#what i do for hirarin

[cocotome]

The FREE 10th Anniversary event has been released on Blu-ray!! 😭😭 Don't get it twisted, these tear are for both the release and my wallet!

[sound-of-night]

Reload Free-Talk: Uke or Seme?

I checked out Reload, but didn’t enjoy it as much as the Kotonoha no Hana series, especially in terms of the story and the H scenes. HiroC & OnoD both play aggressive roles—while HiroC sounds pretty good (he uses the same low voice he uses for Levi), OnoD really tries to convey the reluctance & pain in his character’s submission. I peeked at another of OnoD’s uke works, and he uses a softer, more natural voice in that one, so I don’t think it’s the case that he can’t play uke roles lol.

Anyway, I ended up finding the free-talk CD a lot more entertaining. Here’s my attempt to translate (with the aid of Chinese subs) a clip in which HiroC asks the other three seiyuu (OnoD, Hirarin, Taiten) whether they’re seme or uke. 

(If you spot anything missing or glaringly incorrect, please lmk!)

HiroC: This must be asked—are you personally an uke or a seme?

Taiten: [laughing] This will definitely mess with our reputations.

HiroC: [sternly] It’s a question that can’t be skipped!

All: Can’t be skipped.

HiroC: It’s a difficult question, more difficult than the previous ones.

OnoD: [immediately] I’m an uke.

HiroC: An uke? 

OnoD: Yeah.

HiroC: Is it better to receive?

OnoD: It is better. It’s less effort.

HiroC: Ah... I can understand that, because I just don’t know.

OnoD: Know what?

HiroC: How to be a seme.

Taiten: You can’t be a seme unless you’re quick-witted. 

All: Ah, is that so?

Taiten: Yeah, yeah—you have to think about the next developments and how to make the partner feel good. And you can’t care only about your own enjoyment. People who care only about that are S. [Note: Sadistic (S) vs. masochistic (M) is a (not necessarily sexual) personality categorization in Japan.]

HiroC: Wait, hold on—

Hirarin: S??

Taiten: As for me? I’m S.

[laughter]

HiroC: Taiten-san, why aren’t you listening to what we’re talking about?? You didn’t listen to the question at all!

Taiten: [defiantly] I’m just someone who doesn’t listen!

[laughter & crosstalk]

HiroC: Hirakawa-kun, what about you? If you had to choose.

Hirarin: I guess I’d be... an uke?

HiroC: An uke, after all!

Taiten: So is everyone an uke?

HiroC: If I had to choose, I’d have to say I’m also an uke too, because I just don’t know...

OnoD: No, no, no. But I’ve felt pretty good.

HiroC: From what?

OnoD: Kamiya-san.

All: Huh??

OnoD: Kamiya-san’s… uhh… how should I put this?

HiroC: ... Seme?

OnoD: Seme qualities?

HiroC: Ah... you mean earlier in the drama CD? 

OnoD: Well… no, no—

Taiten: You are talking about the CD, right? The role?

HiroC: The role, or in real life.

[crosstalk]

OnoD: Kamiya-san is... well... impressive—harsh, decisive.

HiroC: [laughing] What do you mean?

OnoD: Decisive. You convey unprecedented decisiveness.

HiroC: [laughing] What is this now? Are you copying from something?

OnoD: Well, you kept forcing me to look at those illustrations.

HiroC: Ah... because I thought you wouldn’t understand what’s going on, Ono-kun.

OnoD: And you drew weird things on my script. 

HiroC: Ah...

OnoD: A lot of them. 

HiroC: Mhm...

OnoD: What was that? Well... you’re good at it!

Taiten: Why don’t you just date already, the two of you?? 

HiroC: [muttering very flatly] Those were just his delusions—I did absolutely none of that. What illustrations did I show Ono-kun? There’s no such thing.

OnoD: [quietly] I’ve been humiliated…

HiroC: [nervous] Uhh... umm… moving along!

OnoD: [laughs] Moving along.

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: The Titan’s Bride (for reals this time)

Title: Kyojinzoku no Hanayome (巨人族の花嫁)

Release Date: 2020/12/23

Author/Artist: ITKZ

Cast:

Ono Yuuki x Itou Kento

Nakazawa Masatomo

Takatsuka Tomohito

Synopsis: “It’s like a small fruit…” The Titan’s large hands grasped my thing easily with one hand… With the difference in our size, if we go all the way, I’m definitely gonna die…!?

Review Proper

Sorry.

I honestly might have downplayed my review for the mini drama CD back in August.

This, along with the anime, is a disaster.

See, as a manga, Titan’s Bride is okay and good at best, but there’s only so many ways you can voice giants with utter believability. Ono did well in the mini drama cd, but oh boy, I really don’t want to say this, but Caius here is just... trash bad. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t wholly Ono Yuuki’s fault. It’s just that this setting is just so impossible to work with without visual cues, and since Ono’s natural tone isn’t nearly as deep for a role as this one, it all just sounds so fake that I couldn’t help but snort at it most of the time (also, I slept through this TWICE). And no, it’s not just Ono; it’s literally everyone who’s been cast as a giant that sounds weird. 

Wait.

Wait.

I just came back from reading my notes, so I’ll be taking all of what I said back. THE VOICE ACTING WAS INDEED BAD. On top of struggling with an unbelievable Caius, Ono also didn’t have any chemistry with Itou Kento. HAHAHAHA why do I find this so funny? How’d we go from Love Hole 303 (aka OnoYuu’s best) to this (aka OnoYuu’s worst?) 💀 Itou Kento’s performance wasn’t flawless either. He caught me off guard when Kouichi cried and not in a good way. 🥴 Caius’ farmer friend takes the cake, though. His actor wasn’t credited either, but for the short amount of time he was on track, believability was 0. Nakamo did well as Bertholdt, though, and his Beartoto might be the only one that was a good casting choice from the get-go because he wasn’t really a giant. Bardlot might have been able to save the manga, but he alone wasn’t enough to save the BLCD. Tomo was idk not bad, but not really commendable either.

