Tabi to Michizure

タビと道づれ

Company: Frontier Works
Based on: Manga
Released: 2009.06.24


Tabi to Michizure is a story about Tabi (CV: Kugimira Rie) who wants to see her childhood friend 'Kou-chan' (CV: Sakurai Takahiro). One day she suddenly decides to visit the town where they lived, and instead of taking the train to school she takes the train there. When the conductor comes to check hee ticket she panics at first because she doesn't have one, but he gives her a stamp on her hand saying that it is "a ticket is a way to get where you want" and that the shape doesn't matter.

When Tabi arrives at the town where she lived before she is immediately ambushed by Yukita (CV: Minagawa Junko) and Nishimura (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi) who seem completely surprised that a train has arrived and start to question her about how she got here. Tabi first runs away but is nearly 'swallowed' by a large hole in the road that suddenly opens when she tries to take a shortcut to Kou-chan his house. Yukita saves her, and the two of them explain that this town has been repeating the same day over and over again.

Yukita his childhood friend Kanako (CV: Asumi Kana) comes by every day on exactly the same moment, begging him not to leave for Tokyo, using exactly the same words every day. Other people in the town repeat exactly the same pattern every day as well. No trains and arrive or leave, and each day is the same as the one before. Tabi is the first one to arrive in a long time, and along with Yukita and Nishimura the only one that notices that every day is the same, the other people forget this.

Yukita and Nishimura think that Tabi might be the key to solve the mystery of the town, and so Tabi and Yukita start searching for clues while checking which roads they can and can't cross. And so the days keep repeating.

This is a cute story, and for some reason it made me feel very nostalgic. I don't know, the idea of a rural town repeating the same summer day over and over again just seems so... peaceful. Throughout the story bits and pieces of the characters their past are told, especially about Tabi, Yukita, and Nanako, and some of them are quite surprising to.

Tabi has some problems with making friends, which leads to some hilarious moments as well. Yukita likes making strange metaphors, and is entirely too energetic and loud, but it is exactly this personality that gives him so much charm (along with Minagawa Junko her amazing voice work). Nishimura is like the one sane person, but still interesting.

The CD doesn't cover the entire manga, and some of the events have been shuffled, but overall I feel like this version is easier to understand (some things are explained better here). This also means that the CD ends about halfway through the story, but this isn't a bad thing at all. Although it does leave you with a couple of questions (I am mostly wondering about why Nishimura also keeps his memories).

In the free talk everyone talks about where they want to travel, or a story that has something to do with 'travel'. I am once again amazed by how annoying Kaneda Tomoko her voice is, it sounds like she is on helium 24/7. And for some reason Sakurai introduces himself as "Taka-chan" (probably because his role only has Kou-chan as his name).


Conclusion:
This is a really sweet story. It isn't all fluff and rainbows, but in the end it made me feel like plain everyday life can be happiness as well. And it made me feel like travelling. Though I'd prefer to do that during summer.

Ketsueikigata Danshi Character Drama CD A Type

血液型男子 キャラクタードラマCD 「A型」

Company: Frontier Works
Based on: Original
Released: 2009.08.26
Official site: http://danshi.me/blood/index.html


In Ketsuekigata Danshi several High School students are thrown into a dormitory because of an experiment by the school principal. All of them have a different blood type, which is exactly why the principal chose them, but what exactly he hopes to achieve with this experiment is unclear. Either way, they will have to deal with their new lives from now on.

The A Type CD puts the focus on Souma Aichirou (CV: Sakurai Takahiro) who is of course an A Type (mainly meaning that he is very serious). The CD starts with Aichirou complaining about the fact that he couldn't study because he had to move to his new house (where he is living together with the other characters). After that he overhears his housemates Akabane Hibiki (B Type, CV: Nakamura Yuichi) and Shirakawa Rio (O Type, CV: Suzuki Tatsuhisa) talking to each other on how they got bad grades and have to take a resit. When it turns out Kurosaki Miyabi (AB Type, CV: Kakihara Tetsuya) has to take a resit as well Aichirou flips and tells them that they will be studying at home for the weekend.

