Archive for the Drama CDs & Audiobooks Category


Yuri Drama CD; Strawberry Panic, Lyric 2 "Spica Volume"

January 12th, 2007

Much like the goings on from the first Strawberry Panic Drama CD, the second Strawberry Panic DCD, primarily follows the characters from one of the schools, in this case, the girls of St. Spica. Like the first volume, this takes place sometime during the first half of the series. You can tell because Kaname and Momomi are still evil, but not yet ridiculous. More or less.

(Please imagine me rolling my eyes throughout this entire review…it’ll save time in the long run.)

The annual physical exam is coming and quite inexplicably Hikari decides she’s gotten a little fat. Yaya determines to help her by enforcing an unrealistic exercise schedule, while Tsubomi insists on “helping” by creating meals with insufficient calories to sustain her. Of course, Hikari is doing this all because in some way that I don’t understand, it will make Amane happy. Or insane with lust, I really don’t know.

Evil Psycho Lesbians Kaname and Momomi show up as Hikari and Yaya jog, only to confuse everyone with their bizarre blather about the physical exams and Hikari’s body. When the others leave them, confused, Kaname and Momomi reassure one another that this plan will work to defeat Hikari, and therefore Amane, and that it’s going to be loads of fun for them both.

After training, Tsubomi and Yaya compete to massage a weary Hikari, complete with quasi-sexual moaning and near orgasmic paroxysms by Yaya and Tsubomi. This is followed by Hikari breathily discussing her body with Amane, under the guise of interest in Starbright’s, Amane’s horse’s, health.

We spend some moments establishing a running gag (and I mean that word in several ways) about Nagisa wolfing food down, not caring that the ominous exam is coming. While she stuffs her face, Shizuma’s only comment is that she’s darn cute when she does that – a comment met with confusion on the part of Miyuki.

Apparently at Astoria, the girls themselves take their own measurements and record their own health. There is excitement as various students apply to be able to do the exams – and especially for that ever-important and yet so pointlessly servicey “three size” position. (The “three size”s are of course, bust-waist-hips, and I remain steadfast in the belief that there is not one really decent reason why that has to be included in any school exam. I have no doubt that it’s a pervy guy thing and yes, it offends me.)

Yaya and Tsubomi apply to take the three sizes position in order to see Hikari naked.

(…okay, pervy girl thing too. But no less offensive.)

The winner is…!

On the day of the exam, we learn that Chikaru’s harem, Lemon, Kizuna and Kagome (who sounds even more on valium than ever before) got the prize positions. Kagome relies on her stuffed bear Percival to take down the details, to everyone’s distress.

At the thought that Amane is about to shed her clothes, an overworked, underfed Hikari faints. (Shocker, I know.) She wakes to find herself in the infirmary, with a very distressed Amane at her side. So Hikari gets what she wanted in the first place, Amane touching her.

The moral of the story is, of course, that behaving like a prat gets the girl. Or that starving yourself is the right thing to do. Or something.

Yaya and Tsubomi argue over whose fault it is, each trying to take responsibility over the other. Hikari rightfully blames herself, but for entirely the wrong reasons.

Meanwhile, Nagisa shrieks in a manner more irritating than ever before – why didn’t anyone *tell* her about the exam? Ah ha ha ha.

Amane swears to be there for Hikari – to help her, to carry her if need be. Cue romantic music and the endless repetition of the words “Amane-sempai” by Hikari.

Nagisa stuffs her face in anguish over the weight she’s gained. Shizuma, to Miyuki’s consternation, only comments, “cute!” “Cute?” Miyuki boggles.

Meanwhile Chikaru and her harem and Nagisa and some other folks are doing a midnight tea. Chikaru announces a Astoria “Sexy Queen” contest based on the three size results. Kagome mentions that Percival is going to get undressed, and Lemon wonders what the naked teddy bear could possibly remove? His skin? Tamao suggests, to which Lemon begs Kagome to not undress Percival, PLEASE. Chikaru pronounces herself the winner of the “Sexy Queen” contest. Everyone sweatdrops.

In the bathroom, Kaname and Momomi plot anew, but as Kaname talks about Hikari, Momomi grows worried and asks if Kaname isn’t maybe starting to like the girl. You only give your love to one person, right? Momomi asks. And truthfully, yet omniously to those of us who have seen the entire series, Kaname replies – I give my love to only one person.

Still arguing over whose fault it is, Yaya and Tsubomi tell Hikari to stay out of this, so Hikari says she’s off to take a shower. Shower? Yaya and Tsubomi join her and take great liberties with her body. More servicey means and groans. The end.

