Interviews with Monster Girls (2017)

[亜人(デミ)ちゃんは語りたい]

Director: Ryo Ando
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Starring: Junichi Suwabe, Kaede Hondo, Minami Shinoda
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A high school biology teacher with an interest in demihumans suddenly finds himself with four demihumans at his school.

Impressions:
Part of me wants to look down on Youtubers who just post anime clips for producing low-effort content, but I've been introduced to too many series thanks to them that I can't help feeling grateful. This little gem is one such series. A lot of attention is paid to demihuman biology, which is something I appreciate, but we also focus on their psychology and correspond these observations to the folklore surrounding them. We get all this with an appealing cast of characters whose numbers are wisely restricted to deliver richer development rather than the novelty of a monster-girl-of-the-week approach. The world of the story is portrayed rather optimistically, with no real overt bullying or discrimination due to demihuman nature, which may not be all that realistic, but it does make for more pleasant viewing. We do see a bit of the awkwardness of well-meaning people struggling to interact appropriately with the demihuman characters and I don't think I'm reading into it too much to see an allegory for people with disabilities and other special circumstances. The comedy, like the drama, is kept on the light side, so while you won't be busting a gut too often, you will most likely find yourself consistently amused. Though the story isn't too ambitious, the production values are rather good, making for a fine overall package. I recommend adding it to your collection.

Rating:
Own It