The next day Aichirou wakes them up rather forcefully (only Miyabi is already awake) and forces them to study. None of them want to because they already have plans, but they end up being forced to study anyway. He locks every door and window on the first floor so that they can't escape either. When they finally manage to distract him by asking him for drinks they try to escape through a second floor window. Kurosaki nearly falls of the balcony in his escape attempt and is saved by Aichirou, after which he still runs off anyway.

In the end, Aichirou ends up cleaning the house while the others go out and play. All of them return early because they are feeling guilty though. It turns out Aichirou saw that he was in the wrong as well, and he prepared dinner for everyone. Although... when they mention that they will properly study he switches back into his normal attitude xD

After the main story there is a situation part where you are studying together with Aichirou, who is being adorably clumsy.

The interaction between all the characters was fun to listen to. Of course they are all archetypes for each blood type, which results in hilarious chaos. The principal (CV: Yusa Kouji) also adds to said chaos by being a hilarious eccentric. Kurosaki is arguably the weirdest of them all, thanks to always being spaced out and talking in a really slow manner, but all of them are quirky and fun.

Aichirou is strict and serious, like a proper A Type. His entire family has names with "A" btw, his brother is Aijirou, and his sister Aiko. (The pronunciation of their names is closer to "Ei" if you'd write it in Japanese, but this way the link to A Type is made. All of the guys have the letter(s) for their blood type in their name). Aichirou is also very family orientated, as is shown in his phone call with his family, where he is instantly worried about whether they are eating properly etc.

The freetalk starts in character, after which is switches to normal. Everyone talks a bit about their blood type and whether there are times when they think that they are actually a different blood type (in Japan blood types are used as a horoscope, so every blood type is believed to have several character traits). When Kakihara Testuya does his talk everyone keeps inserting references to Germany (German AB-Type, questions about sausages and beer xD). The end of the free talk is once again in character.

A short -and chaotic- preview for the B Type CD is also included, in which Hibiki gives a short introduction to his story.


Conclusion:
Somehow I had pictured are more situation CD type scenario, but this is mostly about the boys their interaction with each other. Which is brilliant, so no complaints there. Looking at Miyabi his character description it seems like he is two-faced, so I sort of hoped that they would show that a tiny bit as well, but I guess I'll have to listen to his own CD for that.

Touhou Youyuki ~Shounen Ou to no Dai Ichi no Meiyaku~

東方妖遊記 ~少年王と第一の盟約~

Company: Kadokawa Beans / Lantis
Based on: Light Novel
Released: 2011.09.21
Official site: http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/toho/


Touhou Youyuki is based on the light novel series by Murata Shiori. The drama CD covers the events of the first novel and tells how Kou met several of the characters that he travels with later on in the novels.

The story is about Kou (CV: Kaji Yuuki) who is a normal boy living somewhere in a village on the shores of the Yellow River (China) together with his -slightly overprotective- brother Shun (CV: Nakamura Yuichi) and his sister Riyuu (CV: Nakahara Mai) who hates men.

The story begins however with someone placing a small child on the river in a basket, and sacrificing himself so that the child will be carried downstream safely. Before we get to know who the child really is however, the story switches to Kou, Shun, and Riyuu as they get on a boat because they are moving to a nearby village. Kou does seem to have an irrational fear of water though...

When they arrive at their destination someone called Shou comes to greet them and while they are still exchanging greetings they see Fuuga (CV: Hosoya Yoshimasa) the local landlord. Shou tells them that Fuuga is researching the cause for the recent heavy rain and high tide of the river. It is said that the monster "Kada" (CV: Sakurai Takahiro) is responsible for this, and that the only way to slay it is to use a sword called the "enshouka".

Fuuga and his servant Ruien (CV: Namikawa Daisuke) try to locate Kada by using fortune telling, but Ruien discovers that Kada is still sealed away. Meanwhile Kou and Riyuu caught off guard by a sudden rainstorm while gathering mushrooms, and hide in the same cave where Fuuga and Ruien were. And where, coincidently, Kada is supposed to be sealed. They discover that Kou can the spirits there, which apparently sounds like "the voice of a snake crying".

A few days later the cave collapses because of a landslide, releasing Kada -and lots of tiny look a likes. While Kada rampages the rain only becomes worse and the entire village needs to be evacuated. Fuuga attempts to use the enshouka to slay Kada, but is unable to wield the heave sword. Meanwhile Kou is convinced that Kada is only in pain and wants to save him...