The cast credits sound like everyone HATED this script. ^_^ Everyone’s like, “So-and-so role, my name, this was fun, thank you.” The “get me the hell out of here” was understood.

The last track is a preview of the final volume, which in it’s horrible way seems kind of fun. Look forward to scrunchy-making embarrassing conversations with Chikaru and her harem. ^_^

Ratings:

Story – 3
Characters – 4
Yuri – 8
Service – 9

Overall – 5

It’s trite, it’s predictable and unfunny, but there are some genuinely amusing bits, Kaname and Momomi are hysterically freakish. It’s trash, no question, but it makes an entertaining and diverting way to practice your Japanese listening skills. ^_^





Maria-sama ga Miteru Drama CD 10: Nakakiyono/Answer

December 18th, 2006

For the 10th Maria-sama ga Miteru CD, Nakakiyono, we move backwards in time, away from the just-graduated Youko, Sei and Eriko, to midwinter and the long first night of the year.

Like most of the Marimite Drama CDs, Nakakiyono follows the novel more closely than either the anime or the manga.

We follow Yumi as she goes on her hatsumode, her first shrine visit of the year, with Sei and as Sei tricks her into coming to Sachiko’s home for a stayover. Yumi does have a line remonstrating with Sei for flirting with the miko at the shrine, btw. ^_^

We also manage a little extra Sayako-obasama time in the CD, completely with adorable pout. ^_^

The story is a shortened version of the events in Rosa Canina, so for more detail, please feel free to check out the relevant notes from the fourth novel. ^_^

A second story, Answer, is included on this disk. Answer is the delightful tale of how the former Rosa Chinensis, Foetida and Gigantea teamed up to manipulate Youko into choosing Sachiko for her souer. I cannot recommend this track enough. It’s freakin’ hysterical.

As in the anime, the former Rosa Gigantea is played by Takayama Minami. Rosa Chinensis is voiced by Katsuki Masako (who is most notable among the Yuri crowd for playing Sailor Neptune/Kaioh Michiru) and to add to the old girl feel of the story, the one and only Mitsuishi Kotono, (Tsukino Usagi/Sailor Moon and many other roles) plays the former Rosa Foetida. Let me remind you at this point, that Shinohara Emi, who voices Youko, was Makoto/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon.You can actually FEEL the atmosphere of “we’ve been doing this a loooooong time, let’s have a little fun here” as they do their roles. At one point, the former Rosas are cracking jokes at Youko’s expense and the seiyuu are laughing so hard and so honestly, you can just about see Mitsuishi Kotono leaning on Takayama Minami for support.

Simply brilliant.

The Yuri quotient was a little low on this one, but there’s always Yumi lovingly looking at kimono-clad Sachiko, and the line about Sei not flirting. The moments might be small, but they are precious. ^_^

Ratings:

Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 3
Service – 1

Overall – 8

So, once again, listening to a Marimite Drama CD is completely worth time and money – and this time doubly worth it for the stroll down memory lane with some truly excellent VAs.





Yuri Drama CD: Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to "Madrigal Halloween"

November 15th, 2006

I had the weirdest sensation upon opening this Drama CD. Staring down at the cover I suddenly thought, “What am I doing? I can’t understand Japanese!”  (o_O) Thankfully, the moment passed and I had no particular trouble understanding this story. ^_^

Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to: “Madrigal Halloween” is a double dose of adorable Yuri goodness from Fujieda Miyabi, creator of Iono-sama Fanatics, Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan and, obviously, Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to.

Because this story has a complex history, let me give you enough detail to get by:

Letty is an European witch (the Majyo of the title) who inadvertently rescues Tsumugi (the Miko of the title) from imprisonment at a mountain shrine.

In their journeys, they visit a tea shop known as the Ame-iro Kouchakan, where they meet the owner Seriho, her assistant Sarasa (who has an enormous crush on Seriho) and two regular customers Haru and Hinoko who seem awfully chummy.

This Drama CD follows the events of the first MikoMajyo Drama CD (the one that came in the deluxe manga set), and the Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan extra comic that came with Yuri Hime 5, in which they do a special menu and performance for Tanabata. This last sentence is relevant, I promise.

(Why is is that, with Yuri Hime-related stories, I’m always running around gathering pieces to put the stories together??? This is as bad as the fractured history of what is now Hatsukoi Shimai!)

The Drama CD begins, not with Letty or Tsumugi, but with Seriho introducing the story in her breathy, little girl voice.

