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Jun 5, 2019
This manga is, first and foremost, something that doesn't know what it wants to be. Will it be hentai levels of porn, or will it be engaging plot and interesting development? It tries to do both, and comes off as jarring, and, at the end of the day, self-contradictory.
Let's start off with the story, as it's something that I think is this manga's strongest point. It has a plot that makes me want to read more. The mystery it generates is top-tier, and the twists come hitting hard and hitting fast. Looking past the exterior of misogynistic porno, and you get yourself a genuinely
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interesting, and fascinating plot. Who is the doll? The answer will leave you with more questions than answers. Where is this Isekai world? The answer leaves you with more questions than answers. Why does our MC jump between the two worlds? It hasn't been answered yet, but I'm dying to know. This story is undoubtedly its strongest point, and it's what will keep readers coming back for more. Spoiler territory ahead. The mature themes of this manga are evident as soon as the manga gets past its opening stages. The first time he dies, we get a pretty shocking image of him, badly wounded, in a hospital bed. This wakes the reader up: this is no generic harem hentai isekai. This is comedy the same way Angel Beats is a comedy. It tries to be funny and ends up putting you into a depression. The fact that he travels by getting thrown out a window by the person he "loves". The fact that his classmate is most likely deceased. The fact that the Earth has basically been destroyed. The fact that the "God of Jealousy" is probably some kind of AI Intelligence or Bioweapon (or both) rather than just a plain old god (although that would be feasible too). Either way, this is definitely keeping me hooked.
Art does its job. Everything is clear, there are no questionable decisions, it's just straight-up good art. Gotta say the ruins look fucking awesome though. For those who know what type of ruins I'm talking about, yeah the toppled buildings really lend a sense of scale.
Characters. Oh boy, where do I start? You have our MC, who is your general goody-two-shoes with a bit of rapist mixed in there (he's power tripping like hell). He's rather interesting, but he doesn't come off as a character, but rather comes off more as generic protagonist until the sex scenes hit, then he's just there to satisfy the dom fetish, which leads to this clash in personality. Then, the girls. Oh my lord, what have they done to you? Your favorites are back! The Yandere, Tsundere, Kuudere, etc. now with 10X more fanservice! Let's be real, females in anime are always portrayed in a problematic light, and this just cranks it up to 11. You're not here to talk about social justice, I'm not here to talk about social justice. I didn't read this manga to care about social justice, I read it cause it looked like trashy hentai goddamnit! Beyond the portrayal of that specific gender which some may take offense to, the characters are rather dull. It feels like the authors took a dartboard of single character traits and just tossed darts with names on them. This one says "Galia", oh, and it landed on Batshit Insane Cannibal ok... Moving on, Vanille? "Has an attitude". Alright, Lumi? "Tsundere". Perfect. Instant characters. They do the job, they aren't unlikable by any means, but they're about as flat as a washboard (insert boob joke here).
Well, that's it for this review. I definitely enjoyed it, although the excessive amount of S E X certainly did take away from the stronger parts of the manga. The truth is that this won't be for everyone. It will probably offend a good deal of people if they read it. However, it's also clear that at the end of the day, it's got a killer plot, and I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 20, 2019
Although it doesn't delve into each element with as much depth as the light novel, Tsuioku-hen takes the limited space it has as a manga, and does its best to tell this story as best as it can. It is a depressing tale with no happy ending, however, considering where Mahouka vol. 1 picks up, it is an appropriate place to be.
Story: 10/10. Not everyone is a fan of this story. I get that. It's not designed to appeal to everyone, the way Mahouka was designed to. As a side story, it's partly an homage to die-hard fans who want to learn the way the
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semi-twisted relationships within Mahouka began. The story doesn't pull its punches, it comes out swinging. It reveals the plainly wrong relationship between Tatsuya and his mother, Miyuki and Tatsuya, and even (the most wholesome one of the bunch) Tanaka and Tatsuya. The pacing feels solid and complete. It never feels like an overwhelming amount of events are happening, however, it is always entertaining, and there are no plains. This is to be expected of the short 17-chapter run, however, it's a strong point nonetheless.
Art: 8/10. It's fair. It's not great, but it's not at all poor. The art gets the job done, and pulls its weight during the emotional climaxes. Personally, I'm a big fan of the art style, but bias shouldn't play a role in judging it, and I recognize that this is pretty much standard fare for good quality manga.
