Ani to Osananajimi - Noir

I still haven't listened to Shitsuji no Kare because of various reasons, but we'll just skip ahead to this before I return to those soon enough.

兄と幼馴染　ノワール

Company: StellaWorth
Based on: Original
Released:  2013.01.31 (but already in StellaWorth their own stores on 2012.12.29)


Ani to Osananaji is the third pair of CDs in StellWorth their original drama CD series. Just like before there are two versions, but instead of being two routes for the same character there are now two characters. The 'Noir' CD centres on your older brother (CV: Suzuki Tatsuhisa), while the 'Rouge' one centres on your childhood friend (CV: Hino Satoshi). Unlike the previous CDs where there was a 'white' and 'black' route, there is no white route this time.

Warning: this CD contains incest, so decide for yourself whether you want to listen tot it or not.

The beginning of the story is the same in both CDs: your childhood friend invited you to go on a date at the amusement park, but you bring your older brother along. Obviously, neither of them is pleased with the other being there. Your brother wants to go home as soon as possible, but you insist that you want to ride the ferris wheel. Unfortunately you can only ride it with two people, so you'll have to choose who to ride with...

To my surprise, you choose your childhood friend in the noir version (and your brother in the rouge version) even though he is not the main character for the CD. Your childhood friend tries to confess his feelings for you, but you don't answer. As soon as you get back your brother drags you home and scolds you for doing what you did. The only reason that you are saved from a full lecture is because your mother enters room.

The next day your childhood friend once again tries to confess his feelings for you, hugging you in the process. As fate will have it however your brother finds you right at that moment and drags you back home again. On the way back he first scolds you, then tells you that you are free to date whoever you want (make up your mind!!) but while you walk back home he is much kinder again. Later that night you've fallen asleep on the couch and he carries you to bed. At this moment you learn that he really was jealous and wants you all for himself. He even starts to kiss you, and you wake up because of it but don't seem to reject that.

The next morning however he acts like nothing happened, even tells you that you should try dating your childhood friend. He also tells you that he will be transferred to a job abroad, so that he won't be here that much longer. You are all upset because of this, and when your childhood friend asks whether you want to go sing karaoke with him you agree. On your way home he once again tries to confess - this time even more persistent. You refuse by saying that you love your brother, which nearly drives him mad but of course onii-sama arrives just in time to save you.

He takes you back home (that seems to happen a lot doesn't it) and finally tells you that he loves you and that what he said this morning was all a lie. You tell him you love him as well end so you sleep together (the scene fades out before anything R-18 starts though). When you wake up the next morning your brother proposes that you go study abroad so that you can be together. You initially happily accept... But at the very end your brother suddenly becomes strangely possessive saying that he will never let you out of the house once you live together....

Looking at it objectively the incest setting is rather disturbing. There is no secret track revealing that you are actually step siblings or something like that so you really are brother and sister. Period. Luckily onii-sama is attractive enough so I didn't have too much problems with accepting the setting (it probably helps that I don't have any siblings and can't really picture what it would be like). Despite the seiyuu using their pseudonyms there isn't any real shockingly explicit content (or maybe my standards have changed since I've listened to Lovers Only).

It surprised me that there were so many scenes with your childhood friend besides those with just your brother. I somewhat expected that the CDs would start in the same way and then switch to giving the spotlight to just one of the two characters, but both are featured for most of the CD (although there is a clear preference)

Suzuki-san uses a wonderfully low voice in this CD, and between Jiyuu Kenkyuu and this I've really started to love his voice when he does this. He also does a good job on being really scary in the end (although the Rouge CD has an even scarier scene). When he goes yandere at the very end of the CD his calm insanity scared the hell out of me. Your overprotective but up to that moment attractive brother suddenly taking a yandere turn really makes you realize that you are in trouble - and that there is no way out anymore. An honourable mention for Hino-san his performance when your sibling love finally drives him to despair should be made though: that was an amazing piece of acting as well. (Of course, we already knew that he makes a very good yandere from the first CDs in the series)

One thing that did struck me as odd during this CD were the exceptionally... juicy kissing sounds. It sounds a bit too wet if you ask me.


