Review: Monster Musume Chapter 38

(Seven Seas, 2012)

Story & Art by Okayado

Storyline Ongoing

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: Funny enough, it never occurred to me until I was reading this chapter that we hadn’t had a specific chapter all about Lala the Dullahan post-joining the harem. And after the wonderful arc that was Mero’s I had wondered what Okayado had up his sleeve next.

First up, I was very happy to see the return of the great Kimihito mystery concerning the unexplainable way he can withstand so many near death experiences with only minor wounds. Finding him in the hospital this chapter also allowed for us to get away from the gaggle of main girls and gave Lala a place to breathe and be herself. Okayado also gives great reasons why the other girls aren’t in this chapter.

However Kimihito is only a side player in this chapter, the real star is definitely Lala as the reaper of souls not only finds herself in a location filled with dying souls, but also she also faces the delimma of whether she let a dying girl live or take her soul when it is time.

Seeing Lala in a situation like this really allowed me to feel something for. Iit wasn’t as if I disliked her or anything, but yeah we just hadn’t had any real time to spend with her since she joined the harem quite a ways back.

Okayado takes his time with delicate subject matters like the right and wrong of giving someone life when it is in fact their time to die. It’s also interesting to me that he used a little girl for an example, very rarely is it kids who are in the hospital in anime or manga. Perhaps it’s just easier to right adults so I commend Okayado on his efforts.

This chapter isn’t all gloom though as the outcome is rather a happy one, and one I am interested to see if we’ll see the consequences for somewhere down the line. We also get plenty of comedy out of the situation as well, not really with the girl but with the other patients correctly believing Lala to be the Grim Reaper.

I really hope Okayado continues to deliver these strong chapters for the series as it seems to be at a real high currently. The march for chapter 50 continues and I’m excited to see what he has in store for a several heroes.

Final Score: 5 Headless Dullahans out of 5

DERRICK-imageDerrick 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

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