Demographics of Belgium and H2O: Footprints in the Sand: Difference between pages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
 
m Reverted edits by 76.87.211.107 to last version by Juhachi (HG)
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{downsize|H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand}}
[[Image:Belgium-demography.png|thumb|300px|right|[[Demographics]] of [[Belgium]], Data of [[FAO]], year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.]]
{{Infobox Country Demographics
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name = H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand
|country=Kingdom of Belgium
|image=[[Image:Belgium-demography.png|180px| ]]
| image = [[Image:H2O Footprints in the Sand logo.jpg|230px]]
| caption = ''H2O: Footprints in the Sand'' logo.
|caption=1961-2005
| genre = [[Drama]], [[Psychological]], [[Romance (love)|Romance]]
|size_of_population=10,666,866 <br>(2008 est.)
|growth=0.13% (2006 est.)
|birth=10.38 births/1,000 <br>population (2006 est.)
|death=10.27 deaths/1,000 <br>population (2006 est.)
|life=78.77 years (2006 est.)
|life_male=75.59 years
|life_female=82.09 years
|fertility=1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)
|age_0-14_years=16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
|age_15-64 years=65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
|age_65 years=17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.)
|sr_total_mf_ratio=0.96 male(s)/female
|sr_at_birth=1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
|sr_under_15=1.04 male(s)/female
|sr_15-64_years=1.02 male(s)/female
|sr_65_years=0.7 male(s)/female
|nation=''noun'': Belgian(s) ''adjective'': Belgian
|major_ethnic=
|minor_ethnic=
|minorities=
|spoken=Dutch, French, German
}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Game
| developer = [[Makura]]
| publisher = [[Makura]] (PC)<br> [[Kadokawa Shoten]] & [[Regista]] (PS2)
| genre = [[Eroge]], [[Visual novel]]
| ratings = 18+ (PC)
| platforms = [[Personal computer|PC]], [[PlayStation 2]]
| released = [[June 23]] [[2006]] (PC)<br>[[April 24]] [[2008]] (PS2)
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Manga
| author = [[Makura]] (story), [[Kira Inugami]] (art)
| publisher = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kadokawa Shoten]]
| demographic = [[Seinen]]
| magazine = [[Comp Ace]]
| first = [[January 26]] [[2007]]
| last = ongoing
| volumes = 2
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Anime
| director = [[Hideki Tachibana]]
| studio = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Zexcs]]
| licensor = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kadokawa Shoten|Kadokawa USA]]
| network = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Fukui Television Broadcasting|Fukui TV]]
| network_other = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Chiba TV]], [[KBS Kyoto]], [[Tokyo MX]], [[TV Kanagawa]], [[TV Saitama]]
| first = [[January 4]] [[2008]]
| last = [[March 21]] [[2008]]
| episodes = 12
| episode_list = List of H2O: Footprints in the Sand episodes#Episodes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Other
| title = Sequel
| content =
*''[[Root After and Another]]''
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}


'''''H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand''''' is a [[Japan]]ese [[Eroge|adult]] [[visual novel]] by [[Makura]] which was released on [[June 23]] [[2006]] for the [[Personal computer|PC]] as a [[DVD]]; a version playable on the [[PlayStation 2]] under the title ''H<sub>2</sub>O +'' followed on [[April 24]] [[2008]] with adult content removed, but in its place will be additional scenarios and graphics not seen in the original release. ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' is Makura's first game; a sequel named ''[[Root After and Another]]'' was later produced in October 2007. The [[gameplay]] in ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the three female main characters. There are two modes of gameplay, the Blindness Effect and Normal Effect, where the former plays on the fact that the protagonist is blind, and the latter mode removes the added element of gameplay the Blindness Effect has. The story is broken into three parts: the original introduction and meeting, following by a separation and reunion, and finally ending with the protagonist choosing one of the girls and spending the rest of the game with her.
Belgium has a '''population''' of about 10,666,866 citizens as of January 2008.


A [[manga]] adaptation, drawn by [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[Mangaka|artist]] [[Kira Inugami]], started serialization in the [[seinen]] magazine ''[[Comp Ace]]'' on [[January 26]] [[2007]], published by [[Kadokawa Shoten]]. An [[anime]] by the animation studio [[Zexcs]] began airing in Japan on [[January 4]] [[2008]] on the [[Fukui Television Broadcasting|Fukui TV]] television network. The [[maxi single]]s containing the game's opening and ending themes were released at [[Comiket|Comiket 70]] in August 2006. The game's original soundtrack came bundled with the original game as a pre-order bonus. The name ''H2O'' comes from the first letter of the three main heroines: Hayami, Hinata, and Otoha. ''Footprints in the Sand'' comes from a [[Footprints (poem)|poem]]; the first part of this poem appeared in episode one of the anime and the second half in the final episode.
==Age structure==
:0-14 years: 16.7% (male 883,254/female 846,099)
:15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,450,879/female 3,389,565)
:65 years and over: 17.4% (male 746,569/female 1,062,701) (2006 est.)


