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Mar 13, 2025
Otonarisan Game is interesting because it was more an act of love by the mangaka. This manga was cancelled when it reached a single volume in length, then the mangaka chose to continue the story on her own on Pixiv, then she ended it on her own without a firm conclusion. Her love for the characters is undeniable, which is why I suggest reading it even if it is only a humble romcom with a somewhat dissatisfying ending.
The manga is a 4koma focused around two families, the Tsuroaka and the Sasano. The two of the three daughters of the Tsuroaka house deeply love two of
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the brothers of the Sasano house. It's just bad luck that the targets of their affection are denser than lead. A lot of the humor in this romcom revolves around the primary couple. Maiko is head over heels for Keisuke, but she is both unable to spit it out and prone to very amusing overreaction. Her older sister, Ranko, is pining after Kenji, and she's not as bad as her little sister, but it provides refreshing change of pace. The last two, Kaede for the boys and Riko for the girls, are more comic relief than
There's no problem with the art, it's a sweet and cute style that isn't seen as much now. You sit back and enjoy the cuteness while watching the very funny facial expressions and reactions. I think the main flaw is that once she was on her own, the mangaka did not have the same editorial feedback to help bring the best out of the story. There were interesting ideas, but the execution was not strong enough. I do wish she had provided a more satisfying conclusion, but I guess she was stuck by that point, which is too bad.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 11, 2025
As has been made clear by the previous two reviewers, this is erotica. Go in expecting bouncing bosoms and lewd imagery, all of which is drawn delightfully. Unfortunately, that is the only thing done well, because after a certain point, it becomes clear the mangaka Mitsudoue either got his serialization cancelled or got bored. The ending sinks the whole thing. Be forewarned, I am going to spoil everything.
Our protagonist Kei has developed psychosomatic erectile dysfunction due to witnessing his father's self-destruction. As his dad has become a NEET in his depression, Kei supports the household. One day after work, he discovers an OnlyFans thot named
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Yami, who he suspects is actually his classmate Saki, a quiet chick with huge boobs. "Yami's" naughty pics actually arouse him, and help his libido begin to recover. The very night he sees Yami, he also finds himself lusting for Hirata, his senpai at work, which makes him confused as he had never seen her in that light before, despite Hirata being incredibly hot.
Anyway, he confirms Saki is Yami, but Saki busts him. Unfortunately, Saki is hot but crazy, unlike the hot but sweet and sincere Hirata. Saki gets off on the exhibitionism and sexual taunting she inflicts on Kei, but as we discover later, her OnlyFans thottery is as much a reaction against her slut of a mother as it is an attempt to gain money. Hirata discovers them and gets jealous, as she quite reasonably liked Kei before Saki blackmailed Kei, so she begins her own efforts to get Kei for herself.
There's tension, a love triangle, there's escalation... and then it all comes crashing down as all the goddamned plot lines are resolved in two chapters, and in the laziest, most half-assed way possible. Kei's dad, the whole reason for the premise to launch? Two pages, last chapter, all fixed. It's infuriating, because Mitsudoue doesn't even bother to care about what he set up, he just wants it all out of the way. There are lessons to be learned here about drawing and story writing if you care to read it. Ultimately, I think this story would have been better served if someone else wrote it and Mitsudoue was limited to drawing what he is told to draw. Any mangaka who is so fond of NTR should be kept on a tight leash during a legit serialization, as this manga demonstrates.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 10, 2025
What do you get when an exile facing a death sentence is forced to return from where she departed? A very engaging and entertaining manga where our protagonist has to live by her wits, which are also the main thing that keep undermining her. As it's only fifteen chapters, absolutely worth a read, as the art is quite attractive, and the story told is fun, if a bit shorter than it should be.
The protagonist of this manga is Jurei, an Imperial concubine nicknamed "Snow White Sow" for her pale skin and love of eating which has left her quite chubby. Despite what you would think
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from the title, she's actually highly-ranked within the Chinese Imperial Harem (one Empress, four Consorts, nine Concubines, however many dozens of lowly-ranked women). However, while she has rank, wealth, and popularity (everyone inside the harem and quite a few officers associated with its care like her since she brings laughter and happiness everywhere within it), she was framed for a crime she did not commit, and banished to the red-light district, where everyone expected her to die. She didn't. As a matter of fact, she lost a ton of weight, and while she was pretty when she was pudgy, she's outright gorgeous after losing the fat. Of course, no one recognizes her, so when she's scooped up in one of the regular raids where women are forced to try out to join the Imperial harem, she's quite terrified. As a branded criminal who was only spared execution by begging for mercy, being near the palace is an automatic death sentence.
There's not much romance going on in this manga. If anything, the emphasis is far more on friendship. Jurei's situation is dangerous, but she is also clever, so she's constantly working to fail the tryout and get kicked out without being discovered. Unfortunately, she <i>is</i> clever, so her schemes backfire each time, which is absolutely hilarious. Her frustrated expressions as she watches her latest ploy fall apart are both cute and funny. Since the only thing that has changed is her appearance, her innate benevolent nature make her stick up for the other girls in the harem even when it would be easier for her to hide in the corner. People cluster around her the way they used to before her exile, and laughter and happiness once again begin to blossom within the harem complex. As you would expect, this sets up further conflict, as things have become far more sinister within the harem in the four years since Jurei's exile.
