Sentimental Graffiti

Sentimental Graffiti (センチメンタルグラフティ, Senchimentaru Gurafuti) is the name of a dating simulation series by NEC Interchannel. An anime television series based on the series was later produced, titled Sentimental Journey. Three Japanese radio dramas based on the series, titled Sentimental Night, Kaettekita Sentimental Night, and Only Sentimental Night 2 were produced. A number of non-broadcast Japanese audio dramas have also been produced. Several dojin games have been made based on the characters, including the infamous Sentimental Shooting scrolling shooter, which combines a very engaging (and difficult) shoot 'em up with provocative imagery. Its nicknames amongst fans are typically Senchi or the contraction SenchiGura. Following the 1994 hit success of Tokimeki Memorial, NEC Interchannel initiated a cooperation between Tabeta Toshio and the main staff of the Graduation series with game production house Marcus in an attempt to produce a "Tokimeki-like" game. While the six central characters were cast by Seiji Productions, the remaining six were considered unconventional for the time in that they were selected for public appeal. At the time, many of the staff and cast were unknown by the general public, which spurred a large media sales campaign designed to widen the game's exposure and establish it as a new brand. Advertisements and articles were placed in many magazines such as Dengeki G's Magazine as well as the TBS radio show Sentimental Night which aired in 1997. A unit entitled "SG girls" was formed and numerous events and concert were held. The promotion paid off, as sales of various related goods took off, the game received a positive reaction from fans, and copies became scarce. In the Sentimental Journey anime, each episode is presented like an epilogue to the game scenario, focusing on one of the girls and telling a short romantic story. The common thread among the stories is the presence of a nondescript boy (possibly not even the same boy) who used to be a childhood crush or best friend, or just a short acquaintance, before moving away. This boy would have an influence over the girl's present life. The stories range widely from straightforward girl-gets-boy romance to friendships of various sorts and sometimes supernatural events.