Did somebody say "weeaboo"? Anime/Manga General Thread

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Discuss why Dungeon Meshi is the greatest manga of the past ten years. Also other anime and manga, I guess.

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Okay, let's do this thing! Some manga I've been reading recently, and why I like/dislike them.

So I'm A Spider, So What?! (Comixology series link)

Hey, do you like Isekai, that genre where people get transported to another world, but you think life goes easy on them, or it's "Just another harem manga/anime"? Well, in So I'm A Spider, the protagonist earns the victories they've achieved in the seven volumes so far. Elsewhere, I contrasted its beginning with That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime. In Slime, there's no big threats, early on. They learn, they fight a bit, but mostly, it goes okay. So I'm A Spider? It starts with the protagonist hatching, and suddenly realising "Oh shit, my siblings and my momma wanna eat me!", and... It goes generally uphill from there, but it's a hard as hell journey. They earn the progress they've made, even with "assistance" from an unknown figure. Solid art, good writing that absolutely gets across both the panic and the lighter moods, tonally meshing well... I enjoy it.

Delicious In Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi (Comixology series link)

Oh. Fuck. Yes. I am extremely here for a world where they actually explore things like the ecology of a dungeon, said dungeon's place in the world, and the like. The growth of the characters is interesting, the tragedies are tragic (and some, you really hope you don't actually see coming), and the art and writing are solid. Big thumbs up.

Do You Love Your Mom And Her Two-Hit, Multi-Target Attacks? (Comixology series link)

We had to come across a bad one eventually, and my god, I'm mainly sticking with it in some screwed up sunk cost fallacy. The premise is alright: There is an MMO that is specifically designed so as to help parents and their children get together. Okay, okay, so the Isekai bit is that they're trapped there until they do, but that, in and of itself, wouldn't be a problem if anyone on the parent end was likable. The titular mother is, yes, a soft lady, but she's cheerily passive aggressive and manipulative, smothering, and... Look, I'm much more sympathetic to the junior pairs at this point. Especially when the second parent got introduced.

I'm perfectly fine with folks who indulge their lust. I'm perfectly fine with dommy ladies. But they're an abusive parent, they're a shitheel, and... Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh, this one I really should drop, because if there is a point where the parents are called out as being a problem in this equation (not to mention other issues with the system, such as the junior(s) not being informed of the "Being trapped until they get along with their parent"), it's certainly not even slightly visible 3 volumes in.

Interspecies Reviewers (Comixology series link)

Holy shit I love this one. Pretty damn sex positive and light hearted, Interspecies Reviewers follows the adventures of a party of adventurers who find a very profitable sideline in reviewing Succubus Houses (Legalised brothels in a world where pretty much every species has interbred with succubi to some extent.) From the very first story, where a 50 year old woman is acknowledged by everyone but the human to be superior to Elves, I've found something to like about it, such as little nods to safety such as fairies making it a requirement for their customers to be measured.

The anime is, on the one hand, much more obviously horny and NSFW. On the other, it's theme song is a triumphant double entendre laden ode to enjoying sex, the voice acting is solid, and it contains pretty much all the great writing that makes this as enjoyable as it is. Big thumbs up.

Plus Sized Elf (Comixology series link)

This one's been a divisive one, from what I've been able to gather, but I have to admit I like it so far. There is a gate to our world, through which fantasy folk come to stay in ours. Thing is, the food's really good, and the characters our protagonist, a massage and diet therapy center worker, encounters have all, to some degree or another, overindulged. As with Interspecies Reviewer, the protag doesn't shame within this area, simply provides fitness tips, explaining how they help, assists with diets (where he can, as the titular plus-sized elf keeps backsliding due to the delicious wonders of fried potato based products), and is generally an alright guy. There are sex comedy/ecchi elements to it, and you get the feeling it's a harem manga without actually being one, but, so far at least, I've been enjoying it.

There's a few more I've been reading, but those are the most notable examples right now, one way or the other.

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The thing that really strikes me about Do You Love Your Mom is that it is beat-for-beat a horny teen love comedy (a la Love Hina), but the lead girl is actually the main character's mother. She just disapproves of the main character having any kind of relationship with another woman because she's his mother, and pretty much everything else about their relationship is spot-on. I think the manga version may have toned down the innuendo significantly, but maybe I just haven't gotten far enough yet to see it. The light novel keeps going back to the "I can't think of her that way, she's my mom! What are you doing looking like that?" I hadn't really thought of her as an abusive parent as such, but I think I'm just too used to that kind of comedy from other genres.

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I don't typically read manga or do even do anime outside of games, but one I got linked to and hooked on is Destroy All Humankind - They Can't Be Regenerated.

Despite the edgy title, (a reference to the time period in which the story takes place and Nostradamus's prophecy,) it's actually pretty good. Imagine Yugioh, but instead it's a slice of life involving Magic: The Gathering being played by normal middle schoolers and all that. I'm biased though, I played too many card games growing up.

Really easy to burn through all the available volumes though.

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Okay... Since the discord has encouraged this idea...

Let's Review Manga! Part 1 - Help, I've Found Myself Horny For Monsterfolk, And Manga Is Not A Cure! (Interspecies Reviewers)


AGE RATING: Most likely 18+ ... While there's no actual boning (in the manga, anyway), the series is based around a sex-worker reviewing premise.

NSFW discussion
So... Monstergirls have... An interesting history in Manga. Not all of it is horny. But a fair amount of it is. There are some that have been slice of life (Monster Musume, for example), there are some that are comedy (like this one), and there are some that I would consider unreviewable, even if we had an NSFW section, for content warning reasons (unnamed.)

Interspecies Reviewers has one big thing going for it: It's mostly sex positive. It's open about its horniness, it explores a few fantastical kinks, consent is explicit, and a fantastic world means fantastic safety measures. Wonder why the monsterfolk aren't getting pregnant? Contraceptive magic. We'll get to another part of this later (spoilered for NSFW, as some of this will be.) And its protagonists, with only a few exceptions, are non judgmental. Except in the critical sense.

One of those judgmental moments, funnily enough, is what kicks things off, with two of our three protagonists (Stunk, human; Zell, elf) being mutually disgusted at each other for having sex with an older woman of the others' species, and the resulting argument leading to the first review, by them and two friends (part of a rotating cast of fellow reviewers): Who is better, a 50 year old human? Or a 500 year old elf?

The human wins. And, considering the difference in visual presentation? I'm cool with that.

And so, a new kind of reviewing is born, the reviewing of succu-joints, as, since everyone has some succubus blood in them, sex work is legal, regulated, and unstigmatised.

With a lot of charming writing, there are only a few flaws with Interspecies Reviewers, and one of them is very much a matter of taste. Namely, the sex comedy elements outside the reviewing... Stunk, you are a creeper, and perhaps being beaten the shit out of by the bartender Meru (a harpy) is... Perhaps a sign you should stop being a shit?

As mentioned, there are also a few segments where people are judged for their taste, but any discomfort is framed as a personal dislike or creeping out, not a "BAN THIS SICK FILTH!"

Speaking of... There's quite the variety in here. Obviously, various monstergirls. But also gender transformation, clones, doll-making, egg laying... There's one in particular that I feel I should spoil so as not to spoil your enjoyment, no matter how quickly it reveals itself to be what it is. There is a shop where there are "captive" monstergirls, and the customers act out a ravishment play (IE - consensually play out a scene with the appearance of nonconsent.) It should also be reiterated that the manga does not present the acts themselves (with the exception of the egg laying. To some extent.) The anime, on the other hand, depicts the sex, albeit in a partially censored form (which caused Funimation to pull their support, even if it afforded the opportunity for more material. Which the anime took advantage of.)

There is also something else worth noting: The third protagonist, Crimvael. Crimvael is functionally intersex (A person possessing both male and female genitalia, with the "functionally" part meaning both bits work as they should.) This... Is actually an interesting piece of queer rep, and it's played well, which was a further pleasant surprise! She can't get back to heaven because her halo is broken, and so... She falls into reviewing succu-joints with Zell, Stunk, and other cast members.

Thing is, there's a lot of good things I have to say about this manga. As mentioned, it's sex positive, even though it's mostly heterosexual, it's got a little bit of genuine queer rep in there, it's expressively drawn, and the writing is pretty solid. Some notable moments include the fairy brothel, where one of the safety measures is, quite literally, measurement. If you're too big, you can't see any of the girls... The dreamy incubus who is incensed with anything less than a 10 for all succu-joints, because all are beautiful (I mean, that's valid)... And the reviews themselves, which are 95% actual, critical reviews, albeit shortform.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS, AND TO WHO? I would most definitely recommend this for an interesting and sex positive take on sex in a fantasy world, which engages with its subject, and is still amusing. But, obviously, that recommendation is a limited one, as not everyone's into NSFW media, and this has some concepts (like the aforementioned ravishment play, or what happens when three very foolish reviewers enter a succu-joint where the succu-girls are so insatiable, it's normally large groups that enter) that would make for a content warning, but, on the whole, I would recommend this to people looking for the reason mentioned.

