神のみぞ知るセカイ

KAMI NOMI ZO SHIRU SEKAI

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
26
RELEASE
April 23, 2014
CHAPTERS
271

DESCRIPTION

Katsuragi Keima is known on the net as the god of getting the girls while in real life he’s known as otamegane and he hates all real girls. However he is approached by Elsie, a devil from hell, to help her in catching runaway spirits that hide in people. Apparently the spirits only hide in the hearts of girls and the only way to get the souls out is by making the girl fall in love so the spirit gets forced out. And he’s not allowed to fail or he will lose his head.

CAST

Keima Katsuragi
Elucia de Lute Ima
Haqua du Lot Herminium
Chihiro Kosaka
Kanon Nakagawa
Shiori Shiomiya
Ayumi Takahara
Tenri Ayukawa
Jun Nagase
Diana
Kusunoki Kasuga
Yuri Nikaido
Mio Aoyama
Yui Goidou
Mari Katsuragi
Tsukiyo Kujou
Minerva
Apollo
Sumire Uemoto
Lune
Yotsuba Sugimoto
Nora Floriann Leoria
Dokurou Skull
Vulcan
Miyako Terada

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO KAMI NOMI ZO SHIRU SEKAI

REVIEWS

biogundam
63/100
the quote on unquote subversion of the harem genre
Warning this review my contain spoilers

First impressions, so my first thoughts going into this was that this was was going to be a more complete story than the anime which stopped 3/4 in and so i read this to get the full package because I thought this worth the price of entry and to some extent it was because it a bit different from your usual harem.

Story, 6/10

Now I know that this is going to sound quite generic but please beer with me as I explain this isn't a problem.
So the story begins with are main character keima who kind of a outcast that doesn't really care for much besides playing dating sim games.
Which In fact he's pretty good at you could call him a grand master of dating sim games,
So much so that he called the God of conquest.
One day he get a mysterious email which request him to conquer girls
Thinking this is for a game challenge he agrees.
In repose he meets a air headed demon named elise who tells him that he has signed a contract with her to find and capture lost souls which love are evil spirits which hide in the hearts of girls, that can only be removed by love.
He first refuses to help because he has no interest or experience with real women,
But than finds out that if he doesn't he and Elise will be killed on the spot.
So now he is forced to use his dating sim skills and knowledge to surprising effect in order to have these girls fall in love with him and get the lost souls.

So as far as harem story's go I thought this was probably one of the more interesting ones I have read.
Now I not saying it revolutionary or anything like that,
Like quite a few people are saying it is.
Because it plays out pretty much like most harems,
Except for the fact that the main character doesn't give a fuck about these girls and there problems.
Kind of plays out like a video game when I think about it.

the first half of the story can be summarized as girl of the week.
With the Main character using his skills to Solve these problems.
Which was for the most part the usual teenage problems,
Like my family I don't get along or I have daddy issues or I am very shy.
That kind of crap Nothing really that deep or thought provoking.
Except for a few exceptions here in there,
When they where fixing problems that wasn't related to high school students .
But how they handled I thought was kinda interesting and should get credit for trying to be at least somewhat interesting.
Although it still held back by that it's most set in a high school so your opinions are going to be very limited.

The second half is where it actually starts getting a plot and becomes more serious and focused.
Because when he helps a girl they forgot all about him,
So he can continue playing video games and fixing more girls problems without much of a hitch.
But now there are actually some girls that do remember him because they contain goddess in them.
Which are now being attacked by remnants by an old faction of demons.
So there are more higher Stakes now because if he fucks up he's not the only one getting the chop, it now the whole world and hell.
So as he continues this quest to find and help these goddess and there hosts he actually starts to find that he actually fully cares about this one girl,
That got to him and made him question himself around the end of this goodness arc.

Which I quite like because here we have some actual impact and it still going to remain because there no forgetting this time.

Then after that arc is done and dusted what do they do,
They actually go into more and focus on the main character with his issues and what not, that they hinted in the story arc previous.
It basically his character arc where the explain what his deal actually is.

Which I think is very interesting and they handled it quite well actually.
So to summarize my positives,
It is probably one of the more interesting harem out there,
Just because of how they handle it and also when it gets serious it deliverers very well.
It has some ok pacing.

But of corse there are a few problems,
I think the story shouldn't have been as long as it was.
Like they could have cut some of the girl problem arcs or made them shorter.
Because some of them took much longer than they should have.
Like I not saying it pacing is bad.
but a feel it didn't have to drag out as long as it did.
Also it there are some parts to it that kinda predictable,
And made it dry in those parts.

Another problem I kind of on the fence about is that even though this try's to be different from your usual harem,
It still get trapped in the usual pit falls that is a harem gene.
Because on the one hand it tries to be more than most harem,
But at the same time its still a harem.

