Katahane is an adventure game by Tarte (http://tarte.deal.co.jp/products/katahane/index.html) – though it seems the site is currently down. If anyone knows why it’s been that way for a while, let me know.

It was featured in Yuri-hime Vol 7. – Winter 2007
There is a lot of yurilicious moments between two of the main characters. ^__^

 While this is an ero-game, the focus is not on that aspect and scenes I’ve seen so far have been tasteful.
The music is also excellent! I would like the soundtrack, but it’s going for ~250 USD on Yahoo! Auctions Japan… >__<

The story takes place in a world with 3 kingdoms, the Red, White, and Blue Kingdom. In this world, they have highly-advanced dolls with some closely resembling humans. These dolls occasionally need maintainence which done by a “tuner”.

A young playwright named Wakaba writes a controversial play about a traitor named Ein who killed a ruler of the White Kingdom, Christina. In Wakaba’s play, she presumes that Ein did not betray Christina, but was actually her loyal supporter.

When Wakaba’s history major friend needs to make a trip to get Coco, a genki doll that lives with Wakaba,  maintainence, Wakaba and her brother Light travel with him.  Wakaba travels in the hopes of finding some actors for her play. Along the way, they meet a beautiful doll with one wing named Belle and an aspiring actress named Angelina.

The story takes place in 2 parts:

1) Shirohane – the main story with Wakaba and gang

2) Kurohane – the historical events talking about the end of the reign of Christina

On my first playthrough I didn’t encounter that many places where you need to choose an action. Also, as mentioned in other reviews of the game, the point of view changes from character to character and all of them are fully voiced which is a nice change from games where sometimes the main character is not voiced.

Voice: 10/10 – I love Belle’s voice.
Graphics: 10/10 – They look good even when zoomed in.
Background Music/Effects: 10/10
Yuri factor: 10/10 (There are romantic moments with other characters but most of the romance is yuri-focused)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From 殉逢ラブホリック by どろぱんだTOURS (Jyun-ai Loveholic by Doropanda Tours)

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Ichigo Mashimaro Drama CD 1

Ichigo Mashimaro Drama CD Volume 1 – (苺ましまろ DRAMA CD Volume1)

Rating:
Voice: 10/10
Background Music/Effects: 10/10
Yuri factor: 5/10 (Nobue onee-sama is a loli but she just teases Ana-chan and Matsuri-chan)
Overall: 10/10

Tracks:

1. Maid Itou kei no Maki – メイド伊藤家の巻
2. Manga no Maki – マンガの巻
3. Time Capsule no Maki – タイムカプセルの巻
4. Mahou Shoujo no Maki – 魔法少女の巻
5. Nobue-sense no Maki 伸恵先生の巻
6. Garam masala no Maki – ガラムマサラの巻
7. Bonus Track

 

Summary:
1. Maid Itou kei no Maki – メイド伊藤家の巻

Miu has Ana and Matsuri dress up as maids and serve tea like from a maid cafe.
Nobue compliments Miu with “Good Job!”

Miu is renting Anna and Matsuri for 500 yen for a half hour
Nobue wants to rent them for an hour but relents after Ana and Matsuri protest.
Nobue does convince Anna and Matsuri to say “Goshujin-sama” which stuns her with “Goshujin-power”.

However, Nobue is less than impressed with Miu’s maid dress even though Miu offered some fan-service!

2. Manga no Maki – マンガの巻

The girls read a manga that happens to have characters that resemble each of them, except Anna which miffs her a bit. Miu believes that someone must be spying on them, but later decides it’s just a coincidence since the manga only has one volumne and their lives would take up more than one volume.

3. Time Capsule no Maki – タイムカプセルの巻

Miu decides that they should make a time capsule.
Chie puts a ribbon, Matsuri puts a plushie, Anna puts a CD, Nobue of course puts cigarettes (actually an empty cigarette case!), and Miu puts some chocolate. Miu immediately digs up the time capsule though!

4. Mahou Shoujo no Maki – 魔法少女の巻

Miu says she is a magical girl and at first tricks Matsuri-chan into thinking that her ferret is really Miu and she transforms. Miu says that magical girls need a pet that they like, but she doesn’t have one.
Finally Miu says that Nobue is a magical girl (mahou shoujo), but wait, decides that Nobue should actually be a magical older lady (mahou oba) and gets smacked!

