CD Drama Collections Shin Sangoku Musou ~Fuuen Ranbu~

CD Drama Collections Shin Sangoku Musou ~Fuuen Ranbu~ (ＣＤドラマコレクションズ 真･三國無双 ～風焔乱舞～) is a series of audio only Dynasty Warriors dramatizations, specifically based on the fourth title. Voice actors and music from this game are used for these events, which tend to roughly follow Romance of the Three Kingdoms rather than history. Fuuen Ranbu, roughly translated as "Blitz of Wind and Fire", is the first of a two part series, the second part being Gunsei Ranbu.

Cast
(in order of appearance)


 * Moriya Endo - Liu Bei
 * Hirohiko Kakegawa - Zhang Fei
 * Masaya Onosaka - Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang
 * Hirofumi Tanaka - Zhang Liao
 * Takahiro Yoshimizu - Xu Zhu, Zhou Yu
 * Kazuya Nakai - Xiahou Dun
 * Yasunori Masutani - Narration, Guan Yu
 * Yukimasa Kishino - Cao Cao
 * Keiichiro Yamamoto - Xu Huang
 * Yoshiyuki Konno - Zhang He
 * Hisayoshi Suganuma - Sun Quan

PROLOGUE ~Changban I~
While leading his suffering countrymen away to safety, Liu Bei laments his inability to support them. As he ponders how he can help their strife, a messenger urgently reports that Cao Cao's troops have left their castle and are coming towards them in the thousands. The peasantry are frightened by the news; Zhang Fei angrily hushes them. Both he and Zhao Yun chime their request to obstruct their enemy's advance. Liu Bei promptly entrusts them with the rear, and the warriors ride off without delay.

Zhang Liao, Xu Zhu, and Xiahou Dun spot Liu Bei and the peasantry from the other side of the horizon. Xu Zhu muses over the number of people following him, comparing the crowd to a flowing river. His observation is the reason why Cao Cao wishes to destroy Liu Bei now, a point which is thoroughly explained within the following narration.

The narration introduces the setting and summarizes events leading up to Changban; Cao Cao has vanquished his enemy, Yuan Shao, and proceeds to conquer various warlords within the center. By Autumn 208, he has reached Jing Province with an army in the high thousands. Horribly out-manned, Liu Bei choses to flee to south whilst protecting the people who came with him, gambling on the chance that he can join forces with Sun Quan once they reach Jiangdong. His side is sluggish as to not overwork the citizens, but it makes them easy prey for Cao Cao's forces when they catch up to them at Changban.

RUN TO SURVIVE ~Changban II~
The track immediately begins with Liu Bei fighting back enemy soldiers. He orders the men to not overexert themselves and to focus on running away for their survival. As he speeds his horse towards his ally generals, he fights back a handful of enemy soldiers in his path. Zhang Fei finds him, instantaneously defeats the horde of soldiers around them, and bids for his brother's condition. Liu Bei is fine, but he has no idea about the rest their allies. Zhang Fei remarks that he lost Zhao Yun when he was heading towards Cao Cao's army alone, begrudgingly sharing his thoughts for the general's possible betrayal; Liu Bei rejects the notion. Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang are supposed to leading the reinforcements, but they haven't received any word about their whereabouts. The younger brother insists on Liu Bei's escape, so the lord commands his battalion to protect the peasantry.

Zhao Yun is busy cutting a path through Cao Cao's army. Xu Huang finds him and challenges a formal duel with him. They exchange a few blows before Zhang Fei rides to Zhao Yun's assistance. Xu Huang is not willing to clash blades with two formidable warriors simultaneously and chooses to retreat. He leaves with the promise of having another rematch. A tired Zhao Yun thanks Zhang Fei, yet insists on staying within the vicinity since Liu Bei's wife (unnamed within the drama) and child are missing. Swearing to rescue them, he speeds off on his horse before Zhang Fei can protest. Although worried for the safety of his sister and Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei is held back from joining his companion by a new horde of Cao Cao's soldiers.

The young general's sprint is briefly interrupted by Xiahou Dun who confronts the bold youth for a match. The safety of Liu Bei's family is more urgent to him so Zhao Yun refuses. As he keeps riding his horse, he eventually hears an infant's wailing cry. Upon locating its source, he dismounts to usher the maiden onto his horse. Mortally wounded, she weakly entrusts A Dou to Zhao Yun before she dies. Respecting her final wish, he wraps the infant in a cloth and remounts his horse to return to Liu Bei.

On the general's way back, he is obstructed by Zhang He, Xu Zhu, and Zhang Liao.
 * 1) Zhang He wants to stop him for a beautiful duel shortly after Liu Bei's wife dies. Zhao Yun is offended by his callousness and unleashes his blows in unchecked anger. Zhang He is dazzled by his ferocity, but Zhao Yun stops once he regains his focus. His foe hollers for him to honor his promise for a rematch as he resumes his lone ride back.
 * 2) Xu Zhu blocks his path entirely so Zhao Yun spares him no mercy from his blows. The giant stands undeterred and refuses to budge an inch. Before their fight intensifies, A Dou's cries from his chest surprises Xu Zhu. Zhao Yun uses his moment of concern to speed past him. He barely hushes the child before he running into his next adversary.
 * 3) Zhang Liao challenges him to formal duel. As they fight in earnest, Cao Cao watches them from afar and wonders who the enemy youth is to Xu Huang. Since he learned his name in their previous duel, his general identifies him. Impressed by Zhao Yun's bravery, Cao Cao comments that his services are wasted on Liu Bei.

Zhao Yun somehow manages to cut through the enemy lines and reunites with Zhang Fei at the bridge. He entrusts the general to deal with the soldiers hassling him as he rides onto the bridge. Zhang Fei taunts the soldiers with a war cry, which causes them to flee in fright. Zhao Yun finally reunites with his lord, regretfully dismounting and apologizing for his failure to save his lady. Liu Bei bids him to rise as he is grateful that Zhao Yun fought his hardest to save his son. While Zhao Yun is moved, Liu Bei asks him to endure a little longer for reinforcements. Then they can make their counterattack.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao and his generals are surprised to see a single general driving their soldiers back. The general in question is Zhang Fei, who shouts his famous line from the novel at the bridge. Zhang He compliments his beautiful courage yet remarks on the degradation of being alone. Xiahou Dun is springing to try his luck against the general until Cao Cao halts him. He believes that it could be a plot from Zhuge Liang and bids his subordinates to approach with caution. He orders his troops to look for ambush units. After some time, Zhang Liao reports that Liu Bei's forces have moved further down the river. Realizing that he was over thinking the situation, Cao Cao angrily commands his army to continue their pursuit of Liu Bei. Zhang Fei loses his patience waiting for Cao Cao's troops to move and spontaneously decides to smash the bridge in twain. Cao Cao's troops now have to repair it before they can cross.

Liu Bei's people safely board the boats brought by their lord's reinforcements. When the lord feels guilty for the suffering he has caused his followers, Guan Yu hushes him and bids him to regain confidence. Zhang Fei comes riding up to reunite with them, barely boarding the boats in time. Cao Cao's army can only watch as Liu Bei's forces sail away to safety. The warlord quickly calculates Liu Bei's destination based on the direction of their retreat, cursing his opponent's craftiness.