#drama cd release summary

[mostlymilkwood]

Their Story and The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All

Recently I've been thinking about the success of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All and how it feels like seeing where Tamen de Gushi could have ended up, had its publishing issues not lead too various hiatuses during its peak.

To give a quick summary of events; Tamen de Gushi (aka Their Story/SQ Begin W/Your Name!) is a manhua created and posted online by Tan Jiu. It was incredibly popular around 2015 to 2018, during which time it had big ad campaigns, cute merch, animated promos and a print volume of the manhua itself. Just the one though. Sadly a the start of 2018 Tan Jiu announced that volume 2 would be indefinitely postponed as their publisher had requested several scenes be removed, which they refused to do. People speculated the scenes were the romantic ones between the leads, particularly the Big Kiss that would have been in that volume, but it was never specified. Regardless, this had a pretty disastrous effect on the manhua, as without the revenue from volume 2 Tan Jiu understandably began working on other projects and updates basically stopped altogether outside of occasional illustrations and short comics detached from the main storyline.

Meanwhile The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All (lets go with the insane shorthand tgswiiwagaa from here on) is a manga created and posted online by Sumiko Arai. First starting in 2021 it has become incredibly popular, which has lead to big ad campaigns, popup shops and cafes, a drama CD and print volumes of the manga itself.

So there is some surface levels similarities between the two: both are released via the author's social media account, both feature a high school slice of life stories, both gained a huge followings outside of their original language due to scanlation efforts, and both were/are the the face of digitally published yuri.

I don't think we'd get tgswiiwagaa without Tamen de Gushi, or at least I don't think it would be as big as it is without the groundwork Tamen de Gushi lay within online spaces. I can't speak too much on Tamen de Gushi's domestic fandom, or even its Japanese one, (though it was clearly popular in both) but at least in English-speaking yuri circles it was the breakout hit that brought in a lot of new readers to the genre. (Which is crazy to think about since it was before Mangadex became the dominant host of scanlated works, so it was primarily released on Tumblr! with only some chapters showing up on Dynasty Reader later.)

And I don't wanna say it was the only game in town back then, as around 2015 was a real golden age of manhwa and manhua popping off with the likes of Her Tale of Shim Chong, What Does the Fox Say? and PULSE. They're all still popular recommendations when people ask for top yuri picks, deservedly so. But as I said, there's something about tgswiiwagaa that reminds me of Tamen de Gushi in particular.

That popularity which lead to fanart, edits and fancams in the English side of the fandom feels kind of important to tgswiiwagaa's future international success. Like it widen the net so when tgswiiwagaa came along with a story that had even more western pop culture touchstones than a manga reader might normally get it was able to scoop up way more fans than ever before.

I think when it comes down to it, It's just nice to see tgswiiwagaa go even further than Tamen de Gushi did. There's been plenty of talk about if tgswiiwagaa will get an anime and/or a live action adaptation, and honestly I hope it gets everything and more! Because just like Tamen de Gushi before it, I know tgswiiwagaa is laying the groundwork's from some other wildly popular yuri that will come to surpass it in the future. And I can't wait to read whatever new stories come out next!

[ririya-translates]

Jack Jeanne 3rd Anniversary News Summary

We got new news! I will add to this post with new info as it comes in but for now the rough notes are: -new novel -new drama cd

-live readings with the voice actors where fans can meet them

-THEY'RE WORKING ON A SEQUEL!!

Please see below the cut for further info as I'm able to add it. I will maybe add it in comments as well.

The novel title translates to "seven winds" and it has scenarios for each LI route + Kisa's route right before the final Univeil performance. It releases Summer 2024 along with the drama CD.

[tofueggnoodles]

Togainu no Chi ES Figure Tokuten Drama CD Series (Vischio Theatre of Love)

[Link to translations]

Track List: Summary and Release Dates

Surprise! Dangerous Tutor (2006/09/30)

High school student Akira gets a new tutor, who is supposed to help him with his English but seems more inclined to ‘discipline’ him. [Translation]

Round-the-Clock Dangerous Toshima (2006/09/30)

Having received an order from his boss to deliver a document to Executive Director Motomi, salaryman Akira hails a taxi. Little does he know that he is in for the ride of his life. [Translation]

The Transfer Student Saw It All! The School at Midnight (2008/03/25)

Reporter Akira goes undercover at Toshima’s Vischio Private Academy in order to investigate rumors of solids made with human meat. [Translation]

The Thrill of the Fascinating Student Council’s Office (2008/03/25)

High school student Akira forgets his lunch box and the regular school store is sold out of bread for the day. He tries his luck at at another school store, which supposedly sells only one piece of bread a day – Il Re’s bread. [Translation] [Youtube]

Fight on! Dangerous Tutor Part 2 (2008/03/25)

Tutor Akira meets his new student, who does not seem inclined to be tutored in any of the usual high school subjects but keeps insisting that Akira “show him everything he (Akira)’s got.” [Translation]

Brand New Salaryman Life (2008/03/25)

On his first day as a fresh recruit at the sales department of Vischio Company, Akira accompanies the department head, Arbitro, on a sales visit to the office of a potential client, who is known to be a bit, no, very hard to please. [Translation]

Download the Drama CD here. (pw: aarin888)

[precisemuseum]

Can I ask a quick question? What is the puyo puyo drama cd three cinderellas about? I can't understand japanese and i'm very curious.

Basically, the Madou Monogatari characters are putting on a play for the story Cinderella...for some reason.

Arle is playing the stepmother and she's trying to keep everyone on task, but Draco, Witch, and Rulue mess it up since they all want to play Cinderella, but two of them were supposed to play her evil stepsisters. They also are all really bad at the things Cinderella is supposed to be good at like cooking, cleaning, and gardening. Rulue creates a dish that is somehow alive, Draco burns everything up to 'clean' it, and Witch creates a living plant monster...

Schezo is playing the "fairy godmother" of the story, he's just called a magician so it's not actually a gendered role for the record. He's mostly annoyed about having to play a goody two shoes role and is just as confused as Arle is about there being three Cinderellas. Satan shows up briefly and Arle thought he was playing the prince, but Suketoudara is the one actually playing the prince. Once they get to the ball, all of the Cinderellas turn him down and beat him up.

This summary is really condensed and maybe missed some details, but we probably won't be able to get to subtitled audio drama releases for a while. I hope this helps you understand the story!

[doctorbunny]

Hi! I hope you don't mind the sudden question, but i got really into Milgram recently and was wondering: What reasoning did people give when they voted Haruka guilty in the second trial? Like, generally speaking, what did the consensus seem to be?

Haruka is a character i strongly relate to, so i have a lot of Thoughts about him.

