Girl Friend Beta

Girl Friend Beta

Promotional poster
ガールフレンド（仮）
(Gāru Furendo Kakko Kari)
Genre Romance
Game
Developer CyberAgent
Publisher Ameba
Genre Dating simulation, online social, card game
Platform iOS, Android
Released
  • JP October 29, 2012
Manga

  • Girl Friend (Kari): Shiina Kokomi-hen ~Koishite Madonna~
  • Girl Friend (Kari): Murakami Fumio-hen ~Secret Smile~
  • Girl Friend (Kari): Chloe Lemarie-hen ~Chole to Nihon to Mirai no Tobira~
  • Girl Friend (Kari): Sakurai Akane-hen ~Kokoro o Komete, Yūki no On Air!~
  • Girl Friend (Kari) ~Seiō Gakuen Girl's Diary~
Anime television series
Directed by Naotaka Hayashi
Produced by Nobuyuki Hosoya
Hayato Kaneko
Ryoji Maru
Written by Michiko Yokote
Music by Kenji Kawai
Studio Silver Link
C-Station
Licensed by
Network TX Network (TV Tokyo)
Original run October 13, 2014 – December 29, 2014
Episodes 12
Game
Girl Friend Beta: Summer Vacation Spent With You
Developer CyberAgent
Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment
Kadokawa Games
Platform PlayStation Vita
Released
  • JP November 19, 2015

Girl Friend Beta (ガールフレンド（仮） Gāru Furendo Kakko Kari, literally "Girlfriend (provisional)")[FN 1] is a 2012 Japanese smartphone game developed by CyberAgent for iOS and Android devices. As of June 2014, it has over 5.3 million users.[1] An anime television series produced by Silver Link aired in Japan between October and December 2014. There are also five manga adaptations based on the game, and a PlayStation Vita spin-off game was released in November 2015.

Gameplay

The game is a dating simulator which features over 100 different virtual girls, each with a unique voice actress. The player progresses their relationship with the virtual girlfriend by taking her on dates.[2] The game is free-to-play, however the player pays real-world money to gain premium services.[3] The game features various events that occur, including battle events when bad guys appear. The player can engage in club activities and school class events to solicit romance and increase intimacy with female students. There is a card-based system within the game, where the player collects different cards of varying rarity; each card has different attributes, such as attack and defense costs. Cards can be enhanced by engaging in a part-time job.

Characters

Main characters

Kokomi Shiina (椎名心実 Shiina Kokomi)
Voiced by: Satomi Satō
A second-year student belonging to the rhythmic gymnastics club. She is said to be the ace of the club and is extremely popular.
Akane Sakurai (櫻井明音 Sakurai Akane)
Voiced by: Rina Satō
A second-year student in the school's broadcasting committee. She is a cheerful and kind girl. She has a rather close friendship with fellow club member Tomo Oshii.
Fumio Murakami (村上文緒 Murakami Fumio)
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka
A third-year student in the book committee.
Chloe Lemaire (クロエ・ルメール Kuroe Rumēru)
Voiced by: Sakura Tange
A third-year French exchange student in the Japanese Culture Research Society.
Erena Mochizuki (望月エレナ Mochizuki Erena)
Voiced by: Hitomi Harada
A third-year student in the photography club.

Other characters

Related media

Print media

A manga adaptation illustrated by Tsukako Akina titled Girl Friend (Kari): Shiina Kokomi-hen ~Koishite Madonna~ (ガールフレンド(仮) 椎名心実編 ～恋してマドンナ～ Girl Friend Beta: Kokomi Shiina Stories ~Fall in Love Madonna~) began serialization in the September 2014 issue of ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Maoh magazine,[4] released on July 26, 2014.[5]

The first issue of the official Girl Friend Beta Magazine was released by ASCII Media Works on August 22, 2014, and four different manga series that cover specific characters began serialization in that issue.[5][6] The first manga is illustrated by Takahiro Seguchi and is titled Girl Friend (Kari): Murakami Fumio-hen ~Secret Smile~ (ガールフレンド（仮）村上文緒編　～Secret Smile～). The second manga is illustrated by Sawayoshi Azuma and is titled Girl Friend (Kari): Chloe Lemarie-hen ~Chole to Nihon to Mirai no Tobira~ (ガールフレンド（仮）クロエ・ルメール編　～クロエと日本と未来のトビラ～). The third manga is illustrated by Kakao and is titled Girl Friend (Kari): Sakurai Akane-hen ~Kokoro o Komete, Yūki no On Air!~ (ガールフレンド（仮）櫻井明音編　～心を込めて、勇気のOn　Air!～). The fourth manga is illustrated by Na! and is titled Girl Friend (Kari) ~Seiō Gakuen Girl's Diary~ (があるふれんど（かり）～聖櫻学園　girl's diary～).[7][8]

