AI ga Tomaranai!

Kobe Hitoshi is a young man who struggles with sports and academics, essentially a loser in life whose bad luck seems endless. However, he possesses an extraordinary talent for computer programming, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. He has created numerous programs, but his pride and joy is Program 30, Nambe Saati, whom he genuinely likes. One day, Saati comes to life, transitioning from 2D to 3D, and becomes his girlfriend, setting the stage for some wild adventures.

The plot is not overly complex; it's a romantic comedy with elements of a harem series. Despite its simplicity, it was a touching and funny short read about an AI learning how to be human. The artwork is fairly simple, neither too complex nor too detailed, but decent overall. The scenes are somewhat nice, particularly the depiction of the cyber world as an ocean, which was pretty cool. However, there is an overabundance of ecchi scenes, where every chapter seems to involve Hitoshi accidentally grabbing one of the girls' breasts or flipping their skirts. Nonetheless, the artwork had its merits.

For those familiar with Love Hina, there is a striking resemblance between Saati and Naru, as they look very similar. Regarding character development, it was present to some extent, adequate for a relatively short series. The growth of Saati and Hitoshi was notable, given the brevity of the series. Both characters become more mature: Saati starts to exhibit more human-like traits, while Hitoshi gains independence and confidence.

This was a pretty good short series. Unfortunately, I felt it could have been longer, especially towards the end, which felt rushed as the author hurried to conclude it. Personally, I enjoyed this short and sweet series and wished it had been extended. I hope this review was helpful. If it wasn't, please comment on why, and if it was, please comment too so I can improve my reviewing skills!

When I first grabbed this book off the shelf about a year ago, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. So, here's my take for those who might be on the fence; here’s what I thought.

The story itself was generally quite good, though there were moments where a chapter seemed to add little to the overarching plot. These felt like filler chapters, but thankfully, due to the relatively short length of the book, they were few and far between. Even so, the main narrative along with its side stories were charming and often enjoyable to read. The text was riddled with innuendos; Saati, the main female character, didn’t understand them, leading to some humorous situations, while Toeni, another female character, was much more aware and often pointed out the irony. This brings me nicely onto the characters.

Hitoshi, our main male protagonist, is one of those not-so-handsome but fairly funny, charming, and embarrassed leads you often find in similar manga (like Chobits and Love Hina). You couldn't help but like him, yet it was understandable from a female perspective why he wasn’t loved by any girl. He created some comical moments, seemed genuinely caring, but was just as clueless as sweet Saati, who represented the typical vulnerable, naive yet inspiring female. The supporting cast and additional characters were also well-done, each adding their own unique touch - especially Puppy!

The artwork was pleasant and detailed; I really appreciated the drawing style. All the characters were uniquely designed and appealing, with the exception of the main male character, whose appearance was somewhat conventional.

All in all, it’s a solid manga that’s definitely worth reading. It’s witty, sweet, and offers a great escape from a potentially stressful day.

If you enjoyed the following, you'll likely appreciate this too:

• Love Hina
• Chobits
• Ah! My Goddess.

Hope that helps. :)

I physically own this series. I stumbled upon it by accident, and it turned out to be a true gem. I began reading it in 2019 and eventually managed to get the other seven volumes. This manga is among my favorites and has significantly influenced my art style and taste in waifus. Often, while reading this series, I would forget that it was published in the 90s because it remains so relevant today.

Story: The plot was fairly straightforward; Hitoshi excelled only at coding and went home to his AI waifu, who came to life due to an accident. This series is a harem, with more of Hitoshi's AI creations coming to life as the story progresses. It’s fascinating how similar this is to Love Hina, which came later. However, some parts of the story felt dragged out, leaving several plot holes, even Akamatsu-san admitted to them! Overall, though, the story gets an 8/10 in floppy disks.

Art: I especially appreciate the art style of this manga. As you read through it, you don’t notice the gradual changes in the art until you look back at the first page. The art evolved alongside the story, making it all the more charming. Unfortunately, some characters started to suffer from same-face syndrome towards the end. Overall, the art scores a 9/10 in tubes of paint, very pleasing indeed.

Characters: The characters were highly enjoyable. Saati was ditzy and sweet, Toni was hot and enthusiastic, and Forty was innocent yet had a temper; there was a lot of variety. However, sometimes these characters seemed out of place in certain situations. Overall, I give the characters a 9/10 in coding strings.

Personal Enjoyment: I adore this series wholeheartedly. It was the first series I ever completed. I enjoyed the comedy, and it was my introduction to harem series. One unforgettable detail is that the AIs run on floppy disks. As I mentioned earlier, this story still holds up today, which is amusing considering how impossible it would have been in the 90s compared to now! My personal enjoyment rating is 10/10 'I love yous' and will remain so forever.

When averaging my scores, it comes out to a solid 9! I will always cherish this series and hope it gains more recognition one day.

-K. Debt