Firstly: Wow the start of the second trial was that long ago, huh 😅

Secondly: I need to explain that Haruka's trial was a bit different than most Not sure how recently you joined but in a normal trial, the MV will upload the same day a CD releases, and stuff like the instrumental, DECO covers and most importantly the voice drama will be officially uploaded at the same time

But for Haruka, due to some unspecified CD issue, we were getting the MV as planned then wouldn't get the voice drama for another two weeks This will be very important to his voting

Thirdly: Going into his trial, things were uncertain, a lot of people really liked Haruka and were very worried for him due to his new relationship with Muu. Whom many saw as a potential bad influence or threat. I won't get into it too much, but before this trial it was definitely more common to have a.... soft image of Haruka as a harmless little guy who had gone through a lot, who just made some mistakes because he didn't know any better

Its worth remembering that without the context of AKAA, Weakness is a very dream-like MV and not many were sure which parts were real or imagined One of the biggest debates about weakness was about if the blue haired child was a younger bother or Haruka himself It all seems quite quaint from here Some people thought Haruka might not have even killed a person, just animals, I was even considering a theory suggesting Haruka was in milgram for his own suicide (in the words of Danganronpa 'killing the person who is most important to you: Yourself') The girl with the plait wasn't thought about much as other than a possible childhood friend due to her being shown running next to young Haruka.

Fourth: The premiere of AKAA was super emotional and intense, it was a beautiful MV But like Purge March later, it would contextualise parts of Weakness we didn't expect it to Mainly the animal murder and the girl's death.

But without the voice drama, many were unsure what verdict would be best for Haruka Despite the failure of T1 Amane, many still thought we could fix the prisoners through voting right Some people saw this vote as a chance to get Haruka to break up with Muu if we played our cards right Overall people were confused and conflicted and couldn't wait for the voice drama to come out I think the best summary of feelings is a comment from the top of the AKAA comments section

This was posted right after AKAA came out and reflected a common mood

This part of his voting period was very strange. Because of the uncertainty, people were pretty split People didn't think he deserved an innocent verdict, but they didn't want to punish him so harshly with a guilty one either And it turned into an interesting situation: What happens if a prisoner gets exactly 50%? It was an unlikely truce between two passionate sides but for about 2 weeks straight, 50-50 was sustained Or more accurately, it was a constant flux of 49.9-50.1, changing by the hour if not minute (I actually dreamt up a fic of this causing Haruka to get a migraine but like most of my fics it never materialised)

Then the voice drama released

At the time I was the mod of the second biggest milgram server (rip Fancult - unfortunately that place got nuked so I'll have to go off memories alone) so I got to watch as a lot of people gathered and listened to the VD at the same time We were still waiting on translations, but still people could appreciate the acting and pick out key words like the prisoners' names and... other common phrases

お母さん, "Okaasan" The Japanese word for 'mother' or 'mum'

By the time we got to here it was Harukover 😔

Then a second Okaasan hit the verdict

And this giant mess ended with the suicide threat that's been haunting us for the rest of the season...

Needless to say, people were not too pleased

The 50-50 pipe dream was immediately shot down and betrayed

This graph (by paiplushie on twt) shows it pretty clearly

One thing to keep in mind is that even before Muu's MV was out, people were certain she'd be voted guilty, there was a fervour for it (mostly because people saw her as having taken advantage of Haruka and having the wrong attitude towards her verdict)

For some reason, voting Muu innocent was never really considered an option

It was 'Haruka threatened to kill himself if we vote Muu guilty, how do we stop him doing that after we do' [personally I voted him innocent because I had a pipe dream that if both Haruka and Muu were inno then they'd be obnoxious about it but unharmed]

People justified voting guilty in different ways, some thought it'd make him break up with Muu and not want to die for her, some just didn't want to enable his action (threatening suicide is awfully manipulative) and some people genuinely believed that physical restraint was the most effective way to prevent him from attempting suicide... which all I'll say is I disagree with that logic

But yeah, once the VD was out it never really showed any signs of returning to inno

[sparklingmusicofstars]

Hamefura series summary :

To make it easier I made a summary with some of my posts. I hope it would be useful.

Bonus stories :

LN1 : I received flowers

LN2 : Happy twilight (Acchan's POV) Be happy

LN3 : First prince and his fiancée Second prince and his fiancée What I wanted ~Geordo~ ~In a Slumber~

LN5 : Tom the gardener

LN6 : ~I had a terrifying dream~ Catarina

LN9 : POV of a shopkeeper's daughter

LN11 : Ronnie's POV and Bell's POV

LN12 : Catarina 18th birthday.

LN13 : A story at the orphanage

Movie : I want to see the caravan show again

Hamefura manga 5 : Raphael's disguises

French version :

Dans un sommeil Geordo LN3

Point de vue de la fille d'un commerçant LN9

Hamefura Theories :

Catarina's past life Theory 1

About the movie (before the release of the last trailer) Theory 2

Sora's background Theory 3

Catarina and Geordo's relationship Theory 4

Hamefura romantic progress Theory 5

Hamefura pirates : When did Rozy fall in love with Catarina ? Theory 6

What would everyone become if Catarina were to disappeared ? 7

Who's the reincarnated ? Theory 8

What will happen in LN 14 ? Theory 9

What are Catarina's dreams about FL2 ? Theory 10

Catarina's romantic tastes Theory 11

Sora's age Theory 12

FL!Sora and HF!Sora Theory 13

Who is the glasses man in LN14 ? Theory 14

Catarina's ability to see the future in her dreams Theory 15

Hamefura polls :

An opinion about the ships

Hamefura characters' different versions :

Catarina

Sophia

Mary

Maria

Geordo

Keith

Alan

Nicol

Raphael

Sora (Rufus)

Pochi

Ian

Hamefura characters' introductions :

Catarina Sophia Mary Maria

Geordo Rozy Lind Silva

Musics of the movie : Here

Hamefura pirates drama CD recording : Here

Hamefura fanfic :

A troublesome popularity : Part 1 part 2

A twist of fate : Prologue

Chapter 1 : part 1 part 2 part 3

Hamefura illustrations : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Everyone as butlers Everyone as butlers chibi Some characters as idols The girl as fairies Switch gender Happy new year 2024 Extra pictures of the movie Cover bluray movie

Hamefura verge of doom illustrations :

Volume 3 Maria and Catarina Geordo's introduction Kai Geran's introduction Catarina's introduction Manga's introduction Cute chibis

All the best here

[sewmice]

Hai as a decently new utapri fan I wanted to ask your opinion on how new fans should get into utapri after finishing the anime. Should they play through the otomes games or maybe try listening to the Masterpiece shows instead?