Anime

An anime television series based on the original smartphone game was announced in June 2014, with an official announcement press conference taking place at the Akihabara UDX Theater.[2][9] Produced by Silver Link with C-Station, the series is directed by Naotaka Hayashi, with anime character designs by Noriko Tsutsumitani based on the original designs by QP:flapper, and story written by Michiko Yokote.[10] The series began airing in Japan on TX Network (TV Tokyo) from October 13, 2014 and is being simulcast by Crunchyroll.[5][11] The opening theme is "Tanoshiki Tokimeki" (楽しきトキメキ) by Neuron★Creamsoft (main vocalist Haruka Kazemachi (voiced by Saori Hayami)), and the ending theme is "Hareru kana" (はれるかなぁ) by Satomi Satō.

Episode list

No. Title Original air date
1 "Our First Promise"
"Hajimete no Yakusoku" (はじめての約束) 		October 13, 2014
Kokomi Shiina searches all over school for exchange student Chloe Lemaire after she drops a photo of her family. 
2 "Blue Melon Buns"
"Burū Meron Pan" (ブルー・メロンパン) 		October 20, 2014
While preparing for a rhythmic gymnastics tournament, Kokomi becomes concerned about her weight and decides to go on a diet, receiving help from her fellow students. 
3 "Cameras and Shortcake"
"Kamera to Shōtokēki" (カメラとショートケーキ) 		October 27, 2014
Kokomi is curious about Erena and Fumio, so Erena narrates the story about how she and Fumio met. 
4 "Cats and a Rainy Night"
"Neko to Ame no Yoru" (猫と雨の夜) 		November 3, 2014
After a group of abandoned kittens are found, a group of potential owners must first increase their grades in order to keep them. 
5 "Darjeeling with Everyone"
"Dājirin o Minna to" (ダージリンをみんなと) 		November 10, 2014
When the cafeteria staff end up stranded on vacation due to weather, the student council steps in to run the cafeteria. 
6 "Sweet Bitter Potato"
"Suīto Bitā Poteto" (スイート・ビター・ポテト) 		November 17, 2014
7 "Doggy and Scramble"
"Dogī & Sukuranburu" (ドギー&スクランブル) 		November 24, 2014
8 "On the Other Side of the Cream Soda"
"Kurīmu Sōda no Mukō" (クリームソーダの向こう) 		December 1, 2014
9 "Evolutionary Girl"
"Shinkakei Gāru" (進化系Girl) 		December 8, 2014
10 "Princess & Pride"
"Purinsesu & Puraido" (プリンセス&プライド) 		December 15, 2014
11 "Goodbye à la Mode"
"Sayonara a·ra·Mōdo" (さよならア・ラ・モード) 		December 22, 2014
Chloe felt depressed after her father decided to get her back to France during the New Year. Chloe's friends help her, and in the end, it was revealed that the whole thing was from a huge misunderstanding about the New Years Eve culture in Japan, partly due to Chloe still had a long way to learn, therefore allowing Chloe to stay in Japan. 
12 "Girlfriend xxx"
"Gārufurendo xxx" (ガールフレンド xxx) 		December 29, 2014
Kokomi Shiina, Fumio, and Akane show Chloe Lemaire and Yulia how the Japanese celebrate New Year's. They participate in traditional Japanese activities, wear kimonos, and count down until the New Year. 

Other

Game cover for Girl Friend Beta: Summer Vacation Spent With You

Girl Friend Beta: Summer Vacation Spent With You (ガールフレンド（仮） きみと過ごす夏休み Girl Friend (Kari): Kimi to Sugosu Natsuyasumi) is a spin-off adventure visual novel game developed by CyberAgent and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation Vita,[12] released on November 19, 2015.[13] The game involves the player romantically interacting with eight different characters from the original smartphone game.[14] Game features include Live2D character movements, binaural voices, touchscreen events and microphone voice communication, and involves an original story.[15]

An Internet radio show began broadcasting weekly from October 8, 2013 onwards, hosted by voice actors involved in the game.[16] A similar smartphone game targeted at females, titled Boy Friend Beta (ボーイフレンド（仮）), was released by the same developers.[17][18]

Girl Friend Note (ガールフレンド（♪） Girl Friend (Onpu)) is a spin-off rhythm game developed by R-Force Entertainment and published by CyberAgent for Android and iOS. Released on December 1, 2015,[19] the game underwent a two-week long maintenance due to unforeseen complications regarding various game systems. Maintenance ended on December 16, 2015 for Android and December 17, 2015 for iOS.

