One day, a beautiful kimono-clad young woman appears suddenly in front of college student Kaoru Hanabishi. Her name is Aoi Sakuraba, and she has been promised to him in marriage. The two were betrothed to each other when they were very young, as part of a business agreement between their families. Kaoru has since cut ties with his family and its corporate empire, and cannot agree to the marriage; but as he gets to know Aoi, he is won over by her loyalty and kindness. Aoi sympathizes with Kaoru's plight, and resolves to stay and live with him. So the young couple, both born in the lap of luxury, start a new life together in Kaoru's cramped apartment.

This is a love story steeped in Japanese culture. First serialized in Young Animal magazine, and published by Hakusensha in 1995, Ai Yori Aoshi has enchanted fans everywhere and become artist Kou Fumizuki’s best-known work. The ongoing story focuses on the sweet but complicated relationship of the two main characters. Ai Yori Aoshi was animated in 2002 by JC STAFF (R.O.D., Azumanga Daioh) and is available on DVD in the U.S. through Geneon. Tokyo Pop offers an English-language version of the manga.

The game version of Ai Yori Aoshi was originally developed for Play Station 2. In order to meet the demands of enthusiastic fans, a special English version has been made available for Windows platforms. Veteran fans of the Ai Yori Aoshi manga and anime, as well as everyone meeting Kaoru for the first time, will be certain to enjoy this beautiful and intelligent game.

Precis

During winter vacation, Tina sees a TV program about the balmy southern islands and says that she wants to go to the beach. When Kaoru points out that this is impossible, Tina throws a tantrum; to placate her, Aoi proposes a visit to her villa in the southern islands.

Aoi’s suggestion is a hit, and the group immediately boards a cruise ship bound for the southern islands. However, a sudden storm hits them en route and the ship capsizes. Miyabi tries to call for help, but the ship’s radio is broken, and no one knows how to repair it. With their cell phones out of range and no radio, they are left hoping that a rescue team will come looking for them.

When Kaoru and his friends find themselves marooned on a deserted island, they decide to split into two groups to survive until help arrives. One group is in charge of gathering food, while the other works to establish contact with the outside world.

But they have no idea what is waiting for them on this southern island . . .