==Median age==
==Visual novel==
[[Image:H2O Footprints in the Sand screenshot.jpg|thumb|200px|left|An example of what average conversation looks like in ''H<sub>2</sub>O''. Here, Takuma is talking with Otoha.]]
:Total: 80.0 years
===Gameplay===
:Male: 79.6 years
The gameplay requires almost no interaction from the player as nearly the entire duration of the game is spent on simply reading the text that will appear on the screen; this text represents either [[dialogue]] between the various characters, or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. There is a single choice that the player gets to make which determines which girl the protagonist chooses. There are three main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. In order to view the three plot lines to their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose a different choice at the single decision point in order to further the plot in an alternate direction. In contrast to [[visual novel]] [[adventure game]]s where the text appears near the bottom of the screen leaving the rest of the window open for viewing the game's visual content, the text in ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' appears over the entire screen in a shaded, but otherwise transparent box. However, there is an option to hide the text in order to see the background without obstruction.[[Image:Blindness Normal compare image.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A comparison between the Blindness Mode (left) and Normal Mode (right).]]
:Female: 82.1 years (2006 est.)


The game can be played in two modes, a Blindness Effect Mode or a Normal Effect Mode. The former takes into account that the protagonist is blind, and while he can imagine what the people he talks with look like, he cannot discern the color of the world around him, which renders the artwork in an almost black and white tone, additionally giving it a stylish and dream-like appearance. As gameplay progresses and the protagonist's condition gradually heals, this convention eventually fades away as the protagonist can now see with his own eyes the world around him. The Normal Effect Mode does not use the effect from the Blindness Effect Mode and therefore the visuals are otherwise unchanged from their originally colored state. The two modes can be interchanged at any moment throughout the gameplay.
==Population growth==
The [[Population growth rate|population grew]] by 0.13% from 2005 to 2006. Belgium's birth rate is 10.38 births for every 1,000 citizens 10.27 deaths for every 1,000 population. Belgium's net migration rate is 1.22 migrant(s) for every 1,000 citizens as of 2006.


There are three parts in the gameplay. The first part, entitled the {{Nihongo|"Past Chapter"|過去編|Kako Hen}} serves to set up the story and for the protagonist to meet and get to know the characters, especially the three heroines. Following the first part, there is a time where the protagonist has to leave for several years only to come back in the so-called {{Nihongo|"Reunion Chapter"|再会編|Saikai Hen}} and meet the girls he knew before who have changed somewhat. After the player chooses one of the girls, the third part in the story called the {{Nihongo|"After Game"|アトゲー|Ato Gee}} concludes the game, which is also where the majority of the erotic content is viewable. The story consists primarily of the first two parts which are a flashback from the protagonist's point of view. Within this flashback are around fifty smaller flashbacks from the past of the protagonist and the girls'. While the game is intended to be a serious drama, the gameplay is peppered with unrelated bouts of humor which come with computer graphic artwork of the characters in a humorous situation depicted in a [[super deformed]] style.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/6769/h2opicai4.jpg|title=An example image of the super deformed artwork in the gameplay|accessdate=2007-11-13}}</ref> The pacing of the game is rather slow and has the tendency of reusing the exact same flashback scenes multiple times. Additionally, certain flashbacks are viewable no matter which girls' scenario is pursued and these cannot be skipped.
==[[Human sex ratio|Sex ratio]]==
:At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
:Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
:15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
:65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
:Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)


There is an additional "emergency" button that can be activated if the player does not want other people to know they are playing an [[Eroge|adult game]]. This option shows a random piece of artwork unrelated to the game's content out of around one-hundred images. These images are rather bizarre, one such image containing a black and white photograph of a toy horse head with red "blood" splattered around the edge of the image.<ref>{{citeweb|url= http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9096/emergencygv5.jpg|title=An example image from the emergency button option in the gameplay|accessdate=2007-11-13}}</ref>
[[Image:Belgium population pyramid 2005.png|thumb|300px|[[Population pyramid]] of Belgium]]


===Release history===
==[[Infant mortality rate]]==
The game was first introduced to the public in Japan as an [[Eroge|adult game]] for the [[Personal computer|PC]] on [[June 23]] [[2006]], retailing for 7,800 [[Japanese yen|yen]] (~[[United States dollar|US$]]71) before tax;<ref>{{citeweb|url= http://www.getchu.com/soft.phtml?id=236105|title=''H<sub>2</sub>O'' at Getchu.com|accessdate=2007-11-11|language=Japanese}}</ref> an artbook came bundled with the game.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.makura-soft.com/h2o/tokuten.htm|title=Preview of the art book's contents at H<sub>2</sub>O's official website|accessdate=2007-11-13|language=Japanese}}</ref> A version for the [[PlayStation 2]] entitled ''H<sub>2</sub>O +'' with [[Hentai|adult]] content removed was released in [[April 24]] [[2008]] by [[Kadokawa Shoten]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.regista.co.jp/h2o/|title=Regista's ''H<sub>2</sub>O +'' official website|accessdate=2007-11-11|language=Japanese}}</ref> The PS2 version will contain new computer graphics and scenarios not seen in the original release.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.regista.co.jp/h2o/PS2.htm|title=PS2 differences at H<sub>2</sub>O +'s official website|accessdate=2007-11-12|language=Japanese}}</ref>
:Total: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births
:Male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births
:Female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)