When I started listening to this I was sceptical -adventures set in ancient china aren't really my thing- but I quickly came round. It is an interesting story and has both funny moments (especially Riyuu her dislike of all men except Kou and Shun) and enough suspense. Neither the plot nor the characters are ground breaking, but it is entertaining enough.

Because this only covers the first novel in the series there is hinted at a lot more plot than this CD actually covers, such as Fuuga being convinced that Kou is the lost master that he was supposed to serve, and Shun apparently being suspiciously skilled in handling anything that threats his siblings and especially Kou. These aren't really obstructive though, the story works well as a one shot. And if you reeeealy want to know how things continue you could always read the novels.

I hadn't really paid much attention to the cast, so Kada being voiced by Sakurai came as a pleasant surprise to me. His voice is heavily distorted while Kada is rampaging though, so maybe pleasant isn't really the right word.

A manga adaption of the series ran in the monthly Asuka, and I know there is at least 1 other short drama CD that came as a bonus with the magazine. The question is how to get my hands on that, because it is about Kou and Ouri (the name that Kou gave to Kada after he calmed down and became loyal to Kou) their life right after the events of this story. Which basically means more Sakurai for me.


Conclusion:
As this covers only the first novel the story obviously continues after this, but we are not left with any cliffhangers or anything, which is good because this way it also works as a one shot drama CD. Like I said, it is nothing extraordinary but enjoyable none the less.

Meisaku Bungaku (warai) Yabu no Naka

I wrote a review for this ages ago but for some reason I didn't post it? Anyway, as per request:

 

名作文学（笑）ヤブノナカ

Company:  Frontierworks
Based on: Literature
Released: 2009.08.26
Official Site: http://www.fwinc.co.jp/www/


A version of the famous literary work 'Yabu no Naka' in which all of the characters are male. Despite the title, there is not much 'warai' about this story. It is  very serious, and I actually have a lot of respect for how this adaption of  Yabu no Naka was made, if you see to which extent it mirrors the original.

The opening sounds far to sexy xD Other than that it is a very serious story. The same story is told from the perspective of three people, however their versions differ immensely from each other. In the original the story a man who is traveling with his wife is attacked and murdered. Three witnesses tell a completely different story of what happened.

In this version Tamaru Joutarou goes on a trip to Kamakura and saves a boy who is drowning in the sea. Afterwards the boy introduces himself as Kanazawa Masago. Only after saving him Joutarou notices how pretty he is. Soon afterwards Masago his older brother, Takehiro, comes running as well. However Takehiro seems strangely suspicious. To makes things worse, Masago whispers "you are a terrible person" when they leave.

Masago and Takehiro are brothers but don't have the same father. Which resulted in a rather twisted relationship. However the nature of this relationship also varies with each version. Likewise, It is always Takehiro who gets killed but the motive and killer differ. The dialogue is also partly the same, partly different in each version. Personally I like the third version best.

Track 7, 8 and 9 are parody trailers for different versions of the story; Renai game, re-imagined novel, and a movie. Especially the weird English in the movie trailer is hilarious, but the second one is also brilliantly over the top.

Track 10 is the cast comment, in which all three seiyuu seem to be somewhat tired and no longer able to be serious. Yasumoto-san also comments on the fact that the story parallels the original to a large extent. I especially like the comment on how if this were a 2hr tv drama a new character would appear in the last 15 minutes claiming to have done it all xD


Conclusion:
Whether you know the original story or not, this is a very good drama. I'd almost say whether you like BL or not this is a drama worth listening. Yes, technically this could be considered BL, but expect no karami, this is a drama filled and dark story.

However if you compare the original version and this one you can see how well this version is constructed. Most, if not all, of the characters completely parallel the original.

Dracula ～Futari no Kyuuketsuki～

ドラキュラ～ふたりの吸血鬼～

Company: Momo&Grape
Based on: Dracula (the novel by Bram Stoker)
Released: 2011.08.12
Official Site: http://www.momogre.com/


Dracula is a character we all know, whether from the actual novel or simply as the main representive vampire we all know him. This story is based on the original novel, although it takes a lot of liberties with the story.

