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Akatsuki Blitzkampf (アカツキ電光戦記, Akatsuki Denkō Senki), also known as Akatsuki EN-Eins (アカツキ エンアイン, Akatsuki EN-Ain) is a series of doujinshi Fighting Game developed by Subtle Style. It first released in November 2003 under the name Akatsuki Shisei Ichigō (アカツキ試製一號, lit. Akatsuki Prototype Nr. 1), prior to being finalized and retitled in April 30, 2007 as Akatsuki Blitzkampf.
On September 27, 2007, Monthly Arcadia confirmed that the game would be launched as an arcade title, published by SUBTLE STYLE itself. The last update was called Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse and it was released on February 20, 2008 for the Sega NAOMI arcade system, then was announced on March 26, 2019 to have a PC port. It is soon followed by the sequel known as EN-Eins Perfektewelt (エヌアイン完全世界, En-Ain Kanzen Sekai) in 2010 on System Arcade Board Y2 prior to being ported to Taito Type X2's NesicaXLive digital arcade in 2012.
The game is set in a Dystopian fictional future (year 266X AD/199X BC up to 20XX BC), and involves characters that more or less resemble the German and Japanese soldiers of World War II, including Norwegian Valkyries. . . The story more or less begins with the awakening of the first game’s protagonist, Akatsuki, a Japanese Super Soldier who spent decades frozen in a submarine that was sunk in the North Pole in the last wars. When he wakes up and rises from there, 50 years after the last war he fought on, he is trapped in a world that he barely recognizes and has near everyone in the cast chasing after him since his uniform, the Tactical Robe, hosts a powerful weapon: one of the mythical Blitz Motors, capable of producing unlimited electrical energy. Akatsuki, logically, does not want to get caught at all and needs to find the truth behind his survival and awakening, so he sets out in a long and hard travel through China and Japan to gather clues, unlock the secrets behind everything, and face his old and new enemies. . .
The second game, EN-Eins Perfektewelt, stars a new titular protagonist: the aforementioned EN-Eins. He's the sole surviving member of a EN-Clone batch who was presumably indirectly saved by Akatsuki in the previous game off-screen; now he's set to avenge his clone brothers and fight against Gesellschaft, the antagonistic organization of the series. And around the same time, Mycale (Perfecti) (now switching host body between Kati's to Anonym Merel Lambuth) has taken Gesellschaft's ownership back to its true originator, Perfecti Cult (or rather its real cult name, The Knights Templar), and declare a war against old humanity on Earth, in order to lure EN-Eins out of the shadows to achieve the power of God (known as Ener-Gaia) Eins and create a new humanity under their tyranny. Apparently, it turns that EN-Eins is not the only survivor. There Is Another, who is secretly the identity of a Type-1 Blitzsoldier, Inazuma, EN-Neun.
Contrary to most dōjin fighting games out there, Akatsuki and EN-Eins' playstyle is regarded as old-school and quite reminiscent of the fighting games Capcom produced during the 90's, including parries similar to the ones seen in the Street Fighter III series.
In recent years, Akatsuki himself became somewhat popular in his own right, at least enough to be a Guest Fighter in Under Night In Birth (originally from 2012; he showed up in two Updated Rereleases from 2015 and 2020). Thank to said guest appearance, he was added as one of the 7th series representative in the Crossover fighting game BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (2018-present), with him (in his canon Akatsuki EN-Eins version, rather than the UNIB one) and Blitztank are the first fighters representing their home series.
Ten years after the release of original EN-Eins Perfektewelt in NesicaXLive, and the appearances of the series' represented characters in other titles where they guest appeared and crossing over at, the sequel game receives the last update under the name EN-Eins Perfektewelt Anastasis, not only representing Subtle Style's full return to revive the series, but also some characters (mainly villains) in this game always keep reviving in next game. As Ausf. Achse's PC version was announced at Subtle Style's blog post to be in development in 2019, despite having an hiatus due to presumably because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation since the end of 2019, Anastasis would be the latest version of EN-Eins update title to be ported to PC. Crowdfunding held by Subtle Style and its sponsored arcade center KO-HATSU for additional contents in Anastasis opens between April 26, 2022 until June 5, 2022 before the release. The first release (Arcade version) is set to be launched at December 2022, following the late November 2022's loketest. And last but not least, there's a spin-off/half-prequel novel named Enchanted Assassin Princess, centered on the side-story (including the backstory) of Marilyn Sue Dajie.
These games provide examples of:[]
- Auto Revive: The Anonym Merel Lambuth's Super, Tetragrammaton, complete with a shaft of light shining down from the heavens.