You know a casting that could probably save this? Kawahara Yoshihisa (Juda) or Shingaki Tarusuke (Byakuya) for Caius, Hirarin for Dr. Martu (Tomo sounds like new-age Hirarin ngl), and Ono Yuuki for Bartholomew. I actually didn’t like Itou Kento voicing Kouichi at first, but he grew on me. I don’t even know who else could suit Kouichi better. Itou Kento just has to step it up more.

The sound engineering for this one was shit—I’m not going to hold back punches on this one. Again, if Glanz was just able to give Ono that giant-esque edge he so needed, then we might have a bearable outcome at least. But with regard to the sound effects and the bgms, it’s still shit. Sometimes, the volume of the sfx for Caius’ or any of the other giants’ movements isn’t even right. You’d think that the bed and Kouichi’s bottom would sound like they’re breaking because they’re being railed by a goddamn train, but nooooo. AND OH MY GOD THE FUCKING MOMU—the fucking Momu (the giant ass cow) was voiced by a man and it freaks me out. I would have appreciated it if it was just voiced by a real cow and was amplified. Y’ALL KNOW IT’S BAD WHEN THEY GET A MAN VOICE A COW AND FAIL.

Just thinking about this BLCD makes me feel exhausted. Do you know when the last time this industry has seen a good isekai? It has been a long 11 years since Kyou Kara Maoh Sora ni Hibiku Ryuu no Utagoe, damn it. I didn’t want to say this because I’m pretty sure that this isn’t true, but just the outcome wants to prove otherwise; this BLCD feels like there’s 0 effort put into it. I mean, I guess that’s suitable for what Titan’s Bride really is, but come on. As I’ve said in the mini drama review, y’all just shouldn’t adapt something when a. it’s not worth it and b. if y’all aren’t going to be serious about it. I KNEW THAT ME HAVING THREE GOOD BLCDS IN A ROW WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

I just don’t understand how it’s already 2021 and there still hasn’t been an adaptation for MadK! All these talents and money wasted. 😩 I DEFINITELY DON’T RECOMMEND GETTING THIS. It’s not entirely faithful to the manga either because many events have been rearranged and y’all know what went down with the other bits. Just listen to Sora ni Ryuu which stars Kondo Takashi (young Fei Wan), Konishi Katsuyuki (adult Fei Wan), and Yusa Koji (Ryuusei). The world building on that was just amazing. *sigh* Where has that 2010 quality gone, I wonder.

[everything-laito]

HDB vs MB Laito + my opinions

There’s been a lot of opinions about Laito’s abrupt shift in his character between HDB and MB. I’m gonna break it down first, and then talk about it. Whole essay under the cut!

To begin with, let’s start with the contrasts between HDB and MB in general. This is a short list, there’s definitely more.

Laito’s route in Haunted Dark Bridal 

Darker, isolating, focusing on the mysteries around Laito and le Sakamakis as a whole

Hints pretty heavily at Laito’s masochism

Voice drops and manic laughs and sadism galore

Stomach knotting content

Laito’s route in MB

Not as an isolating feeling; not as dark compared to HDB; different focus on Yui’s placement in the Sakamakis and now the Mukamis, along with some Karlheinz development. Focuses on interactions with the Mukamis as well in the plot scenarios

Laito? A masochist? Who is she???? Where’d she go??? She not here

Stomach knotting but more of “oh god what the fuck why” @ the toothbrush scene 

Focuses on Laito’s perverseness; not as sadistic as he was, but still uses objects for,,, unconventional things

What they kept with both: 

Laito’s poetic and cryptid phrases with double meanings

Laito’s lust vs love motifs; more prominent in MB 

In Laito’s route in More Blood there isn’t an instance where you go into the dungeon (except in his brute route I think?)… Which is… interesting… Because he took you there a good handful of times in Haunted Dark Bridal. I found the fact that in HDB you RARELY saw any other of the brothers. I don’t even think you saw Shuu in that route aside from the prologue. That whole route was isolating, like I said, and that just added to the whole twisted experience. More Blood wasn’t as isolating; you saw Kou or mentioned Kou in the plot oriented scenarios. 

I know More Blood focuses on the Mukamis too, whether you’re in a Sakamaki route or not. It also assumes a scenario where Yui didn’t choose any of the vampires like she did in HDB. She was just there, vibing. I did like how we got some Laito interactions with other characters, because that was barely a thing in HDB. 

More Blood was a lot more traditionally fanservicey, in my opinion, compared to HDB. It was oddly calmer too, with rare Laito mood switches, except in the maniac portion where Laito became more thirsty for Yui’s blood. He was in a writhing, screaming mess. What I do like about More Blood is his development towards the end. But the first half of that game was… oddly fluffy, for Laito’s HDB brand he created.

We did see another side of Laito in MB; a side we’ve never seen. He was in a begging, craved state (even more so in his HDB flashbacks; dear god Hirarin can scream and cry). He was very poised and calculating in HDB. He was a predator, had walls that Yui couldn’t even break; cuz Laito broke Yui before any of that happened. In More Blood, he was desperate, and ended up not wanting to drink Yui’s blood because it just made it worse for him. He was in an utter state of confusion, which made him more susceptible to Reiji’s words and his paranoia of Kou stealing Yui. 

As much as I don’t like Reiji as much (just a personal preference; don’t hurt me), I do like Reiji and Laito interactions, considering they contrast each other quite a bit (and it can be really funny and or constructive!). But Reiji was kinda done with Laito’s shit by the end and Yui ended up killing herself over it as a self sacrifice to Laito. Which was definitely different than her trying to kill herself in Haunted Dark Bridal. In HDB it was an act of escape, she hated Laito’s actions so much that she felt like that was her only choice (god that scene in HDB made my stomach shrink and invert). In More Blood, she had more of a positive (?) attachment to Laito compared to the HDB experience. 

