Manyuu Hikenchou

Although this anime is still airing, I can already say that it is by far the best show of the summer 2011 season. Behind the seemingly juvenile premise of breasts and samurai, there lies an intricate and allegorical plot that reevaluates modern social structure and criticizes conventional power distribution.


STORY (10/10)

The backdrop of this story might seem confusing upon first inspection, but after deeper thought and contemplation, we realize that the setting closely mirrors that of the irrational world of today. This cornerstone of artistic achievement starts out with an explanation of the setting and the circumstances surrounding the characters. Through this introduction, we learn that ... the tale begins in an alternate reality where breast size is a determining factor of wealth and popularity. The Manyuu Clan utilizes a secret scroll for producing large breasts and is able to rise through the ranks of the shogunate and monopolize power in the nation.

By using breasts as a symbol of prominence, Manyuu Hikenchou is able to satirize society's overarching preoccupation with physical attractiveness. The anime presents an extreme angle of this idea where breasts, an icon of beauty, hold superiority over other traits such as intelligence and character.

In addition, the breasts also represent power, as seen through the dominance of the well-endowed Manyuu Clan. Here, director Hiraku Kaneko delivers some of the more thought provoking themes of the series regarding government and its relationship with the common man. In Manyuu Hikenchou, breasts are indicative of power, and yet, every woman has a pair of breasts. Indeed, the anime is suggesting that the government has a limited amount of control over its subjects and that the real strength lies in the collective power of the people.

The innate greed of humanity, however, prevents such a utopian democracy in this show. The devious Manyuu Clan conducts "tit hunts" in an effort to purge large breasted females from the surrounding area, metaphorically stripping the power and livelihoods of the citizens in an effort to ruthlessly aggrandize strength. By doing so, the Manyuu Clan is able to maintain an iron grasp on society, as seen through how they violently punish dissenters and runaways.

ART (10/10)

The art in this anime is a fusion of shounen and ecchi styles. This masterpiece effortlessly blends the two into all scenes. Now, I know that many of you will be put off by the excessive amounts of fanservice in this show, but keep in mind that these ecchi shots are only a vehicle for presenting the plot. They create a lighthearted tone that ironically clashes with the serious and dark subject matter, promoting further introspection.

The use of censorship has a dual purpose in Manyuu Hikenchou. At its most basic level, the ever present censor criticizes how most series are required to mask many objects, limiting our freedom of expression. In addition, the censor covers up a large potion of the screen, confusing the viewer and keeping us guessing and anticipating the events of the story. It creates suspense while at the same time showing how reality itself might also be censored. It suggests that under the surface of a gilded society, there lurks dark secrets.

SOUND (8/10)

This is the one portion of the show that, although still good, is lacking. The opening and ending songs are conventional Japanese pop that have a catchy and uplifting beat. The uniformity of the songs might portray the widespread conformity of modern society.

OVERALL (10/10)

Manyuu Hikenchou provides a deep and compelling plot that is a deconstruction of the popular fanservice show. While successfully suspending viewer disbelief throughout the entirety of the episodes, the anime is able to immerse the audience into a twisted world so cruel that it is strikingly similar to our own. It presents mature themes and manages to entertain the viewer at the same time.

You need to watch the kira-fansub version to enjoy Manyuu Hikenchou (at kira-fansub.com). The standard version is unwatchable due to the amount of censors. The Kira version doesn't have censors, which makes it much easier to watch.

Manyuu Hikenchou (MH) is fan-service and ecchi to the maximum. It is a big improvement over Omamori Himari and B Gata H Kei in that regard. Get ready for bouncing breasts...but there's also a plot and some good characters. MH is also a comedy, so expect some jokes that work well due to pretty great timing. MH also explores the unfairness of a ... particular caste system, and the main girl is fighting against this injustice. The female lead in MH has great morals and ideals, which makes this series a strong choice for idealists.

The two female mains have Yui Hirasawa and Mugi-chan's voice actors, so this is a good show if you liked Yui and/or Mugi in K-ON! as much as I did.

