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Feb 11, 2020
This is going to be a short review because there's not much to say about this series.
In the simplest terms, Maou no Musume wa Yasashisugiru is easily one of the sweetest and most wholesome manga I've come across.
This episodic comedy is about a little demon girl named Dou, who happens to be the daughter of the Demon King, Ahriman. As the description states, the Demon King had to stop his goal of conquering the world for the simple fact that his daughter is far too kind. She wants to help anyone and everyone she meets, regardless of whether it's a human, a demon
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or a little creature. Befriending everyone along the way, the series follows the short and sweet episodes of Dou's daily escapades with Jahy, one of the King's closest advisors, as she tries to turn her into a mean demon, only to fail every time.
And that's kind of it. The simplicity is enough to carry the story forward. It's adorable, it's wholesome, it's soul-healing and leaves you warm and happy and that's exactly what makes this series so good. Coupled with a nice and crisp art-style, the mangaka does a great job in portraying Dou's adorableness and the impact it has on everyone around her.
Highly recommended if you're looking for something sweet and simple to make your day a little better.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 24, 2019
There's not much need of giant review for this series.
Mado Kara Madoka Chan is a simple episodic gag-comedy series based around the idea of a girl named Madoka who opens a new shop out of her room's window every time the male lead happens to pass by. It could be a sushi place one day, but a shooting range the next day. Part of the charm of the series comes from what random thing the adorable Madoka chan will be doing, which is often unexpected.
It's a cute and adorable episodic series, with a charming art-style that may need some getting used to, but
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nothing terrible.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 17, 2019
I never thought I would be writing up a review for a manga as weird as this one, but there's no harm in it, so why not?
High-Risk Mission Therapy is a weird manga. That doesn't go far to explain much, but it's a good start. And based on the description alone, you can gauge the kind of content that will be present here as well. But even then, there's more than what meets the eye.
And I don't mean that it does it in a deep and profound way. This manga is, for all intents and purposes, an absolute comedy that in no way should be
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taken seriously. But, it also does a good job in standing outside of the mold of standard gag-comedy manga by doing the unexpected, and that is making fun of the tropes that tend to build such comedies.
Of course, the "ecchi" fan-service prevails, but the series should certainly not be looked at from that perspective alone. The often unpredictable and random scenarios tend to lead onto hilarious outcomes that can make you smile or laugh out loud, but this will depend on the person reading. Another interesting aspect of the manga that I found was that, despite having such a raunchy backdrop for the story, the author doesn't sexualize everything the way you'd expect. Which is a good thing and can sometime separate this series from others which do it just for the heck of it.
From what we've seen so far, the manga also seem to be aiming at parodying all kinds of tropes, including yaoi and yuri ones, which is a somewhat refreshing take on the genre. The story itself is something I won't really comment on, because it's not really commendable, but is decent enough to hold together the comedy scenarios that make it. Most of the main characters are fun to read and wholesome, which once again is something worth looking out for.
With an interesting and decent art-style, this parody/gag manga is definitely something to lookout for, even if it is only for the whacky yet wholesome characters, unexpectedly hilarious scenarios and an overall fun time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 29, 2018
For a short story like this, describing it in much details is not that easy without spoiling the story. So, I will try to keep it as subtle as possible, trying my best to not spoil anything.
Fukanzen na Hito no Tame ni aka For Imperfect People was an unexpected surprise. When I first came across it, the cover image and the title gave off a melancholic vibe for some reason despite the cute character designs. When I delved into the story, it was exactly how I expected it would be. The story is about our protagonist and his senior, who we only know as senpai
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for the vast majority of the story.
Senpai is introduced as an eccentric and incredibly cheerful person, but we quickly learn that her outward demeanor hides a sadness that she doesn't want to show the world, the reason for which is constant bullying. But, her interaction with the protagonist helps her to both open up and gain the courage to confront her problems. In turn, our protagonist also grows from this interaction, changing his own ways in a positive manner.
The story itself doesn't have a ton of depth to it, and often times we are only left to assume what may have happened at a given time in senpai's past. There are things that I wish were explored more, but in the end I suppose the fact that this is overall positive story takes over the overall negative themes of bullying and social isolation. The main characters are charming and to see them grow is a heartwarming experience. There is a romance element to the story as well, which generally takes a backseat throughout.
Overall, this manga provided with a short charming and positive experience, with a cute art-style.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 20, 2018
It is incredibly surprising how much this manga has impressed me so far.
The idea of stories starting with a character being magically wooshed away into another world is not new. Many great stories have started with this trope. But the recent boom in these kind of stories in the manga medium, what I call "The Modern Isekai Boom", has left many people exhausted because of the tired, unoriginal and generic plot elements used in them.
In an onslaught of similar sounding stories, those that are indeed original and interesting enough to be recognized, always have a chance of standing out. Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami, known otherwise
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as Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, is one such gem.
