Toubousha

逃暴者～ユウキ編～

Company: Twofive inc.
Based on: Original
Released: 2012.08.08
Official site: http://www.twofive.co.jp/cd/fugitive_01.html


Toubousha is a CD in which a fugitive is on the run from someone. He uses you to get away, and as a result you are forced to do what he says. The CD uses the dummy head mic for the entire length of the CD (and does so very effectively). There are two endings; a good and a bad one.

The character on the run is Daiba Yuuki (CV: Morita Masakazu). He grabs you while you are walking home from work, pretending that he was late for a date. But a few threats right next to your ear make it very clear that this isn't just him mistaking you for someone else. You've got no choice but to play along. After walking for a while you are close to where you live, so he demands that you take him there.

Once there he asks/demands to stay there until the next evening. It does start to show that he isn't all bad, especially after you start to cry and he has no idea how to get things right again. It also appears he is really sleepy, and to ensure you don't run away while he is sleeping he falls asleep while keeping you pinned down to the ground.

After he wakes up the atmosphere really changes to far more light-hearted. Yuuki obviously isn't all bad and has no idea how to handle the situation, and you manage to get in a few demands as well (like him taking a bath because "he smells like a zoo)". Of course all of this is brought with more than enough humour. This part really had me laughing at multiple moments.

You're hungry and there is nothing in the fridge (leading to a couple of hilarious comments about whether you were trying to grow onions in your fridge because they had sprouted) so eventually Yuuki agrees to buying something if you go together. You go to a nearby convenience store (cue more hilarious conversation) to buy something. All seems to be OK as you start to get along a bit better, but then you are spotted by whoever Yuuki was running from. You run into an abandoned building to get away, and this is where the story splits into a good and a bad end.

The CD advances into the good end by default, but I recommend listening to the bad one first. I'm not going to go into detail, but it deserves the name 'bad end' and owns all my tears. The change from the previous track into drama is very fast, but I think they managed to pull it off very well.

In the good end Yuuki distracts the people chasing you and you manage to get away. The police is on scene pretty fast and while you are waiting outside Yuuki comes to find you. He introduces himself properly and tells you his story... and asks whether he can see you again. The good end also has an epilogue from which it is more than obvious that you agreed to see him again.

The beginning of the CD is scary. From the first scene where Yuuki whispers a few threats right next to your ear to the opening music. Once you get home the entire atmosphere changes though. Yuuki his clumsy interactions with you are hilarious and this CD really made me laugh. This might be a weird comparison, but in some way it is really similar to the "shikararetai" situation CD. It has the same amount of energy and fast paced dialogue with the character commenting on all sorts of things. Of course the more serious parts in this CD are good as well.

The entire CD is recorded with the dummy head mic, and they used very effectively if you ask me. From the beginning where Yuuki whispers threats right next to your ear, to later in the CD where he pulls you close for example. You start to get used to the effect at some point, but it is still interesting to hear Yuuki moving around you.

If I would be allowed to have one complaint about this CD it is the fact that your supposed reaction time tends to be really really short. You apparently manage to say entire sentences and do all kinds of stuff in a split second before Yuuki then reacts to that again. But I'm just nitpicking here.

The animate freetalk CD was definitely worth it buying it there. It is a full 10min of high-paced (nonsense) freetalk by Morita-san. He talks a lot about flash lights, before straying and talking about all sorts of other stuff (even doing a short simulation of the two of you riding a bike together) before abruptly going back to his talk about flash lights.


Conclusion:
This was very different from how I expected it to be (I expected it to be darker) but it was a lot of fun to listen to and I can really recommend it. There are rumours on  2chan about a second CD being in production and I really hope that those rumours are true. No matter whether the second CD would be a more serious one or similar to this one.

Akogare no Situation: Shikararetai

And now back to vol.1 and 2 of this before we move on to vol.5!

憧れのシチュエーションCD vol.1 叱られたいっ

Company: Gakken
Based on: Original
Released: 2012.02.28


The Akogare no Situation CD series is based on the concept of placing you in a certain situation that you long for/want. (憧れる (akogareru) means "to long for" or "to admire"). That can be being praised, being protected and in this case; being scolded.