Story (5):

In the world of MH (which takes place in feudal Japan), breast size means everything. Huge breasts signify wealth and prosperity. Small breasts are looked down upon and seen as worthless. It is a pretty good setup for this type of series. The main character, Chifusa, has big breasts, but she is morally against the unfair cast system.

Chifusa is actually part of the Manyuu clan, which enforces the breasts-above-all doctrine, but she rebels from the clan, due to their unfair practices. She starts a journey to share the clan's secrets of a bigger size with everyone in Japan.

Chifusa gets a ton of development, unlike most anime characters! Her size increases every episode due to using the Breast Flow swordfighting technique, which reduces the opponents breast size and increases hers by the same amount.

MH is an episodic series, in which Chifusa helps people in need (or gets help for herself) around Japan. Meanwhile, the people of the manyuu clan are mad and Chifusa rebelling, so they come after her.

This story is not outstanding, but the above elements work well to create a decent narrative. There is a good setup for the fan catering and comedy. There are some completely absurd plot twists around the halfway point, which keeps the score of the story low at 5

Characters (8):

The cast is enjoyable in this one. Manyuu has great ideals for a society that doesn't judge, making her a very solid protagonist. Kotobui Minako (the voice of Mugi in K-ON!) adds a lot of believability to this character. She is portrayed effectively as someone with a heart of gold. Chifusa's traveling partner is Kaede, voiced by Toyosaki Aki (also Yui Hirasawa in K-ON!). Similar to K-ON!, there is a lot of playful banter between the main characters. Kaede lost her breasts (due to another samurai using Breast Flow), so she is jealous of Chifusa for that. But she cares deeply about her childhood friend Chifusa.

The other characters change throughout the episodes, and none are too memorable. You've got old town elders that love breasts, little kids that miss their mom's, even more perverted guys, and more girls with big breasts. They usually have funny dialogue, and overall are good characters

Art and Sound (6 and 7):

The art and sound work well, although they aren't the best in the medium. The animation is fluid, although it is hard to judge quality (due to watching the Kira webcast version)

Sound gets a 7, largely due to the main characters' voices. This is the only combination of the Yui and Mugi voice actors outside of K-ON! and Hatsukoi Limited, so value is very high for this. The music works well, and the voices of the side characters are funny. The male characters are usually serious in a very comedic way. The music doesn't stand out, but it is decent.

Enjoyment (8):

I'm enjoying the ridiculousness of this whole thing. What surprised me is the comedy. The jokes are far from sophisticated, but the timing is very good. Despite having a decent story, this anime is not taken too seriously at times. It is mostly joking about tits (obviously), and there are also some lesbian jokes, as well. Shows like B Gata H Kei and Baka to Test don't have complex humor either, so Manyuu fits right in with those.

The anime's fan service is great, and it is well above any other non-hentai I've seen. Lots of exposed breasts in the webcast version. There are a lot of gimmicks with a ton of fan-service, as well. One of the villages has a bouncing breast contest, which is executed well. In another episode, a group of warriors fights an octopus, which is an opportunity for tentacle scenes (and jokes about the tentacle scene). There is also a group of kids who are addicted to their mother's boobs, so they shove their face in the girl's boobs. Meanwhile, the two main characters make jokes while all of these things happen. It is all done in a very slick way. Overall, the fanservice is very enjoyable, and way better than any other title airing today.

There are some ridiculous plot twists, which lowers the enjoyment from a perfect 10. Episode 6 has a completely ridiculous confrontation between Chifusu and her sister, which left me scratching my head. Overall, though, this is an above average enjoyment title, especially compared to other currently airing series.

Manyuu Hikenchou is a solid mix of fan-service, comedy, and social commentary (on the injustice of the breast size caste system). This is by no means a masterpiece, but it is a solid show if you are looking for ecchi/comedy, or if you like Yui and Mugi in K-ON!

Story: 5
Art: 6
Sound: 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 7

Whether you are going to watch this anime because of plot or the other plot, it's worth either way. Set in a parallel version of the Taihei Edo period, the series follows the busty samurai, Chifusa and her attendant Kaede.


