Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.6 - Shuzenji

あなたがお風呂でのぼせるCD 第6弾 「修善寺編」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.08.29


Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. This sixth CD features Shuzenji Onsen and is voiced by Ishida Akira.

As always the Guide (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) does the introduction and hands you a 'CD' (Compact Dream) and gives you the advice to "pause and take a deep breath in case things become too much".

As opposed to all the other CDs Shuzenji appears in the kitchen... because you were spacing out and accidentally poured the CD (instead of instant soup) into a mug  xD. Obviously surprised you drop the mug and Shuzenji immediately orders you to get the things needed to clean up. He also scolds you for not looking at the package to see what is in it, saying that he considers something that says that it contains "an onsen spirit" suspicious and would have thrown it away.

Before you are allowed to take a bath you are first ordered to clean the entire bathroom (with Shuzenji making remarks about everything). After this he does wash your hair and apply a treatment for you though. While commenting that you are neglecting your own body.

Even though his counting track isn't the longest one is the series, it certainly feels like it. Shuzenji his personality really shows though. He is strict and always does things as they should be done and with care, his counting somehow really reflects that. Where others would count cheerfully or the pace would change during the counting Shuzenji properly counts in the same rythem the entire time.

After you get out of the bath again he washes the treatment out of your hair and asks why you were so tired that you overslept this morning (it was already 2PM when he appeared in your kitchen), and you answer that you were playing games. It doesn't end there though, you actually drag him out of the bathroom to play games with you xD

Around this time he starts to get sweeter. The remark that he is not going to try his best to be really sweet because "you've got enough games and CDs that feature even sweeter men lined up on your bookshelf" really made me laugh though. Just before he disappears he lets you sleep in his lap, and says some very sweets things though.

In the beginning Shuzenji doesn't show much affection but his attitude does a 180degrees turn near the end. Some of his lines might actually be some of the sweetest in the entire series. I love how you were able to break through his  usual pattern and get him to play games with you, being dragged along in someone else their pace is clearly something he isn't used too.In the onsen guide track he is still so completely in love it is adorable.

In the freetalk Ishida-san announces his own role as "Shuzenji Tarou" (Tarou being the most standard and non descriptive name there is) xD He first talks a bit about how he wondered how you personify an onsen, whether they have a personality at all. Which is probably something we were all wondering about at the start of the series. After that he answers the usual questions: Whether there is an item he uses in his daily 'ofuro (bath) life' (No), Whether he washes his head or body first (body first, starting at the left arm), Whether he likes his bath hot or more lukewarm (Lukewarm).




Conclusion:
I liked Shuzenji a lot more than I expected. In the beginning his strict personality is mostly amusing, but when it changes to sweet he is such a precious sweetheart! I'm not really a fan of Ishida Akira in situation CDs, but this was a very nice listen.

Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.5

Yes it has been a while since I reviewed anything from this series, almost half a year actually. I kept wanting to go back to it but somehow never really got to it. Until now that is.

あなたがお風呂でのぼせるCD 第5弾 「道後編」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.07.25


Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. This fourth CD features Dougo Onsen and is Voiced by Kaji Yuki.

As always the Guide (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) does the introduction and hands you a 'CD' (Compact Dream) and gives you the advice to "pause and take a deep breath in case things become too much".

When you use the 'CD' Dougo makes a super genki entrance, appearing fully clothed in the middle of your bath and splashing water all over the place. He calls you "onee-chan" the entire CD and he has a somewhat childish personality, although he occasionally says some rather...ahum, provocative things.

After his super genki entrance he notices that you are somewhat down and seem to have a headache, so he proposes to take a bath together so that you can relax. You first refuse to enter the bath again because you are embarrassed so he promises to close his eyes (and consequently stumbles over some of the things in the bathroom).

He insist on helping you wash yourself, but because he can't see what he is doing he tells you to "take his hand and guide him". These are exactly the kind of things Dougo at times says with that cute childish voice of his while you can't help but wonder what he actually thinks. Somewhere halfway through he asks you whether he can kiss you, and you splash water in his face (at which point he opens his eyes and discovers that you were still wearing a towel xD).

His counting track is super cute. He starts really genki but gets notably tired the longer he counts. Apparently he wasn't in the bath with you, because at the end of the count he jumps into the bath.

After you've been in the bath he offers to wash your hair, and summons a shampoo hat. Which you -obviously- refuse to wear. Dougo notices that you seem down again and pretends to have shampoo in his eye to lure you close so that he can hug you (sneaky little kid). You end up washing your own hair, but he insists on washing it so he washes it a second time.

While applying conditioner to your hair he once again mentions that you seem down, and that your eyes are red. While he acted somewhat childish before, he shows a more reliable side here. When it is time for him to go you yourself are actually the one to want him to stay and to kiss him first.

