Shiroi Hane's Anime Blog

So, where were we.. oh yes, Ascoer and Di-air have just gone aboard Elde Meteor and been met by Geacht'er and Q-feuille. Suddenly, an earthquake - all four of the warp gates built into the complex active, and I'm guessing this whole immense structure is just about to go on a little trip. Yup - the whole thing warps out, leaving Mistral behind. We've finally caught back up with the main story - they're heading for the frozen space.

Ascoeur tries to prompt Q-feuille's memories of Trixie and Troisienne but Geacht'er intervenes. Ascoeur teleports them away to evade Q-feuille attack but doesnt get far due to a teleport barrier. Lynx-form TAMA saves them from falling but now all the Shadow Worker teams arrive. Q-feuille freezes Ascoeur with her Perseus Aegis, completely this time. Just as Geacht'er is about to steal a kiss from his immobile sister (which is all kinds of wrong), Di-air goes super saiyan again, releasing her. The Shadow Workers go on the offensive so Ascoeur escapes - taking Q-feuille with her - but she can't have gone far.

Q-feuille tries again to freeze Ascoeur and is again stopped by Di-air, who is starting to look rather tired. Q-fi has realised that it is Ascoeur not her who is really Geacht'er sister, and Ascoeur earns a slap by denying it. Di-air again intervenes but she's used her power one to many times and falls asleep. Ever protective TAMA steals a kiss and coils himself around her like a snake. Geacht'er turns up, still playing kiss catch. Q-feuille, still playing the dutiful sister, traps Ascoeur again but she somehow manages to break free and teleports away once again (with Di-air and TAMA) - but they are right on her heels and the chibis snare her with their Crazy Crackers. Ascoeur breaks into tears, struggling against her bonds to reach for Q-feuille who finds herself crying also. Even Letuchaia is affected by the scene and both her and Pauk release their hold on her.

I found the eyecatches amusing this week,

Elde Meteor warps in by the ball of timey wimey stuff, destroying the observation platform in the process. Hiver and Zommer are on their way in the Siegerum. Geacht'er finally has his prey in his arms and plants one on her. Her memories start returning - of her parents on Elde Meteor. Alfried is not with them. They send her off on a ship. Someone takes her to a cell, now wearing those ugly clothes. Alfried is already there and they don't recognise each other but when asks for her name he knows who she is; she realises who he is when she see's his birthmark so she has either heard of him but never met him, or they haven't seen each other for a very long time. Wherever they are, he is being tortured daily. He's also gone a little loopy as he almost throttles her. Then she kisses him and they react blowing a big hole in the station they are on. Rubble falls on her and while he's trying to dig for her, she's unconsciously teleported herself into an escape capsule. Think she is dead he screams, and time stops around him. Ascoeur's capsule lands on Nietos.

Back in the present.. Geacht'er is about to kiss her again when Q-feuille attacks them without thinking about it. However, they no longer have need for their puppet so Saphir and Shade let loose on her. Ascoeur saves her from being impaled on an ice stalagmite and they (finally?) kiss - causing a much warmer reaction than with her brother. He stops time again but their powers override it, throwing Saphir back and breaking Q-feuille's little controller and.. wow the yuri shippers will enjoy this one, having been disappointed by only one bit of mouth-to-mouth in the original series.

Next episode: Time Begins to Flow (流れ始める時間 Nagare Hajimeru Jikan) - there's an obvious meaning to this, although there's no glimpses of anyone familiar in the preview (other than some legs I assume belong to Hiver stepping through one of her portals).
Storyboards by Isamu Imakake and for the third week in a row, no other staff announced.

In other news:

Art and other details for the fourth DVD is now up on the official site:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case04.html

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #21 -- Automoronic Asphyxiation (Tenka Seiha)

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/shirobane/KiddyGirlAndNovel1

While it is billed as having illustrations by both Hidefumi Kimura and and Megumi Kadonosono, only the cover, mini poster (a reprint from last July's Newtype) and character page are by Megumi; the rest of the B&W illustrations are all clearly by Kimura. It looks to be an amalgam of both the manga and the TV series as it has the men in black from the manga, and scenes that are taken straight from the anime. It looks like the story ends at the episode 16 of the anime, with the capture of Q-feuille.