5. Nobue-sense no Maki – 伸恵先生の巻

Nobue pretends to be a teacher with the other girls as her students.
It’s a parody of high school dramas with Miu as the delinquent who is reformed by her teacher.
Nobue gives a lesson on how to smoke cigarettes.

6. Garam masala no Maki – ガラムマサラの巻

The girls cook some garam masala for Nobue to try.
Miu is a nuisance as usual by running around yelling “Garam masala”.

7. Bonus Track

Each of the girls pretends to answer the phone and answer e-mail.
It’s pretty cute.
Matsuri’s sound for the ringing phone is so adorable with her crying voice

Mai-Hime Simulation Game

Currently playing the Mai-Hime Simulation Game
Mai-Hime (Unmei no Keitoujuu – Shura) 舞-HiME　運命の系統樹　修羅

This was originally a PS2 game (http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/game/ps2/mai-hime) released on June 30, 2005, but was recently re-released for the PC with an extra scenario for Shizuru, CG for Yukino and Haruka, endings for Midori and Nao, summoning movies, and extra CG.

http://circus.nandemo.gr.jp/common/maihime_pc/maihime.html

Unfortunately it seems I have to finish Natsuki’s scenario before I can see Shizuru’s Another Story

Mai-Hime Drama CD 1

Mai- Hime Drama CD 1 :

Mai-Hime Jitsuroku! Uru Fuuka Gakuen Shi Dai Isshou (舞-HiME 実録！『裏』風華学園史　第一章)

Rating:
Voice: 10/10
Background Music/Effects: 10/10
Yuri factor: 5/10 (Most of it due to Shizuru of course)
Overall: 10/10

This is one of my favorite Drama CDs.
The tracks are full of hilarious situations with everyone’s favorite characters.
There could’ve been more ShizNat action but Shizuru has to give her attention to others too I suppose. ^__^

Yuri Drama CDs

Recently I’ve been listening to quite a few drama CDs.
I’d say that the yuri level in most of the CDs is definitely above the level in the anime (especially the Mai-Hime ones). I don’t understand everything that’s said, but the tone of voice is enough to convey

Drama CDs I’ve listened to with yuri content:

Mai-Hime Drama CD 1 – Shizuru and Natsuki rabu rabu. Or maybe I should say Shizuru teases the heck of of Natsuki?

Mai-Hime Drama CD 2 – More ShizNat fluff

Mai-Otome Drama CD 1 – Shizuru Onee-sama!

Ichigo Mashimaro Drama CD 1 – Nobue onee-sama loves maid girls!

Ichigo Mashimaro Drama CD 5 – Nobue harem?

Hayate x Blade Drama CD 1 – Jun Jun and Hayate make Ayane’s blood pressure skyrocket

Hayate x Blade Drama CD preview – Short and Sweet

Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majou Drama CD preview – 3 short tracks about the previous series and their interaction with the new manga about a tea house.

Venus Versus Virus Drama CD 1 – Eh…not so much yuri content. The manga hasn’t been that yurilicious either. Maybe when the anime comes out?

Mai-Otome: Otome Butou Shi – PS2

Mai-Otome: Otome Butou Shi (舞-乙HiME 乙女舞闘史) came out for the PS2 on 11-09-06.
It’s an ok fighting game, sort of like the X TV Animation fighting game for PS1. (I only bought that one because of Subaru. ^_^)

Official Page: http://www.suni.jp/contents/mai_otome/

Spoilers for the game, so please stop reading if you dislike spoilers.

The best part of the game in my opinion is Mikoto in cat form. The transformation sequence into the coral robe from the DVD No. 7 special is the best!

Screenshots including Mikoto can be found at:
http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/2006/08/24/104,1156388930,58942,0,0.html

Of course, there’s ShizNat action. (Why else would I play the game? ^__^)

Shizuru: Fufufu, Pero, pero, pero, pero (lick, lick, lick)

Aww…I knew Natsuki cared about Shizuru.
Natsuki: How can you say that when she’s under house arrest? I’ll have you return Shizuru!

Tomoe is scary! 0__0
Tomoe: I’ll never allow it!

Yep! Shizuru is definitely bewitching!

Introduction to the blog

Well, I thought I’d jump on the blog wagon also.
This blog will be dedicated to yuri anime, manga, and games.
I suppose some other topics such as language learning might also creep in.