Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two.
Encyclopedia
Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two (stylized ef - a fairy tale of the two.) is the overall title of a two-part Japanese adult
visual novel
series by Minori
for the PC
as a DVD
. The first game in the series, Ef: The First Tale, was released on December 22, 2006, and the second game, Ef: The Latter Tale, was released on May 30, 2008. The opening video for the game was animated by Makoto Shinkai
, and a majority of the music was produced by Tenmon
, who has worked in the past with Shinkai and Minori. Female character design was by Naru Nanao
of Da Capo fame, while male character design was by 2C Galore.
Before the release of Ef: The First Tale, a manga
based on the overall story started serialization in the April 2005 issue of Dengeki Comic Gao, but later transferred to Dengeki Daioh
. In addition, a light novel
was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten
's Comptiq
from July 2006 to July 2008. A 12-episode anime
adaptation titled Ef: A Tale of Memories was produced by Shaft
and aired between October and December 2007. A second season of the anime titled Ef: A Tale of Melodies aired 12 episodes between October and December 2008.
On September 26, 2010, it was announced that MangaGamer had acquired the rights of the visual novel for a worldwide English release, in partnership with the translation group No Name Losers. The license holding company Sentai Filmworks licensed both Ef anime series.
The gameplay
requires little interaction from the player as most of the duration of the game is spent simply reading the text that appears on the screen which represents either dialogue
between the various characters or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. The player has a chance to assume the role of four protagonists, two in each Ef: The First Tale and Ef: The Latter Tale. Each protagonist is paired with a heroine, and each scenario in the original PC versions of the visual novels includes scenes with sexual content. These scenes are removed or modified in the PlayStation 2 port.
Every so often, the player will come to a point where he or she is given the chance to choose from multiple options. The time between these points is variable and can occur anywhere from a minute to much longer. Gameplay pauses at these points and depending on which choice the player makes, the plot will progress in a specific direction. There are four main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. To view all plot lines, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and make different decisions to progress the plot in an alternate direction. The game can end prematurely is the player makes the wrong decisions. When this occurs, the player must go back to a previously saved spot and choose different decisions.
For Ef, Minori attempted to create a movie-like experience, using a lot of animated two-dimensional computer graphics presented from various angles. Instead of presenting the visuals straight-on with a character's image in the middle of the screen and the character being the main focus, the character images in the Ef series are off-center and appear closer to "event" computer graphics
(CGs) in typical visual novels. These types of CGs occur at certain pivotal times in a visual novel's story and are meant to be artistic and much more detailed than normal visuals.
, and , a mysterious gentleman who is somehow attached to the church where Yuko first appears, are having a reunion in a church during Christmas
time. Despite her attire, Yuko is not affiliated with the church. She always appears generally out of nowhere, and disappears just as quickly in various places throughout the story to talk with Hiro or other characters and give them advice. Yuko and Yu reminisce about the past and remember events of the previous year around the same time at the beginning of the first chapter of the story. Yuko hints of events that are revealed throughout Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. After the conclusion of the first chapter, the story cycles back to the prologue and the talk between Yuko and Yu. Yuko ends with her talk about the events in the first chapter. At the end of the second chapter, the story shifts again to the scene with Yuko and Yu. Yuko finishes her talk on the events from the second chapter and says that she misses talking to Hiro, Kyosuke, and their friends. Their talk ends with allusions to the continuation of the story, Ef: The Latter Tale.
despite still attending high school. Due to the pressures of his work, he often skips school and puts most of his time into his job as a manga artist
of shōjo manga under the moniker . Writing manga causes him to lose interest in school and focuses mainly on his work in order to earn an income, as usually he does not have much money as it is. While out one Christmas night, a purse snatcher rushes past Hiro on a bike and soon the main heroine of the first chapter named appears, chasing after the purse thief. Hiro has his bike with him at the time, and Miyako takes his bike without asking to pursue the culprit. She ends up destroying his bike, and later hangs out with him for the rest of the night.
Hiro later meets Miyako again at school, and learns that she is a student of the same year there, but in a different class; she too does not attend classes much because she finds them boring. Miyako has an energetic personality and enjoys doing unorthodox things. She eventually starts to become attracted to Hiro after they start spending more time together, but during this time Hiro's childhood friend begins to feel left out and a love triangle develops between the three students. She is attracted to Hiro, and becomes jealous when she finds out how much time he is spending with Miyako Miyamura. Hiro and Miyako eventually become a couple, despite Kei's feelings for him.
One day while Kyosuke is filming near the gymnasium he by chance catches sight of Kei practicing basketball for her school's girl's basketball team and becomes infatuated by her image. He desires to cast Kei in an amateur film he is making for an upcoming film festival. Occupied with thoughts of Kei, he sets out determined to get closer to Kei by becoming better friends with Hiro, Kei's childhood friend. Kei is one year younger than Hiro and she attends the same school as him too. After being asked to be cast in one of his films, Kei initially refuses Kyosuke's offer, but agrees to watch some of his previous films. While initially put off by the films, she eventually comes to like aspects of his work. After hanging out together more, the two eventually fall in love and go out together.
time. Yuko tells Yu how she has influenced people in two separate stories (from Ef: The First Tale). After she is done with this, she asks him to tell her about the people he has influenced. Yu starts to tell his first story, that of Chihiro Shindo; the third chapter begins. Like Yuko, Yu also abruptly appears out of nowhere and disappears just as mysteriously. He often gives advice and warnings to Renji and others. Yu is close to Chihiro and takes care of her. After the conclusion of the third chapter, the story goes back to Yuko and Yu with Yu ending his recount of the third chapter, and goes on to talk about how he and Yuko were separated in the past. Yu starts his recount of the events from the fourth chapter. At the end of the fourth chapter, the story shifts one final time back to Yuko and Yu. Up to this point the two have been recounting individual tales to each other. The meaning of the overall title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two is revealed to be in connection with Yuko and Yu.
where she cannot remember anything past thirteen hours previous, aside from the events before the accident which she can recall perfectly. When she was younger, she was involved in an accident which resulted in her condition, and now carries a diary with her which she writes in every day the events of that day so that the next day, after she had forgotten everything, she will be able to remind herself of what happened the previous day. Ironically, she has a fantastic memory of anything that happened that is less than thirteen hours old.