I recommend this manga, as it is both short and fun. Read it in an afternoon, laugh at Jurei and sympathize with her, and enjoy the lovely aesthetic and underlying emotions that drive the story forward.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 21, 2025
This manga is a collection of four short stories, each one with following the same story archetype with a different premise. "Girl meets boy" is not exactly right, as half of these stories involve people already known the heroine. Rather, it's a depiction of falling in love, whether it takes place quickly, slowly, or was always present and only needed the right trigger to clarify the feelings, all under different scenarios. Fans of josei, or those who want an introduction to "try before they buy," should give it a whirl. With four short stories, it's an excellent summary of what the genre offers.
Talking about each
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invidual story would spoil the story and make this review longer than the manga, so what I can say is that each story has its own unique perspective, and works toward the end goal (love and marriage) from a different angle. That said, I think the last story (which gives its name to this story collection) may be the best one. None of the heroines are lacking in terms of their own personality or goals, so ultimately it's about how they get to that end goal (love and marriage). Frankly, any of the four heroines are wife material, so it works out!
The stories could easily have been spun out to be longer, but as I said, thinking of these as an introduction to josei, or a bite-sized snack, makes it easier to accept. I would recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 21, 2025
The premise for this short manga is simple, a mother who loves her adopted daughter and is is willing to do anything for her. This manga is apparently an adaptation, so I don't know how the source material handled it, but the execution here was pretty mediocre. I won't say it was a waste of time, but the result was average, which is lamentable. This story had potential, but it did not live up to it. Still worth a read, if only to learn what <i>not</i> to do.
The premise is that the True Ancestor Angelica, an incredibly powerful vampire princess, with the power to destroy
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kingdoms in a single attack discovers an abandoned human child in the forest. On a whim, she takes the child home and adopts her, despite knowing that child is a Saint, a being born to defend humanity (which often results in wars against enemies of humanity, including vampires). Simple premise, but the execution falls flat, unfortunately. To begin with, the reader is rushed to when Pearl (the Saint) is six years old. A better approach would have been to dedicate one chapter to each year, so that we and Angelica have <i>reason</i> to love Pearl as our daughter. Another problem is with how the driving conflict of the manga (vampire princess adopts human Saint) is not explored in a fulfilling way. The worries about Pearl turning against her adopted mother, a human child raised by the inhuman, the inherent conflicts that such a thing would result in, they are not explored in any meaningful fashion. It's surface deep only, with Angelica being almost the only perspective on anything. The end result does not live up to the potential of its premise.
The art is attractive, Angelica is quite lovely, as are the other female characters, but good art only takes you so far without a good story to carry you. Ultimately, it's only ten and a half chapters, so again, read it, admire the art, and don't dedicate more thought to it than the author of the adaptation did, should you elect to read it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 21, 2025
First off, this manga anthology may as well be called Fate/Grand Spoilers. The entirety of the second arc of Fate/Grand Order, the Lostbelts, is spoiled, so take that a firm and early warning that this best read <i>after</i> you have already read the entirety of Part 2, all the way to the end of Natlan. If you are willing to accept that, I absolutely recommend this, as these side stories enrich the narrative of the Lostbelts by providing scenes that give a glimpse at everything that was not displayed in the game.
The art is all right, nothing particularly amazing. The main draw is always the
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characters and the side stories that did not fit into the Lostbelt. Some are incredibly touching, others fill in or expand on missing details that were not shown in the game. Since this is an anthology, it loosely follows the overarching order of the Lostbelts, and as the title lets you know, the key figures are the figures who fit into the Lostbelt arc, be they Crypter, Lostbelt King, or Other. Flashbacks to the past, concurrent views to the present, thoughts of the future, each vignette is made poignant by knowing who the characters are and what happened to them in their story, which makes it a tug on the heartstring. The stronger you bonded with certain characters during their Lostbelts, the better the reader experience from reading this anthology, which ultimately means this is for the fans. And what a wonderful present it is for the fans!
It's my personal opinion that the British Lostbelt had some of the best stories, but no matter which Lostbelt was your favorite, the anthology delivered. Strongly recommend to all fans of Fate/Grand Order, especially those who have completed the second part. Alternatively, read chapter by chapter, in alignment with your progress through the story. Totally worth it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 18, 2024
It's a quickie 4-koma, 30 pages in total, you can probably bang it out in 15 minutes, with distractions. It starts from an accidental rejection in which Tsuyuki is caught off guard by Imao's confession. Imao takes it quite well, but since Tsuyuki had not planned on rejecting him, she's upset by the turn of events. She tries to figure out what to do, and due to being a bit dishonest about her feelings, is sucked into the usual 4-koma pattern of setting up and delivering a punchline in four panels. It's just unlucky that the ending is so unsatisfying. The jokes are worth a
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few quick smiles, but this could have continued for quite some time. I guess the author got bored and ended it on a poor note.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 27, 2024
This is a straightforward romcom, one boy, one girl, no harem, and bringing them slowly together for the enjoyment of the viewer. It has a formula that works, namely, what are common things regular people never think twice about, and how can an extremely sheltered ojou-sama be the butt of a joke about it?