In an inversion of the usual trope is is Pauk who get's tentacle graped when the Ahoge Beam mecha goes beserk and, since her knight is otherwise occupied, it is Ascoeur who comes to Letuchaia's rescue. They may have cross pollinated most of the characters, but the anime and manga are still running along completely different plotlines.

We now know the names of the episode director (Tomoaki Ohta) and animation director (Kanetoshi Kamimoto).

Pauk and Letuchaia are going to visit their grandmother in the hospital and Q-feuille tags along too. Elde Meteor really is an impressive place: this section has a massive clocktower, skyscrapers, european-style buildings (although in places it looks the animators got tired of playing Sim CIty and just dropped a bunch of buildings into a random messy pile) including what looks like a church, and tall skyway roads snaking around everywhere. Q-feuille thinks it odd that she doesn't recognise the place despite living there all her life, but doesn't dwell on it.

When they arrive at the (immense, glass-fronted) hospital the same girl Letuchaia a flower received a flower from in an earlier episode comes running to meet her, wearing ugly puffy shorts. She believes she was cured just by talking to Letuchaia and we learn the reason for Pauk's devotion - she once saved his life with a blood transfusion. The girl calls Q-feuille Geacht'er's new sister princess which she queries but Letty brushes over. The doctor/nurse team also mentions Geacht'er's new sister without realising she is just around the corner causing some consternation. While she's trying to decide whether Letuchaia could be her little sister her butterfly circlet activates and she repeats robotically that Geacht'er is her only sibling. Letuchaia has reached her limit and bursts out that while she isn't Geacht'er's sister Q-feuille isn't either. While Letty breaks down in tears Q-feuille remembers what Ascoeur had said during their fight but the device activates again and Torch appears to catch her as she falls and whisks her away.

Q-feuille dreams about Di-air and Ascoeur but the butterfly drives them away and the last thing she sees before waking is Geacht'er making a scary face.

Oh goodness, Dr.Moro is still running with the hotdog theme.

At some point they've added Di-air's name to the sign about their dorm. Di-air is wearing TAMA like a cap. Ascoeur is picking up on resonance from Q-feuille. Di-air immediately packs all Q-feuille's belongings into a massive knapsack, including Troisienne's Sakura Stick - but can't lift it. She settles on just the stick. They meet Hiver and Sommer in the corridor, and they basically tell them to go ahead, as Hiver's not in charge any more anyway and announces they will be acting now themselves to do something about the frozen space while Ascoeur is drawing everyone's attention, before vanishing through the floor (I'm probably alone in this but can't help thinking Rentaghost - "don't go into the cellar!").

Mi nourouse should not be allowed anywhere near a bunnysuit. Some consolation would be Ascoeur and Di-air in the same, but they're in their regular outfits. Good grief - s/he's got a football-sized tail.

I seriously don't think Ascoeur and Di-air should be let out anywhere on their own, let alone piloting a spaceship. They've brought along Q-feuille's stuff anyway. They warp straight to Elde Meteor and are immediately intercepted by the fleet, but Ascoeur charges straight in anyway so it is just as well the Mistral has such good shields since there are beams flying everywhere. It can also take out the enemy ships without breaking a sweat but there are a lot of them. Missiles are more of a problem though. In a rare display of intelligent tactics Ascoeur leaves Mistral to distract the fleet while she, Di-air and Typhon drift towards Elde Meteor in a large chunk of debris (now where's Boba Fett..)

As soon as they break cover the fixed defenses start targetting them, which is something of a problem when you're flying in open space on the back of a robot - actually, it looks like they are just trying to clear the hazardous debris but a direct hit sends Di-air flying off into space, Ascoeur grabs her and teleports them to relative safety while Typhon flies off - hopefully not to get broken again since they've only just got the damned thing fixed. I guess like Dalek landing craft there's an unguarded service hatch on top as they get inside with no problems.