Welcome to Utapri! I hope you're enjoying the ride so far! And as someone who has been here for 12 years, welcome to Utapri hell, this is your life now! (with love of course)

Since the Masterpiece shows are all alternate universes/acting, it doesn't technically matter? So the real question is, do you like the idol side or the romance side more? Idol side, go for the masterpiece shows. Romance go for the games. And honestly switch around as you please. Just get to SOME game knowledge at some point because that's where you really learn about the boys after all. Personally it's best to know at least a little from everything.

Also the next most important thing will be whether you know Japanese or not. Because currently the anime, movies, and Starish special are the only things available in English. So what you can enjoy is more limited. Shining Live was in English for it's lifespan, and has some archives out there. Live Emotion we can only hope will have an English version but we do not know currently.

Now my answer to assist gets real long so gonna put it under a cut for everyone's sanity.

If you know Japanese, absolutely go enjoy the otome games, all of which have updated ports on the Switch! The release order and thus suggested order would be Repeat, Amazing Aria and Sweet Serenade, Debut, All Star, and finally All Star After Secret. And one day we'll have Dolce Vita.

If you want Quartet Night, while you meet them in Debut, their routes start with All Star. Ringo and Ryuuya have routes in Sweet Serenade and All Star if you're looking for them. Mitsuo in Amazing Aria is well....you'll see.

If you don't know Japanese, I still suggest looking into the games, but your options are more limited. ShiningWonderland has a fantastic crew pushing out translations. They're working on Repeat for Starish and All Star for QN currently. Couple of the routes are finished for at least one ending and others seem to be nearing completion. But I can't speak for that team past that. They are all wonderful people though!

If you don't mind getting a shortened, not amazing experience. There are some old summaries floating around from Breadmasterlee. Those, plus some friends who could understand enough, were how I learned parts of the games back in the day. Not the preferred experience though.

You could also technically struggle your way through with like Google Lens translation? Definitely not recommended though.

As for the masterpiece shows, again if you know Japanese, just enjoy them. If you wanna know what order they released in, the sets were as follows: Masquerade Mirage, Tenka Muteki no Shinobimichi, and Joker Trap Bloody Shadows, Pirates of the Frontier, Every Buddy!, and Polaris Lost Alice, Trios, and The Forest of Lycoris Dreaming of OZ, Never Again Neverland, and Faust Last Cantata

I know that next to last set, the Shining Masterpiece Shows, have translations by Kanasmusings. You can also find translations for some other dramas there, and subtitles for a majority of the stage plays (you will need your own file or DVD/BD).

The most recent Dramatic Masterpiece Shows seem to be works in progress at the moment. I know utapri-translations-uuuu is working on Heavens! And the CDs can be found in my masterlist.

The older ones I don't know off the top of my head if translations exist at all.

There are also Discord servers amongst the community, some public and some private, with resources and amazing people. But I'm not sure on how appropriate it would be to post the public ones. They don't allow piracy so as much as I push buying legally, uh, understandably linking from my blog publicly feels wrong. You can very likely find said discords via the Twitter fandom. Or talk to me in DMs.

This is a lot of info I know. Trying to cover as many bases as I can off the top of my head! Enjoy Utapri!

[suzuran777]

Slow Damage: Clean Dishes Epilogue 2 Summary

It has been a while, but the Clean Dishes drama CD was finally released earlier this month! I really liked it, so I decided to play some more of the epilogues. This one focuses on the relationship between Ruu and Kimika. Be aware that it does spoil the game's good ending.

This story takes place after the Hare’s Nest incident in which Kimika kidnapped Shiro and tried to use a bomb to kill both of them, believing that death was the only answer. Baku saved Shiro and Kimika was arrested. Shortly after this arrest, Ruu had trouble believing that the culprit was Kimika, but somewhere deep in his heart he knew it was really him. Even though Kimika usually smiled brightly, a tremendous darkness was hidden behind that smile.

"I wish I had realized sooner..."

The epilogue then skips to a flashback. Back then, Ruu worked for a car repair shop. While working there, he often came into contact with a man he absolutely despised, who would purposely torment the weak for his own entertainment. Because of his connections, he was never punished for his actions. One day when he witnessed one of his coworkers being harassed in the bathrooms, Ruu couldn’t handle it anymore and punched this man in the face. The man was not seriously injured, but as a result of this Ruu lost his job. He didn't regret punching the man, but he couldn't accept that he got fired for defending his coworker.

"At that time, I came across a recruitment ad online, from Sara-ya.”

At first, Ruu was a bit confused what exactly they meant with 'cleaning a room a person died in'. The location of the company was also not ideal, Shinkoumi is a place notorious for being unsafe. Of course, he could have picked a different job, but for some reason he decided to send an email to them. The work at Sara-ya was exactly what he expected, and it took some time getting used to it. However, in terms of human relationships, everyone was friendly and comfortable with each other.

"After a long time, when I was no longer called a rookie, I decided to team up with Kimika."

"I don't mean this in a strange way, but as a work partner and a human being, I liked Kimika."

Kimika was a cheerful, fun-loving person, who also had a serious side when they were working together. They would often meet up before and after work too, to talk and to eat together. Kimika used to be a hairdresser before he joined Sara-ya and mentioned that he enjoyed making people beautiful, almost as if a person is 'reborn' after getting a new haircut. Kimika mentioned that he wished he could be reborn too, but back then Ruu did not really understand the meaning of these words. Looking back at it now, Ruu realizes that there were so many hints that something was not right...

Some time after this, Kimika called him in the middle of the night. At first, Ruu thought someone called the wrong number, but after listening closely he realized it was Kimika's voice, wishing for his own death. After this, Ruu learned that Kimika was taken to the hospital after overdosing on sleeping pills. Ruu realizes that Kimika probably called him as a final cry for help.

The story then switches to Kimika's perspective. A bright and cheerful person, that is how people would describe him, which was not wrong, because that is what he pretended to be. Of course, it was not all lies, Kimika truly wished he could be happy. He grew up with three older sisters who were all very beautiful and talented. Compared to them, Kimika was a very ordinary person. Because his sisters were always praised, they were never punished when they used Kimika as a slave or toy, even sexually assaulting him sometimes. Back then Kimika didn't know it was bad, he was just happy that they would spend any time with him.

When he was 11 years old, his oldest sister vanished. A month later, her body was found in the mountains. A suicide note was found near her body, apologizing for not being able to meet her parents' expectations. One year later, his second sister passed away after repeatedly overdosing on sleeping pills. Kimika's family stopped talking to each other, unable to deal with the situation. Shortly after this, the third sister also disappeared. The police eventually found her alive, however, she seemed like a completely different person after joining a religious group. She didn't talk to her parents and brother anymore and locked herself up in her room every day. One day, she texted Kimika to come to her room.

