That being said, if you're hesitant about starting to read manga for the first time, the hardest part was learning to read right to left. Otherwise, it was surprisingly enjoyable.
The anime really cuts out a lot of the details from the manga. Lots of characters are introduced in the beginning of the 3rd season, and each character has a backstory that is explained in the manga. I feel like it should be mandatory to read those missing chapters before continuing onto the 3rd season of the anime.
After the arc that the 3rd season of the anime covers ends, I felt that the story really dawdled. The trials and tribulations that occur are weighty enough, but how everything is handled at the end seemed forced. Luckily, the story for The World God Only Knows was good enough as a whole that it was bearable.
I don't have much to say about the art except that the fight scenes were hard to follow.
The characters aren't bad. All of them had realistic problems that manifested themselves in interesting ways. However, at a certain point, they stopped developing and remained static characters. With so many characters, it's difficult for all of them to keep evolving, I suppose. Their behavior became predictable, and it was like watching a bad comedy skit. There are a few touching moments that sort of redeem them, but not that many.
I started reading this manga because the ending of season 3 was unacceptable. I had to know what would happen next and who would end up together. All I'll say was that I was sorely disappointed.
A fascinating premise with a wonderful start bogged down by a vague plot and stale characters in the second half leaves this with a score of 7.
