Back to Yemi_Hikari's Profile Yemi_Hikari's Profile

--suicide--

I think the reason behind both of my choices from the "You Should Read This Manga 2024" list lies with me wanting to know how this topic ended up being handled, and in the end, I definitely feel more comfortable recommending this one over the other entry.

Now, this isn't to say the reason I recommend this is because this series lacks any uncomfortable messages regarding the topic of suicide because there are undoubtedly uncomfortable messages in this particular Manga series, but a major difference between this and the other series I picked out lies with intentional messages versus unintentional ones, with all of the uncomfortable ... messages in this particular Manga being intentional.

I can also state without going into spoilers what makes those messages uncomfortable, and that lies with this particular Manga diving into the impact an individual's actions can have on another individual with what makes the message uncomfortable being that we all should be more aware of how we treat others.

Of course, the series is also likely to hit home more for those who know certain things about the Japanese school system, in particular certain pressures the students face, some that are similar to how they are here in the West and others that are certainly unique experiences for the Japanese school system. For example, here in the United States high school students move from one class to another, those in the class varying while in Japan the teachers move from one class to another with the students staying the same.

If there was one issue, the ending. Without going into spoilers, I do feel the ending will have mixed feelings from readers, but then, I think that has more to do with the subject matter and the message being sent than anything.

I've majorly mixed feelings about recommending this one, feelings that lean towards actually not recommending the Manga. On one side, I'm quite understanding why this particular series ended up recommended for the "You Should Read This Manga 2024" list, which is, in turn, why I ended up reading this one in the first place. Whoever recommended it for the unique art and story wasn't lying, and for that, I must admit I did enjoy those aspects of the series.

On the same side, I can see this series appealing to anyone looking for characters whose sexual orientation isn't heterosexual.

The problem is -- ugh.

I can't get past ... this thought in my head that if a non-heterosexual teenager approached me asking for a series that involved non-heterosexual characters, this wouldn't be it. And yes, I know this series is Seinen, but that doesn't preclude teens from picking this up. The reason why I wouldn't recommend it for a non-heterosexual teenager is the same reason I wouldn't recommend this for a non-heterosexual adult I knew to have mental health issues, particularly if the mental health issues regarding their sexual orientation, such as having family reject them for their sexuality.

We are, after all, talking here about a series that dives into the topic of suicide, something thankfully alluded at in the summary here on MAL, so those going into the series are undoubtedly well-informed of the fact the Manga delves into the topic, but on the flip side there is absolutely no warning regarding the other part, of what the characters sexuality is, and alarm bells kept going off in my head regarding the message being sent, but by this I don't mean the endgame message which I do consider a positive message, but instead some of the unintentional messaging going on in here.

For example, how am I, the reader, supposed to interpret what is meant by soulmate at the end, given what we learn about the actual soulmate and why they're soulmates? What am I to think of the ambiguity of the main character's sexuality, given I felt the main character's feelings towards their dead friend could be interpreted as romantic rather than platonic? And what kind of message does that send, her going on a journey to meet her friend, as the summary suggests? What about the fact that her friend died is either non-existent or so obscure that I blinked and missed it, leaving even more questions that, as much as I'd love to recommend this, I've also found myself super conscious of who I'd recommend this to.

This, in turn, is the reason behind writing the review -- I think those picking up the series should be at least somewhat aware of before picking up this series that they may pick up on some narrative messages the original creator didn't intend to may make readers uncomfortable, which in turn may be a turn off for some, but for others may be what they need to enjoy this particular series.

Pokemon follows Ash, sometimes to the detriment of the franchise. In this, there are definitely fans of the series who are looking for something following a different format, at the very least a series that doesn't involve Ash, the never-aging Pokemon trainer from yesteryear, not because there is any lack of love for the franchise or Ash, but simply because there is a want for something new. This, of course, can mean a series within the franchise that doesn't follow the never-aging Pokemon trainer, but there's also something to breaking away from the formula of not following another trainer on the journey to become one ... of the greatest.

Pokemon Concierge is in the latter when it comes to breaking the formula in that it doesn't just follow Ash; it follows nobody wanting to become a trainer and instead takes a more slice-of-life direction. Of course, in saying this, going in this direction in breaking the formula, this particular addition to the franchise is slice-of-life with no battles. There is a calm to it, a mellowness, but the episodes are also on the shorter length, making the series something that's definitely meant for relaxation purposes, not so much turning off ones brain, but more of sitting back and enjoying the day-to-day slice-of-life antics that happen at the resort.

