The World God Only Knows (manga thread)

[BanditKing]

Oneshot transtation is out.

Able to see older Elsea and Mio.

[kittybear]

man i'd love to surf on my psp..ahem... pfp lol

[Master Assassin]

His trademark line "I can already see the ending" for this arc is probably quite the most un-dramatic ever

probably being in the role of a "sempai" he has a VERY large margin of advantage that he sweats little to do it, heh.

[Solafighter]

The new story with Minami is kinda nice/cute/sweet.

Looking forward to the next chapters.

[-Sho-]

Surf on PSP lool !

[LeaD36]

Wow, the oneshot is epic, only a prototype of the real deal series, but it´s hella good, thumbs up for the author.
He even adapted the friggin storyline to go well in the series format, incredible job, salutations for the idea and the execution.

[Johnny]

Imagine the harem he could have amass if the girls didn't lose their memories like in the oneshot...? Of course I'm sure it would more hell then heaven...

[Irenicus]

I actually find the oneshot...lackluster. In comparison to the series that is. It isn't bad, on its own, far better than some of the crap being translated these days, and it did carry the core ideas of this awesome series; however, the series does the same thing and does it better.

...which is actually to the credit of the author. To improve is to grow, to grow is to make the manga even more fun as it goes, all the better for us. See:

1) The oneshot Keima is a cowardly nerd. Yes, he has the same latent godly power (*cough*) as his series self, but one of the reasons why Keima is so awesome as a character is that he doesn't have a trace of shame about his activities; barely a recognition of outside opinions about himself, even. We've got a lot of those nerds in anime and manga that cry out "I don't need reality!" because they suffer from it, yet they secretly hope for reality to accept them, and it feels like oneshot Keima is one of these. For most people that's fine: it allows for the obligatory character development if nothing else. Yet, the series Keima's "I don't need reality" expresses something very different and quite intriguing: total, honest detachment. Reality bores him, and that's that. So serene, I thought he was the Buddha.

It makes the character's success more of a case of a Magnificent Bastard who's forced to play with reality rather than an Underdog Hero learning his ropes up the casanova ladder. We all know who's more fun, despite the prevalence of the other.

That will also make any potential development towards "reality" something to be celebrated not as a redemption but as an exploration and growth.

2) Smaller-boobs Elsee is a far better sidekick than big-boobed Elsea. She won't try to, *ahem*, steal the show with her boobs. We actually see the traces of the clichéd "sexual tensions between the leads" in the early chapters of the series too, but the author seems to have dropped it along the way and made her feel like a real little sister instead. Which is good, I am a Hakua fan.

I doubt it would happen as easily or naturally if the sidekick has "assets" that imply her to be at the very least an object of desire.

And don't tell anyone, but I actually don't like boobs in anime. They're too big, they're anatomically disturbing, thus they aren't that hot. I ignore them when the characters are good enough to surpass the weight of their chests, like Medaka. Just so you know, that doesn't make me biased at all. No sir, not at all.

3) The same essential plot between the oneshot and the first chapter, but the latter does it better and with less "awkward" elements like stalkerish behavior or breaking into people's baths.

4) The girls losing their memories does resolve a potential plot quandary, though I do wish the author would eventually give the past girls the screen time they deserve. *hint*

[LeaD36]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

I actually find the oneshot...lackluster. In comparison to the series that is. It isn't bad, on its own, far better than some of the crap being translated these days, and it did carry the core ideas of this awesome series; however, the series does the same thing and does it better.

...which is actually to the credit of the author. To improve is to grow, to grow is to make the manga even more fun as it goes, all the better for us. See:

1) The oneshot Keima is a cowardly nerd. Yes, he has the same latent godly power (*cough*) as his series self, but one of the reasons why Keima is so awesome as a character is that he doesn't have a trace of shame about his activities; barely a recognition of outside opinions about himself, even. We've got a lot of those nerds in anime and manga that cry out "I don't need reality!" because they suffer from it, yet they secretly hope for reality to accept them, and it feels like oneshot Keima is one of these. For most people that's fine: it allows for the obligatory character development if nothing else. Yet, the series Keima's "I don't need reality" expresses something very different and quite intriguing: total, honest detachment. Reality bores him, and that's that. So serene, I thought he was the Buddha.

