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Title: イリヤの空、UFOの夏 (Sky of Iriya, Summer of UFO) Vol. 1
Author: 秋山瑞人 (Mizuhito Akiyama)
Illustrator: 駒都え〜じ (Eiji Komatsu)
Book Size/Pages: A-6, 309pp.
Volume: 1/4
Original Serialization: Dengeki hp 7/01-9/01
First Printing: 10/25/01
I had imported the first volume to this series from overseas, but imaging how astonished I was when I found it locally, at Bookoff no less for $5 bucks a volume. So I bought up the rest of the series and some Maburaho too, although I won't get to those for a while. Even Kino and Asahiya don't sell these types of novels.
Anyway, like Maburaho, this series is illustrated by one of my favorites, Eiji Komatsu. It's rather lengthy for a bunko novel at 300 pages and took me a week and a half to finish (given that I have been working on the web page too). I'm aiming towards finishing all four books by the end of February for obvious reasons.
As for the story, it took me on a little loop. At first, I thought it would be a regular boy-meets-girl love story, as it advertises. Despite the UFO in the title, it didn't seem all that supernatural. And then the second chapter threw me off, but the third chapter came back to a regular love story. As I haven't read many novels (in fact, this is the first novel I've read from cover to cover), I'll withhold ratings on it. However, the story goes SOOO slow for the number of pages it has.
Bonus includes a pull-out that has faux movie posters for each of the chapters and a large Kana illustration as well as a letter from the author at the end.
(Disclaimer: This is how I remember I'm too lazy to meticulously cross reference everything so there might be some errors, but it should be mostly correct.)
The main characters for this chapter are, in order of appearance: 浅羽直之 (Naoyuki Asaba), 伊里野加奈 (Kana Iriya), 榎本 (Enomoto), 水水前寺邦博 (Kunihiro Suizenji), 須藤晶穂 (Akiho Sudou), 椎名真由美 (Mayumi Shiina), and 浅羽夕子 (Yuuko Asaba). The story takes place in 園原 (Sonohara), a small country town that has an airbase.
1. 第三種接近遭遇 (Close Encounter of the Third Kind): Hearing from Suizenji that it's feels good, on the last night of summer before the start of the semester, Asaba sneaks into the school's pool for a dip where he finds a mysterious young girl, Kana Iriya, who has a round dome on her wrist. After startling her and ending up teaching her how to swim, she gets taken away by another mysterious man (Enomoto) who claims that he's like her brother.
Flashback to the beginning of summer where Suizenji, a tall, popular (with the girls), and a bit eccentric guy who aspires to work for the CIA has the idea that he and Asaba, who along with Akiho make up the journalism club at school, has the idea that they should camp out in the mountains. He's fascinated with UFOs and at times at odds with Akiho because of his interests. While Suizenji stays there the whole time, Asaba comes home every-so-often during the summer.
Flashback to current time where it's the first day of school and there's a new student in class, Kana Iriya.
2. ラブレター (Love Letter): Asaba has thoughts that she's an alien coming to take over the world. However, her story is that she's just returned to Japan and is living with her brother on the base. She wears some conspicuous wristbands. When some of the girls in class try to befriend her, she tells them to go away. When Asaba notices that she's spotted him, he decides to go to the bathroom. Akiho follows him there and talks to him once he comes out. She knows that he had met her previously as he asked her about the school's female swimsuits. He suddenly feels lightheaded and passes out. When he wakes up, he's in Mayumi's office, the nurse. Mayumi has him rest in the office and gives him some sedatives. When Akiho leaves, Mayumi places a call and Asaba hears something about someone giving him a dose of something last night.
When he's finally out of nurses office, he goes into homeroom and notices that no one is around. He decides to fumble through Iriya's bad and finds some strange items with strange letterings on them. In particular, he finds a telephone card-like item and pockets it. However, he gets caught red-handed when Iriya shows up behind him. She then gets called away to the teacher's office. After school, Suizenji gets really excited when Asaba tells him about this new girl as she lives on the airbase. The next morning, Suizenji makes an appearance in Asaba's classroom and gives Iriya flowers and invites her to the journalism club.
