ASMR: A Little Closer After Confessing — "The Girl Who Turns Sweet After Confessing" Kokudere Vol. 1

A work where emotions gradually build up from beginning to end, then burst all at once at the very end. The slightly casual way of speaking and unreserved sense of distance unique to childhood friends was rendered so realistically that I found myself holding my head in my hands. What left the deepest impression was Karin's line "Did he... go missing...?" after hearing Onii-kun's scary story. The way she swallows nervously was portrayed with genius, and her breathing alone dominated the atmosphere of the scene. There's also the scene where the teacher praises Onii-kun's drawing and Karin says "You've got a good eye, huh..." praising the picture too — you can really feel how genuinely happy she is as his childhood friend, and it's unfair how her true feelings seep through beneath her joking tone. Onii-kun, too, is constantly looking out for Karin, and his gentleness made my chest ache. And then, the moment she switches from calling him "Onii-kun" to "Onii-chan," the gentleness of him stroking her head, the warmth of his body heat — it made me desperately wish I could have the teacher keep drawing forever. After he returns to his rounds, her line "I wish it could've stayed like that a little longer..." struck deep, and then I was writhing over the line that followed: "I really, really love you, Onii-chan..." Especially the phrasing "I want to... be your girlfriend..." instead of just "I want to be your girlfriend" — I really love it. It's also too cute how she hugs him because she can't stand, and how, once she realizes her feelings, she becomes a little selfish, saying "I want to stay like this forever... is that not okay?" It was also wonderful how the story properly conveys the good things about Karin that only Onii-kun knows about. "Both back then and now... as long as Onii-chan is with me... that's all I need..." "I want to stay like this forever and ever..." — the transition from childhood friends to lovers is portrayed so carefully, and it's sweet, painful, and makes you happy all at once. If you want your emotions turned upside down, I really want everyone to listen to this. That's all.

I couldn't quite prepare my heart for it, so I finally listened after building up my resolve. All I knew beforehand was that "the breathing is great," so I listened paying particular attention to that, and it exceeded my expectations. In the sweet situations, the soft voice released from close range and the realistic breathing instantly elevated the sense of immersion. Combined with the sweetness of the story, the sense of happiness grew the more I listened, and by the end I felt completely wrapped up in it. It was a wonderful work that let me experience not only the "breathing" charm I was expecting, but an even deeper level of immersion beyond that.

This was a close-contact-type ASMR with two close-contact scenes woven in. From the introduction, the flow smoothly leads into an unavoidable close-contact situation inside a locker, and the exchanges that could only happen in that extraordinary space rapidly close the distance between the two — I felt it was very easy to get absorbed into and well put together. (The ice cream was foreshadowing.) Miu Miyake's voice conveyed emotional shifts so vividly that you could immediately tell how she was feeling just from her voice, and it appealed to the ear so emotionally that I got so absorbed in the story I almost felt as if I myself were caught in that very situation. The confession that follows, and the further close contact after that, of course continue on with the same momentum and quality. I'd recommend purchasing it and experiencing what comes next with your own ears, heart, and body. It was a thoroughly satisfying ASMR. My thanks to everyone involved in making this work.

Please listen to "03_Close Contact: Inside the Locker..." So many different expressions are packed into those 13:19 minutes, and it's truly wonderful. Point 1 Since they're pressed together inside the locker, of course her breath feels very close. That breath carries such a sweet, warm humidity that it made my heart race. Point 2 You get to see a mischievous side of her. A little sister really should be like this. Onii-chan loves both the bigger and smaller sides of her. Point 3 Her crying voice when telling the scary story is wonderful. The part where she clings to Onii-chan for comfort is simply irresistible. I've opened a new door... Point 4 Her breathing, almost like sleep-breathing once she feels relieved, is wonderful too. It's adorable how she becomes so affectionate once she feels at ease. At this point, are they still not officially together...? The following track, "05_Close Contact: Under the Teacher's Desk..." is even more wonderful, so please listen and see for yourself. It's... amazing. For anyone hesitating on whether to buy it, you absolutely won't regret it, so I highly recommend purchasing it.

At first it feels like the slightly devilish sensation of a childhood friend, but as the distance between them gradually closes, that excitement turns into a racing heart. Above all, once you enter heart-pounding mode, the closeness makes you want to jump. And the performance by voice actress Miu Miyake sends your heart fluttering to the max. If someone asked "when should I listen to this ASMR?" I'd want to say "right now, to anyone!!" That's how wonderful this ASMR was! I'm already waiting eagerly for the next release.