Characters 6/10

The Main character can pretty much be summarized as a very loner like anti social person who just wants to play his games and carry one with his life and he kind of a asshole about it.
Which I quite liked able to relate and also he a lot more interesting than most harem
Leards.
He also has a very nice development as the story goes on he become less of a dick,starts to take an interest in reality and actually cares in a sense some of the girls he is trying to help.
It not like a complete 180 Of his character it just now he is a little different from before.
I also like how they explored his character.
And his reaction to his situation was pretty interesting as well,
Because he was so detached from all these people,
Like the girl drama thing is pretty much like a job to him,
It's ok next.

The side characters.

Most of them are just the usual types of characters in any harem,
Like you have a tomboy, school idol, teacher, the child hood frend, etc

There drama made most of them sightly noticeable and interesting for about a spit second, but sadly that's not enough to make them memorial characters,
Most of them don't develop past there stereotype and drama.
Except for a few of the girls.
All though that's because they are part of the actual plot around the end.

The characters interaction where quite fun to watch for me,
Especially when people start remembering the things they shared with the main character.
there one scene in particular i remember, that I found especially funny.
Is this part where this chick who has a goodness in her confesses to the main character in front of everyone in the class and shit hits the fan.
It just so funny to see it all play out.

Art 5/10

The art most of the times looks very poor or very unfocused.
There are some manga pages that look quite nice.
But usually the art looks like shit.
Like for example the background are pretty much little lines drawn in a very disorganized fashion, it like the pen or pencil got sick on the page or something like that.
It very ugly to look at.

It has this very upbeat moe-ish like style to it,
Like the eyes are like really wide and they express a lot of emotions.
It art style reminds me of something you would see in the looney toons,
Like this very cartoonish look but with a splash of moe in it.

I kind of like the character design,
It's moe which I kind of dislike in a sense but not this time.
Because it not trying to be overly cute about it.
So I found it more tolerable.
They fit quite well,
But I kind of wish the demon designs where a bit scary or threatening.

Enjoyment,6/10

I quite enjoyed the fact that this at lest tried to be different.
And that's made it more enjoyable for me.
I also really enjoyed the main character.
And really enjoyed the overall storyline.
Other than that nothing much else is worth mentioning.

Overall 6/10

If you really like harem then check this out,
Because it one of the better harem story's out there.
if your looking for a harem that's a little different.

If you don't like harem or moe then probably stay way.
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JuraiB1
95/100
TLDR; A fantastic series, hilarious, great characters, great plot, only a few minor things stopping it from being a ten
Alright so I am writing this just as I am finishing the series so I might change some thoughts later on. First of all man, what a ride. I started reading this manga after it looked like the anime skipped over some conquests and thought I should jump in, and I'm extremely glad I did, it's easily one of the most enjoyable series I have ever read.

It has so many good qualities:
- It has an incredible protagonist that you can actually root for and who keeps the story interesting
- It's one of the funniest series I have ever read, and there were several scenes that actually had me dying from laughter
- An interesting and unique plot that truly keeps you on your toes
- Cute. Girls. Everywhere.
Normally series with this many characters have trouble giving them the attention they deserve, but I hardly ever felt like that was the case here, as most of the important characters and a lot of the minor ones all had their time to shine. Keima is a godlike MC (pun intended) and is the glue that hold this series together, and it was amazing to see how he progressed throughout the series. There were so many emotional moments, ones that had me on the verge of tears, ones that had me on the edge of my seat, and ones that had me grinning from ear to ear, all of which made it that much more enjoyable to read.

There were only a few issues that stops it from being a true ten for me. I felt like there were some pacing issues close to the ending, especially around the capture of the elementary school The ending also felt kinda rushed, but it wasn't terrible. My biggest complaint, however would be that there were some twists that felt out of place, notably, The reveal that Elsie was some kind of weapon, although interesting, pretty much offered nothing to the plot other than shock factor. The same could be said for the reveal that Rimyuel was Elsie's "sister", although not to the same degree.

Overall, an incredible manga. It was incredibly fun to read, even the chapters that might be labeled as filler were great, leaving not a single dull moment in the entirety of the series. I normally don't write reviews, but this series brought me so much joy that I wanted to encourage others to experience it as well. Read this manga, and I promise you will not be disappointed.
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Ciaora39
88/100
Satirical, witty, adorable, and charming all at the same time.