==Plot==
==[[Life expectancy|Life expectancy at birth]]==
===Story===
:Total population: 78.77 years
''H<sub>2</sub>O'''s story revolves around Takuma Hirose, a blind young male junior-high school student, though the cause for his [[blindness]] is undetermined. After his mother died an unexpected death, it left a deep emotional scar on him, which caused him to become very lonely and reserved. Due to this, Takuma and his uncle move from the city out into a rural area and Takuma is enrolled into a new junior-high school. At his new school, he meets several new girls, though three of whom he gets to know the most out of anyone else. They are, the firm and obstinate Hayami Kohinata, the kind and obliging Hinata Kagura, and the cheerful and mysterious Otoha. As Takuma interacts with these girls, his medical condition gradually begins to heal.[[Image:H2O Footprints in the Sand game cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|''H<sub>2</sub>O'' original game cover. Depicted are the three heroines (from left to right): Hinata, Hayami, and Otoha.]]
:Male: 75.59 years
:Female: 82.09 years (2006 est.)


===Characters===
==[[Total Fertility Rate]]==
;{{Nihongo|Takuma Hirose|弘瀬 琢磨|Hirose Takuma}}
On average, Belgian females have 1.64 children as of 2006. Belgium's TFR, in 1994, equaled 1.50.[http://paa2007.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=70869]
:{{anime voices|Ami Koshimizu}} (anime)
:Takuma is the main protagonist of the story. He has a moderately quiet personality partly because he suffers from [[blindness]] and for his condition, he carries around a [[white cane]] he named {{Nihongo|"Tomodachi sa"|友田千紗|}}, a pun on the word {{nihongo|''tomodachi''|友達||"friend"}}. His mother committed suicide which left a deep emotional scar on Takuma. In order to rectify this, he moves to the countryside to live with his uncle. Takuma is naturally friendly and likes to befriend everyone he meets in his new town. There is a rift between the rich and the poor, with Takuma being on the former end of the divide.


;{{Nihongo|Hayami Kohinata|小日向 はやみ|Kohinata Hayami}}
==Ethnic groups==
:{{anime voices|Harumi Sakurai}}
The country is ethnically split between its [[Flemish people|Flemish]] majority of 5,500,000 people, its [[Walloons|Walloon]] minority of 4,500,000 people, and about 73,000 [[German-speaking Community of Belgium|Germans]].
:Hayami is a girl in Takuma's class who sits next to him. She has an unsociable personality and a sharp attitude towards others, not wanting to become friends. Due to this, she is often bullied and is referred to by her schoolmates as the {{Nihongo|"[[cockroach]]"|ゴキブリ|gokiburi}}, but for some reason she does not fight back when being bullied. She has an [[Arachnophobia|intense fear of spiders]]. She is from a poor family and lives alone. Even though she owns a bathing suit, she will not participate in swimming classes because she is poor at it. Hayami's family was rich once because her parents are doctors. Since they charged high prices in medical examinations and were unwilling to take any patients in without the fees, the village people revolted against them, burned their house and kicked them out of the village with the exception of Hayami.


;{{Nihongo|Hinata Kagura|神楽 ひなた|Kagura Hinata}}
The rest consists mostly of [[Italians]], [[Dutch people|Dutch]], [[French people|French]], [[Moroccans]], [[Algerians]], [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Congolese]], [[Poles]], and [[Indians]].
:{{anime voices|Ryōko Tanaka}}
:Hinata is the granddaughter of the village headman, and is one of the rich members of town. She is in Takuma's class and is the [[Iincho|class representative]] for her class. She has a kind of obliging personality, and is popular in her school. She has the tendency to fall down and by clumsy, and one time she even fell down a flight of stairs at school, though luckily Takuma was there to break her fall. She refers to Takuma as "Hirose-sama", a very polite form of expression. Her real name is actually {{Nihongo|Hotaru Kagura|神楽 ほたる|Kagura Hotaru}}, the younger sister to Hinata &mdash; known as Otoha by Takuma. When Hinata drowned, her grandfather forced Hotaru to become Hinata, and made the village people think that it was Hotaru that drowned.


