Monster Musume no Oishasan

The Harem genre is one I've gotten quite bored of in recent years. Maybe because I've outgrown much of the tired troupes that seem to be an almost legal requirement for every installment. A bland, generic protagonist who's virtually flawless as a person, outside from mild insecurity. The romantic interests being lined up like a menu with categories featuring various breast sizes, hair colors, and personality quarks. And there's always a best girl put front and center which makes the whole journey feel very pointless, outside of the sudden arrival of a Monika to turn reality on it's head. (No, that doesn't happen here) However, Ido find myself revisiting the Harem genre out of curiosity. They know they need to keep things fresh to stand out. And with "Monster Musume no Oishasan" or "Monster Girl Doctor" things have taken a newer, charming, and at times somewhat cringier, turn as we get a Harem of anthropomorphic ladies for our human protagonist. The title isn't about a doctor who *is* a monster girl, but rather a doctor *for* monster girls. And to be accurate, "monster" isn't the best word to describe his patients. Dr. Glenn Litbeit is a young human doctor whose expertise is gynelogil medicine (that being specifically female anatomy) for creatures that are humanoid, but not human. He operates a clinic in the city of Lindworm, which has been founded as a place for humans and monsters to live together in peace after centuries of war. He works with his childhood BFF and series best girl, Sapphy, who is a Lamia (from Greek mythos, human top and snake body) and a fine doctor in her own right, but mostly serves as a nurse and watchful partner for Dr. Glenn as he treats many other female patients, in which there are some sort of sexual undertones every time. Within the first minute of the series, he's shown feeling the ample bosom of a minotaur woman as she moans from the sensitivity, before announcing she's pregnant. Now, before you think things are going to get pervy with our Harem's leading man as so many do, Dr. Glenn is a professional through and through, so he never once shows interest in any patient, nor even his colleagues, though they throw themselves at him so very often. I wish I could say the plots are deep, but they're extraordinarily formulaic cases of the week. Patient has an ailment, Dr. Glenn and Sapphy look at them, treatment administered, all is well. Patient now usually wants to thank the doctor physically. It got to the point where a pair of centaur women tried to seduce him at the same time. Whoever is into that sort of thing, no shame, but it isn't me. The series is very basic when it comes to ladies falling for a guy within hours of just meeting him. Harem is gonna harem. Where the show does stand out is the design and variety of so many different races and it's characters, I was rather curious to see what spin they'd put on another creature of legend in each episode. This usually just means them having a traditionally beautiful face and ample breasts (even for some creatures who aren't mammals) but it was rarely boring in presentation. I would say where this show really fails is having things be so wonderful all the time, the stakes feel low. Everything is going to be alright every time. From the Harpy who can't fly anymore to the Cthulhu-ish woman who gets most of her tentacles burned off, there is never a threat of danger, even when proper antagonists present themselves for a moment in the form of mercenaries turned slave traders. They're quickly vanquished in some decent combat scenes and never heard from again. Dr. Glenn nor Sapphy have really ever seemed to fail, something common in medicine. There is no problem they can't solve thanks to their knowledge and a community that is so harmonious, it feels like Sesame Street- but even they have a grouchy guy in a garbage can! If it weren't for the sexually suggestive stuff, I swear this was a kids show. The opening and closing themes are very generic, catchy, and cheerful. I still skipped the intro and closing credits. And even the argument of Sub vs. Dub is pretty needless because both casts do great jobs, but I enjoyed the English version as the legendary Wendee Lee gets to voice a femme fatale spider woman again (Yes, she did before in the "Karas" OVA) but puts on a US Southern drawl. Think Dolly Parton, if she was an arachnid. I suppose if you're into anthropomorphic stuff or just want another Harem entry to enjoy for a dozen episodes, this is for you. It's short, sweet, and enjoyable. But could've been so much more. A solid 6/10. Check it out. Cheers!

