Unfortunately, humor, action, and interactions in The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 wants for memorable characters and laughs that stick to the ribs.
The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 has comedic moments but lacks a cohesive flow and enough to make readers care about the characters. So, readers forget funny moments once they turn the page. Whether it’s the fact that not all the jokes land or the minuscule writing on some pages that are difficult to read, the series does not deliver. While monster girls is a fantastic idea—albeit not novel—horror fans should easily enjoy it. Unfortunately, laughs, action, and interactions in The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 wants for memorable characters and laughs that stick to the ribs.
Created by Suzu Akeko, the volume does have one highlight that might turn it around: the class trip to the human world. With that shift, there is a potential for depth in future volumes. The Yen Press manga, translated by Jan Cash and lettered by Alexis Eckerman, begins with Ichika Luo and her siblings’ obsession with her—one sibling in particular. The volume covers six chapters and includes an additional side chapter. It focuses on different monster girls in each chapter. But while it does this, it rings hollow.
The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 Does Not Develop Characters
After three volumes, the shallow conversations and sparse emotional stakes make it impossible to continue investing in the characters. Some comedic manga captures humor in a manner that feels relatable to readers. However, The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 struggles. Each volume consists of a rinse-and-repeat conflict style.
One or more of the monster girls have an issue or goal. They try to achieve it, then die, usually at the hands of their teacher. None of them display any real hardships beyond superficial wants and desires. So, readers never see a side of them that builds connections, bridging the distance between the reader and the character. While they each have quirks, like one’s obsession with beautiful eyes, these odd interests are with monster girls readers do not know.
The Human World and Possible Shift
So far, every conflict sees the girls die through one method or another. While initially hilarious, the schtick gets old fast because there are no stakes. After all, they do not stay dead because they are in their monster realm. With the monster girls now in the human realm for Halloween, there is a potential to add more substance. Now, with people on the hunt to destroy monsters, the risks appear more significant than those previously. But at the same time, The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 teases the possibility of genuine dangers but does not deliver, leaving that for the next volume.
While the series had great potential, The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 does not deliver with the story. Then again, some readers may prefer ridiculous stories. There is nothing wrong with fun and silly and have no real stakes for the characters. However, for most, the continued shallow characters make each interchangeable with the next. So, the story drags more over time. The Illustrated Guide to Monster Girls 3 starts dull and ends with hope for something more, but it’ll be up to each reader of the series whether they want to bank on that hope and continue it.