Ascoeur has a flashback to herself as a child being led along as stark corridor with a bunch of adults wearing black. Out on the streets bells start rining (looking at the clock tower up close it is clearly a copy of Big Ben) and there's an evacuation announcement. The bells trigger more flashbacks - it seems that Ascoeur definitely has memories of having been here before. She was led through crowded streets by people who look like they're dressed for a funeral or something, there's a man's face on a big nanomist screen but at the wrong angle to make out clearly, and finally herself and Alfried in a featureless grey cell-like room with no furniture other than a bunkbed and wearing nondescript grey hospital-like clothes.

Ascoeur's head starts hurting again. She has to react quickly to block a handful of exploding coins as Q-feuille arrives - she's been sensing the resonance also. Geacht'er appears to welcome her as Liselotte but she declares herself to be Q-feuille's partner, Ascoeur.

Next ep: Restored memories (蘇る記憶 Yomigaeru Kioku) - more flashbacks.
Storyboards by Jun'ichi Satou (the series' sound director), other roles like last week still TBD.

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #20 -- Nothing to See Here... (Tenka Seiha)

OK, first of all the Limited Edition version of the first DVD had arrived:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/shirobane/KIDDYGiRLANDDVDCase01LE

There is no new OP for the DVDs, at least nor on the first volume.
Compared to the original series it really is lackluster - you just get a slipcover, postcard versions of the four eyecatches and a 12-page "Contacty File" booklet which, while in colour, isn't a patch on Kiddy Grade's Continuity Files (especially since you got a 6-page colour inlay as well, along with cards and bookmarks). I'd happily trade the slipcover for Kiddy Grade's reversible covers with unique art as well. They haven't even included the art from the regular edition DVD either and it doesn't look like we can expect and of that really special stuff like mini figures, cell phone holster, posters, calendar etc. In the original solicitation there were to be mini pencil boards also, but they removed this from the listings without me noticing.

Audio is stereo LPCM at 1.5Mbps. Video is usually around 6-7Mbps. No subs naturally.

The PiP chibi adventures are still there at the end of the second episode but no sponsorship image, but they have included the whole thing in fullscreen on the second DVD along with dialogue.

Other than the TV spots (including the "male" versions) there's a clean version of both of the regular EDs (without the chibis).
Other than the footage from the first Animate store event the only other extra on this disc (which is common to both LE and RE) is a copyright warning read in-character by Ascoeur over screencaps. The menu is a static list of chapter points with the extras playing off a single button.

Second disc has the extended "Pumpkin Pudding" segment. Followed by a "visual soundtrack" which might explain why there's still been no OST solicited this far - it is 13 minutes of isolated score playing over stills with the track names and comments from composer Noriyasu Agematsu. Following this is the silly "Sound Only" audio drama taken from the net radio show. The remaining extra is the one that I couldn't understand on the solicitations - the Sendai round of the "Kiddy Girl-and Cup", a go-kart race between Shiraishi, the two Aya's, Producer Atsushi Ito (伊藤P) and his assistants Makoto Chiba (チバ) and Satoshi Yamazaki (ザッキー).

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Other updates since last roundup:

The official site has a page for the 3rd (Dia) and 4th (Belle, Alisa and Mi nourose):

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/100219.html

Details as before, but with larger artwork.

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There's also a page for the 3rd DVD:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/dvd_case03.html

Which confirms the Di-air artwork posted on Ami-Ami earlier.

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The final update to the official site is a report with photographs from the final stop on the Touch and Go! Delivery tour in Yokohama:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/special/100224.html

Of note is the Aya's in the information desk uniforms, Gouda's Sakura Stick and Shiraishi cosplaying as himself playing himself complete with ukelele.

I've found listings for a Kiddy Girl-and book:

http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/lnovel/bk_detail.php?pcd=200909000471
http://www.yesasia.com/global/1022235461-0-0-0-en/info.html
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4044286043/

It is volume one of what appears to be a light novel series written and illustrated by Hidefumi Kimura, illustrated by Megumi Kadonosono and published under Kadokawa's Sneaker Bunko label. The first volume is entitled "Legacy Lilttle Lady" (L³) and is due out on either the 1st march, 19th March or the 27th February depending who you believe. A6-sized and with 318 pages, priced at 650 yen.