Renji also finds out that it is her dream to write a fantasy novel, but due to her condition has never been able to get far. Renji loves to read novels, and after discussing it with Chihiro, he collaborates with her to see if he can finally make her dream come true. Through the process of writing the novel, the two eventually become very close and they fall in love with each other. As the story progresses and more of the novel is written, Renji soon discovers that the novel is an allegory
for Chihiro's life and how she sees the world around her due to the state of her limited memory.
ist. He had been studying abroad in Germany for a time, and comes back to where Efs story takes place. Kuze is a neighbor of Renji's and is good friends with him despite the age difference. Kuze knows Yu Himura and Chihiro as well, but she forgets Kuze due to her condition. He meets the main heroine from the fourth chapter of the story named after being introduced by Renji's mother. She goes to an affiliated school and admires Kei greatly as someone who is older than she is; in fact, Mizuki is also on her school's girl's basketball team. She greatly enjoys reading shōjo manga. She has a straightforward attitude and likes to be frank towards others, especially to Kei. She initially comes to Otowa to visit her older cousin Renji, and this is when she meets Kuze. Kuze keeps to himself that he is dying of a special case of neurosis
, of which Mizuki is aware of, but even though she tries to get closer to him, he forcibly pushes her away and rejects her affections. Mizuki becomes depressed and obtains Chihiro's diary. Casually reading it, she finds Yu's name which she recognizes from her past. Mizuki goes to the church to find Yu, but the chapter ends shortly after.
. The director for Ef was Mikage
, who was also one of the main scenario writers along with Yū Kagami
. Character design for Ef was headed by two artists, Naru Nanao
who drew the female characters, and 2C Galore who drew the males. The opening movie animation was done via a collaboration between the animation studio
Ajia-do Animation Works
and Makoto Shinkai
. Music in the Ef series was provided by Tenmon
, who was the sole composer for Ef: The First Tale, and was accompanied by Eiichirō Yanagi for additional music used in Ef: The Latter Tale.
between August 11 and August 13, 2007; the disc, playable on a PC
was later sold in retail stores starting on August 25, 2007. The disc, unlike the normal visual novels in the series, did not contain adult
content, and offered a glimpse into the world of Ef, though only touched on points from Ef: The First Tale, the first game in the series. Ef: The First Tale was released as an adult game
for the PC on December 22, 2006. The second game in the series, Ef: The Latter Tale was released on May 30, 2008. A game demo
of Ef: The First Tale is available via a free download at Getchu.com's special website for Ef: The First Tale. A second fan disc entitled Ef: Second Fan Mix, released as a preview of Ef: The Latter Tale, was initially released at during Comiket 73 on December 29, 2007; the disc, playable on a PC was later sold in retail stores starting on February 8, 2008. A PlayStation 2 port combining The First Tale and The Latter Tale was released on April 29, 2010 published by Comfort. A fan disc titled was released on September 17, 2010.
adaptation, under the general title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, began serialization in the April 2005 issue of the shōnen
manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
sold on February 27, 2005, published by MediaWorks
. The manga ended serialization in the April 2008 issue Dengeki Comic Gao! at thirty-five chapters, but continued serialization in the June 2008 issue of ASCII Media Works
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
sold on April 21, 2008. The story in the manga is taken from the first visual novel, Ef: The First Tale, and was written by Mikage
and Yū Kagami
, two scenario writers of Minori
, and illustrated by Juri Miyabi
. As of June 26, 2010, nine bound volumes
have been published under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics
imprint.
form were serialized under the title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two Another Tale in Kadokawa Shoten
's seinen
magazine Comptiq
between the July 2006 and July 2008 issues sold on June 10, 2006 and June 10, 2008, respectively. The stories are written by the same scenario staff as with the original games and manga, and illustration is handled by Naru Nanao
, 2C Galore, and Mitsuishi Shōna
. The chapters of Another Tale were released in a single volume on February 27, 2009 entitled Another Tales.. Another two separate light novels, under the general title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, were published by Fujimi Shobo
on October 25, 2007. They were written by Yū Kagami, and illustrated by Kinusa Shimotsuki. The first novel was a novelization of Miyako's route, and the second was centered around Kei's route.
shows for Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two The first, entitled , was broadcast between October 13, 2006 to June 1, 2007 every Friday and was produced by Onsen, Cospa
, and Minori
. The show contained thirty-three episodes and was mainly used to promote the visual novels. In this way, the promotion mainly entailed news about the series and any updates related to the visual novels while also discussing points about the games themselves. The second radio broadcast began on June 8, 2007 called . This broadcast is mainly used to promote the anime series which entails reporting on updates related to the anime and goods for the anime including musical CDs or DVD
s.
based on the series between October 2006 and April 2007. A special edition drama CD was released on November 21, 2007, and another special drama CD was released on January 1, 2008. The first print release of the special edition CD will contain comments from the cast. The drama CDs used the same female cast as with the games and anime versions (albeit under assumed names), but the two males that appeared in the dramas, Hiro and Kyosuke, had different voice actors in respect to the anime version. Hiro was voiced by Takashi Shōman, and Kyosuke was by Shō Shiroki.