"When I entered the room, my sister was standing on a chair with a belt around her neck, tied to the curtain rod."

She smiled and asked Kimika to remove the chair, explaining that she wanted to die so she could be reborn. Kimika, unable to deny her wish, did what his sister wanted. Kimika started wondering what would happen after death and if they would really be reborn. His sisters were very talented and had no other reason to die, so he assumed it must be true.

"Just like the other two, I wonder if death isn't something they fear, but something they yearn for. If possible, I want to be reborn too."

After graduating high school, he studied to become a hairdresser and eventually moved to Shinkoumi, mostly because he wanted to get away from his parents' house. Shinkoumi was a place where nobody would come after him. Even though he tried to distance himself from his past, he always felt like he couldn't truly be happy. Being alone made him very uncomfortable, so he would often stay with (sex) friends or even strangers. One day one of his friends half-jokingly sent him the Sara-ya recruitment ad, but Kimika, still obsessed with the concept of people taking their own lives, became interested in the job. This is where he met Ruu, and later Shiro and Baku. He was a bit excited to meet someone like Shiro who also wanted to die. Kimika also wanted to openly talk about death like Shiro did, so he decided to create a social media account. Before he knew it, he made many friends online who all shared the same mindset as him, agreeing death is the only way to escape from suffering. This is when Hare's Nest was created.

Members of Hare’s Nest focused on overcoming their fear of death and would usually report their daily accomplishments. Kimika tried to do the same and was proud of his group members. Eventually, the first individuals in the group started taking their own lives. Until then, Hare's Nest was mostly a private group, but after the first two suicides it started attracting attention online. After that, the number of deaths gradually increased and the criticism from outside groups grew. At that time, Kimika thought death was the only way to end suffering and didn’t understand what he was doing wrong. He also realized that Shiro joined the group and was surprised when he openly shared these details with him. Kimika decided that it must be fate, finally he would be able to die together with someone.

After that it switches back to Ruu's perspective. Shortly after the Hare's Nest incident, Kimika was sentenced to two years in prison. The sentence was shorter than expected because there was no evidence of intimidation or a detailed planning of the attack. Another reason for this was probably because Kimika's lawyer worked for the Takasato-gumi. It was Eiji who introduced them to each other. Ruu frequently visited Kimika in prison, but during the first visits Kimika did not look him in the eye and barely spoke to him. He didn't understand why Ruu kept visiting him, after all he was a criminal who encouraged people to take their lives and who almost killed one of their friends. He also didn’t understand why Ruu still cared about him, they were only work partners after all. To Ruu however, Kimika was never just a work partner, but someone he genuinely considered a friend. Ruu regrets not noticing Kimika's loneliness and still wants to be with Kimika after he gets released from prison. Kimika still has a hard time trusting others because of his childhood, but somewhere deep in his heart he wants to trust him. Ruu hopes that some day, him and Kimika will be able to laugh together again, just like they used to.

_____________________________________________

Some extra notes

The name of the group is simply called Hare’s Nest because Kimika has a pet rabbit.

His username online is Himalaya, referring to the Himalayan rabbit, said to be the oldest rabbit breed. His own rabbit is also a Himalayan rabbit.

Members of Hare’s Nest calls themselves ‘leveret’, a term used to describe a young hare. If you’ve read the Clean Dishes manga you probably also know it’s the name of the manga…!

The drama CD is a continuation of this, so definitely listen to that if you can! Especially if you like Ruu and Kimima as a pairing. ;)

[polwigle]

hello and welcome to another episode of Shi Has Strong Opinions on Niche Canon with Citable Sources, this time focusing on something that technically isn't canon one way or the other — my preferred fan-transliterated name for Raven's hometown in Tales of Vesperia, which is never referred to by name in any officially translated material.

anyway it's spelled Pharihyde and in this essay I will die on this hill

Context

In case you clicked the read-more with no stake in this game just because you want to see me being pedantic, let me recap the relevant facts of the argument:

Raven's backstory is never fully explained in the base game, but it was elaborated on in official side materials. The same story, titled 虚空の仮面 (Kokuu no Kamen, commonly translated as Empty Mask), was released in multiple formats: light novel[1], manga[2], and drama CD[3]. None of these have ever been officially translated, but fans have made their own attempts at each over the years.

The town in question here does not appear in the original game, due to having been obliterated during the prequel events. It's also never mentioned by name in the drama CD, leaving only two sources for a name: the light novel and the manga.

Officially, it is named ファリハイド (Farihaido).

The first translation the English-speaking fandom ever saw of any Kokuu no Kamen material was when one fan (whose identity was regrettably lost to time) took a stab at summarizing the light novels, not long after they were first published back in 2010. This fan transliterated the town's name as Pharihyde.

Tumblr user dokidokimaster was commissioned to finally translate the manga in 2015. In this translation, the town was spelled Farryheid.

By the time the manga was being translated, the web page that hosted the light novel summary had tragically gone down. Luckily, I was active enough in the fandom at the time to have had the link to the light novel bookmarked, so I was able to find an archive via the blessed Wayback Machine, but I can't fault dokidokimaster for the inconsistencies.

tl;dr of section: OG town name is ファリハイド; LN calls it Pharihyde; manga calls it Farryheid. Rest of essay is about why me preferring the name that came first isn't just me being a cranky fandom elder I swear

It's About The World It's In

In the world of Terca Lumireis, on the continent of Ilyccia, somewhere far from the capital city, Zaphias, there was once a town called... Farryheid? No, Pharihyde. The latter fits better with the precedents set by the official names around it, and I will literally break it down letter by differing letter to prove it!

'Ph' vs 'F'

Among officially transliterated locations and other "made-up" names in Tales of Vesperia, there are 3 that include 'ph' to represent an 'f' sound (Zaphias, Zopheir, Phaeroh). Only a single name uses an actual 'f' for that sound (Ghasfarost), and it also still has an 'h' as the second letter in the word.

Single vs. Double 'R'

After a ctrl+F pass through the entire list of location names in this game[4], not a single one contains the substring 'rr'. Only one R at a time in Terca Lumireis!

Vowel Choice and Lexical Stress

So, English has this neat little feature where some syllables in a word get more emphasis than others! And that plays heavily into this section, because 'i' and 'y' can sound identical when using 'y' as a vowel, but the existing place names stress them differently.

Now, as the Drama CD doesn't give us a spoken example of ファリハイド to work from (and Japanese doesn't do stress the way English does anyway), where the stress goes in either "Pharihyde" or "Farryheid" is technically unconfirmed... But my default reading is with primary stress on the first syllable, and secondary stress on the last (FAR-ee-hide).

