Starting a rant about AudioDramas and on my way to becoming an Elitist Kanon Bitch)
Anime just wasn't enough for me so I began to devour the dramas. I knew that there was a lot to Weiss and anime is just a fraction of the whole story but I really got into this and honestly my inner vision is a lot more HQ than anime) The dramas give the whole story that much more depth. I don't plan to go through them all at least for now. Going to update this post along the way.
I used the Russian transcripts since the English ones didn't survive. They sure were helpful although not very accurate. I wrote down the most interesting parts the best I could.
First MissionFirst Mission
Where the 4 meet for the first time, Weiss 3 is formed and completes its first mission. It's also the first time for them to kill a person.
It was interesting and I liked this version of events way better that the one in manga. It seems like there was no leader appointed so they had to figure out how to manage it all themselves. Omi seemed to naturally try to command but the others didn't quite agree to such an arrangement. Yet Aya was the only one to use smart management. I strongly disagree with the opinion popular at the Russian community stating that Aya was a bad leader because in that episode he's proven quite capable. But basically here you can clearly see that both Aya and Omi are very reasonable while Youji and Ken act like stubborn idiots. Their teamwork really sucks at this point.
WinQuote
Omi: Abyssinian, I switched the surveillance camera view to the one recorded 10 minutes ago.
Aya: Roger. I'm going to the roof.
Omi: Wait! The bodyguards might notice. You have to make sure. The system is attached to my PC but the bodyguards are human after all.
Aya: Bombay, I have a request.
Omi: What?
Aya: Shut up.
Aya, I love you!Endless RainEndless Rain
In which Ran becomes Aya, learns to use katana, goes to an S&M club and cries a lot.
It's a really interesting one. We see Aya right after joining Kritiker, stationed in Sendai. He's still very young and pure and impulsive. So different from the cold composed Aya who joined Weiss. It shed a lot of light on how Aya became the way he is. The part where he met Shion and began to learn the way of the warrior... it was very deep. The whole story is very grim though. Also I kinda get even more annoyed at how Youji keeps bitching about Asuka. I realize she was important to him, but she was just one woman. Aya faced so much loss and betrayal it's amazing how he even kept his sanity. He lost dozens of friends and colleagues some of which he had to kill himself.
WinQuote
Shion: Ran, how about you try to go on dates with girls once in a while?
Ran: But if I date girls, wouldn't it be impossible to achieve mushin?
Shion: If you're gonna be so hard on yourself it can't be helped.
**
Kuroyuri: Hey Ran, the day after tomorrow we plan to go to Matsushima. Are you coming?
Ran: Erm, I have training so...
Kuroyuri: you're really bad at this, aren't you?
Did he really lose virginity? The girl must have raped him. Yup, that has to be it.Four-Leaf CloverFour-Leaf Clover
Where a wounded dog walks into the Koneko and each member reminisces.
Basically it's a collection of 4 memories from each member of Weiss, all spurred by the wounded dog. Aya's and Youji's are pretty normal, Ken's unexpectedly depressing but Omi's is just... I hate Persia, seriously. Even if he didn't know Omi was his son, hell even if they weren't relatives to do that to someone... It was just scary. I feel so bad for the kid. Eternal AngelEternal Angel
Where Weiss have another creepy mission, Youji and Ken are idiots and Aya affirms his leadership.
It was the first audiodrama to be released and it shows one mission in the life of Weiss, presumably not long after they were formed. It's an awfully depressing story. Poor poor Youji. But seriously, does he even use his head at all? Also in this drama it's plain and obvious that everyone treats Aya as a leader AND he really acts like one. And even though he intentionally appears cold and uncaring he does care, he just doesn't let his emotions get in the way. Well, as long as it doesn't involve Takatori. But the way he did all he could to help Youji, it was really touching. In fact, he actually risked his younger teammates' lives to help Youji.
WinQuote
Sayaka: It's not like that! I just don't want to look like a child! Besides he has a girlfriend.