WHAT ABOUT THE ANIME? Ahaha, that's... A more limited recommendation. As noted, there's more material there, elaborations that could only have occurred by portraying the act itself (I'm personally fond of the gender TF segment), the animation is definitely high quality, and the writing keeps the charm of the original, but yes, it's even more NSFW than the manga, and this includes some of the segments that would make folks uncomfortable... But I would still recommend it. I would definitely recommend watching the opening theme, as it's well done, has some Village People motifs, and is, essentially, a mission statement for both the manga and the anime.

And that is the first of my reviews, hope you've enjoyed!

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Ah, This Title Is Perfect As Is, And I Still Have To Write A Title In This Style!- (Though I May Be a Villainess, I'll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness!)


AGE RATING: I'd give this around a 15. The most mature thing in it is the word "Cougar." And, y'know, villains are pretty normalised.

Well, goodness me... Although this thread is somewhat quiet, the discord for the Beach has not, and one overwhelming request was... Villainesses.

It's not hard to understand why. A good villain or villainess (Alas, a nonbinary word has yet to present itself) is a charismatic character. Or a comedic one... But most of all, they're someone we sympathise with, even if we don't like them.

Well, that's more likely when they're not the centre of a story, anyway. These villainesses... Ah, but I get ahead of myself. This, as you may have gathered, is a villainess story. Or, more accurately, an anthology of them. Villainesses getting happiness, through fair means or foul.

It's a bit of a shame, then, that all of these stories start with a scenario I'm aware is an archetype, rather than a stereotype (the annulled engagement, fairly or unfairly)... But one that I'm not all that invested in. It's where the stories take that start that matters, just like an Isekai.

And, like any anthology, it's a bit hit and miss. So let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, shall we? First in general terms, then in notable stories.

The artwork, throughout, is of high quality. The covers are lovely, and the "Prince" and "Villainess" in cameo style framing is a nice touch. It also recommends other villainess media of this type, so, in general, I find the presentation to be pleasing. All good so far, right?

Writing wise? When it's good, it's very very good. And when it's bad, it's tepid. It doesn't particularly help that the translation I'd read began with a chapter noted by the translators as "(skip this one)", which gave a bad first impression. Especially since it's not actually bad, and deeply implies the heroine is an isekai'd character. Who thought she knew how the story went (Villainess bullies the princess-to-be), but really didn't.

Oddly, I think it's the theme of "subverting expectations" that's what makes some of these stories miss for me, even if I appreciate their cleverness. Like the villainess who's nowhere near as smart as she thinks she is (there have been good stories along those lines... Hell, along very similar lines.)

I think a part of it is that a fair few of these subversions require the prince to be either more scheming than the villainess in question, or to be complete jackasses. Such as "It's Been 10 Years Since You Asked to Break Off Our Engagement, If You Insist That Much, Let's Break It Off!" , where the Prince is an attention seeking piece of shit who keeps saying he's found someone better. She gets one up on him, sort of, but... You can do better than him, girl, you can, just break it off!

But where the anthology really shines is when the villainess is the more sensible party of the pair. There are some where they're more scheming (the one story which has two parts in the anthology is a prime example), but those don't have nearly the impact the reformers, the ones whose betrothed princes are definitely unworthy, and the ones who never wanted the marriage anyway, do. Such as "You Were Set Up." I won't talk about that one, even in spoilers, except to say it was the one I enjoyed the most, with a close second being the amusing "My Betrothed's Personality is Way Different from the Game!"

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS, AND TO WHO? Overall, this is one of those odd ones where while I like some stories within it... I don't actually feel like it's got its full potential going. There may or may not be a volume 4 coming, and some of the stories are good, so... A lukewarm recommendation? And as to who, the main audience appears to be for people who want subversions of this common Otome storyline. It's not presented as a "fix", as many ignorant people do, it's people genuinely playing with the formula to varying levels of success (in my opinion.) I'll also say this one was a difficult one to review, in part because anthologies overall are tough to review: They are, after all, still the sum of their parts, despite some stories definitely being the highlight.

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My Self Esteem Tanked Until The Demon Lord's Amazing HR Saved Me!!! (Salaryman ga Isekai ni Ittara Shitennou ni Natta Hanashi)


Age Rating - 15 so far, may change later, but I somewhat doubt it, this is wholesome as all get out.

Isekai is often held up (or ridiculed) as a power fantasy. But empowerment can take many forms, as I've been seeing while trawling through the genre. Someone finally able to carve themselves a small place in the world. Someone whose "menial" skill is not only useful in a world, but actually seen as critical. Bringing a collective of people together, empowering others, not just one's own self.

And Salaryman Isekai, as it's unofficially known (although it is by no means the only salaryman isekai) is an excellent example of all three of these. Consider: The salaryman. They are, at the lowest point in a company, office workers. At best, they are considered middlemen, although some are valued. Many... Are not.

So imagine, if you will, that one of these white collar workers is summoned to another world. By a demon lord... Who has, effectively, headhunted them due to being extremely impressed by their CV. A pretty wholesome demon lord, in fact, who has a good grasp of HR.

And so, over the 13 chapters so far translated... Everyone improves except the demon lord. And that because either we haven't seen his own flaws, or he really is a master schemer with the best in mind for his people. The self esteem of our protagonist, Dennosuke Uchimura, is at rock bottom at the beginning, and, to be honest, it hasn't improved greatly over the course of the 13 chapters so far. But this is recognisably his story, his empowerment, as the demon lord gives him assignments that play to Uchimura's strengths as a negotiator and marketer.

Not gonna lie, I winced in sympathy every time Uchimura brings himself down in front of the demon lord, but that makes each uplift, each time his unique perspective either creates comedy, solves a problem, or both, all the more uplifting. And, as noted, the demon lord has some amazing HR skills. He doesn't want his employees fighting. Always so far, his orders to Uchimura are specifically designed to both play to his strengths as a salaryman, or his otherworld perspective, and to improve relations between the four Shittenou (Heavenly Kings), of which Uchimura has found himself a part of.

And that's the most wholesome power fantasy of all, in this fucked up world: Being a valued employee.

I'm not going to say there's any real subversion of the genre here, but it does use the genre's basic themes in an interesting, wholesome way, it's well written, and so...

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS, AND TO WHO? I would definitely recommend this overall at the present time, but especially to those of us who've worked in callcentres, or office jobs, or secretarial positions... It's laser targeted at that white collar demographic, and while there's ground being laid for the usual Harem Shenanigans of the genre, so far, they have yet to manifest beyond hints, and, y'know what? Considering how well the rest of this has been handled, I've actually got some faith it's not going to be anything but wholesome.

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Everyone Turns Into A Gourmand The Moment They Taste The Food!!! (Restaurant To Another World)


Age Rating - Like, 12? It's another "Wholesome af" one.

Yeah, yeah, it's another Isekai, or, more accurately, reverse Isekai (where fantasy/science fiction folk are transported to our world.) Sue me, this one's great. Published by Square Enix, and, on Comixology, Yen Press, this is exemplary for a number of reasons. Let's start with the narrative structure.

No world ending threats. No call to action, although there is some drama in each individual story. Yes, individual story. This is, essentially, an anthology with a core location, similar to works like Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, Tales from the White Hart, or Azazel, in which the "Western Restaurant Nekoya" is host to a variety of fantasy races. It's made very clear in the first two stories that this is a neutral ground, where enjoyment of the food is common ground, and fighting is prohibited. Hell, one of its regular customers considers the restaurant part of her trove, casts a protection spell on the demon girl who becomes employed as a waitress, and, presumably, would beat the shit out of anyone who dared harm her favourite establishment.

There are precisely two things about the connection between this fantasy world and the Western Restaurant: It appears in multiple places at once, so a customer can come from pretty much anywhere there's a door, be that a cave complex, the mansion of the ex-Emperor, a lizardman village, or more... And its customers have one visit allowed, with the door only appearing on the Day of Satter (Yes, that's right, Saturday.)