The season is autumn and Halloween is right around the corner. Seriho wants to do a Halloween Special, like they did for Tanabata. (See, I told you it was relevant!) Sarasa suggests that they do a performance and special menu again. Sarasa and she share a moment of extreme breathless adorable closeness, which got *so* breathy I was hard put to understand the words. ^_^

Letty and Tsumugi arrive with the news that they have just moved into this particular neighborhood. Seriho notes that it’s so wonderful that they’re living together in love-love bliss – I think just to make Letty sputter her objections…not to the sentiment itself, but to the way it was put, you know.

Seriho brings up Halloween.  Letty says she doesn’t know anything about it because they don’t celebrate it in her country.  Apparently Fujieda Miyabi does not know that European witches are likely to be pretty well-informed on Halloween. Luckily, Sarasa knows all about it and explains the basics: it’s a holiday associated with monsters and kids in costumes walk around begging for candy. She frightens Seriho with her enthusiastic “Trick or Treat!” and explanation thereof.

The Miko and Witch are asked if they want to help for the Halloween special. Letty passes, but because Tsumugi wants to, she acquiesces. Letty fears, rightfully, that she’ll be a clutz. Thanks fully, Tsumugi is a natural at carrying a tray with glasses. Phew.

Later that day, when they arrive home, Letty apologizes for being such a stick-in-the-mud, but she was, embarrassingly enough, afraid of being uncool in Tsumugi’s eyes. Tsumugi reaffirms for the upmteenth time that Letty will always be cool – and cute – to her. They embrace, Letty takes the stick out of her ass, we smile.

Hinoko and Haru decide that they should all wear costumes for the big day. Tsumugi shows up in her Miko’s clothing, which prompts a way-personal exchange between Tsumugi and Letty, which Hinoko interrupts by sticking wolf ears on Tsumgi. Tsumugi’s cuteness (coupled with her hyper-adorable “growrr! designed to fail utterly at being scary) makes Letty bail before she explodes in public. When Seriho, who is dressing up as a wolfman puts on the ears and growls even more adorably, Sarasa runs after Letty. (Now there’s an image – the two of them outside dunking their heads in a fountain or something, trying to cool off…! ^_^) Haru says she’ll be Frankenstein, Hinoko wants to be a jack-o-lantern. Letty will, of course, be a witch. (When Haru later compliments her on her costume, Letty thinks that it’s just her everyday wear….)

While handing out flyers, Letty runs into shrine guardian Isuzu who is INCENSED that Tsumugi-sama is being put to work. Letty assures her that it was Tsumugi’s choice. Isuzu says that Kinu-sama, the mountain god Tsumugi used to serve, has been whining for three months solid about wanting to go back to the tea shop. She grudgingly agrees to come by tomorrow.

The next day is Halloween – we’re all ready to go. Flyers have been distributed, Haru has advertised the event on her website, Hinoko has invited everyone who would listen only…

…a typhoon is coming.

Seriho insists that they be ready to go anyway, even though it’s supposed to be record-breaking rain and winds.

The next day as Isuzu and Kinu walk to the shop in a torrential downpour, Isuzu asks why, as a god, Kinu-sama doesn’t just stop the storm. Kinu says that there’s an agreement between gods that means she can’t interfere in matters not covered under her bailiwick.

BUT, Letty has no compunction about such things. After an emotional scene with a worried Tsumugi, she says that this is “her work” and flies off into the storm to clear it up and save Halloween.

Which, accompanied by cool sound effects and nice heroic background music, she does. The end is a pun – she turns the rain (ame) into candy (ame)  – and, now that I think about it, it’s a triple pun, since the cafe is “ame-iro”, amber – so Haru and Hinoko find themselves pelted with chocolate-covered marshmallows. ^_^

Tsumugi and Letty have, for them, a romantic reunion. Seriho suddenly thanks Letty – not knowing that it was indeed she who saved the day. When asked why she thanked her, Seriho comments that Letty’s cape makes her look like a black teruterubouzu. (A little ghostie charm that supposedly brings good weather.)

Seriho once again makes Sarasa speechless, Letty and Tsumugi continue to be rabu-rabu and Hinoko asks, coyly, if Haru loves her. When Haru blows a gasket, she says she’s only kidding – and she probably is.  ^_^

Isuzu and mountain god Kinu-sama arrive, all dolled up and ready to help out at the cafe for the day. To Letty’s intense distress, Seriho puts the wolf ears on her (Letty.) “Now say “growr,” says Seriho, just before Letty screams.

Sarasa ties the story up with some affectionate discussion of this happy little cafe and the wonderful friendship and love inside it. The end. ^_^

The final track is a quickie by the voice actresses with intros and brief discussions of how much fun it was to make this CD.