Conclusion:
The incest theme makes this CD a bit questionable, but if you are fine with that I think it is a good story. While listening I thought it would end without a yandere factor (because incest alone is probably already more than enough to make things dark) but the yandere factor came right at the end. Which made it all the more effective.

Jiyuu Kenkyuu

幼馴染とあなたが恋人を演じる自由研究、最後に恋は芽生えるか

Company: Cineria
Based on: Original
Released: 2012.11.09
Official site: http://www.ike-men.net/ci_jitop.html

The full title reads "osananajimi to anata ga koi wo enjiru jiyuu kenkyuu, saigo ni koi ha mebaeru no ka" (the research project in which your childhood friends and you act out love, will love bloom in the end?). Yes that is a long title, a bit too long if you ask me. But it does describe what this CD is all about: for a high school research project you and your childhood friends decide to do an experiment to see whether you will fall in love if you act like lovers.

You and your childhood friends Urabe Tsukasa (Suzuki Tatsuhisa) and Suzuki Youhei (CV: Sakurai Takahiro) grew up almost like family. Your parents were good friends since before you were even born, and you always went on vacation with all three families. Ever since you can remember you've been together. The CD starts with Tsukasa taking the train back to your home town and his reminiscing about the research project you did together, which eventually caused a great change in your relationship to each other.

At your second year in high school, right before the summer vacation, you decide to do this experiment for your research project together. You decide on a couple of rules: the pair that has to act as 'couple' always has to hold hand whenever you go somewhere, and the other person takes on the role of observer and has to keep a small distance. Also, you have to call the observer by his last name instead of his first name like you have been doing up to that point. If you really start to feel something for each other, you may confess your feelings on the last day of the summer vacation - and whether that feeling will be mutual or not will then be the end result of the research.

Which one of the two will be your 'boyfriend' is decided by rock-siccors-paper (they sound really cue doing that btw). Tsukasa wins and gets to decide who will get the boyfriend role. He appoints Youhei as your boyfriend, and himself as the observer. And so you begin hanging out with Youhei as your 'boyfriend'. This is slightly awkward in the beginning, but Tsukasa soon notices that you start to act more and more like an actual couple the longer you keep it up. He also starts to become slightly jealous.

Not only that, Youhei confessed to him that he has liked you for a while now. Tsukasa says that he will cheer him on, but this only makes him think about his own feelings more - although he doesn't really know how he really feel about it. One night while all three of you are staying over at Youhei his house for the night Tsukasa eventually kisses you in the spur of the moment when Youhei steps outside for a bit. Before you can react or say anything however, Youhei returns and you never talk about it again.

The cover of the CD is actually the final time that all three of you are together. You are watching the fireworks together, and this is when Youhei decides to tell Tsukasa exactly what he thinks about this entire experiment (throwing a few punches to make his point) and in the end this changes your entire relationship with each other...

Being a Sakurai fangirl I was already silently rooting for his character before I even started listening. However my hopes were destroyed in the worst possible way in the beginning. The opening words of this CD are... painful. I am not kidding when I am saying that this CD managed to make me cry within 30 seconds. And not just a few tears welling up, I mean literally crying. I do have to say that Suzuki-san his voice is beautiful here though. For some reason I didn't really associate his voice with more mature characters, but his grown up voice here was fantastic (as a child he sounds completely different).

Listening to this I am guessing that the script includes the actual lines that were said by the heroine. There is not just a small pause where you are supposed to have said something, but realistic gaps. They also don't repeat whatever you said for the sake of the conversation; this was written like an actual drama and you'll have to guess whatever you were saying. Of course you can deduce what you probably said from the flow of the conversation, but not everything. Whether this is a good or a bad thing I will leave up to you to decide for yourself. Personally it took me a short while to get used to, but I enjoyed it.