Later that day, the air sirens sound. Asaba's pretty sure that it's just a drill, but Iriya freaks out. She takes him into the shelter, uses the strange telephone card, changes the codes, and arms Asaba and herself. Iriya mentions that "the war has already started. It's just that no one knows about it." While they're inside, they get a phone call from Enomoto who says that it was only a drill and they'll need some time to unlock their way inside to rescue him. Iriya finally calms down. While they're waiting, he asks her about the gaming device that she has and she teaches him how to play the simulator. Suddenly, she has a spasm and Asaba calls Enomoto for help. He tells him that she needs to be injected in the heart and there should be a mark on her chest where he should stab when he takes off her clothes. Just as he's about to do so, the shelter door opens.
A few days later, he receives a note in his locker. He thinks it's a love letter, but in fact, it's just a notice saying that Iriya wants to join the journalism club. For the reason though, she writes "Because Asaba is there."
3. 正しい原チャリの盗み方 (How to Properly Steal a Mini-bike): The weekend after their first week, Asaba is going to go out on a date with Iriya. The way this came about was that Suizenji has this brilliant idea that if Asaba can get close to Iriya, maybe she will talk, so he has him ask to go to a movie with Iriya.
Yuuko, Asaba's little sister who has no respect for his brother woke him up that morning and noticed that he was acting a little different so he looks around his room and finds a magazine with a movie and time circled. She then finds Iriya's club-entrance notice and sees why she wants to join. Yuuko can't believe it so she follows after her brother.
Outside the theather, Enomoto and Mayumi are spying. Yuuko bumps into Suizenji who are also spying on the new couple. When they enter the movie theater, the two groups follow, not knowing that they're both trying to listen in. Suizenji has bugged Asaba so he can listen in on his conversations. Enomoto gets a call with info that there's been some strange radio activity in the area. He looks over and thinks he sees Suizenji. Suizenji leaves for the bathroom and comes back, sitting on the other side of Yuuko. Enomoto knows he's been spotted and drags Mayumi out. Suizenji also knows about them now and he chases them out of the theater taking pictures of them. Asaba looks back at the ruckus and soon after, the movie is halted.
Bonus. そんなことだから (It's Because of That...): Mayumi has just moved into her new apartment and is going to start her new job as school nurse in three days. Just as she moved in, Enomoto calls her and has her watch a TV show where the guests are talking UFOs. Enomoto has a good laugh while watching, but then the TV show hosts get a fax from the Sonohara school newspaper about canisters with alien bodies inside. He freaks out and Mayumi sees that soon after, the hosts are at the base with their cameras demanding to see the canisters. It turns out that they're just dummies. However, since them, Mayumi remembers the school newspaper.
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Title: ドラゴンマガジン (Dragon Magazine) September '04
Issue Date: 9/1/04
Publisher: Kadokawa (Fujimi Shobo)
Pages: 210
This is one of the the things that I've wanted to do since last year. In fact, I been subscribing since the July issue (manage to buy a few past issues at the bookstore), but this is the first month where a new series has started so I can start from here.
Dragon Magazine is the sister magazine to Dragon Age and is a serialized novels. Physically, it's quite large and is the same size as Newtype (damn, I'm becoming a Kadokawa poster boy), which I particularly like because I can opening it up and read it without having to worry about breaking the spine. While it's a collection of novels, there's always a one-shot manga in every issue. On the novel side though, many a series like Saber Marionette, Slayers, and Full Metal Panic started here along with my current favorite, Maburaho. It'll be a loong while before I catch up to any of the current running series, but I can always start with the new series that show up every so often.
This issue has special coverage on Maburaho, Full Metal Panic, Arian Road Replay, and a thorough introduction to the new series, Seiryuuden (Legend of the Sacred Dragon). Bonus comes with a bookmark and a special Slayers card.
聖竜伝 (Legend of the Sacred Dragon)
Author: 冴木忍 (Shinobu Saeki)
Illustrator: 森田柚花 (Yuzuka Morita)
New Characters: シン (Shin), ラトキス (Latkis)
Preface: Five King Dragon gather round to discuss what to do as the High King Dragon has passed. With the passing, the age of the dragons is closely coming to an end. They decide on whether to stay or to go like the High King. The Red Dragon says he'll stay, while the others say they'll follow. Regardless, soon after, the King Dragons all disappear and leave the earth to the humans without the protection of the dragons.
