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Welcome to Chic Pixel’s first ever drama CD review! While I’m sure some of you are familiar with audio dramas, it’s an area of nerdy Japanese media that generally gets much less coverage than anime, manga, or video games, so allow me to provide a little background information before I dive in. I’m not a huge expert in this area myself, though, so feel free to chime in with any additional information you might have in the comments!
While many existing media properties often get audio drama reproductions or spinoffs, there are also original drama CDs marketed toward women known as otome-muke, or just otome drama CDs (that’s the same otome as otome game!). In these CDs, often one or more voice actors will speak to the listener as if you are actually there, making for a rather… intimate experience. There are also otome drama CDs with multiple characters that do not necessarily involve the listener, but Noble Lily: Boku no Fiancée is in the former category, so that’s what I’m going to talk about today.
The premise of Boku no Fiancée is that you, the daughter of a duke, have been betrothed to a boy named Bernard Walden (voiced by Itsuki Katou aka Ishii Kazutaka) since you both were young. Now that you’re all grown up, you’re soon to be wed, and it’s time to sort out your real feelings for one another.
If the title of this post didn’t make it clear, this is an adult romance CD, so it’s recommended for ages 18 and up and includes sexual material. Obviously this is all in the form of one-sided audio, as Bernard is the only voiced character. But still, despite doing a thesis on boys’ love manga and having reviewed BL for Chic Pixel before, talking about a CD where half of the audio is kissing and sucking noises is somehow extremely embarrassing. But I shall persevere!
Head to the official website to hear a sample of the audio but be warned, the second clip contains those erotic noises I mentioned earlier. Like many otome drama CDs, this one is best listened to with headphones so you really get the sensation of an anime boy whispering in your ear.
I didn’t actually read up on the premise of Noble Lily: Boku no Fiancée before adding it to my wishlist, but as my first full 18+ otome CD, I was pretty happy with it! Bernard is a bit of a tsundere type who obviously cares for you but is somehow too stubborn to let you know until the final tracks. To be honest, I was surprised at how much of the audio focused on sexy encounters – the 3 longest tracks on the CD are pretty much entirely devoted to that, with only some short situational padding in between (the CD clocks in at 76:86, and a whopping 53:02 is said encounters).
The first encounter features you and Bernard sneaking into his older brother’s room to surprise him (why an 18-year-old would think this is fun, I don’t know). Of course, you get yourselves stuck in the closet while his brother and his fiancée have some romantic alone time… then, after watching them, Bernard decides to emulate what he saw with you. This is definitely portrayed as both your and Bernard’s first times, making this CD even more embarrassing to listen to while washing the dishes.
The older brother also has his own CD available, presumably featuring the sex scene alluded to in Bernard’s story, but aside from that these are the only CDs in the Noble Lily series. Though it is all really just an excuse for some exciting sexy audio, I quite enjoyed the focus on nobility – there’s even a ballroom scene!
If you can’t tell, I’m having a really hard time writing this review without any caveats (I’m not that weird! I promise!), but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any fun. I’ve generally stuck to all-ages otome CDs in the past, and while I think I still prefer them, Noble Lily: Boku no Fiancée turned out to be very cute despite the fact that I wish there was a little less simulated sex. Personally, I find it hard to take seriously… But if you’re a fan of tsundere characters and would like to give Noble Lily: Boku no Fiancée a try, you can purchase it on Amazon Japan!
