Master Post

This is a blog where I review/talk about audio dramas (Otome CD/BLCD/situational CD). I have been listening to audio dramas since 2017 and just want more people to be interested in them. I try to make the audios as accessible as possible by providing links and some details about the audio. However, I will not provide any links to illegally access audios dramas.

Because I talk mostly about R18 audios, this is an 18+ space MDNI

Regarding reviews: I do not review audio dramas with numerical ratings. It’s pointless for something as objective as a voice. Instead, I discuss gush about themes, plot points, and voice acting decisions. It’s not a very serious review. I try to tag potential triggers for any posts about audio dramas. I also take requests so if there is an audio drama out there you’re curious about or want my opinion on, I’ll try to review it. Keep in mind I need to have some way of listening to it to be able to review it.

Important posts:

Introduction post

Buying guide

Kinktober Recommendations 2024

Favorite VA:

• Tetrapod Noboru
• Junichi Suwabe
• Mitsuhashi Wataru
• Ichijo Hirame
• Asagita
• Hirakawa Daisuke
• Kazuya Irodori

Favorite Scenarios:

• Senpai/kouhai relationship (work and school)
• Various dead dove
• 3P
• NTR
• Incubus/succubus
• Office romance

(This post will be edited as needed)

Guess what?! I recently passed the N5 exam! What do you mean “how have you never taken the JLPT when all you do is talk about drama CDs?” Well, let me explain…

On my about page, you can see that I have been “studying” Japanese on and off for over a decade. I started learning Japanese as a requirement for the gifted student program I was in during high school and then went on to get a minor in Japanese. I’ve been to Japan, experienced a bunch of cultural things, and participated in translation work for the National Atomic Bomb Museum. I did a lot with Japanese when I was actively learning (4-7 years), but had to stop as I progressed in my academics. Because my main expertise is in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), I had to mostly give up on learning Japanese so I could focus on my more time-consuming courses. During this time I was also never encouraged to take the JLPT. It was introduced to me as a hobbyist activity when I was in high school. We had our own exam that I could take for college credit which was more relevant. Japanese is not a valued language in the states outside of international business or international political dealings. Even now I really don’t have a use for it in my professional field. Because of its irrelevance in my professional life, I didn’t even think about taking it…. Until now.

In the middle of all my moving between undergraduate and graduate degrees, I had become more involved with Japanese media. It was particularly the niche Japanese media that doesn’t a chance of ever being localized (Touken Ranbu) that I was getting interested in. I could get by with what I already knew but suddenly the nuance is important. I actually need to be able to do more than just follow the story. The same could be said with the newer drama CDs that, in my opinion, have more convoluted storylines than older drama CDs. I also noticed a lot of fan-translators have straight up disappeared. I’m sure it’s because of finances, but fan-translators are an important part of the fan ecosystem. That is why I had renewed interest in studying Japanese.

I started on again, off again practicing, but the problem was that I really can’t place where my knowledge is. I’m horrible with kanji but I can follow a conversation well enough. There was some things I got easily and others I really struggled with. I was also not motivated enough. I just couldn’t force myself to study everyday or whatever when I have other things that are tied to financial well being waiting for me. That’s when I started playing with the idea of taking the JLPT.

I was following a lot of Japanese language creators/academics on social media and it came up a lot more than I thought. It seems to me like the natural progression for people who are self-taught or want to work in Japan. A few things made the JLPT perfect for me at this stage in my life:

• The exam is $100. This is a lot for me, meaning I won’t waste this chance. I have a reason to prioritize it.
• The happens just once in December (in the US). I won’t rush myself and a full year leaves a lot of time for if I need to focus on my academics for a week or whatever.
• There’s a test location near me. This may seem obvious but there are very few locations in the US and it’s a big fucking country. I can’t afford to fly or stay in a hotel.
• There are well defined levels. I can finally get an idea of where I land with my understanding.
• It’s a popular exam for those learning independently. There’s a lot of FREE resources online tailored to this exam. Even if I already know enough Japanese to past one of these exams, I still needed to study for the exam. Standardized exams are terrible for that exact reason.

My plan was just to take the N5 (easiest exam) this last. I probably could’ve taken the N4 and passed just as easily, BUT I needed a confidence boost. I would have chickened out and never paid for the N4 test. I’m not confident in my Japanese, which is why I rarely translate the summaries in my reviews. I read the summaries on my own (with the help of a dictionary), but I don’t feel comfortable translating for others. My goal with taking the JLPT is only to get to N3. If by then I’m feeling like I have a reason to go further, then I will. You really only need to get to N3 to interact with most Japanese media and I have no intention of working in Japan.

There you have it. That’s why I decided to take the easiest test in the JLPT after over a decade of studying Japanese. I wrote this to show you all that it’s never to late, and that education isn’t always linear.

