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Softcore harem Hentai that tries to have a story, and really doesn’t

Story/characters - What is a story and how do you character?
In general I don’t review almost hentai with the same scrutiny as I would a non h anime. So I intend to throw this one a soft ball as well, however, it really should have gone all in on the H it lacks the quality and narrative fluidity to be anything else. The story is the standard ieskai model, however the main character didn’t wind up in the new world alone, the prettiest girl in school trope followed him. In this new world they ... are both granted new powers the MC is given the power to make just about anyone his slave using his bodily fluids, and the other becomes a renowned knight of justice. Basically the first thing that happens is MC turning her into one of his slaves, by this time he has already accumulated three before her. After this it's kind of a blur of flimsy excuses to go on other misadventures and acquire more slaves and loyal followers (which is which is rarely clear). The story is hard to follow and the characters make little sense and have no agency in the story. The main character says “we’re going to do this for silly reasons I don’t care to give” and everyone is cool with that because most are under his slave magic.
It’s a great set up for a hentai romp with lots of h-scenes, but it doesn’t have a lot of h-scenes compared to a hentai and it is of course not graphic or detailed in the h-scenes it does have.

Art - Not my favorite style but it fits
I like most of the character designs but some just feel lazy. The h-scenes are handled pretty well considering they show so little. I think the art overall is kind of average Moe-ish sort of soft style, it more or less suits the stuff that's happening so good job matching artiest to story there.

Overall/ Enjoyment - It’s still kinda fun
After everything else I should say “it’s not good skip it” but I don’t know it’s kinda fun, it doesn’t make much sense and would be a way better hardcore hentai then how it is now but still oddly “charming?” In a way. I think this one doesn’t know what it’d rather be, it sat between wanting to be an edgy real boy anime with some h-scenes and a hentai with what would have been an excellent hentai story. That confusion makes it hard to recommend because I feel it doesn’t find an audience with people that want to read a manga with some h or people that want to read a hentai with some story. I think I beat this idea more than really necessary so I’ll leave it at that until more chapters become available.

I don’t know where the mangaka is going to take this very classic “let’s go kill the demon lord” story, but so far it has been a real joy to follow.

Story/characters - Fantasy time travel is actually pretty cool
The story follows a veteran demon-lord slayer that has had his memories and soul transported 4 years back in time to a point before demons nearly completed total genocide of all other humanoid races. He takes this opportunity and quickly looks to find a way to fight the demons more effectively. The primary issue being how divided the people were and a lot of internal strife. A ... good amount of the tale focuses on gathering support and around the main character for the war effort he thinks is on the horizon. I think the story is pretty well executed, however I feel that the fast paced, clever story comes at the consistent cost of character development.
I like the characters, and I like the situations they’ve been thrust into to make interesting dynamics. However the author spends little time to curate and give proper attention to some really good ideas. This may change in the upcoming chapters but as it stands my biggest complaint with the manga is not capitalizing on good character interactions and instead glossing over them most times.

Art - it's not bad but it’s not really my style
I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the art as it looks good and is pretty consistent throughout. I just don’t really prefer the style so much, it works well enough that I have no problem getting through it. Most times the art looks more like a sketch and has a bit of an “old school” manga vibe to it. There isn’t a good sense of “lighting” and the lines on characters feel odd to me. It took awhile for the main character's design to really grow on me but the rest of the designs are pretty good. All in all definitely not even close to a “deal breaker”, it’s just not one of the selling points for this one.

Overall/ Enjoyment - need to see a few more chapters
I really liked this work when I first picked up reading it and quickly blitzed through what was out, but after I stopped and thought about it I really couldn’t decide if it really was as good as I was thinking during reading. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy reading it, but overall because of the lack of time spent on little character moments I find myself a little disappointed rather than satisfied. I have to wait and see if the author knows is doing it purposely for really good pay offs later in the story, or if it just keeps going the way it has. If it doesn't, I’ll probably read it all anyway but my opinion of it will gradually fall as well.

Slice of life meets Ieskai

When I started reading I admit that it seemed a bit dull, however halfway though I changed how I approached the story. I started thinking of it as a Slice of life that just so happens to use Isekai as its backdrop. There are a few anime/manga that have used this idea before, while I have not consumed any of them I can say that this is its own experience.

Story/characters - I don’t know why but I really like them
The main character is not the spineless, hapless lout we’ve all but gotten used to at this point. For once I ... found myself going “why was this guy a “loser” in the “real world”?” He can cook, is hard working, fairly intelligent, and not ugly. Isekai is getting to a point where it expects you to know what’s going on and doesn’t spend any time adapting the characters to their new environment. De Harem takes more time than most do at this point to acclimate to the new world, which some will not be up for at this point. Close to ieskai’ed out you might not want the super hero “origin story” any more and wish it would just get to the point. That however is the catch, there is no point, no demon lord no epic quest, no kingdom or princess to save, mostly he just farms in a dungeon that literally never ends (everything re-spawns like a video game). Though much like another light edgy anime, he does acquire a slave:
That character is Roxanne, and she is so well drawn and cute, and is even written fairly well. Plucky, energetic and cute but somehow also makes her reserved, refined and knowledgeable. I actually quite like the writing for this character, she plays off the main character really well and almost makes me wish it were a soft-core hentai so more people would get into it.
There is no story, as of the last chapter I read, it’s just these two characters living like newlyweds.