In contrast to HDB, MB had Laito’s walls broken down by Yui. Karlheinz was like “haha nope you’re not dying wtf” and we got a beautiful, tragic scene of Laito being confused by his own tears over Yui’s death; and her unlocking his heart. Something that was never possible for HDB Laito, since he broke Yui and had her right where he wanted. He could mold her to his every desire. (Yes, she’s a strong character, but her being broken by Laito doesn’t mean she’s weak. She’s a human, and is capable of neuroplasticity; a neurological concept that means the brain can be molded negatively and positively no matter whatever the person’s previous circumstances are). 

More Blood Laito is kind of an antithesis to HDB Laito. We actually got a consensual sex scene at the end of ecstasy, which makes me cry every time. It was a really poetic scene; Laito guiding Yui through the process but Yui shows him the fuzzy wuzzies. (thanks to @/akuichansera for the translations as usual!)

Laito: So, love… …seems to be a good feeling of thing after all… …

I think… …you were asking to be loved.

Yui: … …Yeah… …it’s good. But, still.

Laito: Fufu… …I thought that Bitch-chan was saying so… ..It’s something you only know… …

But, I’m relieved… …to do things like this… …Nn… …

――Yui, only you.

As mentioned in my Hilde analysis, I was saying how he hated and rejected love, but grew to “like” it because he forced himself to just intake the physical pleasure. Which I do think is true to his HDB character as well. And in this quote in Ecstasy 10, it shows that he still likes pleasure (which he has to work on more of the emotional side, but hey, thats gradual development!) but has a positive correlation with it; which is that scene.

As for endings, his vampire ending was meh in my opinion as for Laito endings. It was cute, him trying out cute couple things, but it was too cheesy for my taste LOL, idk it was a weak ending too but that might just be me.

I know people are mad or disappointed by Laito’s fluffier character in MB. And I’m not exactly mad, because the events in MB make Laito less calculating and more erratic and emotional (because he’s craved with thirst). Which I like seeing that new side of him. Sure I like the dark sadism stuff in HDB and I will miss HDB Laito, but I do love seeing this man develop! One thing I hate more than writing abruptly changing for the audience cuz of business related things, is just having a stoic character. I still think he’s Dialover’s most complex character, even if they made him and the other boys less dark. 

Thanks for reading as always! Feel free to add on if you’d like! -Corn

[yakocchi]

2019 Birthday Story Set // Voice Bonus (Zain, Yakov)

hey fools it’s zain’s bday on this side of the planet (and yesterday for JP). happy bday to the objectively flawless chara in bmp that the staff excludes from stuff sometimes bc he gave up his princehood to remain a plebian scrub 😔 cant be in the prince crew if u clean someone else’s dishes 

for the 2019 bday cycle (zain is the last one on the cycle bc im pretty sure his route was released on bmp2/ek after his bday...rip) they made story sets which are the routes from the older bday event. the “real” appeal of these sets is that when you get the full set, you get an exclusive brief voice clip. wowee

yea so i mostly got zain’s bc i love hirarin. lol if LT/BMPP wasn’t 34823 years ago i’d be pissed that the cost of this entire set (~$11) is way cheaper than it was to full clear that shit from back then. i mean you don’t get any of the really cool avatars (like the prince uniform or the bg bc im pretty sure those were used for bmp2 chara bday events) but oh well

v brief translations behind the cut. please credit if you take anything from this post, thenk u (･ω･*)

Zain (CV. Hirakawa Daisuke)

[Z]: “Until now, I have never thought much of my birthday and similar matters, but...” [Z]: “To be celebrated by my beloved - is such a lovely thing, huh...” [Z]: “If I had never met My Lady, I feel that I would have never realized that.” [Z]: “...From now on, will you stay by my side, forevermore?”

remember when they spammed the sexi dubious zain face on every zain thing ever back when his route first came out smh why did they stop doing that

and in the cardigan and the くだけた wow what an era

Yakov (CV. Yasumoto Hiroki)

[Y]: “You came here specifically to celebrate?” [Y]: “......No,” [Y]: “I just thought that simply you being here, in front of my very eyes... makes me happy.” [Y]: “Before I even realized it - I’ve fallen terribly in love with you, it seems.” [Y]: “Then... let us celebrate today until the very end?” [Y]: “Even down to the things I desire... you know what they are, don’t you?”

you may be wondering, op fam why u no have all the sets if zain is the last one on the cycle. and well hypothetical reader that is because i aint that whipped for the other seiyuu for that nonsense

rip but i think the people they picked for social do a fine enough job. esp sakuchan and ryo (reprising his role from that ancient ass drama cd) for wil and rob respectively. legit it isn’t gonna get any better than that... whoever did the booking for that u did GOOD

[teddystrap]

Drama CD: [幽幻ロマンチカ・真骨頂] ≁Bakeneko Arahagi・Inugami Toneri≁

No audio track this time sorry! But anyway, I’ve made sizeable progress on the Yuuroma series: Hifumi + Utashiro’s Hatenkou, Zakuro, Toneri, and a bunch of tokuten for everybody (/*^-^)/. I’ll do the 2nd Shinkocchou first, for continuity.

And I haven’t listened to the two individual discs before this, so I had no idea who they are... or that their names are actually Arahagi (cat demon; cv. Kaji Yuuki) and Toneri (dog deity; cv, Hirakawa Daisuke) until about 3/4 into the story, since they kept calling each other ‘Stupid Cat’ and ‘Stupid Dog’. Orz

Obvsly this time there is no bromance like in the 1st disc and they fight like... err... cats and dogs (for lack of a better description XD).

As before, hidden messages from the both of them:

１．壱、都市伝説『二次元カレシ』 ２．弐、手が<か>りはどこ？ ３．参、そこは見せか<け>の幸福世界 ４．四、ここにず<っ>といよう ５．伍、意地でも負<け>られない ６．六、この世界が壊れ<る>としても ７．七、 都市伝説『二次元カレシ』看破 ８．キャストトーク

Arahagi: bold⋆ spells 「どこにでも」 (‘No matter where [you are]...’)

Toneri: <⋆> spells 「かけつける」 (‘...I will rush to your side’)

...うれしいィィ！！ありがとね、二人とも～^^

*

[The Second Rumour: Urban Legend ‘2D Boyfriend’]

All the girls at your school are addicted to a mobile otome game app. Rumour has it that players can end up getting trapped in the game world, and their bodies are found in sleeping position holding their phones in one hand.