And, like the anthologies mentioned above, it goes in roughly the same format: The circumstances surrounding the customer are shown. In the case of the lizardman, it's actually his holy duty, as the champion of the tribe, to enter the restaurant, say the magic words (Omelette rice, please, and three to go), enjoy the meal, and return with the takeout to the village. It's an annual ceremony for his people, and only the champion may go. So, y'know, he has a real incentive to win each year. :haw:

The customer enters (sometimes surprised, sometimes not... But mostly surprised), orders a meal... And then they go all gourmand on us, going into detail about, essentially, how good the food is. Sounds cheesy, but honestly, I love how every single customer I've seen in this so far has rhapsodised about the qualities of their meal, be it the dragoness's beef stew, the elven ranger's tofu steak, the spag-bol the merchant and his grandson enjoy... And they leave, with a little coda.

That's it. And that's all it has to be. Pleasant, interesting little vignettes, of a family business that has been passed down, with the knowledge of what happens on Saturday. The only difference with the most recent family member is that he employs a demon girl (and, later, an elf) as staff, because he's a guy with a heart of gold.

And it shows: You don't need world ending threats in your salaryman isekai. You don't need massive societal change to drive a story. You just need... A place, and some interesting vignettes.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS, AND TO WHO? Another easy recommendation, because hot fuckin' damn, this is wholesome as all get out. Admittedly, the adventure buffs will get inconsistent fare in the setups, but that's not really what this is about. This is a chill, wholesome time, and that's what you should come in expecting, whether it's the manga (Crunchyroll and Comixology) or the anime (Funimation.)

It's certainly a lot more wholesome than another cooking anime I could name... :psyduck:

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Is There Nothing The Demon Lord Can Do To Rest Himself? (Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle)


Age Rating: Eh, 15? They sometimes do the anime thing of "YOU CREEPY PERVERT! [imply imply imply]" (And no, they are not actually being a perv)

Well, this one's fantasy comedy, plain and simple. There is a hostage, the narcoleptic (or just bone tired) Princess Syalis, who has been captured by the Demon Lord, and... Well, that's where a whole saga of terror, softness, and Nani the hell?!? goes on. Now, picture if you will, a small girl. Not threatening, right? Especially to a Demon Lord, right?

Haha, no. They are, hands down, the most terrifying thing in the castle. Just for want of a pillow, she almost murders some teddy devils (then decides brushing them is easier to get cotton from them, with the added bonus of emotional blackmail for the key to her cell), rips down some hangings, steals some herbs, takes a porcupine demon's quills right off their back... And this is only the beginning of her reign of terror. Especially as it's deeply implied that she let herself get kidnapped to get the hell away from the tedium and weariness of Princessly Duties, a scheme in and of itself

Now, there is an arc to this story, but it's been a slow burn so far. Yes, the Demon Lord has kidnapped this princess, but it's very much a formulaic thing, even down to setting down bosses and key items in a balanced manner for the hero and their party to progress. And not even this is safe.

Spoiler for the Hero
The princess, however, has yet to discover that the hero meant to rescue her, and take her hand in marriage, is a berk she already knows, and completely despises. So it's kind of lucky that her quest for a good rest has consistently fucked this whole thing up.

But otherwise, it's very much a gag manga, and it works. Arc stuff intruding aside (it's fun, but it is "aside" for the most part), it follows the basic formula of: Something is making the Princess' sleep poor/keeping her awake... Thing gets dealt with, often in a crafty, underhanded, or just plain violent manner. Indeed, some specific monsters in the Demon Lord's employ are terrified of her, and for good reason... They're basically sheets and cloth to her.

Not that it always goes her way (well, it sort of does, but only sort of), but it's a fun formula, and while I'm not the biggest fan of the segments where misunderstandings (YOU PERV) happen, overall, this is a fun one.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND TO WHO? Well, I would, and to fans of fantasy comedy, or fantasy subversions. It's not entirely a subversion, as the overall arc is showing that there are stakes in this, and there is somewhere the overall plot is going, but it definitely subverts a fair bit in a fun way. It's got a few lows, but mostly, it's a giggle with a recurring cast. An evil giggle, with those anime baggy eyes that denote secret evils...

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I May Never Be Free Of My Family's Legacy! (The Monster Duchess And Contract Priestess)


Age Rating: I would have to give this at least a 15, very likely an 18. Also, I will be collapsing this review as it contains a content warning for mentions of abuse (and the manga itself has CW: Depictions of and mentions of abuse.)

The Review
I should start with the recommendation to me, or, more accurately, its warning: It starts extremely dark, but it gets lighter.

This... Is not all that correct. It has its light moments, it's true. But The Monster Duchess And Contract Princess is, make no mistake, a very dark tale indeed. Of a small child whose family wished to kill her by burning to obtain her power (A practice that was not always in place, but had been so for long enough that the actual rationale for it had been forgotten, and taken as read.) Of a child caught in a kingdom's intrigue. Of a child whose life may yet be lost due to the machinations of an empress who has dark desires indeed.

It's interesting, actually, how the few Korean manga I've read up to this point (Skeleton Soldier Couldn't Protect The Dungeon, Jack Frost, The Villainess Reverses The Hourglass, Survival Story of a Sword King in Another World) have consistently been pretty dark. And also consistently, had high quality colour illustrations presented in a vertical reading format, using both gradient transitions and traditional panels in a unique fashion. So, if you're into dark stuff, then it seems so far that Korean manga will consistently give you that. Although, obviously, that's a small sample size to work from.

In any case, yes, the first five or so chapters tell a story of familial abuse, a child's terror and harm to their mental health, and, in the very first chapter, being dragged to a firepit to be burned alive in a sick ritual to transfer her shadow magic to her elder sister. It gets lighter... Darker... Lighter... Darker... But overall, the tone is one of darkness, of being caught in a struggle revealed to be beyond the scope of what our protagonist, Leslie Shura Salvatore (Previously Leslie Sperado... Note the lack of a middle name, also known as a "Blessed Name") can reasonably see (Although her family see further, due to their high position and direct conflict with what is currently (and probably for the foreseeable) primary antagonist, the Empress.)

Now, you may be thinking "Okay, this is misery porn, right?"

Well... No. It is, undeniably, a dark as fuck story. But if it merely used the abuse in a lazy way, or the following intrigue, or left our protagonist broken, then yes, it would have been. But it engages with its subject, the scars of such abuse, and the joy of being with a family who cares, who wants to heal them, very clear. At the current point of the story, yes, the Sperados are still scheming, still (partially) supported by the Empress... But Leslie is undeniably stronger, even facing the certain knowledge that her current secondary antagonist is scheming against her with aplomb. It even deals with triggering of trauma (fire, in this case), gaslighting, and the ways it's used against someone. So... It is not misery porn.

It does, however, depict some vile people, so it depicts the abusers accurately.


WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT, AND TO WHO? The short version is that I would only recommend it to a few people. Even somewhat hardened, it's made me feel uncomfortable even in the lighter moments, the moments (well, more chapters) of genuine love, friendship, and happiness, because, like someone who has gone through any kind of abuse, I find myself wondering... When will the hammer fall? When will their happiness suddenly end? It's not for the faint of heart, and I would definitely not recommend it to folks who have suffered abuse. Even in a fantasy setting, it's too real.

Funnily enough, because of this, because of excellent character writing, both on the vile end and the caring end, and a gripping plot, I find myself wanting to read on. But, at the same time, the above most definitely stands. A limited recommendation only.

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As a small addendum as the evil monster that pointed Jamie at said webtoon in the first place; it's an adaptation of a completed novel (which has also been translated), while the actual comic is ongoing, though coming up on the climax of the fourth act.

On a lighter note, the team translating the comic often leave small notes under the panels commenting upon just how utterly adorable Leslie is when she's happy, which is probably best shown from this clipped image from chapter 19.


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Flaw In Alpha, Never Fixed: We Keep Picking Trash Parents (Do You Love Your Mother And Her Two-Hit, Multi-Target Attacks?)

This is, in its way, a well picked image. It's not her normal expression of ara ara happy, and comes just after tears, and an apology from her son.

Age Rating: 18. You can't really give something a 15 if it's got a mother in a succubus outfit using naked men as her throne now, can you?

At first, I had the very short review. And now, I am convinced that God is dead. Because to review this one properly, to give it is full, terrible due of being utter shite, I have had to sit through... the anime. Which is several volumes ahead of the manga. And this is one where I'm actually fine with the basic premise. An Isekai MMO for the goal of getting parents and their children closer together. Yeah, I'm down with this concept, it could have been heartwarming, engaging with its subject...

But no. What we got is an anime where I'm rooting for the misanthropic, trigger happy, and loudly insecure mage more than I'm rooting for the protagonist's mother. In fact, I'm rooting for all the children more than their mothers. Three of the four main characters' mothers (also, technically, one main character and two antagonists) are, in their own ways, godawful people, with the protags being more rounded, their feelings and motivations more two-dimensional. So let's start by dealing with the mothers.