Chapter 1: Shin wanders around riding his racing dragon the plains and finds the hideout where the bandits are. Apparently, he can claim some ransom if he brings them in. He kills 4 of them and is about to apprehend the last one, who's riding on horseback, when Latkis finally shows up on his dragon. They tie him up but it's soon getting late and they probably can't make it back to town before midnight. On top of that, Shin doesn't particularly like the owner of the dragon's he's borrow from. Latkis tells him that they could just ditch their barter and escape with the dragons and the bandit's loot rather than go back and meet the owner. However, Shin won't allow that as Latkis has items from his deceased family that he left as a trade for the dragons and Shin won't let him just abandon those personal treasures. As it's getting darker, they spot a bonfire and Shin goes to check it out. It's a group of religious druids who manage to kill Shin's dragon with their poisonous arrows and take both Shin and Latkis hostage. Since they're about to kill them anyway, they don't telling them what they're doing. They're trying to find the remains of the High King Dragon as they believe that ingesting it will give them immortality and allow their leader to revive their cult. They've already got one of the High King Dragon's scale so they know their close. However, all of a sudden, a real flying dragon appears and swoops down upon them. The druids get knocked over in the ditches they're digging and stab themselves with their poisonous arrows. Shin and Latkis manage to run away, but not before seeing the dragon, which is supposed to be long since extinct, fly in the night sky.
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Title: いちご100% (Strawberry 100%) Drama CD 3 「好きで悪いか!? 北大路さつき登場!!」 ("It's Wrong to Love!? Satsuki Kitaoji Appears!?")
Original Creator: 河下水希 (Mizuki Kawashita)
Release Date: 12/10/04
Catalog No.: SCD-905849
Rating: 3/4
Another great drama CD for Ichigo 100%. The only complain I have about it is that they got rid of the catchy tune that they used in the first two CDs and used a remixed version that doesn't sound as good for the intro and cast credits. Like the previous CDs, this follows the manga pretty closely with a little more exposition as it doesn't have visuals to show the listeners. Unlike the second CD, only one of the short stories was insightful into the character. The other one was just a minute long.
The 4th drama CD has already been announced as well as the character image song single. I hope they bring back the Ichigo 100% tune again.
Bonus includes liner notes and a couple of mini-standees.
1. オープニング (Opening): Yui and Tsukasa introduce the show as they look from afar at the incident that happened when Satsuki first met Junpei (chap. 19). The do color commentary as Satsuki grabs Junpei's video camera and toss it into the river. Only then do they realizes that the strange guy with the camera is Junpei.
2. 第7話「恋の花咲くダイビングヘード」 (Love's Flowers Bloom, Diving Head): Covers chapters 20 to first half of 21. Junpei has been accepted into Izumizaka High School and finds out that he's in the same class as Aya. However, during the new student ceremony, he, Sotomura, Komiyama, and Satsuki get called in and are informed that they just barely made it in the school. It's there that Junpei meets Satsuki again as he remembers her as the girl who threw his video camera into the river. Satsuki and Junpei get more acquainted when they do the after school cleaning. Meanwhile, Aya is getting to be really popular for her looks. Since she's the bashful one, she decides to go to school with her big glasses and sure enough, she gets ignored. In fact, she has a bump in with a few guys and almost gets in a scuffle when Satsuki jumps in. On their way home, Aya asks Junpei how she should dress. He responds that whether she wears glasses or not, she's still Aya.
3. 第8話「体育館倉庫の乱」 (The Incident in the Gymnasium's Storage Closet): Covers the latter half of chapter 21 to the first half of 23. During PE, Sotomura pesters Junpei with all this strange thoughts concerning the women that surround him, Aya, Satsuki, and their teacher. Later, Junpei accompanies Aya to the storage shed to get a stop watch. She accidentally knocks over a few boxes and Junpei jumps in to shield her. They end up in a position where he's on top of her with heavy boxes on his back. Being the guy he is, he can't allow himself to lay on her, so she tries to wiggle around. She can't get out either, but now her clothes have rolled up a bit from her movements. When Junpei doesn't show up for the next class, Satsuki comes looking for them and find them. In her anger, she twists her own angle in the shed and Junpei, despite having a broken finger, carries her to the nurses office. From then on, he notices that she's become much more nice towards him.
