Go, Shadow Mistress Yuko! Ganbare!

I had originally dropped this thanks to it being a cute girls doing cute things show at first glance, which is not my genre. But, thanks to Hyoton’s endless Machikado Mazoku enthusiasm, I picked it up again to determine whether he was crazy or not and I’m glad I did! It really is more of a comedy than a cute girls doing cute things show. I mean, most of those shows are “comedies” too, but this one is actually funny.

I’ve been thinking lately about how bad I am at writing positive reviews. With things I hate it’s easy to pick apart at what’s wrong with them, but it’s much harder to explain what makes something succeed. I feel this especially with comedies like this: I can talk about what made a story interesting, or what was a strong characterization, but I can’t explain what makes something funny which is the heart of the matter.

But to talk about the easier parts: the subject matter can get dark but it still retains its optimism and humor. The chemistry is great between the two lead characters. Mikan is cute and the side characters really up to the ante to the next level. I love the stalker girl and the sister especially. Also one key character is a box.

It’s a great adaptation— I tried to read the manga but quickly dropped it. 4-komas tend to be hard for me to keep an interest in. This one retained the fast pacing and energy of the 4-koma while making it more comprehensible (maybe this is just for me…). Check it out!

• Storytelling – A – Funny and also a good story!
• Voice – A – So much energy.
• Characters – B – Lovable and infuriating.
• Attention Grab – A – Kept me excited. I marathoned the first season, haven’t done that for a while.
• Production – B – Looking good. Good voice acting.
• Overall – B+

Recommendations – Jahy-sama, Shinryaku Ika Musume