Toilet Guy has again asked Arahagi and Toneri to investigate. This time your team name is: the Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~. Σ_(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)_. And both your animal manservants have the good sense to hate this abomination of a name. But it will come in handy later on...

So. First order of business is to throw *you* into the virtual world. It’s been rumoured that collecting a full set of accessories from one game character can accomplish this, so your animal bfs possess your body and go shopping.

They push a bunch of bling on you (Toneri makes you wear a choker that reminds him of a dog collar XD), and eventually you can’t take it anymore and run out of the store because you don’t wanna turn into the lovechild of Katy Perry and Flavor Flav. And anyway it didn’t work. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ RIP Operation BringTheBling1.

Plan #2: There is another rumour that players get sucked in when they access the app at midnight. So Catboy and Dogman (henceforth ‘CatDog’) camp over in your bed, and sure enough, when the clock strikes 12, you fall into a deep sleep and enter the game world.

The game is set in a high school that’s an *exact* replica of Nanagiri, with two characters who sound (and look) exactly like your Cat and Dog bfs. [Hirarin is the senpai and Kaji is the kouhai, ofc.] You are shocked by this unfolding of events, and the two of them think you have a cold and need to go to the nurse’s office to rest.

You take this as an opportunity to escape, and as you are running you hear Arahagi and Toneri’s voices from the other side. They successfully possess your sleeping body and enter the virtual world as well.

Senpai and Kouhai can see the demons possessing you. They forcibly exorcise the duo and drag you away. As the exorcised duo come to, they find themselves turned into their chibi forms XDD. Meanwhile, Senpai and Kouhai have taken you to the nurse’s office. As they are trying to approach you, you spray the fire extinguisher at them and make your escape. Niceee.

You manage to find Arahagi and Toneri hiding in the courtyard. They repossess your body to regain their powers and apologise for not being able to protect you. But you have come up with a battle plan: Operation LoveLetter1. Dun dun DUNNN.

The plan is to put a love letter in their shoe locker asking Senpai and Kouhai to meet with you next evening. Being in an otome game, they can only do as they are told to unlock the love event. (Also what is with this 3P-harem setting where you can confess and unlock event for two characters at once?? I need to get in on dis yo. ¬‿¬)

You and CatDog stay up all night to discuss the battle plan, and Arahagi thinks this whole game reeks of the work of a human being. He figures out that they can rob the game characters of their powers by stealing their phones. (Why do even the characters have phones inside the game??) And to power-up themselves, CatDog trade hugs and kisses with each other (I WISH!!) you to feed off of your human energy.

Next day, Senpai and Kouhai show up at the arranged meeting time, and CatDog appear to start a riot. They throw out your team name Pitch-Black Executors ~DARK (K)NIGHT MESSIAH~, which confuses their opponents and gives them the perfect opportunity to steal the opponents’ phones.

Toneri ties the two characters up with chains and Arahagi drops a bunch of machinery and shit on top of them, but dis ain’t ovah ya’ll. The two of them go into *dark mode*. They change the backdrop and damage the data of Arahagi and Toneri’s bodies. As they bury CatDog alive and take you away, you tell them that you believe in CatDog, which gives them the power they need to free themselves from entombment and destroy the game characters.

...When the smoke clears, they see a student that was sucked into the game world. Strangely enough, *it’s a boy*, and they figure that he must be the human that the game monster is possessing and feeding off of.

It turns out that the boy offered himself as a human sacrifice to the urban legend and created this game world to shield his younger sister from the harsh reality. The game world begins to disintegrate, and Toneri tells the boy to face his sister properly instead of doing this stupid shit in the name of ‘protection’. To Toneri and Arahagi, who come into this world all alone, every little detail of the familial bonds and ties between humans seems magical and deserves to be treasured.

The three of you wake up in your bed, and CatDog wonder if the boy’s little sister is going to be alright. You devise a plan... for the two of them to appear to her in a dream pretending to be the two game characters. Toneri flubs his lines and gets beaten up by Arahagi XD. They tell the girl they are relieved that she has finally awoken from her slumber, and invite her to play the game again whenever she is feeling down.

Now a new urban legend has arisen: that whenever a girl gets sucked into the game world, her 2D boyfriend tells her to get out or else she won’t make it to her own wedding in the future. (#meirl XDD.) What’s more, CatDog have erased the oniisan’s memories of the whole incident, and both he and his sister have returned to school as usual.

*Meanwhile*, YOU have become addicted to this game app XD. After unsuccessfully trying to snatch your phone out of your hands, CatDog tease you with kisses and promise to make your real life more exciting than any game ever... yes please Hirarin and Kaji the two of you can come and possess me any time I don’t mind fufufufu~~~ (´┓`*)

*

[Thoughts] ⋆敬称略⋆

Ok so this was my first introduction to both characters (Arahagi/Toneri). I kept thinking as I was listening to it: wouldn’t it be great if Kaji and Hirarin switched roles? Doesn’t it feel like Kaji has more of an excitable puppy-like personality (or quality to his voice, rather), and Hirarin has more of a slow, cat-like temperament??

In fact in the Free Talk when Hirarin said that he is 100% a Cat Person and he thinks Arahagi is really cute, I was all ready to jump out of my chair all like, ‘I KNEW IT!!!’ #notoverreactingatall._(:3」∠)_. ...I guess Rejet wanted to switch it up a little? Or maybe Kimura Ryouhei was busy, because Toneri [yandere + dog ears] sounds like the job for him. Also I can’t help but wonder how perfect Hirarin would be as Utashiro lulling me to sleep with his soothing voice...

(*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♡

But all this fantasy casting aside, every time I hear Toneri’s adorable grumpy/growling noises that he makes when he’s dissatisfied, I feel like they made the right casting choice after all. #omgWANT ლ(⁰⊖⁰ლ)

What else, what else... HmMMmMmm, the story and characters/pair dynamics this time round is a bit more childish and less ‘tight’ than before. So idk, I didn’t feel as much of *Deh Romantic Feelz* towards Arahagi/Toneri like I did for Hifumi/Utashiro. Although I still enjoyed it because I am immature.