4. 第9話「夢への第一歩」 (The First Step Towards the Dream): Covers chapters 24 to 27. Junpei decides to start up a film club at school since there hasn't been one for a while. He gets Komiyama and Sotomura to sign up. He then asks Satsuki, to which she replies in the affirmative. However, Aya overhears this and becomes a little jealous so when he invites her, she says she's already in the literary club. Feeling down, he wants to ditch class. When Satsuki tries to cheer him up, he tells her to leave him alone. She then blurts out that she can't do that as she loves him. The next day, he finds out that his club has been approved. After school, he sees that Tsukasa is outside his school. They go on an after-school date and that night, under fireworks, she confesses to him that she still loves him. The next day, the club convenes for the first meeting. When it concludes, Junpei walks out bummed because Aya isn't a part of it. He then sees her and she brings in a tape of the former club. She says that after watching it, she became enthused about it and wants to participate in making a film.
5. SS1「唯の王子様!?」 (Short Story 1, Yui's Prince!?): Story occurs as Yui is studying to enter high school. While having problems with her studies, she thinks back to when she was living next door to Junpei and the day she told him that she was going to move to the countryside. She then falls asleep and has a dream where her prince comes, but she it turns out to be Junpei. She wakes up and finds that she's not wearing anything and tries to find her strawberry underwear. She comments that hopefully that her habit of sleeping without any clothes on will be cured when she enters high school.
6. SS2「ラブラブ戦隊登場!!」 (Love Squad Appears!!): The club is trying to figure out what to do for their next film. Their first idea is a show with 5 Rangers of love, featuring Satsuki (Green Berry), Aya (Red Berry), Tsukasa (Blue Berry), Yui (Yellow Berry), and Junpei (Pink Berry). That gets shot down as well as their next idea.
7. エンディング…!? (Ending...!?): Junpei wakes up to find that Aya has become his teacher wearing a mini-skirt, Yui has become his maid who likes to disrobe, Tsukasa has become a nurse, and Satsuki has become his bride. The four girls then fight over him. He then realizes that it's a dream, but decides to go back to sleep and keep on dreaming.
8. クレジット (Credits): The cast say their names and characters.
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Title: いちご100% (Strawberry 100%) Vol. 14
Artist/Author: 河下水希 (Mizuki Kawashita)
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 191pp., w/furigana
Original Serialization: Weekly Shonen JUMP Vol 34, '04 - Vol 43, '04
First Printing: 1/10/05
Rating: 4/4
Yui and Satsuki get gipped in this volume as it focuses mostly on Kozue and Tsukasa. The first half of volume focuses on Kozue and how she falls in love with Junpei, much to Aya's surprise. The latter half has Tsukasa running away with Junpei for a few days. Among the two, I still prefer Kozue as her wild imagination always cracks me up.
Bonus comes with profiles of Kozue and Mai and a parody manga, Ichigo 10~11%.
117. DREAM重なって (Dreams Piling Up)
118. 初めての…!? (The First...!?)
119. ○○○なっちゃった (It Came to ___)
120. 着せ替えヒロインズ (Dress-up Heroines)
121. 心、胸、サンドイッチ (Heart, Chest, Sandwich)
122. ふたりで電車で (The Two of Us On the Train)
123. FIRST DAY
124. SECOND NIGHT
125. MIDNIGHT
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Title: 少年マガジン (Shonen Magazine) Vol. 6
Issue Date: 1/26/05
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 524
Yuuko-rin! The bookstore go this issue about two days later due to the New Year's holiday. The clerk explained it to me when I went asking if this issue had arrived. This issue has some wonderful shots of Yuuko-rin. It's hard to believe that she's only 4 years younger than I. There's also a special documentary comic in this issue, part one of two. It's a comic that depicts the events told to the Kodansha staff by Allen Nelson, author of the book "Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill The People?" I can't find it on the US Amazon site, though. He is a Vietnam vet who describes the horrors of war and they lead it off with current events happening in Iraq.
No Tsubasa this week as CLAMP is "called in sick" again. Full Tama (i.e. Full Swing") ends this week.