CW: Mentions of parental abuse/dysfunctional relationships
Our protagonist's mother, Mamako. Oh, Expect many, many mams, mamas, moms, and other mother based puns, including the village of Mamman in... christ... Mommalia.

There are no sighs deep enough. Anyway, Mamako means well. She's perhaps the only one I've met in this series so far who does. But she's stiflingly overprotective, obsessively clingy, and oblivious to how she's slowing her son's growth by being so. It's only because I can't really believe she's aware of how bad she is that I'm not adding "emotionally manipulative" into the bargain. And you can tell the protag, Misato, cares about his mother too, but also knows she's holding him back, and resents it. When I originally read the 3 volumes of the manga so far, I'd actively stopped caring whether he'd get through to her, their relationship is so toxic.

Actually, scratch that. I just remembered the scene where she's picking out her adventuring gear. I understand, Misato. Even though I'm normally into motherly types, I was cringing right there with you. Or the scene very soon after that where he outright tells her she's acting selfishly, and her apology takes the form of... Cleaning his ears in front of Wise the Sage, and Portia the Merchant (We'll deal with their parents in a moment.) She is emotionally manipulative, whether she's aware of it or not. And yes, he does rapidly become a doormat protag. This relationship continues in "Harmony."

Then... We have Wise's parent. Her name is mentioned, but I don't give a single fuck. Because she utterly repels me not only as a person, but from being a dom. She cheats to sate her own desires, she's selfish as fuck, she dominates NPC males to be her furniture, she named her daughter after a male host she liked (Oh, did I mention she spent really heavily on male hosts, to the point where she and Wise's father are divorced), she used her daughter to get into the game to do this... Even dominating NPCs, she's repellent, she's vile... And worst of all, she's forgiven by the daughter who she used to enter, to cheat in this game, and avoids an extremely steep fine because of this. And what does our Mamako say, as she watches the two of them fight, their issue utterly unresolved?

"That's one way for a mother and child to be, huh?"

No. No, you do not get to erase all that. You don't get to play "The Magic of Family" with that. You do not get to give it heartwarming music and a smile from the protag. And now, you can see why people have noped out even before this fight, and others have noped out after this. If you are, a mother, heartwarmed at this moment, after the abusive shit, you are fucking awful.

You know what? I don't even need to finish the series to finish this review. Because I have reached the point at which most have noped the hell out. I don't even care about Portia's parent anymore, or whoever the hell the fourth character is. Portia's a sweet girl, and I have no desire to see how that's gone. The priest... Who knows, I've stopped caring.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Nobody. Absolutely fucking nobody. It's a "Power of Family" story where the parents are utter trash, even the main character who, on surface level, is positive. It's played as a heartwarming tale, from the slow-life style OP to the heartwarming music. But jesus fucking christ, no. No, no, no, no. EDIT: Oh, and I forgot to add one very important point. The pairs of parent/child are trapped in the MMO until they can reconcile. FUCK THAT.

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Two reviews in 24 hours? Well, I needed a palate cleanser, there was a series I'd been meaning to watch because I was curious, and...

I Keep Hitting The Situation Flags, And Yet, I Don't Understand Why This Keeps Happening! (Gamers!)


Age Rating:12-15. Kinda hard to pin it down, love stories that are also comedies are weird like that. But I err toward 15, because it's preeeeetty clear what one character has been doing while playing their favourite genre of videogame. Oh, yeah, forgot the naked Good End picture in one scene too. Mild nudity. Yeah, okay, 15-18. It's wholesome though.

Love is hella complicated. We can love someone from far away, get up the courage, immediately find yourselves arguing on dumb shit to the point where you're huffy, and then realise you're actually into each other. Or a misunderstanding can snowball to affect an entire group of relationships. Or... You can clear those up, whether through clearing the misunderstandings, or say something you were beating yourself up over, thinking you were dumb as fuck... And they say yes.

And how does it so often start, and keep growing strong? Shared experiences. Shared ideals. And shared hobbies.

And that's exactly what this is. A genuine romcom, based on farces of misunderstanding, with characters who are flawed in completely reasonable ways, and dumbasses at the same time. Situations that make perfect sense in the context... And makes you both bite your fist to stop yourself from laughing, and hope they clear it up.

The shared hobby? Well, it's one we're all familiar with here: Them Games Wot Are Video. Each character who isn't thrown away early on has preferences. They have styles. They have different approaches. And the pair who are already in a relationship have a slightly bumpy one... But they genuinely care about each other.

Soooo the first half is pretty much all of this temporarily going to shit. And it's equal parts frustrating, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and amusing. At the time of writing this sentence, I'm in the middle of watching more awkwardness, between somebody who finally realised the online friend they talked up so much is the one who she said this about:
One of the dumbasses wrote:Let's just say if he were in first place in a go-kart race? I'd gladly crush him with a flying blue shell of doom...
She finally realised he's also the one who she felt she really understood while playing a mobile RPG with, and the one who left nice comments on her amateur gamedev attempts, and... Well, it's hella awkward. Especially considering he's also currently dating someone who he's into (the popular girl, who's a competitive style gamer), the popular girl's into him, and she... Well, she might also be into him.

And I'm on the edge of my seat, still on the same ep, because I don't know when the next trainwreck's going to happen (soon, by the looks of it), and whether... Whether they'll find happiness. All of them.

Because, for all their awkwardness, for all the misunderstandings, and raging hormones... They're all genuinely good people, who love their hobby, and even the dumbass who creates the most misunderstandings... Means well. Well, road to hell, and all that.

There is, however, one glaring problem: Season 1's episode 11 ends on a cliffhanger. And we don't know when Season 2 will hit, or if it will hit. And yes, the misunderstandings just keep happening. These poor disasters...

Would You Recommend It, And To Who? I would recommend this, otherwise I wouldn't be waxing lyrical over it. But if you asked me who, like I'm asking myself? ... I dunno! It's a romcom that isn't based on creepiness, but the genuine, sometimes farcical nature of relationship dynamics, misunderstandings, and the like, and I know that appeals to some. But I do have to say that the main character, Keita Amano, is oblivious. Okay, all of them are in different ways, but... Wow, dude, way to miss obvious clues! So that might be a turnoff. But... If you're okay with that, I will say these are the genuine kind of gamers, the folks who love games without being toxic about it. Also be aware that 90% of the farce is miscommunica- Look, I recommend it because I like it, because it speaks to my awkward as fuck except when talking about things I love ass, and because, as noted, I genuinely wanted to see whether everyone gets a happy ending, and if you want to watch something like that, yes, it's for you, alright?


There's also, y'know... The glaring flaw mentioned.

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Trying to pick something out for reviewing, but, while I'm not sure Witch's Printing Office is on the list (I'm only at volume 1, and I'll be in the rough first half of the month, so buying more volumes is iffy), I did want to share... The pun that made even me (and another punster I know) groan.



I don't have the time to write up a whole review, but i wanted to mention The Witch's Servant and the Demon Lord's Horns, an extremely delightful, extremely queer manga from about chapter 7 onwards. The first few chapters are generic fantasy ecchi nonsense, and the titular Demon Lord is an awful awful character, but after that the manga improves by such a staggering degree that you'd be forgiven for thinking the author's been swapped out with a doppelganger. By now it's equal parts well-written romance, humour with an excellent grasp of comedic timing, and characters figuring out their sexualities and gender identities with some magical complications; sometimes there's also snippets of the nominal main plot (the Demon Lord's horns, now with a much-improved Demon Lord) and deliberately understated but actually very interesting worldbuilding. Reading it just makes me happy, in a way :shobon:

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Been a while, eh? I've had some real difficulty picking, not least because I don't want to hit the same genres over and over again (even if, y'know, I *read* those same genres over and over again.) So... Time for some more...

Wait, shit, I did monstergirl horny before. OH WELL.

Monstergirl Relationships, and How To Survive Them... Mostly (Jingai no Yome to Icha Icha suru - Anthology Comic)


Age Rating 18. While most of the stories are romance or comedy, there's definitely a bit of boning and horror going on.

So yes, this is a sometimes horny, sometimes comedic, sometimes horrorific collection of monstergirl romance/relationship shorts. Sorry, my queer readers, it's all straight, I'm sure I'll find some good queer monstergirl media at some point.