There comes that one manga you find at the corner of your eye to where you can enjoy it whether you like the genre it consists of or not, all in the essence of parody and satire. It can be a challenging comedic flavor to pull off correctly. Writers have to analyze the aspects of the things they are trying to parody in the first place, but they have to make all of the things that make good comedy work. These things include great comedic timing, sharp jokes that don't feel forced, and excellent pacing in-between comedy segments. It can be quite a difficult task for a manga focused on comedy, but luckily with manga, you can go buck wild with the stroke of your drawing utensil and think of what works best. It takes a man like Tamiki Wakaki to make it seem like an absolute cakewalk to envision a perfect parody with The World God Only Knows.

The two things that best describe how the parody works in The World God Only Knows come down to the writing and the actual artwork that Tamiki has within his talent. The jokes all span out, dealing with familiar otaku tropes that are funny and sometimes insightful. They pick apart. Other times it pokes fun at it, almost mocking it without being too clever with its jokes, and they all add great humor. The artwork comes into play with the dialogue's comedy because Tamiki's drawing style has a very wacky ascetic to his character designs that look magnificent. Similar to how you see chibi-style formats in something like Aria whenever a comedic moment happens, The World God Only Knows plays with the same formula and never loses its steam throughout the manga.

Although the manga is generally a comedy, it does have its vast share of drama mixed in. That is not to say it still pulls in satirical themes into those segments, at least in the first arc of the story. In the beginning, we follow Keima and his partner in crime, Elsie, as they try to collect "Loose Souls" from within their psyche. It is very straightforward and generally formulaic at face value. Still, it is just how tongue-in-cheek the character interactions are and the dialogue involving how Keima plans his tactics based on his gaming otaku logic. Even when it is being dramatic in the arc, it still doesn't lose focus of what it originally intended to be: a parody of dating sims where you get to the confession scenes in those games. It is a rare instance where good drama and wacky humor feel close to a home together in one great package.

As the story goes on to the 2nd arc, where Keima has to awaken the five goddesses, we are quickly put into a scenario with a minimal formulaic structure than beforehand. Like I said before, the comedy is still hilarious throughout the entire manga, with memorable scenes that all go down into straight-up hilarity. The story is still active and even emotional in some places, introducing a heartwarming romance between Chihiro and Keima and great chemistry between Haqua and Keima when they both become buddies for the time being. But then, after that plot arc was done and we got to the last two arcs, it all went a slight downhill in terms of pacing and comprehension. I have the feeling that Tamiki didn't know where he wanted the story to go, so he pulls up random plot conveniences that don't add up once you sit back and think about it for a second. Though the later plot arcs were not terrible, the new characters were still funny, and they do not follow up as anything other than weak.

For a story that wants to be self-absurd with an atmosphere that wants to be fun and energetic in its humor, characters should be the one characteristic that should reign most important. The World God Only Knows us a wide range of characters that exceed way above 20+ of the main cast. They give everyone the significant development and personality to make them equally memorable. Usually, a story that attempts to bring a sizeable main form has a habit of not having an equal amount of focus for some characters, making them forgettable in the long run. While someone could make the case that the manga does that in the later arcs, where we're mainly following the other central girls in Keima's conquest, that shouldn't be a negative in the sense that we've already had enough development for those characters from the very beginning where the writer introduced them.

Here's why The World God Only Knows sets its greatness to new heights is lovable but also hated in a few cases, the protagonist, Keima Katsuragi. With great clarity and logical precision in how Keima was written, he is one of the best harem protagonists due to his role's sheer value of heart. Even when there are moments where Keima might act irrationally against what many would consider typical attitudes toward how romance is like, we still want him to succeed in his conquest. One main reason this is so is that Tamiki writes his dialogue in ridiculous ways that make him so full of charm and wit in how he grows as a character, both in a comedic and general one.

As for Keima's main sidekick, Elsie, she has excellent chemistry with Keima with her cutesy personality that manages to stay consistent and not overbearing to the point where she becomes a nuisance after several chapters. The other soul-capturing buddy is the hilarious tsundere devil, Haqua. Almost as equally lovable as Elsie, but with a different twist: She's more intelligent on the level of Keima's intellect. For that reason, Keima and Haqua prove to have a little better chemistry with one another than Elsie because Haqua still becomes the bumbling sidekick despite her intellectual stature compared to Elsie's.

This manga is one of those instances where even if you are not a fan of the harem genre in general or if you love it to death, there are still many elements to The World God Only Knows that can be looked at by anyone with great enthusiasm on either side. Its wonderful characters leave an excellent joy ride into hilarity thanks to the fact that they all have their unique characteristics to enhance their significant presence in the story. Plus, its satirical nature adds so much depth to the layer of comedy that can be conceived in this manga, even though the plot never reaches that same level of greatness as one could've hoped for with the first arc building up so much potential. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of wonderful humor in The World God Only Knows, all in the name of the God of Conquest.

Grade: A-
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