming as "nothing short of phenomenal";[7] Pelit was less enthusiastic about the route, arguing that despite the surprises the tension was deflated by the lack of the difficult nonlinear gameplay from earlier.[44] While some were also intrigued by the plot, they were put off by the eroge aspects.[42][41] RPG Site criticised Ayumi's route as the game's weakest, dependent on misunderstandings for cheap drama.[46]

Many took issue with the game's sexual and ecchi content.[42][41][46] Nintendo Life felt that the game's "dating-sim elements" and "grandiose narrative" clashed, leading to an "identity crisis".[41] RPG Site counted three instances of incest and called two of them "unnecessary and gross".[46] Digitally Downloaded held the opinion that there were both justified and unjustified cases of sexual "fanservice", saying they "are on the juvenile side of things just often enough that certain elements of the community will dismiss the game on that basis" but that "even in the fan service it gets things right far, far more often than it misfires."[43] Pelit's reviewer conversely had little problem and outright refused to hand out a moral judgement, suggesting that gaming is rather based on rejection of morality in the first place. He concluded that the game has a limited audience of those intrigued by morally grey, erotic weird games and an anime style, and the rest wouldn't last the first five minutes; that encountering the school nurse clad in tight latex was a casual filter.[44]

Opinions on the characters were split. RPG Site, Nintendo Life and Nintendo World Report couldn't tolerate main character Takuya and his lecherousness.[41][46][42] RPG Site compared him unfavourably to Chaos;Child's Takuru Miyashiro, whose flaws he thought were better taken advantage of thematically in the respective narrative, and found the other characters weak as well.[46] Nintendo Life asserted that the characters had become cliché and bland by today's standards.[41] Others saw more depth in the characters. Digitally Downloaded defended Takuya's rude obsession with females as "appropriate characterisation for building the protagonist up as something of a mix of teenage hormones and delinquency in coming from a broken home".[43] RPG Fan enjoyed exploring the webs of interpersonal relationships, saying: "While characters fall into relatable archetypes, they are complex, compelling, and not always what they seem."[45] Tech-Gaming said the nuances of real-life conversations were captured in Takuya's ability to read subtle cues and body language and respond accordingly, causing development over time: "Like an actual person, he’s influenced by the people and actions around him, which are mirrored by Takuya, almost imperceptibly."[7]

A.D.M.S. with its branching timelines was praised as genius by Nintendo Life[41] and RPG Site,[46] with Nintendo World Report calling it "still an impressive gameplay system two decades after its creation". Pelit embraced the challenge brought by the gameplay and described it as not only as nostalgically cruel for its item management but also immersive, "as if it was the player themself who was learning the logic of time-jumping and not only Takuya".[44] RPG Fan was grateful for a hint system introduced in the remake remedying the need of "wild goose chases" to find the next trigger to advance the plot.[45] Digitally Downloaded found the requirement of repeatedly checking hotspots in a scene to advance an unnecessary chore.[43] Other than the cursor at all times locking onto interactable areas and the tedium of skipping text in familiar parts, RPG Site had little to complain about the gameplay.[46]

The English translation received complaints of stiltedness and awkwardness from RPG Site[46] and RPG fan,[45] the former at times being baffled by incomprehensible passages.[46] RPG Fan noticed that concepts were localised inconsistently throughout, such as whether yen or dollars were used as currency.[45]

The remake's artwork had in Nintendo Life's opinion a "standard, generic low-budget anime look" and less atmosphere compared to the original PC-98 designs.[41] However, Digitally Downloaded called the visuals "gorgeous" and admired how "every scene, character, and environment drips with carefully constructed atmosphere", especially in a lengthy 30-hour game requiring a lot of art and design.[43] Both Digitally Downloaded and RPG Site wished there was an option for the original art.[43][46]

Legacy

At Hardcore Gaming 101, Audun Sorlie wrote that YU-NO helped revolutionize the visual novel genre, particularly with the A.D.M.S., which was touted as "revolutionary" at the time.[2] At Gamasutra, Sorlie wrote that audiences soon began demanding large-scope plotlines and musical scores of similar quality and ambition to that of YU-NO's, and that companies responded by hiring talent: "The genre became an all-new arena for young artists and musicians once again, with companies willing to take chances on fresh blood; the market thrived with the excitement and the risks that were being taken, and became a hotbed of creativity".[26] The branching timeline system was influential, opening "the door for visual novels to become more elaborate and have a greater range of narrative arcs, without requiring the player to replay the game over and over again."[43] It also featured the time loop concept[48] and an early Isekai story arc, which later became common anime tropes by the 2010s.[49] According to Nintendo Life, "the modern visual novel genre would simply not exist without" YU-NO.[41]