It makes the character's success more of a case of a Magnificent Bastard who's forced to play with reality rather than an Underdog Hero learning his ropes up the casanova ladder. We all know who's more fun, despite the prevalence of the other.

That will also make any potential development towards "reality" something to be celebrated not as a redemption but as an exploration and growth.

2) Smaller-boobs Elsee is a far better sidekick than big-boobed Elsea. She won't try to, *ahem*, steal the show with her boobs. We actually see the traces of the clichéd "sexual tensions between the leads" in the early chapters of the series too, but the author seems to have dropped it along the way and made her feel like a real little sister instead. Which is good, I am a Hakua fan.

I doubt it would happen as easily or naturally if the sidekick has "assets" that imply her to be at the very least an object of desire.

And don't tell anyone, but I actually don't like boobs in anime. They're too big, they're anatomically disturbing, thus they aren't that hot. I ignore them when the characters are good enough to surpass the weight of their chests, like Medaka. Just so you know, that doesn't make me biased at all. No sir, not at all.

3) The same essential plot between the oneshot and the first chapter, but the latter does it better and with less "awkward" elements like stalkerish behavior or breaking into people's baths.

4) The girls losing their memories does resolve a potential plot quandary, though I do wish the author would eventually give the past girls the screen time they deserve. *hint*

umm

To all your points: The first chapter introduced keima just like this type of nerd if i recall correctly, the first somewhat pages are almost exactly same in the oneshot as in the first chapter of the series. Waiting in the rain ain´t really that stalkerish, if you are a stalker you wish to remain hidden most of the time. And the breaking through the ceiling has been adapted in the Library Girl arc :P And the previous girls will show up in the next few chapters so look forward to it

and the oneshot had a certain ecchi level to it, i usually don´t mind ecchi but in this series it incidentally doesn´t fit in that good.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Originally Posted by LeaD36

umm

and the oneshot had a certain ecchi level to it, i usually don´t mind ecchi but in this series it incidentally doesn´t fit in that good.

Ahem Hakua.

[LeaD36]

^ That was just for the mega LULZ though, no real fanservice there, unlike the pantyshot in the oneshot.

[risingstar3110]

I do not like the one shot as much as the actual series also. Keima's way cooler in the actual series.

My only wish now in TWGOK is seeing his harem in actions. He deserved every peny of that xD

[kuroishinigami]

Originally Posted by LeaD36

rofl, not much happening in this chapter, god just takes his time doing, well nothing. Still achieving his goal.
What a fine place this wolrd would be If I could already see the ending.

Lol, you have to be as good as Keima if you want to see the ending, and by good I mean memorizing every path choice in every girl game you played 24/7 of your life without contact with other people :P. Oh and

Spoiler for chapter 57 spoiler:

I didn't realize that was popping bubble wrap lol. How could I see that as knitting I wonder, maybe becuz knitting is more girlish and common with those introverted girl in anime I guess, but this is female version of Keima we're talking so.......

I really hope one day they will give a flashback story of why Keima become so detached and bored to real world even from such a young age.

[Master Assassin]

Chapter 58:

Spoiler for OH NOES-DESU:

Looks like the hunter is going to become the hunted...

And our hero is being sucked by misfortune.

And a devil acting high-and-mighty (even more than Hakua) is set to cause... uh, for me, annoyances.

[kittybear]

Originally Posted by Soul Assassin

Chapter 58:

Spoiler for OH NOES-DESU:

Looks like the hunter is going to become the hunted...

And our hero is being sucked by misfortune.

And a devil acting high-and-mighty (even more than Hakua) is set to cause... uh, for me, annoyances.

i bet keima will act cold like in the games to make the girl fall for him lol

[Master Assassin]

Originally Posted by kittybear

i bet keima will act cold like in the games to make the girl fall for him lol

I wonder if he could this time... since happenings in that chapter is surely throwing him off balance... (somehow even quite literally...)