ISBN-10: 4044286043
ISBN-13: 978-4044286040

--edit--

Official site now has a page for this:

http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/dvdgoods/100227-2.html

Confirms the release date as the 1st March.

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CDjapan/Neowing have listings for yet more character CDs:

Volume 7:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4706
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4706
Featuring Letuchaia (Hiromi Konno) and Pauk (Megumi Matsumoto)

Volume 8:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4707
http://www.neowing.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=LACM-4707
Featuring Hiver (Kaori Mizuhashi) and Sommer (Itsuki Takizawa)

--edit--

Just spotted a settei collection book that has been solicited by Animaxis:

http://www.animaxis.com/en/shop/product.asp?sku=156236-00

Due to release in April at 1,575 yen, 72 A4 B&W pages.

The website stated, and currently still states, that Seiki Sugaware would be directing this episode but according to the on-screen credits it was directed by Daisuke Tsukishi. Hopefully there will be an update on the website to explain this.

So starting out just before where we left off last time.. Q-feuille is facing off against the GTO security force. She is now using exploding coins ( perhaps they are chocolate money ^^) and she wipes them out in one go. Ascoeur arrives after hearing the explosion and is surprised but glad to see her (once again completely misreading the situation). She only notices Torch and Shade when they move to intercept her and Di-air. When Q-feuille tries to remember the name Ascoeur the butterfly circlet Geacht'er gave her flashes briefly and she snaps back, announcing herself as G-society's princess here to right the wrongs of the GTO. Ascoeur comes to the conclusion that she just one of Torch and Shade's illusions. An illusion with punipuni cheeks. A slap and a handful of coins helps her realise her mistake.

The next time Q-feuille attacks Ascoeur creates a barrier.. however Q-feuille had frozen some of the coins, releasing them once Ascoeur let the barrier down so she has to quickly teleport away with Di-air before they explode. Q-feuille then "teleports" to her using Geacht'er's time stopping technique and gives her a cheek squeezing in return. Ascoeur retreats but Q-feuille comes after her. Hiver is watching from her office when she receives a call from Virgil*. The GTO is to be disbanded and all functions transferred to G-society, although they are willing to take her on as a Shadow Worker.

Q-feuille has enough of playing tag and tries to freeze Ascoeur who uses her ability to knock her back. When Q-feuille retaliates Ascoeur hesitates and is trapped. When Q-feuille sees her struggling she starts crying without knowing why but her circlet activates again and she presses on with her attack. Shade is happy to let them kill each other, but Torch reminds him of their orders to protect them both. Before they can step in however, Di-air suddenly starts glowing (flinging TAMA away in the process). She releases Ascoeur with a glance and when Q-feuille tries freezing her easily deflects it without even lifting a finger. When Q-feuille tries her bombs instead Di-air uses her own power against her to freeze them, then uses Ascoeur's power to throw them back while crying herself. Seeing what they are up against, Torch and Shade collect Q-feuille and retreat, while Di-air collapses (and TAMA comes bouncing back).

Hiver arives with Sommer and.. wow, we're only half way; I was all ready for the end credits.

Back at base, Geacht'er tells Q-feuille that he wants Ascoeur alive. Torch and Shade report on Di-air's powers and that they know of only one other with that ability - Eclipse. It can't be her since she died and could not be resurrected, but her powers could have been transferred. Torch does not like the idea of setting partners against each other - and now it is flashback time to their GCPO days. Shade is injured and on the run for trumped up charges. Torch locates him easily due to the resonance between their powers.

A bunch of soldiers with big mecha show up behind them and Torch was ready to surrender when their commander shoots him in the back, under orders form the director. Then shoots him three more times when he tries to use his ability. It seems they had good reason to defect...Their illusions are useless on the mecha, but Shade tricks the soldiers into taking them out for them. It seems the director had sent them on assassination missions for his own purposes and Shade found out. I'm guessing this is where.. I spoke too soon, Geacht'er has arrived. White rose/red rose - who does he think he is, Morpheus?