According to ITmedia, the influence of YU-NO goes beyond visual novels and extends to modern otaku, manga and anime works. The mangaka Tamiki Wakaki, for example, has cited YU-NO as an influence on the manga and anime series, The World God Only Knows. Other visual novel and manga authors who cited YU-NO as an influence include Romeo Tanaka, Poyoyon Rock, Key founder Jun Maeda (known for titles such as Kanon, Clannad and Angel Beats), Type-Moon's Hikaru Sakurai, White Album 2 and Saekano author Fumiaki Maruto, and To Heart author Toru Minazuki.[37]

According to Anime News Network, YU-NO is "considered one of the most beloved narrative games in Japan, and its system of parallel storylines had a profound influence on storytelling in visual novels in the years since its original release."[50] They said it "was incredibly popular for its time and likely inspired a lot of media after its release" and they noted its premise is "adjacent to Steins;Gate."[51] According to RPG Site and DualShockers, YU-NO influenced later visual novels such as Fate/stay night and Steins;Gate.[52][53] According to Nintendo World Report, visual novels such as Ace Attorney, Fate/stay night and Steins;Gate owe their success to YU-NO.[42]

Adaptations

Anime

Pink Pineapple produced and released a four-episode hentai anime original video animation series during 1998–1999.

Key visual of the 2019 anime series.

In 2016, a new anime adaptation that was produced by Feel in collaboration with MAGES and Genco was announced.[54] The new anime aired from April 2 to October 1, 2019 on AT-X, Tokyo MX, ABC, and BS Fuji.[13][55] The series is scheduled to be a six-month-long series with 26 episodes.[56] The anime is directed by Tetsuo Hirakawa, and the characters are designed by Mai Otsuka. Kazuya Tanaka is the sound director, and Keishi Yonao and Ryu Takumi are composing the series' music.[13] Asaka performed the series' opening theme song Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shojo (この世の果てで恋を唄う少女, Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shōjo), while Konomi Suzuki performed the series' ending theme song Shinri no Kagami, Tsurugi no Yō ni (真理の鏡、剣乃ように, Shinri no Kagami, Tsurugi no Yō ni)[14] Suzuki will perform the series' second opening theme song "MOTHER", while Asaka will perform the series' second ending theme song Kami no Sūshiki (神の数式, Kami no Sūshiki).[57]

Hirakawa said the anime includes the same characters and routes as the original game. In contrast with the game's first-person perspective from protagonist Takuya's point of view, the anime will depict the relationships of the girls surrounding Takuya. Hirakawa said the anime would outdo the game in dirty jokes, that Mio would be even more tsundere, and that Kanna would be even more mysterious.[58]

A new episode was bundled with the series' third Blu-ray volume on December 26, 2019.[59]

Funimation has licensed the 2019 anime series with a simuldub.[60]

Episode list

Episodes (1998)

No.	Title	Release date
1	"The Spectacle of Seduction" Transcription: "Yūwaku suru Jishōtachi" (Japanese: 誘惑する事象たち)	October 23, 1998 (1998-10-23)
2	"The Concerto of Strange Incontinuity" Transcription: "Furenzokutai no Koncheruto" (Japanese: 不連続体のコンチェルト)	January 22, 1999 (1999-01-22)
3	"The Cinderella of the Junction" Transcription: "Bunkiten no Shinderera" (Japanese: 分岐点のシンデレラ)	June 25, 1999 (1999-06-25)
4	"The Goddess Sings at the Edge of the World" Transcription: "Sekai no Hate de Megami wa Utau" (Japanese: 世界の果てで女神は唄う)	September 24, 1999 (1999-09-24)

Episodes (2019)

