Back to badgerkins's Profile badgerkins's Profile

Engaged to the Unidentified generated very little hype coming into its season, being an adaptation of a relatively unheard of manga. So how exactly did it catch my attention when one glance of the line-up for the season had other shows I could of better invest my time with? Was it the cover image of three adorable looking girls in seifuku which called to me? Possibly... Actually, that was most definitely the case. C'mon, let's be honest; what other reason could there be and please don't tell me the synopsis had you brimming with optimism. I'm willing to give anything a chance as long as ... there's cute girls I can ogle at and I particularly wasn't looking for something to test my wits or to get me on the edge of my seat. Thus Engaged to the Unidentified was quite the inviting choice for somebody who just wanted to loosen up and let the calm sweep them away.

Story:

Is this still your generic SoL rom-com you see rolling in every season? For the majority it is. Nothing screams mundane more than the synopsis of this show so as you can imagine, expectations were pretty low at the point of starting. The first few episodes are mostly spent building characters and observing Kobeni after saying farewell to living peacefully as a normal highschool girl when the Mitsumines join the household. For 1/2 of the show, it's standard fare in terms of a SoL rom-com; a large chunk of comedy of the moe kind but a pea sized amount of romance. The latter half is where the show begins to peak when we learn the Mitsumines are far from ordinary folk and the connection with Kobeni linked to a long forgotten accident, leading to the reason behind this engagement. Personally, I thought the new turn of events were weird for this show (not shocking) but even so, it still never strayed far from being a normal SoL rom-com. From what I gathered, it was only a means to advance a stagnating relationship so don't go hoping to have your mind-blown expecting a massive change when you learn of this new revelation. To conclude; a simple premise of girl forced to betroth boy with an innocent yet unusual twist half way that sets the romance into motion.

Art:

Surprisingly, the art is very attractive. The animations for each character are smooth and slick and fits very well with the show's direction. It isn't short of cute or funny moments that would send you on a GIF making binge. Extremely pleasant to the eye and has a certain charm about it that causes you to break into a wide smile. Nothing to really complain but nothing to really highlight as being revolutionary or rousing though. With the atmosphere of what the show was going for, keeping it light and cute was the right direction.

Sound:

A mostly unknown cast of seiyuu but fulfilled each of their roles nicely. Personally, i'm not too picky when it comes to this so I wasn't dejected when peeking at the list. However, I was very surprised to see this was a first time role for Mashiro's seiyuu who did a standout performance you wouldn't anticipate. The OP and ED are very upbeat and catchy; I don't think I ever skipped past them before or after an episode yet felt it was a little dishonest because whilst watching this show, I noticed there was a startling lack of BG music which is very rare for this genre. I'm not usually somebody who pays close attention to it but having noticed myself, it may disappoint other people who do care. I do think this may of been a choice of direction rather than negligence as it emphasised the down to earth nature of this anime.

Character:

A generic story can be carried by a strong cast of characters. In this case, i'm not sure which department wins. There was nothing wrong with them; more like there was nothing special about them that would convince me to add them onto my favourite characters list. Kobeni, the main female of the story, is indeed pretty, considerate and candidate for perfect waifu but wasn't strong enough to really shine above the others and felt somewhat muted. Hakuya, the main male (and the only one) of the story, I even forget existed in the first half of the show. However, both are as meek as eachother so there is a balance in the relationship that I enjoyed. Mashiro, the impulsive and immature chibi (likely will have the most fans), and Benio, the severe siscon honour student, provide most of the comedy and steal the show. Altogether, a charming but unoriginal cast which could of been better if the central leads held a stronger presence.

Enjoyment:

Now for the main question; is it enjoyable? If you're a big fan of this genre then certainly yes. If you aren't then you'll most definitely feel that time was wasted. Engaged to the Unidentified does not offer anything new or exciting but still delivers well for its kind. One complaint i'm sure many people have voiced is the pacing. For the first half, almost nothing happens in regards to advancing the story. Confusing it for a cute girls doing cute things anime wouldn't be confound at all. As for the romance, it hints here and there as the show progresses and doesn't really blossom until very late. It's cute, awkward and pure but it won't get your heart racing. People who have seen plenty of SoL will be accustomed to the turtle like pacing but those who are romance veterans that delight in more passionate relationships will probably find themselves bored stiff.

