Batsu Hare

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It's been a while since I was tempted to drop a series in its very beginning. The first 7-8 chapters of 'Batsu-Hare' should be exhibited as one of the dumbest, piss-poor ways to build a setting and drive character motivations. Yes, even for an ecchi series.

In case you didn't drop it right there, congrats - it actually gets better.

I'm not sure what switch eventually flipped inside the mangaka's head. However, as the chapters progress forward, the writing and pacing slowly become better and better. The increments for me are chapter 15 onward, and then the quality steps up a bit more post-chapter 40.

Let's be honest. ... It's an office worker smut drama - you ain't getting philosophy courses or realism/a groundbreaking plot. For its genre, though? 'Batsu-Hare' actually builds up some decent conflict AND manages to create side characters/rivals that are not 40% cardboard personality and 60% tits. The latter also happens further in the series.

The art is a solid 7.5/10. Some scenes are fucking whack, treading the line between absolutely implausible, hilarious, and hot all at the same time.

This is an overall 7/10 that I put as 6/10 because of the brain rot you have to experience in the first chapters. Otherwise, 'Batsu-Hare' is decent. A bit of drama, a bit of character development, and lots of hilariously improbable episodes.

Oh, yeah, and I find it hilarious that all characters bear the names of train stations in Tokyo.

Shut your brain off a bit and fill in some of the office worker drama smut you needed, with the added spice of a harem.

6.8/10


Who could’ve thought that a manga based on erectile dysfunction would be entertaining. Well, if you did, then you should be checked for some mental help for even thinking of that concept. Though, if I were to compare this manga’s reading experience to a real-life example, then it would be “edging.”

The manga’s plot heavily relies on its trope — the mc’s ED — as such, the manga makes “constant progression” in fixing the mc’s issue; however, it’s all cluttered by fake resolutions that milks the plot and story for longer than it should go on for, since there’s no real ending in sight besides ... for predictability. This is truly equivalent to a constant edge in the ending, which is not fun to read due to its predictability and frustration.

As for the characters, the manga handled the mc’s abuse and mental trauma quite well, no matter how pathetic it might’ve come across. Besides for that, though, the side characters made this manga nearly unbearable despite the story bordering the lines of wish-fulfillment.

The side characters all revolve around the mc; if they are too detailed and a female, then they have a simple purpose: fall in love with the mc in the most pain in the @ss way possible. If it’s a male, then they’ll get at most 2 panels and a mention here and there. Instead of progressing the story, the side characters constantly edge the story’s resolution and act manipulatively, making most of them unlikable.

As for the fmc, she isn’t too unlikable and flawed, since she’s nearly a gender bent version of the mc in terms of niceness, but there are some flaws and convenience in her character — ex. her reason to fall in love with the mc.

If there was one huge bright spot of this manga, then it would be the art. The art physically and mentally was pleasing to read, and it made the story much more engaging than it should’ve been.

Though this manga was entertaining and enjoyable, it is one long and grueling grind of a read due to the constant lack of progression in the story from all of the filler developments and characters — truly an edging experience.

PS: I was on the last sentence of this review, and my iPad decided to die on me. Lesson learned, charge your iPad and don’t fixate so much on edging.

You guys know this is just my opinion, right?

Reading Rankings (Portnoy inspired + A Huang-Teizan Original)
10 - God’s penmanship
9 - Must-read. Drop everything else.
8 - Instant bookmark
7 - Entertaining
6 - Good to pass time
5 - Why are you reading this?
4 - Bad.
3 - Typical garbage.
2 - My head hurts.
1 - Retirement is a thought.
0 - “Did they even give you a story?!”