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"You Know?" Transcription: "You Know?" (Japanese: You Know?)	April 2, 2019 (2019-04-02)
2	"Parallel World Constitutive Theorem" Transcription: "Heiretsu Sekai Kōsei Genri" (Japanese: 並列世界構成原理)	April 9, 2019 (2019-04-09)
3	"Tears That Can't Be Stopped" Transcription: "Tomerarenai Namida" (Japanese: 止められない涙)	April 16, 2019 (2019-04-16)
4	"Dirtied White Skin" Transcription: "Kegasareta Shiroi Hada" (Japanese: 穢された白い肌)	April 23, 2019 (2019-04-23)
5	"Spiral of Tragedy" Transcription: "Higeki no Rasen" (Japanese: 悲劇の螺旋)	April 30, 2019 (2019-04-30)
6	"Beyond a Pale Light" Transcription: "Aojiroki Hikari no Kanata ni" (Japanese: 青白き光の彼方に)	May 7, 2019 (2019-05-07)
7	"The Cause of the Curse" Transcription: "Tatari Sōdō no Genkyō" (Japanese: タタリ騒動の元凶)	May 14, 2019 (2019-05-14)
8	"The Swallows and Sparrows Know Not" Transcription: "Enjaku Izukunzo" (Japanese: 燕雀いずくんぞ)	May 21, 2019 (2019-05-21)
9	"The Distance Between Him and Her" Transcription: "Kare to Kanojo no Kyori" (Japanese: 彼と彼女の距離)	May 28, 2019 (2019-05-28)
10	"Feelings Overlapping" Transcription: "Kasanaru Omoi" (Japanese: 重なる想い)	June 4, 2019 (2019-06-04)
11	"That Kiss, Once More" Transcription: "Mō Ichido Ano Kisu o" (Japanese: もう一度あのキスを)	June 11, 2019 (2019-06-11)
12	"The Secret Under the White Coat" Transcription: "Hakui no Shita no Himitsu" (Japanese: 白衣の下の秘密)	June 18, 2019 (2019-06-18)
13	"An Ordained Fate" Transcription: "Sadamerareta Unmei" (Japanese: 定められた運命)	June 25, 2019 (2019-06-25)
14	"The Transfer Student's Friend" Transcription: "Tenkōsei no Otomodachi" (Japanese: 転校生のお友達)	July 2, 2019 (2019-07-02)
15	"A Summer That Won't Come Back" Transcription: "Modoranai Natsu" (Japanese: 戻らない夏)	July 9, 2019 (2019-07-09)
16	"Inside Unmoving Time" Transcription: "Ugokanai Toki no Naka de" (Japanese: 動かない時の中で)	July 16, 2019 (2019-07-16)
17	"A Pale Ephemeral Vow" Transcription: "Aoku Hakanaki Chikai" (Japanese: 青く儚き誓い)	July 23, 2019 (2019-07-23)
SP	Transcription: "Shinjitsu wa Heiretsu Sekai no Hate ni ~Aratanaru Tabidachi e~" (Japanese: 真実は並列世界の果てに～新たなる旅立ちへ～)	July 30, 2019 (2019-07-30)
18	"Twilight in Dela Granto" Transcription: "Dera Guranto no Tasogare" (Japanese: デラ=グラントの黄昏)	August 6, 2019 (2019-08-06)
19	"The Bond Between Parent and Child" Transcription: "Oyako no Kizuna" (Japanese: 親子の絆)	August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13)
20	"Into the Rafaelo Desert" Transcription: "Rafaero Sabaku e" (Japanese: ラファエロ砂漠へ)	August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20)
21	"The Quarry Where Demons Rule" Transcription: "Akuma no Shihai Suru Saikutsujō" (Japanese: 悪魔の支配する採掘場)	August 27, 2019 (2019-08-27)
22	"Escape from the Quarry" Transcription: "Saikutsujō kara no Dasshutsu" (Japanese: 採掘場からの脱出)	September 3, 2019 (2019-09-03)
23	"The Imperial City, Where the Wind Blows" Transcription: "Kaze no Fuku Teito" (Japanese: 風の吹く帝都)	September 10, 2019 (2019-09-10)
24	"The Truth of Dela Granto" Transcription: "Dera Guranto no Shinjitsu" (Japanese: デラ=グラントの真実)	September 17, 2019 (2019-09-17)
25	"The Promised Ritual" Transcription: "Yakusoku no Gishiki" (Japanese: 約束の儀式)	September 24, 2019 (2019-09-24)
26	"A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World" Transcription: "Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shōjo" (Japanese: この世の果てで恋を唄う少女)	October 1, 2019 (2019-10-01)

Manga

A manga adaptation by Mario Kaneda was published in Enix's G Fantasy magazine from 1997 to 1998.[61] A manga adaptation by Sōji Ishida ran in Enterbrain's Comic Clear magazine from March 14, 2017 to March 15, 2018.[61]

See also

• Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World

Notes

1. Japanese: Kono yo no hate de koi o utau Shōjo YU-NO (この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO)
2. "Sarah" in English releases of the anime adaptations.
3. "Divine Emperor" in English releases of the anime adaptations.