Characters: 9/10. The old duo of Tatsuya emotionless and Miyuki mixed-feelings are back, featuring more bro-con than ever before! Add in abusive parents and discrimination and you've got yourself the characters of this manga! Tatsuya is the same, after all, he isn't capable of feeling anything different. There's a lot of appropriate character growth for Miyuki though. Before this manga, if you were manga/anime only, the dedication shown towards Tatsuya by Miyuki was never explained, and obviously given how I rated the story, I approve of that character development. Add in the intrigue of war and the discrimination against those without magical capabilities, and you've got yourself interesting and dynamic character relationships.
Enjoyment: 9/10. It's a sad story. It's by no means a happy ending. However, it is clear that it is a great part of Mahouka: a part of it that must be delved into, and for that reason, I really enjoyed just going back in and getting back into the action of Mahouka another time.
In conclusion, my opinion of Tsuioku-hen is positive. Its got itself great plot, dynamic characters, and engaging intrigue, and that's all there is to it. Great read, would definitely recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 20, 2019
How do you describe this manga? What kind of perverse incentive was at play for someone to write, storyboard, then draw this manga? Who thinks of this kind of thing? These were all questions I held in my mind as I decided to take a peek down the deep dark yawning abyss that is this manga of insanity.
Story: 7/10. It gets the job done, moves at a natural pace, and is generally appropriate. It's fairly predictable, however, every chapter reveals another facet of the torturous mind that must have been slaving away to come up with so many ways for people to die. I'm
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not sure if you're supposed to keep a level head while reading this story, but I certainly felt like I was being roped down into insanity along with Ayano while reading this manga. Its pacing is quite good; it never slows down or speeds up to an unacceptable rate. The story progresses naturally much like a derailing train would generally stay put for most of the journey before hitting something, and, oh s h i t, now everything's exploding. The ending is sudden, and the pacing is incredibly intense, but yes, it felt natural and appropriate.
Art: 9/10. Now the art is generally controversial. Some like it, some love it, some hate it. I personally enjoyed the art quite a bit. The exaggerated, haunting expressions of some of the victims are burned into your mind, leading to a greater emotional impact. Most of the time, Ayano looks generally pitiable, or downright evil, just as the character tends to be. I liked the art, some disagree, all there is to it.
Character: 5/10. There is no character with a personality in this manga. What's Ayano's personality? Her one trait is she gets bullied. There's no reason, she just gets bullied. Ok. What's her response? Hurt everyone. That's it. That's her character, done. What about Ai? She wants to hurt everyone. ANything else? She's also crazy devoted (and also just plain crazy) to Ayano. Ok. Anything else? Nope! They are just there for the shock value. Oh no, taichou's (student council pres) dead. What was her character? Abused by her parents. Oh no, Ren's stabbed. What was his character? He hurts women and somewhat cares about Ayano. Huh. The reason this story was less satisfying as a revenge drama than it could've been, is because even though those characters do horrible things to Ayano, they themselves are always flat and unappealing, like cardboard. Thus, the emotional satisfaction of watching said cardboard character get tortured is also less than a fully-fledged developed character doing the same. Let's take Nidome no Yuusha for instance. Similar story, set in an isekai. The final torture of the mage in volume 2 has been developed for so long you understand the character intimately. This is a character you absolutely despise, and thus, watching her die, is also satisfying. Let's compare this to said taichou. The only thing you know about her, is she said some mean things to Ayano once. Wasn't even that bad. Then, she is shown being locked up by her parents and promptly kills herself. She's probably the most emotional death (except for those Ai lovers out there) in this manga, and even writing it out feels hollow. The characters are this story's weak point. Without characters we're invested in, every death feels hollow, like a chore.
Enjoyment: 7/10. It was ok. I was looking for a revenge story, it satisfied the itch. Not particularly brilliantly; emotional satisfaction was lessened by the massive cast of students we were literally tearing our way through, but it was ok.
In the end, it's a dark, messed-up story about revenge and murder and psychological damage. This manga messes with your head, and generally just pushes the edge factor so far its left the earth. I think that that's the only way to conclude this review: edgy, messed-up revenge.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 15, 2019
I'm gonna start this off by stating that I have not read the Light Novel. I wanted to read this as a standalone work, seeing how well the manga fairs without the precognition that reading its source material brings. So, for all those who are repping the LN and such, this review will not go into that territory. I am reviewing this manga on its own as if it were a standalone work.
I think one of the draws of a basic isekai story, is a power fantasy. As someone who will never experience these sorts of things, it's a fun way to escape reality, with
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the MC cast as the perfect stand-in for yourself. This is the first point at which Mushoku Tensei (MT from here on out), differs. It openly challenges the stereotypical "first step", so to say, of an isekai. Besides truck-kun, the manga and LN both diverge in its open negative portrayal of NEETs and Shut-ins, predominantly using this negative connotation as a factor for character development.
