Reviews

May 2, 2021
Preliminary (41/41 chp)
God help Himenospia, and God help us all. Could there be any better example of a manga that nearly reaches the "So bad it's good" highs of some of the greatest cult-hits in film, literature, games, or manga, and manages to stumble and fall flat on its face so hard that it becomes almost physically painful? It's not The Room. It's just a goofy sideshow of schlock that doesn't ever give you enough to say "I hate it but I can't help but keep reading".

All the pieces were there. Initially the story is intriguing, as the mystery of the wasp power and the power dynamics therein develops. The art is satisfactory, while not particularly striking, but consistent and clean throughout. Character design is notable and engaging, and never runs into the "All look same" issue that other manga might have problems with. Characters have at least a semblance of depth, and do show development and emotion to at least the slightest extent throughout the story. The plot isn't even particularly egregious or sloppy. It holds tight and manages to stay decently engaging throughout, despite being decisively over-the-top.

But it just falls flat on its face. There's no better way to put it. Plot points end up rushed to funnel the main narrative along. The main character becomes a side character for a large part of the final act, despite being the only emotionally investable character in the whole story. Plot progression is so forced and "told instead of shown" that you could very well read a synopsis and get just as much enjoyment out of the latter half of the story as you would if you actually read the manga itself (and you'd have saved a fair bit of time in the process).

Therein lies the only recommendation I can make for Himenospia. Read a synopsis. Giggle at some of the sillier or more egregious pages. Maybe enjoy how meme-worthy some panels are, if you are so interested.
But otherwise? Don't waste your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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