In the precedent-setting place names, based on the English dub of the 360 version*, a lone 'i' is seen unstressed in at least 16 distinct names, including the ones I referenced in my intro scene-setting sentence (ZA-phi-as, TER-ca LU-mi-reis). To my knowledge, lone 'i' is never pronounced with stress in dialogue (and potentially appears only once, in the plot-irrelevant Niffel Lake).

In contrast, whenever 'y' is used as any kind of vowel, it always gets at least secondary stress, as in Hypionia (high-pee-O-nee-ah) and Rhybgaro (RIB-ga-ro). Thus, "Pharihyde" using an 'i' for the middle vowel and a 'y' for the last one lines up with established precedent.

Also, the double vowel 'ei' is consistently and exclusively used to represent an 'ay' sound, as in "day", not as in "hide"! Deidon Hold, Keiv Moc, and again Zopheir and Terca Lumireis — none of these 'ei's sound the way "Farryheid" wants you to pronounce it!

Silent 'e'

I did say I'd break down every different letter between "Pharihyde" and "Farryheid", but this last one's not for flavour, it's just to get the 'y' to act as the right kind of vowel sound. Just a normal feature of English pronunciation rules here (though not entirely without precedent: Halure, Relewiese, Laulyse). Sorry to go out with a whimper ^^;;

Conclusion

The base content of Tales of Vesperia sets up some implied rules about how its made-up-for-the-game words function. "Farryheid" may be a perfectly reasonable transliteration of ファリハイド in a vacuum, but "Pharihyde" follows the rules of the setting, literally to the letter!

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

*Footnote about the pronunciation thing: the new voice lines added in the Definitive Edition of the game pronounce some place names inconsistently. I can only assume that by the time they recorded the new lines, a decade after the original ones, they forgot how some pronunciations worked and didn't check their old work... :/

References

(bc it's not an essay without citations!)

[1] Light novel summary (archived): https://web.archive.org/web/20110806003312/http://www.fancomic.com:80/vesperia/resources/raven/emptymask.htm [2] Manga translation: https://dokidokimaster.tumblr.com/tagged/kokuu+no+kamen/chrono [3] Drama CD translation, for completion's sake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHEDJ_D4tyI [4] List of in-game place names: https://hyouta.com/vesperia/?version=pc&locale=eng&compare=2&section=locations

[jamesnorthcotefanblog]

James Northcote plays Freddie Trewella in the latest Doctor Who audio drama "Zygon Century:Infiltration" which was released this month. He stars in the second episode in the three-part series: '1935: The Miracle of Pendour Cove'

Summary:

Freddie Trewella has found a mermaid, beautiful and strange, washed ashore in a Cornish bay. He names her Vorvoren, and she comforts him in his harsh life of servitude to a zealot father. As they grow together, Vorvoren shows Freddie her secret power, to change her appearance into anything she desires. But Freddie has secrets of his own, terrible secrets, and soon Vorvoren's great adventure among the humans becomes a nightmarish fight for survival...

It is only available through the website at this time as an audiobook download and as a CD.

[blueinkedfrost]

https://www.reddit.com/r/KillLaKill/comments/21b3i5/drama_cd_vol_1_translationsummary/

This is amazing. I love Satsuki's eyebrows and the return of Omiko, Fukuroda and Maiko, showing their other sides.

diligentseaweed OP:

I did a translation-summary hybrid of the drama CD that came with the 2nd blu-ray release. I made sure to include key points/dialog relevant to the main storyline (ie personalities/intentions of characters, terminology, etc.) that were missing from other translations I read online. Enjoy and discuss! :D

This drama CD takes place right after Ryuko's battle with Tsumugu (ep 5).

Ryuko gives a quick summary of who she is and why she's at Honnouji City (she's after the Scissor Blade woman, she thinks Satsuki knows something, etc). She's walking the streets limping from wounds from her battle with Tsumugu. Mako pops out of nowhere and says she's hungry. Suddenly Mataro shows up chasing after two shoplifters. Ryuko catches the shoplifters who turn out to be Fukuroda and Omiko who had been demoted to no star students because they lost to Ryuko. Fukuroda and Omiko talk about how life's been shitty: got kicked out of their respective clubs; they were sports scholarship students so once they're useless at their respective sport they're considered trash; and most importantly they can't find food. They must also fend for themselves since they left their family back in rural Japan to join Honnouji (Honnouji had been paying living expenses for their families and themselves only while they were star students). Fukuroda and Omiko are good sports about their loss and also mention that they're looking forward to the Honnouji Final Stand Exam (期末試験(Term Exam)--> 聖期末糸験 (Holy End of the Century Thread Test）for no star students that will be held next week. You get into teams of 4 and you go through several obstacles and the winners get the exam sheet. Finally, if you pass this paper exam, you're awarded a 3 star uniform. Fukuroda and Omiko convince Ryuko and Mako to join their team, since if they win, Ryuko might get a chance to get some information about her dad from Satsuki.

Inumuta reports to Satsuki and the Elite 4 that Fukuroda, Omiko, Ryuko, and Mako are participating in the Final Stand Exam. Satsuki says this year's exam will be a little different this year.

Fukuroda and Omiko have dinner at the Mankansokus. The two reveal that Satsuki personally scouted the two to Honnouji Academy after observing their jab/serving skills (albeit while the two were doing laundry in a river. since they couldn't afford washing machines. Japanese puns ahoy). The two also reveal that they plan to live together after they graduate and run a Boxing-Tennis Bar. In return for dinner, the two decide to do the laundry for the Mankanshokus. Family fluff results in the Mankanshokus saying they'll back up the team during the exam. Mikisugi pops out of nowhere and tells everyone that this year's exam won't be about strength, but instead intelligence and academics. You must correctly answer each question announced by the Student Council successively, and the remaining teams get the exam sheet. Fukuroda and Omiko are bummed because they suck at academics. Mikisugi says he was merely reporting what the Student Council said, as they rule Honnouji City. He also believes that this change was implemented because the Student Council knows that Ryuko's participating in a team with non-academic members. Ryuko gets pissed and runs out of the house to go find Satsuki.

Ryuko confronts Satsuki about the rule change. Satsuki explains that intelligence and academics are equally essential as strength to a student. Satsuki says the academy has been rattled after Ryuko showed up, so Satsuki plans to make students remember what a true student must excel at.

Satsuki: "I told you last time that all club presidents are after you. If you defeat them all I'll fight you again. So, if the Homework Club attacks you, what were you going to do?

Ryuko: "Well...uh...there's a club like that?"

Satsuki: "No"

Ryuko: "There isn't?!"

Satsuki: "I'm pointing out possibilities. But have the mindset that something that has the potential of happening will definitely happen. Honnouji Academy is my kingdom. Everything that occurs has my will. Therefore this new exam is also Kiryuin Satsuki! Are you going to run away from my challenge? MATOI RYUKO!"