After the main part there is a short guide of the onsen they personified in the CD. The Guide and Dougo introduce several things, including that you can apparently warm up mikan (tangerines) in the water and eat them. I honestly never thought of that but it seems interesting. Dougo also tells the Guide not to reveal his age, because otherwise you would get mad at him for pretending to be so young.

Kaji Yuuki his cast talk is, as opposed to his character, pretty calm. He simply answers the usual questions and that's it: Whether there is an item he uses in his daily 'ofuro (bath) life' (Books, or anything to read), Whether he washes his head or body first (Head first, because of gravity xD), Whether he likes his bath hot or more lukewarm (not really lukewarm but after the water has cooled a bit).


Conclusion:
Dougo is mainly just cute, but his switch to more being more serious really tugged at my heartstrings. He is never going to be my favourite in the series but it was a nice CD none the less.

Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.4

あなたがお風呂でのぼせるCD 第4弾 「酸ケ湯編」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.05.30



Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. This fourth CD features Sukayu Onsen and is voiced by Namikawa Daisuke.

The introduction is slightly different again, but the basics remain the same: just like in the first two CD's you receive one CD ("Compact Dream), and are instructed to "pause and take a deep breath in case things become too much".

I'm not entirely sure how I should review Sukayu though. Except that he is, well, strange. Very strange. Very very strange. It all starts relatively normal. Ok, Sukayu seems to be a little my paced and occasionally out of it. Until you punch him in the face and he falls over.

He seems to be a bit focussed on outer space, aliens, and the various "waves" (of distrust, disbelief, and so on) that he seems to catch from your direction. I can't really get a grip on his personality as it seems to change throughout the CD. He does mention near the end that he finally "became himself again", but in the omake his personality is all weird again.

I'm not going to give a summary of what happens because, I can't. Sukayu is just to weird, you need to listen to him yourself. All I can think after listening to it (twice) is "what on earth was this". Thanks to this weird personality the CD is, however, quite entertaining. You never know what is going to happen next.

Namikawa-san mentions in his own free-talk that he couldn't quite grasp the character himself either, and he is wondering whether we aren't "mad [at Sukayu] right now". After that he answers the regular questions: Whether there is an item he uses in his daily 'ofuro (bath) life' (shampoo, conditioner, body soap xD), Whether he washes his head or body first (Head first, washing his hair, applying conditioner and leaving that in while he washes his body -after which he wonders whether this comment could be considered sexual harassment), Whether he likes his bath hot or more lukewarm (hot).

His final comment is that he is really thankful that you listened to the end of this CD.


Conclusion:
I'm sorry for writing such a useless review but... Sukayu really is a weird character and I can't describe him. The CD is interesting in terms of "what on earth is going to happen next" but otherwise simply weird. Personally my least favourite in the series as of yet.

Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.3 Misasa

 あなたがお風呂でのぼせるCD 第3弾 「三朝編」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.04.25



Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. This third CD features Misasa Onsen, voiced by Hirakawa Daisuke

The introduction by the Guide (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) is slightly different from before. But just like in the first two CD's you receive one CD, and are instructed to "pause and take a deep breath in case things become too much".

When Misasa pops up in you bath he hasn't even finished introducing himself before you hit him. This causes his glasses to fall off and he panics. When you give him back his glasses he notices that you look quit angry. And that you are naked. And you react by simply closing the lid on you bathtub (some Japanese baths have a cover so that they don't lose to much heat) so he nearly drowns.

When he tries to explain that he is a Onsen spirit you almost call the police, and he desperately tries to convince you that he really is an onsen spirit. After he somehow managed to convince you he explains that he is here to help you relax and/or solve your problems, but you say you don't need anything. In the end he tries to summon onsen tamago for you, but ends up filling half of the room with them.

While Misasa cleans up the place you already enter the bath. Unfortunately you've already finished showering when he returns, so no bathing together this time. In fact, you hardly trust him with anything so he just ends up counting for you.

Misasa really is an adorable awkward klutz during the entire CD. If you don't like hetare characters you might want to stay away from this, but this is one of the character types Hirakawa-san is really good at and he acts out the role brilliantly. Especially the moment when he begs you not to abandon him because he is useless is just too adorable.

His sudden switch into liking you (and becoming a bit more assertive) felt a bit strange to me because up to that point he was too busy being clumsy and awkward. Not that I am really complaining about the kissing part. Or the fact that he is hugging you. Misasa also has the unfortunate habit of releasing steam from his body whenever he is really surprised or gets excited (apparently, the actual onsen is famous for the amount of steam that rises from it's baths?)

Like before the guide pops up in the intermission, but this time he only worries whether everything will be ok. And just like before he and the onsen spirit give you a short tour of the onsen and what it is famous for. It appears it is also famous for re-uniting people, and there are two shrines nearby that help with problems relating to love.

