[Ear Cleaning] Neko-gurashi. 2 ~A Healing Moment with an American Shorthair Cat Girl~ [CV: Miyuki Sawashiro]

I met her voice back in my youth and became completely captivated by it. I have fond memories of frantically checking which anime she was appearing in. Thanks to her, I got to encounter many masterpieces. Even now, whenever I see her name in a program listing, I can't help but check it out. I even watch news programs and variety shows sometimes just because she's on them. This level of attachment might just be the tip of the iceberg for some fans, but I'm truly, truly happy. Every time I saw the name of a voice actress active in anime, I'd think "I wonder if a work by Sawashiro-san will ever come out," but I never thought it would actually happen. I'll treasure this. I'll keep listening to it with care. Thank you so much. As always, her voice was wonderfully full of emotion. I felt that even in casual turns of phrase, she put thought and effort into her delivery. The calm, low tone of her voice paired perfectly with her old-fashioned, formal (though not cold—more like someone who knows her place) way of speaking. I'm happy. My ears are blessed. The sound effects, ambient sounds, and overall hospitality of the content are beyond reproach. Honestly, just the fact that I get spoken to by Sawashiro-san's voice is reason enough to buy it—there's no reason not to. I'd buy it even if it were recorded on some cheap mic. And when something like that comes out as such a luxurious audio work, there's nothing more to ask for. Even if I wished there were a reversed version for the "lap pillow lulling to sleep" part, I solved that myself by just listening with my earphones swapped left and right. Please, please make a second installment. Sorry for the rambling and overly long review.

It starts with her calling herself "the serving girl (hashitame) of Nekonaki-kan." That phrasing really resonated with me. No, not in the sense of sounding lowly—quite the opposite. No matter how you listen to it, you can't help but sense a feminine dignity that doesn't feel subordinate at all. Precisely because she's such a mature, accomplished woman, her way of speaking—humble upon humble, never arrogant—came across as elegant and graceful. Even the old-fashioned phrasing that isn't commonly used in modern spoken language was performed without any sense of discomfort—truly the skill of a seasoned veteran voice actress. Personally, I'd recommend around 10:42 in Track08. While giving a massage, she presses a bit too hard and says "Excuse me" in a slightly flustered way—the gap between her usual elegance and that brief moment of a composed, mature woman losing her cool just a little was also really cute.

Lately, more professional voice actresses have been releasing ASMR works, but personally, I think that even among professionals, suitability for the ASMR genre varies quite a bit. When I saw that this time it was Sawashiro Miyuki, I thought, "Finally, she's here." With her low, calming voice quality and a way of speaking that almost purrs in her throat, I think she's among the top-tier professional voice actresses when it comes to suitability for ASMR. And when I actually listened to the work, it didn't just meet my expectations—it blew past the already high bar I had set. Her voice and way of speaking were exactly what I expected, but when her calm voice quality was combined with relaxing ambient sounds like water and shampooing noises, I felt that its appeal was amplified many times over. If you like audio works with a calm voice quality, I think you definitely won't regret buying this.

I listened to a bit of the trial version and bought it immediately. As expected of a veteran voice actress... this might sound like a matter of feeling, but the pleasant, gentle sound just slips smoothly into your ears, and every single word is pronounced so carefully... I wanted to keep listening forever. I felt like she really understands the listener's feelings well. My consciousness just melts away, haha. Also, as many people have mentioned in reviews for other works in the Nekogurashi Part 2 series, I felt the sound effects were noticeably improved compared to Part 1. Thank you, creators! For just 1500 yen, you get over two hours of that famous voice actress gently attending to you, anytime, anywhere. What amazing value... If you're on the fence, I highly recommend giving it a try!

You spend some time with the "American Shorthair cat" voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki, being healed at a hot spring. Since this American Shorthair cat is a first appearance in the series, I was looking forward to finding out what kind of time I'd get to spend with her. Up until now, I had the impression that the "cat girls" in this series tended to be the cute type or the pure/innocent type. But this time, the "American Shorthair cat" has a cool, almost dashing character unlike any before, so I listened with excitement, thinking I'd get to experience something really fresh. Below are my thoughts on the content: In the "Introduction," I felt my heart race at the leisurely, polite yet dignified atmosphere. In "Back Washing & Carbonated Shampoo," the sounds of her scrubbing my back and washing my head with shampoo, all sudsy and fizzy, were so pleasant that I could listen very relaxedly. In "Scalp & Ear Massage," compared to the previous "cat girls," her presence felt like that of a seasoned proprietress, and I enjoyed the gap between this and the earlier characters. In "Chat 1," the way the American Shorthair cat spoke felt somehow mysterious, and I found myself listening intently. In "Ear Cleaning," the leisurely ear cleaning was simply so pleasant that I wanted to listen with an empty mind, without thinking about anything. In "Oil Massage," the sound of her playing with my ears was so pleasant that, listening blankly, I started to doze off. In "Chat 2," I felt a warm, heartwarming feeling at her slightly more relaxed, off-guard side. In "Massage," I listened to the pleasant sounds of being tapped, stroked, and pressed. In "Lulling to Sleep," let's drift off to sleep listening to her leisurely breaths and sleeping sounds.

