Tsukihime was originally a visual novel for the PC released by Type-Moon in 2000. It was later adapted into an anime series that was not well-received by fans (to the point that fans deny the existence of the anime) and a manga series that is still being published. I played the Tsukihime game not too long ago, and I loved it. It had one of the greatest and most touching storylines I've ever seen in a video game, but it also had many disturbing scenes as well. I was able to buy the first five volumes of the manga (volume 6 is rare and expensive
...
at the moment), and I can safely say, the manga is a worthy adaptation of the original game.
EDIT AS OF 7/13/2011. Thanks to the magic of scanlations, (DrMaster is dead! How else am I supposed to read the manga now!?) I have been able to read all of the manga version of Tsukihime.
Story:
Shiki Tohno is a high school boy living in a seemingly ordinary town. He possesses a rare power, the "Eyes of Death Perception." With this, he can see what looks like black lines on people and objects, and if he cuts any of these lines, it will kill the person or object. He gained this power after what was apparently a near-death experience as a kid. Seeing "The Lines" puts stress on his mind and body, but he is able to live day by day for shortly after he gained this power, he was visited by a mysterious woman named Aoko Aozaki. She knew what was happening to him, and she gave him a pair of glasses that, when worn, hide the lines. She instructs him to take off the glasses only when absolutely necessary, and then suddenly leaves him.
The manga, like the anime, follows the Arcueid path from the game. In the original game, there are five paths, but the anime and manga could only follow one. While the manga unfolds like the Arcueid path from the game, it does incorporate elements from the other paths, and even includes a nod to Kagetsu Tohya, the sequel to the Tsukihime visual novel. By the third volume, the manga starts featuring scenes not from the game, but scenes exclusive to its canon. Without giving away anything, I can say that the plot of the manga is just as good as the game. While it drops a few scenes from the game, it leaves in all of the fascinating powers and most of the plot twists, and adds exciting new sequences of its own. The story is a dark one, but an extremely captivating one. 10/10.
Art:
Art-wise, it's not some of the best ever, but it does improve over time Some characters, like Shiki, Arcueid, and Ciel, look very close to the original designs from the game, but other characters, like Akiha and Arihiko, don't look as nice. (This is irritating for me since I think Akiha is one of the prettiest video game females ever, and to go from the game's design to this is especially jarring!) But the art is not horrible by any means. For one, the action sequences look fantastic. Also, the game, since it was a visual novel, consisted entirely of text and still images. The manga has more images, but scenes that were originally only described with text now have actual imagery in the manga. This I felt was a plus, even if it means that the manga is even gorier than the game. 8/10.
Characterization:
This is Tsukihime's strongest attribute, and the biggest reason it and other Type-Moon works have attracted such a strong fan following. Tsukihime's characters are some of the greatest ever. Shiki is a great lead character, able to smile and lead a happy life despite all of the terrible things that have happened to him. Arcueid is one of my personal favorite fictional characters ever; she's a beautiful and fascinating individual that steals nearly every scene she's in. Just about every character is not who they appear to be at first glance, and they all have their reasons to do things, including the villains, who thankfully aren't one-dimensional baddies who just want to be evil for evil's sake. I can't say much more without spoiling anything, but it's safe to say that you'll come to love at least one character in Tsukihime.
While I am giving a 10 here, I do want to say that the characters of Satsuki, Hisui, and Kohaku don't seem to be as multi-layered as they were in the game. The manga does excise details from the VN, so this may be why this is the case. 10/10.
Enjoyment:
My enjoyment of the manga version of Tsukihime is very close to my enjoyment of the game. Full of moments of terror, heartache, happiness, and so much more, Tsukihime is an absolute blast. This has become one of my favorite manga series of all time, and I intend to see it through to the end. 10/10.
Tsukihime comes with my upmost recommendation, even if you haven't played the game. Keep in mind, it is a horror series, so I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart, (Hope you don't mind attempts at rape!) but everyone else should check this out.
While I still think the VN version is superior, this is still a great read, too. (I will say, I like the ending here more than the endings of Arcueid's routes in the VN.)