Overall:

Engaged to the Unidentified is a very solid series. If you're not looking for anything serious and just want to chill out to something cute (did I forget to mention that?) and dainty then absolutely give this a try. Compared to other shows of this type, there wasn't much about it that stood out apart from the twist half way but that couldn't save this series from being just a regular SoL rom-com.

Molester Man? What is this, some feminist enraging hentai manga involving schoolgirl rape? Absolutely wrong! If the name of this doujin put you off reading it then do not be mistaken as it is nothing like what it sounds and lets be honest; how on earth could a rape hentai make it into the top 10? What you'll get is a funny tale of a lonely otaku man that gets mistaken for being a molester and the events thereafter where he is able to befriend the women that misunderstands him and also falls into her group of friends and eventually finds love with ups and ... downs along the way.

Story:
The story is kind of explained in the synopsis so instead i'll be giving my thoughts on it. Since this is based of a true story, it's quite realistic that you can easily relate to it which is what I find beautiful. There aren't any silly quirks you usually find in fictional romance manga like fated meetings, sudden girlfriend appearances, smooth as butter relationships, etc. Its a story that is mature and down to earth that almost feels like you're watching a live action TV drama. But why oh why would you read this? It sounds very mundane, right? If I wanted a live action TV drama, i'd go watch one instead! Despite it being based on true events, you can get really immersed in the story knowing that the crazy scenarios that take place actually happened. Chikan Otoko's isn't anything special but the way its narrated in a comedic fashion of an otaku's viewpoint and the tense drama that ensues can get you extremely gripped. Laughter and tears are to be expected.

Art:
The art... isn't great. But then what more can you expect from a young amateur mangaka. It gets the job done that's for sure but nothing fancy at all. The shading is very sketchy and there is no colour at all except for maybe 4 or 5 pages in the entire doujin. From start to finish, I never even found out what colour some of the character's hair were (Kansai's hair is green; never expected that at all). Few cameo artstyles appear in this such as Doraemon the cat and Aizen from Bleach which kind of break from the reality but are more there to be used as personifications for character's expressions or reflections on events. Nevertheless, you'll easily get use to the art and improvements can be seen chapter by chapter.

Character:
Since this is a true story, you won't find any farfetched characters that go beyond a normal humans capabilities (OK, maybe the majority of supporting characters are a tad weird but the main characters are much believable). Molester Man is your typical loner otaku that must resort to 2ch for advice and is awkward when it comes to dealing with women. I can honestly say I didn't like him that much but then real people aren't made to be liked, are they? Afterall, he is based of somebody and isn't trying to be fictional character. Molester Man has selfish motives, is indecisive and hides behind a facade to please people but as the story progress, he develops into a stronger but still flawed character after making new friends. What I find funny is that everyone refers him as Molester Man even after the incident was resolved. Besides the MC, we have 3 other characters; Miss Understanding, who serves as the airhead, Loli Jugs, a happy go lucky girl and Kansai, the tomboyish dependable big sister type. They're pretty normal and don't have contrasting personalities like what you'd expect from a harem rom-com and it makes for a refreshing change. The 4 have very strong character development and their interactions are the driving force of the story. Supporting characters are not very prominent and serve mainly as comic relief. Even Abe, the Yaranaika? guy makes an appearance! I'll also add that these characters are not dense. Their intuition is the real deal and they will jump on anything they find suspicious like any normal person.

Enjoyment:
Guaranteed you will find yourself enjoying every bit if you can relate to the MC. If you aren't a little bit of an otaku (why are you on this site?) then you might find it hard to understand the references that are made and will lose yourself in most of the comedy moments. The romance is still very touching despite the narrative being told in a comedic fashion and this doesn't dull the drama at all, leaving you engaged as you'll feel empathy for these characters with a torrent of emotions.