Art - Who is this guy and how did they get him/her to draw this softcore hentai?
It’s gorgeous! I love the art, not only are the character designs look great but the action and paneling are spot on to show action or,,, other events. It's consistent, and alluring, it has soft shading that does an awesome impression of “lighting” all in black and white! The art is really beautiful, I’m not going to be as hyperbolic to say something like “best everah” but it looks very good and very much enhances the reading experience.


Overall/ Enjoyment - It’s a tough call
Really there just isn’t enough out yet to make a judgment, I had a hard time in the beginning before Roxanna joins the party, and even after that it’s really slow, after accepting the slice of life ieskai idea I really started enjoying myself much more and have high hopes for its future. However that future is yet to be seen, I hope to find out soon and pop back into this review and fill it out a little more. Until then thanks for reading!

Magic just before my time

If you’ve seen the other card battle manga/anime out there and thought “wouldn’t be cool if there was one that used Magic the Gathering (MTG)” then you’ve come to the right place. However this story has one BIG leg up on the others, and that is that it's a competent romance comedy as well. If I’m being honest it’s not really very unique in any way as far as the characters progress, still it takes what works about others that have come before and leaves what doesn’t. So on the romcom side of things it works well enough to keep ... you engaged, still I don’t think that was the point.
Reading this Magic seems to be the real driver for the story. What makes it “unique”, is that a card battle story would be paired with a romance story. Card battle still seems to be more or less the point though, if you were itching for a MTG card battle Manga/anime and like to see some romance mixed in I think you’ll very much enjoy. If you just want a card battle story or just a romance don’t think this will do well on that “itch”. The Manga is still ongoing and I hope that it still has surprises left for me, I’ll be back to update the review if so.

The last review here was over a year ago and the last positive review over 4.

Before anything else:
First thing you’ll need to know is that the main character truly isn’t in any way a good person, however the story knows that and the character himself knows that. He wants to be an infamous dark wizard/sorcerer. Second this is basically softcore hentai there are scenes of sex in most chapters, the main character is not afraid to black mail or drug(magic drugs) girls into bed with him. If either of those bother you, I’d skip this one, and this review to save yourself some time.

Story/characters ... - I like it and have high hopes for its future
With that out of the way I can talk frankly about what I feel matters in this manga.
If you have ever played D&D, hero quest, or any of the contemporaries there is much in this that is quite fun to read through. It's the story of the dark sorcerer Aur’s humble beginnings, and his full rise to continent wide threat. One that is worthy of an entire campaign to be based around (now that I think about it I might do that with my play group). I like the setbacks and challenges Aur faces throughout, because despite how powerful he is things don’t always go the way he wants them to. From the looks of things in later chapters it seems they even have a real plan to attempt to humanize Aur, and I find myself very interested in this hopeful character arc. I wouldn’t expect much from other characters however, they are for the most part his play things. He faces a few enemies that have interesting motives to want to kill Aur, but everyone else is either being controlled by Aur or is completely subservient to him for whatever reason. If you read this, you are reading for the main character.
The biggest problem with the narrative is a hypnosis plot device used the drive all the sex in the story, I don’t really have a problem with the idea that the character uses it. However when its used and not used is a little vague so it's hard to tell which characters just want Aur’s d*ck and which he has hypnotized to want his d*ck. Normally I wouldn’t care that much but it starts to become plot relevant which are serving him because they authenticity want to and which are being controlled to. For some characters that are “not” being controlled it's pretty plot covenant that they do. Still if you know what you're in for, it's not that big a deal.


Art - inconsistent but used well
I really like the character designs in this story, I also really enjoy its use of cute versions of the characters especially Aur. Because he is just such a bad guy it’s very funny seeing him in that form. Oh and the softcore hentai is super well done.

Overall/ Enjoyment - Very fun if you can stomach an actual bad guy
I legitimately have a good time reading this, I understand why others hate it, but the same reasons they dislike it I enjoy it. I understand that the non-consensual sex scenes are going to be difficult for many readers but I think it forms the basis for why Aur is different from other would be conquerors in the story, its part of what makes him the “bad guy” if you’ve read this far you are obviously curious, that being the case I encourage you to look into the series yourself and make up your own opinion. It’s not even close to some master work, however if you like the premise and none of what I’ve said would bother you in a story, definitely give it a go.

*=After completion

Anyone who can appreciate a good romance story will enjoy Girl Friends, even if they do not specifically love shoujo-ai/yuri.