I tend to measure how well manga are written by the ability to entertain. As with any media form, the only way to succeed is to create a dedicated audience. I think that MT does this in a number of different ways. Firstly, the strength of this manga comes from, generally speaking, the characters. They're real people, with real emotions, flaws, and personalities. They're human in a way in which many isekai characters are not. Eris has to grapple with her own insecurities. Rudeus is dealing with the trauma created by his previous lifestyle. Paul is a womanizer, and an alcoholic. Roxy has family issues and an apparent hard-on for 10-year-old Rudeus (that one isn't a problem in the manga but still). While having blank-slate characters is all well and good, characters that are human build investment. The blank characters simply fall flat when compared to the way the manga is able to create human characters. Their choices may not be the right ones. Their choices may be stupid given our omnipotent presence and obviously superior judgement skills (I know we all feel that way). But, they are believable. They are never out-of-character, their decisions feel natural and flow from the heart, as opposed to the plot. This is what MT does so well. It builds investment in its characters, where most of us can't actively empathize with the solution Rudeus is in. Most of us don't live that life, but, we can understand where he's coming from, and that's what makes us care. We want to see these characters happy, and we want them to achieve the goals they want, even though they may not be our goals, because we UNDERSTAND. I think beyond the general plot, and the basic art style, this is what fuels viewership of this manga.
Speaking of which, let's talk for a bit about story and art. The story itself is fairly standard fare until the big white happens. It's classic OP anime character shenanigans, intelligence and all, and while the character is set up to be powerful, he's not the complete balls to the wall BAMF that some other isekai use (~ahem~ In another world with my smartphone ~ahem~). The first ~20 chapters establish a couple of key things. Firstly, his power level, secondly, his relationships with the characters around him, and finally, what his goal is (more or less). Then, as obviously the big phenomenon happens, everything is bent out of shape. This is where the story actually picks up. It's a very unusual concept, certainly original, and interesting, The gripe I have with the story and why it scores lower than the characters, is due to one flaw. The pacing. It's all over the place. This may be something the LN does better, but I had no concept of time while reading it. I will simply follow along on their adventures, and boom, 3 YEARS HAVE PASSED. I had to rely on the text telling me how much time had passed because to me, the events happening feel like a number of days, while in reality it's been months. The story does a poor job of knowing when time speeds up and slows down, and thus, signposting was the only way I could understand any of this. The art is good. The characters are unique and diverse-looking, generally, it was inoffensive, and was pretty great during certain scenes. Especially emotion, as the art of Eris crying did very much remind me of DomeXKano, and we all know what a minefield of mixed emotions that manga drives you through. I think the art does genuinely do the job and shines in a few places.
In the end, I thought it was a very good story weighed down by shotgun pacing, the art was very good, if not particularly genius, and very human characters. The investment in its characters, the genuine danger the plot drives them through, and the unconventional story combine for a very enjoyable anime I would recommend to fans of the isekai genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 15, 2019
Before we get to talking about this manga, or any of its elements, let's first get a few things out of the way. I really enjoy OP MC stories. I really enjoy anti-heroes. I really enjoy fantasy settings. Thus, these things will definitely factor into my opinion of this manga. Keep in mind that my review will, and I fully recognize this, be more positive than what is probably average.
Like any other medium, for a manga to be successful, it must be entertaining. It must provide that hook that keeps readers going, whether it's through its (as MAL seems to categorize), story, art, or
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characters.
Firstly, the story. I really enjoy where this is going. It plays out generally as a dungeon crawler video game does. Complete a dungeon, move onto the next. You must meet basic criteria before being allowed to attempt a dungeon. That's what this plot essentially boils down to. Of course, in the larger plan of things, you've got the whole laughing gods arc, as well as the many side arcs (evil mage, other classmates, etc.). I can't say much more without spoiling this manga, but I feel like the story is basic but proficient. It's fairly standard fare when it comes to Isekai stories, and the conflict is rather plain, but it's definitely a very enjoyable read.
The art is one of the things that really popped to me while reading this manga. It's simple but very effective, and it always contributes a sense of scale to the action setpieces whenever they occur. The images are bright and vivid, and although the drawing style might not be unique, per se, the aesthetics of the world and its characters are unique, varied, and, most of all, fun to watch.