In the freetalk Hirakawa-san talks about how he never expected to voice and onsen and answers the regular questions: Whether there is an item he uses in his daily 'ofuro (bath) life' (a waterproof radio/dvd player), Whether he washes his head or body first (head first, and then his body starting at the neck and working down), Whether he likes his bath hot or more lukewarm (Neither, he always searching for just the right temperature). The most adorable part however is when he says that he would want you to actually take the CD (or at least the counting part) with you in the bath and would be slightly embarrassed but happy if you did.


Conclusion:
I can't help but to love this series. Hirakawa-san his acting in this is amazing and I can't help but to finds Misasa endearing. I'm afraid not everyone will agree with me on that though, if you don't like this type of character this CD might no be for you. Going by this CD, the onsen sounds like a very -how should I put this- temperate? mild? bath. I wonder what it is actually like?

Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.2 Noboribetsu

あなたがお風呂で のぼせるＣＤ 第2弾「登別編」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.03.28



Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. This second CD features Noboribetsu Onsen, voiced by Morikawa Toshiyuki.

The introduction by the Guide (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) is exactly the same as the in the first CD, so much in fact that I am wondering whether it is the same recording or not. So just like before you receive one CD, and are instructed to "pause and take a deep breath in case things become too much".

Noboribetsu makes an entirely different entry than Kusatsu in vol.1. In full host style he makes a grand entry, thanks you for requesting him and offers you a glass of champagne to celebrate. When you refuse the champagne he wonders whether you like beer more. Or maybe cocktails? or maybe you're weak with alcohol? Or maybe you are not of legal age yet? When he offers you a soda you actually hit him. And when he tries to kiss you to make it up to you you hit him again.

Of course you're still quite surprised thanks to the guide his explanation being a bit lacking, so Noboribetsu explains to you why he is here (help you relax). Turns out you are on a diet, and he says he can't really help you with that -he can give you a better body for as long he is there, but he thinks that is a bit unfair when the magic wears off.

Just like in the first CD you refuse to bathe naked together, so this time you are wearing a swimsuit. Noboribetsu immediately loses interest, but agrees to it anyway. When you enter the bath he says that soaking in it for 20min would be better, but since you don't have that kind of time he creates a magic bath that works in just a few minutes.... by emptying 3 champagne bottles in it in full host style.

The guide peeks on how things are going just like before, but Noboribetsu gives him the bill for his services (the fee for requesting him, champagne fee, service fee) and the Guide quickly leaves again to get away from the massive expenses.

Noboribetsu goes from full host mode to just slightly teasing during the CD, and eventually he even asks you if he can't take the place of the person you like "just for this moment". Of course by the time that he has grown to like you that much it is almost time to leave. He finishes the treatment (hair or face, I'm not entirely sure which one it was) he was giving to you and leaves, asking you to come look for him.

The Guide and Noboribetsu give you a tour of the onsen, although there is no money to eat any of the local foods thanks to the fact that the Guide had to pay the bill from before. They also talk a bit about the zoo and the bear park nearby. The guide thinks bears are quite scary, but noboribetsu warns you that you should be more careful around... the guys from Hokkaido (because they are said to famous for being so good looking).

Noboribetsu is certainly someone to liven up your bathroom. His entry was hilarious, and the rest of the CD is fun to listen to as well. I found his final personality change to almost desperate to be with you surprising but not OK. Of course there is still some suggestive phrasing to be found, but to my surprise actually less than in the first CD.

In the freetalk Morikawa-san talks about how he has never been to Noboribetsu, so he hopes that his acting suits the onsen. After that he also answers the questions everyone has; Whether there is an item he uses in his daily 'ofuro (bath) life' (No), Whether he washes his head or body first (the first thing he washes is the mirror, so that he can see what he is doing), Whether he likes his bath hot or more lukewarm (Neither, he likes it just the right temperature).


Conclusion:
This entry definitely made me laugh a lot. Noboribetsu his host actions are just hilarious. Morikawa-san mentions that you should probably listen to this when you just come out of the bath, instead of in the bath. I'll have to agree (although I was listening to this while at work), because if you'd listen to this in the bath the water would probably be cold before the end of the CD, or in case you keep it hot you'll be as dizzy as the title implies.

Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD Vol.1 Kusatsu

あなたがお風呂で のぼせるＣＤ  第1弾「草津編 」

Company: em2
Based on: Onsen
Released: 2012.02.29


Anata ga Ofuro de Noboseru CD is a series that has personified various onsen from all over Japan. By using this CD (which stands for "Compact Dream") the personified spirit of an onsen appears in your bathroom, and takes a bath together with you. The first one to do so is Kusatsu Onsen, voiced by Sakurai Takahiro.