Monster musume no Oishasan it the right kind of anime for me. It´s not a damn Isekai it does not try to gout of it´s way to be deprressing as all hell it does not kill people left and right just to drive a plot and it´s not about the more angry I become the more stonger I get and it´s not about love and magical friendship will save the world. This is a down to earth anime about a young man being a doctor a monster doctor that for some reason only have female patients but still a fun good down the earthanime that tries to be a bit serius but not so much it becomes depressing. If you like down to earth anime with fantasy elements and some fun this is a freaking great anime in a sea of Depressing, murdering, Heanti ish, Over powered, Transported to another world sea of anime series.

Your immediate impression may be that this is a shameless rip off of Monster Musume (2017). I wouldn’t blame you for thinking so - there’s a blonde busty centaur, bombshell Lamia, femme fatale spider girl, adorable cyclops and a lucky/unlucky teenage boy at the center of their attention. But there are several differences that set Monster Doctor apart from predecessors and make it stand on its own as an entry to the monster girl genre. For one, Monster Doctor is explicitly about...you guessed it...a traveling doctor who specializes in monster health conditions. The episodes are dedicated to a medical case concerning a unique speciesthat he cures through inventive means. There is almost always a specific goal that an episode will work towards, in contrast to OG Monster Musume that spiraled into random directions because the predominant focus was fanservice. Another difference, and probably the most significant, is that Monster Doctor is bereft of nudity and does not compare to the degeneracy levels of its ancestor. You are more inclined to be invested in the health dilemmas of the monster girls - such as a centaur who is struggling to compete in arena exhibitions b/c of a hoof injury or a land mermaid who has respiratory issues related to her lack of water intake, than you are their “assets”. In examining his patients, Dr. Glenn does do so thoroughly (this is where the fanservice comes in), but these scenes are very brief in comparison to the rest of the episodes content and aren't so out of line for what a doctor would have to do in order to diagnose his patient. I enjoy slice of life/romance narratives with a lead who is a professional in an industry. Dr. Glenn is a teenage prodigy who goes out of his way to diagnose and cure the ailments of monster girls who are otherwise neglected by their environment. His intentions are genuine and his knowledge is undeniable. You know precisely why the girls fall in love with him - less obvious in other romance anime where the reason is just “you’re such a nice guy”. Dr. Glenn is nice. And rich. And brilliant. His wife would be hitting the jackpot and all of his admirers know that. To me at least, he's the best part of this show and what makes everything work. Even if his personality is rather dry. Monster Doctor isn't the best "waifu ensemble" harem. Which is to say, a harem that features a lineup of diverse best girls whom the audience will gravitate towards for any number of lewd reasons. The girls in this show are cute, but they aren't made the object of fanservice enough to be rule 34'd into oblivion and used as fetish fuel. You more so enjoy the girls in this show because they are extremely likable people and there's some catharsis in seeing likable people have their lives improved for the better when a nagging injury, illness is cured. I, for one, love the mermaid character Lulala and was so happy to see her specific crisis be resolved. The smile on her face was priceless. Of course, this isn’t a perfect anime by any means and there are issues of varying degrees of importance. The animation is not particularly good, very little movement in general. Tons of static/panning shots that admire the character designs and environments. There isn’t much character depth beyond what you see in the introduction - they are more so types than individuals, though very endearing types they are. If any of these were improved upon it would take Monster Doctor from solid to very good-great. But as is the charm of this show getting to know so many different cute monster girl species and their predicaments. Following a MC who is NOT a buffoon that genuinely cares for their well being and gradually earns their trust. It doesn’t surprise me that MAL has received this anime so poorly - there is fanservice (a no no for large sections of holier than thou MAL community), the concept appears merely regurgitated in a lesser form, and for the super lewd degenerate crowd it doesn’t push the envelope for enough to watch this with your pants off. But, for the audience that can see through these surface level criticisms you have a worthwhile monster girl anime that proves itself to be more than derivative of past successes.

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