series was released as a DVD. The prologue was a teaser which introduced the characters and some conflict that would appear in the series. The anime series, under the title Ef: A Tale of Memories, aired 12 episodes on Chiba TV
between October 7 and December 22, 2007. The anime was produced by Shaft
and directed by Shin Ōnuma
who volunteered for the job when it was offered. Even though the script for Ef: The Latter Tale was finished at the time of the anime's production, in order to direct the anime from the viewer's standpoint, Shin Ōnuma himself never read it. However, Katsuhiko Takayama who wrote the screenplay for the anime, had read the script. Each episode ends with a still image drawn by Japanese illustrators of anime, manga
, and visual novel
s. The first letter in each episode's title, plus the "coda
" title of the last episode, can be brought together to form "Euphoric Field". The series was released in six limited and regular edition DVD compilations, each containing two episodes. The first DVD volume was released on December 7, 2007, and the sixth DVD was released on May 9, 2008. A second season entitled Ef: A Tale of Melodies aired 12 episodes between October 7 and December 22, 2008 in Japan. The license holding company Sentai Filmworks licensed both Ef anime series. The DVD box set of Ef: A Tale of Memories will be released on January 31, 2012 in North America with an English dub.
which was released as a maxi single
called "Eternal Feather" on October 27, 2006. For Ef: The Latter Tale, the opening theme is "Emotional Flutter", and the ending theme is "Ever Forever"; the single containing the two themes was released on April 11, 2008. Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Twos original soundtrack, Alato, was released on February 27, 2009 containing three CDs. The PlayStation 2 version released by Comfort will include an image song
CD in the game disc, which will contain a song called "Echt Forgather" by Hitomi Harada.
The opening theme for Ef: A Tale of Memories, starting with episode three, is the English version of "Euphoric Field" by Tenmon
featuring Elisa. The first episode used a background music
track for the opening theme, and the second and tenth episodes had no opening theme; the English version of "Euphoric Field" was also used for the ending theme in episode two. The Japanese version of "Euphoric Field" was used as the opening theme for the twelfth episode. The opening theme single was released on October 24, 2007 by Geneon
. The first ending theme for the anime is "I'm here" by Hiroko Taguchi
which was used for episodes one, three, seven, and ten; the single for the song (entitled "Adagio by Miyako Miyamura") was also released on October 24, 2007 by Geneon. The second ending theme, by Junko Okada
, was used for episodes four, five, and nine, and the single (entitled "Vivace
by Kei Shindo") was released on November 21, 2007. The third ending theme, by Natsumi Yanase
, was used for episode six, eight, and eleven, though the second verse of the song was used in that episode; the single (entitled "Andante by Chihiro Shindo") was released on December 21, 2007. A remix
of the visual novel's theme song called sung by Yumiko Nakajima
was used as the ending theme in episode twelve. The single for this (entitled "Yūkyū no Tsubasa 07.mix / Euphoric Field live.mix") was released on September 26, 2008. The first original soundtrack for the anime series (Espressivo) was released on February 8, 2008, and the second (Fortissimo) was released on April 2, 2008.
The opening theme of Ef: A Tale of Melodies is the English version of "Ebullient Future", also by Tenmon featuring Elisa, with the sixth episode featuring the instrumental version and episode eleven with the second verse. The opening sequence is shown to change many times; episode ten contains no opening, but a piano remix of the song was used as the ending for that same episode. Episode twelve uses the Japanese version of the song, with a different opening sequence. The first ending theme is called by Mai Goto
and was used in episode two through five, seven, and the second verse was used in episode eleven. The second ending theme is called by Yumiko Nakajima which was used in episode six, nine, and the second verse was used in episode eight. The song "A moon filled sky." by Mai Goto was featured at the end of episode eleven and a new Japanese version of the opening sequence of the first season was inserted in the same episode. Episode twelve uses the song "Ever Forever OG.mix" sung by the voice actresses of all the major female characters. The singles for "Ebullient Future" and "Egao no Chikara" (the latter entitled "Fermata
by Mizuki Hayama") were released on November 5, 2008 and the single for "Negai no Kakera" (entitled "Fine
by Yuko Amamiya") was released on November 26, 2008. The first original soundtrack for the series (Elegia) was released on December 26, 2008 while the second original soundtrack (Felice) was released on February 27, 2009.
, poll results for the fifty best bishōjo game
s were released. Out of 249 titles, Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two ranked 23rd with 11 votes, tying with Muv-Luv Alternative and Snow. The first game in the Ef series, Ef: The First Tale, was the highest selling game for the month of December 2006 on Getchu.com, and dropped to 19th in the ranking the following month. Also, Ef: The First Tale was the fourth most widely sold game of 2006 on Getchu.com despite it being released with a little over a week left in 2006. In the January 25, 2007 issue of the Japanese gaming magazine PC News, it was reported that Ef: The First Tale was the fifth-highest selling game of 2006 with 40,843 units sold. Across the national ranking of bishōjo games in amount sold in Japan, Ef: The First Tale premiered at number two, and ranked twice more at number five and 32. From mid-April to mid-May 2008, Ef: The Latter Tale ranked fourth in national PC game pre-orders in Japan. Ef: The Latter Tale ranked first in terms of national sales of PC games in Japan in May 2008, and ranked at 30th on the same ranking the following month.
The Ef series, encompassing the visual novels and anime adaptation, was the only Minori
title to receive coverage in an entire issue of Dengeki G's Festival! Deluxe, a special edition version of Dengeki G's Magazine
which is published by ASCII Media Works
; the issue in question was the first, and was published on November 30, 2007. Along with information pertaining to Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two and Ef: A Tale of Memories, the magazine came bundled with an ergonomic
mousepad
, a small cell phone
cleaner which can also attach to a cell phone, and an ID card
/pass case.
