is a

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

produced by Spike. The game was released exclusively for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 200 ...

in Japan on April 26, 2012. A remaster of the game titled ''Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars'' was released on January 31, 2019 in Japan for the

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

, and was released worldwide on November 5, 2019 for the

and

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizat ...

. A second game in the series, '' Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars'', was released for the

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...

and

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...

across 2013 and 2014 in Japanese and English, and later released on

in 2016.

Gameplay

The player's goal is to charm girls from National Star God Academy, raise their affection for Itsuki, then produce and take the Star Children to explore dungeons and battle Impurities. However, it is not an

eroge An ''eroge'' ( or , ''erogē''; ; a portmanteau of ''erotic game'' , ''erochikku gēmu'') is a Japanese genre of erotic video game. In 1982, Japan's Koei, founded by husband-and-wife team Yoichi and Keiko Erikawa (and later known for stra ...

, as the "Star Children" are produced by pouring energy from Itsuki and one of the twelve Star Maidens into a particular device. The child's class and statistics are determined by which character parents the child; for example, certain combinations could result in creating a warrior, or a child who specializes in magic. To produce more plentiful and powerful Star Children, Itsuki must increase his intimacy with the twelve maidens. The other aspects of the gameplay is typical to dating simulation games. The game operates on a turn-based battle system.

Plot

Story

On his high school graduation day, Itsuki's cousin, Mahiru, tells him that she's pregnant. Just then, a gate of light emerges and transports the two into the world of Granvania. In this land, "Impurities" have been causing a disturbance to the Stars, ultimately plunging Granvania into chaos and disorder. And Itsuki, now revealed to be the "God's Gift" who is fated to meet with the Star Maidens, is seen as Granvania's last hope and was thus given the task to produce "Star Children" and combat the "impurities". And unless the task is complete, Itsuki may never be able to return home.

Characters

; :Voiced by (English): Erik Scott Kimerer (game);

Ricco Fajardo Ricco Fajardo is an American voice actor who has provided voices for English versions of Japanese anime series and video games. Some of his roles include Taiju Oki in '' Dr. Stone'', Itona Horibe in ''Assassination Classroom'', Mirio Togata in ' ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Yūki Ono is a Japanese voice actor and singer who dubs in anime shows and video games. He was represented by Atomic Monkey and is now a freelancer. His major roles are: Josuke Higashikata in '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable'', Taiga ...

(game, anime) :An unmotivated male high school student from Granvania National Star God Academy, and is the main protagonist of the game. He's prone to making cold statements, but has a strong sense of justice. He was summoned to Granvania as the God's Gift who makes Star Children with the 12 Star Maidens in order to save the World. ; :Voiced by (English):

Cherami Leigh Cherami Leigh (born July 19, 1988) is an American actress. She has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of anime series and video games with Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, NYAV Post, Studiopolis and Viz Media. Some of ...

(game);

Megan Shipman Megan Shipman is an American voice actress, known for providing voices in English dubs of Japanese anime series. Some of her notable roles include Yuzu Aihara in ''Citrus'', Aoba Suzukaze in '' New Game!'', Grey in '' Black Clover'', Maple in '' ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Emiri Katō is a Japanese voice actress and singer. At the 2nd Seiyu Awards, she won Best New Actress with her roles in '' Powerpuff Girls Z'' as Momoko Akatsutsumi/Hyper Blossom and ''Lucky Star'' as Kagami Hiiragi. She also shared a Best Singing Award ...

(game, anime) :Itsuki's cousin and childhood friend. Mahiru is the Maiden of

Virgo Virgo may refer to: * Virgo (astrology), the sixth astrological sign of the zodiac * Virgo (constellation), a constellation * Virgo Cluster, a cluster of galaxies in the constellation Virgo * Virgo Stellar Stream, remains of a dwarf galaxy *Virgo ...

, one of the twelve Star Maidens who Itsuki must meet. ; :Voiced by (English): Lauren Landa (game);

Natalie Hoover Natalie Hoover is an American voice actress based in Los Angeles and Dallas. She has done voicework for anime, video games, and other audio productions. Career In 2010, Hoover was deemed as the Japanator New York Anime Festival and Comic Con ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Aya Endō (game, anime) :Arie is the Maiden of Aries and a kindhearted nun. She has been studying and teach young children at church for quite sometimes. She's capable of casting a spell which causes dizziness. ; :Voiced by (English):

Amber Lee Connors Amber Lee Connors (born April 9, 1991) is an American voice actress who has provided voices for English dubbed Japanese anime and video games. She is known for her roles as Nozomi Kaminashi from ''Keijo!!!!!!!!'', Miki Kawai from '' A Silent Voi ...

