Official Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow site opens

Konami has opened the official Japanese site for its upcoming Nintendo Game Boy Advance release, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow takes place in the year 2035 in Japan, in a town with an ancient shrine. The greatest eclipse of the century is coming, and everyone is looking forward to the celebration. Soma Cruz, an 18-year-old Japanese high school student, together with his childhood friend, Mina Hakuba, go to watch the full eclipse at the town's shrine, which happens to be managed by Mina's family. But as Soma gets closer to the shrine, he falls unconscious and soon finds himself on a journey, fighting against monsters.

Although a number of characters have been revealed in the past, the site shows only three from the cast: Soma, Mina, and a man named Graham Jones who is the founder of a new cult religion. The site also does not mention that Dracula was defeated and sealed in the eclipse in 1999. It is suspected that Graham, who preaches that the same event that took place at the end of the last century will happen again in 2035, has a relationship to Dracula. It is revealed in his profile that he was born in 1999.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which is titled Castlevania: Minuet of Dawn in Japan, is scheduled for release on May 8. The first shipment will include an art booklet from the series' illustrator, Ayami Kojima.