OTL is back with the final two tracks of the second disc, subtitled Akiko-san no ban gohan, in the Kanon Minase san chi drama CD series. I think there are five CDs in all.
If you’re a Kanon fan, don’t miss out on these; they’re the best way to enjoy the Drama CDs. Previously you just had a translated text file to follow along as you listened to the audio, but OTL has merged all that by taking images from the game (adding in some of their own artwork as necessary) and turning the CD into a visual experience.
I’ll repeat a bit from my previous entry in March that OTL does their best to copy the visual novel experience with these dramas, but makes enhancements such as blinking, mouth movements, and multiple on-screen characters. The synchronization is great, and sometimes surprises occur when other objects or scenes not in the original game become part of the drama CDs’ plots.
2.10: Blossoms in the Town of Snow
Nayuki is awake early for once. She’s excited about hanami, or going to see the cherry blossoms bloom. However Yuuichi finds the weather still cold and snowy outside. It seems so unlikely for the sakura to start blooming so early, but Nayuki insists she’s seen them.
While Yuuichi holds a spot out in the park, practically the entire cast comes out and joins the group. So the day ends up a whole lot of fun. I suppose the official canon is broken a little bit in order to have all the characters around and in such cheery moods. But not that it matters too much; it’s fun to have all your favorite characters around for additional stories.
2.11: Bonus Track – Kuze Will Go!
The last CD’s bonus track was more of a fourth-wall break, advertising the rest of the CDs in the series. But this one is more of a legit track. Yuuichi and Kuze meet in the student council room to argue about Yuuichi’s “bad conduct” with Kurata Sayuri. However there are obviously different things on Kuze’s mind. Sayuri drops in, too, to make the situation more interesting…
Impressions
All the activity in Track 10 is what makes this subbing effort so great. For the fans who have a hard time distinguishing character voices, this track might have driven you crazy as you try to follow along by yourself, but this sub solves all those issues.
The animation provided in Track 11, too, helps to make the silent moments more clear .. or to emphasize the comedic timing of everything better. Of course, everything is written so you can follow with your imagination easily while listening to the CD, but the visuals save you the effort. :P And it’s a good presentation.
Overall, great for some laughs and smiles. Nothing very dramatic in these tracks; the last ones of a disc usually leave optimistic feelings while the middle ones could tug at your emotions a bit.
The translation notes (on OTL’s website) contain a link to this page which provides instructions on how to make the “octopus weiner” as well as hordes of other animals (like the ones Sayuri mentioned in Track 11). Some of the creations are amazing; such precise cutting and meticulousness needed!
OTL has announced they are on hiatus for the third CD while they work on improving their animation process. Also they need to prepare additional artwork and are looking for artists or animators. They’re a small team, and their releases have been about three months apart so far. I imagine with the hiatus it might be Christmas-time before we see CD3, but it will be well worth the wait.
~Crisu
Indeed, OTL is doing a great job at animating these audio dramas. Lots of thanks to them for their hard work.