Interspecies Reviewers First Impressions (Volumes 1 & 2)

I never cared for being able to relate to characters in order to enjoy a narrative. However, when I caught the premise of Interspecies Reviewers, published in English by Yen Press, I bought the first two volumes on a whim!

“So, what makes you relate to this lewd-ass manga, you perv?” you ask. Well, it’s simple, really. I’m a pretty big fantasy fan, and I’ve always pondered which cute fantasy girl was the best to have as a… really close friend. And guess what, a group of adventurers set off to all the red light districts in order to answer that very question!

Interspecies Reviewers takes this premise and runs like Jesse Owens with it. The creators actually really went into the… s-s-s-science of what it would be like to do, well, you know, with each species. For example, customers to a fairy brothel need to be measured (including the general), so that their employees don’t get crushed to death. It’s actually made me rethink the prospect of… partnering with girls that I would’ve been totally game with in the past. 

Furthermore, the creators also took into account the fact that every fantasy fan has different preferences. Some of the main characters rotate out, but they always go in groups so that you can see how each person reacts to the same… situation. The bulletins they post after-the-fact are actually very well thought out and can be helpful in similar debates that probably take place in this world.

The cast of Interspecies Reviewers is very one-dimensional, making it either a hit or miss. There are technically five(?) main protagonists, however only three of them really get any spotlight. Among those three are Stunk, who’s basically the team leader, and the one who’s the most willing to try anything. He also has a friend named Zel, with whom he frequently disagrees. Lastly is the punching bag named Crim. He’s one of those “looks-like-a-girl” characters, and he ends up suffering in every… interaction that he comes across. I’m fine with their personalities, since the dialogue concerning… events is the big strength of the manga anyway.

Obviously, no ecchi manga is good without great artwork, and Interspecies Reviewers is… a series of drawings, all right. The art is as if Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon put on weight; the girls are in a cartoony, hyper-moe-blob style similar to Kobayashi, but they’re a lot chunkier. The proportions are often very out-of-whack, which might be a turnoff to some people, but I like it. The good thing is that most of these characters are legal adults, so yay for me- I mean- many people that want to project themselves into the story, none of which are me! (Oh, who am I kidding? I previously said that No Game No Life is my favorite LN of all time…)

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Current Verdict: 8.25/10

Interspecies Reviewers is a great ecchi manga that puts a twist on shipping by not causing arguments over which particular character is the best, but over which species is the best. I’d easily recommend it to fans of the genre, but be warned… this is seriously lewd. You better tread with caution if it’s not your cup of tea, or if you just want to complain about it. I just hope the next volume isn’t the finale, because then I’ll look like an idiot with this post.