The doppelganger bit was pretty kewl though. Although the battle scene kind of got resolved in a very #WTF kind of way and left me wanting more. Also the overprotective older brother story would’ve benefited from a better explanation/backstory of why he did what he did, no? Overall just kind of #わけわかんない, and not a very tight story, like I said.

The otome game theme was kind of relevant and interesting, esp the senpai character in the game who kept emphasising the use of this kind of romance fantasies as a form of escapism. ...Which got a bit philosophical/personal in a way, although I’m not sure if Toneri was the best person to expound on this because he’s so... erm... simple-minded XD.

Nonetheless, the overall message was clear: that it’s always better to face things head-on, and you have limitless potential as a human being. +++

But *then again* this series isn’t meant to be analysed very deeply. It’s more just for ya’ll to enjoy the cute huggable chibi things and the powerful demons protecting the fuck out of you. Yeah? Yeahh.

Although!! From the cast commentaries it seems like the seiyuu themselves can’t/won’t actually protect you from anything in the event of an actual urban legend/haunting. It’s funny how they voice all these powerful/scary demon and spirit characters, but when they see an actual horror programme or whatever on TV they quickly look away and change the channel!! (-_-|||) SENSEI I AM DISAPPOINT. 

The only exception so far is Sakurai Takahiro, who spouted off a bunch of kaidan-banashi from his old high school enthusiastically when asked. Like, everyone else is a wimp and he is the One True Hero. He even has ‘he[/i]ro’ in his name!!

[danseikoe]

welcome back!! if ur still up for translating, what about amaeta kareshi with furukawa? it has been in my mind for months, also maybe adding ur url/username in between the translation would be good, I've seen the other blogs do that to their work. I hope you feel better! sometimes listening to shukan soine still helps me on a rough week lol its a classic but gold, esp yocchin and hirarin's volume

Hello!! Thanks so much for your welcome and THAT TIP! Such a good idea, thank you for that! I feel a bit nervous regarding my current audio translation abilities, but I do plan on opening up a poll about which CD to translate in the upcoming week. (It’ll most likely be something from DLSite)

I had forgotten all about that series! It was one of my firsts I’d listen to on Youtube back in the day, ahhh the nostalgia~~

Thank you for taking the time to message me, and please stay safe out there!

[otome-baka]

I just want to confess. I can't believe it...after playing Code:Realize...Diasuke Hirakawa pulled Saint Germain off very well.

Honestly I was a bit skeptical. He is an amazing voice actor. I listen to a lot of his projects and sometimes its mostly by accident, because the cover art catches my eye first then I listen to it. And this is one of these examples. He really got me by surprise. I have a love-hate relationship with this va. [Damn you Laito!!! --- in a good way]

I love Sainty-G! Literally. Hirarin did a great job exploding all my doubts with his performance. Right down to those giggles and tender soft words.

Still my most favorite scene in the anime. He so chill about blasting Van out of a cannon. Worried Cardia just couldn't push the button. She's such a gentle soul.

Bye now I'm going to distract myself and rethink on what the hell i am doing with my freaking life.

[sweetdarkselfishness]

Mamo chan teaching Hirarin to sing

CD

*Mamo singing*

Mamo: Next! next! More great/beautiful!

*mamo singing*

Mamo: how?

Hirarin: mm...It's confusing. How about this?

*Hirarin singing* (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

Mamo: not bad...NOT BAD TSUTOMU!!

Hirarin: really? I'm glad~

MAMO: It is not enough shine for your song!

Hirarin: shine? 

*Mamo singing* -HERE WE GO!-

Hirarin: I wonder if I can do it... *singing*

Mamo: That's right Tsutomu! More.. EXPRESIVO! 

 ?? (I did not understand)?? It's fine, is not it  BRAVO! 

HIRARIN: Teru I can do it

I wrote what I understood is not an exact translation. I do not have good English either xDD

[cocotome]

Hirarin decided to use the platform OPENREC for Hirakawanchi while NicoNico was down. In the latest episode, he does live gaming!! I can't wait to watch this lol. With NicoNico being back in business Aug 22, he's said all the missed episodes will be available on his Nico channel~

Looks like he played the Watermelon Game on Switch!!

[yunaura]

AX2017 - Hirakawa Daisuke Panel (Transcription?)

So I completely forgot to post this back then but here it is now in case anyone was interested;; I somehow made it into the panel room after roasting in the LA sun for an hour or so. Since I was really far in the back and couldn’t see anything anyways, I spent the entire panel transcribing what I could hear to my friends.

I apologize for any mistakes with what I heard and please note that most of these Q&A were summarized since I can only type so fast on a mobile device;;

Hosted Panel Questions

Q: So is this your first time in LA? H: Yes Q: First time coming to America, right? H: Yes Q: So we can say that you came specifically for us? H: Of course!

Q: ?? H: I was really happy to see all of the cosplays here.

Q: Are you more of a dog or a cat person? H: Neko! Q: Why do you like cats more? H: I have 2 cats and they are my children. Their names are Tororo and Komu (unsure of names/spellings sorry;;/)

Q: Are you a good swimmer? (Free! reference question) H: I can swim pretty well and in different styles, including butterfly ;) Q: Were you on a team for swimming at school? H: No. (He said something about a club but I missed it)

Q: Have you ever broken into spontaneous song and dance in public? H: No *laughs* Do people really do that? Audience says yes and he raises arms cheerfully surprised.

Q: Please tell us the reason you became a seiyuu. H: I used to love American TV Shows such as A-Team and ??. So when I found out that the voices dubbing the live action was the same as those for animation, I thought this job was interesting. I also used to want to be a kindergarten teacher and entertain kids. So when I do voice acting, I can also reach my goal of entertaining kids.

Q: Do you prefer gaining skills for swordsmanship or for gunsmanship? H: I prefer swordsmanship. I have tried ?? [a type of choreographed swordsplay] before and it was really tough but also interesting.

