Fujoshi Kanojo

I listened to this years ago (almost immediately after it was released actually), but didn’t write a review about it at the time. Which gave me the perfect excuse to listen to this cute and hilarious story again.

腐女子彼女

Company: Frontierworks
Based on: Novel -> Manga -> Drama CD
Released: 2009.11.26


Fujoshi Kanojo is a light novel that was based on a blog. That lightnovel got a manga adaption, and this drama CD is based on said Manga adaption, and tells the story of university student Mutou Taiga (CV: Hatano Wataru) who starts dating the fujoshi Ameya Yuiko (CV: Sawashiro Miyuki). Yuiko warns him when he asks her out, but not knowing what a fujoshi is Taiga tells her that he likes her no matter what she is. It is only after they start dating, that he discovers what a fujoshi really is...

The first chapter of the drama CD tells us how the two of them started dating. Taiga started working a summer job at a certain company because he fell in love at first site with Yuiko. One day they are both in the cafeteria at the same time for lunch, and het notices Yuiko is reading a shonen magazine. Trying to find something to talk about he keeps talking about the manga she is reading, but Yuiko just wants to be left alone.

Thinking he completely blew Taiga is half-depressed, but after lunch Yuiko comes to him to apologise, and gives him a cellphone strap of the series they were talking about. She also offers to pay for lunch in a nearby restaurant sometime, and Taiga uses the opportunity to ask her out for dinner instead. On their way back home he asks her out, and when Yuiko warns him that she is a fujoshi he tells her that it doesn’t matter. It is only on their next date that he discovers what a fujoshi really is.

The other chapters are various dates on which Yuiko her fujoshi-mode surfaces. In chapter 2 they are having tea and scones, prompting Yuiko her mind to go afternoon tea > butler > Sebastian. Just when she orders Taiga to act like a butler one of his friends shows up. Kouji (CV: Matsukaze Masaya) asks what on earth Taiga is doing, and Yuiko invites him to have tea with them because she is going all moe over their relationship.

In the next story Taiga promised Yuiko that he would write a piece of BL fanfiction after Yuiko discovered that he occasionally has to write stories for his classes. Kouji is spending the night so that they can work on their assignments together, and when Taiga is distracted because Yuiko calls him (joking that he shouldn’t cheat on her) Kouji accidentally reads the story Taiga was working on. We also get to listen to part of the -hopelessly romantic- story that he was writing.

In the fourth story Yuiko is at an event, and keeps sending Taiga pictures throughout the day. Meanwhile Taiga is out shooting a movie with the film-club that he belongs to, and one of the fellow members gets jealous. At the end of the evening when everyone is drinking to celebrate the completion of the shoot, some members decide to dress Taiga and Kouji as women, and send a picture of that to Yuiko...

The final story is a spin-off called Fudanshi Kareshi, and is the story of Etou Koharu (CV: Miyake Kenta) who moves in with his senpai Kotani Youhei (CV: Kishio Daisuke) when he moves to Tokyo to go to university. Koharu thinks this is a chance from heaven, until he discovers that his new flatmate is actually a fudanshi... This story is fairly short, and only a preview of sorts for the actual Fudanshi Kareshi drama CD that was released at a later time.

This entire CD is both cute and funny. Yuiko her sudden moe reactions can be brilliant, while Taiga his attempts to keep up with her are simply endearing. It also helps that Hatano-san portrays him in a very sweet way.

The script is almost word for word from the manga, but actually being able to hear Yuiko her reactions was a lot of fun (although thanks to Sawashiro Miyuki voicing Milla in Tales of Xillia, I kept picturing her as Mila. Which fits better than it should).


Conclusion:
Hearing this again after such a long time (almost 2 years I think) was a lot of fun. Listening to it while working might not have been the best idea, as I really had to suppress my smirk, which became impossible by the time I reached the re-enactment of Taiga his fanfic.

Blood Alone 3

Blood Alone 3

Company: Marine Entertainment
Based on: Manga
Released: 2008.06.25



Blood Alone is based on the manga series of the same name. It is about the vampire girl Minato Misaki and the novelist/detective Kurose Kuroe who takes care of her. Each of the three drama CD's has three stories. Most of the time these stories are not directly connected but more like episodes from their life.