The one extra with this CD is a short comic in the credits booklet, by creator Fujieda Miyabi-sensei.

Like most Fujieda stories, the Yuri here is of the cute, snuggly variety. But Sarasa overheating in front of Seriho, and Letty and Tsumugi’s obvious affection is sweet and…well, sweet. :-) Ame-iro, indeed.

Ratings:

Characters – 8
Story – 7
Music/Foley – 7
Yuri – 7
Service – 1

Overall – 8

I’ve had this CD a week and already listened to it twice. ^_^

2013 Note: Without question, this is the one Drama CD I have listened to the most often of all of them I own. It never fails to make my smile. ^_^





Yuri Drama CD: Strawberry Panic, Lyric 1 "Miator Volume"

November 3rd, 2006

I know that you too, daily wrestle with concerns like “whose purple underwear is this!?!” Therefore, I also know that you too, will find the story in Strawberry Panic Drama CD: Lyric 1, “Miator Hen” absolutely riveting. :-)

The Drama CDs for Strawberry Panic each focus on the characters from one of the three schools. The first DCD, “Lyric 1” deals with the girls of Miator, the second will focus on Spica and the third, Lu Lim. While the story for this CD is original, i.e., not from either manga or anime, it has no actual plot. An official fanfic, if you will. If you were going to build a timeline, this would be taking place somewhere during the first half of the anime.

The story opens with Nagisa and Shizuma in the greenhouse. Shizuma embraces Nagisa from behind, and, as rain begins to pour down, attempts to kiss Nagisa. When Miyuki interrupts, Nagisa breaks free and runs into the rain.

In the meantime, back in their room, Tamao is fretting while Chiyo-chan functions like a real maid – sort of there, spoken to, but not heard. When Nagisa comes back soaked to the skin Tamao forcibly undresses her and shoves her into the shower to warm up. Tamao, during this scene, is made to sound so extremely perverted that it’s either really scary, or really impressive. I’m still not entirely sure which.

This sets up the one major crisis of the story – the case of the strange underwear. Tamao offers to do Nagisa’s washing, which Nagisa refuses. They both go off to the laundry room. Somehow or other, Nagisa ends up bringing back someone else’s underwear. These are scandalously colorful (as oppsed to the white with little-girl patterns kind Nagisa wears…) apparently, which overwhelms Tamao with the need to find their owner. They watch for a bit, but after some exciting possibilities, they are shooed away by Miyuki. When we return to the room, we get a careful catalog of Nagisa’s real underwear. No gratutious service here, no way.

During all this time, Chiyo-chan is having paroxysms of ecstasy and doubt over the return of Nagisa’s handkerchief. It has become her important treasure. I’ll skip to the end of this excitement – Nagisa gives it to her.

The third plot driver is the titilating rumor that Shizuma, the Etoile of the school, skinny dips in the pool every night. Nagisa repeatedly fantasizes about seeing her, even joining her.

One day, quite randomly, Shizuma rides up on a horse (cue cameo by Amane) and takes Nagisa off to the ocean. Chikaru, who clearly has no schoolwork at all, decides to follow since, after all, they will BOTH probably swim naked. Woo-hoo! Everyone, except Amane decides to tag along.

Nagisa and Shizuma share a romantic moment, until a hullabaloo from behind the rocks alerts them to the presence of the others (i.e., Tamao, Chiyo, Yaya, Hikari, although what *she’s* doing there, I have no idea, Chikaru and her whole harem.) Shizuma admits that she swims naked. Not. And Yaya decides to take a swim in her underwear. She pulls off her clothes and SHOCK! She’s the one with the scandalously not infantile underwear! Yaya points out that white underwear is prohibited at Spica and starts to undress Hikari to prove it.

With the sound of all the others frolicking in the surf – assumably in their underwear – Nagisa and Shizuma have more asexually romantic time.

The next to last track is cast comments, all of which are short. Some are downright hysterical. Tamao’s voice actress, Shimizu Ai (Hatsuki in Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito, Mikoto in Mai Hime/Otome) comments, quite acerbically, that she had to talk alot about underwear, didn’t she? Amane’s seiyuu, Kaida Yuko, (Minako from Marimite, Ryomou from Ikkiitousen) hopes that she’ll have more lines in the “Spica Volume” and Kagome’s seiyuu, Fukui Yukari, comments, finally, that Percival (Kagome’s teddybear) is interested in underwear. This last made me laugh out loud.