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
series by Minori
Minori
is a Japanese visual novel company which created the games Bittersweet Fools, Wind: A Breath of Heart, Haru no Ashioto and Angel Type. Their latest game as of 2009 is Eden*...
for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
as a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The first game in the series, Ef: The First Tale, was released on December 22, 2006, and the second game, Ef: The Latter Tale, was released on May 30, 2008. The opening video for the game was animated by Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai
, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese anime director, animator, and voice actor. A native of the Koumi Nagano Prefecture in Japan, he studied Japanese literature at Chuo University. He traces his passion for creation to the manga, anime, and novels he was exposed to while in middle...
, and a majority of the music was produced by Tenmon
Tenmon (composer)
, born , is a Japanese music composer from Tokyo, Japan born in 1971. He worked in the Nihon Falcom Corporation as one of the members of Falcom Sound Team J.D.K.. During his time with Falcom, he has composed much music for Falcom games, most notably Brandish....
, who has worked in the past with Shinkai and Minori. Female character design was by Naru Nanao
Naru Nanao
is a female Japanese artist from Okinawa, Japan. Nanao's choice of her pseudonym stems from the Circus' game Aries; one of the characters was named . She is a free illustrator and thus is not affiliated with one single company; she is primarily a character designer...
of Da Capo fame, while male character design was by 2C Galore.
Before the release of Ef: The First Tale, a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
based on the overall story started serialization in the April 2005 issue of Dengeki Comic Gao, but later transferred to Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
. In addition, a light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's Comptiq
Comptiq
is a Japanese computer game magazine, first published in 1983, by Kadokawa Shoten. The name "Comptiq" came from combining the words "computer" and "boutique". Originally a PC magazine, its focus shifted from computers to computer games. As of September 2003, it has been known as a "MediaMix Game...
from July 2006 to July 2008. A 12-episode anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation titled Ef: A Tale of Memories was produced by Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
and aired between October and December 2007. A second season of the anime titled Ef: A Tale of Melodies aired 12 episodes between October and December 2008.
On September 26, 2010, it was announced that MangaGamer had acquired the rights of the visual novel for a worldwide English release, in partnership with the translation group No Name Losers. The license holding company Sentai Filmworks licensed both Ef anime series.
Gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
requires little interaction from the player as most of the duration of the game is spent simply reading the text that appears on the screen which represents either dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
between the various characters or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. The player has a chance to assume the role of four protagonists, two in each Ef: The First Tale and Ef: The Latter Tale. Each protagonist is paired with a heroine, and each scenario in the original PC versions of the visual novels includes scenes with sexual content. These scenes are removed or modified in the PlayStation 2 port.
Every so often, the player will come to a point where he or she is given the chance to choose from multiple options. The time between these points is variable and can occur anywhere from a minute to much longer. Gameplay pauses at these points and depending on which choice the player makes, the plot will progress in a specific direction. There are four main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. To view all plot lines, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and make different decisions to progress the plot in an alternate direction. The game can end prematurely is the player makes the wrong decisions. When this occurs, the player must go back to a previously saved spot and choose different decisions.
For Ef, Minori attempted to create a movie-like experience, using a lot of animated two-dimensional computer graphics presented from various angles. Instead of presenting the visuals straight-on with a character's image in the middle of the screen and the character being the main focus, the character images in the Ef series are off-center and appear closer to "event" computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
(CGs) in typical visual novels. These types of CGs occur at certain pivotal times in a visual novel's story and are meant to be artistic and much more detailed than normal visuals.
Overview
Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two consists of two parts. The first part is titled Ef: The First Tale and primarily consists of the story of Hiro Hirono, Miyako Miyamura, Kyosuke Tsutsumi, Kei Shindo, and Yuko Amamiya. It consists of a prologue and two main chapters with Miyako as the focus for the first chapter, and Kei for the second. This is followed by the second part of the story, Ef: The Latter Tale, which primarily deals with the story of Renji Aso, Chihiro Shindo, Shuichi Kuze, Mizuki Hayama, and Yu Himura. The second part consists of two more main chapters and an ending chapter, with Chihiro as the focus for the third chapter, and Mizuki for the fourth. Bringing the two parts together forms the all-encompassing Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. The story is set in the town .Prologue
, a mysterious girl dressed like a nunNun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, and , a mysterious gentleman who is somehow attached to the church where Yuko first appears, are having a reunion in a church during Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
time. Despite her attire, Yuko is not affiliated with the church. She always appears generally out of nowhere, and disappears just as quickly in various places throughout the story to talk with Hiro or other characters and give them advice. Yuko and Yu reminisce about the past and remember events of the previous year around the same time at the beginning of the first chapter of the story. Yuko hints of events that are revealed throughout Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. After the conclusion of the first chapter, the story cycles back to the prologue and the talk between Yuko and Yu. Yuko ends with her talk about the events in the first chapter. At the end of the second chapter, the story shifts again to the scene with Yuko and Yu. Yuko finishes her talk on the events from the second chapter and says that she misses talking to Hiro, Kyosuke, and their friends. Their talk ends with allusions to the continuation of the story, Ef: The Latter Tale.
First chapter
The first chapter's protagonist is , an already established manga authorMangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
despite still attending high school. Due to the pressures of his work, he often skips school and puts most of his time into his job as a manga artist
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
of shōjo manga under the moniker . Writing manga causes him to lose interest in school and focuses mainly on his work in order to earn an income, as usually he does not have much money as it is. While out one Christmas night, a purse snatcher rushes past Hiro on a bike and soon the main heroine of the first chapter named appears, chasing after the purse thief. Hiro has his bike with him at the time, and Miyako takes his bike without asking to pursue the culprit. She ends up destroying his bike, and later hangs out with him for the rest of the night.
