Fushigi Koubou Shoukougun vol.7

ふしぎ工房症候群 EPISODE.7 - 妹の遺言

Company: Cosmic Ray
Based on: Original
Released: 2005.11.08
Official Site: http://www.cosmicray.co.jp/fks/


ふl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.

The seventh story is told by Kishio Daisuke. To be frank, this is about a character with a major sister complex. That is actually the short version of this story.

It is also a story that seems to strive to make someone as miserable as possible. Of all the stories up to now, this is by far the most depressing one. It starts with the main character, at the time still in grade school, explaining that he and his little sister did not come from a happy family. His father was a drunk and a gambler, who often hit their mother or him when at home. When his father leaves the house their mother is the one to earn their income. One day their mother takes the two of them to an amusement park, first day as a happy family of three. However she collapses and dies as soon as they return home.

The two of them are moved distant relatives, however it is clear that they are not in the least welcome there. Eventually they are not even given proper meals anymore. To make sure that at least his sister gets enough food, he resorts to crimes to get money to buy her anything. However, due to her brother not being around as much as often, his sister becomes unhappy. When he notices this the two of them decide to run away. In the course of events they find a new home, an old couple without children that takes good came of them.

But that is when the worst discovery still has to be made: after she collapses one day, it is discovered that his sister has leukaemia...

From the title ( 妹の遺言, imouto no yuigon, my younger sister her testament) it is already clear that this story does not end well for the little sister in question. However from the start to the end this story is a true tearjerker. Especially near the end Kishio-san his voice acting really brought me to tears, there is just no way that you'll be able to keep it dry with his voice acting.

Wait... does that mean that I once again cried while listening to this series? It might sound weird that I write that this series brings me to tears in almost every review, but that is the kind of series that this is. Yet despite that, it always manages to deliver a positive message.


Conclusion:
To be quite honest, I didn't really like this story. Not only because it is truly a tearjearker, but also because it is based on a sister complex. I can't help it, I just don't like that kind of thing. However, despite that the story, maybe even more than that, the voice acting made me cry so I suppose it is a good story? I am confused here...