Interlude

"Interlude" (インタールード), is an anime and visual novel developed by Longshot, told in a parallel novel style that follows the events surrounding three women. It was originally released for the Sega Dreamcast on March 13, 2003, a rare occurrence for visual novels as most are released on PC first. PlayStation 2 and PC ports were later also released. The PS2 version received a 'The Best' budget price re-release on March 1, 2007. The player assumes the role of a (usually) anonymous protagonist. Sometimes, in the animated adaptation, he takes the name Naoya Aizawa. The game revolves around the protagonist's strange dreams, the peculiar things he sees, and the unusual people he encounters. He investigates these events and meets a mysterious girl named Aya. With Aya's help, the protagonist discovers that his world may not be real, and many people he thinks he knows might no longer exist. "Interlude" was also adapted into a three-episode OVA directed by Tatsuya Nagamine and produced and licensed by Toei Animation. The OVA premiered on SkyPerfecTV in 2004 and was released on DVD in 2005. It was distributed in English-speaking countries by Geneon Entertainment, with a dub produced by Kaleidoscope Entertainment. A Japanese-audio English-subtitle version was made available for streaming free on Crunchyroll in April 2011.