For a story called Monster Wrestling, there isn't actually that much wrestling on display here. Instead, the sports angle is just window dressing for an action/ecchi/comedy where monster girls duke it out with magic and over-the-top special attacks rather than conventional pro wrestling moves.

It's admittedly fun to watch the lead grow from a timid rookie to a certified badass, but ultimately the story isn't anything you haven't seen before. What you may not have seen, however, are some of the unusual monster picks and unconventional designs given to the characters. It's like the artist made an effort to differentiate this manga from other wildly popular monster girl series, and while the appeal may suffer a little in some instances, I applaud the creativity.

Speaking of the art, it's definitely an acquired taste. It's very angular and stylized, with exaggerated anatomy. And I'll admit, there were several panels, particularly during the fight scenes, where I had no idea what was going on. The action doesn't always flow well, and you're not always sure what you're looking at. You just know somebody got walloped.

Clocking in at only 37 chapters, it's rather short. I get the impression that the series wasn't doing so hot, but it was afforded the dignity of getting an actual ending. On the one hand, it feels like the creators had to rush in the final act, but on the other hand, I'm not sure what else they could have done with the story. It really would have just been more training and more fights, with the occasional gag thrown in for good measure. Overall, it's not the worst thing out there, but I doubt it's going to stick with most readers over the long haul.

Helpful

read more