Now, I've said before that I find anthologies can be very hit or miss. Thankfully, these ones are all hits with me, even the two parters like the Dullahan who meets a cute, accepting nerd (and, as you can see from the image above, her body's way more honest (and thirsty) than her head), and the vampire story, which is a cute vampire lady dealing with her urges in her relationship with her hubby. and, in the second part, a thoughtless remark from her bloodbag supplier (poor girl!)

But, fair warning, there's a fair amount of horny here. And the very first story is... Well, the young protag makes me uncomfortable with the undertones, even if the desire of said protag isn't sexual, but for a motherly figure who pampers him. The other sexy stories are actually pretty good. Funnily enough, though, my favourite is a combination of wholesome and accepting... And gruesome. The story of a cyclops lady who... Well, she's protective of her lover, and more than she appears.

The art is pretty good, the writing's nice... I like it a lot, overall.

Would You Recommend It, And To Who? Well... Monstergirl lovers. Obviously. And yes, this is an overall recommendation. Wholesome stories are wholesome, comedic stories are comedic, horny stories are horny... And there's no tragedy found here, although CWs for blood, and some gore.

A nice, short review. Now, back to working out what the hell to write about next...

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I May Be Short, But I Have A Big Heart, And It's All His (The Elf and the Hunter's Item Atelier)


Age Rating - So far, 12 or 15. It's wholesome AF so far.

Sometimes, I have a really hard time picking good ones to show y'all. Sometimes, I get through the first chapter of one and nod my head firmly, with a gruff "Soka." And then I write a review. Really glad I've been expanding my keyword searches (today's keyword: "Atelier" , a workshop or studio.)

In any case, this is currently what we'd call a slow-life manga, the day to day of a human and a tiny elf who really want to smooch, but they're both pretty awkward about it. Oh, and the big guy's got some kind of curse, which the elf's trying to lift. The basic formula is nice and easy (Problem is presented, items are gathered, a thing is made to counter the problem, with wholesomeness throughout), and the characters... Look, you've got a big warrior who, personality wise, is a puppy dog, always wanting to watch elf lady work, and hugging her. An elf lady who's gruff, a little sensitive about being perceived as young (Fair, tbqh), but has a good heart... And, apart from a couple of looming things, like a massive dungeon that's central to the goings on of their local area, and ongoing troubles between the two (Well, I say troubles, it's mostly "JUST KISS ALREADY, JACKASSES")

It's only 9 chapters translated at the current time, and no sign of a published translated manga as of yet, but I like it. Even the side characters are interesting, and seeing quiet parts of an adventuring world is always a delight.

Would you recommend this, and to who? Well... Recommended right now to pretty much anyone, honestly. It's mostly episodic right now, so even folks who don't normally look at slow-life manga can flick through, see if it's something they like, and... Well, like I said, right now, it's wholesome af, and that's always welcomed.

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Goddammit, Can Nobody Else Deliver These Dangerous Letters?!? (The Dragon, The Hero, and The Courier)


Age Rating: 12 sounds about right. Some cussing, some dangerous situations, but overall, it's wholesome. Oh, wait... "Anus Smasher"... Yeah, make that 15.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dead of night shall stop the postal service on their appointed rounds. An ancient motto, and... You don't realise just how powerful those words are until you realise just how dangerous being a courier used to be. Or, indeed, how dangerous life as a service worker in a fantasy world can be.

Cue The Dragon, The Hero, and The Courier, where, through the misadventures of the titular Courier, a half-elf called Yoshida, the history of medieval couriering, paperwork, jobs, hunting, and all sorts of other fun things are explored.

This is, to use the technical term, The Good Shit. An amusing comedy manga about a poor, overworked half-elf in a fantasy postal service, and, at the end of each chapter, a short segment with historical facts and discussion, most often related to the events of the story. The gags are well paced, the information is good, the artwork is fun (I especially like the little concession to tile based JRPGs in some of the artwork), and I can't really pick a single incident which I love above the others.

Actually, no, that's a complete lie. It's the hero's adventure one, hands down. After all, it has an entire host of support staff whose sole goal is... Well, a hero launches a thousand jobs, all by themselves, and you get to see it!

This is one of the ones where I really, really want an official english release. Because I would buy the shit out of it.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Yes, hell yes, all of the yes. Especially to folks who want to learn a little about medieval history while chuckling.

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The Title's Just Fine! Also G O A L S for the folks out there (A Manga About a Hero Who Pulled Out the Holy Sword and Became a Girl)


Age Rating: Definitely 18 for half of it. So 18.

Also, CW: Forcefem.
So yes, the title kind of says it all. It's... Well, I can't really call it a gag manga, although it is amusing, but it's essentially a short, light hearted manga about a hero who pulls out a holy sword, and hatches from their egg.

And, well, it gets hella gay from there. Even with the short length, it manages to pack a lot in. From a brief denial, to people who already knew and are completely cool with it, to lesbian shenanigans and exploring their body, to the realisation that yup, the heroine still has OP skills, but now they're all about girl and girlification. Cue girlification shenanigans for the rest of the series. Which, alas, was a short one of 9 chapters.

But still, we know it would end with the demon king being beaten, yuri pregnancy for the heroine, and everyone being girl.

A short review for a short manga that nonetheless will amuse and cause sighs of "Big Mood" for some folks. Glad to have helped by showing you this one.

Would you recommend this, and to who? People exploring girl feels. And yes.

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Spoilers, I'm Going To Beat The Shit Out Of You (May I Please Ask You Just One Last Thing?)


Age Rating - 18. CW - Mentions of sexual abuse. Slavery. Transphobic slur used for a character in some translations.

This is another high demand manga review, and it's not surprising why. It's not really a villainess manga, although it starts in a very similar situation. It is technically an Isekai, but not on the main character's part.

However, it is, as you may have surmised, about a princess who takes matters into her own hands. Violently.

And it's fucking glorious.

it's only in its second volume, and it's been pretty rapid paced. The thing is, that suits this narrative perfectly to its two main protagonists, each alike in, uhhh... Interesting personalities. Yes. That's a diplomatic way of putting it.

Actually, let's put it bluntly: The First Prince doesn't like people, but hot damn, does he love scheming. And Lady Scarlet, The Mad Dog Princess, likes punching things very hard. She even has fingerless gloves with steel knuckles.

So it's no spoiler to say that the annulment of her marriage to the Second Prince, in the very first chapter, ends in a room full of battered near corpses. And, since the First Prince likes her, and their goals align (He wants to clean up the kingdom, and she wants to beat the shit out of people), well... It doesn't stop there. The secret behind her power? She's received a blessing from Chronos, the God of Time. It takes life force to use, and so she mustn't overuse it at risk of death, but still... She is pretty bullshit, and it's the glorious kind.

As noted, the plot has moved at a pretty rapid pace. However, it's still a calculated pace, with just enough breathing room for interpersonal moments, and to ramp the tension down a little... Before the next beatdown. The expressions are great, the panels lead the eye well, and the violence... Well, it's lovingly rendered, and makes no bones about the fact that Lady Scarlet is a terrifying woman. Like the time she's whirling someone around so fast that he's creating a whirlwind, beating the shit out of multiple nobles at once with a noble, and the look of glee on her face as she's doing it... It's full of little bits like this. A chess board with people on it for the Prince. The violence with Lady Scarlet. And, with another character... Well, the cherry blossoms fit his romantic stupidity well.

Would I call it a subversion? Well, I'd wave my hand uncertainly on that... But it is, so far, a damn fine riff on otome "villainess" manga, and I'm looking forward to the next bloody conflict.

And it will be very bloody indeed, I have no doubt.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Are you fine with lots of violence? Do you like a female protagonist who has some depth (I'm sure there'll be more), but is into beating the shit out of corrupt people? Then yes, I recommend it. It's sort of obvious from the review that this is one of the ones I enjoy, and I do indeed look forward to the next time she pulls her fingerless biker gloves in prep for a serious, cathartic punching session...

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From Behind The Scenes, I Will Fuck You Up (Shadow Queen)


Age Rating: 15-18, currently. Gore, depictions of abuse.

So... Revenge stories in reincarnation/isekai media are usually at best trashy popcorn, and at worst... Ohhh, at worst, don't even ask, they've got content warnings out the wazoo.

Thankfully, Otome Villainess stories are, generally speaking, of a higher quality. So... Shadow Queen. It's in the reincarnation category, specifically time travel reincarnation (as in a similar tale, The Villainess Reverses The Hourglass, also good), and it starts about as grim as you'd expect. The innocent, fake duchess, the protagonist of our tale, imprisoned, executed, her baby taken from her, and those she thought were friends were actually enemies all along...