The CD begins with you talking to the guide (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) who offers you a CD to help you relax and relieve stress. That is as far as his explanations go, although he does recommend pausing the CD and taking a deep breath in case things become too much to handle.

In the next track you are in the bath when Kusatsu suddenly appears, you freak out and faint. He carries you to the bed, and when you wake up he is reading manga in your room. And still walking around naked. After changing into a Yukata, he explains that he is there to help you relax, and complains about the guide not doing his job properly.

Because you didn't know about him coming a says you should just "relax on your own or something" while he reads manga, but eventually you do end up taking a bath together. Although you refuse to go naked, instead you're both wearing a bath-towel (much to Kusatsu his dismay). Before you enter the bath you first need to wash, Kusatsu is washing your back, coming needlessly close at times.

Once you're in the bath he almost starts singing but you stop him. Instead, he starts counting to 100. With the same sloppy attitude as before, so at times he counts slow, then faster, then slow again, at 80 he's grown tired and wants you to count the rest, and when he eventually does count the rest he skips a few numbers.

After that he teases you a bit more, and washes your hair. During this time he becomes more and more 'dere' even saying that he doesn't want to go, and that you should come visit him before he has to leave. The guide also comments on things going smoothly somewhere in between, but Kusatsu throws something at him so that he leaves xD

Finally the Guide and Kusatsu give you a tour of the actual Kusatsu Onsen. At the start they both sing the song that Kusatsu wanted to sing before. They describe everything the onsen is supposed to heal (just about everything judging from that incredibly long list) and name the local food specialities (in Japan every place has it's own food specialities, and half of the travelling is about trying all of it).

I didn't know what to expect when I started on this CD, except that it would likely take place in my bathroom, but this was pretty hilarious. To be honest I already loved the CD when you fainted in the beginning, and Kusatsu was going all "yeah I saw everything, I had to carry you to the bed". He gradually warms up to you, which is kind of cute.

So a CD where you are in the bath together can't be all cute right? Well you're not mistaking there. There are some pretty suggestive lines throughout the entire CD ("I'll do something that wiol make you feel good all over" for example). And there was no mistaking the line "I guess you will have to wear a turtleneck for a while". Overal the level of suggestiveness was never too much though. A few lines here and there, but then again you are taking a bath together with someone so that is pretty much to be expected.

Kusatsu has a bit of a 'whatever' attitude, especially in the beginning. Maybe I feel like this because Sakurai will always be Alice? to me, but if you ask me this is exactly what it would be like if you took a bath with Alice. Minus the final dere maybe, but in the beginning their attitude is so similar it made me laugh. (Also, I love Alice, so for me this was a major like)

The cast comment is pretty funny. Sakurai talks a bit about Kusatsu, apparently he he has been there a few times himself. Then he answers a few questions that he was given: Whether he has an item that he often uses in his normal 'ofuro life' (a light that turns your bathroom into a sort of planetarium), Whether he washes his head or his body first, and in what order he washes his body (his head first, and his body starting at the 'vital points'), Whether he likes his both hot or lukewarm (hot at home, onsen a bit less so that you can enjoy them longer).


Conclusion:
Onsen gijinka is probably another one of those things that are only possible in Japan, it is fun though. This CD made me want to go to the actual onsen to see whether it reminds of this CD, because I've mostly been wondering how you personify an onsen. Exactly how do you give it specific personality traits? Either way, this was a lot of fun. Even if you don't feel like listening to every entry in the series, listening to those by your favourite seiyuu is definitely worth it (but go listen to all of them anyway).

Tiny×Machinegun FILE:1 THE KNOCKDOWN

Tiny×Machinegun FILE:1 THE KNOCKDOWN

Company: Rejet x IM Bullet
Based on: Original
Released: 2012.02.29
Official site: http://rejetweb.jp/txm/


The city of New York is being protected by it's police force "Captain VANEAST". Tiny McDaniel is a new police officer in the force, full of energy she wants to dive into the work, but at the moment the only mission she gets is helping kids cross the road safely...

The CD starts as a TV show. The Seventh TV has gotten wind of the News that Tiny (CV: Tamura Yukari) is joining the police force and is holding a special on it. McDaniel is a famous name in the police force thanks to Tiny her grandfather being a famous 'hero' in the force, and Tiny her brother Reigand (CV: Sakurai Takahiro) is treated like a hero by the half the city.

Reigand and Wolf (CV: Toriumi Kousuke) are trying to capture two criminals; Tom and Jerry (CV: Morikubo Shoutarou and Yonaga Tsubasa). The two of them aren't really dangerous, more a bunch of idiots, until Jerry flips. Tiny is close by and saves the day, all on live television.

