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Okay so. I can handle series that are heavy-handed with misery so long as there is a pay-off at the end. But this... it was a very frustrating read.

The premise itself is fine, but the majority of the main couple's issues stem from outside people who just want to stir shit up. The main character is frequently dealt a bad hand in life to the point where whenever one good thing happens to him, like five more bad things happen as a result. Almost every character has their own tragedy laid out in complete detail at seemingly random areas. The fucking DOG got several ... chapters of tragic backstory.

Overall, I had to frequently stop reading and take breaks because it just got to be too stressful to read. It honestly felt like misery p/rn. Understandable hardships in this series get diluted by a side character sharing their over-the-top tragic backstory, and it really feels like an exercise of how bleak they could write a story. Like I said, I can handle a heavy-handed story for the most part, and while there IS a silver lining, they really do drag you in the dirt until the last chapter and it just... didn't feel satisfying at all. Like I put myself through reading this for THAT?

That really is my biggest beef with the series. I think the art is fine but the story is drenched in often unrealistic drama that seeps into characters you can't tell if you're meant to like or not. If you want a feels trip, read something else.

One of these days, I’ll write a review that isn’t just me warning someone of something ahead of time. But now is not one of those times. I had the expectation of giving this manga a higher rating when it ended, but you can see that didnt pan out. Spoiler warning ahead.

The reason and my warning: If you are expecting a romance with a trans character, a WLW (women loving women) relationship on top of that, I am saving you the trouble of reading through this by saying Do Not Read This.

To say the least, I’m let down.

Which isn’t to say that there aren’t good ... things. This is one of the best interpretations - and treatment - of a transgender character in anime or manga. Akira is explicitly transgender and outwardly transitions in high school. It is clear as day, and is for the most part respected by her peers - she runs into trouble, but the narrative is not super heavy handed against her and it’s certainly not played for laughs like it is in other series.

The characters are interesting and fun, the main character goes through a lot of growth and discovers who she is in the process. There’s a lot of “don’t be so hard on yourself” moments that are very applicable to our own lives even if we don’t relate exactly to what someone is going through. The artwork is wonderful and expressive.

So here’s the thing. The synopsis of the story itself tells you how Hime has been in love with Akira for a long time. The way this shojo is set up, the main relationship will be between these two characters. A shojo ai with a transgender character - one that has been treated so well, which I WISH so badly wasn’t such a rarity - is what we have been set up with. And without going into it... the last two chapters swipe the rug from under your feet. The initial couple may not always be the one that lasts in a shojo, and I know this as someone whose followed the genre for a while. Pardon my French, but there is just something fucking insidious about having to scrounge for scraps for representation of trans characters, let alone ones who get to have a romance of their own in anime or manga, and at the last minute going “nevermind!” after you’ve created this expectation. It’s at best inconsiderate and at worst just plain awful.

There are so many good things about this manga, but as someone who was recommended this as one with a budding WLW relationship featuring a transgender main character, I was let down and felt compelled to write my second review on this website. If that relationship is what you came here for, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. If this isn’t your primary concern, then by all means check out this manga - it’s still got a lot of good qualities. But I can’t, in good conscience, give this a better rating when something like this happens.

[Minor spoiler warning - no major plot points, just character descriptions]

I used to be an avid watcher of 12 episode slice of life/shoujo romance series, but as my executive dysfunction continues to rear its head, I've been doing it much less often. I decided to give As Miss Beelzebub Likes It because the style intrigued me, the main characters looked cute, and Azazel is there, too. The short of it is that this would have been a nice, inoffensive experience... if Eurynome wasn't there.

Now, I'll explain that in a moment. The general thing about this series is that there isn't really an ongoing story; ... the characters live in Pandemonium, which appears to be a quaint town rather than a fiery underworld as one would expect of characters from Hell. With that being said, the stakes set in each episode are very low, and the conflicts are usually very simple. If you go in with this expectation, then that isn't really a negative.

To talk about what I did enjoy - I thought it was very refreshing, if not a bit confusing, that the choice was to make this area of Hell look like a regular small town. *Most* of the characters are enjoyable to watch, though Beelzebub, Mullin, and Belphegor seem to get the most attention of them. I'm a sucker for pastel color palettes, and this anime executes it very well. I followed this anime at the same time that I was stressing over finals and watching a more serious and sad anime, and it was a calming experience; I would watch an episode before I went to sleep for the night.

I also really enjoyed the character Azazel, a strong, tough-looking man who prefers to write rather than talk. He has an affinity for cute things, and those around him appreciate him and don't give him a hard time over it (Mullin even calls him his brother!). I was especially amused at the last episode, which I won't go into too much detail, but they do a very blatant advertisement. I don't wanna ruin the surprise, so you'll have to scope that out. :) It was a sweet setting and had sweet characters, and I enjoyed my time watching it.

And then there's Eurynome.

Thankfully, she would not appear for several episodes, so for the first half of the series or so, you'll be safe from her. But she's coming to make you as uncomfortable as you can possibly be. Characters who are not any of the "main three" couples tend to be more one-note and have less time focused on them; in the case of Eurynome, her identifying trait is that she... stalks and fantasizes over young boys. Like, I'm talking elementary schoolers. She would go on to, at any instance she appeared, remind the audience of her sensual fantasies about nine year olds. Mullin, like anyone would, is shocked and concerned upon learning Eurynome's nature, fearing for the children who may be near her, but it is soon played off as a comical beat and he gives a very "oh, that Eurynome!" kind of shrug reaction afterward.

I would like to say that what bothered me was his initial concern and then subsequent disinterest, but honestly, it's the existence of Eurynome altogether that sullies the experience of this show for me. The slow romantic development and the poor excuses the anime gave to make skimpy uniforms for the female characters (we have her boobs out because she doesn't like button-up shirts!) were things that I could brush aside, but there was just no getting past Eurynome. Any time she showed up just made me remarkably uncomfortable, and it honestly makes me wonder why she was added in the first place. The story gains nothing by her addition to the cast; this can be argued the same for others, but at least they don't, you know, stalk young boys. I can't give the show, from my personal viewing experience, any higher than a 6 because of her.