Hiro later meets Miyako again at school, and learns that she is a student of the same year there, but in a different class; she too does not attend classes much because she finds them boring. Miyako has an energetic personality and enjoys doing unorthodox things. She eventually starts to become attracted to Hiro after they start spending more time together, but during this time Hiro's childhood friend begins to feel left out and a love triangle develops between the three students. She is attracted to Hiro, and becomes jealous when she finds out how much time he is spending with Miyako Miyamura. Hiro and Miyako eventually become a couple, despite Kei's feelings for him.
Second chapter
The second chapter begins several months after the end of the first. It is now summer, and the story focuses on a new protagonist named . Kyosuke is an acquaintance of Hiro's and happens to be in the same grade and school. He has a passion for filming, and constantly carries a digital video recorder around with him. On Christmas night, he saw Kei Shindo, who is the main heroine of the second chapter, running down the street and tried to get a shot of her, but a truck passed by, so he could not get a clean shot, plus he did not realize it was Kei at the time. After immersing himself in the thoughts of the mystery girl that Christmas night, he ends up quitting the film club and his girlfriend suggests they break up, which he agrees to as well.One day while Kyosuke is filming near the gymnasium he by chance catches sight of Kei practicing basketball for her school's girl's basketball team and becomes infatuated by her image. He desires to cast Kei in an amateur film he is making for an upcoming film festival. Occupied with thoughts of Kei, he sets out determined to get closer to Kei by becoming better friends with Hiro, Kei's childhood friend. Kei is one year younger than Hiro and she attends the same school as him too. After being asked to be cast in one of his films, Kei initially refuses Kyosuke's offer, but agrees to watch some of his previous films. While initially put off by the films, she eventually comes to like aspects of his work. After hanging out together more, the two eventually fall in love and go out together.
Prologue
Ef: The Latter Tale begins once again with Yuko Amamiya and Yu Himura in the middle of a reunion in a church during ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
time. Yuko tells Yu how she has influenced people in two separate stories (from Ef: The First Tale). After she is done with this, she asks him to tell her about the people he has influenced. Yu starts to tell his first story, that of Chihiro Shindo; the third chapter begins. Like Yuko, Yu also abruptly appears out of nowhere and disappears just as mysteriously. He often gives advice and warnings to Renji and others. Yu is close to Chihiro and takes care of her. After the conclusion of the third chapter, the story goes back to Yuko and Yu with Yu ending his recount of the third chapter, and goes on to talk about how he and Yuko were separated in the past. Yu starts his recount of the events from the fourth chapter. At the end of the fourth chapter, the story shifts one final time back to Yuko and Yu. Up to this point the two have been recounting individual tales to each other. The meaning of the overall title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two is revealed to be in connection with Yuko and Yu.
Third chapter
Like the first chapter, the third chapter is also set in winter, but now the story focuses on another protagonist named who is half German, half Japanese. One day, he goes to an abandoned train station in town he would often frequent to read at since it is so quiet there and meets a girl wearing an eyepatch over her left eye and sitting alone named . Chihiro is the younger twin sister of Kei Shindo from Ef: The First Tale and the main heroine of the third chapter in the story. Despite them being mutually shy, Renji comes back to see her at the station every day after school and quickly becomes friends with her. Renji later learns that she has a severe case of anterograde amnesiaAnterograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia is a loss of the ability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia, leading to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, while long-term memories from before the event remain intact. This is in contrast to retrograde amnesia, where memories...
where she cannot remember anything past thirteen hours previous, aside from the events before the accident which she can recall perfectly. When she was younger, she was involved in an accident which resulted in her condition, and now carries a diary with her which she writes in every day the events of that day so that the next day, after she had forgotten everything, she will be able to remind herself of what happened the previous day. Ironically, she has a fantastic memory of anything that happened that is less than thirteen hours old.
Renji also finds out that it is her dream to write a fantasy novel, but due to her condition has never been able to get far. Renji loves to read novels, and after discussing it with Chihiro, he collaborates with her to see if he can finally make her dream come true. Through the process of writing the novel, the two eventually become very close and they fall in love with each other. As the story progresses and more of the novel is written, Renji soon discovers that the novel is an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
for Chihiro's life and how she sees the world around her due to the state of her limited memory.
Fourth chapter
is the main protagonist of the fourth chapter in the story. He is an older man who is a professional violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. He had been studying abroad in Germany for a time, and comes back to where Efs story takes place. Kuze is a neighbor of Renji's and is good friends with him despite the age difference. Kuze knows Yu Himura and Chihiro as well, but she forgets Kuze due to her condition. He meets the main heroine from the fourth chapter of the story named after being introduced by Renji's mother. She goes to an affiliated school and admires Kei greatly as someone who is older than she is; in fact, Mizuki is also on her school's girl's basketball team. She greatly enjoys reading shōjo manga. She has a straightforward attitude and likes to be frank towards others, especially to Kei. She initially comes to Otowa to visit her older cousin Renji, and this is when she meets Kuze. Kuze keeps to himself that he is dying of a special case of neurosis
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
, of which Mizuki is aware of, but even though she tries to get closer to him, he forcibly pushes her away and rejects her affections. Mizuki becomes depressed and obtains Chihiro's diary. Casually reading it, she finds Yu's name which she recognizes from her past. Mizuki goes to the church to find Yu, but the chapter ends shortly after.
Development
Planning for Ef started in 2004 headed by Nobukazu Sakai (also known as nbkz), who is the main producer for MinoriMinori
is a Japanese visual novel company which created the games Bittersweet Fools, Wind: A Breath of Heart, Haru no Ashioto and Angel Type. Their latest game as of 2009 is Eden*...
