| Shiori Fujisaki | |
| Image Upright: | 0.6 |
| Series: | Tokimeki Memorial |
| Firstgame: | Tokimeki Memorial (1994) |
| Creator: | Masashi Kokura |
| Voice: | Mami Kingetsu |
is a character introduced in the 1994 video game Tokimeki Memorial. She is one of multiple female characters that can be pursued romantically, but is considered the main character of these girls, as well as the most difficult to pursue due to her being good at everything and requiring the protagonist to be good at anything before they might date. This has earned her the nickname the "Last Boss of Dating Sims." She is also a virtual idol, portrayed by Mami Kingetsu, and has appeared in other works, including a live-action film and an OVA.
She has received generally positive reception, receiving a lot of merchandise and having many fans who have fallen in love with the character. Both the difficulty of pursuing her romantically and the romantic investment into the character have been the subject of commentary.
Shiori Fujisaki was created for the video game Tokimeki Memorial, designed by Masashi Kokura.[1] Shiori was voiced by Mami Kingetsu in various roles, including the original game, an OVA adaptation, and drama CD. Kingetsu landed the role of Shiori after her agency sent an audition tape. For the original game, Kingetsu had to read from a large script, described by fellow Tokimeki Memorial actress Yōko Teppōzuka as being larger than a phone book. Kingetsu was worried about doing the role correctly due to Shiori being depicted as the "perfect girl," which made the role difficult for her. She argued that other characters had easily defined strengths, but because Shiori was good in everything, she lacked distinct qualities. Kingetsu felt that her voice in the first game was plain, but in future roles, she was able to explore different angles with her voice. When singing as Shiori for the first time, the staff was particular about ensuring that the way she sings reflects Shiori's voice and nuances, particularly sounding like a high school student rather than an adult.[2] Composer Takashi Tateishi was involved in helping establish Shiori as a virtual idol, working with Kingetsu, noting his preference in producing vocals over composing instrumental music.[3]
Shiori first appeared in the 1994 video game Tokimeki Memorial for the TurboGrafx-16. She is one of multiple female characters whom the protagonist can date, as well as being the protagonist's childhood crush and main love interest. She is well-loved by the student body, and is good at most things, including sports and academics, making her more difficult to date than other girls in the game. In order to win her over, the protagonist must also have high levels in these areas. Shiori later appeared in the visual novel spin-off Tokimeki Memorial Drama Series Vol. 3: Tabidachi no Uta. Shiori is included in the game Super Bomberman R as a playable character.[4] She also appeared in Bombergirl, Mahjong Fight Girl and Konami Wai Wai Sokoban as a playable character. A figure based on her appearance in this game was created.[5] She appears as a boss in the shoot 'em up video game Otomedius Excellent.[6] She was added to the Japanese version of Scribblenauts as a character, alongside other Konami characters.[7]
Shiori has appeared in various adaptations, including a radio drama, a live-action film, and an OVA film.[2] Shiori became a virtual idol in December 1996.[8]
Shiori Fujisaki has received generally positive reception, with VGM Online writer Andy Byus noting that her face was plastered on a variety of merchandise, like shirts and CDs.[9] She was a popular character with Japanese girls, who identified with her.[10] Writers Patrick W. Galbraith and Jason Karlin discussed how, following the success of Kingetsu's performance as Shiori in the debut single "Oshiete Mr. Sky," other anime and video game characters' songs were not credited to their performers, which became a trend in the late 1990s.[11] Back in 2000, Shiori had an official fan club with 10,000 members.[12]
Her role as a romance option in Tokimeki Memorial contributed to her popularity. Singer Haruko Momoi discussed how it was not unusual for people her age to have their first love be someone like Shiori, noting how popular she was and how much merchandise was available at Akihabara.[13] Due to being considered a difficult character to romance in Tokimeki Memorial, Shiori has been given the nickname of the "Last Boss of Dating Sims."[14] Inside Games writer Chi Bi identified Shiori as a "high-class flower that everyone admired" and a "class Madona," the latter meaning someone who is the object of admiration among men. Because of the difficulty of getting into a relationship with Shiori, Chi Bi suggested that she came off as arrogant, and discussed how people's view of her may differ depending on if they experienced her through Tokimeki Memorial, the radio drama, or Tabidachi no Uta.[15] Chi Bi also discussed how the heightened difficulty of pursuing her only made him more interested in attempting it. Mami Kingetsu's CD debut of Shiori was a particularly exciting moment for Chi Bi.[16] Writer Jessica Williams, as part of a text book for foreign language speakers, discussed the phenomenon of people falling in love with virtual characters, particularly Shiori, noting how some players would use games like Tokimeki Memorial to experience a more successful high school life. She also questioned the reader whether the character would be written differently if written by a woman.[12]