Q: Do you also travel often outside of Japan? (JoJo reference question) H: I do when I get invited to events and conventions, but I have never traveled at my leisure. I especially have never been to Egypt. Q: Where would you like to travel? H: Australia. And New Zealand because I have played the voice of Legolas.

Audience Q&A Session (I apologize that I actually had a hard time catching the questions so I mostly only have the answers given by Hirarin)

(Question about favorite role) H: I love all of my characters but my favorite role was Legolas.

(Question about visiting Canada for 100th year celebration?) H: I would like to visit Canada someday. And also do snowboarding while there.

(Question about behind the scenes of otome guy roles, ie DiaLovers etc and if the lines are ever embarassing to him to say) H: If I have to say those lines for myself, it would be very embarassing. However, as long as it is for a character, it is ok.

(Question about favorite current American TV Show) [I missed the answer due to some noise]

(Casual Cardia cosplay asked a question about playing roles of Earls vs normal people? - Could not clearly hear) H: Just because the character is an Earl, it doesn’t change their core character. So each character has a different personality I try to portray and bring forth from their script.

Q: Do you like singing roles?

H: I do like singing as a character and I try my best to stay in character as I sing.

Q: Do you enjoy recording as your characters? H: It is very difficult and to keep my voice in character as well. But it is a fun challenge.

(Question about Free or JoJo?) H: We have specific seating arrangements for each production. So we have fun and chat before and after the recording but during is all professional mode.

(Question about food or what has he done in America?) H: In N’ Out

(Question about JoJo with spoilers - How do you handle all the different ranges of emotions?) H: Kakyoin is very important to me. It is a character that a lot of people love too. I was really nervous before the recording trying to figure out how to perform such a scene and didn’t figure it out until the end. So when I recorded that scene, because I was with Dio, Kakyoin’s lines just came out from me. So I found that it is important to listen to the other actors to determine my own acting.

(San Cosplayer asks about personal role model or motto for himself) H: I don’t have any personal role model but my motto is ?? [simple explanation is: The taller the wheat grows, it bends]. So even if I get more popular and famous, I want to stay humble and hardworking with everyone.

~~ I missed a few questions since some kind of concert or dance started up next door and the rooms are divided by thin panel walls ~~

(Question about new Free!) H: New Free! will be about Rei and Nagisa protecting the swimming club, maybe? I don’t knot much about the story but I look forward to acting for it.

(Question about chara in DiaLovers?) H: Do-S, Hentai, and ??: These are the 3 points I needed to be focused on. I feel like the more I did this character, the more...Do-M he actually feels..?

~~ From my perspective, he is naturally a very soft-spoken person. His normal voice was closer to San from Code Realize. He was very smiley and kind during the whole panel as well. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed that read. Let me know if there’s anything I should fix, or if you were there, any corrections. ~~

[tabooneko]

Hello! May I ask few questions? Do you only translate Laito and Shiki's CDs? I saw that you translated Dance with Devils Shiki's CB CD and I liked your translation very much. So I'm just wondering - do you only translate Shiki and Laito's CDs because they have the same voice actor? Or could you translate other DwD CDs if you're interested in it?

Hi! ^^ Of course you can ask~No, I translate what I like~ ;D It's just Hirarin is my favorite seiyuu, that's why I mostly translate his CDs. But if someone wants to request a different drama CD and I will like it, I can translate it~ ;D I'm open to suggestions! ;D And thank you so much for enjoying my translations! It makes me really happy~ ^^

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Tadaima, Okaeri

Title: Tadaima, Okaeri

Release Date: 2020/07/28

Cast:

Morikawa Toshiyuki x Tamaru Atsushi

Toriumi Kousuke + Yashiro Taku

Tanezaki Atsumi

Synopsis: Masaki is a male Omega married to Hiromu a male Alpha. They have a child together named Hikari and they've just moved in to a new neighborhood. The story revolves around the everyday lives of this couple and how they raise their son Hikari.

Review Proper

Y’all should know by now that I really don’t like plots that involve children and rapists. And if that wasn’t enough, I also don’t like already established couples. Literally the only reason why I endured reading the manga because I felt bad for not supporting my friends’/proofreaders’ favorite manga. I do like Ichikawa Ichi, and Tenjou no Shita ni Koi is still one of my favorites up to this day (even though I have a love-hate relationship with it), but sensei is known to have an affinity towards love triangles—YA GIRL EVEN DOES SQUARES. It’s especially frustrating for me because I end up rooting for everyone to end up with the MC. 😩 Thankfully for me, Tadaima, Okaeri didn’t have a love triangle...in volume one at least.

If ya ain’t giving me 3P, don’t even bother

Anyway, I was actually ecstatic when news broke out about the adaptation. I mean, despite the fumble Fusion Product had with Fuck Buddy’s casting, I still had faith in their casting for omegaverse because hello? This was the legendary house who brought the award-winning Kashikomarimashita, Destiny onto the table and Romantic Joutou! Of course they’re gonna deliver again this time around, right???

WRONG!!!

 I just about died when I saw that Moririn was coming in for Hiromu, but then when I scrolled down to see who was going to do my and Yuuki's beloved Matsuo-san...

Y’ALL ARE WRONG TO CAST TORIUMI KOUSUKE FOR MATSUO-SAN. Don’t get me wrong, I love the man and he did his best, but he is in no way suited to play mature and sexy Matsuo-san. I wouldn’t have complained if Tori and Moririn switched roles because Tori is more suited to comedic Papa roles (Dekichatta Danshi), but Matsuo-san has this air of mysery to him that Tori can't emulate. 😤 Plus, Tori, bless his heart, doesn’t have a lot of sex appeal as a top. How was FP even expecting a black cat play a wolf??? There’s a plethora of actors who would slay Matsuo-san’s role out there and I just can’t fathom why FP couldn’t chose any one of them instead. If they were just going to mispurpose veterans in BLCDs, then I’d rather have them not be cast at all! Maeno could have delivered Matsuo-san just fine if only he wasn’t already committed to Kashikomarimashita, Destiny, but there’s still Wacchan, Hirarin, Katou Masayuki, and Shingaki Tarusuke who are around Moririn’s range. SEE, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF Y’ALL JUST CAST KATOU MASAYUKI GODDAMIT. 

