So, a bit of a different type of post from me this week. Instead of highlighting interesting series I found this past week, I wanted to talk about a couple series I have come across recently that all seem to have a similar premise. See if you can spot a theme!

In no particular order:

• Ore ni Trauma wo Ataeta Joshi-tachi ga Chirachira Mitekuru kedo, Zannen desu ga Teokure desu

This series begins with the MC’s childhood friend turning down his confession because she is dating somebody else. We then see him declare himself as a gloomy character on the first day of school and profess that he is going to drop out. As the story goes on, we see that he has a history with several other female characters in which he thinks they loathe him and he tries to push them away while living his best life without them. However, is loathing what they really feel towards our MC?

• Itsumo Baka ni shitekuru Bishoujo-tachi to Zetsuen shitara, Jitsu wa Ore no Koto ga Daisuki Datta you da.

This story starts with the MC in a relationship. However, his girlfriend breaks up with him for being too nice and accommodating, allowing others to take advantage of him. We later meet two other characters; a kouhai that mercilessly teases him, and a maid at a local cafe that berates him (and the other guests). Eventually, the MC gets fed up with this treatment and decides to cut all three out of his life altogether. However, after doing so, they approach him completely differently. What could their true feelings towards the MC be?

• Osananajimi Kanojo no Morahara ga Hidoin de Zetsuen Sengen shite Yatta

This one starts with the MC dumping his girlfriend. Then, he gives himself a bit of a makeover and makes a debut in school as a hottie (I guess bangs make the man?). As the story goes, we see the MC get to know his classmates (something his overbearing girlfriend never let him do) and his ex scheme her way back into his life. For somebody that treated the MC like crap, she sure is trying hard to get his attention…

All three of these series are wish fullfilment in its purest form. Enormous mountains of drama that don’t hold any punches in dialing up the absurdity. It is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine to read stuff like this that is just full angst and manufactured drama (I blame DomeKano for starting me down this path). If that is what you are looking for, then these series are decent passes at it. Don’t expect logic, likeable characters, character growth, or any of that. Just turn your brain off and strap in. If you like fantasy/isekai stories that are “I got kicked out of the hero’s party and my life is awesome while theirs sucks now” then you would like this high school equivalent genre of “I dumped the toxic people out of my life and my life is awesome now.”

I finally had a bit of time to browse through Mangadex this weekend. While I didn’t find any “true gems” that would stay with me, I did find a few titles that grabbed my attention. Here’s the list:

• Devious Miss Crimson - short (9 chapters) action series with simple, messy drawings and edgy writing. It’s an alright read if you’re bored.
• Frog in a bottle - oneshot about growing up. It has beautiful art, weird premise and mediocre execution. I REALLY love this artstyle, feels nostalgic.
• One-Armed Amy - another oneshot, this time about a living doll and father-daughter relationship. It’s cute and sweet, if a little predictable.
• Soldier and Whitesmith - steampunk attempt at the ship of Theseus question, with ship being people in this case. It’s not bad just… feels like there’s something missing for me.