(game); Amanda Lee (anime) (English)
Voiced by (Japanese): Saki Fujita (game, anime) :Femiruna is the Maiden of

Leo Leo or Léo may refer to: Acronyms * Law enforcement officer * Law enforcement organisation * ''Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky * Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Arts an ...

and the only daughter of a certain millionaire. As such, she has a large number of servants at her beck and call. ; :Voiced by (English): Christine Marie Cabanos (game); Rachel Thompson (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Asami Shimoda (game, anime) :Collette is the Maiden of Aquarius. She runs a

bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers wh ...

. ; :Voiced by (English):

Erika Harlacher Erika Lynn Harlacher-Stone (; born August 29, 1990) is an American voice actress based in the Los Angeles area who has provided voices for English dubbed Japanese anime shows and video games. Some of her major roles in anime include: Yugo in W ...

(game);

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Yukiyo Fujii (game, anime) :Yuzuha is the Maiden of

Pisces Pisces may refer to: * Pisces, an obsolete (because of land vertebrates) taxonomic superclass including all fish *Pisces (astrology), an astrological sign *Pisces (constellation), a constellation **Pisces Overdensity, an overdensity of stars in t ...

. She works as an

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...

and has a shortened life-span due to illness. ; :Voiced by (English):

Cristina Vee Cristina Danielle Valenzuela (born July 11, 1987), known by her stage name Cristina Vee, is an American voice actress and voice director. She provides voices for English dubs of anime, animation, and video games. Vee's roles in anime include ...

(game);

Tia Ballard Tia Lynn Ballard (born May 11, 1986) is an American voice actress and ADR director affiliated with Funimation and Sentai Filmworks. Some of her notable roles are Kusano in '' Sekirei'', Mizore Shirayuki in '' Rosario + Vampire'', Rin Ogata in '' ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Makiko Ohmoto is a freelance Japanese voice actress from Kurashiki, Okayama. She is best known for voicing Kirby in the eponymous game series and for voicing Ness from the ''EarthBound'' series in ''Super Smash Bros.''. Personal life On March 15, 2020, sh ...

(game, anime) :Ruka is the Maiden of

Cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

. She has a very perceptive insight which allows her to see into the hearts of the people around her as well as read their minds, though she is unable to do so with God's Gifts. She maintains a cold attitude toward others. She works in an

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abu ...

. ; :Voiced by (English): Kira Buckland (game);

Jamie Marchi Jamie Lynn Marchi (; born October 8, 1977) is an American voice actress, ADR director and script writer who works for Funimation, and Sentai Filmworks. She has provided a number of voices for English-language versions of anime and video games. ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Yuriko Yamaguchi (game, anime) :Reone is the Maiden of Scorpio and the academy's physician. She also takes care of other Maidens' health. In the English dub of the anime, she is instead named Leone. ; :Voiced by (English):

(game);

Jad Saxton Jad Saxton (, born September 27) is an American voice actress and ADR Director who works for Funimation and Sentai Filmworks. Early life Her name is an acronym of her parents' names, Jimmi and David, and is pronounced "Jayd". She grew up wit ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Kazusa Aranami (game, anime) :Farun is the Maiden of Capricorn. She works as both a

dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

and a

waitress Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attendin ...

in a

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...

. In the English dub of the anime, she is instead named Falun. ; :Voiced by (English): Rachelle Heger (game);

Kristen McGuire Kristen McGuire is an American voice actress and script writer affiliated with Funimation and Bang Zoom! Entertainment. She started as a comic book artist, before later joining Funimation as a voice actress. Some of her noteworthy roles include ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Momoko Ohara (original game);

Riho Sugiyama is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Mausu Promotion. Biography After graduating from high school, Sugiyama attended the , where she trained to become a voice actor. She joined the talent agency Yu-rin Pro in 2013, and later moved to ...

(anime, ''Plus'') :Tarua is the Maiden of Taurus and a postman in-training. She always gives her best at everything, and strives to be a respectable in the future. She loves running all over the town and works as a

mailman A mail carrier, mailman, mailwoman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman, or letter carrier (in American English), sometimes colloquially known as a postie (in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom), is an employee of a post ...

