To start, the show is actually funny. I really mean it, not in the lowest-common denominator "Rito-kun no harenchi!" stuff, but actual humour with comedic timings and actual jokes. It is for my money the funniest show of the season by quite a fair margin, with a good blend of low brow and high brow humour to go along.
For an ecchi anime, hell no, for a fantasy anime, it has a surprising amount of world-building and intertia to the setting and characters. Stunk and friends are actually characters and they receive characterization and character development as the series goes along. Adding to that the main characters (+1 rotating guest) are very likable characters indeed, from their mannerisms to their personality quirks, it's never a dull moment with them onscreen. The character dynamics and relationships are also nothing short of entertaining. The various secondary characters the reviewers meet each episode is also a treat, you'll never know who you'll meet next. It really lends a sense of adventure to the show which keeps it fresh every week to see how they can top themselves.
I know this all sounds like shallow praise, but trust me, you don't know how many shows I've watched (not even ecchi stuff, I'm talking proper fantasy anime) can't even approach this level of care and detail for its world and characters. It's far too likely to pluck some Joe Average from the real world and toss him into Isekailand to form harems and fight monsters. So to see a show that actually tries (and succeeds!) at giving us likable characters in a setting that is portrayed with a considerable amount of detail (hell the series goes all out to show that the world functions in a proper representative democracy of all things) is something to appreciate in it of itself.
And what a wild ride this show has been. From the YMCA OP to the mythical Taiwanese broadcasts to all the cancellations on assorted TV networks and it still goes strong. The whole ongoings behind the scenes is simply a wild ride in it of itself and I'm glad to have experience this whole madness live. It hasn't reached Yosuga no Sora's level of challenging Japanese TV censorship laws levels of infamy yet, but who knows what this series will bring even after the final episode.
Finally, despite its subject matter and its nature as an ecchi show, it surprisingly has a mature air to it, treating its subject matter with a lot of class and respect. Again, it's not the standard cheap shots at panties or walking into a shower scene like in many other ecchi shows, but it's the protagonists partaking in the activities provided by the ladies of the night. Which is where I plucked the 7-course meal fancy dining metaphor early on. A magnificent showpiece with a ton of variety at every moment. Just an exquisite experience.
As the OP puts it: Sukebe ga daisuki!
8/10
