Thanks to the generosity and kindness of Japanese blogger, Okazu Hero and my friend, Komatsu-san, I had the pleasure of listening to two of the Aoi Shiro Drama CDs – “Glass Shoes” and “Engage.” These CDs are not available for purchase – they were probably included in magazines as extras.

Both disks are more similar to the Yuri Hime version of the story than the Jive Comics version. The emphasis is on character and “fated meetings” rather than on plot or game elements.

In the first CD I listened to, “Glass Shoes,” we meet Shouko through the eyes of Momoko, much as we do in the YH comic. In “Engage” we get both Sawacchi and Shouko’s thoughts as they find themselves attracted to one another as if they were meant to be together.

Through no fault of anyone’s, I kept imagining frail Sawacchi as Hyatt from Excel Saga. It completely ruined the dramatic tension for me.  ^_^;

Much more than either of the manga series, these Drama CDs dwelt on the gravitational pull these women have on each other. Shouko’s thoughts are the closest to something that approaches falling in love.

Both Drama CDs are short – about 25-30 minutes, and neither would need prior knowledge of the series, although it definitely helps.

Ratings:

“Glass Shoes”
Overall – 7
Yuri – 3

“Engage”
Overall – 7.5
Yuri – 5

Of all of “other” media I’ve seen for this particular Visual Novel/game, I think I actually liked this one the best. The Jive comic was utterly choked by it’s own sense of destiny, while the YH Comic was scattered and didn’t really tell a story. As prologues go, these CDs weren’t too bad.