Love Sweets Vol.01

ラブ★スイーツ Vol.1

Company: Livret
Based on: Cooking/baking
Released:　2010.01.16

Love Sweets is a series in which you cook / bake sweets together with your boyfriend. It isn't explicitly stated that you are dating but it is kind of obvious. Each CD has two guys, and you make something different with each of them. The first CD has Ishida Akira and Hoshi Souichirou. Surprisingly, the series really is more about telling you how to cook a recipe than acting all lovey-dovey.

You make a gateau chocolat (chocolate cake) together with Ishida-san (his character doesn't seem to have a name...). You call him because you want him to help you make a chocolate cake, so the next day he comes over to help you. He mostly just explains what you need to do though (but he does help you with beating the egg whites). It is sweet but for the most part a full walkthrough on how to make a chocolate cake. You do get a kiss at the end though.

Hoshi Souichirou his character more or less invites himself over to make ichigo daifuku (strawberry daifuku). This time you are the one that knows how to make them, which is slightly odd because he still need to explain how you are making them for the CD to work. His character is a lot more genki. I never thought of daifuku as something you could make yourself, but it doesn't sound to hard (providing that you can get all the ingredients...)

Like I said, the CD is more about the cooking instructions than acting lovey dovey, although the second character is a bit more boyfriend-ish. In the bonus tracks they do act a bit more lovey-dovey though, but only a bit. The ingredients are written in the booklet, so you can try to listen to this a few times (maybe write down what to do) and actually try to make it.


Conclusion:
This was cute, but more than anything it made me want to try and actually make the things they describe. I don't think I'll be able to get all the ingredients for the ichigo daifuku while I'm back in the netherlands, but the first one should definitely be possible. Hmmmm...

PS: Livret, the company publishing this series, was a daughter company of Melonbooks that made stuff aimed at women. Unfortunately it has been closed down.

Koi Sentai LOVE&PEACE Vol.1

恋戦隊LOVE＆PEACE ドラマCD1

Company: Broccoli
Based on: Mobile game
Released: 2010.12.22
Official site: http://www.broccoli.co.jp/cd/sp/loveandpeace/


Koi Sentai LOVE&PEACE is based of the mobile game of the same name. In the game you become the pink Heart Ranger, and have to choose one of the four guys that make up the rest of the team as your instructor. Obviously, that is also the character you will fall in love with. A PSP port of the game will be released later this year.

They kept the concept of you being the pink ranger for the CD, so this becomes a mix of a sentai drama and a situation CD, which works surprisingly well actually. In the first CD Akagi Fuuta (CV: Hoshi Souichirou) is your instructor, so the CD is partly focused on him.

The CD begins however with the henchmen of the evil organisation "Menos" stealing people their wallets at lunchtime. Of course this kind of evil can not go unpunished, so the Heart Rangers show up to beat them. The narrator (CV: Kawahara Yoshihisa) introduces all of the characters: The leader Akagi Fuuma / Heart Red, the cool glasses character Aoyama Reiji / Heart Blue (CV: Toriumi Kousuke), the always smiling gentleman Sarutobi Kouhei / Heart Yellow (CV: Miyata Kouki), and the un-hero like Kuromine Tsuguru / Heart Black (CV: Nakai Kazuya). There is some interaction between the narration and the characters as well (he is thanked for introducing everyone for example) which is something I like.

After beating the bad guys everyone retreats to the base, where you works on some image training by practicing yelling your attacks. Meanwhile, the narrator introduces the three main bad guys: Dark (CV: Madono Mitsuaki) who has a gun incorporated into one of his arms and speaks Kansai-ben, the vampire Juteemu (or Je t'aime probably, CV: Maeno Tomoaki), and the wolf-man... Wolf (CV: Shimowada Hiroki) who's ears are first described as cat-ears. Just like there is a 'main hero' for each CD, there is also a main nemesis for each CD, and this time it is Dark. So he gets a little bit more 'screentime' than the other two bad guys. But not that much more. Understandably irritated by the fact that they are always beaten, the evil trio comes up with a strategy to deprive Heart Red of his power.

