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Good Gods, I'd forgotten how bloody brilliant this series was. I mean, seriously there are a few rom-coms about that aren't bad, possibly a couple related to vampires (including Rosario to Vampire, a personal favourite of mine, but not for the same reasons), but this one is the epitome of rom-comminess! It artfully mixes a nice romance story (with a little harem on the side) with well-timed humour and comedy. I could go on, but I feel that I don't have the words to fully describe this series, so go read it!

Anyway, I'll quickly go over the points, starting with the art: it quite good. ... I mean, like other series, you see the progression of the writer's mastery over his work, and in a way that deepens the characters over time, so that's an added bonus. Plus, his style allows for a good use of backgrounds as a comedic tool so that's really good as well.

Characters are next. Some might say that seeing as this is a harem-style manga, all the types of characters are extremely predictable: the shy one, the main girl, the childhood friend, the extrovert...And in a way, they aren't entirely wrong. But the thing is, the characters aren't limited to one single trait, and their background make it so they are quite complex, and become even more so over time. The MC is your typical "nice guy", who's always there for his friends, with the added twist that he can't hide his feelings (a plot which is pushed aside over time by the way), but even he manages to grow quite a bit, which is rare for this kind of manga (also, very few "lucky falls").

When it comes to enjoyment, as I said, the comedy in this manga is superb! A bit of slapstick, mixed in with some nonsense, an excellent use of backgrounds and character personas (I mean, half of the characters are idiots, so it makes for great comedy and makes you more attached to them). Apart from that, you can very easily be invested in the story, it's very heart-warming and nice (makes you regret your springtime of youth *sigh*).

The story itself, with its collected secrets and unravelments, its twists and turns as I said before pulls you in and keeps you there very easily. You learn to know the characters and their environment, feel for them when they are down, smile when they are happy and things are good. Really over all, this series is a comfy pillow, a black hole of serenity into which you can fall quite nicely, and forget about whatever's going on Out There for a while. It really is a masterpiece, and I highly recommend you read it and get your hands on a published version whenever you can. I guarantee you won't regret it :)

A point I'd like to make before getting in to the review part, is I've recently come to realize that harem-style manga tend to make me angry when they end, and yet I still go back for more.
This series is no exception, in fact I've only just been able to finish it (not published where I live, and scan sites aren't always totally up to date, so it took some time) and my feelings about it are a mix of joy and anger (especially the last 5 chapters).

The main premise is simple: studious high-school student wants to be student board president, but loses to a ... girl promising a "free-love environment" and throwing condoms into the crowd (hey, she's got my vote), and being in second place, ends up vice-president.
But here's the twist that gets things rolling: the girl he lost to (the eponymous Setokaichou) is also his wife to be, due to some form of arranged marriage organized during their youth.
Because of this (and because of MC's dad) they have to live together, and so bonds and compromises are made, and shenanigans ensue.
Various other characters turn up (mainly female), and multiple story arcs unfold, but in the end only two women are important to the MC: Wakana, the Setokaichou, and his neighbour, the big-breasted school morals committee president, Misumi. I'll just leave it at that because spoiling is against the rules and I don't like to spoil endings anyway ^^

Fair warning: most of you probably know what ecchi means, but to those who don't and/or don't read the descriptions on MAL, there is a certain amount of nudity and sexually-oriented situations in this manga (in more or less humorous situations).

Right then, let's start this off with the story shall we?
I've already given the basic setting, but I must say that despite this manga using various tropes that are present in other series (To Love for example) such as the story happening in a high school and the main characters living under the same roof, it really focuses on the "being part of the student council" bit and when at the flat, both the MC and Wakana are invested enough so as to give us a glimpse of their lifestyle. And that's actually rather refreshing amidst the myriad of harem manga out there (a few of which seriously lack in quality)

The art is very, VERY good. The backgrounds are rather detailed, but they are what they are: backgrounds. What's really important are the characters, and you can really see that that is what the author wants to be clear. Each character is easily distinguishable (well, each female character, the male characters, excluding MC and another guy are more or less part of the background) and the details present when it comes to their clothes (or lack thereof) are very impressive and enjoyable. The two mains also have little "demons" above their heads in certain situations, helping to illustrate their moods, and I find that quite fun.
Quick suggestion: watch the anime. The art is slightly different, but Gods do things look extremely soft and supple (watched the anime first then read the manga btw).

The characters are relatively complex, the MC can be a bit of a no-nonsense stick in the mud when working, but has no problem being flustered in situations that require it. Wakana is cute, pouts frequently, and tries to act adult (generally in more "ero" moments), but doesn't always succeed. Misumi the rival/neighbour is an excellent cook, but a bit of a tsundere (which I usually despise, but she becomes more honest with herself and the MC very quickly, so it's actually quite enjoyable), she's generally rather prude but gains confidence towards the end, and the way she's written reminds me slightly of Kurumu for Rosario+Vampire. There's the weird girl who's always dressing up, has little sense of shame but often gives good advice, and finally there's the two chibi girls who each want to protect/support one of the to main girls. There is also a perverted, blackmailing president of the photography club with a heart of gold (who has her moments) and a couple other male characters whose importance ranges from 0 to "vague rival to the MC".