;{{Nihongo|Otoha|音羽}}
==Religion==
:{{anime voices|Mia Naruse}}
{{Main|Religion in Belgium}}
:Otoha appears to be a normal girl, but she is in fact a spirit, and only Takuma can hear or see her. She is always cheerful, and will appear out of no where, clinging suddenly to Takuma. She refers to herself with the [[Gender differences in spoken Japanese|masculine pronoun]] {{Nihongo|''[[Japanese pronouns|boku]]''|僕}}, meaning "I". She refers to Takuma as the {{Nihongo|"Promised Person"|約束の人|Yakusoku no Hito}}. It is revealed that Otoha is the real Hinata Kagura who fell into a river and drowned. She took the name Otoha from Hotaru's picture book that she drew herself. Otoha shows Takuma a strange world before disappearing, in this world she is his fiancé. Just before she disappears, she confesses her love for him but says that she is not the one he belongs with.
Most, 75% of Belgians, are nominally [[Roman Catholicism in Belgium|Roman Catholic]]. Protestant, Muslim, agnostic, atheist and other minority religions comprise 25% of the population.


;{{Nihongo|Yui Tabata|田端 ゆい|Tabata Yui}}
==Languages==
:{{anime voices|Mio Yasuda}}
{{Main|Languages of Belgium}}
:Yui is a girl in Takuma's class. She has a self-aggrandizing personality and always has two male henchmen tagging along. She often calls Hayami a "[[cockroach]]" and along with her henchmen will bully Hayami relentlessly, and while she gets along with Takuma, she likes to tease Hinata. She is very rich and often uses formal speech so as to distinguish herself from the "commoners". She was given a scenario in ''H<sub>2</sub>O'''s sequel ''[[Root After and Another]]''. Yui's grandfather died because Hayami's parents would not give him a medical examination without the fees since they were poor back then. This led to the village's revolt against the Kohinata family, and Yui's hatred for Hayami. However, she does show concern for Hayami and saves her in episode eleven of the anime from being killed by one of her henchmen.
Belgium's three official languages are [[Dutch language|Dutch]], spoken by 60% of the population, French, spoken by 40%, and German, spoken by less than 1%. The vast majority of Belgium's population, 99%, is literate, defined by the Belgian government as capable of reading and writing in an official language once a citizen has reached the age of 15.


;{{Nihongo|Hamaji Yakumo|八雲 はまじ|Yakumo Hamaji}}
== Literacy ==
:{{anime voices|Yui Sakakibara}}
'''Nationality'''
:Hamaji is one of Takuma's classmates. Despite his [[Femininity|feminine]] appearance and voice, he is in fact a boy who [[Crossdressing|crossdress]]es like a girl. He has an optimistic personality, and likes to play innocent when he plays bad jokes on others. He seems to favor Takuma. He has a little sister named {{Nihongo|Yukiji|雪路}}, and his family owns a convenience store. In the epilogue of the story, he has a child with Maki, who was his best friend in the series. Maki is seen holding the child at the Kagura household, who could have been mistaken to be Takuma's child due to the hairstyle, but the hair color belongs to Hamaji, therefore, making him the father.
noun: Belgian(s)
adjective:Belgian


;{{Nihongo|Rin Misakura|御桜 稟|Misakura Rin}}
==References==
{{CIA WFB 2006}}
:{{anime voices|Rui Takagi}}
:Rin, like Takuma, is an exchange student from the city. She has a kind and gentle personality, and is a hard worker, but is rather clumsy. Rin is the main heroine in Makura's third game ''[[Sakura no Uta]]''.


==See also==
==Related media==
[[Image:H2O Footprints in the Sand manga volume 1 cover.jpg|thumb|180px|right|''H<sub>2</sub>O'' manga volume 1.]]
*[[Belgian nationality law]]
===Manga===
A [[manga]] adaptation began serialization in the [[seinen]] magazine ''[[Comp Ace]]'' on [[January 26]] [[2007]], published by [[Kadokawa Shoten]]. The story was based on the visual novel version that preceded it, and illustrated by [[Kira Inugami]]. The first [[Tankōbon|bound volume]] was released on [[December 26]] [[2007]], and the second was released on [[March 26]] [[2008]].

===Anime===
{{dablink|See also: [[List of H2O: Footprints in the Sand episodes|List of H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand episodes]]}}
An [[anime]] adaptation by the [[animation studio]] [[Zexcs]] began airing in Japan on [[January 4]] [[2008]] on the [[Fukui Television Broadcasting|Fukui TV]] television network, and is directed by [[Hideki Tachibana]]; the final twelfth episode aired on [[March 21]] [[2008]]. A [[preview]] video was streamed on [[Kadokawa Shoten]]'s official website for their magazine ''[[Newtype (magazine)|Newtype]]'' on [[December 19]] [[2007]]. Most notably, the video contains an [[English language|English]] narration, a rarity for Japanese trailers.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-12-19/h2o-footprints-in-the-sand-trailer-streamed|title =''H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand'' Trailer Streamed|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|accessdate=2007-12-19}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://anime.webnt.jp/nt-news/20071219_h2o/|title=''H<sub>2</sub>O'' preview video streamed online|publisher=[[Kadokawa Shoten]]|accessdate=2007-12-19|language=Japanese}}</ref> The first episode of the series was previewed on [[December 23]] [[2007]] in [[Akihabara]], [[Japan]],<ref name="anime-official">{{citeweb|url=http://anime.webnt.jp/h2o/|title=Anime's official website|publisher=[[Zexcs]]|accessdate=2007-12-19|language=Japanese}}</ref> and the final episode was previewed on [[March 20]] [[2008]], in [[Machida, Tokyo|Machida]], Japan.<ref>{{citeweb|url= http://dol.dengeki.com/data/news/2008/3/7/288b3d890e6641d47af56ad2e96cd108.html|title= Shocking Last Installment World Preview: ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' Final Episode Pre-screening Event|publisher=[[MediaWorks (publisher)|MediaWorks]]|date=[[March 7]] [[2008]]|accessdate=2008-03-08|language=Japanese}}</ref> The first episode opens with a partial recitation of the poem "[[Footprints (poem)|Footprints]]", and the end of the poem is recited in the second half of the final episode. The anime has been licensed for release in [[English language|English]] by [[Kadokawa Shoten|Kadokawa USA]].<ref>{{citeweb|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-05/kadokawa-usa-announces-six-new-anime|title=Kadokawa USA Announces Six New Licenses| publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2008-07-06}}</ref>

