Ever since I saw Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi!’s visual and trailer, I’ve been looking forward to it. And the more I learned about it, the more it glittered. I was ecstatic when I realized it was an adaptation of a fan-service-filled Manga Time Kirara title. But two episodes in, and what I expected has yet to materialize. While Ichijyoma fully sates the S-O-L enjoyer in me, my horniness has yet to be placated. But much like I am holding on to the hope that I’ll get to see Comet C/2025 R3, I’m hoping that Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! will still dazzle me. After all, Studio PRA gave the anime world the Bikini Warriors adaptation, so they’re at the very least capable of producing lewdness. However, being capable of doing something and doing it are very different things.
Doga Kobo is my favorite studio. I know they are extremely capable. Yet, Doga Kobo disappointed me with their RPG Fudousan adaptation. You only need to compare Rakira in the manga and anime to understand why. Hell, Doga Kobo made How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? and Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian — they’re capable of producing lewdness. They chose not to with RPG Fudousan. Will Studio PRA do the same with Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi!?
Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! — Cute Girls Do Manga!
Anyone who’s lived in the countryside has at some point longed for something more exciting. Whether it’s a case of “the grass is always greener” or a true lack of opportunities is moot. Sometimes the soul needs a change of scenery to grow.
For Meiko Morita, her longing for city life sprouts from all of rural life’s shortcomings — poverty, lack of opportunities, and little to no excitement. As the eldest sister of a big family with little money, her life is rushing by her without the enjoyment most kids her age bask in. Then, to her surprise, when Meiko applies to a prestigious all-girls’ academy, she is accepted. But there’s a catch. She has to work a community service program in exchange for her tuition and boarding fees. Knowing that this opportunity won’t come by again, that’s a catch she happily agrees to. But instead of the community-oriented work she expected, her new life is filled with manga! Meiko’s “community service” is helping and living at a manga cafe!
And Kawainess for All…
You don’t need a brain big enough to turn a banana into a gelbana to know that Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! is a slow watch. While Studio PRA’s lewdness is questionable, its focus on kawaiiness is not. The anime’s character designers, Fumiya Uehara and Michiko Ootani, vividly captured the manga’s kawairashii vibe.
The anime frequently shifts to chibi-esque versions of the girls and likes to use colorful backgrounds to accentuate character reactions, and it’s adorable. The coziness is strong with this one. I’m aware that describing an anime as “cozy” will dissuade people from watching it. But I don’t believe that “cozy” is an unfavorable moniker. Anime serves as a form of escapism. Some people are tired of life’s monotony and find comfort in an isekai’s grand adventures. Other people like the simplistic black/white views found in most hero-type shonen shows. But some of us realized that the most taxing achievement is unlocking a nonbiri life. Since we can’t get that achievement, shows like Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! fill the void.
I Don’t Think This Is Ecchi
At what point does an anime/manga evolve from a fan-service-oriented show and acquire an “ecchi” tag? I’ll admit, I don’t know. At face value, an anime is labeled “ecchi” when sexual content is relevant to its plot or is a main draw.
But it’s not that clear-cut. As an example, compare 2.5 Dimensional Seduction against Hinako Note — the former is an ecchi, and the latter is a slice of life. 2.5 Dimensional Seduction doesn’t feature anything kinky or fetishized. On the other hand, someone asked Hinako Note what fetish it wanted to convey, and Hinako Note answered, “YES.”
Bottom – Hinako Note
Anyone who hasn’t read the Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! manga is probably wondering what I’m complaining about. It’s obvious that the anime has fan service, but it lacks the kyuuto lewdness that’s so evident in the manga. And I will never understand why studios do this. Every time I say that, someone always says it’s about “making more money.” If you sanitize something and make it more palatable, more people watch it. Or at least that’s the argument, but I don’t agree. If a manga is popular enough to be adapted, the people who’ll watch it and buy the merch want it to be true to form. Why butcher it? Sure, that might have worked for something like Bocchi the Rock, but the vast majority of adaptations that follow this route are soon forgotten.
I sure hope Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! proves me wrong later on, but for now, it’s only a comfy slice of life with some fan service.
Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! Deets
Kumako writes and illustrates the Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! manga. Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara originally featured the series as a one-shot guest manga in May 2018. After a strong reception, the manga received a full-length serialization starting in December 2018. Houbunsha has compiled the manga’s individual chapters into four tankobon volumes. The publisher will release the manga’s fifth volume next month.
REMOW’s It’s Anime YouTube page streams the anime for free globally. OceanVeil also streams Ichijyoma Mankitsu Gurashi! Before the fact that OceanVeil has it lulls you into thinking lewdness is assured, the answer is no. OceanVeil also carries non-lewd anime.
©Hisamakumako / Houbunsha / Manga Café Hedgehog
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