Many thanks to Yen Press for providing me with a review copy.

About the Mangaka

Until I picked up this series I’d never heard of Ihara Shiro, and sadly, other than his (or her) name, I can’t find anything else out. Neither ANN nor Wikipedia have anything beyond the name. So, no info this time around, if anyone has any please do email it to me so I can update the info.

About the Manga

After the first two volumes of this series, I wasn’t expecting much from volume three. Other than a brainless ecchi fest. And that’s what you get, initially.

The first part of the volume is a beach party session that would put Kanokon to shame!! Boobs and panty shots galore, with some rather err risque swimsuits that you’d never see in a normal swim-wear shop

Ihara’s art really has gotten to me now I have to admit, while pretty much every scene in the volume is perverted, they are extremely well drawn. To be honest I prefer his art style over that of say Kawachi Izumi, because Ihara’s art is more consistent in quality. And while it’s ecchi, it has a decent quality to it.

However, I have to admit by the time I was through the beach fest and onto the school festival, I was on the verge of dropping the series. I’ve nothing against ecchi fest, but I want at least some story to balance it.

Thankfully the latter half of this volume seems to be getting into providing that story, and in a big way. I was rather shocked at just how well he develops the story in the later part of volume three, and found myself wondering just what took him so damned long.

He blends even more ecchi content with the story, which is the perfect mix IMO, and some of the scenes are just….well they push that line between ecchi and hentai to all new thinness, hell I think it’s so thin at times the lines blurred hehe

Alice in a gothic loli get up and then as a cat, with kinky outfit including tail and ears lol I dare anyone not to think she looks hot in those get ups hehe

Sadly I do wonder if it hasn’t been left a bit to late. For me, if I wasn’t reviewing the series, I seriously doubt I’d have gone beyond volume one. For me, the next volume is critical, if the story fails in the next volume I’ll probably drop the series. Though it’s only six volumes long, and going from the Yen Press site they only have release dates for volumes 1-4, the last two aren’t even listed.

The other thing that’s beginning to bug me a bit is the gender bending. Why is it that every Shinigami that comes down has to be a woman, and a pervert as well. It was interesting, a little, at first, but as more and more have arrived it’s grown a bit tedious and tired.

The preview of the next volume has continues to keep my attention however, and I’m hoping the next carries on with the story, rather than degenerating into pure ecchi. though from the preview it looks as though Ihara is going to get into the story finally.

As always, Yen handled this release really well, and I’m once again impressed at the quality of the release. The cover art, and the colour page are awesome, and I have to admit, I really do love Ihara’s cover designs. All of them are just awesome, especially the cover art for volume four, I hope Yen keep the original Japanese one!!

Christine Schilling returns as the translator and once again does an excellent job. there’s no obvious flow or consistency problems, and I love some of her interpretations for certain comic events.

I’ve always wondered just what she thinks of the series she translates, whether she likes, hates, or is indifferent about them.

This still won’t get on my Essential Read list, nor can I really recommend it out right. If you like ecchi stuff, then you’ll probably like this one. However if you want a story, I’m not so sure, it depends on how volume four does. However even then for some it’ll be to late I think.

Where to Buy

For us Brits: Waterstones, Book Depository, and Little Brown

For you Yanks and Canadians: Amazon.com and Amazon.ca