Nyotai-ka.
Nyotai-ka!

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Note: This review is based on the now out of print paperback-only release by Project H. This manga was never fully scanlated, and to read it you'll have to track down the official print copies on the resale market. You've been forewarned.

Despite having been licensed by the publisher now known as Project Hentai, Nyotai-ka is more of a gender bender romcom than a porno. It definitely errs more on the side of comedic than spank bank material. Our protagonist, Manaka Makoto, has never been popular with the ladies. Despite a successful career, at 24 he's never even had his first kiss. He desperately wishes he ... could be more popular and envies the way women can get attention from the opposite sex so easily, to the point where he wishes and even likes to pretend that he himself was a beautiful woman. Unfortunately for Makoto, a bored goddess hears his wish and decides to make it a reality, transforming him into a woman and erasing the entire world's memory of him as a man. Hilarity ensues as Makoto tries to navigate the world as a smokin' hot OL.

For the most part, the plot (and by plot, I mean sequence of ecchi situations) focuses on the relationship between and love triangles involving Makoto, whose gender swapping gets increasingly more and more out of control, and Chihiro, a woman who's Makoto's senior at work that eventually also becomes entangled in the gender swapping phenomenon. The two are challenged by love rivals of all stripes and gender, struggles (and sexual harassment) in their careers, new spirits stirring the pot, side characters that get wrapped up in their supernatural woes, and the occasional wannabe rapist. Did I say occasional? I meant constant. The streets of Japan sure don't seem very safe for the (wo?)men of this manga.

Sex scenes in this manga, while frequent, are pretty subdued especially when compared to the mangaka's other, explicitly pornographic works. Aesthetically these scenes along with the rest of the series' artwork are kind of plain and nothing to write home about, but it doesn't matter. This manga's really funny, and occasionally even endearing. It's a dumb romantic comedy written for an actually adult audience that's horny and kinky as heck, the sort of turn-your-brain-off fun usually reserved for shounen ecchi series targetted at a more teenage audience, but with a romance plot that comes off as more fleshed out and mature than any shounen ecchi can manage.

In short, it's a seinen sex comedy that bends gender until it nearly breaks that still actually bothers to have a plot and developed romance alongside some pretty good laughs. If that sounds like a good time to you, you'll probably find this series fun. But those looking for a more serious romance with drama as well as those looking for actual porn, will probably enjoy it far less.

I found Nyotai-ka as one of the best stories I've ever read on this particular subject. Apart from being the first manga I find, I like it because at least it saves us some of the most common topics (The protagonist seems upset by the attraction he awakens in men) and in any case the story is becoming more interesting as that advance the chapters, without being limited to "Ooooh, I was a boy before and now I am a beautiful woman, I will enjoy it as much as I can".

Personally I expected a larger portion of ecchi, but his absence does not compromise the ... enjoyment of the story at all, so my assessment is positive and my recommendation is that everyone reads it. The only thing I regret is not having found all the chapters to know where the story ends.

So i came in expecting this to be a weird echi story. For a little it seems like it is. But later on in the chapters it seems that the creator decided he had something going on here and thankfully decided to continue the story.

Before i continue let me say that i only read 42 of the 60 chapters because i couldn't find the last 18 chapters sadly.

While the story isn't groundbreaking or anything, It is funny and interesting. It kind of has a psychological element going on with how the characters deal with being in the different gender. Not really much done with ... it but it does dabble in it.

It also doesn't have much wrong with it. Besides some near the end.

We are introduced to a new Deity. That itself isn't bad. But the Deity is parred up with a side character that isn't all that likable. The Deity and the character get their own different story going on that last for a couple chapters. Not bad not great. The author did understand that the new Deity should be as powerful as the regular Deity in the story.

The new Deity is also weird in that the Deity is a boy but looks and transforms into a girl to gain power. Don't know why they don't just have the Deity be a female.

The story does have a lot of amount of rape type scenes. I feel that the story could've expanded on this and have the MC start having breakdowns around men. Such as when the female MC turns into a male the character is freaked out. Just wish they could have done something with this other than just to have sex scenes.

Lastly i feel something else worth mentioning is the the two MC's ( Can't remember their names) But for awhile one of the MC's that has always been a female is turned into a male. At first i thought this was just a way for more echi type stuff to happen. But it got to the point i was worried that the story was gonna turn it so that the MC that's always been a man turns into a woman and the MC who has always been a female turns into a man and live happily ever after. Thankfully it finally stopped doing this premise and that was a sigh of relief. Could've ruined the story.

If anyone can find the last 18 chapters feel free to tell me.