Monster Musume is nothing short of miraculous. I might even go so far as to proclaim it a harem masterpiece (take that as you will). Over the course of its twelve episodes, it started out as an “Oh my god, this is literally porn, why am I watching this?” show, then transformed into a guilty pleasure, and eventually became a genuine pleasure. I liked this show so much that, after it ended, I went out and bought the manga (which I also recommend, though be warned: it’s even more NSFW than the anime). It also completely changed my perspective on harem anime, motivating me to voluntarily check out other entries in the genre such as Trinity Seven (pretty bad) and High School DxD (surprisingly entertaining).
My main complaint with most harems is how contrived the premise is: the main character somehow finds himself surrounded by beautiful women who all want to sleep with him, yet he’s unable to “seal the deal” with any of them and nobody ends up satisfied, most of all the viewer. Here, however, the show takes this premise and makes it somewhat believable. Kimihito, the show's male protagonist, becomes the hapless host of a menagerie of buxom beast-women thanks to a convenient clerical error. However, despite their numerous and rather aggressive advances, he can’t sleep with any of his houseguests because (1) it would be illegal, as the law forbids human-interspecies copulation, and (2) he might die in the process (though I suppose there are worse ways to go). There’s also the implication that, because the Monster Girls are all part animal (mermaid, centaur, etc.), their mutual desire to bang Kimihito stems from a heightened instinct to procreate, particularly in the case of Monster Girls from female-only species. (There’s also the fact that Kimihito is a “nice guy,” which I suppose still counts for something, at least in anime.)
The underlying concept of the show is quite clever, with the integration of Monster Girls into Japanese society mirroring current real-life civil rights issues like gay marriage. Additionally, the characters are fantastic, both in their designs and their personalities (yes, even Kimihito, whose blank, dead-eyed expression just screams “What has my life become?”). I’m particularly a fan of Miia—the hot-tempered Lamia/snake-girl—and Rachnera—the cunning Arachne/spider-girl; indeed, they both stirred within me certain fetishes I had heretofore been unaware I possessed. My favorite parts of the show are the interactions of the Monster Girls with both Kimihito and each other, which often lead to naughty situations and comedy gold (and, occasionally, character development).
What else? I’m a sucker for mythology, and this show has some great world-building, particularly in the Monster Girl Collection Cards at the end of each episode. While the animation overall is only okay, the animation in episodes 1 and 12 is phenominal, demonstrating once again that, when they make the effort, Studio Lerche can do stellar work (for another example, check out their Fate/Prototype OVA from 2011). It makes me wish the animation quality was at that level for the entire series, but I'll take what I can get. The music is good (especially Rachnera’s base-line leitmotif), the OP is addictive, and the ED is surprisingly solid. Finally, the show is eminently rewatchable, with the comedy and storytelling holding up for me even after repeated viewings.
Am I going to hell for giving this show a 10/10? Maybe, but it's still the show I derived the most entertainment from during the Summer 2015 anime season. That being said, the show definitely isn’t for everyone, since it’s pretty much nothing but fanservice (which is what pornography is, after all). Personally, I found the gratuitous lewdness so over-the-top that it became hilarious, almost serving as a parody of Japan’s hentai industry. In the end, I’m really glad I took a chance on this show, and I hope you do to.