Which, yes - slice-of-life isn't everyone's cup-of-tea, I admit, but to say, "Oh, I've mixed feelings about recommending this because someone doesn't like slice-of-life" really isn't fair to the series, as a slice-of-life series isn't meant for those who don't like slice-of-life, but anybody reading the review should be aware of whether they like the sub-genre or not. And for those who do like the sub-genre, this was certainly a pleasant series, one that I'd even argue would appeal to those who aren't fans of Pokemon because it fits the genre so well.

On the positive side of things, this is one of those sequels viewers don't need to see the prequel material to get. On the not-so-positive side, the show may leave viewers actually wanting to check out the prequel material, which may not be something viewers may have access to. Akuma-kun is certainly a long waited delight for those who are into the older series, perhaps even more eclectic styles of Anime/Manga, albeit this isn't a reboot let alone an older Anime finally getting a dub.

Of course, Akuma-kun is difficult to explain, beyond the fact it is of the supernatural mystery genre which can in itself ... be super-niche. And on top of the supernatural horror elements, which are mild compared to some of the others going for the psychological pull rather than the gore out, although the show doesn't shy away from blood and gore when needed, there is also comedy, not to mention interpersonal relationships some are craving, the latter I personally enjoyed a lot.

Don't be fooled by the visuals or the premise, as the ball was definitely dropped on this one.

Effectively, the series tries too to hard present the family as dysfunctional in real life, reducing certain narrative elements to mere shock value while glossing over certain things that really shouldn't have been glossed over, but at times the series doesn't feel at all like the writer >new what they really wanted to do beyond surprising the audience with plot twists for the sake of shock value

For example, shut-ins are certainly a major issue in Japan, with the narrative setting attempting to present this as a bad thing, ... something the family looks down upon and despises the main character for, yet this is something we're told by the main character and what we're shown in real life contradicts this as none of his family members he says despise him actually do. True, we're shown the father doing some really crappy stuff as the series progresses, and the younger brother--

Eh, he says one thing and does another.

More specifically, despite the crappy stuff the father says and the younger brother saying he hates shut-ins, they're both shown as acutely aware of the reason why the main character is a shut-in within the first few episodes and while their responses aren't the best responses to a family member in a similar situation, one can argue they're honestly trying to do their best, even the dad who is presented progressively more and more in a negative light. And the younger brother, who the main character complains about the most is actually dealing with the brunt of his older brother's mental health issues.

Which, one would think this would be a far greater plot element than it is, and the reason why one of the themes here on MAL is psychological.

And yet, the series fails the mental health issue horribly along with many other things as the creator of the series really didn't think through any of these things beyond shock value, but as the series progressed there just became more and more loose ends they weren't tying up, or things that weren't explored in the rich depth one expects of a psychological themed series. This in turn can end up being taxing on the viewer.

So no, I don't recommend it for that reason, but also because I was left with the feeling the creator of the series wanted to capitalize on what's become a major plot theme - virtual reality, shoved in various things from existing series, yet never stopped and really thought about why the more successful ones were successful, which includes the interpersonal relationships which this series had for the first few episodes until it decided to throw that out the window, possibly to be different I guess, and the speculation regarding the probabilities of where virtual reality may somewhere down the line be, whereas this one doesn't stop and think if the things it does are probable, just whether or not the element is cool and/or delivers the wanted shock value.

But yeah, what is set up for in the first few episodes never really pans out, so definitely not recommending.

SEIZURE WARNING

This Anime, for the major fight scenes, is computer generated by placing a 2D art style onto a 3D frame which in turn runs the risk of animation that could cause seizures. This is also a process not everyone is fond of the end product of.

And that's the main reason for the mixed feelings when it comes to recommending this particular Anime and the reason for writing the review. Had this not been a factor, the seizure warning review would lean more towards recommended. On the surface, this particular Anime may appear to be a harem series. Still, in this particular case, the show ... tosses that on its head, for while the main character is surrounded by a harem of females, his party isn't completely a harem, but the platonic relationships he forms with his party are a primary focus. It's not just about the relationships he forms with his party but the relationships he forms with those outside of his party. Part of this comes from the fact he's turned himself into a blank-slate character as well.

On the downside, that may be a miss for some is this is yet another series with an overpowered main character as well as references to a demon lord, although there are ways that this particular series turns those on its head. Despite being overpowered, the main isn't a Gary Stu, and while it is true that his flaw isn't treated like a fatal flaw, his being overpowered is less about his own personal growth and instead about the growth of those around him, of those he forms bonds with as he progresses. There's also - and this isn't a spoiler as it's revealed in the first episode, the element of him attempting to hide his true nature from others as much as possible in order to retain his freedom.