Unhappy with the uninteresting small jobs she gets, and wanting to help her brother more than anything (Tiny seems to have a bit of a brother complex. Luckily Reigand spoils her as well) she sneaks out to catch herself some criminals. She finds a promising looking wanted note for Midou Zen (CV: Fujiwara Keiji) who is wanted for attempted murder. Of course this isn't as easy as it seems, especially because Midou turns out to be an ex cop, and her brothers mentor.

Meanwhile the rest of the force is deployed to watch over the presentation of one of Lian Jenkings (CV: Miki Shinichirou) his new inventions. After an incident involving Midou, Lian was gravely injured and is now in a wheel chair, and has devoted his life do developing machines that help people who cannot walk freely. Unfortunately many of them seem to be abused by criminals, creating a bit of a tension between him and Reigand.

His newest invention is a gigantic machine that will help clean the city. Unfortunately, someone has tampered with it, and in the middle of the presentation the thing runs wild. Wolf and Reigand try to stop the thing, Tom and Jerry get involved to create even more chaos, and in the end the day is saved by Midou, who has by now kidnapped Tiny...

TxM starts with a light hearted and funny scene, but quickly shows glimpses of a much more serious story underneath. If you know some of IM label there other works this should sound familiar, as this is how Ninomiya Ai writes her stories. Although this story has neither the amount of crack of for example Are you Alice, nor the really dark edge of any her other stories (as of yet at least).

Tiny is really cute, how she wants to try her best and help her brother the city and personality wise the complete opposite of the rather silent Reigand (which is a shame, I would have loved to hear him talk more *is shot*). The end of the story leaves Tiny in the hands of Midou, and her character description says she turned a lot of people against her after she started to work with him, so that makes me curious how this continues.

Tom and Jerry were credited as quest characters, which is a shame because I would love to see more of them. They are complete failures as criminals, but way too funny to listen too, so I secretly hope that they will have some sort of cameo later in the series. The reporter from Seventh TV, Patricia (CV: Shouji Umeka) is another hilarious character, only out for her scoop and always hanging around Tiny to report on how cute she is.


Conclusion:
While being a good stand alone story, this CD really feels like it was just the introduction to the world of TxM, introducing us to all the characters and surroundings, opening a path to kick off the real story. Luckily there are at least two more CD's (and a game) in the works.

Oujisama ha Tadaima Dekasegichuu

 

王子はただいま出稼ぎ中 ～知力! 体力! 時の運? 勝ち抜きバトルロイヤル～

Company: Kadokawa
Based on: Lightnovel
Released: 2011.12.21
Official site: http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/fair/201111-03/


*I can't find any official spellings for the names of the characters, and they have some pretty weird names so please forgive me my guessing at the romanization. If anyone does know the correct spelling, please let me know*

Oujisama ha Tadaima Dekasugichuu is a lightnovel series published by Kadokawa Bunko. The story is about the young prince Yuuto who is always trying to earn money to pay off his countries debt. As a result he is usually out doing all kinds of mercenary jobs together with two of his servants. And as it happens Yuuto is rather pretty, so all the guys are after him (or at least, seem to like him a biiiiiit too much).

This time Ciskal (CV: Hirakawa Daisuke) show Yuuto (CV: Kaji Yuuki) as pamflet for a tournament in a neighbouring country. Yuuto is lured in by the huge amount of money that is the prize money for the winner, and thus he sets off with his two servants, Tajis (CV: Ono Daisuke) and Iru (CV: Takahashi Hiroki).

The tournament itself is rather strange. You can only participate in groups of three, and not every match is a battle. Things like quizzes are also includes (giving Iru a chance to shine during a largely math related quiz).

Besides the tournament there are also some scenes where Yuuto his sister suddenly shows up, or where Yuuto strays off and meets Karmikal, who is wanted in several countries and seems to be a former acquaintance. And, of course, has a thing for Yuuto.

The characters are all bit crack: Yuuto has the usual "I'm not a girl" complex, while Tajis is always making remarks on how cute he is. Iru is a complete clutz, but highly skilled with magic. Yuuto his sister loves battles a bit too much, Ciscal seems to be always scheming. The opponents in the tournament are even stranger at times, but they usually hardly have more than 2 lines.

Maybe it is because I have never read the novels, but in my opinion it was all a bit run of the mill. Sure there are some funny moments, but I suppose you really need the background of the novels to understand a bit more about the character. (For example, Tajis transforming into a- I don't even know what he transformed into).


Conclusion:
If you've read the novels, go and listen. It is a good cast after all. If you haven't, your time is better spend on something else.