Which they put into action the next day. They start destroying the city so of course the Heart Rangers show up, minus Kuromine because he made up an excuse. We are first treated to a pretty hilarious transformation scene, and than the battle begins. The bad guys taunt Heart Red to use his full power, and then use their secret weapon (some sort of device that suppresses his power, which comes from his voice) to beat him. You try to cover for him but are too weak. Luckily Kuromine decides to show up after all, and manages to distract the bad guys long enough for you to escape.

Back at the base Aoyama performs a medical check on Akagi, but according to the results he should be fine. They conclude that there must have been some sort of device sealing his powers, and decide to train on fighting without yelling out. They don't get much time though, because the next day Menos is already creating havoc again. Another fight starts (in which the Heart Rangers talk very soft) but the rangers are almost beaten again. Until you are in trouble and Akagi mysteriously finds the power to fight them off.

The rest of the CD is is Akagi realising what gave him so much power, and some moments together with you. In the final track he wants to practice whispering, so he whispers all sorts of random things (really random things) until he finally whispers some sweet words. And then starts to blush like an idiot.

I love the fact that there is an actual opening song and transformation scenes. The opening song is quite catchy too. The interaction with the narrator is a nice touch as well. Not to mention his constant "let me explain!" before he explains something. And Dark his Kansai-ben. It has been a while since I heard a Kansai-ben character!

The mix between sentai drama and situation CD works surprisingly well. During the drama your actions are explained by the narrator or sound effects, or self evident from what the other characters say. When you are alone with a character it CD feel more like a situation CD, where they talk directly to you. The last track was pure fan service in that sense.


Conclusion:
I didn't know this was based of a mobile game at first, but the CD itself explains everything clear enough to understand and enjoy it without knowing the game. The other CDs put one of the other rangers in charge of your training, so you get a chance to be alone with everyone. I'm actually getting interested in the PSP game thanks to this.

Kannou Mukashi Banashi Vol.3: Kaidan

With Kannou Mukashi Banashi Portable just out I suppose a lot of people will be playing it, so what better time then to pick up reviewing the series again.

官能昔話 3 ～怪談～

Company: 5pb records
Based on: Japanese Folklore
Released: 2009.07.21
Official Site: http://5pb.jp/kannou/index.html


Kannou Mukashi Banashi is a series that tells well know tales in a... slightly different way. Each volume contains several stories, all done by a different seiyuu. The series uses the dummy head microphone, which can make it sound as if someone is talking into your ear (when listening with headphones or earphones). And in this series they have made sure that the seiyuu talk very eroi.

As always the CD starts with an introduction by Inoue Kazuhiko, who explains how the CD works and instructs you to put on your head- or earphones in some very suggestive wording. The setting for this CD is that you are at the Kannou Temple, where the head priest tells you several stories. The stories themselves are are done by several seiyuu.

Hoshi Souichirou tells the story of Miminashi Houichi, a blind biwa player who lives at Amidaji temple. One night, someone who sounds like he is wearing armour comes to temple to request his services. He takes Houichi to a large mansion where he is asked to play the tale of Heike. After he is finished he is left alone with the princess who requested his services, and he teaches her how to play the biwa. He returns to the temple in the morning. Night after night Houichi goes to play, but a priest from the temple is suspicious about where he goes and has someone follow him. It turns out that the place where Houichi goes to play night after night is actually a graveyard...

Shimono Hiro tells a story called Bancho Sarayashiki. The story is about a girl called Okiku who works at the Aoyama mansion. The young master of the house, Aoyama Harima, falls in love with Okiku. After a while she falls in love with him as well. However one day Harima is married to another woman. However he still continues his relation with Okiku in secrecy. To test whether Harima really loves her or not she breaks one of the families heirloom plates. Believing she broke it by accident he forgives her. However his wife finds out, and forces Harima to punish her. Cornered by his wife he stabs her to death, and throws her into a well. However Okiku her ghost comes back to haunt the house...

Koyama Rikiya tells the story of Doujouji and the travelling monk Anchin. One day he injures his leg, and resides at a house. The daughter of the house, Kiyohime, is to take care of him while he is there. As time passes they fall in love, however due to Anchin being a monk he is not allowed to marry. Because of that he decides to leave, but because Kiyohime looks so sad he promises her to return in three years to make her his bride. A promise that he cannot keep. When he never returns Kiyohime goes to search him, but when he is not at the temple where he should be she transforms into a giant serpent in her rage and turns up at the temple where Anchin resides.  He hides under the temple bell, but the now snake Kiyohime still manages to find him...