The final track is a preview of the “St. Spica Ben” the second volume of this Drama CD series. It includes such drama-filled excitement as “Yaya sexually harrasses Hikari in the shower” and “Kaname and Momomi bathe together.”

While I don’t think this DCD will win awards for plot, character or…well, anything…it wasn’t anything as awful as the Mai Otome Drama CD – and it wasn’t openly ripping off memes from other, better series, except in the most general way.

Ratings:

Story – 3
Characters – 3 (If you didn’t already know them, you’d have no idea who was who or why.)
Yuri – 7
Service – 9

Overall – 5

If this were an episode of the anime, people would trash it, but forget they hated it by the end. ^_^ Be that as it may, this, and many other Yuri Drama CDs are available from Amazon Japan through the Yuricon Shop!





Drama CD: Mai Otome Miss Maria was Watching: Garderobe Secret Diary, Vol. 1

September 26th, 2006

Well, it’s not often that I can say that something made me want to gouge my *ears* out. And yet, Mai Otome Drama CD, Miss Maria was Watching: Garderobe Secret Diary, Vol. 1 absolutely made me feel this way.

I have always assumed that fanservice was primarily a visual medium – it’s well known that men respond to visual cues more strongly than women when it comes to things sexual. (Incidentally, they also respond to colors differently, which is why, ladies, your guy thinks that woman over there looks hot, when you think she looks cheap. Just FYI.) So I thought “How bad could it be?” when I got this Drama CD.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know two things about me: 1) I love Drama CDs and; 2) It takes a lot to make me squirm.

This Drama CD made me squirm. It made my lips peel back in disgust and once or twice I even flinched. I mean really. This last was particularly bad as I was driving at the time so, as a warning, maybe you should only listen to this CD on the bus or plane. And only then if you your aisle-mates won’t mind you occasionally going, “Ewwww!” or “Argh!” out loud.

The basic plot is simple (it would have to be, as this is clearly written for several steps below the Lowest Common Denominator) Miss Maria, the disapproving hypercompetent head teacher of Garderobe, keeps a secret diary of everything that goes on in the school. Each scene on this Drama CD covers one of the more vile occurrences. Miss Maria gives us a bland summary and then we hear what “really” happened.

Okay, that’s not fair – not every scenario is vile. Just most of them. They mostly deal with underwear, nakedness, exploitation and the like, usually with a cheerfully clueless Arika happily moving through her days not being able to identify situations that any sane person would run from.

One of the more notably amusing scenes is one where Akane finds herself at Backstage, greeted by what appear to be Headmaster Natsuki and her pet Shizuru as employees of the store. In reality they are employees dressed up as Natsuki and Shizuru, voiced by the same voice actresses, which totally worked for me. As the story goes on, it become plain that they are, in fact, really Natsuki and Shizuru, pretending to not be themselves…and they are *not* employees, but actually owners of the contraband store.

There is a story in which Erstin loses her mind and ravages all the available females around her…it’s all fake, of course, she’s just pretending to have lost her mind. Let’s put it this way – she doesn’t ravage *everyone* – just those that you’d expect Erstin to desire. ^_^;

The lowest point of the whole thing comes when we learn about the origin of Tomoe’s infantilism fetish. I will not tell you how that came about. You wanna know, buy a copy of the CD yourself. I’m just trying to forget I ever heard it at all.

The bonus track is a cute (for this CD, anyway) retelling of Natsuki and Mai’s early years at Garderobe as roommates, and a lovely little scene where Natsuki reveals her hardcore crush on Shizuru-oneesama. We’re also introduced to lil’ Tomoe, who hadn’t yet developed all her later issues and as a result, is kinda cute.

If the best thing about this CD was the end track, the worst had to be what they did to Chie. Her 1000% lesbian cool power-up cred from Mai Hime to Mai Otome took a HUGE hit on this CD.

Lastly, the epilogue was, I have to admit, rather amusing. Arika, Nina (unwilling and whiny, as she has been throughout the thing) Irina and Ers all decide to steal Miss Maria’s infamous diary. What they find is not at *all* what they expected.

Ratings:

Story – Ugh. Ughughugh. Ugh.
Characters – Erstin – 10, everyone else 3. Arika fails completely for stupid, Nina for whining.
Yuri – 8 but it’s all service all the time. There’s nothing approaching one woman’s actual heartfelt attachment to another’s, except for Natsuki’s feelings for Shizuru.
Service – 12

Overall – 4

You want to either be a real perv, a real hardcore fan of Otome or one of the voice actresses before you want to get this thing. Or me, irresistibly drawn to the siren call of Drama CDs. Sigh.