Breathe, Cheska. Breathe.

Anyway, as I’ve mentioned earlier, when I saw Moririn’s name on that list, I really did die; BUT NOTHING EVER PREPARED ME FOR WHAT HE WAS GOING TO SERVE ON THAT FUCKING TABLE!!! You don’t understand. Not only did he go a tone deeper than what I had imagined Hiromu’s voice was going to be, he also sounded like he was recording with a goddamn dummy head mic! 😩 Mans made me feel like he was talking to me and that Hikarin was our child (sorry, Masaki)! WELL, THAT SURE TOOK ME FUCKING BACK TO MY TEENS WHERE I’D JUST LISTEN TO HIS LOVERS ONLY AND KARESHI IGAI CDS TO SLEEP. FUCKING CHEAT WITH ME, DADDY!!! The audacity of your duality, FP!!! Now this is how you put veterans to good use! It’s been how many years ever since he was cast in a good role/main role??? Three??? Please come back for more, sir!!! 😩 Ugh. I honestly can’t think of another actor who could play Hiromu better than he can and he’s going to be the very reason why I’m going to listen to the upcoming adaptations if there may be. Again, I didn’t like Hiromu and Masaki’s pair at all and didn’t care about them, BUT YO I’M ALL SIGNED UP FOR THAT MORIRIN ACTION!!!

Tama and Taku also did very well in their respective roles. I also can’t imagine their characters to be played by other people, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I didn’t confuse Tama for Shirai Yuusuke in the beginning. 😂I do have to mention Tanezaki Atsumi here, too, because she fucking deserves it. When I say that I don’t like children, I really mean that I don’t like children. I mostly ignored Hikarin’s entire existence while I read the manga because I found him spoiled and well, you know, disproportionate. However, it’s really hard to ignore him now that he’s voiced, so I had no choice but to actually listen to the plot (surprise I only skipped to Hiromu and Masaki’s bedroom subjugation and Matsuo-san and Yuuki-kun’s interactions). I don’t know if it was because I was a few days away from my period, Moririn’s daddy voice, Tanezaki Atsumi’s stellar voice acting, BUT Y’ALL THAT AWAKENED MOTHER’S INSTINCTS, I—

YO I GET IT. I GET IT, YOU HIKARI SIMPS. HAPPY NOW?! Hina is a different story, though

I’m still not a 100% in Hiromu and Masaki’s relationship, but I will try reading through it with interest (try is the keyword). If anything, this BLCD made the series better EXCEPT for Tori’s casting fiasco of course. I’d definitely recommend this to you if you’re a fan of the series, but do be warned. If you also thought that Tori’s catching was sketch, trust your instincts because it’s going to turn out like how you imagine it. Regardless, everyone did their best and despite some minor addends/rearrangements on the dialogue, this was a good adaptation over all. PLEASE DO LISTEN TO THIS IF YOU’RE A MORIRIN FAN OH MY I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH. 

[everything-laito]

not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but the fact that Laito and Kakyoin (from Jojos) are both voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa just throws me in for an absolute loop.

If you’ve seen Jojos, you know about the cherry scene with Kakyoin.

My friends who watch Jojos kept waiting till I got to that scene when I saw it last year and they were like “what did you think, super weird right”

And I’m like, “honestly, I’ve heard that voice actor do weirder things”

IM SO DESENSITIZED OF HIRARIN’S WEIRD VOICING SCENARIOS L O L

On a separate note I can’t wait for the Demon Slayer movie to come out so I can watch it in theaters and hear Daisuke Hirakawa’s voice in movie theater stereo, I love that man’s voice and his talent omg

[yakocchi]

Spring Love with the Prince (Royal Garden) // Voiced Mini Stories

Well, this event is nice because its contents (the avatars, the voice lines, etc.) appear to be new – as in it’s not all lazy reprinted crud from the ancient BMP1 platform. It seems like for 2020 they’ve managed to get a hold of all the seiyuu and recorded new voice lines haha yes

Translations and Event Fluff Behind the Cut!

Characters are organized by story order (the order you receive them)

Glenn (CV. Ishikawa Kaito)

[G]: “Ah, a hairy caterpillar-! … Just joking with you.” [G]: “…Could it be that you’re upset with me? Sorry.” [G]: “…Huh? You were just pretending to be mad? Haah… Thank goodness.” [G]: “I was thinking that you were upset because I made fun of you, so I got a bit flustered there.” [G]: “Really, I’m too weak when it comes to you. Even knowing that, I can’t change a thing about it and it’s frustrating.”

Zain (CV. Hirakawa Daisuke)

[Z]: “I’m completely mesmerized – not by… the cherry blossoms, but by My Lady mesmerized by the blossoms.” [Z]: “Stay still for a moment. A petal got in your hair...” (kiss) [Z]: “I lied. You standing still among the dancing flurry of the blossoms… was so beautiful, so naturally I simply… was swayed to want to do such a thing.” [Z]: “Would it be all right if I do it… some more?”

hirarin as zain is just……..

also there really was a kiss sfx but I cut it out by accident when editing lol whoopsies

Joshua (CV. Namikawa Daisuke)

[J]: “It is my first time partaking in this supposed ‘cherry blossom viewing’, but I could not possibly think that it would be this much fun.” [J]: “Somehow or another, I tend to naturally smile when it appears that you’re enjoying yourself.” [J]: “You, truly… I’m just no match for you.”

Edward (CV. Okitsu Kazuyuki)

[E]: “The descending, transient cherry blossoms truly are beautiful.” [E]: “Though it is only that way because I get to see something that is, indeed, always more gorgeous than these flowers.” [E]: “I may have never felt such an impression before.” [E]: “’What could that something be,’ you ask?” [E]: “…It is you – my beautiful partner who need not scatter away.”

