Soara to Mamono no Ie
Soara and the House of Monsters

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In terms of tone & structure, Soara and the House of Monsters is comparable to Delicious in Dungeon, The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls, Dinosaur Sanctuary, and Alchemy in No Man’s Land.

So far, this manga is an episodic travelogue that contains neat fantasy world-building. Every few chapters are organized into "Architecture Files"; essentially, the main group stumble upon monsters in desperate need of places to live & work. They brainstorm the monsters’ specialized needs and tackle architecture, engineering, interior design, and gathering materials - all while respectfully working with the unique environments.

The crew tailor the homes to the monsters' desire, and the mangaka gives extensive ... tours of the adorable houses & properties. Time is bent with travel & building at an unrealistic speed, but the zippy pacing is entertaining. It's enjoyable reading the chapters and meeting new monsters - even if at this point the story structure is kind of predictable, there’s still anticipation & surprise.

It’s taking some time for the characters to be fully realized. One hindrance is the dialogue, which can lean heavily on exposition vs. conversation. This isn't always an issue - or rather, the flatness doesn't spoil the fun, because everyone has instant charm [Niko is my fave~]. Even so, the characters & their relationships are slowly developing as their bonds grow stronger. There’s not much fanservice or hints at romance, which is appreciated here.

The real attraction is the exceptional art and whimsical style - sometimes reminiscent of whacky 90's Nicktoons and Cartoon Network. A chunkiness & rounded off or curvy quality. Panels have dynamic perspective and an energetic flow. Similar to One Piece, a playfulness with size & scale. The characters have spunky designs, lively facial expressions, and posing full of movement & personality. Pragmatic costuming reflects different cultures with attention to shape & proportion. The home reveals are always a treat and there's thoughtful practicality to the fantastical designs. It's easy to get lost in the details and rewarding to revisit chapters.

Going along with the somewhat childlike feel is a special nostalgia...a perspective "I want to build a world like this" from childhood realized. A little Beatrix Potter coziness or Lego & Playmobil - that type of imaginative play resonates in this story. It fuels the same pleasant feeling a dollhouse might. Perhaps this goes too far into “juvenile” territory; the tone can be goofy & lighthearted [not to mention the puns] - but despite that fluffiness, the themes are compelling.

Within every chapter are discussions about what it means to have a home and to feel safe & comfortable. Included in this are topics like accessibility & accommodations for all body types, understanding abilities & accepting limitations, and the struggles & joys of connecting with others. There’s an emphasis on ingenuity, teamwork, community, coexistence, and building a better society without expecting anything in return. The characters are admirably proactive, and feel genuine pride & satisfaction in their altruism & hard work.

As the story continues, the world becomes more complex and the main group has an overarching goal with various expected [and unexpected] quests along the way. There's much to explore and history to unfold [can't wait for more Kahyou~]. It would be great to see past monsters again & have them become part of the larger narrative. It has the potential to get better from here - I'm invested and excited to see where it goes!

Story: Good (7/10)
Art: Great (9/10)
Character: Good (7/10)
Enjoyment: Very Good (8/10)
Overall: Very Good (8/10)
Status: On Hold; Waiting for Seven Seas English Volumes

[adapted from my review on mangaupdates.com]

This is a manga which, if given the chance it deserves, could be something genuinely special. Right out the gate, the art is stunning. Genuinely stunning. The whimsical art style compliments the story's whimsical world perfectly, but is still detailed enough to be not only pleasant to look at, but impressive. The amount of detail poured into the interiors and the monsters' designs is shocking. Within a mere 17 chapters, Soara and the House of Monsters has gotten me genuinely interested to learn more about its world. I have read, watched and played hundreds of fantasy stories, and the idea of interior design specifically catered ... to the needs of different monsters has never been approached in such a fun, detailed way. Each monster's way of life is explored, and utilized to design the detailed interiors and stunning artwork that accompanies it. The characters of Soara are all likeable. Though none of them have gotten long to grow and develop, they are all fun to watch, and genuinely endearing. With each chapter I read, I was happy to see Soara to warm up more and more to her new companions, and am excited to watch them grow closer still.

This manga's exploration of classic fantasy creatures in the context of simply wanting homes is a very unique take on a fantasy setting, and allows for the readers to learn about the world in an organic way, while progressing the plot and providing incredible artwork. What more could one want? The plot thus far is nothing crazy, but it's comforting. The concept of a band of travelers building homes for monsters in need in exchange for nothing but some magical items is so simple, but lets the manga strike a balance between an episodic structure, and genuine progression. Every chapter brought a genuine smile to my face, especially with some of them covering really wholesome topics. Each page of this manga seeps passion, love of the medium, and most importantly in an industry as saturated as manga, a genuine desire to do something unique. I haven't read or watched many stories like Soara, so despite its low chapter count and relatively low popularity, I will wear my love of this manga on my sleeve in the hopes that more people read it, and it is able to get the recognition it so deserves. If you have somehow come across this review without reading Soara and the House of Monsters, give it a read. It's brief and well worth every second you give it.

If you like one of those arts about fantasy and monster houses, I recommend this. If you don't, I'll say try reading volume 1 and stop there.

The art is clean and pretty, and the monster houses are detailed complete with good explanations. Characters look nice and distinct.

My problem is (at least for me personally), once the uniqueness of being a fantasy architect manga wears off, the charm stops.

I'm sure the human protagonist would get her happy ending but right now I don't see much to find interesting since its traumatic pasts are pretty much.

The dwarves will probably show more characters later on, but so ... far they feel more like a group of one entity rather than three unique individuals.

The monster houses after Volume 1 are still neat and is in no way inferior to the Goblin House, it's just that I'm not that interested about them anymore. The processes are near effortless and there's no character conflict or drama I'm interested in.

Overall, rather than a straightforward "this manga is bad", it's just not for me.