Our couple, Sewa and Kotone, are first years in high school and meet because Sewa is a good guy who doesn't think twice about helping someone out. Kotone is truly charmed by this and asks her father for the chance to enter Sewa's school. Indulgent father that he is, he grants it,
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and thus begins our sweet and vanilla journey for these two.
This is completely a feel-good romantic comedy, with absolutely no doubt who the chosen couple is, and no obstacles being placed between them that would change that dynamic. The series follows its formula and it works, which is the most important part. It did end a bit too soon in my opinion, since this kind of feel-good vanilla can continue for quite a while, so at least it didn't wear out its welcome. The ending is also delightfully vanilla, so it's a soothing balm for the darker stuff most people (including myself) usually read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 26, 2024
Another manga that became the victim of a cancellation, which is too bad since it was fun. I suspect this manga was inspired by Date a Live and Kekkon Yubiwa Monogatari, what with the harem of disasters personified and the marriage mechanic, so the inevitable romcom antics are mixed with active shounen combat, a winning formula.
So student council vice president Dazai Ryunosuke lives a normal life at school where he is always helping everyone out due to reasons rooted in a vague childhood memory. That life collapses upon itself when a girl falls from the sky - a dragon girl, a walking calamity. This
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girl, Rinne, forges a marriage link with Ryunosoke, which is the only way to contain her powers as they rampage. Conflict is quickly introduced with the arrival of Mari, Ryunosuke's assistant on the student council who has persistently declared her feelings for him... and is a vampire girl. Cue the romcom.
It's too bad this was cancelled, as it's perfectly able to make fun of itself and its characters, often with quite funny faces. However, the first arc became the only arc, and it was also rather far shorter than a first arc should be due to its cancellation. Still, as I've said before, it should be read for a fun read that takes an hour or two, and to see the mangaka's feelings for their work.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 7, 2024
Gundam is one of what I consider to be the legendary series, a story that was told in 1979 and is now at the point where the children who grew up with it are now making their own contributions to the saga, and in a way that enriches the saga, not destroys it. You know, the opposite of its near-contemporary, Star Wars, which has been reduced by a collection of untalented narcissists in a shambling monster completely unrelated to its roots. But we are here to speak of Gundam and the superiority of its contributors, not of the Disney-mutiliated abomination wearing Star Wars the way
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a serial killer would wear the face of a cherished friend before making the next murder.
Broad strokes of a quite familiar story: In the middle of a war, the youth Amuro Ray ends up in possession of a prototype mecha known as the Gundam. Conscripted into service in order to protect the warship that carries both this weapon and civilian refugees with no other choice, he must use the Gundam in battle against one of the most dangerous men in the universe: Char Aznable, the Red Comet.
Unlike other remakes and reimaginings, this manga was illustrated by the animation director of the original Gundam, Yasuhiko Yoshikazu. Not only a man intimately acquainted with one of the most defining science fiction franchises, he himself is a legendary mangaka: every panel is drawn by hand, using art brushes, without any of the modern technologies that have made drawing manga easier, all of it in a solo effort. That means all the work in modern manga that requires a small team to do (the storyboards, panel arrangement, character positioning, and penciling without guides (the shapes other artists use to orient themselves and the action)) was done by one elderly Japanese gentleman. Well, the man's a legend, so the art is excellent, with a distinctive style that recalls the original Gundam anime, but also surpasses it with the cleanness of its lines and the compelling action Yasuhiko-sensei's art conveys. The layout and action flows from one panel to the next quite naturally, and there is definitely a sensation of being drawn in a manner similar to an anime. The art is as much of a carrying point as the story.
On the topic of the story, it's a retelling, but it's not a retelling the way the West does things, where the original story is forgotten in favor of using the franchise name to tell some worthless hack of a "creative's" totally unoriginal fanfic (Rian Johnson). Yasuhiko-sensei instead moves <i>events</i> to make the story flow more cleanly than the original Gundam did. The broad strokes remain the same, but the timing changes in a way that makes the narrative flow more rapidly, while fitting in more backstory that was lost in the original series.
Anyway, for Gundam fans of old and for new readers, it's a must-read. A true masterpiece created by an actual master who worked on the original series, it is Gundam at its quintessential finest. The volumes are still being published in the West, so gather them all up and devour them as time enables, as the story is timeless, the heirs to its tradition continue to love this franchise, even if it is recently starting to show some cracks in the foundation (Witch from Mercury? Who thought that Gundam Utena was even remotely a good idea?)
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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