Archive for the Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan Category


Yuri Drama CD: Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan ~ White Engage

August 5th, 2009

It has been previously established that the Ame-iro Kouchakan rates very high on the ‘ole Yuri-o-meter. In fact, it seems to draw female couples like bees to lilies and yes, I’m mixing my metaphors, thank you.

So, it will come as no surprise that Mana-chan-sensei from the earlier mini DCD, “Pink Princess” has taken to doing her work at the Amber Teahouse. The Yuri atmosphere is perfect for her to get in the St. Lotecia groove. She loves watching Seriho and Sarasa dance around each other, She loves to love/hate her devoted editor Shiko and she just loves Yuri. And so we find ourselves in “White Engage,” the Drama CD that comes with the deluxe edition of Volume 1.

The conflict here is small. And predictable. A sudden wrench is thrown in Mana-chan’s and Shiko’s working relationship that causes a crisis between them. Seriho and Sarasa are able to help the two of them work it out. They do work it out, rather creatively, I thought. And with a wonderfully voice acted kiss. Tamura Yukari gets extra super-duper shiny stars from me for making it sound like a good kiss.

Their reconciliation brings about a conversation on weddings. Which in turn brings about a conversation about Sarasa and Seriho being engaged. Sarasa is speechless and Seriho is puzzled, until Mana-chan calmly points out that Seriho *did* ask Sarasa to stay by her side for 50 years and what do ya call that if not a proposal? Seriho is surprised, but not at all unpleased to think of it that way. Okay, then. They are officially engaged. ^_^

Haru is tortured by just about everyone when they learn that an underclassman has confessed to Hinoka. “Yosh, yosh,” they all pat her shoulder to comfort her, completely ignoring her protestations of really not caring at all. Even Seriho pats her comfortingly and they all laugh at her when she insists on this facade that is probably totally true.

The bonus talk track was win. Mizuki Nana and Yukana sound crazy blushy embarrassed as they discuss how crazy, blushy embarrassed this whole script made them. This is followed by the other actresses talking about the whole love-love atmosphere, and how the girls-only love story made them feel. Since they have all now done this a number of times, it wasn’t possible to fall back on the usual trope-y comments, so there’s an air of yes, well, we have to actually talk about this a bit, this time. It was fun.

The packaging for the CD is quite lovely – and includes a nice little extra manga. The CD is once again decorated to look like a lace doily. I do have an issue with the lack of stability in the packaging – the CD keeps falling out. Not a huge thing. Also, there’s was an odd glitch when I first listened to the CD, in which the tracks played in reverse order. I took it out and put it back in and it was fine but still…totally surreal there for a bit. Oh, and the end of the extra manga had the most lovely picture of Mana-chan-sensei and Shiko, so I added it here. Click the pic for the full size version. (This is in part for my wife who wanted a copy.)

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 9
Service – 1 (For all the Fujieda fans who are all REALLY nice guys who like cute things.)

Overall – 9

And there you have it. An hour of Yuri fun at the Amber Teahouse. What more could we ask for, really? ^_^





Yuri Drama CD: Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan ~ Pink Princess

May 29th, 2009

Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan Drama CD: Pink Princess is the Drama CD that came with the most recent volume of Comic Yuri Hime as a bonus. It’s meant to be a little taste of things to come for the ladies of the Ame-iro Kouchakan and, as a result, I had very reasonable expectations for plot, characters, running time, etc. The CD blew me away on everything but plot. It wasn’t that the plot was bad – it was that there is, in fact, very little plot possible when the entire story is a bunch of people talking about tea. :-)

The Ameiro Kouchakan has been developing a reputation, it seems, and two new customers have wandered in because of mysterious rumors about the place. It turns out that the newcomers are Saotome Manaka-sensei, the author of the St. Lotecia books (first introduced in “Otome-iro Stay Tuned” from Yuri Hime S) and her number one superfan and new editor, Shiko. Mana-chan-sensei wants something to bring excitement and happiness to a girl’s heart, so Sarasa creates a disgusting delicious Strawberry Creme tea that is *exactly* what the author was looking for!

We spend a little time listening to Mana-chan-sensei and Editor Shiko-chan, and it’s not hard to see that Shiko is quite besotted with the youthful author who, in turn, has pegged Sarasa and Seriho as a couple…as soon as they get around to it.

Sarasa asks where Mana-chan-sensei learned of the tea shop and is told in no uncertain terms that Manako’s “Yuri Network” told her it had a great atmosphere. :-)

Everyone parts happily, and the main cast wonders what will happen with Mana and Shiko, which, we are assured will be covered in the full Drama CD that comes with the deluxe version of the first volume of Ame-iro Kouchakan Kandan, “White Engage.”