Despite getting angry with this manga (which is something which commonly happens as I've already mentioned), I actually quite enjoyed it. It's relaxing, the characters are rather compelling, and it's not too long to go through (even though I did dread it ending).

Overall, I heartily recommend this manga and its anime adaptation, it's a good read/watch :)

I've had this anime on my "to watch" list for a bit (since I first saw the trailer actually), and seeing as my school year was finished and I didn't have much else to do, I thought I'd go ahead and watch it. And my overall feeling was that the anime doesn't really live up to what the trailer seemed to promise. I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this anime to a certain extent, and the vampire hunting aspect of the trailer was clearly there, but the anime seems to be lacking a certain "je ne sais quoi".

The story is somewhat stable: Yuliy ... (the writers were probably going for the Russian-sounding "Yury", but hey, that's just my theory) is part of a globe-trotting Vampire-exterminating outfit which is based in London. They track down a head Vampire in Shanghai, who then scuttles off to Japan in search for safety, and a mysterious artifact called the Ark of the Sirius. Hi-jinks ensue, much blood is spilled, many Vampires are ashified and many plot twists are found, but basically the rest of the story is a race against time to find said Ark, before the Vampires find it.
"Now, we all know what a Vampire is (hopefully), but what is a Sirius?" I hear you cry. Well to be honest, the series doesn't really explain as such. They seem to be non-humans, with a rather ancient and complex culture, all the while living rather simplistically in a secluded area in (what I suppose is) the North of Japan, possibly rather close to Russia. During the whole series, the Vampires refer to them as "dogs" or "wolves", so it could be more or less safe to assume that they're a kind of werewolf-proxy which are on the brink of extinction, but they don't really take a wolf-like form: the closest they get to that (and only a couple Sirius seem to be able to do it) is a form of berserk rage they display when in danger, or angry, which apparently can consume then if they lose control (their eyes shine Will-O'The Wisp blue, and veins of the same colour appear on their skin). But this ability isn't really explained much either. Yuliy (who is a Sirius by the way) uses it a couple times, most impressively in the second episode, while fighting against a female Vampire (but that gets cut short) and even more impressively some time later while fighting against the head Vampire, but more or less stops using it completely after that. And I must admit I found that somewhat disappointing.

The characters were okay, nothing to write home about (still trying to work out why a British Intelligence agent looks so much like a cowboy, but hey, Japan), there's a vague, one-sided, slightly force love interest which goes nowhere, the Vampire-hunting posse is relatively fun (with backstories which aren't fleshed out enough as far as I'm concerned, but this is a 12 episode anime, so I guess time was of the essence). A few other side characters which fill gaps more or less snugly, including a lisp-less, limp-less hyperactive, slightly daft Igor with only one pair of thumbs who's not very interesting; a twist-filled elder brother covered in scars; two loli Vampires and a Head Vampire (not the one who fled Shanghai, another one) who wants the power of the Ark for a "good" reason and is more or less a Dandy.

The art in itself is magnificent, the "beast-form" of the lesser Vampires remind me quite a lot of the Vampires from the Castlevania Series (the one on Netflix), some 3-D CGI pops up from time to time but it isn't too shocking (unlike that which can be found in "Giniro no Kami no Agito" for example). The recurring blood splatters are sufficiently splattery, the dying animation (the ashification) of the vampires is rather well done and the overall imagery is very nice.

The background music is good, but it doesn't really stick in your mind, so it's somewhat forgettable. The overall sounds are rather good as such.

So yeah, over all, this anime was a rather enjoyable watch, combining shônen-style combat and plot with the darker, grittier side of Vampires, all the while being very enjoyable artistically. This anime is a good way to spend a few hours, if you have nothing else to do or if you want to sit back and relax after a hard day's work.

After having watched 4 episodes of this mesmerizing anime, I may at last bring a review unto this world, with much thunder, lightning and miscellaneous pyrotechnics!
( I'd made two reviews previously, on July 3rd and July 10th, but they were both deleted because I was going against the rules, so fair enough )

Anyhoo, moving on: My overall impression was "Wow, that was weird", because the synopsis, however ecchi it may make this series feel, does not prepare you for what you are about to face.
Ye who searcheth for a relatively soft ecchi anime which you know will provide you with "plot" and will ( ... or will not ) provide you with interesting characters and/or interactions, turn back or proceed with caution!
For 5 minutes ( or 3 if you're watching the censored version ), you will come face to face with something that is as close as you can get to a hentai anime without showing as many "pink bits".