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: True Lunar Chronicle Tsukihime, Lunar Legend Chronicles Japanese: 真月譚 月姫 More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 10
Chapters: 74
Status: Finished
Published: Aug 21, 2003 to Jul 27, 2010
Theme:
Vampire
Serialization:
Dengeki Daioh Statistics Ranked: #5122 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #426
Members: 43,077
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Filtered Results: 9 / 11
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May 24, 2010
Tsukihime was originally a visual novel for the PC released by Type-Moon in 2000. It was later adapted into an anime series that was not well-received by fans (to the point that fans deny the existence of the anime) and a manga series that is still being published. I played the Tsukihime game not too long ago, and I loved it. It had one of the greatest and most touching storylines I've ever seen in a video game, but it also had many disturbing scenes as well. I was able to buy the first five volumes of the manga (volume 6 is rare and expensive
...
Jul 16, 2008
The first thing id like to say is if you are put off from reading this manga because of the anime of the same name don't be, the difference between the anime and the manga's attempt to recreate the visual novel are worlds apart. Now on to the actual review.
Story: 10 For anyone who does not know the story for Tsukihime there is one phrase that i use that i believe describes it effectively. That is that Tsukihime has "the biggest characters you can imagine in the smallest story possible". The reason i use this phrase is because the story simply involves a young high school ... 
Mar 6, 2011
Tsukihime, yet another manga about vampire beauty and some boy possesing mysterious power. It seems boring doesn't it? The thing is that it is the opposite!
Story 9: It is great one, the main idea is that Shiki (protagonist) from the time which he had near-death accident 8 years ago, can see some mysterious lines which are the visualisation of death itself. In addition he can cut through them which leads to certain death of the thing he slice! Good start right? But in the same time background of action is typical one - you know some serial murderer case and Shiki involved in this because ... 
Mar 24, 2016
Warning, this review may contains spoilers.
First impressions: So, this manga is based off the hentai game and that adapts one the original routes in its entirety. It seems interesting enough, we’ve got vampires killing people and some romance developing in the background. I wonder how they will handle this. Story: 6/10 Our tale begins with our main character Shiki Tohno who’s moved back into his family home after years of being taken care of by distant relatives, which he went to live with after a major incident that nearly killed him and gave him the ability to see lines of death. While getting used to being ... 
Dec 17, 2009
One of simply the best mangas , i have ever read period!
I haven't seen the Anime ( which i have heard isn't too great ) but the mnaga is a true masterpiece. There is not one department , that it doesn't deserve top marks. The art is amazing , the characters and story sublime , a gripping and intellect plot that's just polish its all round brilliance. I actually don't like horror stories ... 
Jul 6, 2013
Although i appreciate the lengthy detailed reviews of others, i'll keep mine a bit shorter and without actual examples in the hopes of drawing in any passerby's to an amazing manga while avoiding any and all spoilers. Let me just say this manga really is amazing, the characters are excellently developed and the story actually comes together in not so easily predictable ways. If i may say so, it appeals to me with one of the most touching stories i'v ever experienced as well as some very disturbing moments, all compiling a fantastic story that is well paced and perfectly balanced. The art isn't perfect,
...
May 25, 2022
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
No manga has been on my plan to read list longer than Tsukihime. I first started to notice it after watching "Fate stay/night : Unlimited Blade Works" which is written by the same author, Kinoku Nasu, last year. But my list just got more and more stacked over time, and the fact that i wanted to watch "Kara no Kyoukai", Nasu´s other work, first meant that i had to postpone Tsukihime again.But i have finally found the time to read it and im very happy that i finally did. Story - 8/10 The tone of the story feels very much the same ... 
Mar 5, 2018
Have you ever felt that some moments in the story you read should last longer or better could last forever?
That's what I felt at some point reading this manga. I might be exaggerated here, but the bittersweet story will hit you hard if you crave for good romance. The reason why I felt that way is that our main character Shiki successfully bring out my sympathy. He had to face constant suffering and dangers, but only got so little happy and romantic moments. But even if it's short, it's very sweet that I find myself re-read it few times. This is a short story about drama, ... 
Oct 31, 2015
Tsukihime is a manga based on the visual novel, written by Koniko Nasu of Type Moon, the same guy who wrote Kara No Kyoukai and Fate/Stay Night. The series also takes place in the same multiverse of those other series. The visual novel came out in 2001 and and both the manga and the anime came out around the same time in 2003, and while the anime was a complete failure (to the point that the fan base made a meme of denying that it exists), the manga was brilliant both as an adaptation and as a good manga in its own right.
The plot is ... |