The beginning and ending aside, the middle part of the story (the part when you are doing the experiment) is kind of cute and bittersweet. It is the beginning and the ending that stab your heart with a thousand daggers. Cineria is really good with that... This story seemed less realistic than Kareshi Igai, but the way you talk and the lack of repetition (when a character repeats what you supposedly said) still make the conversation flow naturally just like in all their works.

I could have done with a free talk to heal my broken heart, but unfortunately there is none.


Conclusion:
If you are a Sakurai fan this CD is pure heartbreak. If you're a fan of Suzuki-san however, this most likely turns a bit more into a bitter-sweet love story. Although there is no denying that it is still plenty painful either way. I secretly which for an alternative version where the outcome is different, but I doubt my heart would actually survive listening to something like this again.

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.

Shinsengumi Mokuhiroku Wasurenagusa Vol.2 Okita Souji

新撰組黙秘録 勿忘草 第弐巻 沖田総司

Company: Rejet
Based on: Shinsengumi
Released: 2012.08.29
Official site: http://rejetweb.jp/wasurenagusa/


Shinsengumi Mokuhiroku Wasurenagua (after this simply 'wasurenagusa') is a series based on several historically famous people within the shinsengumi. The concept of the CDs is "what if I could have been there (and fall in love with one of them)". So while they are based on historical people, the rest is all fiction. The series uses the dummy head mic for several scenes. The second CD has Okita Souji (CV: Suzuki Tatsuhisa).

If you thought the first CD was long: this one is even longer and reaches the 100min (and 3.5min free talk). The first disc is a full hour.

The story once again begins during the Ikedaya Incident. Okita was part of the Shinsengumi group that attacked the conspirators that were hiding in the Ikedaya Inn. During this raid he becomes unwell, starts coughing up blood and finally collapses.

When he wakes up you are at his side, taking care of him. He still wants to reach Kondo and Hijikata, but you eventually manage to calm him down by telling him that they are fine but currently not at headquarters. They are still patrolling the streets to finish of remnants of the conspirators. He tells you he is fine and that he doesn't need you taking care of him. When you've left the room it shows that he was definitely afraid and really glad that he is still alive though.

Okita tries to act like he is all healthy, but he is obviously weakened. So by orders of Kondo you are supposed to keep an eye on him so that he doesn't strain himself too much. Okita by no means agrees with this and keeps telling you that he doesn't need you. Even going as far as to threaten you a couple of times in the hope that you will stay away. All he wants to is be someone that Kondo and Hijikata can rely on, but he feels that they see him as someone who is so weak that they need a woman to look after him. If you couldn't tell, Okita seems kind of obsessed with serving the two of them.

Eventually he starts to accept the situation though. Or rather, gives up on trying to find a way out of it. When you bring him water one evening he starts to talk about how he would like to die under the moonlight. You don't want to leave him alone after that, and when he provokes you to spend the night in his room you actually stay. His attitude towards you is still pretty cold, until he actually kisses you. Seeing how shocked you are he actually apologises for it, saying "that someone like him shouldn't do this, because he won't be around to take responsibility" and sends you to your own room.

I am guessing a few days later, you bring him something to eat while he is training in the middle of night. He tells you that he would like to eat you as well, and more or less forces himself on you. This part is quite different from the last CD. Okita deliberately tries to hurt you, as if he wants to drive you away. It is also much less explicit than the first CD. There is still enough going on though, yet you still manage to fall asleep halfway through (wut?). That does mean we get to hear Okita say that he actually does love you though.

In the final track he is talking with you during the day and teasing you. He also talks a bit about how he would like to be there to see how the shinsengumi continues to grow, obviously hinting at the fact that such a thing is impossible. After you've returned to your work he mentions that he is no longer afraid of dying, because he is happy just being here right now *sad theme music plays*.