*This is the pinnacle of the genre, in yuri romance for slice of life manga. This is the masterpiece of its era and is likely not going to be dethroned from most highly rated and best critically received yuri for a long time.
Most of my thoughts are unchanged. I am mostly just following up with the review to assure people that this is well worth it all the way to the end.

Story:

When it comes to school & slice of life manga, it often feels as ... if there is not much of a story, just a setting that you let characters loose in. What I can say is that unlike many shoujo-ai, Girl Friends takes a much more “true to life” approach, on the girl/ girl romance. The approach is fresh, interesting and helps the audience relate. The only complaint here is the amount of small talk involved can sometimes be too much.

*Story is solid, my only nitpick is petty… I wished that there was more. It’s usually the hallmark of a good story. (Unless there is a case of a rushed ending or unresolved plot lines) Might be a little spoiler-ish under, skip to art if you want nothing to do with it:
In this case I would love to see Morinaga pick these characters back up some time for a sequel exploring their college life and coming out story.

Art:

The art is as good as what you would expect out of a, decent manga series. Morinaga Milk’s art style and character designs are top notch.

*I have to say that the art really remained very consistent all the way through to the end, and a few panels where the quality was buffed up for a dramatic moment. Over all I have to again compliment the artist very pretty character design, nice backdrops and everything inbetween.

Characters:

The main character Mari, is one of the most emotionally complicated (different from other means of making a complex character) and troubled character I have ever seen. Emotional complexity comes from trying to understand why you feel the way you do, it’s feeling having a contradiction between the way you feel and the way you rationally think would be the best way to feel, it’s questioning your own motivations and intentions in the interactions you have with others. To some it might seem melodramatic but, that is the essence of creating great internal struggle, which is relatable in multitude of different ways.

The other characters are more, for the everyday interactions, kind of like a lucky star sort of thing but they are fun, unique, and amusing. At some point during the manga the main character changes to Akiko, the person of Mari’s feelings. Akiko stood out quite a bit as an eccentric, but when the main focus becomes centered on her perspective she starts to come to life, as a well fleshed out character. Her time in the spotlight is just beginning but there is much hope for good things in the future.

*I was right about Akko, she was awesome, as she was a much more confident character. That had to “catch up” to Mari in terms of figuring out her feelings for the sake of continuity, but once she did, Akko was much more sure of herself compared to Mari. She would made decisions on how she felt and stuck to them, as well didn’t mind putting herself out to get to the truth. The character dynamic, by the end is the most satisfying romantic interaction that I have read.

Enjoyment:

Emotional drama and self-torment in a realistic setting is a very gripping read. This isn’t something everyone enjoys but for the target audience, this series will be pure bliss. The small talk sections may be boring for some however, but it is forgivable. This manga will hook you in and have you honestly caring about its characters, which is a good measure to its enjoyment.

Overall:

If you are the type to enjoy the things mentioned above, you will love this, especially if you also have a love for shoujo-ai
Fan for life. I will read everything Morinaga, Milk makes for a long time just to hope that she can do something like this again.

Check in:

It's been Over 10 years since I wrote this review, I have remained a fan of the romance and yuri genres. I felt it needed saying that even with all the new content in the space GirlFriends remains completely undefeated in my mind. In 10 years I have not seen/read any yuri I felt was as good. If you are new to the genre and you are concerned that this one is old and may not compare to its contemporaries I’d like to offer confidence that it is still well worth it. It isn’t like modern yuri so I wouldn’t expect that, as well I’m becoming an old fan so this may just be my bias. Still it's my review and I don’t think there is anything better you can read in the genre.

outlaw star, is an excellent watching experience, I'm know for deeply analyzing story's, I try to pull out as much out of scope information as i can, from what I'm watching "meta-story" if you will. outlaw star has always been an anomaly as far as my rubric is concerned, analyzing it just doesn't get me any where. It is just a fun watching experience, not to say it is with out is certain complexity's.

characters:
An out right 10 by my standers they are unique while remaining very easy to relate to, the young boy Jim is useful with out being annoying and Gene is ... appropriately male rather than being another one of those overly innocent or completely emotionally oblivious leads. unfortunately the rest of the cast isn't given a lot of time to develop with the exception being Aisha who is almost bipolar, but still a fun and genuinely entertaining character.

Sound:
music, English voice's, sound FX. ^_~b absolutely astounding i haven't herd better voice casting scene, the only competitor being FMA. the music is some of the first anmie music I listened to outside of the show.

Art:
it slumps of in an episode or two but it makes up for it by pulling of wonderful fight seance animation at the most dramatically appropriate places. and I'm personally a big fan of the character designs.

story:
this is one of the times where I can say, unique doesn't always mean better. I had never and haven't since seen a story or universe like the one of outlaw star. many of the things it dose are very unique most of them I really liked but upon talking to some of my friends about the show I quickly realized that some of the things such as grappler arms were not as well received among them, it seems most prefer classic mecha. As for the tail being told its self it's it keeps things moving well but I discovered that the story itself wasn't the reason I watched the show everything else really over shadows it, in my opinion.