===Music===
The game's opening theme is "H<sub>2</sub>O" and the ending theme is "Tomorrow", both sung by [[Monet (singer)|Monet]]. The [[maxi single]]s for the opening and ending themes were released at [[Comiket|Comiket 70]] on [[August 12]] [[2006]]. Two more theme songs used in the game were "Dream" and "Footprints in the Sand", also both sung by Monet. A character song album for Otoha entitled {{Nihongo|''Otoha's Ghostly Bon Festival Dance''|音羽の死霊の盆踊り|Otoha no Shirei no Bon Odori}}, sung by [[Mia Naruse]], was released on [[October 22]] [[2006]] at the DreamParty Tokyo convention. An [[Arrangement|arrange]] maxi single titled ''H<sub>2</sub>O: Prelude'' containing arranged versions of "H<sub>2</sub>O" and "Tomorrow", was released on [[December 21]] [[2007]]. The game's original soundtrack came bundled with the original game as a pre-order bonus. The opening theme for the anime version is {{Nihongo|"One-winged [[Icarus]]"|片翼のイカロス|Katayoku no Ikarosu}} by [[Yui Sakakibara]] and the [[maxi single]] was released on [[January 25]] [[2008]]. The ending theme for the anime is {{Nihongo|"Kazahane"|カザハネ}} by [[Haruka Shimotsuki]] and the single was released on [[February 22]] [[2008]].

==Reception==
Across the national ranking of [[bishōjo game]]s in amount sold in Japan, ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' premiered at number two, and ranked in again the following ranking at number thirteen.<ref>{{citeweb|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20060825173701/www.peakspub.co.jp/ranking/rank199.html|title=PC News ranking for bishōjo games; ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' ranks 2 and 13|accessdate=2007-11-15|language=Japanese}}</ref> ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' was the second highest selling game for the month of June 2006 on Getchu.com, just behind ''[[Summer Days]]'', and for the first half of 2006 was the fourteenth highest selling game on the same website.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.getchu.com/pc/salesranking200606.html|title= Highest selling games of June 2006 on Getchu.com ranking|accessdate=2007-11-15|language=Japanese}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url= http://www.getchu.com/pc/2006-1salesranking.html|title=Highest selling games of the first half of 2006 on Getchu.com ranking| accessdate=2007-11-15|language=Japanese}}</ref> ''H<sub>2</sub>O'' dropped to the twenty-fifth highest selling game on Getchu.com for the entire year of 2006.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.getchu.com/pc/salesranking2006.html|title=Highest selling games of 2006 on Getchu.com ranking|accessdate=2007-11-15|language=Japanese}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
{{Demographics of Europe}}
*[http://www.makura-soft.com/h2o/index.htm Official visual novel website] {{jp icon}}
*[http://www.regista.co.jp/h2o/ Regista's ''H<sub>2</sub>O +'' website] {{jp icon}}
*[http://anime.webnt.jp/h2o/ Anime official website] {{jp icon}}
*{{ann anime|id=8786|title=H<sub>2</sub>O: Footprints in the Sand}}


[[Category:Belgian society]]
[[Category:2006 video games]]
[[Category:Demographics by country|Belgium]]
[[Category:Animated series based on video games]]
[[Category:Anime of 2008]]
[[Category:Bishōjo games]]
[[Category:Drama anime and manga]]
[[Category:H games]]
[[Category:Harem anime and manga]]
[[Category:Japan exclusive video games]]
[[Category:Manga of 2007]]
[[Category:PlayStation 2 games]]
[[Category:Romance anime and manga]]
[[Category:Romance video games]]
[[Category:School anime and manga]]
[[Category:Seinen]]
[[Category:Supernatural anime and manga]]
[[Category:Visual novels]]
[[Category:Windows games]]