The plot to be honest is as random as it gets, the artwork is actually quite good, nothing interesting can be said about the characters, and I'm pretty sure that at least one of the two people taking part in the one minute sex scene ( which I'm pretty sure can be considered rape ) may have problems with their genitalia at some point down the line.

In any case, if you want to turn your brain off for 5 minutes ( or less ), want to see some relatively well drawn boob and can suspend your disbelief on how spectacularly lucky a "lucky fall" can be, go forth and watch it wandering browser, for you now know what lies in store.

Right, I have a certain ethic, and that is to read a manga series in it's entirety before writing a review. But the problem is, I don't think I'll be able to finish reading the damn thing before having to punch my screen in with my fist. Something I have no intent on doing because to be honest, this computer cost me quite a lot.
Quick Synopsis: Country guy moves in to his aunt's bathhouse/girl's boarding house in Tokyo so he can go to the high school over there. Of course he has to help, sometimes resulting in quite unfortunate situations (the usual ecchi "slips" shall ... we say), which doesn't help his popularity much. He scouts the school a bit and sees a vision: a beautiful girl doing a high-jump, and falls in love. Well guess what? She also lives at the boarding-house and hates him from the get-go. Enter perverted childhood friend (boy) and other childhood friend (girl) who has had a crush on him for years. MC tries to get the main female character (Suzuka), who it turns out is a level 100 tsundere who constantly puts him down when he tries to seduce her. School life ensues.

And this is where I start having problems: the fact that this (obviously demented) MC keeps trying to go for Suzuka, when he knows that there's a very high chance that a really kind and loving girl is just a footstep away. Now I know many of you reading this are extreme fans of the tsundere type, but after having dated one for three years (slightly less hardcore than Suzuka though), I can assure you that unless you like being put down constantly, it's not worth it. To be perfectly honest, in all the characters (side characters included), the only person I'd be ready to root for would be the nice, loving childhood friend. But then again, what do I know, my tastes in women are my own I suppose.

Anyway, let's wrap this up before I rant any more. The art is possibly the best thing here, so I'm giving it a 9; the characters, weeeell, I have nothing else to say but 5 (the couple good characters are trying to compensate for the many shitty ones); story, 3 no other comment; enjoyment 4, so overall, I'll be nice enough and give it a 5, keeping in mind I haven't really read it, but ultimately know how it's going to end, and it's sounding far too damn familiar.

Either way, if you like seeing masochistic guys go after lvl 100 tsunderes, totally ignore the only potential being that would really love him for what he is and not what he can become with some considerable effort, then finally ruin both their lives and most of the nice girls high school life, then feel free to read this manga. Just don't say I was the one who suggested it.

On that note, cheerio and thanks for reading this long rant of a review.

Right, let's get the synopsis out of the way, shall we? It's actually quite simple: the male lead, Izumi Hayato is running for class president, but gets beaten by Wakana Ui, who promises free love on the school grounds, and less harshness when dealing with dating. Somewhat gutted, he still stays vice-president but that evening discovers that the president (now revealed as the female lead), was actually arranged to marry him, and so she decides to move in with him as his wife. The stage is set, the lights lit, let the show begin!

And that's ... basically it: it's a form of slice of life focusing mostly on the relationship the two characters have (with a very slight love triangle after a bit). Oh sure, there is some ecchi (that'll be most enjoyed in the uncensored version), but it's nothing TOO hardcore, in fact it's almost cute. You have two leads, both sixteen-ish living together and actually attracted to each other, so of course ther are going to be some moments that will make ecchi haters cringe, but they don't spoil the actual plot in any way. So there's no "accidental" groping, slipping to land in someone's boobs, it's all planned out.

There are also a couple funny scenes in this, some fun situations, and you can really get the character's feelings. Overall, nothing cringingly bad really ^^

Anyway, I'm giving this an 8, because I quite enjoyed it and it reminded me of a couple things I went through ages ago. Either way, if you're into this, I'm sure you'll quite enjoy it. And remember, season 2 is coming out in October ^^

Now excuse me while I check out the manga this was adapted from.

So, Magetsukan kitan, a "little house of horrors" (make that a big house actually) that strives to show you that not all monsters are, well, monstrous but are actually trying to survive any way they can.

The main character is a basic protagonist (nice guy, not particularly muscular or good looking, you know, the usual harem-style MC) who's just moved to the city in search of a job, but to do so, he also needs somewhere to stay. Sadly, he doesn't have tons of cash and all the offers he finds at the estate agent's are out of his budget. Except for one, a room for ... 9000 yen. It seems like a good deal but the room is actually in a monster mansion. So he goes there, falls in love with the landlady, freaks out, tries to leave then stays for good when he realizes than these monsters aren't out to get him. A sort of slice of life ensues.