Overall:
Don't let the art or title fool you! Give this a read and you will not regret it. It starts off slow but once it kicks in, oh boy does it really kick in! The length is just perfect and the ending will leave you satisfied. You'll grieve, cry, scream and laugh. This is not your typical shounen romance. Its true and stays true to the source and your outlook on life will change for the better good. Yes, Molester Man will change your life! lol

I never heard of this until I randomly stumbled upon it on my recommended list so I wasn't really expecting much apart from your typical lovey-dovey story with 2 girls fighting over 1 guy shenanigans. And gangsters. Wait, what? Nisekoi translates to "Fake Love". Due to an unfortunate fate, the lovers in this story must become a couple for the sake of their feuding families but the problem is that they absolutely loathe eachother. Stir in a decent amount of cute slapstick comedy and a splash of soft harem (yes, there are 4 girls in total) and you have a formula for something amazing that ... is Nisekoi.

Story:
As many others have mentioned, the story resembles abit of Romeo and Juliet except that it isn't the families who are in conflict but ironically the fake lovers. Its not a direct reference but you will notice the similarities quite quickly. While the manga does have its fair share of typical highschool aspects, the addition of the watchful gangsters thrusts the characters in very funny and silly situations. Besides the fake lovers thing, there is sort of a 'secondary plot'. Ichijou, the protagonist of the story, is searching for a girl in his past who has the key to his locket to unlock a 'promise' he cannot remember which doesn't prove itself any easier when there's more than just the one potential candidate. Over time, the girls share fragments of their childhood memories and adds more twists with each revelation. This doesn't sound like a bad premise but its played out horrendously long. Moments when I think they could of wrapped this up in less than 20 chapters but there's usually some coincidental interruption that prevents the story from moving forward. That's shounen romance for you I guess. I mean, how hard is it to open a damn locket when the keys are staring right at you? Sometimes I even think they could of dropped this childhood promise because it seems really unnecessary and only exists for the purpose of giving this series an eventual ending. Nevertheless, Ichijou's growing relationship with Chitoge and the rest of the female cast is this series strong point. If you're a fan of happy & light rom-coms that doesn't center on plot then this is right up your alley.

Art:
The art is superb. Very clean, vibrant and stays consistent. Romance and comedy are handled well, especially facial expressions (warning: blush overload!) that can give you a doki doki attack. Otherwise, there's nothing special that will really blow you away. For a rom-com, its surprising to see little to no ecchi in this but instead a smorgasbord of adorableness.

Character:
Charming and funny but not very unique cast. We have the primary 2 females; Chitoge, the fake girlfriend with a tsuntsun attitude and Onodera, the childhood friend with a crush. I have no qualms with these two but Marika, the slight yandere, who is also one of the three promised girls, shows up way too late and is treated as a gag character more than a love interest. There is also a kuudere (Tsugumi) that doesn't have much relevance to the story but is still a potential love interest which I like as it adds an improbability that Ichijou might not end up with the promised girl (which makes the plot even more pointless). These personalities aren't strange to see in a harem setting but the girls play their roles marvellously despite that and the four share brilliant synergy. In harems, its very difficult to establish a likeable male protagonist but Ichijou luckily isn't the typical horny teenager who gets up to perverted shenanigans but is a selfless, hard-working and honest to good guy (think Ryuuji from Toradora!). Apart from these characters, there are 2 other classmate friends worth mentioning; Shuu, the idiot friend who is always up to no good for a laugh and getting Ichijou in more mess and Ruri, Onodera's merciless straight-faced cupid. The gangsters are not very prominent and are usually in the background unintentionally getting the others into awkward situations and setting the stage of events. The character development, most notably Chitoge's and Onodera's, are well paced and nicely done as we have narratives from both of them. Overall, a solid funny likeable cast but not original enough to make them stand out from other romance series.

Enjoyment:
Even with the flaws highlighted in the story, this is still a very enjoyable manga. Between plot related events, we either have some fillerish bonding time with the group of friends that surprisingly is really good rather than thinking of them as story diversions or with Ichijou and one of the girls which I find the chemistry is extremely well executed. The rivalry they unknowingly share makes for an entertainingly gripping read. When you think one girl has won, another shows her trump card in the next chapter, then the other shows theirs in another and well, you get the idea. The comedy doesn't fall flat either with gags flying left and right that never gets stale and cute yet ridiculous slapstick that will surely have you slapping your knee.

Overall:
This manga is very good read if you're a fan of shounen romance that both genders are able to appreciate. The story isn't anything unique or serious so don't expect an ounce of drama if you were but if you want a lovey-dovey highschool boy searching for girl romance with unexpected added hilarity then Nisekoi definitely fits the bill well.