While it starts with the same old trope of dying and ending up in a game world, that too as the villain of the game, many elements in this particular manga are noticeably different from what one would expect. From her very first appearance, the protagonist, Iris, charms us with a sharp persona and a witty intellect – a combination born when her original self got mixed with her self from Japan – which is the makings of a strong lead character. From then on, we follow her as she is tasked to act as the Lord of her father’s fiefdom named Armelia, which is an enjoyable journey, even though it sounds like a rather uninteresting topic to deal with.
That said, there are some minor details in storytelling that certainly caught my attention. Throughout the story, moments of exposition tell us current and past events which help build a better foundation for the story to take place. However, they often stand out as noticeable moments which might draw the reader out from a flow while reading certain sections. It’s not the worst way of doing things, but it is avoidable in certain ways and kind of emphasizes that fact that this manga is indeed an adaptation of a novel and adapting a text heavy media to a visual media is surprisingly not an easy task. But a shortcoming like that can be easily ignored in wake of the well-constructed story that maintains a steady pace as it moves forward.
There are some noticeable shortcomings when it comes to writing the characters as well, especially the fact that the writers have made it abundantly clear which side is supposed to be the good side and which side is supposed to be despised by the readers. But there’s a certain charm to all of them which makes for interesting interactions and development, and since character interaction is the main means of progressing the story itself, it makes for an interesting story overall.
Despite the shortcomings, the story grips the readers’ attention quite well, leading us through and interesting and entertaining journey of personal growth, politics and reform throughout the fiefdom of Armelia and beyond, using knowledge of both worlds. The art-style suits the medium well and helps portray the fascinating story as it unfolds.
An isekai manga with a strong female lead, well written characters, a well-constructed story and a generic but decent art-style, Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami is one of those hidden gems that certainly stands out from the rest in its field. Will definitely recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 5, 2018
(Before reading this series do note that the series has an abrupt ending because the magazine it was being published in was terminated.)
Jikkyou!! Izumi-kun no Koi Moyou is the story of an introverted high-school student with a communication problem. This wouldn't be the first time a story with this premise has been written. But an idea is only as good as its execution, and this a manga that I can say has been executed very well.
While the main character description doesn't sound all that unique, it can be an interesting premise for a story to develop around, especially when dealing with a story about character
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growth. And that is kind of imminent with what we have so far.
The protagonist, Izumi-kun, doesn't talk to people himself but has a great love for commentary. And because he doesn't speak, he silently commentates about the world around him live as it moves, something he finds fascinating as an observer. This worldview of his, however, changes when the girl sitting in front of him, Shinohara, decides to talk to him one day. A simple session of small talk quickly leads to him getting roped into her world which is full of lively, cheerful and loud people.
As an outsider to this world, we see Izumi-kun experience things he has never tried before and grow from it. This growth is portrayed in the form of him accidentally revealing his commentary side to the world. Shinohara, finding his voice charming, pushes him to talking more, which then becomes a personification of his growth as a person. The driving force of this manga is certainly the charm of Shinohara as she breaks away a Izumi-kun's shell bit by bit.
It might be because the portrayal of Izumi-kun's character hits very close to home for me that I find him such a fascinating subject to deal with. His feelings of anxiety and loneliness when he is talking to strangers, his feelings of excitement when he is talking to Shinohara, all of these have been very well executed, in as believable a manner as possible for a comedy manga.
The art isn't very spectacular, although it does have a charm and does grow on you.
All in all, Jikkyou!! Izumi-kun no Koi Moyou is a well portrayed manga about an introverted high-school boy as he experiences the world outside of his shell. It is a series that can either propel forward in a more meaningful manner, giving us an enjoyable journey of growth and maturity, or it can plummet into the depths of cliched mediocrity. Either way, it is a matter of time.
(This part has been added after the series' ending.) With the series meeting an early end due to the magazine getting terminated, it is really disappointing to have things end the way they did. With solid characters and decent premise, the series had immense potential to be a great character driven romance. That said, the open ending does leave you with a pleasant feeling, knowing that there's a bright future ahead for Izumi-kun and all the others. Other than that, I am certainly looking forward to what the author brings next.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 1, 2018
5-toubun no Hanayome has an interesting premise for a harem by having not two nor three sisters, but five sisters as part of the harem. And to top it all off, they are quintuplets. They are each given a personality quirk and an appearance quirk in order for them to stand out. Our male protagonist is a standard, book-smart and uptight guy who has been hired to be a tutor to the sisters. As it turns out, the sisters are really bad when it comes to studying and are reluctant to have him as a tutor. But the guy has to stick to this job
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because he is poor and has to think about his family. Thus the misadventures begin.
And while this premise seems interesting enough to create a decent enough length for a serialized manga, it falls short in establishing decent enough character arcs to drag it to that length, a problem that is generally faced when trying to establish multiple main characters. This is a problem that first time authors often face, especially when trying to force complexity where it isn't needed.
Over time, the sisters' personalities don't stand out too well, essentially resulting in simple and similar character arcs for all of them. The male protagonist, however, has much better faring in this regard. His uptight nature is brought to check under the unruliness of the sisters, who all are in love with him somehow.
