Girigiri Saegiru Katagiri-san

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Disclaimer: As this manga is ongoing and at the moment of writing there are not more than 34 chapter, this review is based solely on these chapters.

Honestly this is probably one of the most difficult mangas to write a review for. No description of it would be fair because regardless of how you try to write it (without spoilers) it will just sound lame. Who would want to read a story about a guy trying too look at his busty classmate while another girl tries to block his view? The description I read sounded so lame that I had no plans to read this manga ... but one boring evening when I had nothing else to read I clicked on it. I had really low expectations but oh how surprised I got.

The biggest strength of this manga is how it is somehow unpredictable. Except for the first few chapters, I have been surprised by each chapter. It is a fresh breath of manga that does not follow the typical patterns. Also I can not remember that I would have experienced the same curiosity with any other manga. I simply want to know what happens next and why the characters act as they do.

At MAL, currently this manga got the following tags: comedy, romance and school. And it might be right so, but at the same time it also almost satisfies the need for horror, mystery and psychological tags. It got elements from all these genres but still it would feel wrong to add them. It is slightly creepy and several of the characters are complete mysteries and it forces one to look at people in a different way.

I am not able to comment much on the characters without destroying the enjoyment of reading this manga, but be prepared for really many surprises when it comes to these characters. If you like mangas with strong eccentric and weird girls, this will be a manga for you. The characters are so weird that the pervert main character seems to be the most normal one out of them all.

Surprisingly this is really one of the best mangas I have read (at least up to chapter 34). I might have another opinion as the story progresses but so far I have enjoyed reading it very much.

*This game is at 37 chapters at the time of writing*

Now, I'm sure the summary peeked your ecchi radar or made you go "wtf". If it's the latter, I gotta say that I thought so too at first. The concept was interesting so I figured I check it out, and I admittedly only kept reading because I was a huge fan of the Katagiri's design and I was curious as to how they plan to stretch this out. I was pleasantly surprised by how they did so, before delving into the development of the actual relationship.

There is real way to explain why this story isn't ... a bland repetition of the same gag without spoilers. It might seem so for a while, but there is a hint of progression that happen fairly early on, and that momentum carries forward for a while. There will be some twists, really sweet moments, and actual progress. I'd say give it a shot, it is quite satisfying watching everything unfold and transform from the initial concept.

BE WARNED; THIS SERIES ENDED UNFINISHED!

Not trying to leak any spoilers for the series- but after chapter 38, there is a random time skip that changes the pace and tone of everything prior in the series so randomly and quickly that you feel like you had a mental relapse. Various readers who will read the series will notice it and will make you think that there are chapters missing... Nope. It really just went there.

The story then proceeds to rush past all the character development, plot points, and all sense of fundamental story telling to end the series as conclusively as possible within 2 more ... chapters (ends at chapter 40 but we are unsure if it is "confirmed" ending at the moment of writing this).

Why did this happen? People are speculating the series got axed by the publisher because it seems the author had no intention with this route and did his best to end the series as quickly as possible and resolve the great developments he was leading up to.

If the ending wasn't so horribly rushed- this would be an easy recommend.

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The beginning is so good and the growing development is so intriguing and unique that it keeps you engaged for what's happening next. The series outside of the last handful of chapters is A-tier if you're looking for a casual fun read.

The art style is very clean and easy on the eyes. The character designs are borderline generic but each have nice traits (best girl wars are to be had). The usage of facial expressions makes for a lot of great moments in the series that are quite memorable.

There is so much potential in the series. I'd rate it higher but anyone who reads far enough in the end will almost regret ever reading it for how bad the ending is. It hurts almost more because overall the series is so good and it's the publisher that chose to end it.

If you're willing to enjoy a good story and won't be soured by an ending because you enjoyed the "journey" more than the destination- have at it- this is a good series worth reading for all the unique interactions the main character faces.

If you're the type to be disappointed by bad endings that collectively ruin your entire perception of what you experienced... Stay far away from this. There's nothing but regret.

Personally, I think if this series went on the trajectory it was originally going... could easily have been rated 8-10/10. But the way it ended for me personally removes so much of the magic and makes me sad that this will be the end for this potentially amazing series. I think this is better than most 7/10's in general by far; but I think 6/10 is a fair warning for those who might regret reading something that ends so abruptly.