The story starts with Alexander (CV: Ono Daisuke) and van Hellsing (CV: Nakai Kazuya) taking down a vampire underling. It turns out they were searching for Vlad Dracula (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi) who was rumoured to come to London to find the reincarnation of his long lost love.

Believing that his love from 400 years ago is reborn, Dracula searches for Mina Marley (CV: Hanazawa Kana) to take her back to Transylvania. Despite Alexander and van Hellsing their attempts to stop him Dracula manages to kidnap Mina. Alexander and van Hellsing follow them back to Transylvania, and it comes to one last showdown in Dracula his castle...

Like I said, they took some liberties with the story. To be more exact they added Alexander his character as Dracula his younger brother. The story between Alexander and Dracula gives both a more human side. They might have strayed quite a bit from the original story, but I liked this story a lot.

The music definitely added to the entire atmosphere. At times very sad, but epic during the battles, if you pay attention to it you'll see it is really well written. The tokuten CD you got from pre-ordering it also includes a really beautiful instrumental track.. The sound effects too where really good, to the point of making me flinch when someone got hit by a sword because it makes such a horrible fleshy sound.

From the voice actors I loves Hanazawa-san her performance best. Her Mina is both sweet and shows that she can stand up to Dracula. I would have loved to hear her more. The only one I had problems with is Nakai Kazuya as van Hellsing. His performance was very good, that is not the point, but somehow his voice doesn't fit my image of van Hellsing (and, dear Momo&Grape. van Hellsing was a doctor, not an archaeologist)


Conclusion:
The story is somewhere between an adaption of the novel and an original Dracula story, but either way it is very good. It is not as scary as Blue Beard was, but still sufficiently spooky. The voice actors did a great job in bringing this story to life (pun not intended), and it is definitely worth a listen. Especially on a dark and preferably stormy night.

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.

News: 方言恋愛 Vol.5 Character Designs

Now we finally know how our next two Hougen Renai characters look. One the left we have our strict Kanagawa boss Yamachi, and on the right Fukushima Bartender Kaname.

木原浩勝の怪鬼宴～～旅館の怪～～

 

Kihara Hirokatsu no Kaikien -Ryokan no Kai-

Company: Natalis
Based On: Original
Release Date: 2010.08.13
Official Site: http://natalis-drama.jp/kaikien/

 This is the continuation of the first drama CD, so you need to have heard the first CD to completely understand this one. After the hauntings in the studio got worse the studio has been exorcised. However one of the seiyuu has been seeing weird things at home ever since. When the entire cast of the series they had been working on goes on a small trip to celebrate it's completion he tells his colleagues about it. One of them says that he'll ask the ghost to come haunt him, however to his surprise something really does come to haunt him.
Compared to the first CD this one is a little scarier. The story also focuses more on one (ghost)story as well. The end is really, creeeeepy. If something like that ever happens to me I won't sleep in weeks.

Conclusion:
This CD is a continuation of the first story, so it works hard on being creepier than the first. And succeeds at it. Somehow I hope that there will be a continuation again someday, because it ends in a way that leaves room for more.

木原浩勝の怪鬼宴～録音スタジオの怪～

Kihara Hirokatsu no Kaikien -Rokuon Studio no Kai-

This is about a horror story taking place in a recording studio.
 

I say horror story, but it is more the telling of ghost stories. Not that that is any less scary. The story takes place in a recording studio, where after a recording one of the newer seiyuu tells his senpai that he saw something strange that morning. Somewhat expecting that no one will believe him, he is surprised that more people start to talk of similar experiences.
 

All they do is tell ghost stories, and that was more than enough to make me shiver. There are almost no sound effects that could have made the telling even scarier, but it is somehow still very effective. At times it really gave me the feeling I was there with them while they were talking. There is one very effective moment where the effects do kick in though.

Conclusion:
Nothing too scary (I managed to listen it to the end after all) but still chilling enough to make you cuddle in your blankets and not stick a hand or foot out at any cost. This is actually part one, but it can also be listened to alone. There are no surprise scare moments, but I like my horror this way; slow and creeping, there might be something, there might me nothing.