Suzuka: #43衝動 (Impulse): It's the start of the second semester. Despite Yamato thinking that his relationship with Honoka is a secret, Yasunobu tells him that everyone knows. He proceeds to give Yamato a condom and tells him that that's what couples do. Yamato goes home thinking what a stupid idea to have such a thing. Since no one else is at the apartment building, he has to make dinner himself. Honoka shows up unexpectedly and makes him dinner. Meanwhile, he keeps thinking about what Yasunobu told him earlier. Afterwards, as she volunteers to do his laundry, he grabs her arm and lands atop her.
Toto!: 4トウモロコシとたつまき少女 (Corn and The Tornado Girl): After landing safely, Kakashi starts his journey on foot. He becomes hungry and sees a lunch just sitting out. After finishing it, he finds out that it belongs to a girl, Dorothy, who had just gone to wash her hands. While he's hiding, his dog runs out and brings her an ear of corn. She decides to keep it and name him "Toto." Kakashi then jumps out saying that the dog is his. Suddenly, a few soldiers come and want to take Toto away. Dorothy kicks their butts with her martial arts skills and they ride off on a motorbike.
School Council: #6選ばれし者 (The Chosen): Mushashi discovers that Akane has run away to the park and may be in danger. Mami tells him that he's in no condition to fight Kaoru, but he goes anyways. Despite seeing Kaoru standing over a passed out Akane, Musashi refuses to fight. Kaoru beckons him by attacking Akane instead. Musashi then decides to fight, but he affirms that he's not fighting Kaoru but rather, he's fighting his powers instead.
Negima: 79時間目 世界樹伝説のあま〜い真実 (The Sweeet Truth About the Worldly Tree Legend): The class is preparing for their festival when Setsuna and Negi get called to a meeting. The headmaster has gathered all the magic users at the school together to call upon their help. To Negi's surprise, there are a lot more of them than he had originally thought. The problem is with the tree. Kotaro explains that the buzz going around concerning the tree is that there's a legend that says that every 22 years, something miraculous happens to the tree. On that day, any wishes made will come true. The headmaster explains that it's happening a year early and what really happens is that confessions of love gets answered, and is more like a curse. So, he wants the magic teachers and students to stop anyone from getting close to the tree. Apparently, Sayo's been listening in along with Saotomi and Chao. After they disband, Negi finds Chao in trouble.
Hamanaka Ai: 065 1月4日初詣 (Visiting the Shrine on the Fourth of January): The gang goes to the shrine a little later mostly because they wanted to avoid the crowds. After they do their prayers, Masahiko explains that he wished for the him and the 5 girls to be together forever. The girls interpret this as him wanting to do a 6-some.
King's Sword: 18花の名前 (The Name of the Flower): The girl tries to attack, but Ahi manages to disarm her. As she's restrained, she asks Ahi to kill her. He lets go and she explains her history, about how the gold headband bandits came and killed her family. Ahi tells her that at least she's still alive and should strive to live. He learns that her name is Meishien and takes her to safety.
Full Swing: Final break: これからもずっと (Always, From Now On): After playing a match where Tama beats Koto, she reflects back on how much he's improved. That night, they go to the festival together and Tama asks that she always support him. She agrees.
Changing Now: #34特急!! クリスマスの危機 (Express!! Christmas Crisis): Machina is now a express delivery person and one of his clients, who happens to be Crimson Bunny, is in need of a delivery on Christmas night. He comes and picks it up. After many apologizes, she gives her envelope to be deliver. However, after he leaves, she thinks he looks familiar.
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Title: 少年マガジン (Shonen Magazine) Vol. 7
Issue Date: 1/31/05
Publisher: Kodansha
Pages: 514
While last week's issue was late, this week's issue came really really early to the bookstore. It got here on Saturday (1/8) although the sale date wasn't until the 12th. It was so early that even the people in Japan were still wondering what was in this issue (especially with Tsubasa) when this came to the bookstore.
Although this issue has some tidbits about Tsubasa anime, it's ultimately a Ken Akamatsu issue. He has the cover art, a few pages interview (and a photo with 6 of his seiyuu including Yui Horie, lucky bastard), and "Mou Shima" the Kodoansha staff manga features him this week. The results of the latest Negima poll is released too. The top five, in order, are: Setsuna, Nodoka, Asuna, Konoka, and Natsumi (!?). Chisame has dropped significantly.
