[FIRST IMPRESSION] Interviews with Monster Girls 亜人ちゃんは語りたい

Plot:

In a society where mythical beings live alongside humans, one teacher is desperate to find out more about them. Takahashi-sensei attends college while teaching biology at Shibasaki High School and wants to write his thesis about these demi-humans. But unfortunately for Takahashi-sensei, he hadn’t been able to find any participants for his research. That is, until four demi-humans turn up at once. All he needs to do now is convince them to take part.

 

Impression:

I’d originally written this off as a no-go when I’d first heard about it. Initially, the premise sounded like Takahashi-sensei’s fascination with demi-humans (or demis for short) would cross the line into fetishisation, that it’d be more creepy curiosity than genuine interest. But after giving the series a chance, it hasn’t done that so far, so it looks promising. Shibasaki High has a succubus, a dullahan, a yuki onna and a vampire, so the characters are based on folklore from a range of cultures, nationalities and religions, not just Japanese myth. That means it can be easily understood by an international audience, even if you don’t know what a yuki onna is. Vampires may be eternally popular, but dullahan lore is gaining more recognition in recent anime and manga, with series like Durarara!! and Monster Musume. As for Satou-sensei – the succubus – I find it hard to believe that she’d announce her demi status as soon as she did, especially if they’re not fully accepted yet. However, it was necessary for the plot to move on so I understand why she had to say it. I think it would be interesting if this anime explored the relationship between demis and humans, maybe looking at the distinction between acceptance and mere tolerance. So far, I’m not sure about the vampire student, Hikari, joking about Takahashi because one trope that I really don’t like is the Teacher/Student Romance. It’s a personal preference but I tend to avoid it and even if nothing comes of it, it still reduces my enjoyment of the show (looking at you, Hibike! Euphonium). Overall, the first episode was better than I’d expected and hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised by the rest.

Also, this may be my university graduate side coming out, but where were Takahashi-sensei’s ethics forms and recording equipment? That’s not proper data collection.

 

Similar to:

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – High school anime where the protagonist wants to meet ‘interesting’ people, whether they be aliens, time travellers or ESPers. Unlike Takahashi, Haruhi has no idea they’re right under her nose.

Gabriel Dropout – Supernatural students try to fit into high school life.

Hourou Musuko – The main characters are different to the rest of their classmates, but the influential adults in their lives encourage them to be themselves.

 

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