News: 方言恋愛 Vol.5

I've been away for quite some time so as to whether you can really call this news....


But either way, Hougen Renai 5 is coming!! The original release date would have been in April, but due to the events after the recent earthquake in Japan the release has been put back one month, the new release date being in May.

The two prefectures this time around are Kanagawa and Fukushima (hence the delay I expect). In the Kanagawa story the heroine transfers to the sales department of the Kanagawa branch office of the company she works for. However her new direct superior, Yamachi Masanao (CV: Nakamura Yuichi) is rather strict and while she is desperately trying to keep up with her work it doesn't proceed the way she wants it too. Almost growing depressed as this goes she she one day meets Yamachi outside of work...

According to his character description Yamachi is a very strict superior and doesn't cut his department any slack. Because of this he is difficult to approach, but his superiors rank him very high and a lot of the female employees admire him.

In the Fukushima story the heroine is a teacher who comes to Fukushima. She lived there for one year in her childhood and is renunited with Kaname Takaya (? CV: Matsukaze Masaya) who now works as the master of a coffe shop. However Kaname almost seems like a completely different person, and so a story that revolves around his mysterious circumstances and a certain event in the past begins.

Kaname is the master of a coffe shop that becomes a bar a night. He usually talks in standard Japanese, but with regular customers he chats in dialect. Always half joking, he seems to have a cheerful personality, but behind that mask  there is another side of him.

Both stories sound very interesting so I can't wait for this next volume.And the character designs look amazing, or maybe I just love men in suit.

黒薔薇アリス

Kurobara Alice

Is it obvious that I am attracted to anything that has 'Alice' in the title? If not let me warn you now; if somewhere in a title the words 'Alice' or "Wonderland' can be found you can be sure that it has my attention.

Same with this one. I didn't read the original manga, so little did I know that it has very little to do with anything 'Alice' and is actually... a vampire story. A bit of a surprise there, but it was still a very good listen.

The original manga is by Mizushiro Setona, and the Drama CD is the same as volume one of the original manga. Because there are more volumes this also means that it is only the beginning of the story, in fact it feels much more like a prologue.


The story begins on the 16th birthday of Anieska (CV: Yukana), who is thrilled to find out that her childhood friend -and now famous opera singer- Dimitri (CV: Nakamura Yuuichi) visits her birthday party, as he had told her he would be in Vienna. Even though Anieska has a fiancee, Theodore (CV: Terashima Takuma), Dimitri truly loves her. A fight between Theodore and Dimitri causes him to rush out of the place and he gets hit by a horse carriage due to not watching where he walks.

Everyone thinks Dimitri died, but he suddenly wakes up as if nothing is wrong. As he has, contrary to earlier reports, only minor injuries he is immediately released again to start rehearsing for his next performance. However, strange things start happening at the rehearsals; most of the people involved commit suicide or die of accidents. Not much later a mysterious figure suddenly tells Dimitri that he is now a vampire...

A few dramatic turns of events later (I'm not telling you, go and listen :P) the story suddenly switches to the present time, Japan. Where we meet the English teacher Kikukawa Asuka who has a secret relationship with Ikujima Kouya, one of her students. Their relationship however takes a turn for more drama as they become involved in a car crash. Asuka survives but Kouya sustains life threatening injuries. Just as everything seems lost a mysterious figure appears that promises Asuka to Save Kouya if she helps him with something.


As most of the story takes place in the past, and only the last minutes in the present this really feels like some sort of a prologue. Not to mention the drama ends with a cliffhanger. The cast themselves also comment on this in the cast talk, saying (or hoping) that there might be a second drama someday.

The story starts quite cheery, and that takes a rapid turn for dark drama and twisted feelings. Despite this I laughed out load at one of Dimitri his lines, simply because I never expected to hear it (if you really want to know, somewhere in a discussion where he is accused of 'doing all kinds of things to get higher up' he suddenly boldly responds with something along the lines of 'I don't do fellatio, it's not good for my throat'. I didn't see that one coming, and I was baking cake at the time so it was a really weird combination xD)

In my opinion there is a liiiitle bit too much drama overall, but it was still a very good story. I really hope that there will be a second volume someday, because this way you are literally suddenly left in the dark.