Changing Now is off this week. And surprise, surprise, CLAMP plays hooky again. The news is that Kinya and Maaya Sakamoto will be doing the intro and ending songs.
Negima: 80時間目 胸騒ぎの前夜祭 (Fonding at the Night-Before Party): Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro protect Chao and find out that the people who were chasing after her were fellow magic school teachers. They want to erase her memories because they found out that she had been spilling their secrets to the students. However, being her teacher, Negi prevents that from happening. Later on when the tree lights up, Saotomi, Chao, and Chachamaru seem to planning something.
Suzuka: #44後悔 (Regret): While he's on top of her, Yamato gives Honoka a kiss. However, she runs away and passes Suzuka along the way. Suzuka asks Yamato what happened and he says nothing. The next day, he tries to apologize to Honoka, but she's been avoiding him. He manages to meet up with her and she explains that she doesn't hate him, she just doesn't know how to face him after the incident. Anyway, they're on good terms again. When he goes home, Suzuka asks if he's made up to her. She says yeah. After he goes in his room, she wonders to herself why she even cares.
Toto!: 5「楽しい世界 醜い世界」 ("Fun World, Ugly World"): In his excitement, Kakashi flips over their motor bike and they have to start walking. After a while, Dorothy gets hungry and they meet an old man who provides them food and bath. When they're sleeping, he rips off his mask and reveals that he's a soldier. He ties the two kids up and takes away Toto. He then sets the house on fire. Kakashi and Dorothy wake up and barely escape. While Toto's being taken away, he transforms into the beast.
Student Council: #7渇かない涙 (Wet Tears): Kaoru encloses Musashi in a sphere and has his birds do the attacking. Musashi gets knocked out and falls down. However, as he's about to deal the final blow, Kaoru starts tearing up. Apparently, the human Kaoru inside of him is sad to see his best friend and hero battered. Musashi wakes up and sees that Kaoru is still inside of him. He then summons his powers.
Hamanaka Ai: 066若田部風乙女心 (Wakatabe's Feminine Heart): Hamanaka is snowed in and so she calls Masahiko saying that she'll be late. Meanwhile Ayana arrives and starts having thoughts about how guys always look a little downwards at a girl's chest when talking. She notices that Masahiko has been doing it. When he mentions chest, she freaks out.
King's Sword: 19黄巾賊 襲来! (Yellow Headband Bandits, Attack!): Ryubi gets news that the army has surrounded the bandits, along with their two leaders, and will lay siege when they meet in the city. Ahi hears this and asks for some time so he can inform Meishien and help her escape before the battle begins. He finds her and takes her to a safe place in the woods. She tells him to be careful and when he returns, the bandits start to arrive.
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Title: 赤灯えれじい (Redlight Elegy) Vol. 2
Artist/Author: きらたかし (Takashi Kira)
Book Size/Pages: B-6, 209pp., w/o furigana
Original Serialization: Young Magazine Vol 32, '04 - Vol 43, '04
First Printing: 12/6/04
Rating: 3/4
This is the last of the three series that I'm following from Young Magazine, along with XXXholic and Minamike. I've already read half of the volume. In contrast to everything else I read, this is probably a series that is most out of place with everything on my bookshelf. While not vulgar like some other Young series, it's pretty crude. The story continues with Satoshi and Chiko developing their relationship in a very dysfunctional way. After moving out and living together, the two decide that they ought to have sex, but their plan is foiled when they can't find a love hotel.
Bonus comes with a colored page and a peek into one of the author's previous works.
12. 金髪記念 (Blonde Commemoration)
13. とりあえずポケットに (Meanwhile, In His Pocket)
14. 伯父さんになってしまるんか!? (I'll Become an Uncle!?)
15. 部屋探しは甘くないわぁ (It's Not Easy Looking For a Room)
16. 新生活 (New Life)
17. 歓楽街の二人…前編 (The Two At The Strip...First Part)
18. 歓楽街の二人…後編 (The Two At The Strip...Last Part)
19. オフロで (At the Bath)
20. おかあさんといっしょ (With Mother)
21. ほな、しょっか♡ (Well, Let's Do It)
22. ラブホへGO!? (To the Love Hotel!?)
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