The CD begins with Ozawa Rikuto (CV: Morita Masakazu) waiting for you to show up on your date. You’re 1hour, 30minutes, and 35 seconds late. This first track sets the pace for this entire CD. Rikuto is hilarious. He gets annoyed with almost everything and then proceeds to scold you with, I’d almost say passion. But it is amazing.

When you finally arrive you hug him from behind (and get scolded for being late and surprising him), but you playfully run off to go shopping (and get scolded for that). While shopping you keep aimlessly browsing through stores (and get scolded for that) till you eventually return to an accessory shop where you saw a ring that you want but can’t afford (and get scolded for having unrealistic expectations).

After shopping you go watch a movie together (you get scolded for eating popcorn before the movie starts), and while he keeps saying that you should be silent it is Rikuto himself who people keep asking to stay quiet. Afterwards you go to an Italian restaurant for dinner (you get scolded for taking a taxi while he wanted to walk so that the two of you could talk). During dinner Rikuto proposes to you in a “by the way, that was me proposing to you” way, after which he immediately turns to scolding you for not being able to use your cutlery properly.

He properly brings you home, where your room is the worst mess I have ever heard someone describe (of course you get scolded for that) and you clean it together, with sound effects that sound more like excavating than cleaning. Afterwards you play some sort of battle game, but with all of the different sound effects (swords, machine guns, horses, everything) I’m really curious as to what the hell you are playing. It sounds like chaos.

The main drama is followed by several one-liner tracks in which Rikuto scolds you some more.

Rikuto is one of the most brilliant characters that I’ve encountered in a long time, and Morita-san his portrayal of him is everything in this CD. If he would have been voiced differently I think this could have become a very different CD, but Morita-san portrays him with so much energy, it is amazing.

Compared to the later CD’s it also sticks to the theme more. It really is all about scolding. In a loving (and hilarious) way of course. Rikuto seems to have a sweet side as well though. When you surprise him by suddenly hugging him from behind, and if he calms down for a moment he sounds really sweet.

The freetalk is just as much fun as the drama itself. And with the same amount of energy. Morita-san begins by saying that it was exhausting, and yelling that the ‘girlfriend’ in this CD pisses him off. After that he says that men want to be manipulated like that though. He continues with his talk theme, which is “how you want to be scolded” but turns that into “how he wants to be praised”. Before that though, he mentions that there are a lot of women in the studio, and asks them whether they want to be scolded, and apparently none of them raises their hand so he wonders why they made this CD.


Conclusion:
I’m actually kind of glad I listened to the later ones first, because otherwise I’m afraid I would have been a bit disappointed. This CD is just so much fun, I really recommend it to everyone.

Fushigi Koubou Shoukougun vol.11

 ふしぎ工房症候群 朗読CD EPISODE.11「闇」

Company: Cosmic Ray
Based on: Original
Released: 2006.05.26
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 centres 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 eleventh story is told by Morita Masakazu and is about a drug addict. Out protagonist was expelled from high school, and left the countryside for to city to search for a job there. However he soon discovered that there are but a few jobs for someone with no education and no guardian. Eventually, he is introduced to the host business.

The story begins with the protagonist having a nightmare, which is at that point left unexplained. He tells his story about how he went to the city, and how he was eventually scouted by a host club. This marked a complete change in his life. While he had nothing before he was suddenly introduced into a world of glamour and if he worked hard had money in abundance. After a while he reached the number one position in the club, and gained a few patrons that would take care of him outside of the club as well.

One of his patrons introduced him to drugs, and he became addicted. After which his life went downwards again, but he couldn't really care. One day he is requested at a table where a very quiet girl is sitting. It turns out that she came there especially to meet him after seeing him in the streets, but he isn't very interested and doesn't treat her too well. She comes back a few times, and he warns her that her money will run out if she continues but leaves it at that.

One day she invites him to go on a date with her, and he somehow agrees. Their date is completely normal, they meet somewhere, go to a movie and have dinner afterwards. Just when he starts to think that 'normal' isn't too bad, his body starts to show symptoms of withdrawal and he rushes of to inject some new drugs. Unfortunately the girl sees this, and he scolds her and tells her to leave him alone. Which she actually does.

