Fushigi Koubou Shoukougun Episode 05

ふしぎ工房症候群 EPISODE.5 「カネかえせ！」

Company: Cosmic Ray
Based on: Original
Released: 2005.08.26
Official Site: http://www.cosmicray.co.jp/fks/


ふしぎ工房症候群 (fushigi koubou shoukougun) translates into something like 'mysterious workshop syndrome'. The mysterious workshop in the title is what binds all of the stories in this series together. The shop can only be found by someone who is lost and really needs it, and is run by an old man, who sells 'happiness'

Each story is told by a (high profile) voice actor who both tells the story and acts out certain characters. The story is told from the perspective of the main character, and mostly centers on that person his thoughts. In each story the main character is going through a troubled period or trauma, and the mysterious workshop becomes a turning point in their lives.

This fifth story voiced by Taniyama Kishou is a bit different from the previous ones. In every story before this the protagonist had emotional, near depressing problems. In this volume however the protagonist is only out for personal gain: he wants to become rich. Also, he knows that the Fushigi Koubou exists, and is actively trying to search for it.

While daily dodging debt collectors our protagonist is searching for the Fushigi Koubou. He has heard that it can fulfill any wish, and wants to use that to become rich. While by coincidence, he manages to actually find it, and places an order to become rich. The old man is by no means happy with this, but tells the protagonist has one day. While our protagonist first doesn't understand it soon turns out that anything he does results in him winning or gaining money.

Contrary to the previous stories this one is much more energetic. It is fun to listen to, while it also comes with a moral message like every story does. The protagonist is an egoistical jerk, and I had never heard Taniyama Kishou play a character like that before so that was fun to hear as well (I mostly heard him as kind or tsundere characters).

While episode 4 did not clearly made a reference to previous stories, this one references them all. The protagonist heard rumors about what the Fushigi Koubou can do, stating all 4 as an example.


Conclusion:
While very different from the rest of the series this is a very fun story. Granted, the protagonist is an absolute jerk, but that somehow only adds to the charm. On its own it might not be one of the best stories, but as a counterweight to the rest of the more serious stories it is fantastic.