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You Should Read This Manga MAL×entine 20th Anniversary My MALentine Story Ode to MALentine
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Jul 13, 2025
Please be patient while reading this review, my thoughts are very scattered and I don't think I can collect them well enough to properly convey how I feel about this manga.
But I will try.
I think I need to preface this with the fact that this is the first thing I've ever read from Taiyou Matsumoto. I haven't also seen anime based on his work before, so this is truly a first hands-on experience for me.
As someone who creates sometimes, and generally desires to tell stories in whatever form feels correct for the story, these books are a truly beautiful read.
Therefore I believe that anyone
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who likes creating, and especially people who really enjoy manga/comics as a medium, will most likely enjoy reading this.
Now without spoiling anything about the story itself, I will talk about the things I really loved when reading this manga.
First is the paneling/ story-boarding(?) (I don't know if this is the correct term for what I'm about to describe, hence the question mark).
When reading this I felt like I was watching a movie. I can't really put it into words better than this. The flow between the panels is so smooth. I genuinely don't know how to better explain this, but it's so damn satisfying. Reading this made me feel like I could see the images in the panels moving, like I could hear the noise of the streets depicted, like the people were actually walking and living in this world.
I don't think I've ever felt so truly immersed reading anything like this before. Honestly, a magical experience.
Second would be the feeling/ vibe.
The entire work is dressed in this melancholy that isn't so heavy as to drown you in it, but it's always there, softly perceptible, coloring everything in its tone. There is a touch of somberness in this, that is palpable throughout the whole story, but again, not to the point that it drags you down emotionally. It feels very grounded and real. The story itself can make you emotional nonetheless.
Third, let's talk about the characters.
The characters also feel very real, very human. Everyone is its own character, with their own quirks, their troubles, their hopes & dreams. It never feels like there's someone that doesn't belong or that is the same as someone else. Everyone's story is unique and interesting enough to read. It keeps you wanting to learn more about these people and their lives.
Fourth is the art.
Again, as this is my first time reading anything from Taiyou Matsumoto, I was intrigued by the art-style. It's most certainly not something I'm used to. It feels like a painting. It's not something that I'd call conventional in the manga space, but it's so unbelievably charming and gorgeous to look at. It quickly grows on you.
Lastly, I just want to say that this man seems like a really good storyteller and I can't wait to read more of his works in the future.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 22, 2024
What does a tale with the main protagonist being a nigh-immortal elf girl has to tell to normal humans?
It is simply a story to remind people of everything truly valuable in life, and it does so in a way that captivates you from the very beginning.
If you let it, this anime will take you on a journey that will make you glad to be alive. From valuing the simple and mundane parts of everyday life, to reminding you both the cruelty and beauty that the passage of time offers. In this way, it’s very Ghibli-esque. It also includes incredibly fitting and beautiful music and sound
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design to match its every scene, and tight and comprehensive storytelling with a wonderfully written main cast and secondary characters. Add on top of that some unnecessarily satisfying action scenes, and an attention to detail that other anime would be jealous of, and what you end up with is this show.
Speaking of those details.
One of the things that captivate me the most about this adaptation is the subtlety weaved into the characterization of each and every character we meet. Small eye, and hand movements that one might miss if not paying enough attention, make the characters of this anime feel so real. It’s definitely one of the shows that anyone watching can enjoy, but people who pay attention and look for details will get the most out of. There is just so much love poured into this anime, and it shows. From the animation, to the soundtrack, to the voice acting, to the story, everything is top notch.
If this adaptation continues; as this first season has, and if the original material (manga in this case) also doesn’t falter, then we are looking at the making of a modern-day classic.
It is in my opinion, an indelible experience that no one who likes watching anime should miss out on.
And as for goodbyes. Don’t shed any tears. It’ll be embarrassing when we see all these characters again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 12, 2021
You know how junk food tastes good but you know is bad for your health?
This is it. In the form of a light novel/manga.
Konosuba is an isekai light novel that differs in it's genre, because it never takes itself seriously. With it's premise being the overused cliche of the hero being transported into another world, just to defeat the greatest evil of said world, it manages to stand apart from the rabble by turning that entire premise on it's head. What if the hero doesn't want to defeat the 'Big Bad'?
Konosuba's greatest strength and weakness lies with it's characters. Starting from the main hero who
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is a 'NEET', a lazy scum and a pervert with a heart of gold (somewhere hidden deep inside him) and his unwilling companion in the form of a 'useless' and usually drunk goddess, hilarity is bound to ensue. Joined by the explosion crazed mage and a masochist crusader, this cast of characters can do no wrong. Well, mostly. While the usual tropes are turned on their heads in a way that leaves the reader laughing their heart out and begging for more, it is hard not to point out a big flaw of the series. The shenanigans can get a bit repetitive (if only a little), however the author makes sure to introduce enough new characters and attach interesting plots to our main cast to stall that impending feeling of repetition from clogging the flow of the story. However as mentioned before the characters are also the true bane of this series. In order to keep up the hilarity of certain situations later in the story, many characters' growth is severely hampered, which can sometimes seem a little strange and a bit off-putting knowing past events and interactions. Nonetheless if someone can get past this, this series is going to fill you with countless moments of laughter (or eye-rolling and facepalming).
The art is great, whenever we manage to get a glimpse, so there's not much to say about that.
Now, let's talk about enjoyment. Personally I really enjoy the series, mostly because it reminds me of trashy fan-fiction I used to read (and hoped to write) when I was 14. These novels to me feel like some cheap unadulterated fun, like ordering a double-cheeseburger, or eating an entire bag of chips by yourself when you're on a diet. It feels so wrong yet so good at the same time. But sometimes all you need to do is to let go and have some fun.
Konosuba has much to offer for anyone looking for some simple fun. But remember humor is subjective, therefore you should be informed that the humor of this story is better described by the adjectives used earlier to describe the main cast of characters. Should you enjoy these sort of jokes, then you will not be disappointed by Konosuba.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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