Yumi: Who cares? I mean that girl is a granny from college! XD
Ken: Ok, we're closed for today. Otsukaresama!
Omi: Thank you very much, Ken-kun!
Ken: You're welcome! You are busy at the register after all. And Youji? He's busy talking on the phone to a woman. And Aya? He's there busy sitting and reading some romantic novel leisurely. The only one free to clean up the shop is me.
Omi: *giggles*
Aya: Ken! It's Chandler, not a romantic novel.
Ken: Oh. ... Aya! Why you...!
Omi: Ken-kun! Stop, stop. Ok, sit down. SIT DOWN.
(After that Ken gets bitched at by Youji and they almost get into fight until Aya ends it. )Theater of PainTheater of Pain
Where Weiss meets Crashers, goes to Italy and Youji finds out his latest flirt is transgender.
Thank god this one was very normal and safe compared to the previous two. Such a relief. It was really interesting to see Weiss clash with Crashers with Aya meeting his former colleagues. Then Weiss gets a family holiday in Rome and collaborates with Fortuna. The whole Youji and Tifona part was really sad. It's like Youji's cursed, all of his women die. Also it seems Persia really doesn't give a shit about justice. All he wants is to defeat his brother.
Omi: Ok, let's go check on Aya-kun.
Youji: Huh? What for? I did my job.
Omi: What do you mean 'what for'? Aren't you worried? Haven't you heard the explosions? What if something happened?
Youji: Omi, I wanted to ask you before... why did you decide to do this job?
Omi: Eh?
Youji: To become friends with us? Then you'll have more luck if you pick up a stray dog.
Omi: Youji-kun...
And they say Aya is cold and mean. Besides, later on Youji also bitched that since Aya didn't kill the target, it's his business alone.
Knight: It's over.
Aya: What are Crashers doing here? You were supposed to get an order from the Queen to withdraw.
Knight: We got this mission first. We couldn't just quit.
Aya: What were you thinking?
Knight: Huh?
Aya: You heard the nonsense Taizen said. You weren't the ones to punish Taizen, it could only be us - Weiss, the killers.
Knight: Ran...
Aya: Now I'm Aya.
Knight: How was I supposed to know? Anyway...
Aya: There is no Ran. The Ran you knew is no more.
Orchid under the SunOrchid under the Sun
Where Aya becomes the leader of Kritiker's Tsushima base and saves the helpless from yakuza.
This one covers the time period between Sendai and Crashers plus a simple scene from the Koneko. A pretty boring drama if you ask me. But it fills another void and I like normal scenes without missions. The last part was just a glimpse of a normal day at the Koneko, almost as if they were nothing but florists. Also you can see that at that point the guys got closer, developed teamwork and mutual understanding.
Crashers - Knight and RanCrashers - Knight and Ran
I skipped it at first but then I thought it was an important stage for Aya so I decided to listen to it.
It was kind of boring, both parts. I suppose all this sakura talk is only meant to be understood by the Japanese. Oh well. Also Knight is a stuck-up jerk. Part 2 is even more lame. I can't quite get Aya. He acts so rogue. Doesn't make sense at all since he should be very well-educated and all. Maybe he's just trying to play the part to piss Knight off. Anyway, I think these two dramas don't fit very well within the whole plotline.
Dramatic Precious consists of 4 dramas which are basically 4 parts of one story. They fill perhaps the most important void between the two seasons of the anime and gives you the whole big picture of Kritiker and all its activity.
Dramatic Precious: Theater Of PainDramatic Precious: Theater Of Pain
Where half of Weiss completely lose it, Ken has sex and the boys meet Weiss 2.
This one is really creepy. Ken goes berserk and Youji has some real serious lady issues. Aya has his own demons too but he is stronger so he can keep himself together. Once again you can see that Aya is a really good leader. He is really smart, sensible and also caring. He really worries about Ken. And then there's the ending where Weiss 3 meets Weiss 2 who run wild.
