Kanade Otonashi's Sound Fetish Laboratory

It's been over a year since I bought this. And I still haven't gotten tired of it at all. From beginners to veterans of sound-fetish/ASMR audio, this is a work everyone should keep close at hand. The order and length of the sounds you're made to hear all seem carefully calculated. Dry sounds, wet sounds, clear sounds, noisy sounds... everyone's preferences will differ, but the sounds you already like will become even more beloved, and you're bound to make new discoveries about sounds you've never paid attention to before. Kanoko-san's skill as a "scientist" bringing out the sounds is also impressive. She's one of my favorite voice actresses, but hearing her voice pitched several notches lower than usual, I felt like I was seeing a new side of her. She serves wonderfully as a guide leading you to experience sound in a purely platonic way. I can recommend this even to people who have only ever heard the cute side of Kanoko-san. This is the kind of audio work that puts you at ease no matter when you listen to it, one you simply can't leave out of the conversation. Joining my voice with many like-minded fans, I'm hoping for a sequel!

The title might be a bit over the top, but the content truly is a dream collaboration between two people who represent the audio work industry. That said, there are two points to note. First, Kanoko-san's voice this time is a boyish voice, so people who prefer an onee-san type voice might not enjoy it as much. Also, there's no ear-cleaning in this one, so of course, those hoping for ear-cleaning won't be satisfied either. But this work is overflowing with charm that more than makes up for that. First, Kanoko-san's boyish voice—this is fresh and really great. At the start she whispers just a little, and it's incredibly pleasant; beyond that, there's also her teasing tone and mischievous laughter, and I felt this work fully brings out a different kind of charm from her usual roles. Also, the various sounds that are Tomimi's specialty are truly amazing! Various everyday "sounds" are recorded in high quality, resonating pleasantly in your ears. Every action comes with a sound to match it, and just listening makes the scene come vividly to mind. The low price is another reason to recommend this, but that's only a small part of this work's appeal. Because with this work, you can enjoy all at once: Kanoko-san's voice, Tomimi-san's carefully crafted sounds, and the overwhelming volume of recorded "sounds"... Please buy it and find the sounds that suit your taste!

My mouth went slack and I just sat there gaping. That's how wonderful and pleasant the sounds you get to hear are. There are some unexpected sounds, and it's fun trying to guess what they are. The onee-san's voice is great too, ~ this one. Hey, you all should check this out too. Well then, let's go ahead and buy it, ~

With no romantic undertones, the crisp, businesslike back-and-forth with the researcher feels very fresh and easy to listen to. The variety of sounds is also extremely rich, including sounds you'd think "even that gets included?" While all of Tomimian's works are rich in sound, this one has a lot of sounds unique to a research setting. (I think it's more enjoyable to listen without knowing the details beforehand.) Even sounds that in a normal work would just pass by quickly as everyday ambient noise are here repeated and lingered on as part of the "research," which I really appreciated. Because of that, there were even moments where I greedily wished, "I want to hear that sound even longer!"... I really can't help clinging to it. Every time I finish listening, I think, "If a lab like this existed, I'd want to go there." I imagine the intended listener is meant to be male, but it's also rare and appealing that this is a work women can listen to without discomfort or displeasure. I've been enjoying this for a long time, so I'm writing this review in hopes of a sequel.

Taking an approach different from the usual "ear cleaning," "massage," or "head spa" works, this is a genuine sound-fetish audio piece where you purely enjoy the sounds played right by your ear. The sounds played cover a wide range (I'll intentionally avoid spoilers), but every single one of them is pleasant to the ear. The ambient sounds in between and even the sound of coffee being brewed are meticulously crafted. Kanoko-san's voice is also binaural, and her whispering right by your ear is excellent. Since it's framed as an "experiment," a certain moderate distance is maintained, but you can still be charmed by her whispers close to your ear and her slightly clumsy moments (not too much, though)—I think the acting and script are really well done. You can feel the dedication in how this was made purely as a sound-fetish work, rather than for restful sleep or relaxation. The price is also outrageously cheap compared to the quality, so if you're at all interested in sound-focused works, I'd definitely recommend buying this.

This work doesn't stick to ear-cleaning, and instead uses various tools to let you find healing in the natural sounds that leak out. Judging from the trial version, there's a rustling sound of a paper bag, and at first you don't know what tool is being used, so somehow you end up focusing intently on the sound—then when you're told the answer shortly after, it clicks and makes sense, making it enjoyable in two different ways. Besides the paper bag, you can also hear the delicate sounds of everyday tools people use, and I found this work, which lets you carefully re-listen to such sounds, to be very healing. It's also surprising that they keep putting out new works at such an affordable price each time—if you liked the trial version, I definitely recommend the full product as well.

The first thought that came to mind when I listened to this work was, "Ah! It's the So(mm)elier of Sound!!" (lol) It picks out sounds that we tend to just tune out in daily life, and by listening to them in this work, you'll find new discoveries like "oh, this sound is actually nice." Also, among the recorded sounds is "that sound" which is a staple in relaxation-focused audio, so I'd recommend this to those looking for audio for that purpose as well. Of course, it's not just about the sounds—the strangely alluring charm of the onee-san character played by Kanoko-san is also a must-listen.

The real charm of Tomimi's scripts—not talking too much, keeping a natural flow—is really great here! That said, compared to usual, I felt there was a bit more talking this time (lol) The sound of the fish tank filter and the sound of the oil were both very pleasant. There were a lot of unusual sounds too, so it would have been nice to be able to check them beforehand. It might have been kind and helpful if the work's description listed out what kinds of sounds were included.

This is a work that gathers together ASMR (sound-fetish) elements. There is a sort of setting or story, I suppose, but it's basically not that relevant, and the main focus is just continuously letting you hear various sounds. Because of that, you don't need to listen closely (you don't need to keep track of a story), so I often use it when I'm tired, or conversely, as a kind of background/work sound to just let play absentmindedly. (Maybe due to the nature of the sounds, personally I don't get tired of it even after listening many times.) I think this is a work I'd recommend to anyone wanting to get into ASMR.

I bought this because it was Kanoko-san's voice for around 200 yen. It's a different character than usual, but her whispering voice is so clearly Kanoko-san that it still sends chills through my ears. Despite the research-lab setting, it didn't feel cold or clinical at all—it was a gentle space that felt relaxed throughout.