Not long ago I was reading a book about sex and relationship written by a well-known Russian psychologist. There I came across one interesting thought. I'm not going to quote it literally, all the same, the sense is the following, "All mass media try to show you that happiness is reachable and nearby, at a hand's reach. You just have to follow their advice. However, everything they really do is showing how unhappy and imperfect you are, as one tends to compare what he has and what mass media show. And then it becomes clear that the image mass media create is not possible inreal life, which make one develop complexes". Porn and hentai isn't mass media, however, they still tend to create a desirable image of relationships and the image of a human in society. It is OK if one watches adult products to satisfy his or her current physical needs. However, if one believes what he or she is shown and appreciates this model, he or she will inevitably have problems when it comes to real communication.
TSF Monogatari is, IMHO, another example of this propaganda. If you remember how the main character, Takumi, began and how he ended, you'll understand what I mean.
=Story - 5=
If to look at the introduction of the plot, it is interesting and quite intriguing. A boy turns into a girl - what is he going to do? If to look at the overall story, it turns out to be awful. And here I mean the flow of the story, its moral value, the ending and some separate scenes. It began well but lost its pace and went downhill in the 2nd episode and ended up in the waste bin. As I look at the whole story now, at times it feels even disgusting.
So, the boy turned into a girl and decided to make use of this opportunity (no need to explain what it means in hentai). Next you'll see oral sex, anal sex, group sex, raping, chikan groping, masturbation and a strip dance (well, kind of). Tell me if I forgot something. The scenes change each other so quickly they fail to develop a decent plot. The only message you'll get is, "I love sex so much I can't resist. Moreover I've begun anyway". But nobody cares. The problem is, the plot is smooth and intriguing at first (the only fantastic moment is gender bender), but later you get a bunch of old men, domination, pregnancy and futa, which'll make you cross.
Another point is, TSF follows the rule common for many hentai (and not only hentai) products which says, "If you cannot explain something logically, explain it medically". In such a case, ANY superpower (in H-case - high potency and/or sensitivity) may be explained by the fact of taking an experimental pill or injecting a secretly developed formula. Thus, no further explanations are needed. You may wonder why it caused this very effect or why it was that strong it finally became unbelievable and far from real life. The medicine is EXPERIMENTAL! It can have ANY effect! The answer is universal and cuts off any contradictions. Unbelievable.
Another point that always surprised me in hentai is, they always come together. Even it is a former virgin, he or she will always come. BTW, a virgin is always a perfect lover. Losing virginity for a girl is A LITTLE painful and soon she is in heaven. This OVA is not an exception. Ugh. Read books more or return to real life and you'll soon forget about these and many other myths.
The thing that is always curious to watch is the ending. Will the protagonist be rewarded and will the antagonist be punished? Well, TSF has no antagonist except virginity (which was successfully beaten in the end). Surprisingly, the protagonist here was rewarded. I say it this way as every reward has to be earned. Well, it happens so in fairy tales. Was the child good enough to get his candy? No, no and no once again! Why does he chew his candy then? Well, it's hentai not a fairy tale and yeah, he defeated the evil. Nuff said.
=Characters - 5=
The main characters are Takumi and Azusa. Azusa is a nice girl but she turns out to be more spoilt than she looks like. And something tells me her potential wasn't used up to the end as she only appeared when Takumi was too much of. Moreover, her feelings remain vague and unclear.
Takumi was a normal Japanese schoolboy (a virgin!) until he tuned into a girl. His life really changed dramatically. After that the only one we see is a SLUT. First his/her excuses sound like, "These boys are most likely to stay virgins, so I'll let them try", and then, "I've begun already, I have no way back". These are depressing and false statements that teach wrong. You can stop at any time if you really wish. Moreover, he doesn't give a proper model of a girl's behavior as he remains a boy up to the end and states a fully male point of view, i.e. a girl should have as much sex as possible (no matter with whom) and like it, deviations are highly appreciated, and pregnancy is not a problem. Well, liking sex and being a whore are totally different things, while some guys still consider them as equal. Thus I consider Takumi as a weak and negative character.
Endless male lovers are not worth speaking of as they are not characters but sport equipment, after all.
=Art - 8=
Art was the best thing about this OVA. I've already stated it reminded me of Lovely Complex a lot. In fact, if a hentai after LoveCom would have been made some day, Risa would definitely resemble Takumi (in outer appearance, I mean). I would've even made a recommendation binding the two works, but they're TOO different.
Well, the artstyle is bright, energetic and lovely. But here are also some points.
The strange faces, the tongues stuck out and tons of saliva didn't appeal to me. If the excitement is exaggerated that much, it distracts and annoys. Again, it is desirable and guys wish to see it, but it is never true.
The insides shown for me looked like an anatomy lesson and somewhat reminded of guro. I had a feeling that a part of body was cut out or something. IMHO they would've been suitable in hardcore hentai such as Bible Black or Bondage Game. Here they look awkward.
However I assume it's OK as long as you like it.
Some stated episodes 1 and 2 have different art. I'm not peculiar about it so I can't say I've the difference was evident for me. However, in the 2nd episode something was definitely missing.
=Sound - 7=
To judge sound effects has always been difficult for me. Here I may say all seyuus made proper sounds when needed, so I had no complaints about it. However, nothing was particularly stunning.
=Enjoyment - 5=
I enjoyed it until it came to the groper. It was disgusting. After that everything went downhill and the whole 2nd episode was a failure. It was not even arousing.
=Overall - 6=
As far as many new anime works go, the looks often overshadows the sense. This is another case of the kind, which disappointed me greatly. I am aware of the fact that hentai are not created to raise philosophical debates, but still there are examples that touch other themes besides sex. Some are even clever in their own way. TSF is bright and nice-looking as any modern merchandise product, but completely empty as it comes to unwrapping the package. Moreover it contains some harmful additives that may be of no good if you overconsume it. In fact, this OVA had potential that the staff didn't manage to develop. Alas.
