365 Days of Manga, Day 242: Inukami

INUKAMI! • Seven Seas • Mamizu Arisawa (story), Mari Matsuzawa (art) • 16+
Adaptation of the light novels by Mamizu Arisawa. Keita, a cute but cigarette-smoking delinquent, is the heir to a long line of Inukami (”dog spirit”) trainers. When he finally gets an Inukami of his own, and finds that it’s a hot girl with a dog’s tail, his first reaction is “I can use her to make gobs of money…then have my way with her all night!” Yoko the Inukami, however, is a teasing, demanding type, and instead of becoming Keita’s pet, she puts a dog collar on him. “So I’m supposed to be your servant? Or your night plaything? Don’t waste my time with your disgusting human needs!” There’s a zillion “magical girlfriend” manga about nerds getting bonded (literally or figuratively) to hot women, and Inukami doesn’t break any new ground, but the art is decent and the characters keep things lively. Keita is openly horny, instead of shy, and he has some magical abilities to buff him up, while Yoko is a spirited prankster who, although occasionally dopey, is at least capable of using her magic to defend herself against breast-grabbing creeps. I’ve never seen a love-comedy manga before where the main character actually ends up in jail for harassing women. The stories are generally entertaining, although the ending of volume one suggests that things may get more conventionally lovey-dovey in future volumes. (Review by Jason Thompson; originally printed in Otaku USA.)
** (two stars)
Today’s winner is Kate M. of Massachusetts! Congratulations, Kate! And who’s this?

Why, it’s Diane A., one of the latest people to fill out the form on the left side of the page for a chance to win a bunch of manga! And Diane, you have won! Prepare to get more manga by sometime next week!