Oh, hey, did I mention that Mana-chan-sensei is voiced by Tamura Yukari? Oh, yes, she is. Mizuki Nana is Sarasa. Playing 6 degrees of Yuri is always fun with them, because it’s like, 1/10th of a degree. :-) Shiko is voiced by Horie Yui, who voiced Yasuna in Kashimashi ~ Girl Meets Girl.

The nicest thing about this DCD? For a insert in the magazine it had a more than 30 minute run-time. Extra super nice, in my book. … Even if strawberry cream tea sound utterly gagariffic to me. ^_^

Ratings:

Characters – 8
Story – 7
Yuri – 5
Service – 1

Overall – 8

The CD is decorated to look like a lace doily. Too cute. ^_^





Yuri Manga:Ameriro Koucha Kandan stories

September 5th, 2006

I’m cheating today. This is not a collection of manga I’m writing about, it’s two different stories in four different places, and two are cameos, which all happen to star the same characters. Because it *will* be a new series starting in the next Comic Yuri Hime magazine  I thought it would be fun to tell you the story as it exists currently.

The story in question tells of the women of the Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan (飴色紅茶館歓談). It begins in the book pictured above, [es] Eternal Sisters 2 anthology. On the cover are the two principles of the story, Seriho (left) and Sarasa (right.) In the ES collection, we meet Seriho who is the owner of the Ameiro Kouchakan, (loosely, the Amber Tea Pavilion.) Sarasa is a local high school student who spends an inordinate amount of time at the cafe, and asks, quite cutely if she can just work there. But Sarasa’s motive is not money – she’s in love with Seriho. Seriho reciprocates the emotion, and Sarasa comes to work at the cafe. In this story we also meet regular customers Haru – who runs some kind of freaky fortune website, and her friend/partner in mischief Hinoko. Hinoko is the obligatory goth-loli girl that one always finds in Fujieda Miyabi’s work.

The second “chapter” of this story takes was published in the extra comic inserted in the August 2006 volume of Yuri Hime. In this little omake, we are given character profiles in which we learn that Seriho, despite her youthful looks is 25, and Sarasa is 17. Huh. How ’bout that.

Tanabata is fast approaching and Seriho wants to something extra special for the cafe. They come up with a special blend of tea that they pour in a long stream (evocative of the milky way, which features in the Tanabata story.) Haru and Hinoko join the staff for the day and the four women have a successful and lively day full of customers. To thank them for their assistance Seriho offer to treate everyone for dinner. Haru and Hinoko leave first, while the others remain. Seriho tells Sarasa that, long before today, she had planned to close the cafe. Sarasa reacts strongly, protesting that people – she – loves the cafe. Seriho and Sarasa have an emotional scene, but Sarasa is successful and the cafe remains open. Phew.

The third appearance of the ladies of the Ameiro Kouchakan is Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodma no Majyo to manga. In this volume, Letty, having newly freed Tsumugi from her confinement in the shrine, takes the miko to her favorite watering hole. The big scandal here was when Tsumugi – assumably unfamiliar with ways of the outside world – expresses her love for Letty firmly and loudly. Poor Seriho almost dies of embarrassment…

And the fourth, but not at all final, appearance of the Ameriro Kouchakan is the MikoMajyo Drama CD (the one packaged with the manga in the deluxe set), in which Letty and Tsumugi once again visit, this time accompanied by the errant mountain god who has run away. Shrine guardian Isuzu is forced to drag the wayward deity back to her shrine bodily. Tsumugi’s request for Letty to open up and say “ahhh” forces Letty to confront her inner femme, and inspires Hinoko to fluster cool Haru by doing the same.

Now, to be honest – these four appearances are the ones I have, or have noticed. I have no doubt that somewhere along the line there’s some crossover with Fujieda’s other series, especially the ones I’m less familar with.

But what does exist is cute enough that I though it warranted a mention. And I bet that, once the story begins running in Yuri Hime we’ll get a collection that includes both of the first two chapters.

Here’s hoping, anyway.

No ratings, since it’s not *yet* a collection, but overall – even more adorable Yuri from Fujieda Miyabi!