. ; :Voiced by (English): Jeannie Tirado (game);

Monica Rial Monica Jean Rial (born October 5, 1975) is an American voice actress and Dubbing (filmmaking), ADR script writer affiliated with Funimation and Seraphim Digital/Sentai Filmworks. She provides voices for English language versions of Japanese ani ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Kana Asumi is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and a former member of the girl group Lisp. Career She worked for Voice & Heart until 2007 and has worked for 81 Produce since 2008. She won the Best Lead Actress Award in the 7th Seiyu Awards. Per ...

(game, anime) :Lilith and Lille are the Maidens of Gemini. They share one body, and their personalities switch if hit on the head. Lilith is more reserved, whilst Lillie is mischievous and likes to demand people to obey her commands unconditionally. They work as a

fortune teller Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical wi ...

. In the English dub of the anime, Lille is instead named Lily. ; :Voiced by (English):

Elizabeth Maxwell Elizabeth Maxwell is an American voice actress. She is best known for her roles as Ymir in '' Attack on Titan'', Winter Schnee in ''RWBY'', Urbosa in '' The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'', Rosaria in ''Genshin Impact'', and Caulifla in ...

(game); Brianna Roberts (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Sanae Kobayashi is a Japanese voice actress formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and now with Sigma Seven. She has voiced in a number of anime shows and films. Some of her major roles are Allen Walker in ''D.Gray-man'', Akira Toya in ''Hikaru no Go'' ...

(game, anime) :Mirei is the Maiden of

Libra Libra generally refers to: * Libra (constellation), a constellation * Libra (astrology), an astrological sign based on the star constellation Libra may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Libra'' (novel), a 1988 novel by Don DeLillo Musi ...

. She is a very calm and logical person. Mirei has been studying magic for many years. Her interest lies mainly in her research. She views love as a foolish concept. ; :Voiced by (English):

(game); Sarah Wiedenheft (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Eri Kitamura is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She was previously affiliated with Early Wing, but is now a freelancer. She is known for voicing prominent roles in anime such as and Sayaka Miki in '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Saya Otonashi in ''Bloo ...

(game, anime) :Sue is the Maiden of

Sagittarius Sagittarius ( ) may refer to: *Sagittarius (constellation) *Sagittarius (astrology), a sign of the Zodiac Ships *''SuperStar Sagittarius'', a cruise ship * USS ''Sagittarius'' (AKN-2), a World War II US Navy cargo ship Music *Sagittarius (ban ...

. She loves taking care of animals and often bring them to the academy, even without permission. Her dream is to one day becomes a veterinarian. ; :Voiced by (English):

Sarah Anne Williams Sarah Anne Williams is an American voice actress. She currently resides in Los Angeles. In anime, she is known for her performances as Nonon Jakuzure in '' Kill la Kill'', Sayaka Miki in '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Lisbeth in ''Sword Ar ...

(game);

Felecia Angelle Felecia Angelle (born July 27, 1986) is an American voice actress and ADR director affiliated with Funimation. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films and television series. Angelle is best known ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): Yurin (game, anime) :Mana is the perverted

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

mascot of Granvania. She is an impurity who grew to love humans after bonding with Shangri-la 100 years ago. He sends her to look after the God's Gifts and help them save the World every ten years. ; :Voiced by (English):

Christopher Corey Smith Christopher Corey Smith is an American voice actor who voices in animated shows and video games. He is best known for his voice role as Gagumber in the anime '' Sakugan''. Personal life On April 29, 2022, Smith married voice actress Cindy Ro ...

(game);

David Wald David Wald is an American voice actor who voices in English dubs of Japanese anime. Some of his major roles include: Gajeel Redfox in '' Fairy Tail'', Hannes in '' Attack on Titan'', Bulat in '' Akame ga Kill!'', and Master Chief in '' Halo Le ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese): (game, anime) :Shangri-la is the ruler of the Kingdom of Granvania. 100 years before the events of the game, he was summoned from the real world as a God's Gift (God's Gifts only age once every three years, rather than every year, allowing him to live longer than others) and saved it by making Star Children with previous Star Maidens, much like Isuki now has to do with the current Star Maidens. Instead of returning to his own World he remained in Granvania, became the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

, and informs the God's Gifts who arrive every 10 years of their duty (as only the current God's Gift can make Star Children and fight the Impurities) with them reporting to him of their successes. ; :Voiced by (English):

Kyle Hebert Kyle Henry Hebert ( ) is an American voice actor and DJ who works for anime and video game series, such as the teenage/adult Gohan and the narrator in the Funimation dub of the '' Dragon Ball series'', Sōsuke Aizen in '' Bleach'', Ryu in th ...

(game); J. Michael Tatum (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Daisuke Hirakawa is a common masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Daisuke can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *大輔, "big, assist" *大介, "big, mediate" *大祐, "big, bless" *大助, "big, help" *大典, "big, law/rul ...