- Back From the Dead: Mycale/Perfecti, and by extension both Murakumo and Adler. The differences between her and the Gesellschaft’s male soldiers are:
- Mycale had her soul bound to her wand (Marshal) right before her original body was executed (which happened in The Middle Ages by being burned at the stake). Whoever finds and touches said wand will be possessed by her in few seconds; this has the huge con that she'd be rendered useless if the host either is knocked out or dies.
- Murakumo and Adler have multiple clones where they can transfer their souls into, should their original body die. On one hand Adler has an advance Elektrosoldat body, proclaiming himself as "Super Adler"; while Murakumo has two known substitute bodies: Yin Hu (Wei and Marilyn's Black Hand boss, killed by Marilyn, who was been manipulated to betray and kill her boss by Mycale) and Major Senke (Kanae's Ground Staff Overseeing Department Superior, who'd ultimately become Murakumo's current host body after his original one is killed)
- Badass Grandpa: Fritz.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Sai combines this with Badass Long Hair.
- Big Bad: Murakumo in the first game (Akatsuki) and Valkyria in the second game (EN-Eins). Mycale/Perfecti count as one, despite being a sub-boss. If crowdfunding of Anastasis reaches ¥12 Million ($93 Million in US), there might a much worst Final Boss than those three (Mycale, Murakumo and Valkyria).
- Boobs of Steel: Compare Kanae and Marilyn Sue, both close combatants, to Mycale/Perfecti and the two Anonyms (Merel and Guard), both ranged fighters. The latter part followed by Tempelritter and Valkyria.
- Church Militant: The original Anonym and the Anonym Guards.
- Cloning Blues: It's revealed to be all about cloning. Elektrosoldat to Adler, and Tempelritter to Valkyria are the main examples. EN-Eins initially thought to be the Sole Survivor of his batch, but turns that and Inazuma, formerly EN-Neun is another survivor. Valkyria's current host was revealed to be a clone of Unity Valkyrie Freeman-Mitford, meaning Tempelritter was cloned from original the real-life traitorous English socialite herself.
- Confusion Fu: Murakumo and his illusions.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Marilyn's backstory. According to the manual and the Enchanted Assassin Princess novel; She was born to a farmer family in a rural village somewhere at Hebei, China, but unfortunately she was considered “Heihaizi” (aka Illegitimate Child) that was conceived outside from One-Child Policy. An Old Farmer adopted her for 100 yuan, then revealed his past history to her and taught her the master arts of Piguaquan. She begins to help his farm work, in order to work out her body, and earns enough money to buy "iron sandbag", filled with iron grains and mung beans to train. Some years later, when the farmer passed away and losing her home, so she abandoned her birth name and called herself "Marilyn Sue" to find jobs in the spring in Shanghai for her survival; she likely to find a way to honor her adoptive grandfather's wish, she implies for Mizu shōbai and it's very profitable. But one fateful night, she was accused of stealing a customer's money, and she nearly killed the customer and the hostess. As she was running soaked wet in the rain to alleyway, one of the members of Black Hand found and captured her, yet she was immediately welcomed by its leader Yin Hu for her lethal tactics, and not out of sympathy for her, who wanted money in her job..
- Darker and Edgier: In contrast to most doujin fighters, the first game had a more darker art style and the atmosphere was a lot less anime-like, instead opting for a "used future" style more seen in Western media. The sequel seems to defy this, however, but it's lores and environments are still very dark.
- Demonic Possession: Mycale can do this via her Simple Staff (Dainsleif - Marshal Wand state), possessing Kati at first and then Anonym Merel.. Apparently Dainsleif's creations maybe inspired from Valkyria's Heiligelanze, as Valkyria currently possess a prototype clone of Unity Valkyrie Freeman-Mitford since beginning of World War II when she discovered and touches the cursed lance.
- Dramatic Wind: Most everyone wearing a cape or other long, billowy garment benefits from this.
- Drop the Hammer: Literally. Mycale can summon Mjolnir itself to drop on an opponent's head with a satisfying "BWONG!" sound.
- Expy: Elektrosoldat plays pretty much like Guile from Street Fighter. Players refer to his projectiles as Booms and to his somersault kicks as Flash Kicks.
- Evil Eye: Sai has these, which is why he uses Sunglasses At Night. His "unsealed" eyes can give other players different penalties, ranging from merely annoying debuffs to a nasty combo of several debuffs AND Life Drain.
- Fan Nickname: The game is sometimes called Blitzjew or JEWPUNCHER because not only do some of the characters look like Nazis, the game is set in a Nazi Germany-esque dystopian future Japan.