Uwasaya

噂屋

Company: Omega Label
Based on: Manga
Released: 2010.07.02


Uemura Takitarou is a fairly normal high schooler, except that he is also a genius cosplayer that can transform himself into almost anyone. When one day his one and only friend Kusakami Asami (CV: Koshimizu Ami) is killed by the 'Night Blindness Man', a serial killer who gouges out the eyes of his victims, he is recruited by his schoolmate Tominaga Hana to join the UC, a company that manipulates rumours and urban legends to solve crimes.

UC, also called 'Uwasaya' (the rumour shop) has only a few employees: the mysterious company president Saekusa Kudan (CV: Fujiwara Keiji), the hacker Kurusu Masutatsu (codename 'channeler'. CV: Hino Satoshi), the fortune teller Koizumi Nao (codename: Sleepless diviner. CV: Matsuoka Yuki), model Tominaga Hana (codename: debate magician. CV: Tanaka Rie).

This drama CD has three cases, of which the first one is the Night Blindness Man. To draw out the killer they decide to spread another rumour: the ghost of the killers latest victim is walking the streets asking people to giver her eyes back. Takitarou dresses up as the ghost so that people really see her, and so they draw out the actual killer.

In the second case UC is asked to spread a scary rumour about a horror video game so that the sales will go up. Takitarou decides to dress up as 'the woman in red', one of the characters from the game. However it turns out that someone has already been dressing up like her, because everyone Takitarou tries to scare with his outfit has already seen the woman in red. And then Takitarou sees the ghost woman for himself...

In the final case UC gets a job by phone from an unknown customer, who asks them to put an end to the killing of crows that appears to be occurring all over town. With the help of channeler his hacking skills they manage to find the culprit, but their client turns out to be someone unexpected as well...

I expected this to be only based on the whole rumour/urban legend concept, but in case two and three supernatural events also occur. Meaning horror, meaning one scared me. The sound effects are particularly effective. And the sound of crows has always been rather eerie, but in this story even more so, and I will never look at crows in the same way again.

All three are good short stories though, even though the second one is so very sad. The first one is more like an introduction, and the second one also has a glimpse of Nao her past in it, which leaves the third story as the best one in my opinion. I'm just sad that I can't see what Takitarou dresses up like, haha.


Conclusion:
This had a bit more supernatural events than I expected (if I had know that I would have reviewed this for Halloween as well...) but it was still a very good CD. Just a lot scarier than I expected. I'd love to hear more, and I know that there was also a radio drama for the series, but until I find that I suppose the manga will have to do.

Reader Song ~Love Letter 2~

Reader Song ~Love Letter 2~

Company: Voicing
Based on: Song Lyrics
Released: 2011.09.09
Official Site www.voicing.biz/readersong/


Reader Song takes well known western songs, and has popular seiyuu reading the lyrics to you. I specifically mean reading, they do not sing. Instead they slowly read them to acoustic versions of the songs.

The Seiyuu are exactly the same as in the first vol, however they have fairly different songs this time (except for Kishio Daisuke, who gets another Backstreet Boys song xD). The tracklist this time is as follows:

01. I need you / Maurice White (Namikawa Daisuke)
02. Sailing / Rod Steward(Kiuchi Hidenobu)
03. Scarborough fair (Inoue Kazuhiko)
04. Get out of my life / Lady Lily (Sakurai Takahiro)
05. Shape of my heart / Backstreet Boys (Kishio Daisuke)
06. Aloha oe (Hayami Shou)
07. Even the nights are better / Air Supply (Fujiwara Keiji)
08. Don't answer me / The Allan Parson Project (Ishida Akira)
09. You and I / Matt Bianco (Okiayu Ryoutarou)
10. Back at one / Brian McKnight (Tsuda Kenjirou)

Like the first CD, the instrumentals are beautiful. Actually, almost everything is still the same. The good points, and the fact that this still works best with calm songs. Although I think the tracklist this time is a bit better in that aspect.

I especially love the music from track 2. So nice, and it somehow really gives you an idea of a ship of the waves. My personal favourite is "Get out of my life". While the original song is more about being strong enough to overcome a heartbreak, Sakurai brings it so sad and heart-wrenching (especially somewhere halfway through) that it almost made me tear up.

Scaraborough Fair on the other hand was a slight disappointment. Inoue-san his voice is as beautiful as ever, however the constant repeating of the words "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" simply doesn't work when the text is spoken. And that while it can be so beautiful when sung.


Conclusion:
This is mostly just more of the same, but that isn't a bad thing. (and to be fair, the two CDs were released at the same time). Another great CD to listen to while you just sit down and relax. And again, the cover image is just so cute!! (>w<)

Reader Song ~Love Letter 1~

Reader Song ~Love Letter 1~

Company: Voicing
Based on: Song Lyrics
Released: 2011.09.09
Official Site www.voicing.biz/readersong/


Reader Song takes well known western songs, and has popular seiyuu reading the lyrics to you. I specifically mean reading, they do not sing. Instead they slowly read them to acoustic versions of the songs.

