MESSAGE 4 U vol.3 Thank U a lot

MESSAGE 4 U vol.3 Thank U a lot

Company: Honey Bee
Based on: Original
Released: 2010.01.29
Official site: http://www.honeybee-cd.com/me_top.html

Message 4 U is a series in which the postmen of the Mitsubachi (honey bee) post office deliver a message to you in a very special way. When they receive a letter it gets scattered through time, and you yourself have to find several messages before it becomes a whole letter again. These messages are in places that have something to do with the contents of the letter.

The third CD is titled “Thank U a lot” and the letter is a letter from a good friend to express her thanks. The postmen ‘delivering’ the letter this time are Serge Benoit (CV: Ono Daisuke) and Patrick di Tommaso (CV: Terashima Takuma). In the first track the letter is delivered to the post office, after that they take you on a tour through your memories to find the messages.

After postmen with English and German names I expect two French names, but one of them seems to be Italian, hihi. Thanks to being the strong silent type Serge is often seen as scary, while Patrick is very open and more cheerful. Ono Daisuke often voices the perfect boyfriend in situation CDs, but this time his role is very different, which is kind of refreshing.

Serge already manages the person that wants to deliver the message as soon as she enters the post office. Luckily Patrick is there to help. He also wrote Serge a script for explaining how the letters work because Serge apparently often fails to explain things properly. Thanks to the script they actually manage to explain things properly this time. Although Serge is obviously reading stuff from the memo. This is also the only CD where the characters don’t argue about who gets to use the time travel book.

Like always you are taken to different scenes from your past. This time we have a fireworks show, a park at night, in a cafe, at school, and the first day of school when you met. There are a few things different from the first two CDs though. Instead of finding the message after you have seen the scene, there are a couple of times where you find the message and still have to watch part of the memory, or figure out what it means before you can continue.

Serge and Patrick also take a little longer to fall for you. Patrick his attitude towards you remains largely the same, but Serge clearly needs some time to warm up to you. On the other hand, Patrick also realizes how important his friendship with Serge is to him while watching your memories.

One of the biggest changes though, is you actually asking them to read the final letter with you. This was a welcome change for me because that is one thing that really bugged me in the previous two CDs. After that they take you to the beach to watch the sunset, where Serge also shows his kindness by waiting just a little longer before taking you home, so that you can spend a few more minutes together.

Overall it felt like this third CD was a little bit more structured. You asking the postmen to read the letter together with you was more logical than them being the only ones able to read it. And there was a little less focus on the characters liking you and a bit more focus on them. I noticed that the letter have a trump theme, and the way the website would have had room for one more CD in the layout so I’m wondering whether they originally planned one more CD. If so, it is a pity that it was never produced, because this one was definitely better than the first two.


Conclusion:
Still as sweet as ever, but with a bit more structure and therefore my favourite of the three CDs in this series. Ono Daisuke voicing a more silent and stubborn (yet shamelessly honest) character was also a nice surprise.

Drama CD Translations

Just a quick but none the less interesting note:

I discovered a tumblr that links to all kinds of drama CD translations. It is still very new, but maybe we could all support it by following and/or submitting links to more translations. (^-^)

Kuroko no Basuke: Drama Theater 1st Games

黒子のバスケDRAMATHEATER 1st GAMES

Company: Lantis
Based on: Manga --> Anime
Released: 2012.07.04


Kuroko no Basuke is a basketball manga serialized in the Weekly Shounen Jump, and follows Kuroko Tetsuya and his team mates at Seirin High. During middle school Kuroko was part of the "generation of miracles", 6 extremely talented regulars on the Teito Gakuen basketball team. All of these players went to different high schools, and of course Seirin will have to face them one by one. This summer an anime adaption started airing, and this drama CD is officially based on the anime, even though it features a completely original story.

In fact, the story has little to do with basketball this time. Seirin was supposed to have a practice match, but thanks to a miss by the other school the gym is already in use by the mama-san volleyball team (volleyball for  middle aged women). Everyone concludes that there is no way they can win the gym from them, so they decide to give up on the match. But since they've already traveled all the way there, they decide to go to the nearby amusement park.

Once there everyone wants to do something different, and they split up. Kuroko (CV: Ono Kensho) and Kagami (CV: Ono Yuuki) end up going to the food court, where they run into Kise Ryouta (CV: Kimura Ryouhei) who just finished a modeling job there. They decide to hang out together a bit, and Kagami has just won a stuffed toy from a crane machine when they run into Midorima Shintarou (CV: Ono Daisuke) who is there looking for his lucky item of the day. As luck will have it the stuffed toy Kagami just won is what he is searching for, and thus they decide to have a match to decide who gets the toy.

All of the matches they hold have nothing to do with basketball though. The first one is a match to see who can make the best puns, Riko (CV: Saitou Chiwa), Hyuuga (CV: Hosoya Yoshimasa) and Itsuki (CV: Nojima Hirofumi) are the ones that come up with this. The second match is telling scary stories, Koganei (CV: Eguchi Takuya), Tsuchida (CV: Inoue Gou) and Mitobe (who doesn't talk -ever- and isn't voiced by anyone) are the ones who thought of that. the first year members Furihata (CV: Mizutani Naoki), Kawahara (CV: Yoshimoto Yasuhiro) and Fukuda (CV: Sasaki Hiroo) miss their chance because they are in the ferris wheel and no one notices them. The final match is a sumo event that is held at the theme park, and eventually all four of them need to work together to beat an actual sumo wrestler.