The characters in this story are bold and different. It's clear that this man will continue to add members to his harem; that's a reality of the genre and this story as a whole. Obviously, you've got the deredere rabbit, what may be a kuudere dragon lady succubus thing (the tail), and then you've got Yue, who is a bit more 3 dimensional, but not by much let's be real here. However, where it really shines is the MC. This is just some dude, who is always in the dust. When he finally gets power, it's refreshing to see a guy who doesn't care about "justice", or "doing what's right". He sees the best way forward for his goal, and moves towards it, regardless of consequences. It's a refreshing change of pace from other leads in similar isekai.
Enjoyment is purely subjective. I enjoyed this manga a LOT. It's a fun read, and I will wait eagerly for every new translated chapter. That is simply up to you to decide though, this is all personal preference.
In conclusion, Arifureta is great as an isekai story. It's got an antihero lead, a great varied cast of characters who are a bit uninspired, but are fun to watch nonetheless, and the story provides a nice vehicle for readers to enjoy this ride that has been placed in front of us.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 14, 2019
It really says something when the first anime I decide to write a review for, is a 6 year old anime with an average score of 7.41. Before starting, I’d like to preface this by saying that I’ve never watched Spice and Wolf. I won’t be docking anything from this anime for similarities, as I feel that if a studio is good at writing a certain type of story based around certain ideas and themes, producing a good work in that area is superior to producing a satisfactory work in a new idea. I see the similarities between this and Log Horizon (which I also
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enjoyed), however, again, similar ideas do not factor into my decision. But, it is understandable to say that having a different set of characters say the same things are unentertaining, and thus, this disclaimer. I will be reviewing this anime as a standalone work, ignoring all outside bias (formalism, I guess).
Above all, a show has to be entertaining. If it can’t keep an audience engaged in one form or another, it’s failed. That’s where I think this show really shines. Every episode felt meaningful, with a good amount of actual progression. Whether a year or a month goes by in a single episode doesn’t matter; it’s what occurs that does, and I feel that this show really feels jam-packed with content. Although at times the pacing is a bit disconcerting (I’m looking at you, 1 year jump when Hero’s out exploring), the rapid pace is a great way to keep the audience engaged. It’s great that they avoided the pitfall many of even my favourite animes have fallen into (~Ahem~ Code Geass ~Ahem~) of the meandering, pointless middle section. I feel obliged to mention a few downsides, though. It may be hard to follow, given how fast it goes. I enjoyed it, but it’s certainly not for anyone, and I know for a fact I really enjoy fast paced anime: something many of you may disagree with. Secondly, it is very erratic, lending to a general feeling of what I call “bumper cars”. The story will blast through a year, then slow down for a week, and then immediately feature another month-long time skip. It’s somewhat jarring, and imperfect in many ways.
The second way the show deliberately keeps me coming back for more, is by keeping its episodes self-contained stories. While several episodes end on cliffhangers, or midway through a story arc (not counting the stop the war story arc that permeates the entire story), most episodes are incredibly self-contained. This not only made it enjoyable to watch when it was airing, as this may be personal bias, but I’d have a satisfying ending over a cliffhanger for an episode any day.
The third, is the cast of characters. Admittedly, this isn’t its strongest point, but the cast is indeed entertaining, if shallow. The titular Demon King is your smart girl with a body pillow, the MC is a bland OP character, and everyone around is fairly one note. The development of the sisters (only the older sister, really), is engaging, but really nothing to write home about. However, it is clear that these characters are only there to reflect the ideologies, and values this anime tries to push. Let’s be real here, the characters weren’t great, however, it allowed the conversation that pushed this anime forward. It demonstrated human nature, human innovation (or demon innovation, I should say), and human bias. By creating these blank, type-set characters, this anime allows the ideas that it tries to communicate, to become timeless, as you could just as easily see this entire plotline play out in Westeros, as you can in Edo Japan. Maybe I’m justifying cliche characters here, and giving the writers too much credit, but I did enjoy the characters, uninspired though they were.
But honestly, when you boil it down to its routes, it’s an entertaining, unconventional tale of how two unlikely allies (and more, but the show WON’T SHOW US) end up using revolutionary means to change a world. The story isn’t too heavy, it’s fun, it’s funny in many places, and it was certainly a ride I want to take again, and again. It’s not for everyone, it has its issues with pacing and characters, but at the end of the day, the art is beautiful, the sounds and soundtrack deliver, and it’s an entertaining show I would definitely recommend.
Of course, many would disagree. Much of this review is simply my personal opinion, and how I enjoy my anime. I happen to enjoy OP main characters, fast pacing, and a fantasy world, and so my opinion about this show is no doubt higher than the average viewers’ opinion, but I have to say, that for all the flack this show gets, it was a hell of an entertaining ride, and contributes to another reason why I want to be able to read Japanese; ALL THE LIGHT NOVELSSSSSS.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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