Reception

There are over 5.3 million users of the smartphone game as of June 2014.[1] Virtual currency expenditures within March 2014 were valued at 1.8 billion yen, accounting for over 40% of Ameba's entire smartphone division earnings.[20]

Internet memes

During the New Year celebratory period in early 2014, a promotional commercial for the game featured a handful of character introductions, including one particular character by the name of Chloe Lemaire (クロエ・ルメール);[21][22] her self-introduction became an Internet meme on Niconico due to her awkward-sounding speech.[23][24] More than 100 parody remixes of the original video were created on Niconico, with some reaching over 660,000 hits within the few days following the initial release.[25]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Kari" (仮), alternatively pronounced as kakko kari (かっこかり, lit. "bracket, provisional"), is a permanent part of the actual title. Translating to roughly "provisional title" or "working title", it is often used to denote works-in-progress, however in this case it is used as a joke, since the player's "girlfriends" are not real. Despite the title Girl Friend Beta, the franchise is not actually undergoing beta testing.

References

  1. 1 2 "サイバーエージェント、Amebaスマホ「ガールフレンド（仮）」がテレビアニメ化" (in Japanese). CNET Japan. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Girl Friend BETA Social Game Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  3. ↑ 『ガールフレンド（仮）』の会員数が400万人を突破！ 豪華アイテムがもらえる記念キャンペーン実施. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. January 29, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  4. ↑ ガールフレンド（仮）』コミックの主人公は椎名心実に決定　作家は秋奈つかこ (in Japanese). Famitsu. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Satomi Satou to Lead Girl Friend BETA TV Anime's Cast". Anime News Network. July 19, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ "『ガールフレンド（仮）マガジン』が8月22日より刊行開始！ 『ガールフレンド（仮）』のSRカード2枚が手に入るシリアルコードつき" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. August 22, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  7. ↑ ガールフレンド(仮)マガジン [Girl Friend Beta Magazine] (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ ガールフレンド（仮）マガジン(1)　2014年10月号 [Girl Friend Beta Magazine (1) October 2014 issue] (in Japanese). Tohan Corporation. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ "ソシャゲ「ガールフレンド（仮）」がTVアニメ化決定　マンガ連載も" (in Japanese). ITmedia. June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Staff and Voice Cast for 2014 Fall TV Anime "Girl Friend BETA" Revealed". Crunchyroll. July 19, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Crunchyroll to Stream Girl Friend BETA Anime". Anime News Network. October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Girl Friend Beta PS Vita dated in Japan". Gematsu. April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Girl Friend Beta PS Vita delayed to November in Japan". Gematsu. June 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "First look at Girl Friend Beta for PS Vita". Gematsu. April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Girl Friend Beta PS Vita introduction trailer". Gematsu. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Amebaスマホ「ガールフレンド（仮）」の会員数が300万人--ネットラジオでPR展開" (in Japanese). CNET Japan. September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  17. ↑ 意外!? 「恋愛ゲーム」にハマる女子は腐女子じゃなかったと判明!. Ameba News (in Japanese). Ameba. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ "VIDEO: New Smartphone Dating Sim for Girls "Boy Friend BETA" PVs". Crunchyroll. December 1, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  19. ↑ "熱気に包まれたアニメ紅白歌合戦vol.4、3Dリズムゲーム「ガールフレンド（♪）」も発表" (in Japanese). AnimeAnime.jp. January 27, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ サイバーエージェント 2014年9月期 第2四半期決算説明会資料 (PDF) (in Japanese). CyberAgent. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  21. ↑ "「クロエ・ルメールですよ」で話題の『ガールフレンド(仮)』、CMを2012年から振り返る" (in Japanese). Inside Games. January 7, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  22. ↑ "年末年始のお茶の間を賑わせた『ガールフレンド（仮）』CMのクロエ・ルメールってどんな子?" (in Japanese). Famitsu. January 8, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  23. ↑ "(^q^)くおえうえーーーるえうおおおｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗが大量投稿されてる件". Rakuten Woman (in Japanese). Rakuten. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  24. ↑ "「ガールフレンド（仮）」、TVアニメ化とマンガ化を正式発表！ グッズ第1弾はファミリーマート通販で販売か" (in Japanese). Akiba Souken. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  25. ↑ "(^q^)くおえうえーーーるえうおおおｗｗｗ　なぜか「ガールフレンド（仮）」のCM中毒になる人が続出中" (in Japanese). ITmedia. January 7, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.

External links

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