In the time after that his withdrawal symptoms become worse, and one day while he is going insane he stumbles into the fushigi koubou. He actually wishes for drugs (and writes that one the order form!) and the old man gives him an address. He goes there to find... the girl who came to the host club before. believing that she is a dealer he demands drugs and wrecks the entire place before he collapses.

When he wakes up she is still there beside him, and he resolves to try and come clean. The girl takes care of him the entire time that he goes to withdrawal. One day while she is out he finds another form from the fushigi koubou; she has been there too and wished for him to be cured. Once he has come clean he asks her whether she want to return to the country side with him.

The ending for this story is quite uneventful, but the scenes leading up to that are all the more intense. His entire history is told in a moving way, and you can feel his apathy through the rise and fall at the host club, the date is told in a very sweet way, but when he snaps due to withdrawal, oh my.  That is some serious voice acting. I was almost cowering in a corner at his raging insanity.

You get the first glimpse at the end of their date, but this is still a relatively short scene. But when the withdrawal really begins there are almost 9minutes of rising insanity, and at least 5 minutes where he has really snapped. Those scenes are really some of the most intense I've heard in this series, and probably in any drama.

Despite the drama building up tension in a good way, the ending did feel slightly lacking. In most CDs in this series, the final tracks are the most emotional ones. All of the emotions from the story are turned into a new hope. But because the scenes before were so incredibly strong in this CD, the ending felt a bit lacking to me. That doesn't make it a bad CD though, it is just one tiny minus on an otherwise very strong drama.


Conclusion:
While it doesn't start out that way, this really is a very intense drama. However they do a good job of letting the tension fade away and into hope in the final two tracks. Though that does make the ending feel a bit lacking in some ways.

Shuukan Soine CD Vol.9 - Takahiro

週刊添い寝CDシリーズ vol.9 隆弘

Company: Black Butterfly
Based on: Original
Released: 2011.12.02
Official Site: http://www.blackbutterfly-cd.com/short/


Shuukan Soine CD series is a series in which your boyfriend cuddles next to you and talks with you until you fall asleep. Each CD features a different type of character, and lets you experience a different type of boyfriend.

This time your boyfriend is Takahiro (CV: Morita Masakazu) who is a Japanese language teacher, and described as always smiling and someone to look up to. He certainly does seem like a very positive person.

The story starts when you get home from work, apparently rather tired. Takahiro made dinner for you, but you have no appetite so he puts it in de fridge so you can eat it later. Since you seem so tired he asks you whether you want to go to bed, but not after you've taken a shower (alone, to avoid any confusion).

Of course once in bed you can't sleep, and when he offers to tell you a story. You get up and bring him a picture book you like, a story about a sakura tree and a little bear. In spring when the tree is in bloom, all the animals gather around it and celebrate it, so the little bear admires the beautiful tree. But the bear notices that after the blossoms are gone, everyone leaves and no-one looks at the tree for the rest of the year. So the bear stays with the tree the entire year, keeping it warm and protecting it. The next year when the tree blooms again everyone celebrates again, and the bear, now admiring the sakura tree for enduring an entire year of loneliness just so that it can show everyone it's blossoms in spring, stays with it for the rest of the year again.

When you've fallen asleep Takahiro says he is relieved that you are sleeping soundly, because he was really worried when he saw your face as you came home. Apparently you react to what he does in your sleep, and he is pretty amused by your cute reactions.

I like the way Takahiro seems like someone you can depend on and let yourself be spoiled. But what I like even more is how you seem like a somewhat childish and cute girlfriend. For once I can honestly say that not only your boyfriend is sweet, but that you yourself seem like a fun person as well.

The freetalk was amusing, Morita-san says he'll talk about the dummy head mic despite assuming that everyone else already talked about it. He shows us exactly how sensitive the mic is by almost whispering and teases you by whispering into your ears. The most amusing part however is when he talks from below. It actually sounds like he is crawling around your feet in the end ヾ(≧∇≦)ﾉ


Conclusion:
I think this is one of my favourite, if not my most favourite CD in this series. It was a lot of fun to listen to, yet still very sweet. But the fact that you yourself seem to be a fun person really made this CD for me.

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.