Seto no Hanayome

Seto no Hanayome was among the first manga I ever began reading, and it was also the first to plunge into what I call "Translation Hell." For some context: the original Japanese series concluded in 2010, but unfortunately, no Western company licensed it for an official English release. The story was fairly average by today's standards, but back then, it set the industry benchmark. A few dedicated fan groups started translating it, yet the abundance of puns (pun intended) and overall language complexity made their task extremely challenging. Translation efforts frequently faltered, but there were always others to pick up the slack. This continued until 2011 when all projects abruptly ceased. Seto no Hanayome landed on my "On-Hold" list at chapter 60 out of 76, and I assumed it would stay there indefinitely. After eight long years of checking updates and hoping (with a bit of dramatic flair), the project finally saw completion. Now, onto the review. Story: 7/10. It's a heartwarming and amusing tale that explores the differences between humans and merpeople, as well as everyday folks and yakuza. There aren't any major cliffhangers or plot twists; you get exactly what you expect from the outset. The humor remains consistent throughout, although many jokes require cultural context to fully appreciate. Art: 7/10. Kimura-sensei's style oscillates between normal and super-deformed character designs, allowing for a broad spectrum of expressions. I particularly enjoyed Sun-chan's deadpan eyes (another fishy pun) and Nagasumi's reactions whenever Masa-san appeared. Characters: 6/10. Each character is distinct, but there's minimal development over the course of the story. Enjoyment: 8/10. This is where the manga truly excels. Almost every chapter had a jaw-dropping moment, the comedic timing was spot-on, and recurring gags never grew old. Overall: 7/10. At first glance, this score might seem low, but I'd recommend it without hesitation to fans of gag manga. Back in 2011, it could have garnered an 8 or even a 9, but with so many great series emerging since then, I need to be honest here. Nevertheless, its unique charm compelled me to reread the entire series upon the final chapter's release, ensuring I fully savored the experience. Give it a try—you won't regret it.

I know until now all my reviews have been really bad, but this one I will give a good review.

The story, I would say, is pretty good. Well, actually, the way the main character Nagasumi gets treated is kind of sad; he always gets blamed for something that was a misunderstanding. And he slowly develops feelings for San.

The art is really funny. The expressions that come out from people are unique (I like San's expression the most). I gave the art a 9 because some of it is kind of similar to other mangas, but overall I think the art was great.

I don't have many things to say about the characters, but Nagasumi is unlucky, his monkey-like friend is annoying, and the people related to San are really... what's the word? Overly loving San, or I could say overly in charge.

This is so hilarious. The way Nagasumi tries to protect San's secret and the way he tries to survive—they are just so funny. And San's expressions are also enjoyable since they are funny. I can't explain it with words (since I lack English), but I laughed at this manga a lot of times. Overall, this manga is great.

I recommend people to read this if you like supernatural, romance, and comedy.

(I hope this review helped)