The final story is called "Sanmai no Ofuda" and is told by all of the seiyuu. This is a story about a young priest who goes into the mountains to find chestnuts. The high priest warns him for a Yamamba (which) residing in the mountains and gives him 3 protective charms. Of course he meets the yamamba and tries to use the charms to get away. He uses all three charms but only manages to escape while the yamamba still chases him. Finally, it is the hight priest who manages to defeat the yamamba.

As these are kaidan, Japanese horror stories, none of them end very well (except for the last one). Most stories have been made a bit more romantic than their original counterparts, but in return they are also very effective on the scare effects. The sound of the armour and princess trying to find Houichi, The ghost of Okiku counting the plates, and finally the voice of the snake Kiyohime circling the bell don't miss their scare effect.


Conclusion:
The tension in the CD is double, on the one hand the phrasing is still eroi, and on the other hand you also have the tension from the horror stories. I don't like the last one as much, but the other 3 are really good. And of course, Kannou Mukashi Banashi is one of my favourite series ever.

Danna Catalogue vol.04

 旦那カタログ vol.4　特集：ナルシスト旦那様orクール旦那様

Company: Honey Bee
Based on: Original
Released: 2009.04.24
Official site: http://www.honeybee-cd.com/master_top.html


Danna Catalogue is a series that lets you choose a husband and experience a few moments of married life. Each vol has two characters that are usually the opposite of each other personality wise. This time we have a narcissist soccer player, and a cool doctor.

Mitsuru (CV: Hoshi Souichirou) is the first he is a star soccer player and quite the narcissist, always wondering about what to wear and whether he looks cool. But he loves you a lot, and calls you 'hime' (princess). He proposes to you in front of a full stadium after a match.

Two of your most important jobs seem to be picking his outfits, and cooking for him. Not in a bad way, Mitsuru is always cheerful, and is truly happy about everything you do for him. He is happy about being popular with his fans, but you are his one and only special princess.

Your husband being admired by everyone is one of the theme's of this CD in fact. Together with going on a trip. With Mitsuru you go to Italy, on a two year late honeymoon. Unfortunately there is only one track dedicated to this. If you're going all the way to Italy they could at least have dedicated two or three tracks to it. The best track in my opion is the one where Mitsuru uses a washing machine for the first time in his life. He sounds like a little kid and is all fascinated by it.

Jun (CV: Midorikawa Hikaru) is a complete opposite. He is calm and cool, but most definitely thinks of you as a very special person. His marriage proposal is also completely opposite. When you tell him you soon have to renew your rental contract, he simply says you should come and live with him. As his wife. Maybe not very romantic but very smooth. But it is very cute that he sounds so relieved after you agreed (and that he was already carrying around the ring for a while so that he could propose to at any time).

Because Jun is described as cool I also expected him to be a bit cold, but that is not at all the case. It might be true that he doesn't seem like a very emotional person, but he is always sweet. Probably even more than usual in the track where he comes back slightly drunk. Contrary to last time, I actually did like that track this time.

Jun actually has quite a lot of precious tracks actually. For example the one where he tries to cook dinner for you, and he having trouble deciphering the cookbook. The cutest one however is probably the one where he tells you that he has a problem with how you sleep, namely that you tend to sleep with you back towards him and that he would like you to face him while you sleep. Cutest moment in the entire series as of yet, haha.

ps: you never hear this in the CD, but apparently you were a patient in the hospital where Jun works, and you grew close while he was taking care of you. On the day you were released from the hospital he confessed to you. Awww.

I'm having a hard time deciding who I like most here, but probably Jun. What can I say, as much as I like someone who can act a bit crazy at times, a cool boyfriend is still the best (*ﾟ∇^*)


Conclusion:
I liked this CD a lot. Mitsuru was a lot of fun, and Jun is the kind of cool but caring type that all girls dream of at times. So far, this is my favourite CD in the series.

Superior

 シューピアリア

Company: Frontierworks
Based on: Manga
Released: 2007.03.21


Superior is a story about the hero Exa who travels with his companions to find the 'ideal land' by order of the prince. Exa his actual dream is to restore peace to the world so that monsters and humans can coexist by killing the Demon king, however he doesn't know that said demon king is actually female and has fallen in love with him.

