Ideally, I feel going into this manga only accompanied with that info alone will grant you the most enjoyment out of this series, as it has one of the craziest and convoluted yet consistent plotlines I have ever read. So I heavily implore you to stop reading this review here and just go read the first chapter. Taking the blind plunge into the insanity of what lies behind Souboutei's walls is half the fun of this manga.
But for those not convinced, here is some background of what the story entails:
What does an intergalactic war between two liquid species and paintings that drag you into them and show you your deepest and darkest insecurities have to do with each other?
Who is this mysterious man painting within Souboutei and why does he seem unphased by possessed Imperial Japanese Military Police who patrol the mansion, or the hordes of zombies, or the mysterious little girl who bounces a ball and sings a nursery rhyme?
Where did a plane that disappeared 60 years ago come from, and why onboard is a monster child whose hands become drills?
All these question are not only answered, but are all just fragments of the bigger picture in Souboutei Must Be Destroyed, a series that had some crazy twist seemingly every chapter for what felt like 100 chapters straight.
And the cast is just as colorful as plotline: A struggling children's book author, an ordinary boy with a shaman older sister, the said monster whose hands turn to drills, a mad scientist and his daughter who can teleport objects with her mind, an elderly couple who deals in exorcisms and uses a burnt baby doll to shoot fire balls, three sisters with psychic abilities, a bandaged Imperial Japanese Military Lieutenant accompanied by a woman covered head to toe in black whose face is hidden and hair can heal all wounds, and a modern day JSDF Lieutenant trying to reign them all in.
It has been extremely difficult to write this review without making myself feel like I spoiled something. But if you are still wondering if this manga is worth a chance, then all I ask is that you read the first chapter. Souboutei Kowasubeshi is the first series in over 8 years that had gotten me fully invested in the plot from the first chapter, and I believe it may do the same for you.