. The director for Ef was Mikage
Mikage
is a Japanese screenwriter and light novelist from Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan. Most of his work has been in adult games and drama CDs for such games. He has works primarily with Circus and Minori.-Works:Games*Archimedes no Wasuremono*D.C.: Da Capo...
, who was also one of the main scenario writers along with Yū Kagami
Yu Kagami
is a Japanese screenwriter employed by Minori where he has been writing game scenarios since 2004 when he contributed to his first adult game scrpit for Haru no Ashioto. After getting involved in many drama CDs for the game, his next project was on Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. by the same company....
. Character design for Ef was headed by two artists, Naru Nanao
Naru Nanao
is a female Japanese artist from Okinawa, Japan. Nanao's choice of her pseudonym stems from the Circus' game Aries; one of the characters was named . She is a free illustrator and thus is not affiliated with one single company; she is primarily a character designer...
who drew the female characters, and 2C Galore who drew the males. The opening movie animation was done via a collaboration between the animation studio
Animation studio
An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a major stake in the sales or rentals of the media produced...
Ajia-do Animation Works
Ajia-do Animation Works
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, noted for several anime series, including Spirit of Wonder, Zettai Shōnen, and several others...
and Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai
, better known by the stage name , is a Japanese anime director, animator, and voice actor. A native of the Koumi Nagano Prefecture in Japan, he studied Japanese literature at Chuo University. He traces his passion for creation to the manga, anime, and novels he was exposed to while in middle...
. Music in the Ef series was provided by Tenmon
Tenmon (composer)
, born , is a Japanese music composer from Tokyo, Japan born in 1971. He worked in the Nihon Falcom Corporation as one of the members of Falcom Sound Team J.D.K.. During his time with Falcom, he has composed much music for Falcom games, most notably Brandish....
, who was the sole composer for Ef: The First Tale, and was accompanied by Eiichirō Yanagi for additional music used in Ef: The Latter Tale.
Release history
A fan disc entitled Ef: First Fan Disc was initially released during Comiket 72Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
between August 11 and August 13, 2007; the disc, playable on a PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
was later sold in retail stores starting on August 25, 2007. The disc, unlike the normal visual novels in the series, did not contain adult
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
content, and offered a glimpse into the world of Ef, though only touched on points from Ef: The First Tale, the first game in the series. Ef: The First Tale was released as an adult game
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
for the PC on December 22, 2006. The second game in the series, Ef: The Latter Tale was released on May 30, 2008. A game demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
of Ef: The First Tale is available via a free download at Getchu.com's special website for Ef: The First Tale. A second fan disc entitled Ef: Second Fan Mix, released as a preview of Ef: The Latter Tale, was initially released at during Comiket 73 on December 29, 2007; the disc, playable on a PC was later sold in retail stores starting on February 8, 2008. A PlayStation 2 port combining The First Tale and The Latter Tale was released on April 29, 2010 published by Comfort. A fan disc titled was released on September 17, 2010.
Adaptations
Manga
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation, under the general title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, began serialization in the April 2005 issue of the shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
Dengeki Comic Gao!
, also known as Dengeki Gao! as was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine that primarily contained manga and information about series featuring bishōjo characters. It was published from December 1992 to February 2008 by MediaWorks. The Gao in the magazine's title is a childish form of the sound Grr...
sold on February 27, 2005, published by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
. The manga ended serialization in the April 2008 issue Dengeki Comic Gao! at thirty-five chapters, but continued serialization in the June 2008 issue of ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
sold on April 21, 2008. The story in the manga is taken from the first visual novel, Ef: The First Tale, and was written by Mikage
Mikage
is a Japanese screenwriter and light novelist from Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan. Most of his work has been in adult games and drama CDs for such games. He has works primarily with Circus and Minori.-Works:Games*Archimedes no Wasuremono*D.C.: Da Capo...
and Yū Kagami
Yu Kagami
is a Japanese screenwriter employed by Minori where he has been writing game scenarios since 2004 when he contributed to his first adult game scrpit for Haru no Ashioto. After getting involved in many drama CDs for the game, his next project was on Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. by the same company....
, two scenario writers of Minori
Minori
is a Japanese visual novel company which created the games Bittersweet Fools, Wind: A Breath of Heart, Haru no Ashioto and Angel Type. Their latest game as of 2009 is Eden*...
, and illustrated by Juri Miyabi
Juri Miyabi
is a female Japanese manga artist. Her most notable work is illustrating the Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. manga version which ran in MediaWorks' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! between February 2005 and February 2008, and then transferred to ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Daioh magazine in...
. As of June 26, 2010, nine bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
have been published under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics
Dengeki Comics
is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...
imprint.
Light novels
A series of twenty-four short side-stories in a light novelLight novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
form were serialized under the title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two Another Tale in Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
magazine Comptiq
Comptiq
is a Japanese computer game magazine, first published in 1983, by Kadokawa Shoten. The name "Comptiq" came from combining the words "computer" and "boutique". Originally a PC magazine, its focus shifted from computers to computer games. As of September 2003, it has been known as a "MediaMix Game...
between the July 2006 and July 2008 issues sold on June 10, 2006 and June 10, 2008, respectively. The stories are written by the same scenario staff as with the original games and manga, and illustration is handled by Naru Nanao
Naru Nanao
is a female Japanese artist from Okinawa, Japan. Nanao's choice of her pseudonym stems from the Circus' game Aries; one of the characters was named . She is a free illustrator and thus is not affiliated with one single company; she is primarily a character designer...