[[ja:H2O -FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND-]]
[[es:Demografía de Bélgica]]
[[fr:Démographie de la Belgique]]
[[ru:H2O: Footprints in the Sand]]
[[zh:H2O -FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND-]]
[[nl:Bevolking van België]]
[[pt:Demografia da Bélgica]]
[[ru:Население Бельгии]]
[[sq:Demografia e Belgjikës]]
[[sr:Демографија Белгије]]
[[zh:比利时人口]]

Revision as of 23:54, 10 October 2008

Template:Downsize

H2O: Footprints in the Sand
File:H2O Footprints in the Sand logo.jpg
H2O: Footprints in the Sand logo.
GenreDrama, Psychological, Romance
Game
DeveloperMakura
PublisherMakura (PC)
Kadokawa Shoten & Regista (PS2)
GenreEroge, Visual novel
PlatformPC, PlayStation 2
ReleasedJune 23 2006 (PC)
April 24 2008 (PS2)
Manga
Written byMakura (story), Kira Inugami (art)
Published byJapan Kadokawa Shoten
MagazineComp Ace
DemographicSeinen
Original runJanuary 26 2007 – ongoing
Volumes2
Anime
Directed byHideki Tachibana
StudioJapan Zexcs
Released January 4 2008 – March 21 2008
Sequel

H2O: Footprints in the Sand is a Japanese adult visual novel by Makura which was released on June 23 2006 for the PC as a DVD; a version playable on the PlayStation 2 under the title H2O + followed on April 24 2008 with adult content removed, but in its place will be additional scenarios and graphics not seen in the original release. H2O is Makura's first game; a sequel named Root After and Another was later produced in October 2007. The gameplay in H2O follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the three female main characters. There are two modes of gameplay, the Blindness Effect and Normal Effect, where the former plays on the fact that the protagonist is blind, and the latter mode removes the added element of gameplay the Blindness Effect has. The story is broken into three parts: the original introduction and meeting, following by a separation and reunion, and finally ending with the protagonist choosing one of the girls and spending the rest of the game with her.

A manga adaptation, drawn by Japanese artist Kira Inugami, started serialization in the seinen magazine Comp Ace on January 26 2007, published by Kadokawa Shoten. An anime by the animation studio Zexcs began airing in Japan on January 4 2008 on the Fukui TV television network. The maxi singles containing the game's opening and ending themes were released at Comiket 70 in August 2006. The game's original soundtrack came bundled with the original game as a pre-order bonus. The name H2O comes from the first letter of the three main heroines: Hayami, Hinata, and Otoha. Footprints in the Sand comes from a poem; the first part of this poem appeared in episode one of the anime and the second half in the final episode.

Visual novel

An example of what average conversation looks like in H2O. Here, Takuma is talking with Otoha.

Gameplay

The gameplay requires almost no interaction from the player as nearly the entire duration of the game is spent on simply reading the text that will appear on the screen; this text represents either dialogue between the various characters, or the inner thoughts of the protagonist. There is a single choice that the player gets to make which determines which girl the protagonist chooses. There are three main plot lines that the player will have the chance to experience, one for each of the heroines in the story. In order to view the three plot lines to their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose a different choice at the single decision point in order to further the plot in an alternate direction. In contrast to visual novel adventure games where the text appears near the bottom of the screen leaving the rest of the window open for viewing the game's visual content, the text in H2O appears over the entire screen in a shaded, but otherwise transparent box. However, there is an option to hide the text in order to see the background without obstruction.

File:Blindness Normal compare image.jpg
A comparison between the Blindness Mode (left) and Normal Mode (right).

The game can be played in two modes, a Blindness Effect Mode or a Normal Effect Mode. The former takes into account that the protagonist is blind, and while he can imagine what the people he talks with look like, he cannot discern the color of the world around him, which renders the artwork in an almost black and white tone, additionally giving it a stylish and dream-like appearance. As gameplay progresses and the protagonist's condition gradually heals, this convention eventually fades away as the protagonist can now see with his own eyes the world around him. The Normal Effect Mode does not use the effect from the Blindness Effect Mode and therefore the visuals are otherwise unchanged from their originally colored state. The two modes can be interchanged at any moment throughout the gameplay.

There are three parts in the gameplay. The first part, entitled the "Past Chapter" (過去編, Kako Hen) serves to set up the story and for the protagonist to meet and get to know the characters, especially the three heroines. Following the first part, there is a time where the protagonist has to leave for several years only to come back in the so-called "Reunion Chapter" (再会編, Saikai Hen) and meet the girls he knew before who have changed somewhat. After the player chooses one of the girls, the third part in the story called the "After Game" (アトゲー, Ato Gee) concludes the game, which is also where the majority of the erotic content is viewable. The story consists primarily of the first two parts which are a flashback from the protagonist's point of view. Within this flashback are around fifty smaller flashbacks from the past of the protagonist and the girls'. While the game is intended to be a serious drama, the gameplay is peppered with unrelated bouts of humor which come with computer graphic artwork of the characters in a humorous situation depicted in a super deformed style.[1] The pacing of the game is rather slow and has the tendency of reusing the exact same flashback scenes multiple times. Additionally, certain flashbacks are viewable no matter which girls' scenario is pursued and these cannot be skipped.