Resources I used to study for N5

Textbooks

• Genki 1 - I got my minor with these books. I think they’re most common. Hasn’t failed me yet. You can find this online, but if you’re really dedicated I would recommend at least buying the workbook.

Kanji

• Wanikani - I struggle with kanji the most. This app has changed my life. It teaches radicals, kanji, and vocab. Wanikani has me in tip-top shape with my reading skills. I think the first 4 levels are free.

Grammar

• Definitely need a textbook for this part.
• Bunpro - Super helpful but I recommend using this with a textbook. The first month is free.
• Tae Kim’s guide to Japanese Grammar - I use this as a reference when I’m practicing reading. Again, need a textbook to go with this. Completely free.

Reading

• If I’m being super honest, reading social media and websites in Japanese is primarily how I practice reading. Probably not a good idea for a beginner.
• Free books in Japanese
• NHK easy news

Listening

• I literally looked up N5 listening practice test on Youtube. There was actually one question that was on the exam.
• Japanese with Shun is a podcast I listen to. He follows the Genki books.
• Because I already interact with Japanese media that isn’t localized, I just listen to that stuff. If you can find a localized, you can use it as reference AFTER listening to something. Less about what exactly was said and more to check your general understanding.

Other

• Lots of resources at Japanese Talk website. They go in extreme detail about how to study for the JLPT.
• There are some practice quizzes on the JLPT website.
• Bunpro has free timed practice tests.
• I used Nihongo Sou Matome for daily practice quizzes. It is made to cover 12 weeks. This is best after you’ve learned all the material because there is very little reference material in here. It just briefly reminds you about different concepts.

This post is cross-posted on my website

Image too naughty to show :P

Label/Circle: Crown Works

Creator: 相野ココ (Aino Coco)

VA: 内田雄馬 (Uchida Yuma), 鈴木崚汰 (Suzuki Ryouta)

Release Date: 6/7/23

Availability: Stellaworth, Animate, Amiami, Rakutenbooks, Comicomi studio, Melonbooks

Officially Translated? No, but the manga is

Synopsis (from SevenSeas Entertainment): Karasuma Koudai is an introverted university student who streams spicy ASMR roleplays once or twice a week. His view counts haven’t been increasing as of late, though, so he’s been thinking of quitting. Then he discovers that the cheerful and popular Minami Masaya–his polar opposite–is an avid listener who actively chats during his streams. Even more shocking is Minami’s red-faced admission that he used Karasuma’s ASMRs for his own self pleasure, “I can’t come without your voice…”

Karasuma is so surprised that he offers to help without thinking. At first, he feels a sense of superiority from seeing Minami’s lurid reactions to his voice, but he gradually finds that talking isn’t enough–he grows to like Minami and wants to touch him gently.

First impression: Opening with the ASMR track that Minami is listening to is literally genius! It sets the tone for Minami’s attraction to Karasuma’s voice. I also think using a dummy head mic for this specific track was great. You really get to understand what Minami is so obsessed with.

When Minami confronts Karasuma about his voice, I couldn’t help thinking like this is my worst nightmare. Even if I can’t remember the name, I’ll recognize their voice right away. I can relate to Minami in a lot of ways. Him gushing with another fan was my favorite part of this BLCD. There’s nothing better than talking with a fellow fan that just gets it.

The casting for Karasuma was also great. I felt this is a voice worthy of being gushed over. Very much “ikemen voice”. Something I thought was interesting, was despite being a popular AMSRist, Karusuma never considered people could be getting off on his voice? Just thought that was a bit strange considering he makes situational smut audios.

Final impressions (after multiple listens): I find their dynamic to be very cute. I see a lot of scenarios in manga, drama CDs, and fanfiction like this these days. I really like that Minami is only embarrassed about being caught and not about listening to NSFW audios. Shame begone! It’s Karasuma that feels weird about this whole thing, and is not sure what to do about his feelings. Minami is so cute and relatable. I’m kind of obsessed with him. Karasuma is also great. I keep coming back to the track where he’s talking Minami through it on the phone. That track is so delicious! I really like that they changed the audio effects from being on the phone together to sounding more like a shared thought. I think we need 1o million billion more BL with voice kink. I’m definitely not biased or anything :P

There’s another voice hiding in there that I like, Kaito Tasuku. I’ve definitely heard him in another drama CD, I just can’t remember which one. He’s got such a nice voice here. I think it fits the meddling friend character well.

Would I recommend it?: Just based off the ASMR track alone, I would recommend it. I think that track perfectly captured what a listener is hearing and why they reach for the headphones.

Obviously, if you like the manga and want more, I would just go ahead and snag it off the secondhand market. I have both volumes of the manga pre-ordered, but haven’t read it yet. There’s also been a trend of Vtubers, streamers, ASMRist in drama CDs and if you like those kinds of scenarios, I recommend it. I think they are fun and meta. You get this feeling that the writers really understand this group of fans. I do think it can be a little too meta for some fans. People tend to seek out fully voiced drama CDs because they don’t want to feel included and this trend could alienate them.