Well, if you died like that, it's perfectly reasonable to want to burn it all down. So when she finds herself back before she was first picked up as a duchess' body double... Well, this time will be different. This time, she's going to destroy the schemers without them knowing what's going on. While pretending to be the same wide eyed ingenue she was the first time around.

After all, who's going to suspect a flighty, naive girl as a schemer?

...Well, anyone who's read a fair amount of these, actually, but it's the details where the fun resides, the tension.

And oh boy, even though the manhua's only gotten to the point where things start going into uncharted territory for our protagonist (and in a big way, no less), the tension so far, the scheming, the hatred... Oh, it's delicious. The writing is solid, really getting across how much effort she's putting into her pretense. She hates them all. She wants them ruined and dead. She knows they're actually disgusted by her mere presence. And she still puts on that bright face, those tears when she does something "wrong" (read: Planned), and the same cluelessness she had in her last life. And seeing her overseer, Leabric, simultaneously suspect and doubt? That's great in its own right.

The art is solid, as appears to be pretty normal for manhua (There's just something about using vertical panels well), and the characters... Some aren't very fleshed out so far, but the dynamic between the main characters is good, and I look forward to seeing how this villainess deals with the unexpected. When an otome style manhua goes off the rails, it leaves the protagonists scrambling to regain their footing, and I suspect this one will be no different.

And that's awesome.

Would you recommend this, and to who? People who love the otome villainess genre will obviously get a kick out of this one, but if you like stories in which there's high tension, high stakes scheming slowly bubbling in the pot, this one's definitely worth a read. You know early on what utter trash her opponents are, and so you're rooting for the protagonist. It's not really a good introduction to otome villainess manga, since it differs in many respects from your usual, but otherwise, yeah, worth a read.

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For Those Of Us Who Want More Gay Villainesses (I'm the Villainess, but I'm Being Captured by the Heroine?! Anthology)


Age Rating:
12-15. It's wholesome.

Well, the title kind of says the basics really. Otome game villainesses return, but this time, with more of the yuri, platonic or otherwise, many folks want. My only gripe is that there isn't more of it (and, indeed, yuri otome manga in general.)

It's kinda hard to talk about without spoiling things, because there are five stories in this anthology, but all of them play, as you might expect, around the annulled engagement. It's how they do it, and where it ends up, however, where the fun resides. Sometimes, it's an excuse to get the hell out of the marriage so the characters can smooch freely, unburdened by this "Crown prince" bollocks. Sometimes, it's establishing a poly relationship despite a severely rocky start. Sometimes, it's saving the "villainess" by pointing out to people as you get close to her that no, she's actually really nice (This is my favourite annullment scene, to be honest, even if, like a couple of the stories, it ends on a note that looks suspiciously like they've gotten to 4 hearts out of 5, rather than the full capture (GRRR)

Writing's great, art's great, I'm happy I read it, and we need more gay otome funtimes.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Well, folks who share my dissatisfaction with the majority het scene, even if otome game reincarnation (or otome game scenario) manga are generally a cut above the rest, should enjoy, or at least appreciate. Folks who are into the strong points of villainess manga (playing with it, taking it interesting directions) will find this at least alright, even if a couple of scenarios will be well known (after all, the annulment is often the beginning of such stories, so the fun generally comes later.)

But it's short, and it's fun, so it's worth taking a look at anyway.

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Armour Breaking Self Esteem Issues, Huh? (The Knight Cartoonist And Her Orc Editor)


Age Rating:
18. Because tentacles.


Look. Ecchi humour, done well, can still be funny.

This is not one of the ones that does it well. Running "gags" that feel tired from the get go (Ah, I have done wrong, I must be offed in increasingly violent ways, please!), hornt that feels forced, and also goes at a rapid pace, with few, if any, real breaks (or at least, few that feel like breaks...

...I should perhaps have had lower expectations when I saw "Orc" and "Knight." In fact, I really should have. Orc and anything in manga is usually a shortcut to bad times.

Oh, yeah, I hadn't gotten into the plot, huh? Okay... An Orc gets tired of the pillaging orc life (yes, that kind), and decides to go to Tokyo, in another world, to become an editor at a manga company. He finds himself pleasantly surprised to be not only accepted, but rapidly rising to the position he desires.

And then a female knight who wishes to be a mangaka enters the scene, and... Bad ecchi humour and suicide from low self esteem "jokes." Pages and pages and pages of them. There are some things that I found legit, like the webcomic company that's actually a mimic, controlling and forcing the mangaka within its giant form to endlessly rehash tired bullshit, or the suspiciously Tezuka like mangaka who has secretly been given dragon's blood immortality serum in meat buns, so that his series can never end.

But even those are tainted by the two main things.

The art isn't that bad. But holy shit, that writing... Ugh.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Oh look, I drew another "nobody, absolutely nobody." 'Nuff said.

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Can't Spell Collateral Damage Without L(ovely) A(ngels)! (Dirty Pair Omnibus and Adam Warren's Dirty Pair)


Age Rating:

Oh boy. The Dirty Pair (THAT'S LOVELY ANGELS, JACKASS!!!) was one of the first manga I ever read. Or, more accurately, Toren Smith and Adam Warren's licensed version. And it's distilled 80s to 90s shounen. I'd forgotten how glorious they are.

So, the world backstory first, because it's pretty simple, and largely pointless outside the basics. It is the far future, and whaddya know, crimes still happen. Enter the Worlds Welfare and Work Association (WWWA), an elite special operations taskforce for the big stuff. Planetwide crimes, planet smashers, intergalactic slaving rings... Y'know. And two names in particular are well known, although they'd rather they'd be known for something other than the massive collateral damage that always comes with them: Kei and Yuri, the Lovely Angels (more commonly known as "The Dirty Pair."

In the manga of the first light novel (for lo, this is a light novel series), the Dirty Pair are espers (although they have to engage in skinship and smooching to use their powers, and are... ahem... Sensitive afterwards. But they have a telepathic alien cat who can also control electronics (more of a displacer beast, really), a starship with Big Fucking Guns, and each of the pair has their own signature weapons. For Kei, a beam splitter pistol, able to shoot lots of people at once, and for Yuri, her Bloody Cards, monomolecular edged cards that... Well, they cut through shit really good unless the plot mandates they don't.

So, let's get things out the way: This manga is lewd. Kei and Yuri are lewd. Many of the villains are lewd. And it's an older series, so... It has a fair few CWs, although not all of them apply at any one time.

So, content warnings for brainwashing drugs (unsuccessful in the first story of the omnibus manga), slavery, gore, slurs, racist caricatures in some stories, and, in a few stories in the anime, attempted rape (and yes, tentacles.) If you're watching the anime, this is a good article to check, as it CWs episodes. If there's a star in it, it's got CWs.

So why review this, when it's so very obviously Of It's Time? Ahaha, you see, it also has some good queer rep. It's very close to text, as opposed to subtext, that Yuri and Kei are a gay couple (although Kei, at the very least, is bi, and, depending on the version, Yuri too.) There are genderfluid characters, some transhumanism (yes, I know that's more miss than hit, but it mostly works here), and Kei can be easily argued to be nonbinary. Although this is, uhhh... Fluid between series. As the author of that article says, Flash ain't so hot.

Anyway, yes, the art in the omnibus manga is great, the art in Adam Warren's iteration is good (although it was early in his career, so the mileage varies a bit), the art in the anime are, with the exception of Flash, great, and the writing is mostly interesting stuff. Interesting enough that the writers of Star Trek: TNG would often add little nods. Like the substance the holodeck works on: Keiyurium.

Anyway, one thing that is throughout the series is that the nickname they're under is actually a deeply unfair one: It's not actually their fault that their missions have so much collateral damage. Well, a good 90% of the time. The other 10% is more "Well, we at least minimised the casualties from "An entire planet's worth of people to, uhhh... Just the planet!"

It's a tempestuous series, and I'd highly recommend looking up CWs beforehand, but, for one of the older shounen out there, it's honestly not bad as a whole. I'd recommend starting with the omnibus. Well, it's difficult to do otherwise, mangawise, you can only find the TPBs of Adam Warren's run for silly amounts of money.

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Back on my Inu To Neko bullshit... (Everyday is Fun With a Dog AND a Cat!)


Age Rating:
12. Maybe even PG.

Many of us own cats. Or dogs. Or both. Or at least remember the experience. Some of us with smiles. Or shudders. Or both. And so... Inu To Neko is kind of an easy review. Remember those "good kid, bad kid" type shorts? This is basically that. Except instead of outright good or bad, this is happyborky dog, and the kind of cat I remember having. A grumpy, fighty sod who nonetheless has a heart of gold... And a personal space that reaches up to the stratosphere.