Of course, there are also series that puts their own twist on those elements as well that can be argued as having done it better. Still, the charm of this series really lies with the individual characters and the relationship, so it's good not to focus on just the main character. As such, it will lean more towards a viewer who likes having a focus on interpersonal relationships over individual characters.

Animal abuse.

Why the writer decided to start the adventure off with animal abuse is a mystery, but they did.

More specifically, the reader is left asking why the main character gets the idea that they have to do their project regarding the environmental impact of creatures by capturing cats and tagging each cat by shaving them and marking them effectively with a sharp. However, one might argue that the main female character quite imagines herself as the scientist wanting to win the science project their teacher assigned because she's jealous of another classmate whose doing sparrows instead.

Did the teacher really instruct students to go out and ... catch the creature they're supposed to be observing?

Ah. It doesn't say it outright, but a science project where the students observe the creatures makes more sense than the cruel tag and release the girl is doing, not to mention the fact she's not really collecting any data on the cats.

This of course, leads to the conflict, the cats wanting to punish her, only she doesn't ever get punished and gets off just to--

*cough*

The ending implies she and the cat spirit are supposed to be each other's first love because the two arguing mirrors their grandparent's, first love. Like, no.

Cat lovers will likely want to skip this one-shot.

The plot is a walking cliche. It's been done before. Actually, there's nothing wrong with a plot being done before. The problem lies more with where the writer takes the plot, and in this particular case, the writer doesn't take the plot anywhere new, so the more a reader comes across this plot being used, the more they'll be bored with this particular manga one-shot. Mind you, I do have to credit the artwork with being gorgeous, but the plot--

The plot does nothing to flesh out the characters. The reason why the guy likes messing with girls' hair is barely fleshed out, but more importantly, ... the writer relies too much on stereotypes to drive the plot and conflict that, in turn, removes character agency for the male character.

There is no mother-in-law in this story. No, mother-in-law is the nickname Mashiro earned when she was younger because the other girls didn't like the way she'd nitpick everything, which in turn ties into a negative mother-in-law stereotype. This does, in some ways make the one-shot a bit odd of a read, yet it ended up being quite enjoyable. For those who enjoy romances where opposites attract, this particular piece will be a quick read. Still, if the readers think it will be a run-of-the-mill romance with absolutely no development where the opposite traits are Mashiro and Kobato, the beginning is simply the setup.

Is the concept for this isekai unique? - Yes. Are the character archetypes used in this series unique as well? - Yes.

The problem is, coming up with a unique concept and/or a unique combination of character archetypes doesn't mean the series is going to be good. In fact, having a unique idea that's never been done before has nothing to do with whether the writing for a given series is good or not. No, whether the writing is good or not has to do with the quality of the narrative being told, how the writer utilizes the narrative devices at their disposal, and whether the ... narrative device is new or not. As such, one can have a narrative device that is brand new and not have a story that is well-written.

Of course, in this same regard, a series doesn't have to be well-written to be entertaining; to which there are series where the flaws in the writing can be overlooked because the work is entertaining. That's how I would describe the first season, yet I'd also argue that there were some positive things the series did as well. For the second season, however, the flaws from the first season became even more evident while, in turn, the positive things in the series occurred a lot less then.

The most glaring issue lies with the main character, which is also one of the main concepts of this series.

Our main character, Yuusuke, is presented from the start of the series as a character who hates the world to the point the first season tried to present him as having the ideals of a psychopath who needs to be reformed through this major, life-changing adventure. In reality, this particular middle school student is pragmatic about life and the way life works, far more than one would want a middle schooler should be, but apparently, he went through something that left him that jaded. He understands that lie isn't equal and that sometimes people have to make hard decisions that they don't necessarily like making. Yet, this train of thought is presented as wrong simply because - well, pacifism is effectively treated as saintdom in this particular series.

It's to the point that the fifth round attempts to lay out just how vile humans are compared to - well, Orcs.

Yes, we're talking about a creature that eats humans that sees humans as just another fleshy food source that can easily be disposed of should they prove to be a big enough nuance which is, in turn, rather ironic given something Yuusuke says during the fifth roundabout humans that he claims is a human only trait, yet anybody with a brain would realize that the Orc share this same trait with the humans. Only, we're supposed to be seeing the humanity in these Orcs with the singular moment we get to see an ounce of humanity be trampled by what he said applies to the Orcs. Nor does survival factor into what he's saying.

