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Alright, I know, the warning bells are going off; perfect 10-score. But hear me out.

At the time i'm writing this, there are only four chapters of this manga translated in English right now. So I'm basing my perspectives on these chapters, and hopefully what's to come.

A 10 equals "outstanding" in this ratings system; for all four categories, I must say, after a significant amount of thought, A World Only God Knows definitely falls into those precedents.

When I look for a good story, there's one undeniable element it must exhibit; originality. If it's the same thing you've seen before, you'll probably find yourself ... bored very quickly. There has to be something that seperates itself from the rest of the pack. While the boy meets girl aspect is nothing new to romantic comedy fans, this manga puts a devious spin on the formula. Integrating dating sims, the Japaense otaku staple of virtual fantasy courting, into the story of a boy roped into supernatrual circumstances where he must get specific girls to confess to him to release the evil in their souls fufills my standards of an original story. Plus, it has an incredible amount of potential for future installments.

The artwork might be a matter of taste, but if it is, it's definitely my taste. It's fairly simple, but I have yet to see a situation where it can't work. All the characters are well-drawn and expressed, especially Erushi, the protagonist's demonic sidekick.

Character development is present and vital to the plot; Keima, the otaku so adept at dating sims he's considered a "capturing god" to his kind, must employ his "skills" in the real world to make a host of different girls fall for him so he can release the evil spirits haunting them. Even if you're not versed in the world of dating sims, you'll still be suitably entertained watching Keima discover the real world is less and more like his games than he thought.

This is one of the few manga I find the need to read each chapter at least three times over. Everything blends into a truely entertaining exprience; currently, The World Only God Knows is my favorite up-and-coming series. I don't know whether it will gain popularity, but even if it doesn't, people just won't know what they're missing. I'd recommend this to basically anyone; it's still starting, so you won't waste too much time if you don't like it. And if you do... join the club and enjoy.

What we have here is truly a manga of a different "flavor"; If you're looking for a story that "rises" to the occasion, you "knead" not look further! (okay, I'll stop... for now.) Obviously, this is a manga about cooking; more specifically, the art of bread-making. How can you make a story centered around making bread, you might ask? Just follow the simple recipe the Japanese use for making "Instant anime material!" (entertaining characters + special "powers" revolving around the subject of the story + drama. Lots and lots of drama.) The result is Yakitate!! Japan.

My rating for the story is a high/low average. ... The high point is that Yakitate takes such a seemingly-random concept and turns it into an enjoyable and endearing read; besides Addicted to Curry, the field of cooking series remains desolate. (As long as you don't count Fighting Foodons. I sure don't.) You might scoff at first, but a few chapters in and you'll most likely be hooked. It gets even better with the natural shonen style of characters having special powers when it comes to bread-making; The main character, Kazuma Azuma, is blessed with "Solar Gauntlets", unnaturally-warm hands that are a great benefit in his trade. Later on, you see different abilities that rivals bring into play, probably the funniest (and creepiest) being the Goddess Hands. As for the other side of the story; this is a popular shonen. Meaning it drags on for AWHILE. Like, longer than the Naruto manga, minus Shippuden? And, unfortunately, it can't really keep up the pace for the whole thing. Later on, the story gets into a bit of a rut, with the characters participating in enormous tournaments, with not much plot development at all; just one match after another, which also get tiring because the focus shifts to the obscure Japanese pun that results from the "scoring" of either team's culinary creation. Not that these "reactions" aren't entertaining; it's just that you should get used to them...

The art style was great at its best, and satisfactory at its lowest. This guy does know how to draw his chicks smokin' hot (and that goes for the guys too, when he feels like giving a rare nod to the ladies), so a bit of fanservice every now and then is greatly appreciated. His style also holds out well when illustrating the increasingly-bizarre "reactions" of the judges, and anyone who unwittingly eats food so good, they bend over backwards, try to strip, or even turn into various animals...

The characters were all fairly memorable and endearing. I normally don't feel very attached to the main character of any given series, but Azuma clicked with me fairly well. He had the same ceaseless-motivation-bordering-on-arrogance that's common in protagonists, but pretty much none of the machoism; you might even mistake him for a girl at first, along with almost-androgynous, pink-haired Kanmuri. Fangirls, take note. The minor characters were also great; many make return appearances, or get connected to the main cast in various ways. They're also pretty well-developed; Azuma does have a couple break-downs, despite his optimism, and everyone has their various trials or problems to overcome. Oh, and I can pretty much guarantee you'll hate the main villain's guts. Like, really, really hate her.

I've pretty much covered enjoyment in the story section; you'll get hooked at first, but might loose interest farther in. Nevertheless, I still soldiered through it all, and enjoyed 95% of it. It's really just that good. Early on, you'll get a kick out of the reactions, and drama that arises from a simple contest. Oh, and this is one of those manga that *gasp* you might actually learn something about food chemistry! (Or you can just blow past it. Never been into science, myself.) But you'll definitely come away feeling more knowledgeable about different foods than you ever thought.

Overall, I'm giving this series a 9, despite it's drawbacks. This manga pretty much took up two weeks of my life, sitting in front of my laptop, blowing through almost 200 chapters. And I plan to invest in the tangible English editions once I get a windfall. Looking for a longer, less-known series to which to sink your teeth into? Something fresh and hot, that sticks together under it's strange crust? (alright, these are getting pretty bad...) Anyhoo, pick this up. It reminds me of Hikaru no Go in alot of ways; unconventional concept, excellent results! Bon appetit~

From the author of Flame of Recca, Noyubuki Anzai brings us at tale of parallel worlds, and a hero destined to travel between them. You know the drill. I would pretty much agree with what the others have said; a good read, but in the end, nothing truly special to set it apart.

The story was probably the weakest point of the series; While it wasn't bad, in any way; an acceptable concept, fairly good plot development, and satisfying ending, I can't really find any specific complaints to log against it, except the fact... it just didn't go the extra mile. It was a story, but ... not much else. It's two scoops of vanilla ice cream, when it could have been an XL Super-Decker Double-Fudge Heartstopper Supreme. The tale won't disappoint, as long as you don't expect too much.

The artwork is where this manga does get my credit, though. Obviously, any form of art is completely up to opinion, but I think anyone can agree Anzai-sensei's work is solid and even impressive in some parts; being a manga pretty much based around battles, it holds together well in showing the action, suspense, and awesome moments.

The characters are pretty much what you've seen before; the bold and daring hero, his love interest, his sidekick who's goofy or perverted for when the need arises, the mature flirt of the woman, the pretty playboy, the badass, etc. However, their designs are just enough so you can tell them apart from any other shounen stereotype. The author also does well in the designs of the multitude of minor characters; though most not memorable, they certainly stand out, and you might even find yourself fondly attached to a few (but don't expect the majority to live long...)

These elements mix together in a satisfying way that makes this manga a good read; since it's light on storyline, you can pretty much pick up any volume and immerse yourself; almost every chapter is titled "_____ vs. ______ part___". Of course, all the powers and fights are engaging to see, so as long as you come for the bloodshed (and believe me, there will be blood...), you'll get the most out of this manga.

So. Overall, a seven out of ten. Nothing that makes me go "Oh-my-jeezus you gotta read this!" to people, but enough to make me invest in all 15 volumes of the series. If you were looking for a fantasy masterpiece, keep moving, because this won't sate your palate. But if you're bored of your battle-filled shonen like Naruto, Bleach, or Reborn, pick this one up...

...oh, and does anyone else wonder about the striking similarity between the Gatekeeper Clown in this series, and a certain other character from Final Fantasy 8? No?...