Tsukimichi’s protagonist goes by the name Makoto Kuzunoha in the anime and manga, but that is not the case in the original light novel. Thus, fans are wondering why Makoto is called Raidou in Tsukimichi.
Manga readers and anime-only watchers might not be familiar with Raidou. After all, this alias is only used by Makoto in the light novel series.
There’s a good reason for this, not to mention that it’s a reference that many might not know about. Firstly, it’s important to understand why he goes by that name in the series.
Raidou: Makoto’s Alias in the Light Novel Series
Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy is an isekai light novel series that got manga and anime adaptations in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
The series follows Makoto Misumi, a young man who is transported into another world, though he is soon abandoned by the Goddess for being ugly (at least by the world’s standards).
In his travels in this new world, Makoto Misumi goes by the name Makoto Kuzunoha in the anime and manga. He takes this alias so that he doesn’t get noticed by the Goddess.
This is important as going unnoticed means he can travel through the Goddess’ world. In fact, he makes a name for himself as a teacher and a merchant.
As for the light novel, Makoto also uses the alias Raidou Kuzunoha. Thus, light novel readers and other fans refer to him as Raidou instead of Makoto.
The reason this was changed is believed to be to avoid a copyright issue. That’s because Makoto’s alias in the light novel is a reference to a popular video game series.
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Why Is Makoto Called Raidou in Tsukimichi? Explaining the Reference
Raidou Kuzunoha is the name of the playable character in Atlus’ Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army video game that was released for the PS2 back in 2006.
Devil Summoner is a spinoff of Atlus’ Megami Tensei franchise, meaning it’s quite reminiscent of Persona, another Megami Tensei spinoff.
Thus, Makoto’s alias of Raidou Kuzunoha is a reference to Atlus’ popular JRPG.
Because it’s already the name of a popular video game character, fans believe that avoiding copyright issues for the manga and anime is the main reason Raidou wasn’t used outside the light novel.
As the light novel does not have an official English release, the alias Raidou is essentially a Japan-only name.
What does have an official English version is the Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy anime. The show’s second season gets new episodes this season on Crunchyroll.
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