This post is cross-posted on my website

Last year I did my first ever fan panel at Citrus Con, which is an 18+ con for BL and other queer media. Citrus con has a wide array of activities for fans including educational panels, industry panels, fan experiences from all over the world, lots of games, watch parties, and many interesting guests. The con is also free and held completely online, making this one of the most accessible cons that I attend.

I have attended Citrus con since it was first held in 2023 and each time it gets bigger and better.

While having bigger guests is nice, I appreciate that Citrus con has been able to maintain it’s welcoming atmosphere. There are so many fans from all over because they hold panels almost the entire day to reach several time zones. Every year I leave Citrus con with so much more knowledge and inspiration. I almost feel this urge to create after being around so many like-minded creatives and learning new techniques to show my love for BL. This is the reason I decided to do a introductory panel on BLCD at Citrus con.

I was a little nervous about doing a con panel. I’m not exactly shy, but I’m also not the most charismatic person in the room. I was also worried about not being an “expert” on drama CDs. I didn’t want to feed into the misinformation already apparent on social media. In the end, I decided to just try. I thought with the Citrus con community being so welcoming, people would be more open to my panel, even if there were some mistakes. All of my anxieties were immediately put to rest at the con. People were so receptive! Everyone was so ready to learn and just wanted to talk about their favorite BLCDs. When the panel was over, I felt silly for ever being nervous. Of course BL fans want to talk about BL!

I created a relatively short video on basic information needed to enjoy BLCD and it is available on Citrus Con’s Youtube. I wanted to tailor recommendations for BL fans while keeping the information light and digestible. The plan was to get people excited about BLCD without overwhelming them with information. It can get very hand-wavy with definitions because a lot of words overlap. I also didn’t want to create any strict rules that would keep people from talking about or looking for BLCD.

Genuinely, it made me so happy to see people excited about something as important to me as drama CDs. I am beyond thankful to the whole Citrus con staff for letting me put on my nerdy little fan panel.

Outside of my own panel, some of my favorite panels for this year were about fanfiction. I saw one panel about maintaining a good relationship with beta-readers (probably something I need to do). Not only did they break down the role of beta-readers from an industry stand point, they also gave tips on how to be an effective beta-reader. The main takeaway, for me, was communication. Writers need to communicate what they need from betas, and beta-readers need to communicate what they’re capable of doing. Apparently, it’s normal to have multiple beta-readers. Another panel I enjoyed, content-ification of fanfiction, urged fans to interact with their favorite fanfic writers, not as a common courtesy, but to show that they appreciate the “gift” of fanfiction and the time that it took to write said fanfiction. Give kudos, add a comment, tell writers how much you love their fanworks. That seemed to be the message. There was a lot of community-minded panels, which is needed now more than ever.

P.S. I wrote this like a week after the con but then never posted it (classic porkchop).

This post is cross-posted on my website

Here is a complete list of all the audio dramas I recommended for Kintober 2024. Some of these recommendations have triggers (outside of the kink) that can be found at the top of the post. This list uses the Kinktober prompt list from @dreamlandcreations.

1. First time: 甘えたカレシ before～年下のカレとの『はじめて』
2. Deep throating, Wet dream, Cum-eating: Arrival of The Incubi
3. Phone sex: Up Close and Far Away ~Sweet and Deep Loving~
4. Drunk sex: 一途な年下カレシがエッチに変貌する瞬間
5. Blindfolds: 温泉旅館・紫月園"再々訪"～更に、癒やしとえっちのスペシャルプラン
6. Roleplay, Discipline: 二階堂記念病院 小児科医 光永の淫欲カルテ
7. Praise kink, Corruption: 【フォーリーサウンド】幸せを願え
8. Dirty talk: 二階堂記念病院 リハビリ医 葉庭の淫欲カルテ
9. Threesum, Aftercare: Sexual Activity ～クールな男性ふたりに性欲をぶつけて愛される～
10. Orgasm denial: 二階堂記念病院 内科医羽生田の淫欲カルテ
11. Public sex: Foolish Love Express - Cornered by His Fingertips
12. Auctioning/Sharing:【舐めたっぷり】ペロチューバー ～とろとろエッチ生配信!
13. Pregnancy: 夫婦愛の結晶 子作り生活
14. Face sitting: 二階堂記念病院 耳鼻科医宗矢の淫欲カルテ
15. Begging: 私の欲望 〜彼をイジめてみたい!〜
16. Double penetration, Oral sex, Jealousy: ふたりに翻弄される恋 by Brothers
17. Bath/Shower sex, Fingering: SWEET×SWEET 綾瀬郁馬
18. Anal: Kodomo Challenge
19. Hate/Angry sex: Elite Businessman’s Breeding Contract ~Angry Raw Sex~
20. Body worship: Do You Love Me? vol 3. Asahi Kuno
21. Bondage: Lady Thieves Won’t Escape the Rich Man
22. SKIP
23. Stalking: 隣の席の変な先輩 １
24. Dom/Sub: 目覚めていきなり緊縛姦～ストーカー上司の異常な愛情
25. Against a wall (not really): 灼熱アタック
26. Breeding: 絶倫後輩の発情種付けマーキング～潮吹きしてもイカされ続けます～
27. Omegaverse: 運命の番 -TSUGAI- 第一弾 双子のα
28. Voyeurism: Love x Scramble
29. Creampie: The Starved Older Man Turns into a Beast. ~Thick Baby Making Sex~
30. Age difference, Teasing, Forbidden: 先生と幸福なひととき
31. Free day: 拗らせ愛 〜童貞を拗らせた彼の場合 and Bonus: 吸血鬼の性愛 -routeトオル