, 2C Galore, and Mitsuishi Shōna
Mitsuishi Shona
is a female Japanese illustrator of adult games and computer graphics for such games. She works for the company Minori, but has also worked with other companies too.-Works:*Platinum *Wind: A Breath of Heart...
. The chapters of Another Tale were released in a single volume on February 27, 2009 entitled Another Tales.. Another two separate light novels, under the general title Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two, were published by Fujimi Shobo
Fujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
on October 25, 2007. They were written by Yū Kagami, and illustrated by Kinusa Shimotsuki. The first novel was a novelization of Miyako's route, and the second was centered around Kei's route.
Internet radio shows
There are two Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
shows for Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two The first, entitled , was broadcast between October 13, 2006 to June 1, 2007 every Friday and was produced by Onsen, Cospa
Cospa
is a Japanese clothing company specializing in the production of cosplay costumes and other apparel for the otaku fan base. The company started in May 1995 as the child company of Broccoli. The name "Cospa" comes from an acronym for .-External links:* **...
, and Minori
Minori
is a Japanese visual novel company which created the games Bittersweet Fools, Wind: A Breath of Heart, Haru no Ashioto and Angel Type. Their latest game as of 2009 is Eden*...
. The show contained thirty-three episodes and was mainly used to promote the visual novels. In this way, the promotion mainly entailed news about the series and any updates related to the visual novels while also discussing points about the games themselves. The second radio broadcast began on June 8, 2007 called . This broadcast is mainly used to promote the anime series which entails reporting on updates related to the anime and goods for the anime including musical CDs or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s.
Drama CDs
A set of four drama CDs were released by Frontier WorksFrontier Works
is a Japanese company specializing in the creation and distribution of media related to anime, such as producing OVAs, radio dramas, drama CDs, anime soundtracks, or other related products...
based on the series between October 2006 and April 2007. A special edition drama CD was released on November 21, 2007, and another special drama CD was released on January 1, 2008. The first print release of the special edition CD will contain comments from the cast. The drama CDs used the same female cast as with the games and anime versions (albeit under assumed names), but the two males that appeared in the dramas, Hiro and Kyosuke, had different voice actors in respect to the anime version. Hiro was voiced by Takashi Shōman, and Kyosuke was by Shō Shiroki.
Anime
On August 24, 2007, a short prologue for an Ef animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series was released as a DVD. The prologue was a teaser which introduced the characters and some conflict that would appear in the series. The anime series, under the title Ef: A Tale of Memories, aired 12 episodes on Chiba TV
Chiba TV
, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
between October 7 and December 22, 2007. The anime was produced by Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
and directed by Shin Ōnuma
Shin Onuma
is a Japanese animation and theatre director. He has also provided key animation for many anime. Most prominently he has directed Ef: A Tale of Memories. and assisted Akiyuki Shinbo in directing three anime by Shaft: Pani Poni Dash!, Negima!?, Natsu no Arashi!.-Anime:*Baka to Test to Shōkanjū *Baka...
who volunteered for the job when it was offered. Even though the script for Ef: The Latter Tale was finished at the time of the anime's production, in order to direct the anime from the viewer's standpoint, Shin Ōnuma himself never read it. However, Katsuhiko Takayama who wrote the screenplay for the anime, had read the script. Each episode ends with a still image drawn by Japanese illustrators of anime, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s. The first letter in each episode's title, plus the "coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
" title of the last episode, can be brought together to form "Euphoric Field". The series was released in six limited and regular edition DVD compilations, each containing two episodes. The first DVD volume was released on December 7, 2007, and the sixth DVD was released on May 9, 2008. A second season entitled Ef: A Tale of Melodies aired 12 episodes between October 7 and December 22, 2008 in Japan. The license holding company Sentai Filmworks licensed both Ef anime series. The DVD box set of Ef: A Tale of Memories will be released on January 31, 2012 in North America with an English dub.
Music
The opening theme song for Ef: The First Tale is by Hitomi HaradaHitomi Harada
is a female Japanese voice actress and singer from Yamaguchi, Japan. She works for Production Baobab.- Anime :* Amagami SS as Manaka Hiba, Mika Makihara* Baka to Test to Shōkanjū as Mizuki Himeji...
which was released as a maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
called "Eternal Feather" on October 27, 2006. For Ef: The Latter Tale, the opening theme is "Emotional Flutter", and the ending theme is "Ever Forever"; the single containing the two themes was released on April 11, 2008. Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Twos original soundtrack, Alato, was released on February 27, 2009 containing three CDs. The PlayStation 2 version released by Comfort will include an image song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
CD in the game disc, which will contain a song called "Echt Forgather" by Hitomi Harada.
The opening theme for Ef: A Tale of Memories, starting with episode three, is the English version of "Euphoric Field" by Tenmon
Tenmon (composer)
, born , is a Japanese music composer from Tokyo, Japan born in 1971. He worked in the Nihon Falcom Corporation as one of the members of Falcom Sound Team J.D.K.. During his time with Falcom, he has composed much music for Falcom games, most notably Brandish....
featuring Elisa. The first episode used a background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
track for the opening theme, and the second and tenth episodes had no opening theme; the English version of "Euphoric Field" was also used for the ending theme in episode two. The Japanese version of "Euphoric Field" was used as the opening theme for the twelfth episode. The opening theme single was released on October 24, 2007 by Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
. The first ending theme for the anime is "I'm here" by Hiroko Taguchi
Hiroko Taguchi
, is a Japanese voice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture who is attached to Haikyo. She sometimes goes by several pseudonyms, including , , and .-TV Animation:*ef: A Tale of Melodies. as Miyako Miyamura*ef: A Tale of Memories. as Miyako Miyamura...
which was used for episodes one, three, seven, and ten; the single for the song (entitled "Adagio by Miyako Miyamura") was also released on October 24, 2007 by Geneon. The second ending theme, by Junko Okada
Junko Okada
is a Japanese voice actress from Aichi, Kanie, Japan employed by Genki Project.-Voice roles:*Ef: A Tale of Memories. as Kei Shindō*Getbackers as nurse *Haru no Ashioto as Nagomi Fujikura*Kodocha as Rumiko Yokota...