There's not much to comment on the story itself, since there isn't much to it and it doesn't stray too far off of what you'd expect from a harem where characters are at least aware of being in a harem. This could lead to better story-telling eventually, and has been observed in simpler harem manga (like Ichigo 100%, for example), but this would really depend on whether the writer chooses to stray away from the self-contained and rather uninteresting path that the story is currently at.
The best part about the manga, however, is the art, which is crisp and while not too original, is good enough to create distinguishable characters for the most part. It is observably better than the art of Rengoku no Karma, a manga which was drawn by the same author.
All in all, what starts as an interesting premise for a harem romance, quickly mellows down into a more generic and uninteresting one. It is certainly not one of the better harem stories I've come across, or rather I should say, it's a bit late at arriving since it doesn't really do anything spectacularly different aside from having quintuplet harem members. But, needless to say, it has potential if the author could add better complexity to the character arcs and manage multiple main characters in a single story, which is its biggest flaw. Whether it happens or not, only time will tell.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 15, 2018
Akai Mi Hajiketa is a collection of 13 beautiful short stories with a common theme, and that theme is love. Because it is an anthology, it's not incredibly easy to generalize my views across all stories, because even though I say that the common theme is love, it doesn't mean it's all about romance.
This is an anthology that celebrates the idea of love in all its form, whether it is the romance between two people who spent eight years together only for it to fall apart, whether it is the love for life itself, whether it is the love between friends and companions who
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follow a similar dream or whether it is just an unrequited crush. Each story, of varying length, focuses on an episode in the lives of various people of different ages. Some of these stories are very short, taking only a handful of pages to tell, while some are longer, going into more details.
Some stories do stand out more than the others. There are those that leave you happy after you're done. And there are those that leave a rather odd after-taste. There are also some that might not affect a person at all. These emotions will depend on the reader, but needless to say, the anthology does manage to create a ripple across an entire plethora of feelings that a reader might experience. Which is what makes this collection of short stories so good.
As an added bonus, there is a 14th omake chapter that gives an epilogue to some of the more prominent stories in the book. There's not much else to say about this anthology without breaking into the details of each and every story.
The art is reminiscent of works by authors such as Yoshida Motoi. It is a charming style with well drawn characters and nice attention to details in the backgrounds as well. The art style brings out the emotions felt by the characters beautifully, and that in itself is not only an incredible feat, it is also necessary since the stories lose their luster without these emotional characters.
I will highly recommend this collection for people who love romance and slice-of-life stories.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 14, 2018
When it comes to romance stories, authors often opt for a plot-driven story instead of a character-driven one. What this often leads to is the creation of fairly forgettable and shallow characters with personalities that don't spread out in a more human fashion. This is especially true for high-school romance dramas.
However, people often forget that what works best for a romance drama is a character-driven story. Without going much into the depth of the internal conflicts of a character, it is easy to not find emotions to attach to a character. And this is a very essential device that an author must use
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to capture the reader's attention as much as they can for such a genre.
There are many examples of manga which have the same shallow characters that feel like they were developed off of a checklist that someone prescribed. That's never a bad thing to do, if one has a plot that can make use of those traits memorably.
Then there are proper character driven stories that take the time to show us what's going on in the heads of the main characters. Mangaka like Umino Chika and Oshimi Shuzo excel in telling such stories. But comparing their excellence here won't be all that meaningful, mainly because of the major difference in the core genre.
At the core, Real Girl aka 3D Kanojo, is a high-school romance story. And there's probably a million of them, right? That's true. Even the premise of the story about two people, quite opposite in terms of personalities, is not unheard of.
What makes Real Girl different and memorable is that the author took the time to establish each of the characters as being something that is not quite understandable upon first glance. Every aspect of the manga shows us the internal conflicts of the characters in question. It shows us that, just like most of us would in real life, these characters printed on paper also have to sort through all their feelings to come up with decisions that don't necessarily give a definite answer to a question. It shows that that feelings are more complex than a girl and a guy fawning over each other. It shows that the change that people go through in their lifetime are often because of the influence of others. This extends to all the major characters, and not just the protagonists.
And that is what's so good about this high-school romance story. Even though it appears to be the same as many others, there's obviously something more complex going on underneath that makes it different. That is the idea that the entire story is based around. Sure, like any other story, there are moments that shine bright and there are moments that often turn you away, but all in all, it's a story well done.
Being a character-driven story, the story itself progresses with the characters themselves and as such, often shows quite some variation in tonality as it progresses, depending on the emotional conflict that the characters themselves are going through.
The art isn't exceptionally commendable. There's plenty of faults, especially when it comes to showcasing facial expressions. But it's well enough to easily discern the most important characters in the story.
For a high-school romance story that came from a shoujo magazine, Real Girl is truly a memorable experience that doesn't fail to tell a heartwarming love story about two very different people and how they adapt to the time they have together.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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