- Elektrosoldat's Super Move, the Blitzbombe, is commonly referred to as Heil Voltage and Nazi Pikachu.
- EN-Eins Perfektewelt was near immediately dubbed by few people as Jewpuncher: Fruity Pebbles Edition.
- Tempelritters can be referred to as Nazi Valkyries, because just like their leader and original Tempelritter, Valkyria is a based on a Valkyrie who served a Nazi group, revealed revealed to be Unity Mitford, due to Valkyria's past backgrounds by the time she is playable.
- Gainaxing: Marilyn Sue and her massive, pendulous boobs. It's not at all hyperbole to say it takes most male and many female players about 6-8 hours of playtime to even notice what color her eyes are (they're purple, in case you still haven't looked away). Kanae ends up gaining one on her updated standing idle stance in EN-Eins. In EN-Eins Anastasis, where Valkyria becomes playable, she gains a new Round Victory Pose that involves suggestive sitting-like pose while still flying.
- Good Is Not Dumb: Kati actually fits this by the time she is playable as herself in EN-Eins. She's very peppy and all but she has come to realize that deep down, Mycale The Perfecti is lonely despite her many hideous crimes and shows that she still had sympathy for her before Mycale rejects her offer, then left and teleport somewhere else, and possibly continues her sinister schemes.
- Gratuitous German: Japan's fascination with German culture and history is really nothing new, but as noted under No Swastikas, they're not always clear on which parts of it aren't cool to emulate.
- Guns Akimbo: All Anonyms uses a pair of chrome-plated Webley revolvers.
- Gun Kata: Anonym Merel, again. Her super is named Tetragrammaton. Merel's superior, Anonym-Guard, has the actual super that can used for combo.
- Heroic Lineage: Sorta. Akatsuki is implied to be a descendant of the Agarthan civilization, explaining why he was made into a Super Soldier
- Hollywood Cyborg: Inazuma sports similarities to that of Kamen Riders. The belt, the helmet, the Showa Rider-styled appearance, one of the signature Kamen Rider moveset and having a Cool Bike known as Blitz Cycle.
- Honorary Cool Uncle: Surprisingly, Sai is one to Kati. This is because he's an associate of her parents, a rich German couple living in Shanghai, and one of his reasons to get involved in the first game's plot is to find her, save her and bring her back home. The other is getting the Blitz Motor (possibly from Akatsuki) for the MI6.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Between Kati (a young teen) and Sai (mid 30's but is actually much older)
- Subverted by Akatsuki and Fritz, since they're around the same age, but the first was a Human Popsicle for decades while the other aged naturally.
- Katanas Are Just Better: Fritz uses a katana to fight and while he can't go for long combos, every hit causes massive damages. Murakumo also uses a katana, but only for one special move and his Super.
- Lighter and Softer: Looks-wise, EN-Eins Perfektewelt. Sure, nazis are still involved and the lore is still pretty dark but it suddenly became a lot flashier and more colorful compared to the previous versions, culminating with a playstyle shift into more combo-heavy-involved in a vein of Marvel vs. Capcom or just about a majority of doujin fighters. Some people aren't that pleased.
- Loners Are Freaks: How Kati views Mycale The Perfecti as a friend, despite how much evil the latter did with using the former's body.
- Magic Skirt: Mycale and her former host Kati, who probably has the most magical skirt of all, considering the hemline ends just below the crotch and it somehow still doesn't show anything. Her panties are only seen when she's knocked out.
- Manipulative Bitch/Bastard: Mycale the Perfecti was one of them, she was responsible for manipulating people and use anyone's desires out-through the centuries while possessing people (including World War II Female Doctor and Kati) and she's also the one who manipulates Marilyn for her ambitions/quest for power. Not only she made her betray and kill her & Wei's boss, Yin Hu (one of Murakumo's clones) to become a new leader of Black Hand triad, it implies that she (as a messenger) also seeks to manipulate Marilyn again to kill or at least defeat Akatsuki, then take his Blitz Motor from him for her to finally become a big boss of Black Hand Triad. Under her orders of Gesellschaft (later Perfecti Cult/Neu Perfecti Tempera Orden). She even attempt to betray her partner and co-founder of the order Grandmaster (Praeses) Valkyria in her Arcade Story.
- Murakumo as mentioned above, Either by tricking an officer into going to his own death under the guise of a mission and/or by cloning himself to gain footholds in the modern Japanese Army and the Mafia Triads.