As always, this has three stories. The first one is about Kuroe and his sister. After solving a case involving two siblings, Kuroe is reminded of his sister. Misaki asks Sainome to tell her a little about Kuroe when he was younger.

The second story seems connected to both Kuroe and Misaki their past. Kuroe receives a request to guard a former assassin. He reclines at first, but after hearing that a certain party is involved he accepts. The man Kuroe needs to protect has become the target of an organisation called "Einseingrad Sparda" is imediately attacked by a girl named Maria (CV: Sawashiro Miyuki). Kuroe manages to deflect attack, but the girl escapes with heavy injuries.

As coincidence will have it, she is found by Misaki. Recognising the girl as a renfield (the servant of a vampire, red) she takes her home so she can recover. However the vampire that sired her soon arrives and kidnaps Misaki. He suspects that she is something special.

While handcuffing Misaki, the two of them make another attempt on the man his life. Misaki however manages to break free, and holds down Maria so that Kuroe can go after the vampire. We get a glimpse of the vampire hunter Kuroe here, it is clear that his fame as a vampire hunter was earned.

The final story revolves all around Misaki her fear of thunder. Kuroe is just about to go out for work, but on his way out remembers Misaki is afraid of lightning, and returns to stay at her side.

At first I though the first and second story were connected, but they are not. Well in a sense they are, Eisengrad Sparda is responsible for some events in Kuroe his past, but they are not directly connected. Both of them were very interesting though.

Both Kuroe and Higure (CV: Kobayashi Sanae) have taken several lessons in awesome for this CD. Higure only appears for a few moments, but proves himself as an ancient vampire. Kuroe shows us some of his vampire hunter skills, and as kind as he is to Misaki, he is cold to his enemies.


Conclusion:
Personally this might be my favourite Blood Alone CD. Sadly it is also the last one that was released, while there are still some unresolved plot points. The manga however continues those. While keeping the atmosphere of the previous CDs, this one also delivers the most action packed story.

ZONE-00 Drama CD - I section CHERRY

ZONE-00 ドラマCD 劇-I section CHERRY

Company: Lantis
Based on: Manga
Released: 2011.05.18
Official site: http://www.lantis.jp/special/zone-00/


I don't know why, but I felt like listening to this when I saw it. Something that was a slight mistake. This drama is based on a manga, and -not heaving read said manga- I feel like I am missing out on a LOT.

All I knew before listening was a short intruduction, that I'll share with you here: "Kujo Saburou is an ordinary high schooler, hyperactive and strangely interested in mysterious (alien) things. He quickly becomes friends with a new transfer student, Shima Ango, who happens to find him in a game of hide-and-seek. But what he doesn’t know is Shima’s true goal: the extermination of mononoke terrorizing the Toyko area. Caught in the middle of their fight, Kujo loses his head, unsealing an Oni inside of him..." (shamelessly taken from mangafox)

The drama CD itself has three tracks, the first two are background stories for two characters. The third one is a complete crack track featuring everyone involved in the first two stories involved in a 'king of hosts' contest.

The first track centers on Kujo Saburou (CV: Kaji Yuuki) his life before the start of the series. We get to hear a bit about his daily life with his mother and how he first met everyone at the shopping district where he often goes. Kujou has a extreme high-tension personality, which shows in his story. It is completely hyper, introducing charcaters at a high pace.

The second track is an almost complete opposite; this time the story centers on Shima Ango (CV: Fukuyama Jun ) just before he goes to Tokyo (where the storyin the manga begins). It begins much much more reserved. Of course Shima then starts killing mononoke, but hey.

The third track is complete crack, but extremely entertaining~

Like I said, I haven't read the manga, making me feel like I was missing out on a lot. Then again, the manga turned out to be chaotic as hell as well. So I might have to say that it conveys the atmosphere of the manga very good actually. All in all, knowing the manga probably makes this a lot more enjoyable. For one because the cast of characters is quite large, and secondly it is probably less confusing.

Conclusion:
I recommend this for fans of the original manga. I don't know whether later chapters of the manga show anything of the characters their past, but this these are probably interesting stories to hear. For those of us not knowing the manga; it is probably best to leave this alone and listen something else.