For those that don't know this: the entire point of this CD is that Okita Souji had tuberculosis. This is also the reason why he says "that he won't be able to take responsibility": he doesn't have very long to live. I think that is also the reason that he forces himself on you. He noticed that you love him and while he does care for you, he also thinks you should be with someone other than himself because he will die soon anyway. The kiss scene a little before that probably shows his real feelings.

I was surprised that they made him talk relatively polite. I'm assuming that they did this because Okita was one of the youngest members of the shinsengumi, but you are only a servant girl so there is no real reason why he would talk that polite to you as well. Speaking of you/the heroine: it seems like you were saved and brought here just like in the first CD. So I am guessing that the canon for the rest of the series is that Saitou rescued you and brought you to the shinsengumi headquarters, and that the events differ from there

Just like before the pacing was very good. That they literally included the point where he simply gives up trying to get rid of you was also interesting and made the pacing clearer. Personally I would have preferred it if Okita would have just been honest about his own feelings instead of trying to scare you off. Or maybe actually confide to you that he was afraid to die if you want to take the pity route. I think the kiss scene was really beautiful, too bad he had to go and ruin it after that.

The free talk is almost the opposite of the first CD. Takahashi-san was all hyper and cheerful, while Suzuki-san seem almost gloomy. Either it was a really exhausting recording or that last scene must have really gotten to him. All of his answers on the questions he has been given are rather short, but his message to the listeners was brilliant: "go and listen to it [the CD] again".


Conclusion:
That this would have a lot of heartbreak was a given from the start, and the final track lives up to that. It is just such a pity Okita had to try and push you away. Why couldn't he just be honest with his own feelings and be gentle with you. You could probably skip the first two tracks of the second CD (the ero part) and the CD would be just as good. Or better, actually.

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.

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.

Yukishiro Gakuen no Yukai na Hitobito ~Futari no Osananajimi ni Kokuhakusareta~

雪白学園のゆかいな人々 双子の幼なじみに告白されました

Company: Mujina
Based on: Original
Released: 2010.11.10
Official Site: http://mujina.kkjinnai.co.jp/index.html


Yukishiro Gakuen no Yukai na Hitobito is a series of drama CD's, loosely connected by taking place at the same school and some recurring characters. This time the story is about the heroine (meaning the listener) being confessed two by her two childhood friends. Who just happen to be twins. Both of them are voiced by Suzuki Tatsuhisa

The twins in question are Nakatani Kyou (the older one), and Niko (the younger one). While they look similar they, of course, have completely different personalities. Kyou is good at studying, a member of the kendo club, calm, and kind. While Niko doesn't like studying, works part-time as a model, tends to speak before he thinks, and is therefore often very blunt.

The CD doesn't start with you suddenly being confessed to though. It actually starts with Niko just being dumped by yet another girlfriend because "he was different than she thought". The heroine and Kyou listen to his complaints, when Kyou notices that she doesn't feel well and asks whether she wants to go to the infirmary. Niko of course completely misses the point.

When Niko once again is going on about how unpopular you are, you get incredibly angry. It turns out that you just confessed to a senpai that you liked, but were turned down pretty harsh. And so your childhood friends decide to take revenge for you. (It is pretty amazing that the normally calm Kyou agrees to solve things with violence).

The next day you refuse to go to school, so both them try to get you out of bed in their own way. Niko is obviously trying to cheer you up, but fails to do so horribly thanks to his aweful wording. When he ultimately fails to drag you out of your room, it is Kyou his turn to try. Of course he simply talks to you in a calm and kind manner, even telling you that you don't have to go today, and manages to get you to go to school.

While walking home with you some days later, Niko -more in the spur of the moment- confesses his love to you. Of course, you are confused and don't know what to answer. When Kyou hears this he gets angry, after all he never confessed to you because he was afraid of changing the relationship between the three of you. But now that Niko has confessed, he does so too.