The art is whimsical, with our puffy lipped, mangaka protag relating their experiences with their dog and their cat in short slices, first with one in a certain situation, then the other. And most of the time, it's hilarious. And with the anime? Omigod... Having the kind of voice that you'd expect to say "Omae wa... Shindeiru" on a chubby, grumpy black and white cat is the perfect choice. All of them are the perfect choice, from the protag, who shows their emotions on their sleeve, to the almost perpetually excited dog, to the various folks... The manga's good. The anime's great. And the situations...

...I've been there, with so many of them. Oh god, I've been there.

Would You Recommend This, and To Who? Cat and dog owners. All of them. And for people who love dorky comparison comedy in bite sized pieces. Take five minutes out of your day for an episode. Then take five minutes more, and more, until you wonder why it's 3AM.

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Aahsgdadfjghsdjhagfaf And Other Screaming In Disaster Queer (Tadokoro-San)


Age Rating: 15.

Gosh, it's been a long time, hasn't it? It wasn't just because Mangadex was down, but also a low spoon count, and... Well, while there was a lot that grabbed me, there wasn't a lot that grabbed me.

Until I saw these two cute and cool (yes, at the same time) disaster lesbians, Kageko Tadokoro and Sakurako Nikaido. One is the rich, popular kid, and the other, the nerd who's been bullied most of their life for drawing manga (and heavily introverted as a result.) While yes, at first, they're "Should I talk to them?/Should I talk to them?", this stage passes extremely rapidly, as does their awakening to the fact that they like like each other.

Cue a fair amount of the above, two girls who know they want to do things to each other, yet get incredibly flustered when they try (mostly), and love each other a whole bunch. It's so sweet! And, as a bonus, completely sidesteps my usual complaint about rom-coms like this. For lo, they are Down To Smooch (And Other Things, If Only They Can Stop 404ing Their Brains And Verbally Keysmashing.)

Now, this isn't to say that it's all fun and games, and I do want to content warn folks that there is bullying, there is sexual harassment (among which is a pretty clear prelude to a rape attempt), there is workplace exploitation (of the manga industry exploiting creators variety.) I personally think they are handled well within the context of the series, usually over pretty quickly (except the bullying) which mixes its sweet and its dramatic or badass moments pretty well.

As to the art? This is good, expressive stuff. Clear panels, good angles, very good representations of the aforementioned "404: Brain.HTML does not exist or is unavailable", and, when it needs them, solid, very dynamic posing. Damn, Nikaido can beat the shit out of someone when she's so inclined.

Would You Recommend This, and To Who? Anyone interested in sweet queer media, disaster gays, and is okay with the content warnings. Oh, and anyone interested in sweet, romance slice of life.

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I'm Dying. I'm Dying, And It's This Glorious Manhua's Fault (If You Lay A Hand On My Brother, You're All Dead)


Age Rating: 15

I haven't gotten that far into this manga, but I knew, from about Chapter 7, that I had to write about this one. Because it's one long cavalcade of dumb situations, pastiches of Otome Villainess cliches, over the top characters, and glorious bullshittery.

Take, for example, said chapter. It begins with a mad, violent dash to the front door. Why? Because whoever doesn't get the invitation to the ball in the family stays home with an increased workload, as opposed to eating the good food, maybe dancing... Half the chapter devoted to it, at a breakneck pace. And the other half? Well, that up there is Prince Teodor, one of the many POS Princes you see in such things, but definitely the one I'm enjoying the most. Because hey, that's the last panel of the chapter.

God bless you, you utter bastard. You almost killed me because I was laughing for five straight minutes. And the protagonist? Well, there's a reason they're as expressive, as callous, and as cacklingly evil (in a protective way) as they are.

65 years. 65. Fucking. Years. 5 years apiece, her little brother dies at the end of every fucking one, and she's sent back to being 16. She's tried a lot. A lot. And none of it has worked.

She is, rather naturally, tired of this fucking shit. The further I get, the more ridiculous it gets, the more I laugh... And the art is good, the expressions are properly comedic, the writing introduces batshit situation after batshit situation... I've been nervous of posting another entry, because hey, I'm isekai trash, I'm otome trash, I'm yuri trash, these are the genres you get from me, and yet, nobody else is adding their own reviews. So I've been feeling it's a bit samey.

Thank you, manhua of one ridiculous situation after another. You have rejuvenated me.

Would You Recommend This, and To Who? Lots of people. You get to learn about the bullshitteries of otome villainess manga/manhua, you get to have laugh riot after laugh riot, you get good art. Go support the artist for this one too, talent like this is rare.

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AGE RATING: 15. And the only reason for that is having to explain what "loli(con)" means. It's otherwise wholesome as hell.

"Jamie, why are you not posting an image of the protagonists?"

This is what anyone who reads the manga but doesn't get this will ask. But, while the quartet of a big brother, his two little sisters he takes care of, and their friend are the main characters, they share a lot of their screentime with the Stalker Protector's Guild, squeers over the cuteness of small children, and protectors of their rights to play the game without hassle.

No, really... This is why I don't get disgusted by them. They even (off-camera implied) beat the shit out of one of their own for starting to be pervy about it. And the impression I get from other readers is that these... Are okay folks all round. They even warm up to the big brother pretty quickly, so it's a mixture of squeeing, and drooling over the big brother's cooking. For lo... Big Brother is a Tamer class, with the other three being the frontliners, and...

Oh, wait, fuck, we haven't even gotten into what this is properly, have we? Yes, this is a slow life VRMMO story, not an isekai, in which the two little sisters (Hibari and Hitaki) convince their elder brother (housewife and surrogate parent that he is) to play a VRMMO with them, because otherwise they don't get to play. Being a Good Dad, he agrees, and so ensues a whole fucking lot of wholesomeness.

Yes, including the Lolicon guild, and normally, I wouldn't believe I was saying that.

Artwise, it's solid stuff, and everyone is pretty characterful. As with nearly any slow life manga with a cooking protag, there's a slight focus on process when cooking comes into play (although not the superlatives and gourmand speak), but otherwise, the characters (yes, Protector's Guild most definitely included, you can't go three chapters without a segment of their forum posts) are the focus, and they go through many of the situations you'd see in an MMO (Quests, MPKs (aka Monster Train Assholes), updates changing the way the game works) in a wholesome, pleasing manner. I like it, obviously. Do like me a slow life where it stays slow.

Would You Recommend This, And For Who? So long as the mere mention of the word "Loli" doesn't turn you off, let alone a bunch of wholesome ones as side characters, this is pretty much for you, no matter who you are. You need something light to read that doesn't have a whole bunch of drama. Go enjoy that.

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AGE RATING: 15. There's some slightly adult things in here, including the kind of lolicon you want to punch.

Y'know, when heroes get isekai'd to another world, they're often dropped there with only what information they may or may not know from reading a metric fuckton of isekai books (and they still might be in trouble, for various reasons.) But what if... An organisation of retired heroes created an interdimensional BBS on which they could share their experiences, their woes, and their joys?

And this, essentially, is the premise of Hero Union BBS, a Problem Of The Week manga with a rotating cast of posters, helpful, unhelpful, annoying, or trolling (HI, STUDENT (GLOBAL STATE))

There's not a lot to say beyond this about the overall thing, beyond that the art might be a bit of a turnoff for perfectionists (it's rough in places, but I think that's part of its charm), the writing is solid, the problems often lead to amusement (such as the ongoing situation of the Sage of the Forest, who keeps fucking up the situation in his world where there are more heroes than expected, and that they came to him for help defeating the Demon Lord), and the characters are, themselves, amusing (such as the Detective, for whom his world being expanded is giving him a massive headache. Wait, there were... twitch giant robots here? twitch twitch)

But the main amusement is, effectively, in these situations, so... I won't be spoiling them. Go read it. My only annoyance is that, since it's a Problem of the Week manga, it could have gone on for longer than it did, but honestly, it's good as it is, and it ends on a fun note, so... Can't complain. Much.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Anyone who wants a play on isekai tropes, or just wants an easily understandable gag manga that they can read one story at a time. I like it quite a lot, and it's characterful. Literally, full of characters.

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God Exists, But He's A Piece Of Shit (The Saga Of Tanya The Evil)


AGE RATING: Gonna go with 18 here. There's no sex that I remember, but hoo boy, do people die, and do horrible things happen to human beings

War is a horrific thing. How can a supposedly benevolent God look down on such a thing and call it good? Well, that's a big ol' philosophical discussion, but one that's actually irrelevant here, because Being X is, to put it bluntly, a petty, tantrumming manbaby who decides to put a man without empathy into an analog of both World Wars, for not believing in them.