References

1. "YU-NO/第1幕「誘惑する事象たち」" (in Japanese). Pink Pineapple. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
2. Sorlie, Audun (2011). "Yu-No". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
3. "Obituary: Ryu Umemoto (1974 - 2011)". vgmonline.net. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
4. "YU-NO/EVE Game Creator Hiroyuki Kanno Passes Away". Anime News Network. 2011-12-25. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
5. "Eve & YU-NO Creator Dead at 37". AnimeNation. December 26, 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
6. "Spike Chunsoft to Release YU-NO Visual Novel on PS4/PC in 2019". Anime News Network. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
7. Allen, Robert (October 2, 2019). "YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world review". Tech-Gaming. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
8. WooJin Lee. "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World". RPGFan. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
9. "Radiant Historia Preview for DS from 1UP.com". 1Up.com. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
10. "To those of you that asked about Radiant Historia". Destructoid. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
11. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, GamesRadar, February 15, 2011
12. "Uchuu Saikyou no Seiyuu Database - Kono Yono Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO [YU-NO - A girl who chants love at the bound of this world.] (1997/12/04 Sega Saturn)". tenshi.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
13. "YU-NO Anime's 1st Promo Video Reveals Cast, Staff, April Premiere". Anime News Network. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
14. "YU-NO Anime Reveals Visual, Returning Cast, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
15. "YU-NO Anime's Video Reveals New Cast, Previews New Theme Song". Anime News Network. July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
16. Funimation. "[Master Thread] YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World (Dubbed)". www.funimation.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
17. Lee, Amanda (2019-08-16). "I voice Sayless in the newest episode of YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World! Check her out in EP 18 on @FUNimation Thank you @Bowling4day for having me!". @LeeandLie. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
18. "サラ". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
19. "バズク". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
20. "クンクン". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
21. "神帝". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
22. "カーツ". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
23. "デオ". TVアニメ「この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO」公式サイト.
24. http://yuno-anime.com/character/other4/
25. http://yuno-anime.com/character/aichlikkwadrou/
26. Sorlie, Audun (September 25, 2012). "Memorial: Composer Ryu Umemoto". Gamasutra. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
27. Romano, Sal (27 September 2019). "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World. mini-interview with producer Makoto Asada". Gematsu. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
28. "5pb. Remaking Classic Visual Novel YU-NO". Siliconera. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
29. "YU-NO remake confirmed for PS4 and PS Vita, launches February 18 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
30. "YU-NO remake delayed to spring 2016 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
31. "YU-NO remake launches November 17 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
32. "YU-NO remake delayed to March 16 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
33. "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World launches October 4 in Europe". Gematsu. July 29, 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
34. "YU-NO" (PDF). Sega Saturn Magazine. 1997 (43). 12 December 1997. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
35. "この世の果てで恋を唄う少女YU-NO (elf) (1996-12-26)". ErogameScape. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
36. "Steins;Gate is voted the best Adventure game of all time". Japanese Nintendo. June 7, 2017.
37. "名作「YU-NO」リメイク版をサターン版と比較し徹底レビュー！". ITmedia (in Japanese). April 16, 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
38. "１９９７年　テレビゲームソフト　年間売上　ＴＯＰ１００（ファミ通７００号記事ベース）". nifty.com. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
39. Dengeki Sega Saturn. 17. 1998-03-20.
40. "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 29, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
41. "Review: YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love At The Bound Of This World". Nintendo Life. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
42. "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. December 17, 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
43. S., Matt (4 October 2019). "Review: YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (Nintendo Switch)". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
44. Kyyhky, Antero (2020-03-01). "Peli, joka pilaa sinut". Pelit. pp. 44–45.
45. Chandran, Neal (2019-08-10). "YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world. (2017)". RPG Site. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
46. Black, Cullen (2020-02-03). "YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World Review". RPG Site. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
47. "YU-NO remake total sales top 40,000". Gematsu. March 21, 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
48. Kalata, Kurt (2019). "1996 – YU-NO: Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shōjo". Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Japanese Video Game Obscurities. Unbound Publishing. p. 108-109 (108). ISBN 978-1-78352-765-6.
49. Dennison, Kara (July 30, 2019). "YU-NO Goes Full Isekai with New PV and Cast Additions". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
50. "This Week in Games - Anime Expo Extravaganza". Anime News Network. July 12, 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
51. "The Spring 2019 Anime Preview Guide - YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love At The Bound Of This World". Anime News Network. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
52. "For the unaware, Hiroyuki Kanno is a huge influence in Japanese games and VNs. Fate/stay night, Steins;Gate, etc owe a lot to him and YU-NO". RPG Site. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
53. "Steins;Gate 10th Anniversary Projects Announced". DualShockers. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
54. "YU-NO Sci-Fi Visual Novel Gets Anime Project". Anime News Network. December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
55. "YU-NO Anime's 2nd Promo Video Previews Asaka's Opening Song". Anime News Network. February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
56. "YU-NO Anime Project to be 2-Cour Series". Anime News Network. December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
57. "YU-NO Anime Reveals New Theme Songs, Visual". Anime News Network. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
58. "YU-NO Anime Reveals Director, Designer, Plans to Depict All Routes". Anime News Network. March 3, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
59. "YU-NO Anime Gets New Episode in December". Anime News Network. May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
60. "Funimation Adds YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world. to Spring Streaming Lineup". Anime News Network. April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
61. "YU-NO Manga Ends in 2nd Volume in March". Anime News Network. February 8, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2019.

External links

• Official site for the remake (in Japanese)
• YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World at The Visual Novel Database
• Hardcore Gaming 101's in-depth review of the game and its history, mirror
• Yu-No at MobyGames
• Yu-No at GameFAQs
• Official anime website (in Japanese)
• YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• YU-NO (OVA) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia