Spoiler Free
So it’s Sunday and I have finished yet another yandere series because, well, I’m broken. Grim Reaper and Four Girlfriends, a story about a lonely boy who loves shoujo a little too much, a boy who has come to terms that he will be forever alone. Being teased one day by a random girl about this, Minaguchi, Kaoru humors the girl Airi as she follows him home, inviting herself into his house. Alone in his room, the two continue their conversation of Kaoru being a loser, someone who will never really add up to much. Moving closer Airi confirms that the boy thinks so very little of himself and that society would be indifferent if he was no longer in it, and with that, stabs him, claiming that his life is useless for the betterment of man, therefore void.
Grim Reaper and Four Girlfriends is a comedy romance harem that honestly, was a pretty fun read. Being 3 volumes, 18 chapters the series doesn’t really overstay its welcome as it follows Kaoru’s post convincing Airi he isn’t that useless. With his dying breath, he tells the strange girl that he wants to be someone useful, and with that, all the bodily harm that was done to him is undone. It is at this moment it is reviled Airi isn’t a human at all, but instead a Grim Reaper. Challenging Kaoru she pretty much states that she won’t kill him only if within the next three months he proves that he can indeed become someone useful.
Going to school the next day Kaoru decides that if his life is on the line, he is going to go head first into becoming a useful person. Confessing to 4 girls he uses the logic of casting a wide web would at least one girlfriend, though, it seems Kaoru is a better fisherman than he realized, snagging all four, The athletic airhead Sawatari, Aoi. School idol, Kobayakawa, Yui, council president Umikai, Risa, and finally the kuudere (and holy shit she is blond, I thought she had white hair) Oogawara, Emiri. Just like that, Kaoru goes from useless, to 4 timing some of the most popular girls in the school, what could go wrong?
Oh yeah, if any of them find out about the other Airi is going to kill him.
What follows is a rather whimsical and funny romantic comedy as the MC balance the 4 girls and their quirks. The athletic Aoi, turns out she’s a bit of a yandere. Council head Risa, a bit of a pervert, quite Emiri, a massive game nerd, the idol Yui, a charming sadist. All of them get quite a bit of page time but not enough for the series to act too serious. Grim Reaper and Four Girlfriends knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to do anymore. It’s funny, ecchi, and an interesting take on the harem genre. Added with the element of Airi low key becoming best girl, it is full of tropes and just general off the wall instances that didn’t really burn out since it had such a short run.
As for harem shounen, this series does a pretty good job of knowing its lane and staying true to it. Even though the MCs life is literally at risk every time he goes out on dates with one of the four, it never really seems that way. It adds suspense in moments but quickly downplays it later, usually by Kaoru yelling or teasing Airi mere pages after she threatens him. It also glosses over this by Kaoru seemingly more worried about hurting the girls instead of his own life, being self-aware he is a 4 timing piece of shit chapter after chapter.
Overall I enjoyed reading this series, it isn’t great, it is just fine, a 6 or so. It doesn’t excel or sinks at any given point, it’s a shounen harem and it knows that nothing less nothing more. So if you are looking for a short, fun, harem, check it out, I do think it’s worth the read.
I have some article ideas in the works that will not be of the review sorts and depending on how the weather fairs the next couple of days I may have more time to work on them than usual. So as always thanks for the read and stay tuned!
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