There is an additional "emergency" button that can be activated if the player does not want other people to know they are playing an adult game. This option shows a random piece of artwork unrelated to the game's content out of around one-hundred images. These images are rather bizarre, one such image containing a black and white photograph of a toy horse head with red "blood" splattered around the edge of the image.[2]

Release history

The game was first introduced to the public in Japan as an adult game for the PC on June 23 2006, retailing for 7,800 yen (~US$71) before tax;[3] an artbook came bundled with the game.[4] A version for the PlayStation 2 entitled H2O + with adult content removed was released in April 24 2008 by Kadokawa Shoten.[5] The PS2 version will contain new computer graphics and scenarios not seen in the original release.[6]

Plot

Story

H2O's story revolves around Takuma Hirose, a blind young male junior-high school student, though the cause for his blindness is undetermined. After his mother died an unexpected death, it left a deep emotional scar on him, which caused him to become very lonely and reserved. Due to this, Takuma and his uncle move from the city out into a rural area and Takuma is enrolled into a new junior-high school. At his new school, he meets several new girls, though three of whom he gets to know the most out of anyone else. They are, the firm and obstinate Hayami Kohinata, the kind and obliging Hinata Kagura, and the cheerful and mysterious Otoha. As Takuma interacts with these girls, his medical condition gradually begins to heal.

H2O original game cover. Depicted are the three heroines (from left to right): Hinata, Hayami, and Otoha.

Characters

Takuma Hirose (弘瀬 琢磨, Hirose Takuma)
Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (anime)
Takuma is the main protagonist of the story. He has a moderately quiet personality partly because he suffers from blindness and for his condition, he carries around a white cane he named "Tomodachi sa" (友田千紗), a pun on the word tomodachi (友達, "friend"). His mother committed suicide which left a deep emotional scar on Takuma. In order to rectify this, he moves to the countryside to live with his uncle. Takuma is naturally friendly and likes to befriend everyone he meets in his new town. There is a rift between the rich and the poor, with Takuma being on the former end of the divide.
Hayami Kohinata (小日向 はやみ, Kohinata Hayami)
Voiced by: Harumi Sakurai
Hayami is a girl in Takuma's class who sits next to him. She has an unsociable personality and a sharp attitude towards others, not wanting to become friends. Due to this, she is often bullied and is referred to by her schoolmates as the "cockroach" (ゴキブリ, gokiburi), but for some reason she does not fight back when being bullied. She has an intense fear of spiders. She is from a poor family and lives alone. Even though she owns a bathing suit, she will not participate in swimming classes because she is poor at it. Hayami's family was rich once because her parents are doctors. Since they charged high prices in medical examinations and were unwilling to take any patients in without the fees, the village people revolted against them, burned their house and kicked them out of the village with the exception of Hayami.
Hinata Kagura (神楽 ひなた, Kagura Hinata)
Voiced by: Ryōko Tanaka
Hinata is the granddaughter of the village headman, and is one of the rich members of town. She is in Takuma's class and is the class representative for her class. She has a kind of obliging personality, and is popular in her school. She has the tendency to fall down and by clumsy, and one time she even fell down a flight of stairs at school, though luckily Takuma was there to break her fall. She refers to Takuma as "Hirose-sama", a very polite form of expression. Her real name is actually Hotaru Kagura (神楽 ほたる, Kagura Hotaru), the younger sister to Hinata — known as Otoha by Takuma. When Hinata drowned, her grandfather forced Hotaru to become Hinata, and made the village people think that it was Hotaru that drowned.
Otoha (音羽)
Voiced by: Mia Naruse
Otoha appears to be a normal girl, but she is in fact a spirit, and only Takuma can hear or see her. She is always cheerful, and will appear out of no where, clinging suddenly to Takuma. She refers to herself with the masculine pronoun boku (僕), meaning "I". She refers to Takuma as the "Promised Person" (約束の人, Yakusoku no Hito). It is revealed that Otoha is the real Hinata Kagura who fell into a river and drowned. She took the name Otoha from Hotaru's picture book that she drew herself. Otoha shows Takuma a strange world before disappearing, in this world she is his fiancé. Just before she disappears, she confesses her love for him but says that she is not the one he belongs with.
Yui Tabata (田端 ゆい, Tabata Yui)
Voiced by: Mio Yasuda
Yui is a girl in Takuma's class. She has a self-aggrandizing personality and always has two male henchmen tagging along. She often calls Hayami a "cockroach" and along with her henchmen will bully Hayami relentlessly, and while she gets along with Takuma, she likes to tease Hinata. She is very rich and often uses formal speech so as to distinguish herself from the "commoners". She was given a scenario in H2O's sequel Root After and Another. Yui's grandfather died because Hayami's parents would not give him a medical examination without the fees since they were poor back then. This led to the village's revolt against the Kohinata family, and Yui's hatred for Hayami. However, she does show concern for Hayami and saves her in episode eleven of the anime from being killed by one of her henchmen.
Hamaji Yakumo (八雲 はまじ, Yakumo Hamaji)
Voiced by: Yui Sakakibara
Hamaji is one of Takuma's classmates. Despite his feminine appearance and voice, he is in fact a boy who crossdresses like a girl. He has an optimistic personality, and likes to play innocent when he plays bad jokes on others. He seems to favor Takuma. He has a little sister named Yukiji (雪路), and his family owns a convenience store. In the epilogue of the story, he has a child with Maki, who was his best friend in the series. Maki is seen holding the child at the Kagura household, who could have been mistaken to be Takuma's child due to the hairstyle, but the hair color belongs to Hamaji, therefore, making him the father.
Rin Misakura (御桜 稟, Misakura Rin)
Voiced by: Rui Takagi
Rin, like Takuma, is an exchange student from the city. She has a kind and gentle personality, and is a hard worker, but is rather clumsy. Rin is the main heroine in Makura's third game Sakura no Uta.