- Unlike other three antagonists; Adler, Mycale and Murakumo, who openly manipulate and betray each other, combined by her past, Valkyria is the only major antagonist to get away from this trope, as she did not tolerate of her fellow antagonists' betrayal.
- Meaningful Name: Subverted. She may have the look down pat, but Marilyn Sue is not a canon Mary Sue, thus it was changed into a “Dajie” title name in the sequel EN-Eins. Her role in the plot is mainly to serve as a pain in Akatsuki's ass and a walking pair of breasts that can hurt you [1]. Besides, the concept of a Mary Sue is very (very) familiar to the Japanese, but the specific term Mary Sue isn't. She was most likely named Marilyn in honor of a certain legendary sex symbol, and "Sue" just sounds cute when appended to a girl's first name.
- This also same goes to Valkyria's current host, Mitford, who is a prototype clone of the real Unity Valkyrie Mitford.
- Mecha-Mooks: Elektrosoldats are soldiers equipped with the Blitz Motors.
- Meganekko: Mycale, which fits quite nicely with her cool and collected demeanor. Unsurprisingly, when Kati is released from her control she ditches the glasses.
- Mighty Glacier: Blitztank. Fritz seems to be this, but an astute player can use his dashing moves to play him as a Lightning Bruiser instead.
- Ms. Fanservice: Kanae, Marilyn, Tempelritters and Valkyria fit this tropes.
- Murderous Thighs: Valkyria and her Tempelritter clones has one on their throws, but Kanae has plenty than them due to being a grappler.
- Nightmare Face: For some reason in Anastasis update of EN-Eins, the full body character of Anonym Merel has a creepy yellow eyes, due to being possessed by Mycale.
- Nintendo Hard: The first version had a brutally hard Murakumo. Later versions toned down his AI heavily. This same goes to Valkyria when she was an NPC Palette Swap of her clone in the first version of the second game prior to Anastasis.
- No Swastikas: Subverted. The "nazi" characters aren't actually called Nazis, nor do they have any of the Nazi regalia other than the general layout of their uniforms. The subversion comes when you see Elektrosoldat win a match, salute[2] and yell "Sieg Heil!" Yep. Gladly it is removed as of Ausf. Achse.
- Older Than They Look: Mycale is a centuries-old witch, but she IS possessing a teenage girl and later a young woman.
- Claude D'Aspremont aka Sai turns out to be this, as his path explains that his Life Drain powers have kept him young for several decades.
- Valkyria was revealed to have co-founded Neu Perfecti Tempera Orden alongside Mycale, with the former serves as its Praeses (Commanding Knight or Grandmaster). She is an ancient Battle Maiden whose soul resided in her lance, Heiligelanze, which possibly serves as inspiration of Mycale's Dainsleif on having similar host possession properties. Her current host, a prototype clone, Mitford failed to get rid of Valkyria from her body via Driven to Suicide Boom, Headshot! after she touches the lance, which immediately fuses with her body at the beginning of World War II. Mitford's soul ceased, while Valkyria rises and heal the clone's corpse.
- Palette Swap: Adler in the first versions of the game, and Perfecti before the Ausf. Achse version of the game. Now it’s Valkyria's turn before Anastasis version of the second game.
- Putting on the Reich: Elektrosoldat and Adler are Nazis. Later on, Perfecti joins in on the fun in Ausf Achse.
- Arguably, EN-Eins can also count in Perfektewelt but it's debatable considering his mild case of Pretty In Mink. Let's not forget Tempelritter, who looks like a cross between a Nazi and a Valkyries. It turns out in Anastasis that Tempelritter's originator, Valkyria inhabited inside a clone of Unity Mitford, with Temperitter directly cloned from that real-life Nazi supporter.
- Oh, and they also added a mad doctor Expy of Josef Mengele in Perfektewelt, too. If the third game features a club-footed propagandist in a suit, it just may be time to stage an intervention with the folks at Subtle Style.
- Nazi Zombie: Adler looks like an undead version of Elektrosoldat. Later versions give him a different look from his unit, by giving him different standing, crouching and walking animations, and an evil grin.
- As it turns out, it's the result of a Blitz Motor's power; when Murakumo awakened before Adler in his original body and then possessed Senke., the same happened to him. Adler's case eventually got subverted in EN-Eins.
- Playing With Fire: One of EN-Eins’ main gimmicks.
- Power Dyes Your Hair: Akatsuki titles reveals that the side-effects from prolong reliance on Blitz Motor's powers heavily will cause the users dyes to white, skin becomes pale, and even permanently sports Blitz Motor-signature's Red Eyes, Take Warning at young age and ultimately leading to their death. With the playable inclusion of Valkyria in EN-Eins Anastasis, it maybe possible that possessing a host body also results similar effects as over-usages of Blitz Motor powers, but without having a side-effect.