Ryuko: "Grr...damn"

Senketsu: "Ryuko, there's no way you can win this argument right now."

Ryuko: "I'm going win this Final Stand Exam! Remember that!" and runs away.

Ryuko's now pumped for this academics battle, but has no plans of action. Tsumugu drives up to Ryuko and gives her 2 pieces of information: "if you're going to study, go to the library" and "the Honnouji Academy Library is just around the corner" drives away.

Mako's still trying to find Ryuko after she ran out of the house during dinner. Mako's also still super hungry and finds a trail of cheese (ep4 de ja vu). The scene ends with a crashing sound.

Ryuko and Senketsu arrive at the oh-so-amazing Honnouji Library, and beat up everyone in there to take it over. Ryuko boasts her cramming skills and proceeds to study her ass off…but she ends up sleeping at the library for 6 straight days (occasionally waking up to eat and go to the bathroom). Fukuroda and Omiko get angry at her since they were depending on her for the brains, and Ryuko had said to leave all the studying to her. Mako suddenly pops up and shows everyone a mole-shaped transceiver she bought in the slums to use to cheat on the exam. They all have no problems with cheating and are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Exam day at the academy grounds, there's more people than usual since this time it's not a strength/fighting-oriented exam. Fukuroda and Omiko are wearing the transceivers while the Mankanshokus have computers (presumably stolen) in front of them to look up answers. The Student Council and Satsuki make their grand appearance.

Satsuki announces the first question: "Kiryuin Satsuki's eyebrows are thick! O or X (true or false)!"

Ryuko: "What the?"

Gamagoori: "You've got 30 seconds. Press the O or X button."

Ryuko: "What kind of question is that?!"

Fukuroda: "Even croquettes don't know the answer!"

Mako: "O, it's exactly how you see it."

Omiko: "That's not a good idea! What if she's sensitive about her eyebrows? We'd make Satsuki-sama angry right off the bat. It's totally X."

Fukuroda: "Wait, Satsuki-sama hates people with attitudes that deliberately attempt to flatter. THICK THINGS ARE THICK! I think she's looking for people who can say things straight up."

Mako: "I see, you've got a point."

Ryuko: "Hey wait!"

Gamagoori: "TIME'S UP"

(all teams submit their answer)

Fukuroda: "Most students have answered O!"

Omiko: "As expected of Honnouji Academy students. There aren't many cowards."

Mako: "Ryuko chan! Why did you press X?!"

Fukuroda: "You bastard! Are you serious?!"

Satsuki: "The correct answer is…X! CALLING THESE EYEBROWS THICK IS PRESUMPTUOUS! Truly thick eyebrows aren't dropped-spindle-shaped like mine. Eyebrows that are consistently thick from start to finish can only, truly be called thick!"

(teams who were incorrect immediately get thrown out of academy grounds)

Satsuki: "Hmph, I'm impressed you're still remaining, Matoi."

Ryuko: "It's you. I assumed you'd pull out some outrageous logic like that. How the fuck is this an academic question?"

Satsuki: "I'm measuring how observant students are of the personality of the exam proctor and the intent of the question. You having some perception is something I wasn't expecting."

Ryuko: "Tch, say what you wanna say."

Gamagoori announces the next question which is about the history of school rules and its relation to government laws. The team tries to contact the Mankanshokus with their tranceiver, but Inumuta has already disabled it. All hope thought to be is lost, but it turns out that Senketsu had been studying while Ryuko was sleeping. Senketsu goes on a roll and answers correctly to all the questions.

Gamagoori's questions are about laws, Sanageyama's are about konnyaku (How much konnyaku does a Japanese person consume daily? 6 grams), Jakuzure's are about fashion/classical music, and Inumuta's are about math/cryptography. Ryuko's team becomes the last team remaining. Sanageyama's about to ask the final question, which of course is about konnyaku, but Satsuki cuts him off saying she's tired of konnyaku. Gamagoori announces the last question, which asks why this exam requires the team to consist of 4 members. Ryuko tells Senketsu to leave this question to her, and she answers that it's for each member of the team to fight an Elite 4. And nobody has won against the Elite 4 yet, which is why there aren't any other 3 star students. This answer is correct.

Sanageyama: "Damn…my konnyaku question would've been the finishing blow to defeat them."

Nonon: "No way."

Inumuta: "Nope."

Gamagori: "Impossible."

Satsuki admits that she's underestimated Ryuko and allows Gamagoori to give Ryuko the exam sheet, which appears to be a piece of cloth. The Mankanshokus barge in to the scene warning Ryuko to stay alert. Another Mako appears saying that the Mako on the team is fake. Barazo and Sukuyo had found the real Mako locked in a cheese factory, rescued her, and arrived at the academy grounds. Maiko breaks out of her Mako costume with an OHOHOHOOOO! Maiko says she wants revenge for Ryuko taking away her status, and she had Fukuroda and Omiko join her plans. All 3 laugh at Ryuko for being fooled. Maiko has a conversation with Gamagoori proving her resolve and tenacity for revenge and gets Satsuki's permission to battle Ryuko. The exam sheet engulfs Maiko, Fukuroda, and Omiko to turn into a goku uniform that all 3 wear at the same time. GATTAI! The exam sheet (答案用紙→戦暗怪糸=Fighting Dark Suspicious Thread) is a cloth that's 30% life fiber which is the equivalent of a 3 star uniform. Maiko says even though one person can't properly wear a 3 star uniform, having 3 people wear it at once will balance things out. More kanji puns about strepower (Maiko's move is called Strepower Strepower Strepower Kick). Ryuko Life Fiber Synchronizes and struggles to hold off the attacks at first because their goku uniform has the swiftness of tennis and boxing sports. Senketsu says he's also struggling to unleash his powers because he feels heavy and wrinkly. He explains that these wrinkles are equivalent to the human brain's wrinkles, which he got from studying so much at the library. Sukuyo gives Mako a portable iron and Mako EXTREEEEEEME IRONINGs Senketsu. Senketsu forgets everything he's learned and feels lighter. Ryuko goes Scissor Blade Decapitation Mode (cue DON'T LOSE YOUR WAAAAAY) and Sen-I-Soushitsus the 3 star uniform.

Ryuko: "Did you see that Kiryuin Satsuki?! Huh? Where'd she go? Damn, I let her get away again!"

Satsuki and the Elite 4 are walking in the Honnouji Academy hallway. Satsuki is impressed with the tenacity of Maiko, Fukuroda, and Omiko so she says she'll give them one star uniforms. Gamagoori contests that doing so will disrupt the order of the academy, but Satsuki says she doesn't mind. She tells Inumuta to contact REVOCS to order a large amount of goku uniform life fibers. Satsuki goes back to the Student Council room. The Elite 4 have a conversation:

Sanageyama: "A large order of life fibers huh. What is she planning?"