(game, anime) :Narcisstes is the scholar in service of the Kingdom of Granvania. ; :Voiced by (English): Hunter MacKenzie Austin (game);

Caitlin Glass Caitlin Tiffany Glass (born November 16, 1981) is an American voice actress, ADR director, and script writer at Funimation, New Generation Pictures and Bang Zoom! Entertainment who provides voices for English versions of Japanese anime series ...

(anime)
Voiced by (Japanese):

Ai Kakuma is a Japanese voice actress from Fukuoka Prefecture. Filmography Anime television series ;2012 *'' Campione!'' as Hikari Mariya *''Haiyore! Nyaruko-san'' as Female Student (episode 10) *''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' as Customer B (episode 10) ...

(game, anime) :Alfie is in charge of training the Star Children. She is later revealed to be the 13th Maiden. 30 years before the events of the game, she was a Star Child from a previous God's Gift and her body was modified to turn her into a Star Maiden (in the hopes that a Star Child would be able to make more powerful Star Children). This removed her

immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality. Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immort ...

(as Star Children are immortal) though allowed her to create Star Children in exchange which she didn't mind as she would be able to help save the World once again like she had 30 years ago despite her now being able to die, as only current Star Children could fight impurities and as such making new ones with the God's Gift would allow her to aid in saving the World once again. ; :Voiced by:

Shō Hayami , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer. He is mainly known for his smooth, deep voice. During his career, he has played a wide range of characters from kind-hearted heroes ( Father Remington, Maximilian Jenius, Ni ...

:The Thirteenth Phantom is the source of all Impurities. Its true name is Chaos. ; :Voiced by: Various actors :Star Children are magical children created by Itsuki and the various Star Maidens through a ritual with them appearing from thin air already able to talk and fight, rather than through

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

. They are able to fight the Impurities alongside Itsuki. The more Ituski and the Star Maidens love each other when creating them, the more powerful they are. There are 19 different types of Star Children, each with varying stats, attacks etc.

Reception

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the ...

'' rated the game with a score of 35/40. The response to ''Conception Plus: Maiden of the Twelve Stars'' is rather mixed. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the game has score of 62.

Legacy

A second game, titled , was released on August 22, 2013 for the

and

, and August 15, 2016 on

Remaster

On September 17, 2018,

teased an article that would reveal a new ''Conception'' project. The next day on September 18, 2018, a remaster of the first ''Conception'' video game titled ''Conception Plus: Ore no Kodomo o Undekure!'' was announced to be shown at

Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. Th ...

2018 for the

. It was developed by

Spike Chunsoft is a Japanese video game development and localization company specializing in role-playing video games, visual novels and adventure games. The company was founded in 1984 as Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and merged with Spike in 2012. It is owned by Dwa ...

and was released on January 31, 2019. On July 4, 2019, it was announced that the game would receive an English release on November 5, 2019 for the PlayStation 4 and Steam, under the title ''Conception Plus: Maidens of the Twelve Stars''. The PS4 versions were criticized for having varying levels of censorship. A feature called Touch Communication was removed internationally, while the western versions received additional censorship. The PC versions were completely unchanged.

Anime

On May 4, 2018, an anime television series produced by Gonzo was announced, and aired from October 10 to December 26, 2018 on SUN TV, BS11, and

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...

. The series was directed by Keitaro Motonaga, with Yūko Kakihara writing the screenplay, Masato Kōda composing the music, and Yosuke Okuda adapting Shinichiro Otsuka's character designs for animation. The opening theme is "Star light, Star bright" by Nano, while the ending theme is "Desires" by

Manami Numakura is a Japanese voice actress and former singer. She is affiliated with Arts Vision. Her best-known role is in ''The Idolmaster'' video game franchise where she voices Hibiki Ganaha from the rival group known as Project Fairy. Other major roles i ...

. Crunchyroll

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simult ...

the series, while

Funimation Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializ ...

had licensed the anime for an English dub. Following

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

's acquisition of Crunchyroll, the dub was moved to Crunchyroll.

Episode list

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Gonzo 2012 video games Anime television series based on video games Crunchyroll anime Dating sims Gonzo (company) Isekai anime and manga Kadokawa Dwango franchises Mass media franchises PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Portable games Role-playing video games Harem anime and manga Science fantasy video games Science fiction video games Spike Chunsoft video games Video games about children Video games developed in Japan Video games with cel-shaded animation Windows games Censored video games Single-player video games