This is an audio work that seems to dissolve the stifling sense of being cooped up at home due to the relentless coronavirus pandemic. The production team's dedication to "tactile sensation," which they clearly value, is evident from Track 1 onward—the frothy sound of whisking matcha, the crack of a rice cracker breaking, the light clack of geta sandals—these small everyday sounds are crafted with such care that the scenery vividly comes to mind. An open-air bath filled with the steam of matatabi (silver vine), each listener picturing their own fantastical scenery, closing their eyes and getting drunk on the comfort... this work has more than enough material to stir the imagination. Also, while I always had a strong image of American Shorthairs as lively, fearless, energetic types, this time, true to the package art, she turned out to be a graceful, composed beauty in traditional dress, which I found rather interesting. The "Cat and Cat Grass Lullaby" voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki, heard in Track 5, is a must-listen. Its clear, resonant melody is beautiful...

I bought this because the illustration hit the spot perfectly and because the voice was Sawashiro Miyuki-sama. This was my first purchase in the Nekogurashi series, but I was able to enjoy it fully even starting from this installment. First and foremost, I must mention Sawashiro Miyuki-sama's performance. As expected of a legendary voice actress who has played so many popular characters. Her voice is elegant and refined, yet overflowing with gentleness! It's a perfect match beyond compare for the role of the wise American Shorthair cat who oversees all the cat girls!! And what can't be left out when discussing this work is the overwhelmingly high quality of the ambient sounds and sound effects! Since the setting is the Matatabi Hot Spring, the sound of water flows through many of the tracks. Even just this water sound alone is so richly expressive that it never bores the listener. I was moved the entire time by "sounds that appeal to the sense of touch," to the point where I almost felt like I was really bathing in a hot spring!! Personally, the cat-grass ear cleaning track was the best, both in terms of sound effects and the American Shorthair cat's expressions! This is a wonderful work I can confidently recommend both to fans of Sawashiro Miyuki-sama and to anyone who loves healing-type audio works! Please everyone, immerse yourselves in this ultimate healing space!

Listening to the American Shorthair cat voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki, I became convinced of something. Their voices are a brand. To put it in an analogy, if a young voice actress's voice is like tender veal, then the voice actresses who perform in Nekogurashi are like aged meat with deepened aroma and flavor. This review may not be reliable at all, but there's one thing I want to convey. Once someone with a fetish for sounds or voices listens to these works even a single time, there's no escape anymore.

I'd been curious about this for a while. The cast listing had "???" so I was wondering, what's going on here? And then it turned out to be Sawashiro Miyuki!! How could I not be shocked. I bought it without a moment's hesitation. Then I listened to it right away. Before I knew it, it was morning. When I listened again in the morning, my ears got completely done in by that sexy voice. My grammar's a mess right now, but please understand that's how excited I am.

I was looking for ASMR with an onee-san (older sister) type character, and I bought this one because it features my beloved Sawashiro-san as the voice actress. She's such a famous voice actress that this is probably common knowledge, but... her voice is truly beautiful, so if you listen to the sample and find yourself liking it, I'd recommend considering a purchase. As for the American Shorthair cat character, it's exactly what you'd expect from CV Sawashiro! The feeling of an older, mature woman and her sex appeal are incredible. The polite speech woven with her beautiful voice, along with her intonated way of talking, gradually lulls you to sleep. This was my first time purchasing this kind of ASMR work, but the attention to detail in the environmental sounds was also wonderful — it genuinely made me feel like I was at a hot spring. What I personally appreciated was that the American Shorthair cat character basically doesn't use terms of address that assume the listener's gender (though there was some "young master" type address). Since I'm a woman, if I'm constantly called "onii-san" (big brother), it tends to break my immersion. In that respect, this work is relatively gender-neutral and can be enjoyed regardless, which was a huge relief for me.