And then they escalate.

Now, neither our protagonist nor our antagonist are good people. As mentioned, Tanya Deguracheff (the child said man reincarnates into) is an emotionally manipulative piece of shit who is looking out for precisely one person: Themselves. They talk an older man into taking a different position in the rear echelons using his daughter as an emotional lever. This results in said older man having a relatively safer existence, but this was never the goal of Tanya. In fact, she is constantly misunderstood as some Great Hero, a Devil and an Angel all in one, but this is partly because her intellect backfires on her (She is highly intelligent, and armed with knowledge of the World Wars to aid them), and partly because, as mentioned, God escalates in their attempts to force this one person, this one piece of shit, to believe in them.

And the world begins burning all the harder for that.

See, it begins with a World War 1 analogue. Artillery, trenches, massive pushes with equally massive casualties, and countries crushed because their tactics are stuck back in the latter half of the 18th century. But magical technology accelerates things rapidly to a WW2 analogue, and beyond.

Interestingly, Being X is, of the two, the worst. Tanya, for all that she is a piece of shit, a mass murderer, and the like, is trying to win this war to, essentially, survive. She's been outright told that she's not going to reincarnate a second time. But Being X begins with that whole "Can't reincarnate a second time, and, oh, bee tee dubs, World War 1 and you're a child, good luck fucko", brainwashes a scientist to create a special magical flight suit (the main technological focus of the series for a while, then becoming a baseline) that can't be used without Tanya praying (the "Maybe if you pray enough, you'll start believing in me, fucko" tactic)... Escalates the war and makes it global just to kill this "one lost lamb" (in their own words)... And when that doesn't work? Creates a new antagonist with his powers... Mary Sioux.

No, really. And this is most definitely a deliberate choice, a signifier that she is meant to be someone who will kill Tanya. We don't know if that's actually the case, although in the manga, the framing is that of an investigation after the war into the Devil of the Rhine (Tanya), and it is at least assumed that they aren't openly around anymore.

Now, one criticism that has been levelled at the series is that it glorifies war. And no. Definitely not. It humanises it, but it does not present Tanya as an actual hero. Nor does it present the war as anything but what it is, an aggressive back and forth meatgrinder that consumes lives, resources, and ruins land, the wheels of politics grinding people under their feet.

Aesthetically, both the manga and the anime are on point. Tanya is deliberately drawn as a demon child, hateful, exaggerated expressions in battle or when raging, and the lower mouth of characters compared to usual depictions along with more pronounced lips makes it an interesting look, giving the impression that everyone is downcast. Subtle, but interesting. And the anime (oh hey, the screenshot's from that) replicates both of those well. As you might expect, there's a mixture of martial and choral music, befitting its theme, and both the JP and the EN VAs really pull their work.

It is, however, most definitely not a work for a long binge. It's emotionally wearing for a variety of reasons.

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Whooo, toughie. I'm definitely writing about it because it's interesting, but I can't say it's easy to watch and/or read for a variety of reasons, including that by rooting for the protagonist, you're merely rooting for the lesser evil. I would say if you do go into this, go into it with the expectation that you're not rooting for anybody, but mourning the loss of life. Sounds like misery porn, I know, but, oddly, it's not. I can't really explain it well, but basically, it's for a very niche audience, I feel.

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I don't exactly have material to offer Yet, I might dig some stuff up for some of the recent isekai not-trash I've watched and make posts later, but I wanna say having finally noticed the thread, I appreciate the effort!

The Gay will perhaps be checked out, and thanks for the info on Tanya, I keep being interested but unsure if I wanna know what its about

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Light Novel Mystery Anime? Are You Okay, Jamie? (Ghost Hunt and Holmes of Kyoto)

No image this time, internet's still somewhat fucky.

Age Rating: 15 for Holmes... 18 for Ghost Hunt.

So... We've mostly dealt with villainesses and isekai here, because that's my general preference... But that's by no means the only stuff I enjoy. I do love me a good romance (emphasis on good... Maybe I'll vent about Masamune Kun's Revenge and Osamake at some point), a bit of horror (Yoterashai, Itterasshai... Yamishibai jikandaoooo~), and comedy. And I like mysteries.

And both of these, to some extent or another, scratch most of those itches. Both have manga associated with them, both have a good anime associated with them... But neither of those will compare to the Light Novels. Go look 'em up. Now, let's sum up both of them, for your pleasure.

With both, we have a high school girl for the main viewpoint, and they are nominally protagonists, but they're a somewhat talented lens through which we see the rest of the cast, competent or otherwise. Well, I say somewhat talented, but Mai Tanayama, the viewpoint girl of Ghost Hunt, most definitely doesn't start talented, being easily gulled into working for Kazuya Shibuya, a cold, egotistical paranormal investigator. And yet... Every time she's knocked out (often), she sees a smiling Kazuya in her dreams, who sometimes gives her important information. Turns out she's a psychic, you see...

And there is a reason she's seeing Shibuya in a different light in her dreams, but go read the LN.

Anyway, Mai Tanayama is an emotional dork, but also optimistic, and that combination, along with her being a trouble magnet, often helps solve the cases... Which get dark pretty quickly. The first is pretty light, and lulls you into a false sense of security, although it's definitely tense, but the second leaps straight into some CW worthy subjects (child kidnapping, suicide), and, by the 7th, there is... Urado.

Oh boy. This is actually one of the few horror tales that genuinely unsettles me. I'm going to spoiler this.

Why Urado Scares The Shit Out Of Me
Urado means Vlad. Vlad Tepes. Yes, that one.

- Dracula is not a vampire, but a ghost. So he can move through walls.
- He has ghost attendants, like Elizabeth Bathory.
- Also like Elizabeth Bathory, he drains the blood of the living via torture, not sucking it out of them.
- He "lives" in a place like the Winchester Mansion.
- And the place he drags his victims to with his supernatural powers is a house within the house that's been completely surrounded, so normally, it's completely inaccessible.

So, uhhh... Yeah. There's a fair few content warnings, suicide, curses, bullying, etcetera. But if you're interested in something dark that nonetheless has its light moments (After all, Mai has a big crush on Shibuya, aka Naru The Narcissist), it's a good 'un, with some actual ghost hunting practices mixed in, although the super-supernatural takes center stage pretty quickly (Urado is the penultimate arc of the anime, but before that you have a Worm Curse, a hexer, and a drowning ghost, for example.) Fun character dynamics, fun characters, I enjoy it.

And then... Holmes of Kyoto. A different tone entirely, being a mostly fluffy mystery with romance elements. The anime only gets up to the end of volume 4. By contrast to Mai, Aoi Mashiro is a gentler sort, an honest girl who begins with a talent for spotting antiques, catching the eye of Kiyotaka Yagashira, a young antiques appraiser. It also starts on a more grounded, emotional note, with Aoi having stolen her grandfather's collection of hanging paintings, trying to sell them to, effectively, try and give a piece of her mind to her childhood friend who she was in love with, and her other childhood friend who is now dating the other one.

The relationship is much less adversarial, but this is mainly because of a difference in focus. Ghost Hunt is dealing with darker subjects, and there is a mystery to Kazuya Shibuya that's at the core of the novel series. Holmes, meanwhile, is more open, more charming... A bad Kyoto Man, as the characters joke. The main problem with the anime, however, is a lack of information to solve the mysteries yourself, which can be a fatal flaw to a mystery series. Still, the focus, that of art and art forgery, is an interesting one, and its more obvious antagonist, a traditional Funhouse Mirror villain (the Moriarty) is an interesting character in and of themselves.

Plus, y'know, there's will-they, won't-they between Aoi and Kiyotaka, and the two have a well written chemistry, with good reasons to grow fond of one another, having a mentor-student relationship with each complementing the other. Both are fairly well animated, although I would say that Holmes is of a higher quality, and the story is compelling in both cases, especially once the core elements reveal themselves (which, alas, doesn't fully happen in Ghost Hunt. You just get hints. Go read the Light Novels.)

Would You Recommend This, And To Who? Mystery fans may well find both interesting, albeit for differing reasons, but Ghost Hunt is very firmly for ghost/supernatural horror fans, while Holmes of Kyoto focuses more on the fluff and romance. I presented them both because they have their similarities, because I feel like they're both good series, and because I like the (mostly) friendly core cast dynamics. CLEARLY THE WORK OF AN EARTH SPIRIT.

Ghost Hunt, as noted, though, has CWs out the wazoo, so ask a friend or try to look up said CWs, although the easy ones are suicide, murder, child kidnapping, and blood. At least three of the storylines involve a suicide, so if that's a big trigger for you, avoid GH like the plague.

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