Manga 10837

I don't usually review publicly any kind of anime/manga, because I find difficult to express what I feel and make my opinion clear enough. Also because English is not my main language, but that's besides the point. Please bear with me for a moment and take into consideration that this is MY point of view on this manga, and MY opinion. Having said that, lets get right into it:

Story: 9/10

Considering the date that the manga was written, and the kind of plots other mangas (H included) have, I think I can safely say that this was an original and interesting plotline all along. We did ... see some similar ones in ero-stuff, but precisely Koe de Oshigoto! is unique because it takes those ideas usually only seen in +18 content and brings them over to the reader in a much safer way, accesible for a larger audience. Also even though the plot is spread along a kinda long stretch of chapters, each and every one of them feels important in its own, you don't really feel like there's "filler content." Also, to really judge the story one has to finish it, and sometimes the ending of a story feels off or out of place. Luckily, this wasn't the case, and I can say I left the book feeling satisfied. An interesting story from start to end.

Art: 9

The art is nothing really special or exquisite, but it being kinda simple and that ero-feeling vibe it has is actually what makes it charming in its own way. Sure, it can become monotonous after a while, but it's still not "boring", and except the fact that some characters are hard to tell apart one from another, I have no issues with it.

Characters: 10

Let me just say what a character in this manga said himself: the story becomes much more interesting if the characters are. And hell be frozen if these characters weren't charismatic and enjoyable! Each one is a unique piece of the plot, putting their grain of sand into it. You have variety, but far from being a case of "A lot to see but nothing to delve into", each personality is well defined and you can explore their mindset through their dialogue and motivations. They truly feel alive, alas a bit eccentric at times, but they're the kind of people I'd love to have around to interact with. They make it easier to immerse oneself into the story, or at least that's what happened to me.

Enjoyment: 10

I think I've made myself clear enough, right? This was super-enjoyable in all of its aspects, specially the comedy and character development. From the happy-go-lucky moments, to the heart-warming ones, you're sure to have a smile on your face 24/7 while reading this piece of art.

Overall: 9.5 (10)

Koe de Oshigoto! is a story about that typical Japanese girl, all innocent and oblivious to almost any sex-related knowledge, being drawn into the world of eroge and voice-acting and meeting some really interesting people along the way, all for the sake of her maturing and opening to a new vision of the world. And it was one of the best mangas I've had the honour to follow until its end, quickly becoming my Top 6 on mangas I've fully enjoyed, and would recommend. Heck, I might even read it again! I wish they made more OVAs, or a full-fledged-13-episodes-anime.

One of my all-time favorite manga. However, do keep in mind that I've had a history of reading plenty of ecchi and hentai, and as such am much more tolerant of those scenes and topics.

Story - 10/10
Incredibly sweet, funny, cute, yet captivating story. Even though it follows a more slice-of-life approach with less of a central driving plot point, there are linked-chapters, and most chapters flow smoothly without leaving big question marks. Well thought out and ties up most loose ends. Not many cliches or annoying fan-service, and ones that are there makes sense (I don' count the "ecchi scenes" as fan-service as they fit ... into the plot progression well. Thorough explanation for jargons throughout. Might come off as a little preachy regarding eroge, but it makes its point well and becomes totally forgivable.
Good pacing, although I wouldn't mind it being 30 chapters longer for the enjoyment. Plot actually progresses reasonably within the chapter.
Amount of drama/problem is just perfect to stir the story, but not leave the reader frustrated and/or depressed. The nature of the issues/drama is also light, and gets resolved quickly but also reasonably and with obvious care to detail and story continuation (no big deus-ex-machina type turnarounds).
Also, highly recommend you specifically read "Shishunki Crazies" before this, you'll see why.

Art - 9/10
Perfect art style for this kind of story, although it's not anything glamorous and might even come off as a bit out-of-date. Personally enjoyed the fact that it's in black and white. For some reason, that conveys the characters' sentiments well. Characters are defined and distinct. Kanna's so cute. Very similar to "Jitsu Wa..." art style in the sense that characters' facial expressions remain "world-consistent," so that the reader can tell a glare is a glare no matter who it's on. I find that nice, although some might prefer more variety. Art style is also consistent between characters.
Background and scenery are nothing special, hence the 9/10. However, the author's experience in drawing hentai manga definitely influences shading choices and style in many scenes, for the better. Some attention to detail.

Character - 10/10
Kanna's so cute! Definitely memorable and likable characters. Supporting characters introduce conflict, but also act as proper support for the MC's when all is said and done. Could do with a little more expansion on their own arcs, but still good as is. Characters are distinct and do not fit in stereotypes, mainly because they grow out of them and become something more by the end.
Main male character is highly relatable, realistic, and demonstrates growth. Main female character might come off as a little static throughout, but it works well, and there is decent development.

Enjoyment - 10/10
Super super enjoyed this manga. It's long enough to sit down and read over a couple days, but also short enough to binge. Thanks to its more slice-of-life style, you can pause reading whenever and it won't feel frustrating (don't have that urge to know the ending); even the manga's characters take this laissez-faire attitude as well. The plot doesn't make you feel tense all the time. Plot armor is just right to keep you at ease that nothing will go TERRIBLY wrong. If you're looking for a nice and cute yet hilarious and mature (both in topic and presentation) manga, this is for you.

Overall - 10/10. Would be an 11 if possible.

Kanna is SO cute.

Minor Spoilers? Maybe?

7/10 for me. Gets points for originality, a cute and mostly angst free romance between the two MC (with almost no harem antics to speak of! A definite plus), a likeable cast, very good dialogue and most importantly, keeping the anime tropes to a minimum in the "real world", while allowing the tropes to exist in the erotic games. Also had some decent introspection and understood and accepted the absurdity of its own story.

All that being said, while the background art was fine (not spectacular but not bad), the character art gets like... a 3/10 from me. It's not getting lower ... because the author was trying to keep it realistic and none of the characters were intentionally deformed or anything (think Haruyuki from accel world, or that kid from the detective show with like 1000+ episodes), but otherwise it was pretty poor. The outgoing blond friend looked almost exactly like the main guy characters cousin. The only differences were the bangs (sharp vs flat) and a ribbon in her hair. The eyes on ALL the girls looked almost the same, as did the faces. Speaking of the cousin, while that storyline did end satisfactorily, I felt like she was completely unneeded. Why did we need to bring in another girl who has the same ability as the MC, and had the same romance interest? It certainly didn't improve the story. I assume the writer's editor wanted some conflict thrown in. But judging by how quickly the whole "cousin is in love with the MC" arc stopped, i assume ratings started to plummet and they canned the idea. Also would have liked a better ending chapter, but this one was fine.

Anyway, all around decent manga. Didn't excel at anything, but the good parts were good, and i definitely laughed out loud at some parts.