Publisher PROTOTYPE announced that the Yuri visual novel The Curse of Kudan is set to make its Nintendo Switch debut on December 21. The novel will feature support for English, Japanese, and Chinese languages. Available both digitally and physically in Japan, the game is priced at JPY $4,950 for the physical edition and JPY $4,300 for the digital edition.
Developed by SukeraSparo, The Curse of Kudan originally launched in Japan for PC on April 26, 2019, and later on iOS and Android, The Curse of Kudan, known as “Folklore of Kudan” in Japan, received its English localization on PC on October 29, 2020.
The plot follows the eerie legend of Kudan, an apparition resembling a woman in mourning dress, believed to bring misfortune within a week to those who see her. Within the story, feelings develop between student Sakuya Kudan and culinary teacher Touko Shima. Their peaceful existence shatters when Touko encounters Kudan, the harbinger of calamity. As the hours tick down, Sakuya seeks ways to combat the curse, leading her to the academy’s Occult Research Club and its president, Koto Ashinaki.
Set in Tokyo’s Kudan District, the narrative of The Curse of Kudan enfolds across locations like Kudan Women’s Academy, Kudanzaka Park, and the local station area. A striking feature of the story is the triple association with the term Kudan, referring to the legend, the district in Tokyo, and the protagonist, Sakuya Kudan. The intersections between these three elements serve as a central plot device, and the narrative explores themes of destiny, fear, love, and the unexplained phenomena that dwell in the shadows of Japan’s bustling metropolis.
▍The Curse of Kudan Opening Movie
▍The Curse of Kudan Story
There’s a rumor going around about the urban legend known as “Kudan.”
They say that it takes the form of a woman in mourning dress, her face covered by a black veil, her right severed at the wrist…
They say that those who lay eyes on her are doomed to have misfortune befall them within seven days…
Feelings start to bud between student Sakuya Kudan and culinary teacher Touko Shima after coincidence brings them into one another’s orbit.
However, their peaceful everyday life is abruptly shattered when Touko sees Kudan, the harbinger of calamity.
The hours tick down as Sakuya rushes to find a way to combat the curse, and her search brings her to the academy’s Occult Research Club and its president, Koto Ashinaki.
Now she must face off against the unknown in order to protect the people she loves…
▍The Curse of Kudan Main Characters
■ Sakuya Kudan – CV: Ayaka Fukuhara
– ”Might be nice to have a destiny I chose for myself.”
A second-year student of Physical Education at Kudan Women’s Academy. Sakuya is a scholarship student and star of the kendo club. Add to that stunning looks and a charming disposition, and you have yourself the most popular girl in school.
She’s bold and decisive, with a rigid moral compass that demands accountability, regardless of status. These personality traits can lead to her being seen as a fearsome figure, but she’s actually a very kind and caring person.
Sakuya has been best friends with Karen Azuma since elementary school, where they were on the baseball team together before she turned to kendo and Karen to softball.
Her two older sisters got her into nerdy interests such as manga, retro gaming, and niche novels. Her unruly hair stresses her out something awful.
■ Touko Shima – CV: Manaka Iwami
– ”These eggs with the golden yolks are just perfect for carbonara. They’ll give your sauce some real depth.”
A culinary arts teacher living in Kudan. Descendant of a wealthy family that earned its fortune in forestry and shipbuilding, Touko runs a culinary school out of a fancy building near the station. She’s sweet and gentle, but also sharp as a tack and quick to follow a line of thinking to its logical conclusion.
However, her proclivity for caution leads to indecisiveness, and she tends to keep her calculated judgments to herself. She admires Sakuya’s ability to make quick decisions and take instant action, and the two become friends.
Although she hasn’t been acquainted with her personal assistant, Sawako Iwai, for too long, she hopes they can become friends one day, too.
■ Koto Akinashi – CV: Maria Naganawa
– ”Please, take a seat on the sofa. Can I get you a drink? We have tea and coffee.”
A first-year General Studies student at Kudan Women’s Academy. Going by her fashionable style, you wouldn’t expect her to be into ghosts and urban legends, but Koto is a huge occult nerd and president of the Academy’s Occult Studies Club.
She actively investigates those mysteries that spark her interest and publishes the results in a magazine that combines objective analysis with personal opinion. She strives to maintain the reputation of the organization; contrary to her looks, she’s actually the serious, intellectual type. She knows how to act with propriety, but once you really get to know her she’ll drop the polite act and speak casually.
She knew of Sakuya already, who at the academy doesn’t, but since they belong to different departments she never expected their paths to cross. However, after Sakuya rescues her from a certain incident, they become friends.
Her hobbies are watching horror movies and drawing. She also likes to make her own accessories.
■ Karen Azuma – CV: Rie Okamoto
– ”So, what, you’re trying to scare me? You do know my favorite movie genre is horror, right?”
A second-year Physical Education student at Kudan Women’s Academy.
Karen is on the softball team and attends the Academy on a scholarship program. While this covers her tuition and confers various other benefits, it’s all dependent on her results. Lively and boyishly good-looking, she doesn’t speak as roughly as Sakuya, but her general personality is more masculine. She has two younger brothers who are also into sports, which further encourages her not to worry too much about maintaining a ladylike manner or appearance. Still, she can turn on the charm when she has to.
Her hobbies include dining out at her favorite curry places and being a know-it-all when it comes to movies and video games.
■ Sawako Iwai – CV: Nanako Mori
– ”I am in the employ of the Shima family and have been instructed to take care of the young lady.”
An assistant in the employ of the Shima family, Sawako is currently assigned as Touko’s PA and takes care of everything from her secretarial work to managing the family home.
She’s always cool, calm, and collected. A woman of few words, she says only what’s necessary and tends to keep her expression neutral; while she of course has emotions, they can be hard for other people to figure out.
She previously served the Shima family matriarch, Touka’s grandmother, but has now been asked to take care of Touka. Because of how well the family treats her, she is far more dedicated to Touka than she would be to any other employer.
Her hobbies are classical music and obtaining professional qualifications. During her free time, she’s usually studying for various exams.