Inumuta: "Probably the mass production of club presidents. What does this mean…"

Jakuzure: "But when Satsuki-sama makes that face, she's always on to something fun."

Gamagoori: "Something that's worth disrupting the order of the academy?"

Satsuki's monologue: "Using the existence of Matoi to strengthen Honnouji Academy. Hmm my next move…why don't I call it the Naturals Election."

[fruit-of-infidelity]

✒︎ DiaLovers OC Contest Entry: Sakamaki Ryuuto.

Theme: New Moon.

　✒︎ Character Summary:

　Seemingly only a cousin to the Sakamaki’s, Ryuuto shares a mother with the triplets. He is the assertive type who isn’t afraid to dabble in a Master-Slave relationship with the heroine. He takes pleasure in riddling others with his cryptic remarks and emits an aura of mystery wherever he goes. 

　He always demands to be treated like a Prince, even when relentlessly teasing his prey and manipulating them until they spiral into helplessness. 

Race: Vampire School Year: 3rd Year Senior High School Student, Ryoutei Academy Age: 18 Height: 178cm Weight: 63kg Blood Type: O Favourite Food: Cinnamon Rolls Hobby: Oil Painting

　In-Depth Character Profile: Found Here.

　✒︎ His Purpose (The Plot):

　Cordelia's spite for Karlheinz's second wife, Beatrix, and the announcement of her pregnancy is what bore Ryuuto, from her affair with Richter. Isolated from Karlheinz, his children, and much of the world, Ryuuto was raised almost exclusively by Richter. However, Cordelia's manipulation over Ryuuto saw him become heavily dependant on her as his only female figure in life, using him for her own entertainment.

　After Cordelia's death, Ryuuto's immense distraught saw him swear to revive her, with his father's help. Realising his half-brothers were to blame, he vowed to get revenge, too. Appearing to Yui Komori* - who harbours Cordelia's heart - he intends to steal her away, and initiate the awakening to revive his mother. 

* Ryuuto's story begins during Haunted Dark Bridal, not unlike the other Sakamaki's, and continues on through to the current games.

　However, much like the other Sakamaki sons, Ryuuto is available to be romanced in a route of his own. If not selected, however, he will also appear as a minor antagonist in some of the other boy's routes (in their mini chapters, which are currently still being released).

　His Complete HDB Route: Found Here.

　✒︎ Ryuuto's Haunted Dark Bridal CGs:

* The limit for photos per post is, unfortunately, ten (10). However, there is a total of twenty-five (25) CGs available in Ryuuto’s route.

　✒︎ Drama CDs:

　In addition to his routes, Ryuuto also is featured in numerous Drama CDs - some of which feature full voice-acting. From the "nursing" series, to group drama, below is an example of one such CD: Character Song Vol.7: Sakamaki Ryuuto | Mini Drama: “Bloodstained Canvas”.

　Each Drama CD - in each scenario they present - replicates the canon material and themes through a fresh, unique character. These CDs aim to further incorporate Ryuuto into the DiaLover universe, and help establish better relationships, lore, and romance outside of the routes.

　Full Drama CD Mentioned: Found here.

Contest Hosts: @arleccine & @the-precious-sugar-chan ♥️

[maboroshi-no]

Thank you for uploading a Silva route video, you must have worked really hard. You are a wonderful person.

If you don’t mind me asking, what Hamefura video, cd drama, or manga chapter are you planning to upload next?

Hello anon!

Thank you and I am glad you appreciate my hard work.

I can't settle on one thing, so I work on multiple things at the same time, both Hamefura and non Hamefura content. I am not sure what I will finish next...

Regarding Hamefura's content, here is my current work in progress:

Hamefura manga: I am up-to-date with the latest chapter released in Japan, so I am waiting for next chapter at the end of the month

Hamefura pirates' videos: I try to work on videos of different routes in turn. Since I have released a Silva video, I think the next videos will be Alan's Ending Memory Scenarios, Nicol's happy ending, and the next Rozy's event in his route.

Hamefura Pirates' Route Summary: I am still stuck at the translation of Nicol's happy ending, I will write the summary once I finish the translation

Hamefura's LN Extra story: Still working on the translation of Alan's POV part.

Remake of Fortune Lover Game's video: I have started working on a better version of Keith's route

Hamefura BluRay's extra stories: I am not sure when I will work on them

Hamefura's drama CDs: I would love to start working on the drama CD of the Magical Girl's AU at some point. But I am still stuck on what visual to use in the video... The drama CDs of the Hamefura Pirates game are also very funny and I would love to work on them.

[tofueggnoodles]

Extreme Bath Log Disk 1 – Track 1: Prologue

Click here to listen to the track on youtube.

Links to some introductory material:

Translation of a short story Minekura-sensei wrote before the Drama CD was released (by @soto-translates)

Translation of the character map by @soto-translates

Characters who are aged up: Sanzo (drastically, 60 or above), Kubota (he has to be older than 17 in this universe), Nobuto (likely in his thirties or older instead of 24), Hakkai (ditto)

Characters who are aged down: Tokito (second year high-schooler, 17 instead of “around 20” in WA), Gojyo (likely between 19-21 in this universe instead of 24)

Characters who stay more or less the same age (plus minus one year): Goku (18ish in Saiyuki, 17 in this universe), Saito (18)

Unknown age or irrelevant: Mishiba (22 in Bus Gamer), Tenpou, Kenren (the last two should be at least middle-aged in this universe)

Overall summary of the Drama CD: Slice-of-life with some plot in the first half. The Genjos (Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku) run a bathhouse in a shopping district, where the businesses are struggling against competition from the new shopping mall opposite the train station. Among their neighbors and acquaintances are Kubota and Tokito from Kubota Laundry, Saito from Saito Liquor Store and Tenpou, a writer who lives with the Genjos. There are also two sons who are living elsewhere, wayward Nobuto and globe-trotting Kenren. To me who grew up on a staple of Japanese TV serials in the late nineties to the early 2000s, the story evokes a feeling of nostalgia for a vanishing era and lifestyle in a typical mid-sized Japanese satellite town.

Now, on to the first track!

--------

Summary: Waking up from a surreal dream in which he and his relatives fought a bunch of youkai, Goku headed downstairs for breakfast.

--------

Sanzo: Tch. What a bother! (shoots and takes out a youkai)

Hakkai: They’re coming in an awfully big flock again. ** (hits a few youkai with a ball of chi)

Gojyo: Over there, Goku!

Goku (twirling nyoibo): Leave it to me! Oryaa!