The story starts with Ex (CV: Morikubou Shoutarou) and his companions Lakshri (CV: Morita Masakazu) Sheila (CV: Kuwashima Houko), Angelica (Kugimiya Rie) being summoned by prince Juno (CV: Saiga Mitsuki) to search for the 'ideal land' where monsters and humans are rumoured to live in peace.

And so they set off. The personalities of all the characters are a but off though. Lakshri is a perverted ore-sama, Sheila seems to be only interested in food and talks like a cat (with a lot of nya~), Angelica looks and sounds cute put is actually a very powerful mage. And they are followed around by the monster Okina, who looks like an old man with many arms coming out of his face and has fallen in love with Exa...

On their way to the 'ideal land' they come across a lot of problems, partly caused by their own actions, partly caused by the guardians Reek (CV: Hoshi Souichirou) and Jin (CV: Sugiyama Noriaki) who try to keep anyone from entering the Ideal Land. And then there is the 'copy demon queen' (CV: Kaida Yuuko) who was created to take the demon queen her place while she is away and her servant Kagami (CV: Koyasu Takehito) who also come to wreak havoc...

This drama CD was a lot more light-hearted than I expected. The beginning sounds serious, but after that it first takes a trip down the humour lane. Only near the end it becomes serious again. I'm not saying it is a bad thing though, especially Lakshri creates a lot of funny situations and conversations, but it is not what I expected from the cover and the description. (I have never read the manga, so I don't know what it is like)

In the cast talk they talk about what the 'perfect place' would be like. All kinds of interesting a ridiculous stuff is mentioned: A place where there are a lot of dogs and cats, where you can get drunk without forgetting things, where you can keep eating without getting fat, Where there is no need for money, Where Hoshi Souchichirou doesn't exist (he keeps interrupting Koyasu-sama), Where the trains are not overcrowded, that kind of stuff.


Conclusion:
I expected a much darker drama, but it was actually very light-hearted although there is a very serious plot going on in the background. The randomness was fun, but not very special. Lakshri and his idiot behaviour create for a lot of funny moments though.

AZ

 AZ

Little Red Riding Hood (CV:Noto Mamiko) was eaten by the Bad Wolf, it is a story that everyone knows. In the same town that Little Red Riding Hood lived in lives a boy (CV: Hoshi Souichirou). He lost parents and older brother (CV: Ishida Akira) when he was still younger. A few years later, in order to find the truth about how this happened he travels into the forest at the edge of town. In his basket he carries blood red wine and a gun to shoot the bad wolf. But when he meets the wolf (CV: Hirata Hiroaki), he is different from how the stories portrayed him...



AZ is written by Ninomiya Ai (Are you Alice? Teidenmushi), and is a distorted version of Little Red Riding Hood or Akazukin in Japanese, which probably explains the title. I didn't think it could be darker than a story about Alice? trying to kill the white rabbit and discovering the warped relations between all of the characters and the first Alice, but this is definitely darker. Possibly because it doesn't have the humorous dialogue that the Alice series has, and definitely because of one specific theme.

AZ tell two intertwined stories, the one of little red riding hood and that of a boy that lives in the same town, and whose's parents have been killed by his older brother. Both stories follow the same pattern; there is a force at work that changed their story in history.

We all know the story of red riding hood; little girl goes into the forest and gets tricked and 'eaten' by the bad wolf. The most obvious interpretation of this is probably clear to anyone. Now we go and change a few things; Red Riding Hood kills her mother and the wolf is her father. Get the theme? It made me feel unwell at least.

Different but likewise for the boy. Throughout the story he likens himself with red riding hood and his brother with the wolf. Following the same pattern, it is not the wolf that killed anyone but red riding hood, meaning he himself killed his parents. How I love the memory loss plot device...



Ninomiya Ai delivers a dark and twisted fairytale with this. What still seems to be alright in the beginning becomes more and more warped near the end. I like the way both stories parallel each other, it makes certain realizations all the more chilling. This really makes me hope that she will re-write other fairy tales some day as well.

Oh and 'red wine' will probably look different to you for a while.