Story (7/10)

In Manyuu Hikenchou, it's all about breasts. Breasts give you power, fame, wealth and respect. And so as you've realized, the plot revolves around breasts, the bigger the better. Chifusa and her attendant Kaede travel around the Japan to reach its final destination, Chifusa's home village in order to learn the ultimate technique: Breast Flow (乳流れ Chichi-nagare). Chichi-nagare allows to control the form of ... breasts and thus allowsr to enlarge or reduce breasts. But only Chifusa's clan is able to master this technique and Chifusa's goal is to give all women bigger breasts in order for them to be happier because if you're a flat chested girl in Manyuu Hikenchou's world, you're worthless.




Art and Sound (8/10)

Absolutely delightful art style, female character are obviously more detailed which I'm sure no one will complain. I did slightly find annoying that each episode(1-5 episode only) Chifusa's breasts from far out in her clothes almost looked the same but once nude. they looked huge.

Sound was top notch, the soundtrack was catchy and the vocals by AiRI were always a pleasure to hear (She's also in Tari Tari and Gundam Build Fighters). The voice actresses are no surprise and done their job flawlessly with great acting, but what I enjoyed most was definitely the traditional japanese music during Edo period, absoutely lovely and a joy to my ears.





Characters (7/10)

It wasn't "perfect" but it was definitely well developed, specially Chifusa and her sister Kagefusa. Chifusa's realization of her selfishness and the change she made was unexpected thing and it's not really often seen in ecchi animes. Same goes for Kagefusa who held a grudge but in the end was in tears and smiled after hugging her sister. Also the amount of characters we meet in these 12 episodes is large. Definitely not a bad thing for me, always enjoy seeing other characters and their personalities. Only problem is, they're given way too few time on the screen.




Enjoyment (10/10)

As I've written in the beginning, whatever the reason is you want to watch this, it is absolutely worth it. You have everything you want, swordplay, comedic scenes, beautiful music, adventure, plenty of character and most importantly: A lot of breasts.




Overall (7/10)

Ecchi animes are often low rated, and most of the times, it's deserved. But, Manyuu Hikenchou despite its ridiculous plot as some say it the main subject of anime(breasts) actually are connected to ours world. It's funny but in today's world, for the most of the people, if you have big breasts you're worth more than a flat chested girl and that is exactly what Manyuu Hikenchou shows, the life of two sides, one is a enjoyable one, the other one is a horror. Believe it or not, despite the fact that 70% times they show breasts the anime does send a good message.

2011's Manyuu Hikenchou is an absolute love-letter to fans of Breasts, know that I judge Anime based off of the genre they represent, not by arbitrary numbers. I rate Action anime by Action, Romance by Romance, Comedy by Comedy, Fanservice by FANSERVICE - and by Ecchi standards, Manyuu Hikenchou is a brilliant enigma of breast fanservice, and truly a pioneer in breast design.

If you have any love for Oppai in your heart, than this anime is definitely for you.


Story: Who really cares/10

While this show does indeed have a story and actually managed to keep me interested, it’s QUITE obvious what it was going for right ... from the beginning and doesn’t let the story get in the way of all the fun. In a Tokugawa type era, Breasts mean everything… literally.

Art: K-Cups/10

The Best thing about this show besides the actual perverted themes themselves is without a doubt the art and pandering of the Oppai fetish. Every bit of breast-craft that Hoods Entertainment and director Hiraku Kaneko had learned while making Seikon no Qwaser was molded, honed, and perfected with Manyuu Hikenchou. In particular, the nipple and breast design of the show I believe is a cut-above all others.

Sound: Bounce/10

Manyuu took the sexiness up another level with the inclusion of Realistic-like “flop/smack” sound effects whenever a pair of tits came out and started to move around, a much better option than the usual anime trope of having a comical “boing!” noise. Just another example of how damn much perverted attention to detail Kaneko and Hoods gave the project.

Reviewing Oppai mastery like this in a text format is an incredible handicap, to get the entire picture with visual examples from the show, I would have to recommend reading my full series review.

http://fapservice.com/good-manyuu-hikenchou-re-post/

For Oppai fans, the Kaneko/Hoods Ecchi Trifecta (Seikon no Qwaser, Manyuu Hikenchou, Kagaku na Yatsura) is essentially fetish pandering of the highest order. If you love Oppai, these shows may spoil you for anything else. They are very specific and masterful at Oppai Ecchi, nothing else compares.

