CD: I Love Pet!! Series Vol. 7 Shepherd Dog (Hirakawa Daisuke, fortissimo web)

Woof! Hirarin as a smexy doggy!

Title: I LOVE PET!! vol.7 German Shepherd 「I LOVE PET!!」 vol.7 シェパード
Available: 28 May 2012
Price: 2,000 Yen (w/tax)
Seiyuu: Hirakawa Daisuke 平川大輔
fortissimo web: http://www.otome-ff.jp/work/work11.html
Cover artwork: Aiba Kyouko 相葉キョウコ

Seventh in the series of popular I Love Pet!! otome CDs. In this setting, Hirarin voices a Shepherd dog whose name is Sousuke 壮介. Sousuke is a watch dog and playmate for the children at the Asagao Nursery (あさがお保育園/Morning Glory Nursery School). He has a gentle temperament and is fond of children. He loves them and the listener at the nursery and is deeply protective over them.

The nursery director knows that Sousuke is a special pet who has the ability to take the form of humans. However, when special pets transform, their animal ears and tail remain if they have any. They are also naked when they do so. Usually these pets transform according to their feelings and emotions. Some pets who have better intelligence/wisdom can control the timing when they transform but for some pets, these are random events that they cannot predict.

In Sousuke’s case, he sometimes turns into human form and goes to the nursery posing as the director’s relative.

Listener setting:
The listener is a newbie childcare worker and is about 20~23 years old. She is the optimistic type and handles challenges positively. When she feels down, she confides in Sousuke.

There are many breeds of shepherd dogs, but from the illustration and character setting, I’m thinking he might be the larger-sized breed, German/Shiloh Shepherd dog :D Upon reading the dog’s temperament description, he fits the German Shepherd dog’s description really well.

German Shepherd Dog according to Wikipedia:

German Shepherds are a large sized dog which generally are between 55 and 65 centimetres (22 and 26 in) at the withers and weigh between 22 and 40 kilograms (49 and 88 lb). They have a domed forehead, a long square-cut muzzle and a black nose. The jaws are strong, with a scissor-like bite. The eyes are medium-sized and brown with a lively, intelligent, and self-assured look. The ears are large and stand erect, open at the front and parallel, but they often are pulled back during movement. They have a long neck, which is raised when excited and lowered when moving at a fast pace. The tail is bushy and reaches to the hock.

German Shepherds can be a variety of colors, the most common of which are tan/black and red/black.

German Shepherds are highly intelligent and obedient. They were bred specifically for their intelligence, a trait for which they are now renowned. They are considered to be the third most intelligent breed of dog, behind Border Collies and Poodles. They had the ability to learn simple tasks after only five repetitions and obeyed the first command given 95% of the time. Coupled with their strength, this trait makes the breed desirable as police, guard, and search and rescue dogs, as they are able to quickly learn various tasks and interpret instructions better than other large breeds.

German Shepherds are highly active dogs, and described in breed standards as self-assured. The breed is marked by a willingness to learn and an eagerness to have a purpose. Shepherds have a loyal nature and bond well with people they know. However, they can become over-protective of their family and territory, especially if not socialized correctly. They are not inclined to become immediate friends with strangers.

We can expect Hirarin to handle this type of character with ease. It’ll definitely be an enjoyable and entertaining CD, judging from past works. However, since Sousuke is a watch dog at the nursery, I’m making a guess that he doesn’t stay with the listener in her apartment. How is he going to get cosy with her if he doesn’t have access to her bed or bathroom, like the rest of the pets did in previous CDs? I’m actually rather glad there are variations to the scenarios from other pets. He is probably also very at ease in his human form, so I wonder what the writer has in store for us this time. Looking forward to finding out :D

CDs in the series:

1. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 1 Collie
2. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 2 Korat
3. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 3 Golden Retriever
4. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 4 Lop Ear Rabbit
5. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 5 Persian
6. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 6 Djungarian Hamster
7. I LOVE PET!! Vol. 7 Shepherd Dog