(Youkai cries out as nyoibo smashes into them.)

Gojyo: There’s no end to them, so just finish them off in one strike, Sanzo-sama!

Sanzo: Don’t order me around, damn kappa! (starts to chant a Sanskrit mantra)

Goku: Hmm?

Hakkai: What’s the matter, Goku?

Goku: Don’t you hear a strange sound? (An alarm bell rings in the background.)

Gojyo: Hah? Has your hearing turned as stupid as the rest of you too?

Goku: That’s not it! There, you should be hearing it as well – it’s a bell-like sound.

Hakkai: Ah, surely that’s because breakfast is ready, isn’t it?

Goku: Huh?

Sanzo: Makai Tenjo!

(The ringing sound grows louder.)

Goku: Ah.... eh? (turns off the alarm clock)

(The ringing sound stops, replaced by the sounds of chirping birds and bicycle bell.)

Goku: Uhh....

Hakkai (from downstairs): Goku! If you don’t get up now, you’ll be late!

Goku: Crap! (flings off his blanket)

--------

(Sounds of running water, vegetables being chopped and the clear chime of a bell. The last one is typically heard at a Buddhist household altar [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butsudan]. Sanzo chants a Sanskrit mantra.)

Goku (runs into the living/dining room): Morning, Hakkai!

Hakkai: Good morning. Sorry, but could you fetch the miso soup from over there?

Goku: Okay! Eh? Gojyo’s already awake? How unusual!

Gojyo: Why you. I mean, can you not address your big brother so casually this early in the morning? [Instead of using the term for elder brother, such as ‘onii-san’ or ‘onii-chan’, Goku addresses him by his first name, which is considered rude.]

Goku: I’ve been doing that since I was a kid, haven’t I?

Gojyo: It’s because of stuff like this that you’re still very much a kid, you pipsqueak of a baby monkey!

Goku: Then, is a NEET who abandoned his studies at the university mid-term an adult? [NEET: young person not in education, employment or training]

Gojyo: I’m not a NEET! I’m a freelancer! A freelancer! [He uses the term freeter, which can mean anything from someone who is deliberately unemployed, underemployed or a freelance worker.]

Goku: Don’t talk like you’re a real freelancer. There’s nothing admirable about it at all.

Gojyo: Why, you cheeky monkey! Show a bit of respect for your elders–

(A loud gong resounds.)

Sanzo: You two damn kids are being noisy so early in the morning!

Goku: Ah, morning, grandpa.

Gojyo: You’re way noisier than we’re, old man!

Sanzo: Who’s the old man, you thickheaded greenhorn?

Gojyo: You’re a grandfather. Doesn’t that make you a real old man? Or have you finally gone senile?

Sanzo: Hah? Compared to that idiotic-looking deep-red head of yours, my head is way much clearer!

(They start to grapple with each other.)

Gojyo: I don’t want to hear complaints about the color of my hair from an old man who dyes his hair blond in order to appear younger!

Goku: Jeez, stop fighting in front of the altar!

[Depending on the Buddhist sect followed by the household, the altar may contain either the pictures of deceased relatives or tablets engraved with their names. So in this sense, Goku is berating Gojyo and Sanzo for fighting in front of Kanan and Konzen :) ]

Hakkai: Yes, that’s enough. Everyone, breakfast’s ready.

Goku: Breakfast!

Sanzo: Tch.

Gojyo: Yeah, yeah.

Hakkai: All right then–

All four: Let’s eat!

--------

(Round brackets): actions and sound effects. [Square brackets]: translator’s notes or clarifications. Double asterisks **: Stuff I am not sure with. Suggestions for improvements and corrections are more than welcome.

[elen-000]

Clannad: The 2007 Animated Film Adaptation

Regular edition DVD cover.

Clannad, the beloved visual novel by Key, made a memorable leap to the big screen with its 2007 animated film adaptation. Directed by the legendary Osamu Dezaki, this reinterpretation of the Clannad story focuses on the heartfelt journey of Nagisa Furukawa. Announced by Toei Animation at the Tokyo Anime Fair on March 23, 2006, the film premiered on September 15, 2007, marking Dezaki's final directorial work before his passing in April 2011.

Promotional Blitz

The promotional campaign for Clannad was as vibrant as the film itself. On March 10, 2007, Akihabara saw a large black bus emblazoned with "Film Version Clannad" (劇場版CLANNAD) cruising through the streets. A group of enthusiastic young women, dressed in the high school uniforms from the film, distributed flyers and colorful thundersticks to passersby, creating buzz for the film's release.

Plot Summary

The story follows Tomoya Okazaki, a disenchanted third-year high school student who feels disconnected from his surroundings. His mundane life takes a turn when he meets Nagisa Furukawa, a determined girl who is repeating her final year due to health issues. Nagisa dreams of reviving the Drama Club, and despite facing opposition from the student council, she persuades Tomoya and his friend Youhei Sunohara to help her.

Nagisa's dedication to the club and her personal dream of performing a soliloquy from her childhood culminate in a touching performance at the school festival. It’s here that Tomoya realizes his and Nagisa's shared dream, and he confesses his love for her.

However, the joy is short-lived as Nagisa’s health deteriorates, leading to a bittersweet conclusion. After a brief period of living together, Nagisa becomes pregnant and, despite warnings, insists on giving birth. Tragically, she dies giving birth to their daughter, Ushio, plunging Tomoya into a deep depression.

The narrative takes a hopeful turn when Tomoya’s friends intervene, helping him reconnect with his daughter. The film concludes with Tomoya finding solace and a sense of continuity through his daughter, seeing his deceased wife Nagisa’s spirit under the Tree of Promises from his recurring dream.

Production Insights

The film adaptation was a collaboration of talented individuals. The original character designs by Itaru Hinoue were adapted by Megumi Kadonosono for the film. The screenplay, crafted by Makoto Nakamura, who had previously worked on adaptations of Key’s visual novels, and the direction by Osamu Dezaki brought the story to life with a touch of nostalgia and emotion.

Media Releases

Clannad was released on DVD in three editions: the Collector's Edition, the Special Edition, and the Regular Edition. The Collector's Edition came with a special illustrated jacket and a deluxe booklet, while the Special Edition included additional bonus content like a drama CD and a bonus DVD. The film was also available in English-subtitled and dubbed formats, thanks to Sentai Filmworks.

The film’s soundtrack, featuring the maxi single "Mag Mell (frequency⇒e Ver.)" and an image song single by Lia, was released in tandem with the film, adding a musical touch to its emotional depth.

Clannad remains a poignant and powerful adaptation of the beloved visual novel, capturing the essence of its story while offering a unique cinematic experience.

[dauriculaire]

September 2019 Release List

Now up on my official blog!