BTW – Happy Birthday me. Older, as my mother says, but not at all wiser. If you’re moved to send a present, buy a book from ALC Publishing or t-shirt or mug or something from the Yuricon Shop. That’s all the present I need. ^_^





Drama CD: Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to

August 11th, 2006

When you purchase the deluxe edition of Fujieda Miyabi’s Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to, it comes with a Drama CD. As I promised in my review of the MikoMajyo manga, today I will be reviewing the Drama CD. Let me begin by summing up with “Squeeee!” ^_^

The CD begins with Letty the witch (Nabatame Hitomi/ Hanazono Shizuma from Strawberry Panic) and Tsumugi the miko (Nota Mamiko/Toudo Shimako from Maria-sama ga Miteru) walking along. Tsumugi’s outside world skills are still a little rough, so when Letty asks her to stay put for a second, Tsumugi finds herself swept up in the waves of people walking by, becoming separated from Letty. Letty comes running to the rescue, thanks to their red string of fate. Tsumugi asks to get a drink of something, so Letty gives her some money and *she* promises to stay put until Tsumugi comes back.

Unbeknowst to her, Letty is being watched…this time the mysterious watcher is not Isuzu, as in the manga, but the god of the shrine herself! And she’s still wearing Tsumugi’s body and voice. (Since now Isuzu is her main squeeze, everyone’s happy with the choice. Except Letty…). Kami-sama jumps Letty and pretends to be a *very* daring Tsumugi when she openly propositions her to spend some time getting to know each other better – at a hotel. Letty’s about to cave when the real Tsumugi returns. She’s pleased as punch to see the god she served for so long, and naive – or confident- enouigh to not be bothered by the fact that she and Letty seem to be awfully close. Kami-sama takes being busted with good grace and decides to accompany her former miko and her girlfriend for some refreshments.

Which takes them to the Ameiro Koucha Kandan…again. (I *told* you that you’d be hearing alot about this place!) The god introduces herself as Tsumugi’s twin older sister, Kinu. Letty splutters adorably through this brazen lie. The proprietor of the the cafe, Seriho (Nogami Yukana/Yukishiro Honoko from Futari ha PreCure, Nakanotani Mina from Air Master) and her employee Sarasa (Mizuki Nana/ Fate Testarossa from Lyrical Nanoha, Shinobu from Shinobuden/Ninja Nonsense) are immediately charmed by Kinu-oneesama, while Letty is clearly trying to keep herself from leaping across the table and strangling the mountain god. Just as their cake arrives, however, Isuzu (Watanabe Akeno/Fuho from I Me My Strawberry Egg) crashes in and drags the god back to the shrine.

This leaves Letty and Tsumugi with an extra piece of cake to share. Letty tells Tsumugi to say “ah” and feeds her. When Tsumugi attempts to return the favor, Letty falls apart. She explains that it’s not really her nature to be the one fed – or pursued – and um, she tends to do the feeding, and the pursuing, you know. Tsumugi thinks that Letty’s butchiness is adorable, but proceeds to feed her anyway. ^_^ Isuzu pops back in to remind Letty to take care of Tsumugi, then runs off after her own, infinitely more difficult, girl.

Impressed by Tsumugi and Letty feeding each other, the two friends and regular customers of the Ameiro Koucha, computer whiz Haru (Asakawa Yuu/Sakaki-san from Azumanga Daioh) and goth-loli loli Hinoka (Koyama Kimiko) decide to feed each other too, thuse giving the cafe that special yuri love-love feeling all-around. (Wait until I get a chance to discuss the women of the Ameiro Koucha Kandan in detail….)

The last track is once again Letty and Tsumugi walking together. Tsumugi is, as always, glad to be with Letty anywhere, doing anything. Letty manages to pull her butchy self together, mentioning that the god, that is, Kinu, had sort of propositioned her…and wouldn’t it be nice, really, if the two of them went somewhere to become a little closer. Tsumugi agrees happily. The conversation devloves into excruciatingly sweet nothings, and Letty ends it all by saying that she is looking forward to being together with Tsumugi, wherever, forever.

Ratings:

Story – 7
Characters – 8
Voice Acting – 7
Yuri – 8
Service – 1 on principle

This is yet another goofy grin-inducing thing from Fujieda Miyabi. Totally worth getting the deluxe version on MikoMajyo for…and yet another terrific way to practice those Japanese listening skills!

I’m told the bundled manga and Drama CD are sold out. BUT, when I’ve had that happen, I just keep the order around in my Amazon JP inbox, because it often comes back in a second shipment. Don’t give up, just yet. :-)

It looks like there’ll be an upcoming full-length Drama CD for this series. Here’s a link to buy the CD “Magrigal Halloween”: MikoMajyo Drama CD You can be sure that I’ll be getting it.





Yuri Manga: Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to

August 9th, 2006

From the creator of Iono-sama Fanatics, comes an equally adorable, equally yuri-riffic series, Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to, by Fujieda Miyabi. (Transliteration supplied on the book itself.)

