Hougen Renai 5

方言恋愛 5

Company: Movic
Based on: Original
Released: 2011.05.19
Official Site: http://www.animate.co.jp/special/hougen/



Hougen Renai translates into something as 'Dialect Love', which is exactly what it is. Hougen Renai tells two stories, each one takes place in a different part of Japan. The whole charm of the series is that the dialect of the location where the story supposedly takes placed is used. This volume has two new prefectures; Kagawa and Fukushima.

In the Kagawa story the heroine (CV: Fukuen Misato) tranfers to the Kagawa branch office from Tokyo. There she meets her new direct superior, Yamaji Masanao (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi). Yamaji is known to be very strict, which immediately shows in his attitude. When a senpai (CV: Nabei Makiko) suggests that the heroine takes a well deserved day off after a while, she does so... only to bump into Yamaji. And so she ends up spending the day with him.

I love this story!! And Fukuen Misato sounds so cute trying to be a hardworking office lady! The dialect was easy to understand, and to me it sounds very warm and kind. While Yamaji is a strict superior, he also seems very kind. He doesn't ask impossible things and he also gives praise where appropriate.

The Fukushima story centers on the heroine (CV: Sawashiro Miyuki) who lived in Fukushima for a year as a teenager and who now returns there as a teacher. There her friend Atsumi Momoka (CV: Nagasawa Miki) takes her to the cafe of her former classmate Kaname Takaya (CV: Matsukaze Masaya). The heroine is surprised at how much Kaname has changed from how he was at highschool, but after a little while she starts to visit his cafe more often...

The dialect was a bit harder to understand in this story, but still not that hard. storywise it wa so-so. Although it was nice to hear how another female plays a major role (at least in the beginning) instead of the focus being just on the heroine. It is not that the story isn't that interesting, but it is sort of generic.


Conclusion:
I absolutely love the first story, the second story is not as good but still very decent. I don't know where I would place it between the other Hougen Renai CDs, but it doesn't rally matter because I can still wholeheartedly recommended it to everyone.

葬儀屋リドル

Sougiya Riddle

Company: Square Enix x Frontierworks

Based on: Manga

Release date: 2011.04.27

Based on the manga of the same name, we're quite literally dropped in the middle of the story in this drama CD. Introduction of the story and characters takes place a little later when Sakura Hayato (CV: Sakurai Takahiro) explains -part of- the situation.

As it turns out he is loved by all things spiritual and ghosts frequently pesters him. One day while he is dealing with two female ghosts (CV:  Murata Tomosa and Takamoto Megumi) the 'undertaker' Riddle (CV: Yusa Kouji) suddenly appears before him. Riddle frees Hayato from the ghosts and offers him a contract but Hayato refuses. Only later when Hayato has been attacked by a vengeful spirit and is on the verge of death he reluctantly agrees. Thus Hayato now has to work as Riddle his assistant. This introduction of the story is very faithfull to the first chapter of the manga, almost word for word. The only difference is that Hayato tells it in a flashback here.

Continueing the story the two of them travel to the palace of the King of the afterworld, Faust (CV: Itou Mika) for a meeting. While there we meet the rest of the rather quirky cast. the accountant Blood (CV: Okiayu Ryoutarou) fellow undertakers Ruka and Ansem (CV: Paku Romi and Hirakawa Daisuke) Sharu and Jullian (CV: Fukuen Misato and Saiga Mitsuki) and Dante and Hiren (CV: Toriumi Kousuke and Konishi Katsuyuki). While everyone is going about being their quirky self Hayato accidentaly unleashes a chamber full of spirits that were waiting for their trial (whether to go to heaven or to hell) and thus everyone needs to find and capture them.

Despite having the word 'undertaker' in the title this is a very lighthearted and like I said quirky drama CD. Especially the characters with their weird habits and traits make this fun to listen to. No real knowledge of the manga is necessary, although a lot of characters are introduced in a rapid pace, and though there is little danger of not being able to tell them apart you can't help but to wonder what background stories you are missing.

The cast free talk is funny as well, everyone (even Murata-san who only did 'girl 1' xD) introduces themselves and says a few things. Apparently many people kept calling Riddle 'doriru' xD  Toriumi introduces himself as 'Dante Toriumi', Majima gets told off for not pronouncing his name clearly, Yonaga is accused of stripping, and Sakurai mixes his own name with that of his character. He also mentions that you an hear Yonaga-san his footsteps, I missed them but it is a nice listening challenge. If anyone hears them please tell me :)

Conclusion:

I really liked this one. I've never read the manga but this sparked an interest. There are a lot of famous seiyuu in this CD (Itou Miki even mentioned being nervous because of that, even though she has been in the field the longest of them all xD) so that should have enough people interested. I'm just here to tell you that it won't disappoint. Also, this is completely unrelated, but I liked the background music.