Both the tracklist and cast can be considered superb. For me personally some of the songs were unexpected, I can think of various songs that are probably more famous, then again I don't know which songs were popular in Japan, and maybe they choose the tracklist based on that. Speaking of the tracklist, here it is:

01. Lost in love/ Air Supply  (Fujiwara Keiji)
02. The One / Backstreet Boys (Kishio Daisuke)
03. Sky high /Jigsaw (Tsuda Kenjirou)
04. Baby I love your way / Peter Frampton (Ishida Akira)
05. Sugar town / Nancy Sinatra (Hayami Shou)
06. A song for you / Leon Russel (Namikawa Daisuke)
07. Smoke gets in your eyes / The Platters (Inoue Kazuhiko)
08. Beautiful dreamer / Stephan Foster (Okiayu Ryoutarou)
09. Londonderry air (Sakurai Takahiro)
10. You are so beautiful / Joe Cocker (Kiuchi Hidenobu)

I put the name of Seiyuu reading the lyrics behind the track titles. Oh, and Londonderry Air is a folk song and it's origins are a bit vague, so no idea who I should list as the artist.

The entire concept works pretty nice. The acoustic versions of the songs are so beautiful I almost wished that they had included them without vocals as well. But I do feel that this works better with calm songs, as that feels more natural. Another thing that I noticed is that while it is very common for lyrics to be repeated in songs, that it often feels unnatural when someone is talking.

It is very interesting  to see how the lyrics were translated. It seems like they were aiming more for the intended meaning than a literal one, as some lyrics have been translated notably differently. To name a good example "I'll be the one" is translated as "boku ga iru yo (I am here)". While the actual words are very different, the meaning can be interpreted as the same. If you see them as "I'll be the one [for you]" and "I'll be here [for you]" they convey a similar meaning.

They probably also tried to make them slightly more suitable as a narrative, and possibly also added a bit of romance. Comparing these translations would undoubtedly make for a very interesting study, but unfortunately I don't have the time to do so (; __ ;)


Conclusion:
This is a very relaxing CD to listen to. Grab a cup of tea or coffee, nestle yourself on the couch or your bed and enjoy. My persona favourites were 'a song for you' 'Londonderry air' and 'You are so beautiful', although that might also have something to do with their seiyuu (cough*Sakurai!*cough). Oh and, the cover image is  so cute (>w<)

Warumono (warai) series: Wataru Sekai wa Oni Darake

わるもの（笑）シリーズ　渡る世間は鬼だらけ

Company: Frontierworks
Based on: Japanese folklore
Released: 2011.09.22
Official Site: http://www.fwinc.co.jp/www/

After the Oujisama (warai) and Meisaku Bungaku (warai) series we now also have the Warumono (warai) series. This time the so called 'bad guys' are in the spotlight, and this first vol. starts with the Oni (demons) from various stories.

The Aka-Oni (from Momotarou, CV: Fujiwara Keiji), Ki-Oni (from Issun Boushi, CV: Okiayu Ryoutarou) and Ao-Oni (CV: Konishi Katsuyuki) are meeting at a karaoke bar to hang out. Apparently the've booked some kind of special arrangement where they can play the handheld game "Momotarou Quest 2" for some time (instead of actually doing Karaoke xD)

The Aka-Oni thinks it is absurd that they are playing a game in which they have to try and beat themselves, but the others seem fine with it. From here on the story switches between one of the demons telling his story about how it actually happened (as opposed to the legend) and the three of them sitting in the karaoke bar, sometimes joined by one of the employees (CV: Sakurai Takahiro, who also voices all of the heroes btw).

The Aka-Oni his story is that they never took any gold, and that the village was simply enjoying slow-life when Momotarou came barging in and demanding gold, the Ki-Oni his story is that he and Issun Boushi were actually friends who fell in love with the same girl, the Ao-Oni tells how his attempt to convince people that Oni don't eat children backfired.

The original folklore stories are twisted brilliantly, as expected from the series. Like Fujiwara-san explains in the cast talk, the aim is not to make you cry with laughter, but to make you smile every few minutes, so don't expect any extremely funny moments but in overall it is very amusing. Some of the things I loved were the reference to Urusei Yatsura and when they are talking about how Oni are different from humans (as they look almost the same) and that they conclude that Oni are simply extremely weak.

Another nice touch is the final track, where the employee returns to the staff room and is talking with a colleague. As it turns out he might not be just a normal employee...