MikoMajyo, as Fujieda refers to it in his afterword, ran in Yuri Shimai, then Yuri Hime magazines, and has now been collected into a single volume. There are two versions – the manga only and the deluxe version which comes with a Drama CD. If you know anything about me, you’ll be able to guess that I bought the deluxe version. A review of the Drama CD will be forthcoming. ^_^

As with the other Yuri Hime Comics volumes, I’m going to review this story as if we have never read it before. Some of you may have not…although you absolutely should.

The story begins with European witch Letty, complete with broom and big pointy hat, arriving at a small shrine in Japan that is hidden away by a magic barrier. Letty penetrates the barrier without difficulty and finds that a lone priestess, Tsumugi, tends the shrine. Something about Tsumugi’s plight moves Letty and she takes it upon herself to free the miko from the magical ties that bind her to the shrine. Tsumugi finds herself immediately attracted to Letty and tells her so unhesitatingly. Letty is loathe to free the miko and leave her without normal life skills, so she agrees to take Tsumugi with her. To save Tsumugi from getting lost, Letty conjures up a magical string to connect them. Tsumugi says her favorite color is red, so they are bound by a red thread of fate…and how embarrassed is Letty to find out what that means in Japan! But Tsumugi isn’t fazed – she feels an instant connection with Letty, Letty’s pronouncement that the kiss they shared was just so the magic could work notwithstanding.

The first order of the day is to get refreshments. They just happen to stop at a cafe which you will hear alot more about in the upcoming days – the Ameiro Koucha Pavilion. (The characters from this story were originated for [es]Eternal Sisters 2 and will be the main focus of the new series from Fujieda-sensei for upcoming Yuri Hime issues.) Tsumugi embarrasses the bejeebus out of Letty by happily, loudly and publicly saying that she likes the witch. Letty rationalizes it as a comment from a child, since Tsumugi is essentially a babe in the woods when it comes to personal interaction.

Miko and witch head over to what I can only guess must be a cross-over with another Fujieda series. At a stab, I bet it’s the crowd from Twinkle Saber Nova, Fujieda’s other ongoing manga series. I haven’t read it, yet. (9/5/06 note: Wrong. The designers are all from Alice Quartet, yet *another* original series Fujieda does. It dawned on me when I was going through my Drama CDs and found the first Alice Quartet volume. I had forgotten about this series entirely… it’s about five – yes, I know – clothing designers. Hence Letty and Tsumugi coming to their shop to get clothes.) In any case, Letty and Tsumugi trade in witch and miko costumes for regular street clothes and proceed to go out for a walk. Despite Letty’s reticence, Tsumugi continues to press her case for liking Letty, until Letty is forced to admit that maybe her feelings are not like a child’s. Tsumugi confides she has very little memory of her past. We see that they are being followed by a mysterious someone, even as they are growing closer.

While they are out in a boat on a lake a mysterious wave soaks them. The mysterious someone mysteriously communicates that she’s found Tsumugi and will watch her until she can get her back to the shrine. Mysteriously.

The two women find themselves in a hotel, where Tsumugi once again makes a strong case for her feelings. Letty thaws enough to allow them to share a bed platonically, even giving Tsumugi a good night kiss. (From my perspective, at this point, Letty’s just playing hard to get – I’ve never in my entire life rolled over on someone like that to give them an innocent, chaste goodnight kiss. But…more on that later in the Drama CD review. ^_^)

The next morning Tsumugi seems to have developed a nagging cough. Throughout the day, her condition worsens, until the mysterious someone arrives and blames it on Letty! Turns out that the mysterious someone is a servant of the shrine, Suzushiro Isuzu. Isuzu tells Letty that Tsumugi’s well-being requires her being at the shrine, and Letty having released her is what is killing her. Tsumugi regains consciousness and tells Letty her unhappy story – in order to save her life, her mother gave her to the god of the shrine as a servant. While she eventually got used to it, as a child the abandonment weighed heavily on her.

Letty is determined to save Tsumugi from this fate, and decides to have it out with the shrine’s god. In a magical handwave, she is once again the witch and hops on her broom to save the woman she loves. Tsumugi comments that she never expected her knight on a horse to be a witch on a broom. Isuzu is shocked, but a little impressed with Letty’s skills.

I won’t give away the ending, which you already know if you’ve read my reviews of Yuri Hime anyway, but trust me – the girl gets the girl. ^_^ And she does it with some style, too!

Ratings:
Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 1 on principle

Overall – 8

Once again, Fujieda Miyabi-sensei comes through with an original work that doesn’t at all read like every other yuri manga ever. It is unrelentingly cute without ever getting cloying. The ending is solid – and cute – with a great lead-in to the Drama CD!

A definite must-have for Yuri manga fans.