Di-air is placed in a hospital bed, but she is just asleep. She has been sharing her power with them, but cannot control it herself and use it all at once. She has inherited Eclipse's powers but not her memories so it still just a little girl. And now she is suddenly in her own bed. Mi nourose, Belle and Alisa knock on the door and Hiver disappears through the floor. Di-air wakes up and they vow to get Q-feuille back.

Next ep: The real me (ほんとうの私 Hontou no Watashi), featuring Mahou Shoujo Di-air.
Storyboards by Yukio Nishimoto, other staff TBA.

* The seiyuu who voiced Virgil, Daisuke Gouri, died of apparent suicide in January and has been replaced by Ryuuzaburou Ootomo.

Links:
KIDDY GiRL-AND #19 -- Super Loli III (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and is just ?_? (The Fool)
KIDDY GiRL-AND - 16, 17 (Random Curiosity)

A lot of the work on this weeks episodes was by one man, Fumitoshi Oisakai, who did character designs for Kaleidostar and Sgt Froggy and directed Romeo × Juliet. He also, incidentally, performed a very similar role on the second half of episode 7 of.. Sister Princess RePure.

So, to the episode itself: The GTO's remaining ES-members gather in Hiver's office. The two official pairs are both being re-assigned to other agencies, to be followed by the dissolution of the GTO itself and transfer of duties to G-Society. The news has been made public as they are watching a screen and discussing the news down in Touch & Go.

Loos like Ascoeur ad Di-air are about to try sneaking off on Mistral.. but Hiver was there waiting for them. They have intelligence that Ascoeur was G-society's intended target, but Ascoeur doesn't care; she teleports Hiver off the ship but rather than teleporting straight back runs right into Sommer he reminds her that they still need to deal with the frozen space. She traps them the same way Trixie did Letty and Pauk (and her face goes badly off-model) but they walk right out (holding hands so this must be to do with Hiver's "Inside" ability). They recommend she learn more about Q-feuille and Di-air pipes up about them being the same age.

I quite like this look for Q-feuille. Letuchaia does not appreciate Geacht'er treating her as his sister. Q-feuille, with her new easygoing personality, just rubs it in. Actually, she is completely oblivious as she's been told that Letty is just another Shadow Worker. So, Letuchaia decides on a course of petty tricks - which just backfire on her. After getting all muddy in the rose garden Letty starts to warm to her however, and they take a bath together.

Ascoeur is pouting in the archive room. We see Q-feuille's profile, which is pretty much the same as the one in the manga but spells out her name in full:

Q-feuille
GTO warrant ES-member
rank: C-
birth: SC0372 21 Sep.
age: 7
sign: Gemini
Blood type: A
hair_raven locks hair
Quatre-feuille IV Lumiere
SP-Ability: Parfum
Items: Choco Bon Bomb

Trixie and Troisienne's profiles are less legible but they were only 13 years old. Documented is Eclipse's plan to clone Eclair and Lumeire. The first and second generations were Uniear and Uni-ace, and Duerry and Dionie (the other profiles are harder to make out in full, I've put what I can read in the extended entry). Eclipse over-used her power and died before creating Q-feuille's partner (due to her age, could Di-air be a result of the abortive attempt?). Hiver reminds her that she found a partner in her. Sommer says that since their abilities resonate together Ascoeur would know if Q-feuille had come to any harm. Oh, here's a better shot of Q-fy's other profile:

Quatre-feuille
Galactic Trade Organization
Warrant ES-member
Class: C-
[IVth Madian] live birthed by Gene-tec Echo Materialize Integrated Neo-human Incubation PROJECT
Quatre-feuille IV Lumiere
birth: SC0372 21 Sep.
age_7
sex_female
hair_raven locks hair
registered_on active service

Suddenly things go boom.. Q-feuille has arrived with Torch and Shade.