, was used for episodes four, five, and nine, and the single (entitled "Vivace
Vivace
Vivace is Italian for "lively" and "vivid". It is pronounced in the International Phonetic Alphabet.Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood ....
by Kei Shindo") was released on November 21, 2007. The third ending theme, by Natsumi Yanase
Natsumi Yanase
is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She also goes by the name when voicing adult games.-Anime:*D.C. II: Da Capo II *Debutante Detective Corps *Ef: A Tale of Memories....
, was used for episode six, eight, and eleven, though the second verse of the song was used in that episode; the single (entitled "Andante by Chihiro Shindo") was released on December 21, 2007. A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of the visual novel's theme song called sung by Yumiko Nakajima
Yumiko Nakajima
is a female Japanese voice actor from Chiba, Japan employed by B-Box.-Voice roles:*Dead Leaves as Gaya*Eden* as Erica*Ef: A Tale of Memories. as Yūko Amamiya*Happy Lesson*Papillon Rose...
was used as the ending theme in episode twelve. The single for this (entitled "Yūkyū no Tsubasa 07.mix / Euphoric Field live.mix") was released on September 26, 2008. The first original soundtrack for the anime series (Espressivo) was released on February 8, 2008, and the second (Fortissimo) was released on April 2, 2008.
The opening theme of Ef: A Tale of Melodies is the English version of "Ebullient Future", also by Tenmon featuring Elisa, with the sixth episode featuring the instrumental version and episode eleven with the second verse. The opening sequence is shown to change many times; episode ten contains no opening, but a piano remix of the song was used as the ending for that same episode. Episode twelve uses the Japanese version of the song, with a different opening sequence. The first ending theme is called by Mai Goto
Mai Goto (voice actress)
, is a female Japanese voice actress from Hokkaidō, Japan.-Anime:* Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl , Maririn* Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love- , Mai Asagiri...
and was used in episode two through five, seven, and the second verse was used in episode eleven. The second ending theme is called by Yumiko Nakajima which was used in episode six, nine, and the second verse was used in episode eight. The song "A moon filled sky." by Mai Goto was featured at the end of episode eleven and a new Japanese version of the opening sequence of the first season was inserted in the same episode. Episode twelve uses the song "Ever Forever OG.mix" sung by the voice actresses of all the major female characters. The singles for "Ebullient Future" and "Egao no Chikara" (the latter entitled "Fermata
Fermata
A fermata is an element of musical notation indicating that the note should be sustained for longer than its note value would indicate...
by Mizuki Hayama") were released on November 5, 2008 and the single for "Negai no Kakera" (entitled "Fine
Da capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
by Yuko Amamiya") was released on November 26, 2008. The first original soundtrack for the series (Elegia) was released on December 26, 2008 while the second original soundtrack (Felice) was released on February 27, 2009.
Reception and media coverage
In the October 2007 issue of Dengeki G's MagazineDengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...
, poll results for the fifty best bishōjo game
Bishojo game
A , or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive anime-style girls". These games are a sub-genre of dating sims targeted towards a male audience....
s were released. Out of 249 titles, Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two ranked 23rd with 11 votes, tying with Muv-Luv Alternative and Snow. The first game in the Ef series, Ef: The First Tale, was the highest selling game for the month of December 2006 on Getchu.com, and dropped to 19th in the ranking the following month. Also, Ef: The First Tale was the fourth most widely sold game of 2006 on Getchu.com despite it being released with a little over a week left in 2006. In the January 25, 2007 issue of the Japanese gaming magazine PC News, it was reported that Ef: The First Tale was the fifth-highest selling game of 2006 with 40,843 units sold. Across the national ranking of bishōjo games in amount sold in Japan, Ef: The First Tale premiered at number two, and ranked twice more at number five and 32. From mid-April to mid-May 2008, Ef: The Latter Tale ranked fourth in national PC game pre-orders in Japan. Ef: The Latter Tale ranked first in terms of national sales of PC games in Japan in May 2008, and ranked at 30th on the same ranking the following month.
The Ef series, encompassing the visual novels and anime adaptation, was the only Minori
Minori
is a Japanese visual novel company which created the games Bittersweet Fools, Wind: A Breath of Heart, Haru no Ashioto and Angel Type. Their latest game as of 2009 is Eden*...
title to receive coverage in an entire issue of Dengeki G's Festival! Deluxe, a special edition version of Dengeki G's Magazine
Dengeki G's Magazine
is a Japanese magazine published by ASCII Media Works and sold monthly on the thirtieth that primarily contains information on bishōjo games, but also includes an entire section on anime based on bishōjo games, and serializes manga and light novels based on such games. The "G's" in the title...
which is published by ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
; the issue in question was the first, and was published on November 30, 2007. Along with information pertaining to Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two and Ef: A Tale of Memories, the magazine came bundled with an ergonomic
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...
mousepad
Mousepad
A mousepad or mouse mat is a surface for enhancing the usability of a computer mouse.-History:During a 1968 presentation by Douglas Engelbart marking the public debut of a mouse,...
, a small cell phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
cleaner which can also attach to a cell phone, and an ID card
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
/pass case.
External links
- Visual novel official website
- Ef: A Tale of Memories official website
- Ef: A Tale of Melodies official website
- Ef at ASCII Media WorksASCII Media Worksis a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...