This is an ASMR work where you can fully enjoy the cuteness of Karin Kaburagi, voiced by Miu Miyake. Miyake's voice quality fits perfectly with a cute, younger character who keeps a close distance, and she's also well-suited for ASMR, so it feels completely natural — as if Karin-chan is really talking right beside your ear, and it's very healing. As the confession brings them closer together, the sweet relationship that follows will make you smile without meaning to. The closeness that goes beyond mere childhood friendship becomes addictive.

The charm of this work lies in how the relationship between the protagonist and the heroine changes slowly and carefully, yet certainly, over time. Actually, once you put on your earphones and close your eyes, you lose all sense of when the eventual "confession" will come. It's not like it says "the confession happens at such-and-such minute and second," and to begin with, your sense of time doesn't really function much while listening to ASMR anyway. A person's confession can happen anytime, and you never know what will trigger it. In other words, this work is basically an embodiment of life itself (?). Still, as the story progresses, you start to sense "maybe something's about to change in this relationship...?" and that feeling keeps creeping closer and closer. The heart-pounding event partway through — the teacher's surprise visit during rounds — is a prime example of this. The close contact lets you feel the other person's nervousness and breathing even more strongly, allowing the listener to more deeply understand the subtle nuances of their feelings. It really drives home the significance of this being an ASMR work. And then, beyond all that heart-pounding buildup, comes the confession event. I'll avoid spoiling it since I think the first impression matters most here, but personally, it took me two days to finish listening. It was just too precious. The bonus content is also quite substantial — honestly about as long as the main story itself. Once they become boyfriend and girlfriend, the way every single line is delivered starts to change. In contrast to the breezy attitude at the beginning of the main story, you get a full 30 minutes of a slightly more "humid" tone mixed with the spice of romantic intimacy. As I mentioned earlier, I think this is the true charm of this work, so I hope people will listen through it multiple times and really savor that difference. This is purely a personal preference, but I love works that portray ear cleaning by distinguishing between the outer and inner ear. Also, ear-blowing is, I think, where a voice actress's individuality shows the most in ASMR, so I'm very grateful for it here. By the way, this "Kokudere" is labeled vol.01, isn't it? Which means──?

Yesss!!!! Even when you know it's coming, it's still something to be happy about. Isn't it? "I wonder what happens after this..." "Maybe there'll be some surprising twist like 'oh, so that's how it is!?'..." "Maybe she'll warm up just a little bit at the end..." Rest assured. She warms up to you! You get to be all lovey-dovey! So happy!!! The title doesn't lie one bit...! Let's fully savor these irreplaceable, happy 70 minutes spent with a childhood friend.

Honestly, I wasn't originally that much of an ASMR fan — at first I bought this just to support a voice actress I love and cheer for. But ever since listening to this ASMR, I've become interested in the ASMR genre itself, and now I want to explore more works of various kinds. Miu Miyake truly delivered a wonderful performance. It was genuinely soothing and enjoyable to listen to. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work in the future!

This is the first ASMR work I've encountered that portrays the theme of "the distance between two people right after a confession" with this much care and sweetness. I think the appeal of a childhood-friend relationship lies in that delicate balance of being close yet never crossing the line. This work vividly captures, through sound alone, the difference in feeling between "before crossing that line" and "right after crossing it" — close your eyes while listening and the situation plays out as if you're really there. The classic scenario of hiding from a patrolling teacher's footsteps, tucked away in a locker or under a desk. Before the confession, the distance between childhood friends is one thing; after they've confessed their feelings to each other, it becomes something else entirely. What stood out to me most was the scene where you listen to her heartbeat. Quiet closeness, and the gentle overlapping sound of two heartbeats. Karin's sweet voice gave me such a sense of security that every time I listened, I ended up relaxing and falling asleep right there. It was stimulating, and yet somehow felt like being wrapped in warmth. Also, the way her way of addressing him shifts from "Nii-kun" to "Onii-chan" and then to "Nii-ni" was masterfully done. The change in their relationship is embedded in the words themselves, and you can tell just from her voice that Karin's feelings are overflowing and can't be held back anymore. Miu Miyake's performance is wonderful — I really love the contrast between her slightly sharp, teasing banter and the soft tone of voice in her more affectionate moments. The ear-cleaning and massage tracks are a rewarding bonus section that really lets you feel "what happens after the two of them become a couple." It's a heavenly section right up to the very end. For anyone who wants to be wrapped in sweetness and reassurance, and for anyone who wants to savor the preciousness of that moment when a relationship changes, I wholeheartedly recommend this work. Thank you for such a wonderful piece.