The last three tracks are the different endings, one where Niko becomes your boyfriend, one for Kyou, and one where the three of you remain friends (and they both try to prove they are the best choice). All three of them are different versions of you going -or not going- to a summer festival. In Nico his track you remain ate home playing games, in Kyou his version you visit the festival together, and in the 3P version all three of you go to the festival.

This is the first more serious CD in this series. You could argue that the second one (Dogeza-sensei) was taking the serious route as well, except that his constant dogeza actions can't really be taken serious. The first one was just awesome crack.

I liked that there is actually some sort of a story leading up to the confessions. You are not just confessed to out of the blue, but more than half of the CD is actually leading up to the confessions. This sort of makes you familiar with the setting. It was also fun to hear that the heroine is more of a tomboy.

While I found Niko more annoying in the first part of the CD, I liked his boyfriend track more than Kyou's. Kyou is the perfect boyfriend, he just doesn't know how to express his feelings too well, but that also makes him a bit boring. Niko was more fun, although I'm pretty sure I would get annoyed at his personality after a while (but in the CD, it is OK).

The 3P ending was more humorous than the rest of the CD. Kyou and Niko are mostly arguing among themselves over you, while you act all oblivious and simply enjoy the festival. The moment where they both try to change their character is brilliant though, it is an overload of sweet words.

Masao once again makes an appearance, this time working in the school shop, and acting like a gossiping middle aged woman. No-one even remarks on him being normal xD


Conclusion:
I both like the way your friendship worked before the confessions, and the dates afterwards. You are obviously note used to being a couple yet, and that is kind of cute to hear. Personally I like the crack in the earlier CD's better, but this proves that Mujina does a good job at making more serious ones as well.

官能昔話

Kannou Mukashibanashi

Kannou Mukashbanashi is a series that tells well known tales in a... slightly different way. Each volume contains several stories, all done by a different seiyuu. The series uses a special recording method called 3D dummy microphone, a microphone shaped like a head. using this technology you can hear the voice of the seiyuu as if they're talking right into your ear (when using headphones or earphones), and they've made sure that they talk very eroi.

The first time I didn't really know what to expect, but the CD starts with a prologue that explains (in practice) what the CD is all about. Inoue Kazuhiko his voice is really soothing and sexy, and the wording in which he instructs you to put on your headphones or earphones is... (>///<) He also tests it by blowing in your ear, which somehow feels much to real.

The first story is that of Issun Boushi and is voiced by Suzuki Tatsuhisa. The little Issun Boushi travels to the capital to work, and becomes the companion of the princess. At the end of the story he defeats a red demon and is turned into a full sized human. In his own words 'now that he has become larger he'll be able to please the princess much more'.

The second story is that of Kaguya-hime and is told by Kamiya Hiroshi. Probably everyone knows the this story, and it is told almost completely true to it's origins, except that the meeting between Kaguya-hime and the Emperor becomes a lot more intimate than the original. I'm not too sure about the voice Kamiya-san uses for the story telling, but his voice as the Emperor is pure love.

The third story is 'Tsuru no Ongaeshi' and is told by Inoue Kazuhiko. I don't think this story is well known, and it is a really sad story. Inoue Kazuhiko his beautiful storytelling only makes it all the more touching. And eroi.

The last story is 'Sarukani Kassen' (the fight between the monkey and the crab) and is told by all seiyuu together. It is a story about a monkey who tries to scam a crab. The way it is told it sounds very comical, and also very evil. The monkey tends to 'mistreat' the crab with all the sound effects that results in.


It was hard not to giggle while listening to this CD. After a while you get used to it though (and if you decide to listen to the other volumes it only gets better (^-^). Because the seiyuu tell a story on their own you can also hear how versatile their voices are, which is interesting to hear. I love this CD because it is the first one in the series, but I think the later ones are better.