Keith (CV. Kondo Takashi)

[K]: “Spring at Oriens is also pretty nice, huh.” [K]: “…Just a moment ago, you standing there in the midst of the storm of blossoms was so freakin’ stunning, I was honestly a bit enchanted by it.” [K]: “…Man, I’m all drunk on that blossom-viewing sake.” [K]: “I said something that was pretty out-of-character of me.”

Roberto (CV. Kimura Ryohei)

[R]: “It’s the perfect weather for cherry blossom viewing!” [R]: “Now, the bento you woke up early to make for me is also the best, but–“ [R]: “I missed the taste of your family’s dango!”

…………sir this is not as heartfelt as the others im gonna need u to return home-

Wilfred (CV. Sakurai Takahiro)

[W]: “Apparently in your country there’s a saying that goes along the lines of ‘the dango over the flowers.’” [W]: “From my angle, it’s you over the flowers and over the dango.” [W]: “The cherry blossoms are indeed very beautiful; but when I get to see things with you, simply anything and everything ends up looking beautiful.”

The saying he’s talking about 「花より団子」has a meaning that’s kind of like “choosing substance over style”, or preferring practicality over aesthetics and/or style. Mind, it’s not used as a positive thing to describe someone haha. It’s kind of like criticizing someone for not appreciating or understanding the beauty of something

Yakov (CV. Yasumoto Hiroki)

[Y]: “These ‘cherry blossoms’ come and fall rather fleetingly.” [Y]: “However, simply the scattering of all these petals at once is a magnificent sight.” [Y]: “I like it. I want to see these blossoms with you for next year as well. It’s a promise.”

Brief Event Fluff

This event is in their relatively-new “Royal Garden” format. It’s just a revamp of collection events, but it’s cute bc you can take their pets out to war to bring back some extra points every three hours. This is probably the most official “rendition” of the BMP1 character’s “pets”. They’re not like the BMP2 charas (where most everyone has an actual pet) so lol with some of them:

wil’s is a terrifying prince rabbit doll bc… carrots or something. somebody retcon in a bootleg lassie for him please i hate looking at this thing

keith is his dumb lion fursona like kevin’s. it even stands upright and everything

roberto has a legit rabbit, which i think has been his motif for a long time and was then further solidified with the rabbit doll in his time travel bday story.

joshua’s is Kyuu. idr if kyuu made any named appearances in his English content, but kyuu is that same grey cat ↓

(there’s more but u get the message) sieg’s cat is “Kyuu the Third” where Sieg’s cat is related to this Kyuu lol

glenn has a hamster(?). kuon has a squirrel (and i think shion the chipmunk?) so it might be a bootleg mascot of that

ed has a pegasus-type-looking horse. I think Arionne exists only in the non-social continuity, and the one BMP fansite master I look to claims that the horse is named Raphael. idk I never really bothered to play much ed content so hmmm

yakov obv has Daifuku which still cracks me up bc it is among the smallest and least threatening of the animals. charas like ivan and ryuo have wolves and tigers which are still cool but cute but the guy with hunting and shooting as his listed hobbies has a very small owl that doesn’t do anything cool except be a klepto and bother him at work

zain has a panther-like cat, identical to jin. but if I really want to go wehhh zain master race zain had the black cat motif in his avatar items before they even bothered to make jin a major character iirc. the fansite master seems to think it’s supposed to be a call to Suzu (the cat in Zain’s time travel bday route) but hmmm idk

[jokertrap-ran]

[Yumeiro Cast: GENESIS] A NEW CAST No.1005 Sudo Gaku ~First Performance~ Translations:

*One of the translations done on a whim because it’s Hirarin, you know *Translations under cut

One day, approaching the flag-raising performance of “Genesis”. A member from the Tsubasa Art Theater conducted interviews with the members.

Reporter: Sorry for keeping you waiting, Sudo-san…...Huh? Sudo Gaku-san……?

Gaku raised his head with a grumpy expression at the Interviewer calls for him.

Gaku: …...My my, it’s finally my turn huh. You made me wait quite a bit, didn’t you? Reporter: My apologies! The interviews with everyone else had been prolonged rather unexpectedly…... Gaku: Well, whatever. It’s a given that Tori’s a big shot so waiting is also part of my job scope. Reporter: No, you’re the 4th and the lead, Haiba was scheduled to be the last-- Gaku: Aah!? So you mean that I was just being postponed!?

The reporter shook his head and flipped his interview notes without paying any heed to Gaku’s raging.

Gaku: I’m cutting out of valuable practice time to do this interview over here. I won’t stand for it if you write out a boring article after all the time you've made me wait. Reporter: Y-Yes! Then, I’ll be going straight to the first question…...For someone like you who used to belong to a theater company specialising in straight play, what’s a musical to you? Gaku: A musical’s-- a “Battlefield”. Reporter: Err…...A battlefield, you say……? Gaku: There’s also the factor of the viewer’s preference when they watch an act so that’s where their taste will affect one’s evaluation. However, that’s a different story when the singing and dancing portions come in. Gaku: The ability of an actor’s acting skills is laid out bare on the stage, with that in pace, the final and absolute winner is determined from there. That’s why I chose this arena.

Gaku’s eyes shone with a fierce and provocative shine and his veins could be seen on his fist as he clenched it tightly.

Reporter: I-I see…...so what kind of existence do you want to be as part of the Musical Theater company “Genesis” ? Gaku: …...I don’t feel like staying in this Theater Company. What I’m aiming for is the world itself. Gaku: But…...for that to happen, I must first become the absolute best of the best in the whole of Japan.

Exactly what is Gaku seeing past his sharp line of sight--

Gaku: I’ll become a big without losing to anyone, whether it be in this theater company or the entirety of Japan’s musical world. And then, I’ll definitely-- become a famous actor with my name reknowned to the world. Gaku: That’s all I have to say. I’ll be returning to practice.

Gaku immediately stood up from his seat and left the studio even before the reporter gave any sign of a notice. From that back of his which he had never once turned to look back, it seemed almost as if there was extraordinary determination and ambition flowing from him-