(Seven Seas 2012)

Story & Art by Okayado

Summary: It’s every day life with Monster Girls in this ecchi comedy, telling the harrowing tale of a young man named Kimihito Kurusu who builds a harem of young, attractive girls with animalistic features. From a Lamia (half-snake, half human) to a Centaur (half-horse, half-human) and more. In this world, a new law has passed allowing for the co-habitation of these “monster races” and humans, and but some races are still in need of human contact before things become truly normal. Thus Kimihito is unwillingly thrown into the role of “host family” for these girls – sort of like exchange students; whether he likes it or not.

[SPOILER WARNING!!]

Review: This chapter brings the fated Mero storyline to an end as all is revealed in her mother’s master plan. The Queen was the one who put all the blame for the elopement problems plaguing their society on Octo when it was her coercing the merpeople to do it all along. It’s also revealed that the problem isn’t REALLY that big of an issue in society and that she spun it to be so in order to end human/monster relations.

Why, though, you ask would she do such a thing? FOR TRAGEDY!

Yes, dear readers, the big reveal is that Mero’s mother, too is, caught up in this Little Mermaid complex of tragedy. She has a boyfriend, a human boyfriend, and she wants to see their love dissipate through government ruling that they can no longer be together. Much like Mero was when she first entered Kimihito’s life.

By the end Mero finds herself just a tad retracted back into her tragic ways, however what makes this storyline so compelling and this chapter in general is that it truly put our hero Kimihito in mortal danger of dying. And Mero had to choose: tragedy, or happily ever after. Going against her urges to see a relationship snuffed out in the blink of an eye.

It’s a telling episode for her character and has shown how much she’s come to grow through the series. She doesn’t just see the other girls as obstacles, and she doesn’t see Kimihito as her ticket to true tragic bliss. It’s a well staged chapter for her and I’m glad Okayado gave it to her.

It’ll also be interesting to not see her around the main household for awhile as Mero decides by the end of the chapter to stay with her people for awhile. For how long? Who knows. Like the usual big arcs of this series everything turns around in the end pretty easily and the giant “reveal” isn’t as nefarious as any reader was hoping it to be. I’m sure this Okyado’s plan at making sure his story doesn’t become too dark which I totally respect.

However it does tend to make all the big arcs feel pretty much the same and not that unique to one another. This was definitely way more perilous than any of those other past arcs, and this chapter was nearly devoid of all ecchi scenes as well. In fact, I can’t really remember if there were any ecchi scenes this chapter. Which is strange to think about, but not wholly unwelcome either.

Overall, this was a good chapter and a pretty decent end to a pretty interesting arc. I pleasantly await the next chapter. Final Score: 4 Tragic Love Stories out of 5

Derrick is a born and raised otaku with a love for comics, anime, manga and movies. The full list is pretty long, but that’s just the basics. Stories set in space are his bread and butter. You can find more of his writing at IndieComix.net @KazekunForever