Gift (Series)

Gift (ギフト) is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Moonstone and released on May 27, 2005 for Windows. The original game was a collaboration project where the company Circus helped to produce it, though Moonstone did the majority of the work involved.

Gift is Moonstone's fourth title, and was followed up with an adult fan disc called Gift Rainbow-colored Stories released on January 27, 2006 for Windows. It was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The gameplay in Gift follows a plot line which offers pre-determined scenarios with courses of interaction, and focuses on the appeal of the five female main characters. The story revolves around Haruhiko Amami, a male high school student living in a town where a rainbow is always seen in the sky.

Gameplay
The gameplay requires little interaction from the player as most of the 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. Every so often, the player will come to a "decision point" where he or she is given the chance to choose from options that are displayed on the screen, typically two to three at a time. During these times, gameplay pauses until a choice is made that furthers the plot in a specific direction, depending on which choice the player makes.

There are five 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 five plot lines to their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and choose different choices during the decision points in order to further the plot in an alternate direction.

Plot
Gift is a story that revolves around high school student Haruhiko Amami and his strong connection to Gift ' s mysterious power. The town of Narasakicho, where Gift's story takes place, has two distinguishing characteristics: a rainbow that seems permanently fixed in the sky no matter the weather, and an ability known as Gift possessed by all its inhabitants.

Gift ' s power can only be evoked by each person once in a lifetime, and is able to grant a single miracle. To be successful, a Gift must reflect the shared feelings of both the giver and the receiver. If the feelings are not mutual, the Gift is distorted and has the ability to wreak havoc on the surrounding area. When this happens, a black streak appears in the rainbow above town until Gift is used correctly.

The story begins as Haruhiko's younger sister, Riko Fukamine, returns home after several years away. Beginning with her appearance, Haruhiko's life starts to change very quickly and feelings of the past begin to surface once more.

Main Characters
Haruhiko Amami (天海春彦), a second-year student at Shimano Gakuen, is the main protagonist of Gift. He is a childhood friend of Kirino and the older brother of Riko, though they are not related by blood.

Riko Fukamine (深峰莉子) is Haruhiko's younger sister in name, although they are the same age and are in the same class together in school after she enrolls. She is currently a second-year at Shimano Gakuen and shares the same class as Haruhiko.

Kirino Konosaka (木之坂霧乃) is Haruhiko's childhood friend and next door neighbor. She is one year younger than Haruhiko and is a first-year student at Shimano Gakuen.

Rinka Hokazono (外薗綸花) is a very tough but beautiful girl who is able to defend herself without even breaking a sweat. She is a master at the Ousō style of swordsmanship and was even a teacher of the kendo club in junior high school. She is a first-year student at Shimano Gakuen.

Chisa Fujimiya (藤宮千紗) Kirino's best friend. Her father is the founder of Fujimiya Corporation so she is considered a businessman's daughter and raised as a princess. She is on good terms with Rinka. She is a first-year student at Shimano Gakuen and is Kirino's classmate.

Yukari Kamishiro (神代縁), Yukari, or "Yukarin" as she is known by her friends, is a third-year student at Shimano Gakuen, and she also works as a maid at the Fujimiya Residence.

Gift: Prism additional characters
Sena Asakawa (浅川瀬奈) is a second-year student in Shimano Gakuen and also is the head of the School's Student Council, who is recommended by the former head. She is the official Idol of Shimano Gakuen whose popularity is comparable to that of Riko's.

Nene Himekura (姫倉寧々) is a third-year student in Shimano Gakuen and is a daughter of a wealthy man whose financial ability far exceeds that of the Fujimiya Household.

Miyu Akihara (秋原未遊) is a second-year student in Shimano Gakuen who is a quiet girl and always carry a book with her.

Release History
Gift was first introduced to the public in Japan as a limited edition version on May 27, 2005 as a DVD playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. The regular edition was released on June 10, 2005, also as a DVD, and then another version was released on December 16, 2005 as a CD-ROM. A fandisc called Gift Rainbow-colored Stories (ギフト にじいろストーリーズ) was released on January 27, 2006 as a CD-ROM.

A version for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) with adult content removed, called Gift: Prism, was developed by Sweets and released in Japan on October 19, 2006 in limited and regular editions. This PS2 version has added CGs to replace the adult scenes and also has added three additional heroines that the protagonist can pursue in addition to the original five. The PS2 game was re-released on August 9, 2007 at a lower price. An iOS edition of the PS2 version was released on April 16, 2009. A PlayStation Portable version by CyberFront was released on February 2, 2012.

Audio dramas and radio shows
There are five based on the series published by. Each of the CDs covers one of the five heroines starting with Riko, and going through with Kirino, Chisa, Rinka, and Yukari, in that order. The first CD was released on September 22, 2005, and the final CD was released on February 22, 2006.

has hosted two Gift-related shows: Gift Rainbow Station (aired from October 11, 2005 to May 23, 2006), and Gift Rainbow Homeroom (aired from July 14 to December 29, 2006). The two radio shows feature different on-air personalities.

Manga
Gifts manga adaptation, illustrated by and entitled Gift: Under the Rainbow'', was serialized in 's seinen ' magazine between January 10, 2006 and February 10, 2007. Two were released for the thirteen chapters produced.

Anime
The anime adaptation, entitled Gift: Eternal Rainbow (ギフト〜エターナルレインボー〜) aired in Japan between October 6 and December 22, 2006, containing twelve episodes. An extra episode was released as a DVD-exclusive OVA on June 22, 2007. The anime's opening theme is "Niji Iro Sentimental" by and the ending theme is  "Kokoro Niji o Kakete" by.