The cast talk was pretty funny. Sakurai and Fujiwara-san their part is semi-serious, but Konishi-san and Okiayu-san mostly go on about how they want "Momotarou Quest" to become an actual game xD Interestingly enough, they mention that there might be another with all of the Oni. But no details on whether that are just speculations or that there are actually plans for more entries to the warumono (warai) series...


Conclusion:
Another nice work by the people behind the warai series. Like I said, no laughing out loud, but it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. That is all there is to say really (^-^;;)

名作文学(笑) VSシリーズ 北風VS太陽

Meisaku Bungaku (warai) VS Series - Kitakaze VS Taiyou

This is originally a well known literary work in which the North Wind  challenges the Sun to see who will first succeed to make a lone traveler take  off his coat. In this CD this tale is being told in various setting: Host club,  Original, Sangoku battle, Police story, and Door-to-door selling.

The first track turns the both of them into hosts. The one challenges the other to see can make the next customer order a bottle of champagne first. However   the  next customer is a man who came to retrieve his daughter... Hearing both   of them trying to convince the man to order all kind of things while trying to   'help' him was rather amusing.

The second track tells the (almost) original version of the story. While the   previous track was amusing to listen to this one first made me laugh out loud   (well, allmost. I couldn't really laugh in the train...xD). The music used when  the sun uses his SUNSHINE ATTACK was to brilliant.

In the third track both of them are now strategists in the Sangoku era. An  entirely new Sangoku era in which Mobile phones already existed. The first one  to defeat the opposing army is the winner. Once again the sun makes use of his  SUNSHINE ATTACK while the North Wind uses the online weather forecast to make  use of a sudden wind blowing from the north.

The forth time they are both police officers trying to get a suspect to admit   his crime. More speciffically, the man from the second track who was arrested   for taking all his clothes off in public. And a good cop - bad cop act begins~!  xD

The last story is a door-to-door selling contest. The sun is trying to sell   make-up while the North Wind is trying to sell forgot-whatever-he-was-trying-to-sell. The effect of the make-up is just too brilliant.

Conclusion:
Even though the result of the match is the same every time (it follows the  original setting after all) it is interesting to hear how they managed to turn  it into a different settings. Another interesting thing is that they keep the  same (or almost the same) personality every time. In the beginning I had some  problems keeping the voices apart, especially when the discussion got more  heated. BUT it was a brilliant CD that I recommend to everyone.

Captain HOOK love's lock.

An older series again. It took me a while to track this one down, but I finally found it. Written by Ninomiya Ai (IM Label) this is once again a very twisted story. However except for the title and a few names it has little to do with the story of peter pan.


The series has two entries: Get off track and Genetic Aberration, as well as a third image song album called Stay a Fake. It tells the story of several characters that reside inside the city "GIALOCK". Mostly the story tells about Shibako and Ichi, who are both searching for a girl called Wendy.

Captain HOOK love's lock is by no means an easy story. To begin with it is advised to read the story introduction to get an idea of the setting on the official website, otherwise chances are you'll be majorly confused throughout the story. But rest assured, even with said knowledge you're guaranteed to get confused.

The story takes place inside GIALOCK, which is basically a prison for a certain kind of prisoners that have been sentenced to death. The concept is that they can live freely, but execute each other. At some point though, someone discovered that a person can be (re)born from the strong memories and will of another...

Get of track begins with a recording of an interview with Wendy, who has just killed her parents. Or her younger brothers (she changes what she says every few sentences). She says that she did it to protect her younger brothers from the abuse of her parents, or that said abuse was the only gesture of love that they had. At the end of the fragment however, it turns out that while Wendy constantly talks about her 'brothers' she only had one younger brother.

As is often the case with Ninomiya Ai her works the story is told fragmented, in this case through recordings of interviews with the prisoners on the one hand and the current actions of Shibako and Ichi on the other hand. In between there is a story about Ichi raising a dog with puppies which is partly metaphorical for the rest of the story. Because not everything is told you have to put together the various fragments to understand what is going on, which is puzzling at best.
  
Genetic Aberration continues in the same fragmented style. And in my opinion adds more questions that that it solves. While it does explain Ichi his backstory, it also adds more questions on other points, especially on whether Wendy is still alive or not. On the whole I liked the story, even though it is very vague and left me with a whole bunch of questions. I suppose it was simply the atmosphere that was so great.


The voice acting was good, although Wendy (CV: Mitsuishi Kotono) her performance in particular got stuck in my head. Wendy sounds incredibly innocent, and either doesn't feel that she did something wrong, or is so insane by now that she no longer understands the implications of killing someone. Either way, how she talks about things is chilling.

The only real flaw for me is that the story is so fragmented that it is really hard to understand. What is going on in specific scenes isn't to hard to understand, but how everything is connected or the bigger picture is bloody different to figure out. This is definitely a story that you might want to listen and re-listen, just in order to make a little more sense out of it.