More tales of a teenage boy drifting aimlessly in a cruel world, left home alone when his guardian is hospitalized. Though now he has an elder sister to keep him company, at least. For now.
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Iida Pochi
Translation: Sheldon Drzka
Lettering: Phil Christie
What They Say:
Yuu is now living with his new big sister—an inhuman being he encountered in his uncle’s basement! It’s the middle of the summer, and the two of them are enjoying their days, playing in the garden, splitting watermelons, and taking naps together. Life as a family is simple yet pleasant for these unlikely siblings. Little by little, their bond seems to grow stronger, but Yuu has got an uneasy feeling he just can’t shake…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
There is nothing all that new in the second volume of Iida Pochi’s magical girlfriend story The Elder Sister-like One, just more of the same…with a hint of some kind of shock to come later. Picking up exactly from where we left off (as if this were a title with a strong serial plot–it isn’t), we have more chapters that show us Yuu and “Chiyo” spending their days in peace and quiet, living in the countryside with nary a care. They do some cooking. They do some laundry. They do some shopping. They do some nature exploring and Yuu winds up in Marshmallow Hell (Chiyo is a demon, so let’s use that variant on the trope name) on more than one occasion.
All the while, Yuu and Chiyo do seem to get closer and closer, so that you can sense that while Yuu asked for a sibling relationship, both of them, on some level, might well be desirous of more. That’s the core and heart of this series, what it’s selling us: a girl of unnatural beauty who is ready and willing to be yours (the reader’s). If you like women with curves and a full bosom, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more attractive one than Iida’s Chiyo here. Add in a very sweet, warm, and caring personality (from a demon? That’s part of the charm, I guess) and you have the main draw to the title. I’m not sure why else anyone would want to read this so far. There may be hints of drama and something approaching a plot in the future (Yuu continues to gives us ominous asides in his voiceover narration as this entire work is presented “in flashback”), but we’re not there yet. Where we are is Chiyo showing us her dangerous curves and Yuu slowly being enveloped in them.
I will give Iida credit: without so much as a nipple and nothing beyond one bare butt (with a pair of panties being pushed up over it), one bare back (shown while Chiyo puts on a bra) and a few bikini shots, the artwork manages to convey a raw sensuality that is at times more powerful than full (censored, of course, were it to appear here as this isn’t an erotic manga) nudity would be. She doesn’t need to draw Chiyo naked because that wouldn’t actually do anything to increase Chiyo’s appeal. So, while there isn’t anything in here that wouldn’t be fine in a PG-13 movie (okay, there is one “tentacle” event but it’s largely done for laughs and doesn’t involve Chiyo being harassed by them; still, it’s tame), Yen Press has given it a Mature rating and even an Explicit Content warning on the front (probably because of said event I just mentioned and the fact that even without sex and nudity, the artwork and situations can be very stimulating).
We continue to wait for the reveal of what troubles Yuu. We have a firm hint in this volume, but it’s hard to figure it out just yet.
In Summary:
Yuu and Chiyo continue to spend their carefree days in his uncle’s house. A pleasant and gentle summer. The two draw closer as Chiyo seems to be ever fonder of Yuu and Yuu can’t help but be enveloped in her…warmth. But there are hints of something ominous in the future. Titillation with a touch of horror.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Package Rating: A-
Text/Translation: A-
Age Rating: Mature LNSV
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: June 26th, 2018
MSRP: $13.00
