Manyuu Hikenchou (MH) is fan-service and ecchi to the maximum. It is a big improvement over Omamori Himari and B Gata H Kei in that regard. Get ready for bouncing breasts...but there's also a plot and some good characters. MH is also a comedy, so expect some jokes that work well due to pretty great timing. MH also explores the unfairness of a particular caste system, and the main girl is fighting against this injustice. The female lead in MH has great morals and ideals, which makes this series a strong choice for idealists.
The two female mains have Yui Hirasawa and Mugi-chan's voice actors, so this is a good show if you liked Yui and/or Mugi in K-ON! as much as I did.
Story (5):
In the world of MH (which takes place in feudal Japan), breast size means everything. Huge breasts signify wealth and prosperity. Small breasts are looked down upon and seen as worthless. It is a pretty good setup for this type of series. The main character, Chifusa, has big breasts, but she is morally against the unfair cast system.
Chifusa is actually part of the Manyuu clan, which enforces the breasts-above-all doctrine, but she rebels from the clan, due to their unfair practices. She starts a journey to share the clan's secrets of a bigger size with everyone in Japan.
Chifusa gets a ton of development, unlike most anime characters! Her size increases every episode due to using the Breast Flow swordfighting technique, which reduces the opponents breast size and increases hers by the same amount.
MH is an episodic series, in which Chifusa helps people in need (or gets help for herself) around Japan. Meanwhile, the people of the manyuu clan are mad and Chifusa rebelling, so they come after her.
This story is not outstanding, but the above elements work well to create a decent narrative. There is a good setup for the fan catering and comedy. There are some completely absurd plot twists around the halfway point, which keeps the score of the story low at 5
Characters (8):
The cast is enjoyable in this one. Manyuu has great ideals for a society that doesn't judge, making her a very solid protagonist. Kotobui Minako (the voice of Mugi in K-ON!) adds a lot of believability to this character. She is portrayed effectively as someone with a heart of gold. Chifusa's traveling partner is Kaede, voiced by Toyosaki Aki (also Yui Hirasawa in K-ON!). Similar to K-ON!, there is a lot of playful banter between the main characters. Kaede lost her breasts (due to another samurai using Breast Flow), so she is jealous of Chifusa for that. But she cares deeply about her childhood friend Chifusa.
The other characters change throughout the episodes, and none are too memorable. You've got old town elders that love breasts, little kids that miss their mom's, even more perverted guys, and more girls with big breasts. They usually have funny dialogue, and overall are good characters
Art and Sound (6 and 7):
The art and sound work well, although they aren't the best in the medium. The animation is fluid, although it is hard to judge quality (due to watching the Kira webcast version)
Sound gets a 7, largely due to the main characters' voices. This is the only combination of the Yui and Mugi voice actors outside of K-ON! and Hatsukoi Limited, so value is very high for this. The music works well, and the voices of the side characters are funny. The male characters are usually serious in a very comedic way. The music doesn't stand out, but it is decent.
Enjoyment (8):
I'm enjoying the ridiculousness of this whole thing. What surprised me is the comedy. The jokes are far from sophisticated, but the timing is very good. Despite having a decent story, this anime is not taken too seriously at times. It is mostly joking about tits (obviously), and there are also some lesbian jokes, as well. Shows like B Gata H Kei and Baka to Test don't have complex humor either, so Manyuu fits right in with those.
The anime's fan service is great, and it is well above any other non-hentai I've seen. Lots of exposed breasts in the webcast version. There are a lot of gimmicks with a ton of fan-service, as well. One of the villages has a bouncing breast contest, which is executed well. In another episode, a group of warriors fights an octopus, which is an opportunity for tentacle scenes (and jokes about the tentacle scene). There is also a group of kids who are addicted to their mother's boobs, so they shove their face in the girl's boobs. Meanwhile, the two main characters make jokes while all of these things happen. It is all done in a very slick way. Overall, the fanservice is very enjoyable, and way better than any other title airing today.
There are some ridiculous plot twists, which lowers the enjoyment from a perfect 10. Episode 6 has a completely ridiculous confrontation between Chifusu and her sister, which left me scratching my head. Overall, though, this is an above average enjoyment title, especially compared to other currently airing series.
Manyuu Hikenchou is a solid mix of fan-service, comedy, and social commentary (on the injustice of the breast size caste system). This is by no means a masterpiece, but it is a solid show if you are looking for ecchi/comedy, or if you like Yui and Mugi in K-ON!
Story: 5
Art: 6
Sound: 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 7