Yet, at this moment, what he says that is completely wrong is treated by the narrative as being right, while some of the other things he said are treated as wrong. Differing opinion isn't allowed, and he's even called out by one for carrying more about the people of the other world than the other heroes, which is aggravating given the people of the other world can't revive as they can. They're still getting on his case about this after they find out that the other world is real.

We also shouldn't forget that all of this relies on a negative stereotype for those with social issues, but in Yuusuke's case, we're given this message of a pragmatic individual, who thinks with reason instead of just emotion, is some form of psychopath simply because he would act in a pragmatic manner rather than the pacifist manner that would get everybody killed. He thus needs to be taught how to become an integral part of society who can benefit, which is showcased in his lack of idea regarding what he wants to do in the future, belittling the fact he - a middle school student, doesn't know what he wants to do with his life once he graduates high school despite the fact only some kids will have an idea what they want to do with their future. It's more of a concrete idea in high school.

And, of course, those who lack proper social skills as kids are being put in their place.

Round One's Iu is shoehorned into the role of having social skill issues, with a lot of her issues involving her family background and the fact her older family members are delinquents. There was her temper which was shown only once in a flashback, only to be brought down by the fact other students noticed the teachers treating her differently simply because of who her family was, which is why she came to rely on her peers to stand up to others, at least until she could prove she wasn't like the rest of her family. She's also got a sob story of having a friend who killed herself, although this never really plays much into the story let alone match up with her issues.

As for fatal flaws, she has none outside of the ones forced upon her by the game master. Her actual purpose is likely to have a certain archetype within the group, while also, if what I'm discerning in this season is right, she's going to be the romantic pair off at the end for our main character. Her entire persona is the cool girl, and she honestly falls to the wayside plot-wise as more and more characters join their party.

Round Two’s Kusue had an illness that needed to be cured, which apparently, becoming a pharmacist instead of a doctor will result in her succeeding in finding a cure. However, I don’t really follow that train of logic. Finding a cure to what is obviously a hereditary illness, as her mother also suffered, becomes an ute point as her time in the other world improves her stats in that world, thus hand waving her social issue, because there’s, of course, a magic cure for everyone's social issue woes in this universe. Never mind that there is a definite question of whether the illness is real, resulting in her being lucky even to be born or just all in that head of hers.

In turn, her illness falls to the wayside in later rounds because of this, and the new thing that defines who she is is to be Yuusuke’s moral compass when it comes to killing other human beings because her pacifist ways are considered by the narrative to be more morally correct than his pragmatic thinking. Thus she also remains in this rut of struggling to kill, well, anything.

Round Four’s Yuka is your bullied character, which would be great if they didn’t manage to trivialize the bullying as “girls will be girls” as well as “friends will be friends,” and there being justification for why she puts up with everything. Her other defining trait are being a pervert who has a definite, “I’m not attracted to that because I’m not a perve – wait, am I a perve moment.” She’s also got a thing for getting mad at Yuusuke for being pragmatic regarding how they utilize the fact they can revive as he places less value on her and the character introduced in round five.

Round Five’s Keita Torii is – well, he’s actually fleshed out compared to the other three of our MCs companions. Part of this comes from him being an older brother and being into the whole tough love, but like Yusuke, his ways are treated as being morally bankrupt despite being the pragmatic answer to a given situation. He does turn his background and social issues on their head and not fit the stereotype, and yet there is a definite cogitation with his character that dropping out only happens because someone is dumb, rather than the more logical explanation here that he’s got to help his mom support their family because dad’s not in the picture.

And then Round Six.

Round six really isn’t worth writing home about plot-wise, and the adult addition to the group is a creepy lesbian character whose role could easily have been fulfilled by an existing character. His background is also creepy.

And no, the reason I call her a creepy lesbian isn’t because she’s same-sex attracted. It’s because she falls into that negative stereotype of actually saying some very creepy things about the younger female characters that, if she were a male character, would be seen as her being a super creepy perv that you wouldn’t want around these kids. Yet, she is.

As for the creepy background, that has to do with the trivialization of PTSD by trying to hammer home the message of pacifism over pragmatism only to have contradicting messages within the narrative, along with her sob story of her coming out of the closet to her father resulting in him wanting to kill her because we’re told that’s the case AFTER she notes he had severe PTSD.

So, yes, there are some definite things that will make some want to give this one a good hard pass, and while I love the characters and I love the concept, it’s not something I’d easily recommend to others unless I knew what their comfort zone for this kind of thing was.