Related media

File:H2O Footprints in the Sand manga volume 1 cover.jpg
H2O manga volume 1.

Manga

A manga adaptation began serialization in the seinen magazine Comp Ace on January 26 2007, published by Kadokawa Shoten. The story was based on the visual novel version that preceded it, and illustrated by Kira Inugami. The first bound volume was released on December 26 2007, and the second was released on March 26 2008.

Anime

See also: List of H2O: Footprints in the Sand episodes

An anime adaptation by the animation studio Zexcs began airing in Japan on January 4 2008 on the Fukui TV television network, and is directed by Hideki Tachibana; the final twelfth episode aired on March 21 2008. A preview video was streamed on Kadokawa Shoten's official website for their magazine Newtype on December 19 2007. Most notably, the video contains an English narration, a rarity for Japanese trailers.[7][8] The first episode of the series was previewed on December 23 2007 in Akihabara, Japan,[9] and the final episode was previewed on March 20 2008, in Machida, Japan.[10] The first episode opens with a partial recitation of the poem "Footprints", and the end of the poem is recited in the second half of the final episode. The anime has been licensed for release in English by Kadokawa USA.[11]

Music

The game's opening theme is "H2O" and the ending theme is "Tomorrow", both sung by Monet. The maxi singles for the opening and ending themes were released at Comiket 70 on August 12 2006. Two more theme songs used in the game were "Dream" and "Footprints in the Sand", also both sung by Monet. A character song album for Otoha entitled Otoha's Ghostly Bon Festival Dance (音羽の死霊の盆踊り, Otoha no Shirei no Bon Odori), sung by Mia Naruse, was released on October 22 2006 at the DreamParty Tokyo convention. An arrange maxi single titled H2O: Prelude containing arranged versions of "H2O" and "Tomorrow", was released on December 21 2007. The game's original soundtrack came bundled with the original game as a pre-order bonus. The opening theme for the anime version is "One-winged Icarus" (片翼のイカロス, Katayoku no Ikarosu) by Yui Sakakibara and the maxi single was released on January 25 2008. The ending theme for the anime is "Kazahane" (カザハネ) by Haruka Shimotsuki and the single was released on February 22 2008.

Reception

Across the national ranking of bishōjo games in amount sold in Japan, H2O premiered at number two, and ranked in again the following ranking at number thirteen.[12] H2O was the second highest selling game for the month of June 2006 on Getchu.com, just behind Summer Days, and for the first half of 2006 was the fourteenth highest selling game on the same website.[13][14] H2O dropped to the twenty-fifth highest selling game on Getchu.com for the entire year of 2006.[15]

References

  1. ^ "An example image of the super deformed artwork in the gameplay". Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  2. ^ "An example image from the emergency button option in the gameplay". Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  3. ^ "H2O at Getchu.com" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  4. ^ "Preview of the art book's contents at H2O's official website" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  5. ^ "Regista's H2O + official website" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  6. ^ "PS2 differences at H2O +'s official website" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  7. ^ "H2O: Footprints in the Sand Trailer Streamed". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  8. ^ "H2O preview video streamed online" (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  9. ^ "Anime's official website" (in Japanese). Zexcs. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  10. ^ "Shocking Last Installment World Preview: H2O Final Episode Pre-screening Event" (in Japanese). MediaWorks. March 7 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Kadokawa USA Announces Six New Licenses". Anime News Network. 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  12. ^ "PC News ranking for bishōjo games; H2O ranks 2 and 13" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  13. ^ "Highest selling games of June 2006 on Getchu.com ranking" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  14. ^ "Highest selling games of the first half of 2006 on Getchu.com ranking" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-15.
  15. ^ "Highest selling games of 2006 on Getchu.com ranking" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2007-11-15.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demographics_of_Belgium&oldid=244474196"