Ranked #2061

Ane Doki! (Manga)

Ane Doki is a simple, and somewhat predictable, manga. If you read the synopsis, you will know very well what you are getting into: a light comedy with a bit of ecchi and a generic premise. If you don't like generic manga, ecchi, simple characters, or love triangles, I would still recommend Ane Doki. Sure, it's clearly aimed at the fans of typical shounen romantic comedy mangas, but that doesn't mean someone "outside the circle" won't enjoy it. By the way, enjoyment is by far the most important aspect in Ane Doki, so you shouldn't expect or think about it too much.

Why is Ane Doki so enjoyable? Let's start with the story: like in many mangas of the genre, there isn't really a main plot. The chapters are quite episodic — with very few plot development —, focusing more on the characters and their relationships. As it was already stated, the premise is generic and the development is predictable. The situations aren't very original either, since many of them can be seen in other works. What saves the story, though it doesn't make it less mediocre, is the way it's told.

The author doesn't try to put fancy plot devices or crazy twists to make the manga popular. Instead, she tries to handle the story as simply and naturally as possible, wich turns out to be a very good decision. In result, the story is completely captivating. The reader will find himself wishing that the protagonist chooses Girl A, or maybe Girl B, wondering about that other girl's mistery and making guesses about how the relationships will progress.

If the story can't captivate the reader, the art doesn't help a lot. The character designs are simple — without many defining features —, the minor characters couldn't be more common and the backgrounds are normally left aside or drawn in a very simplistic manner. Even so, you can't say that the art is bad, since the visual as a whole is quite delightful and the characters' looks match their personalities well.

The characters are simple. Really simple. Their personalities are already known by ecchi fans, their actions are predictable and the single person the female characters have a romantic interest in is the protagonist. Again, the author doesn't botter thinking of deep, complex characters. She shows that she can handle these types of characters (a protagonist who doesn't know who he likes, a girl that is like an older sister, but turns out to be something else etc) and isn't afraid of clichés. Since the reader already knows these characters, it's easier to sympathize with them.

With characters easy to see through, fitting character designs, a delightfull visual and a generic, but captivating, story, Ane Doki is truly a feast for those with simple tastes. Again, you should read it without too much expectation or thinking. In the end, that's the manga's purpose: to entertain, without appellation, anyone willing to read it. The only real issue is the conclusion: it seems too rushed and the reader can't help but wonder what could happen if the manga hadn't been canceled. If you can overcome that, Ane Doki should be a good way to spend time. read more

What have we here? The story of your neighbourhood shota. Kou-chan is the 13 year old schoolboy all the best-looking girls want. But it's Natsuki, the four years older beauty that we care about the most.

Ane Doki! is quite predictable. Most of the cliches of the genre you can think of, are there. Kouta, our protagonist, is a pre-teen who's completely clueless when it comes to his feelings, as well as those of others. Natsuki, our sexy female lead, randomly decides to devote her life to serving this kid. The convenient absence of parents? It's here, times two. The occasional clumsiness that leads to erotic sights can't be missing. And since there's a girl moving in to a boy's house, of course another girl will decide to move in, to "keep an eye on them". Check.

The twist here is supposed to be the age gap between the two; a point of interest should be the moment Kouta's cute classmate starts having feelings for him. Thing is, the dilemma "sexy versus cute" is actually non-existent. The role of alternative love interests is demoted to people that exist merely to help Kouta realise he's fallen for the older hottie.

The characters are visually attractive and nicely drawn. We get a whole lot of fanservice like girls in their underwear or accidental groping, but nothing too extreme. In fact, there is but a single kiss throughout this manga. While Kouta's feelings for Natsuki do delevop, and we get some interesting insight on his thoughts and expectations, Natsuki remains the girl who happily helps and praises him the whole time, something rather shallow.

With only 26 chapters, Ane Doki! remains interesting. That is, if you want to live out the honorable fantasy of the boy who aims for the older, ridiculously hot girl. read more