Title: TVアニメ成恵の世界　オリジナルドラマ (TV Anime The World of Narue Original Drama) Vol. 2
Original Creator: 丸川トミヒロ (Tomohiro Marukawa)
Release Date: 8/27/2003
Catalog No.: LACA-5198
Rating: 3/4

This CD is a big improvement over the previous one. While it still sounds like an anime episode, the story on this CD doesn't appear in the anime. It covers several chapters of manga vol. 5, which were never animated. Maybe they did the dubbing, but never put it on the air or what not, but at least they didn't recycle the same material as they did with the first drama.

The thing I noticed about this CD is that it requires you to know what the story is about. This is partly why I think these were originally supposed to be animated. Usually drama CDs can be understood just by listening, but this CD as well as the previous kinda require the listener to have visual cues. For the first CD, I know the scenes from the anime, so I know what sound effects are what. For this one, I followed along with the manga (if I just imaging lips moving, it's just like anime again).

Again, I don't think there's a first pressing.

1. 「流れ星☆」(TV Size) (Nagareboshi (TV Size)): The intro to the anime, TV sized. I love this song. Yes, they put the same song on this CD too.

2. 第四話　鈴と野鳥と不思議な神社 (#4 Rin, a Wild Bird, and a Strange Shrine): This track is the same as chapter 34 of the manga and shares the same name. Rin finds a wild duck that follows her around, so she decides to take care of it. With the help of 四季 (Shiki), the bookstore owner (my second most favorite Narue character next to Yagi), she's take care of it. However, she gets news from the vet that the duck is not in good health. Eventually, after a strange dream with the duck becoming a prince and thanking her, she wakes up to find that the duck is okay and is able to fly again by itself.

3. 第五話　野球狂の夏 (#5 Baseball Fan's Summer): This is the same as chapter 32 with some additional dialogue. This and the next track primarily deal with the relationship between Yagi and Maruo. Maruo has been recuited by the (student) manager of the school's baseball team to play. While Maruo tries, Yagi makes fun of him because she knows he's not really that good. Later on, Maruo explains to Kazuto their long relationship from when they were little.

4. 第六話 セパレイト・ブルー (#6 Separate Blue): Chapter 33 in the manga. Yagi has been having these bad premonitions and all of them seem to be coming true. Her last one is that Maruo is going to have a fall, which he does and gets injured so he can't play baseball. She blames herself for it, but the manager of the baseball team cheers her up.

5. キャストクレジット (Cast Credits): Mamiko Noto (Narue's voice, one of my favorite voices) leads the introduction of all the cast members. All the seiyuu just say their name and characters, nothing too interesting. And yet again, this is the same as the first CD.

Title: Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission Original Soundtrack
Release Date: 2/18/04
Catalog No.: AVCD-17388
Rating: 3/4

An AVEX CD, ick. There are a total of 10 tracks, the first two are the themes songs from the game done in English by Jade from Sweetbox. These are only the short versions. The full-length versions are on her album, "Allego" recently released too. Since that songs is all English, I can't really do a review and claim it's Japanese music, but my opinion is based on the full-length and this version too. It then has 6 songs from Last Mission and the new features in the game. #9 is the orchestra version of "1000 Words" and the last is "Kimi e" which originally appeared as Yuna's single, but is here because you get a music video featuring that song when you finish Last Mission.

So for the English versions of the song. I prefer Kumi Koda's voice over Jade's. Kumi just has a much more powerful and deep voice, where as Jade just sounds like another teeny bopper, and that's my opinion from having both Kumi Koda's album that included FFX-2 songs as well as Jade's. However, as compared to Kumi's English version, I can actually understand what they're singing. The lyrics are changed a bit, but are pretty consistent with the Japanese counterpart.

The instrumentals are nice. 4 of them are from the Last Mission game. Track 3 is the tune that plays during the title screen of Last Mission. I'm guessing they're trying to make another hit like the song for the title screen of X-2, but I don't think they got there. The next three songs are familiar, not because I spent 24 hours listening to them during my FFX-2 Last Mission marathon, but I think they were tunes from the game too, or sound very similar. The last two instrumentals are from the new features in the game and are titled "Creature Create" and "Flash Over." I have no reference for them as I didn't play the game over (yet).

When I got Yuna's single, I actually liked her other song rather than "Kimi e." However, after watching that ending video, I think I now prefer "Kimi e." What a great song, and they chose the right scenes to make a music video out of it.

Title: 藍より青し～えにし～劇盤二’梅’ (Ai yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ 'Plum') Drama CD Vol. 2
Original Creator: 文月晃 (Kou Fumizuki)
Release Date: 1/23/04
Catalog No.: GNCA-1010
Rating: 3/4

The format for this CD is like the previous drama CD. The first track has a parody of a current TV show, tracks 3,5 are Magical Idol Unit Chika-rins drama, 3 vocals, 3 karaokes, and a commerical for the other CDs.