- Promoted to Playable: Valkyria was once an SNK Boss Palette Swap version of Tempelritter prior to becoming a balanced playable fighter in the Anastasis update of EN-Eins Perfektewelt. Mycale's Perfecti form could count into this trope, despite only having a different lifebar name prior to Ausf. Achse.
- Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Marilyn Sue Dajie's Super. 100 hits in 5 seconds. Damn.
- Real Is Brown: The colors were unusually drab for a fighting game. That is until EN-Eins Perfektewelt was announced. Nevertheless, it still represents the series when it becomes part of fighting game crossover in Arc System Works' BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle.
- Reincarnation: Toyed around. Since the Perfecti Cult (a parent organization of Gesellschaft, other name of Neu Perfecti Tempera Orden) is pretty much Catharism under another name, one of it's main teachings is that the body is a temporal thing and vessel and one should prepare for the Final Day/Valhalla. As such, after the death of her original body in this canon's version of the Albigensian Crusade, Mycale/Perfecti's soul can take over the bodies of some women (via her wand) and thus "reincarnate" through the centuries. Three women are her known vessels: a female doctor from World War II who called herself Dr. Mycale killed by Murakumo after his Uriah Gambit on Akatsuki, Kati (a rich German girl who was raised in China, Shanghai, her host in the original games) and Anonym Merel Lambuth, who's "used" by Mycale to somehow become Perfecti. until Anastasis update, who became her own playable character as her new "base" form.
- Murakumo and Adler use this concept differently, as rather than taking over "pre-existing" bodies, they'd rather clone themselves and transfer their souls to such clones.
- Valkyria is later revealed to be an ancient Battle Maiden, having co-founded of Neu Perfecti Tempera Orden alongside Mycale, while serving as its grandmaster (praeses), and the Heiligelanze, which contains the former's soul and body possession methods possibly serves as inspirations for Mycale's Dailsleif before the latter's death, and possibly inspires the villains into abandoning humanity. Valkyria's current host happens to be a prototype clone of Unity Mitford, who was Driven to Suicide via Boom! Headshot! after she found and touches Heiligelanze, but fail.
- Revolvers Are Just Better: Anonyms uses them.
- Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Sai and Kati are an Intergenerational Friendship version.
- Shock and Awe: Both Akatsuki, Blitztank and Elektrosoldat's schtick.
- Also Adler and Murakamo, but less emphasized on compared to Akatsuki.
- Shotoclone: Akatsuki, who is more in the mold of Kyo than Ryu (design-wise). Elektrosoldat's resemblance to Guile is also important to note.
- Adler can also be count due to being shoto Guile than Elektrosoldat's original charged Guile.
- EN-Eins is a mix between father and son from Howard and Bernstein family, with a heroic trait as the two sons of two respective families (Rock and Adel).
- Kati (to degree); where she has a Tatsumaki and Shoryuken but it lacks Hadouken due to the type of project that her staff can move around and can be used as a whip/lasso then wacks her opponents like a baseball bat.
- Shout-Out: Anonyms uses Gun Kata.
- Sinister Shades: Sai uses them to cover up his freakish-looking eyes that can cause painful diseases and afflictions in whoever he looks at.
- Stupid Jetpack Hitler: Elektrosoldat is a Nazi cyborg.
- Super Mode: Wei's various powerups.
- Adler achieves this in EN-Eins.
- Tank Goodness: Blitztank.
- The Triads and the Tongs: Their top rank assassins, Dawei Yu Lue & Marilyn Sue Dajie a from a Triad organization called Black Hand, led by a man named Yin Hu who's one of Murakumo's clones. As their Story Mode started, Yin Hu was killed by Marilyn, under the biddings of the witch, Mycale.
- The Wiki Rule: Here, Here (Update version) and Here.
- White-Haired Pretty Boy: Murakumo. He originally was dark-haired but when he started using Blitz Motor on himself, his hair turned white. Adler's case was blonde like his clones Elektrosoldat.
- ↑ In keeping with the Street Fighter II parallel, she shares the "Zangief" role with Wei, in that both are strength-based fighters who have their own agenda and aren't interested in the main conflict at all. Just like how Zangief wants to prove himself the strongest man alive and couldn't care less about that Shadaloo and Psycho Drive hoo-ha, Marilyn doesn't give a crap about super-soldiers or world conquest and just thinks stealing a Blitz Motor from Akatsuki would be a great career move.
- ↑ Not THAT salute, thankfully.