The story is fun, if you like slice of life's with a horror/dark fantasy twist to them, there is a certain amount of ecchi (which gets near borderline at a couple points) and all the characters have their little quirks and backstories and are very enjoyable. The art is good, possibly a bit rough 'round the edges here and there, but nothing that would stop the reader from enjoying him(or her)self.

If I had to compare this manga to anything else, I'd say it would be close to Love Hina, with a touch of Rosario+Vampire's early days. Either way, if you're looking for something nice, with a bit of fantasy and harem action, you should read this series.

The only problem I have with this series is the fact that you can only find scans up to chapter 37 on most manga reader sites, so if anyone knows where the whole series can be found, the info would be very welcome ^^

*Quick edit: I have found the last ten chapters and have succeeded in finishing it after a long hiatus. The ending is rather good, nothing too memorable but still happy after a ( slightly forced in my opinion ) climax which includes a rather weird character. Still fully enjoyed it, but damn I'd forgotten how ecchi this could get*

Like many people, I first played Pokémon on my old Gameboy Color (which should still work if I remember where I last put it), but unlike many hardcore fans I started with the second generation's Silver, and then went on to play the three games from the first generation (Red, Blue, and a bit of Yellow). I enjoyed the first season of the anime which aired all those years ago, and now, as a 20 year-old man, I decided, "fuck it, let's watch some Pokémon again", and ultimately ended up watching this.
I was surprised at how short the series was (only 4 episodes), but got ... sucked in quickly, following Red as he went on his adventures in a land I had known thanks to the video game, the anime, and a bit later on, the manga. So story-wise, it was quite enjoyable, with feels here and there (in one episode in particular).
The art gives off a slightly more realistic vision of the world most of us know and love, which is a nice change, and the sound is quite good too (though hearing the Pokémon say their names in Japanese takes a bit of getting used to).
Red, the main character, goes from an overconfident pillock to a reliable trainer and an enjoyable person to watch (to be honest, I did want to German Suplex him in the first episode), and Blue, his rival is actually more down to earth, headstrong and likable than Gary was in the anime. The Pokémon are cool, as they should be, drawn in more detail and actually living in a world that seems real, which is seriously cool.
I personally enjoyed this series, at least until maybe the last few minutes of the last episode, when something (not saying what) happened, that should not have happened in that universe and made me howl bloody murder. But that might just be because I despise any Pokémon game after Gen 4 (which was acceptable).
Either way, I'll give it an overall 8/10 because I quite enjoyed it, but had a problem with how the ending played out: either way, you (yes YOU, the person who is reading this on you computer screen, I know you are there...I know everything about you....) should watch this, it's fun, short and plays with your nostalgia and feelings.

Soooo, an anime with a rural sweet shop as its main stage? Sure why not, seems harmless enough. And harmless it is: I discovered this via another website that was showing off a cosplayer's talents and ended up looking up the anime and eventually watching it (although I won't deny that one of the main heroin's "plot" played a large part in this).
The first episode was enough to get me hooked, and my innate curiosity for all forms of weird and wonderful culinary creations helped a lot with that (thank you Roald Dahl), so overall I found the premise and informative tidbits about the sweets ... quite enjoyable really (although, that really is the main topic of this anime, maybe a bit too much so in fact).
The characters and artwork are all excellent, even though there are only basically four main characters: the aspiring mangaka protagonist who doesn't want to take over his dad's sweet shop, his flat-chested and somewhat overpowered childhood friend who secretly loves him, her brother the nice, slightly overconfident and perverted "guide" (not really sure how to describe him, it's always the same kind of guy in these "romance" comedies), and the buxom heiress to a sweet company for whom the MC has a (kinda) crush on (or maybe it's just straight up lust, it seems a bit more like that frankly).
So there's humor, the OP childhood friend beats them all at these childhood games, a few flashbacks, a love triangle that doesn't really go anywhere and a huuuge amount of anecdotes related to sweets. It's all very nice (if not a bit boring from time to time), but the story just kind of gives up and dies at some point in the last few episodes, which seem to build up to (at least) a moderately impressive (if not maybe predictable) firework style ending, and then the last episode just pops, fizzes, smokes a little and splutters not very convincingly like a wet and rather small firecracker.
Which is a shame really, because that kind of thing tends to dampen your spirits and leave you thinking: "right..Well that was a bit of a cock-up wasn't it?"
Overall, I'd rate it 6-7: it's fun, I personally enjoyed it, but definitely don't watch it if you're not interested in sweets, want an interesting story or 24 minutes of the buxom heroin's chest (because they only focus on it twice and you can hardly see her bra through a transparent-whit T-Shirt).
There is oppai ice-cream though, so that's something I feel might be lacking in Occidental sweet-shops.