Next ep: Partner (パートナー) - at some point we'll get some backstory on Torch and Shade.
Storyboard: Hiroyuki Shimazu
Episode Director: Seiki Sugawara
Animation director: Mariko Kawamoto

Links:

KIDDY GiRL-AND #18 -- Love Love Time (Tenka Seiha)
Kiddy Girl-and [Kiddy Grade 2] -- How We Became Friends (Super Spong Brothers)
Kiddy GiRL-AND - A Small Annoyance (Open Your Mind)

I haven't done a roundup of news for a while, so while I'm waiting to watch episode 18..

Details on the first two character song CDs is on the official site along with larger cover art (you can also see the final version of the LE cover on amiami):

Vol.1 Ascoeur (Aya Uchida)
CD Title: ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！
Code：LACM-4677
Release date：2010/2/10
Price：1,200 yen（1,143 yen before tax）
1．Pokyu pokyuun and Let's Go! (ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！pokyuupokyuun~ to ikimashou!)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by Takagou Azuma (東タカゴー Azuma Takagou)
2．Future History (未来ヒストリー Mirai Hisutorii)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by lotta
3．ぽきゅぽきゅーんッと行きましょう！（off　vocal）
4．未来ヒストリー（off　vocal)

Vol.2 Q-feuille (Aya Gouda)
CD Title: 宇宙の行方
Code：LACM-4678
Release date：2010/2/10
Price：1,200 yen（1,143 yen before tax）
1．Location in space (宇宙の行方 Uchuu no Yukue)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Akiyo Toda (戸田章世 Toda Akiyo)
2．Honest
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Hijiri Anze
3．宇宙の行方（off　vocal）
4．Honest（off　vocal）

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Artwork and details on the 2nd DVD are also up on the official site:

On disc extras: TV spot, store promotional video, tour footage from the Koriyama Animate venue and Q-feuille's copyright warning message.

The limited edition has a 2nd disc with Visual Sound Track 2, mini drama "Sound Only 2".. I'll get back to you on the rest,

Both retail version come with a 12 page booklet, and the limited edition also has postcards of the 4 eyecatches.

As before, the LE has jacket art by Megumi Kadonosono and the RE and rental has art by Yukari Higa. The LE also has a "special sleeve" (a slipcover I presume).

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Satelight's site has details on the 3rd DVD:

Similar to the above, with footage from the Nagoya Animate event, warning message by Di-air and T.A.M.A, and the third mini drama etc, another 12 page booklet and postcards.

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There are articles of some sort in both Newtype and Comptiq again this month (the march editions): http://www.kiddygirl-and.com/info/100211.html

The Lantis site has details and cover art for the third and fourth character CDs:

Vol 3: Di-air (Yumeha Takahashi) and TAMA (Norio Wakamoto)

1．It's just Di-air (ディアだもん Dia da mon)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by lotta
2．Kirarhythm (キラリズム kirarizumu)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by Takagou Azuma
3．ディアだもん（off vocal）
4．キラリズム（off vocal）

Vol 4: Alisa (Mai AIzawa), Belle (Chika Horikawa), Mi norouse (Minoru Shiraishi)

1．Happiness Calendar (幸せカレンダー Shiawase Karendaa)
Written and composed by yozuca*　
Arranged by lotta
2．Unfinished Scenario (未完成なシナリオ Mikansei na Shinario)
Written and composed by yozuca*
Arranged by Hijiri Anze
3．幸せカレンダー（off vocal）
4．未完成なシナリオ（off vocal）

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AmiAmi has the art for the third limited edition DVD, with Di-air and TAMA.

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More character goods at Animaxis:

Kiddy Girl-and A3 Size Portrait Towel
Image is Ascoeur, Q-feuille and a chibi Mi nourose (from the Touch & Go! radio show)
Due out on the 4th of March for 1,260 yen.

Kiddy Girl-and Clear File
Image of Ascoeur and Q-feuille (old top image from the official site)
Again due out on the 4th March, for 368 yen.

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I'm a little out of this due to a combination of migraine and codeine so there will be plenty of errors and omissions to correct later.

Latest links:

First Look: Kiddy Girl-and (Breaking the Boundary)