I had to come back to this one. I watched a little bit of the first episode and immediately decided it was too much like Queen’s Blade. I watched some other things instead. When I finally sat down to watch it, I was pleasantly surprised.

I have a hard time sitting through many ecchi shows. Queen’s Blade was troublesome and Seikon no Qwaser was completely unwatchable, but I actually enjoyed Manyuu Hikenchou. I think it’s because it knows it’s ridiculous and never remotely takes itself seriously. It also does a remarkably good job of not acting like the rest ... of the show has no purpose beyond serving the ecchi content.

"This anime has big tits in it, so it can't be good" - The serious and mature MAL critic.

Manyuu Hikenchou is an erotic, samurai, action-comedy anime with a ridiculous premise that manages to be both superficially entertaining for its obvious ridiculousness and genuinely entertaining for the kind of story it's trying to tell. The episodes are mainly episodic in nature, but there is an overall narrative that never actually gets lost in unnecessary bullshit. Even seemingly filler scenarios and story beats manage to meander their way into the main story, becoming relevant by the end of the episode, or later on in the series, ... either thematically or more directly.

Characters are generally likeable, with the main duo being interesting enough to carry the series without boring the audience. There are plenty of supporting characters which are varied in appearance and personality. Motivations tend not to go too deep and the characters themselves rarely stray from their assigned roles for the show, but for the most part are inoffensive and fun to watch.

For samurai action, the animation and art are well done. For the erotic, the art and breast animation is exceptional. For the comedy, there are some genuine laughs to be had here and there.

The story itself is nothing too special, the breast-centric aspects of the plot notwithstanding, but for a show like this, good writing is necessary to prevent the audience from getting lost in the ridiculousness. If this anime shines, it does so with the overall execution of the story. The anime makes the plot a priority, and as far as episodic actions shows go, there's nothing really bad about it. The anime doesn't take itself too seriously, and while self-aware it never stoops so low as to dwell on self-parody. At some points it seems as if the anime wants to be a (albeit tongue-in-cheek) social commentary on our obsession with breasts. Making the point that breasts are a symbol of motherhood and are meant to nurture the next generation. Obviously, ironic for the kind of show that it is, but it isn't heavy-handed; one could say that itself is part of the comedy. There also seems to be an attempt at using breast size to stand-in for monetary or material wealth. Watching the anime with that in mind makes the scenarios even stranger, and possibly makes the anime even more meaningful comedically.

Just because Chifusa has incredibly big breasts doesn't mean that her only value is in her tits. The same could be said about this series as a whole as it has enough going for it that one could easily look past the tits if they wanted to.

There's likely only 'two reasons' you might want to watch this, and it probably isn't for the story or characters.

And that's okay.

But thankfully, Manyuu Hikenchou does manage to fit likeable characters and a mostly engaging plot between it's other, main, bouncy draw.

One thing that separates the show is how surprisingly good natured it is to the inhabitants of it's breast obsessed world.

Instead of taking the cheap and lazy route of abusing characters for titillating pay off's, it takes time to let us learn about and even respect them.

Although the main plot is too ludicrous to ever take fully seriously, Manyuu Hikenchou does explore many ... aspects of boob culture that are reflective in our own society.

I know that sounds silly, but speaking for men everywhere, I've never really considered what women themselves think and feel about owning such bosoms in the first place.

The range of emotional and peer pressured strife that women have to endure was more than a little eye opening.

In fact, while the show starts and continues with many graphic scenes of toplessness, as it reaches conclusion, the frequency and detail of these fan service moments are severely toned down.

It's as if the creator, Hideki Yamada, wanted to remove the glamour and one dimensional status of these highly popular body parts and give them some respect and naturalness instead.

The show is far from perfect though, it drags in places and doesn't conclude some of the major conflicts it seemed poised to resolve.

It's an obvious ploy for a second season (which I'm all for) but i'd have preferred a completed arc rather than trying to stretch an already thin plotline even further still.

The voice acting, music and art are all top notch, and I found myself enjoying the show for a lot more reasons than the main two it promised.