I can't figure out what show the first drama track. It sounds like they're doing a parody on "The Real World" or "Road Rules" but since I haven't watched those shows much, I'm not really sure. The girls and Kaoru are basically on a road trip where they travel around and have some adventures. Every-so-often, one of the characters would be isolated as they explain their thoughts for that particular interaction or event.

The first Chika-rins drama has them becoming acting police chief for a day. Unfortunately, Chika-rins and Mayu are double booked again, so they both are asked to share the duty. Their first call is a pervert in the Subways, so they do some investigation. When they find the guy, they give chase, the Chika and Mayu start competing with each other and forget about the criminal. The second drama, the last one (finally!), has them saving the world. A meteor is going to strike earth tomorrow, so using their magical powers, and some help from veteran idols, Tina, Taeko, and Aoi (who are also magical girls) come save the day. But it turns out that the meteor is actually just Miyabi's pet wanting to visit her.

The last track, the commercial is my favorite. It has Aoi being a clerk at a hamburger joint, but at the same time trying to sell the Aiao CDs. Kao buys one, but using her aggressive saleswomanship, convinces him to buy all the CDs.

Now for the vocals. Mayu's song is good, but I don't think it really fits her character. Taeko's song is enjoyable too. However, the cake has to go to Aoi and Kaoru's song. Yes, they sing a duet. AND DAMN! IT'S SOOOO BAD! Ayako Kawasumi was never a good singer, but when you put Seiichiro Hoshi together, it's just horrible. I'll just leave that out for my evaluation.

Title: 少年マガジン (Shonen Magazine) Vol. 15
Issue Date: 3/24/2004
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 558

Looks like I was wrong. There's a double dipping of 小向美奈子 (Minako Komukai) as she's the girl in both Shonen and Young. No Negima this week, but there's a full serving of everything else.

Suzuka: ＃４見舞い (#4 Visit): Having waited out in the cold, Yamato acquired the sniffles so he's taking the day off from school and is alone in the house as everyone has things to do. Later in the day, Yasunobu brings over Honoka who offers to cook some food for him. As she leaves, she meets Suzuka in front of Yamato's door. Since Yamato already has a person taking care of him, Suzuka decides to leave without visiting. Later that night, everyone else assumes that Yamato isn't hungry as Honoka's already cooked for him. However, he's starving and when he makes a fuss, Suzuka crawls over from her room through the hole in the wall and offers him some hard-boiled and soup (maybe? 玉子酒?). They're not good, and the hard-boiled eggs are microwaved, but he still shows his appreciation.

Hamanaka Ai: ０２７ いつもの五人(Always the 5 of Us): Misaki came out as the overall high scorer at the end of the semester. Since school's over, the tutors have nothing else to do and Rinko and Misaki all go home, leaving Masahiko alone in his house. However, one by one, they all come back, Misaki being locked out from her house, Rinko breaking her glasses so she can't go home, and the tutors being caught in the rain.

Futatsuki: ７口目/匂いのトリック (Seventh Taste/The Trick of the Smell): Futatsuki believes he knows what the 10th ingredient is in the mysterious soup. After the answers have been submitted, the host goes lists the ingredients one by one with the final ingredient being odorless garlic. This causes some controversy among the contestants because garlic is supposed to be pugent. After the dust settles, only 8 teams remain, Futatsuki being one of them. The next round is a week away.

Tsubasa: ３７孤独の瞳 (Lonely Eyes): Fye and Kuro fight some monsters and stumble upon a shop named "Clover." Back at the cafe, Ryuuou tries to attack Shaoran, but Kusanagi stop him with a bop to the head. Turns out that he's not an enemy and just wanted to test out Shaoran. The 6 of them gather, Sakura, Shaoran, Souma, Ryuuou, Yuzuriha, and Kusanagi. Meanwhile, there's a mysterious person outside standing atop a telephone pole.

Title: ヤングマガジン (Young Magazine) Vol. 15
Issue Date: 3/22/2004
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 458

Along with Miyako Komukai, the back page feature is 中川翔子 (Shoko Nakagawa). I think I'm getting too old when I see the birthdates of these girls.

Minamike: ２ お手紙 (2, Letter): Kana receives a love letter from a classmate. At first she's quite excited, but Haruka starts pointing out several peculiarities in the letter which leads to overwhelming suspicion of what Fujioka (the guy who wrote the letter) actually wants to do. The next day at school, rather than being nice, Kana gives him a nice kick.

XXXholic: 42: Yuuko uses Mokona black to talk to Mokona white, and that Mokona explains everything that's been going on with Fye, Kuro, Shaoran and Sakura. Later, Kimihiro and Doumeki go back to the restuarant where one of the twins work and go on a double date with the two goes. While they look alike, one of the twins explains that they're really opposite. When they sit for dinner, Kimihiro can sense something extremely odd about one of the twins.