Day 31 - Bonus: Spooky

VA: Fuyuno Kumaniku

Scenario writer: 高良宇多

Illustrator: さばるどろ

Release date: 1/27/2021

Why I recommend it?: The vampire/mortal relationship is a fan favorite found across romance media. There’s something about when a vampire wants a specific person’s blood so bad but because of their morals, they refuse to feed on them. I don’t have many supernatural/fantasy audios but the few that I do, I love. This character is more straight-laced than I usually like but it works well for this dynamic. I also think that’s why Fuyuno works so well in this CD. He has that serious sound to his voice. He voices a lot of characters like this.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey! This was my first time doing something like this and I had fun. I hope I helped you find something fun to listen to.

Day 31: Free Day

VA: Mano Dai

Scenario writer: 千崎郁未

Illustrator: バニラ梨央

Release date: ¾/2024

Why I recommend it?: I wanted my last recommendation to be a recent audio since I know I recommended a lot of older audios. This is a good starter CD. It’s fluff with a virgin LI. This character is a straight-laced jock type of person. He gets frazzled by the listener often. I heard all three from this series and they’re all good. There’s a slow enough build-up to the sex too. Most fans will like this CD and because it’s so recent, you may still get the tokuten (pre-order bonus).

Credits: Kinktober prompt list from @dreamlandcreations #dlkinktober2024

Day 30: Age difference, Teasing, Forbidden

VA: Mitsuhashi Wataru

Scenario writer: Angle in white

Illustrator: Angle in white

Release date: 8/31/2020

Why I recommend it?: Literally just for the first track. That kissing scene is so cute like are you kidding me! The whole audio is just fluff from start to finish but that track is my favorite. The dynamic is bad but the relationship is just so soft and fluffy. The audio preceding this one is actually very dark so I was surprised with how cutesy it was. I picked this one because I wanted to balance out the kinks with something not so dark. As usual, Mitsuhashi’s voice is just so perfect for my taste. I’ve probably recommended too many audios with mitsuhashi but he really is that active in the indie audio scene.

Credits: Kinktober prompt list from @dreamlandcreations #dlkinktober2024

TW: Dubcon

Day 29: Creampie

VA: Aki

Scenario writer: 汐見なゆ

Illustrator: おとぎ遊戯

Release date: 6/22/2019

Why I recommend it?: A vast majority of spicy audio dramas feature creampie. Some hate the sound, others love it. In this audio, the listener gets stuffed like a twinkie. This character is another pathetic older man voiced by Aki so you know it’s good. Here, the listener decides to poke the bear so they can move their relationship forward. I love it when the listener takes what they want! Another gap moe audio. Maybe I have a thing for that trope? I do want to warn anyone looking to listen to this audio to try out the samples first. This is another audio that can be harsh on the ears. There’s actually another audio that is famous for its creampie scenes. I can’t remember the title but he cums liters. Yes, liters. It’s hilarious.

Credits: Kinktober prompt list from @dreamlandcreations #dlkinktober2024

TW: Dubcon

Day 28: Voyeurism

VA: Nimaigai Houkki and Domon Atsushi

Scenario writer: 堀川ごぼこ

Illustrator: neco

Release date: 12/25/2020

Why I recommend it? This CD is hilarious because of the voyeurism scene. Essentially, one of the LIs rushes into the room while the listener and the other LI are doing the deed. Instead of the sex ending, the two LIs have a full-on conversation while the listener gets back shots. I often come back to this CD because of this scene. It just goes on for a ridiculous amount of time. Domon plays this flirty type of idol character perfectly. I also like the manager/idol dynamic enough. I can only imagine how fast the listener will get fired because of these two.

Credits: Kinktober prompt list from @dreamlandcreations #dlkinktober2024