Also the part where Youji says he's misogynistic... As a slasher that's just the thing, if he can't be with women then...
Dramatic Precious: Tearless DollsDramatic Precious: Tearless Dolls
Where Omi walks down the memory lane, Aya faces his ghosts and bigger clouds are gathering.
It's a good one. Freaky as hell but very informative, I mean, it gives a lot of insight into the whole Weiss universe. Through Shion we learn about the previous Weiss teams and the whole Kritiker system. I really like the part where Aya has to face his own teacher and put his faith to the test. He doesn't even consider it for a second. But it's really surprising what happened to Shion. It was also kind of surprising that Aya let Omi decide about the mission. Aya is the best.
Dramatic Precious: Hopeless ZoneDramatic Precious: Hopeless Zone
Where we say goodbye to the fearless secretaries, Youji and Ken face their ultimate temptation and Weiss witness the end of the ugliest love ever.
There were a few really creepy dramas but this one has to take the 1st prize after all. Fucking shit this is just fucking brilliant. It was really sad about Manx and Birman. The whole 'romantic love scene' between the two psycho serial killers on the fucking cemetery is just great. Really now? The only good thing to say about it is that at this point Weiss really become a team, comrades. And kudos to Aya, level-headed as ever.
Dramatic Precious: Dreamless LifeDramatic Precious: Dreamless Life
Where Aya faces his biggest challenge, Weiss go on their last mission and have to think about... the future?
Youji: Ken, lately you've become strangely sociable.
Ken: Eh? Really? Well, after we departed from Kurashiki I feel relieved.
Youji: It it because of Azami and Ayame?
Ken: Because of them I was able to see how low I can fall. I accepted it.
Youji: Accepted?
Ken: Yeah. They are the future us. Sooner or later the same will happen to us. We'll become mere killers and end up being killed by someone. I came to think that it's not bad.
Youji: You...
The final and conclusive part of the series. After the last part it was almost an easy listening. I was really curious about the whole outcome even though I knew the main deal. After all the deaths the battle with Shion was the peak of the whole affair and it was totally pointless and very meaningful at the same time.
Shion: Fianlly the time has come to end this!
Aya: Shion. Karasuma is dead. Nakatsugawa is dead too. Does this battle have a meaning?
Shion: There are no battles with a meaning. Rindo, Azami, Ayame... Birman, Manx. Many have died in this struggle. They were all vain, meaningless deaths. When I deal with you, I want to end everything.
But I really didn't see the gun coming... like, wow. Very neat, Aya. Very neat.
Ran, you're closer to Satori then I ever was...Fight Fire With FireSo there's a 2 year gap between the last drama and this one. Aya's bee working in NY, Youji's been manwhoring, Ken pretty much bumming around and Omi became Takatori Mamoru and the new Persia. So in this one Weiss comes together again . The whole thing happen shortly before Gluhen.
Ken: Since we;re having a reunion I feel like shaking hands with you. But it's not really your thing.
Aya: What a coincidence. Somehow I also feel like it.
Ken: We're together again, Aya.
Aya: Yeah. Together again.Aww. The happy reunion.
Mamoru: Хорошая работа. This is my secretary, Rex.
Aya: So this is the type of women you prefer?
Mamoru laughs. "Aya-kun is joking. Right. It's been 2 years. Okaeri".I really enjoyed this drama. Perhaps even more than any other. It's really psychological more than anything.
Light Novel - Forever WhiteLight Novel - Forever White
Where Aya turns down comfort sex, gets drunk and... falls in love?
It has a lot of scenes of interaction between the four, mostly in the Koneko and I like that the most. But all in all I didn't like this story very much. Probably because I am jealous. But it seemed very un-Aya-ish to fall for a girl he just met and risk his life for her. And Aya does not get drunk. He's not Youji. The ending was also weird. She became immortal? What? Anyway, it's not even in the official chronology so maybe I'll just ignore it.