First thing about this CD: if you don't know the series (manga or anime) it isn't going to be much fun to listen to. The CD assumes you know everyone and doesn't introduce anyone, and continues a couple of running jokes (Itsuki his puns, Mitobe not speaking, Kuroko being invisible, etc). If you do know the series though, this CD is pretty much gold. Only the characters introduced in the anime at the time of release are featured, but on the other hand it also uses the same background music, which makes certain scenes hilarious.

Midorima and Kise are two of my favourite characters, so this was gold for me to begin with. But the rest of the characters also get their funny moments. Two scenes with the other characters that I loved were the first years lamenting that no one knows who they are, and Koganei imagining everyone as hero's, which is followed by a short sentai parody.

Something else I loved is how they used a 'surround sound' effect. When the characters are talking in a group you can hear that they are standing in different positions, as if you are really there standing among them. I don't have an actual surround sound system to test whether this is actually surround sound or just very clever use of stereo sound, but it is interesting none the less.

In the free talk everyone is definitely having a lot of fun. Apparently they turned Kuroko his name into a verb ("kuroko-ru") with the meaning "to disappear", and Ono Kensho was very good at doing that during the recording. Kimura Ryouhei never mentions his name but simply does his freetalk as Kise, and Ono Daisuke uses a lot of the stock phrases for Midorima in his part. The rest switch between making semi-serious comments and absolute chaos, especially near the end (when they are running out of time) some of them stop in the middle of their talk and make way for the next person xD


Conclusion:
If you know the anime this is definitely worth a listen. It doesn't deal with basketball, but the story is pretty fun and uses all of the lovable quirks of the cast. I hope they'll release more of these when more members of the generation of miracles are introduced, and although a serious drama CD might be interesting too, this is a perfect way to have some fun with the characters.

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.

Honeymoon Vol.5: Sano Eita

Honeymoon Vol.5 佐野瑛太 

Company: Fortissimo
Based on: Original
Released: 2012.06.28
Official Site: http://www.otome-ff.jp/work/work12.html


In the Honeymoon series you get a chance to go on your honeymoon with you brand new husband. Scenes from the proposal, the wedding, your honeymoon, and when you return are all included. Your groom this time is Sano Eita (CV: Yoshino Hiroyuki), your high school sweetheart.

The CD begins with the confession scene from a few years ago. You were the manager of the soccer club, and Eita the captain at that time. You called him to the club room to confess, but can't say a thing, so eventually he ends up confessing first. Kind of cute really.

We then switch to your last year at university. You are both busy getting a job (which is serious business in Japan) although you haven't managed to find one yet. Eita tells you that he does have an offer, but that would require him to move to Kyuushuu, and he can't imagine living without you. So he asks you to come with him, as his wife. He doesn't have a ring or anything, but you don't mind.

Cut again to the two of you living together as a married couple a few months later. Eita tells you that you are making him happy, but that he feels that he isn't making you happy, not even being able to hold a proper wedding ceremony or anything. So he wants to at least go on a honeymoon, it might be impossible right now, but in one year it should be possible. You immediately say you want to go to Spain.

So one year later you are on your way to Spain. You'll have to go through a few very painful moments of Eita asking the way or other stuff in English, acting incredibly high tension when he does. He gets even more excited when you manage to get tickets for a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Being the soccer fan that he is Eita completely loses sight of what is going on around him. Strangely, I actually thought it was somehow endearing.

You wanted to go to Spain to visit the Prado museum. Eita really does seem out of place here, but he obviously does his best to put up with it for you. The paintings they are talking about btw, are Las Meninas, and I am guessing La maja desnuda. (Eita mentions that he won't look directly at a painting of a naked woman).

While he tries his best here he does fail miserably a little later. You go on a tour of the various bars one night, and he drinks something everywhere, eventually getting completely drunk. When you return to your hotel room he mentions wanting to do it, but ends up falling asleep and remembering nothing the next morning. No worries though, you will get your dosis of eroi the next night.

Back at home some time has passed since your honeymoon. Still feeling bad for not proposing to you properly, Eita surprises you by getting a ring after all, and making a proper proposal. He also says he still wants to hold a proper ceremony one day.

For those of you who know that I'm not really a fan of Yoshino Hiroyuki it might come as a surprise that I actually really liked this CD. Sure, the character (and Yoshino his voice) are still not my favourite, but compared to the rest of the series this CD just felt so much more real. It is far from the perfect wedding and honeymoon, but much more realistic.

Eita doesn't have the money to buy you a shiny ring or hold a proper wedding at the moment he proposes to you, but he really loves you a lot and doesn't want to be separated from you so he proposes. You seem to be living a reasonably happy life but still feeling guilty about possibly not making you happy he makes sure to save up money so you can still go on a honeymoon. Not to mention the final track where he gives you the ring after all this time.

And of course he isn't exactly the ideal husband on your honeymoon, getting drunk and everything. Sure, you could argue that all of this is unrealistic as well, but if felt more plausible than a husband who spends god knows how much money on you (yes I'm looking at you Otoya and Ryou). If I had to name something really unrealistic about this CD, it is you for some reason being a natural talent at flamenco dancing.

Unfortunately Yoshino-san let's me down a little bit in the freetalk, where he mostly talks about his fear of flying. Which is something that I don't share so I wasn't to interested. What was interesting though is him mentioning that the staff gave him all kinds of travel pamphlets. Yusa Kouji mentions those as well in his own freetalk of vol.4, so apparently the seiyuu were given background information and pictures to help them.


Conclusion:
I'm really happy that they took a step back from the perfect honeymoon and husband, and moved a little more into believable territory. I hope that they'll continue this for the upcoming CD's. Yoshino-san is never going to be one of my favourite seiyuu, but I liked his act in his CD.