Anyway, as soon as I saw the "oh-I-am-so-mighty-devil," I sensed nothing but annoyances

[kittybear]

woah so keima has another rival. I bet that new guy is an a-hole and god needs to kick his ass.

[Master Assassin]

Originally Posted by kittybear

woah so keima has another rival. I bet that new guy is an a-hole and god needs to kick his ass.

Let's all pray for TEH GAWD.

[Used Can]

Why is it I believe the rival won't be as difficult to deal with as the target?

[Quiet Lurker]

Rival? I doubt it. Remember, Hakua mentioned that Keima is the ONLY one to use love, no one else even tries it because the method is so unstable.

As for the current story arc it seems that Keima's life is in grave danger.

Spoiler for Chapter 58 RAW:

The osananajimi seems to be a yandere on full psycho mode (Pushing Keima into oncoming traffic and splashing hot coffee on him). Even if she doesn't do Keima in, the new demon and her partner may do it for her if they are the type to fulfill the afflicted heart by eliminating the whoever is in the person's way (in this case Tenri obviously has something against Keima).

Originally Posted by Irenicus

I actually find the oneshot...lackluster. In comparison to the series that is. It isn't bad, on its own, far better than some of the crap being translated these days, and it did carry the core ideas of this awesome series; however, the series does the same thing and does it better.

...which is actually to the credit of the author. To improve is to grow, to grow is to make the manga even more fun as it goes, all the better for us. See:

1) The oneshot Keima is a cowardly nerd. Yes, he has the same latent godly power (*cough*) as his series self, but one of the reasons why Keima is so awesome as a character is that he doesn't have a trace of shame about his activities; barely a recognition of outside opinions about himself, even. We've got a lot of those nerds in anime and manga that cry out "I don't need reality!" because they suffer from it, yet they secretly hope for reality to accept them, and it feels like oneshot Keima is one of these. For most people that's fine: it allows for the obligatory character development if nothing else. Yet, the series Keima's "I don't need reality" expresses something very different and quite intriguing: total, honest detachment. Reality bores him, and that's that. So serene, I thought he was the Buddha.

It makes the character's success more of a case of a Magnificent Bastard who's forced to play with reality rather than an Underdog Hero learning his ropes up the casanova ladder. We all know who's more fun, despite the prevalence of the other.

That will also make any potential development towards "reality" something to be celebrated not as a redemption but as an exploration and growth.

2) Smaller-boobs Elsee is a far better sidekick than big-boobed Elsea. She won't try to, *ahem*, steal the show with her boobs. We actually see the traces of the clichéd "sexual tensions between the leads" in the early chapters of the series too, but the author seems to have dropped it along the way and made her feel like a real little sister instead. Which is good, I am a Hakua fan.

I doubt it would happen as easily or naturally if the sidekick has "assets" that imply her to be at the very least an object of desire.

And don't tell anyone, but I actually don't like boobs in anime. They're too big, they're anatomically disturbing, thus they aren't that hot. I ignore them when the characters are good enough to surpass the weight of their chests, like Medaka. Just so you know, that doesn't make me biased at all. No sir, not at all.

3) The same essential plot between the oneshot and the first chapter, but the latter does it better and with less "awkward" elements like stalkerish behavior or breaking into people's baths.

4) The girls losing their memories does resolve a potential plot quandary, though I do wish the author would eventually give the past girls the screen time they deserve. *hint*

1) Perhaps I can offer a different perspective on the character of Keima: He is truly heroic character whose major flaw is that he is a pessimist who believes that he cannot make a difference in reality and hence abandoned it.
- Keima is the type who would not abandon a heroine even in a badly bugged game, he is obviously not doing it for fun.
- Nor is he doing it for the public acclaim. He often plays games that no one else would play.

Even in reality, Keima displays heroic qualities towards those who he accepts into his inner circle:
- He eats the cookie Elsee makes despite not liking sweet foods to avoid hurting her feelings.
- His caring relationship with his mother.
- He teaches Hakua to appreciate and to work with her partner.

Keima's main flaw is his negative view on reality. Despite the world being changed by his website, Keima does not believe that a mere website can affect the real. From this, we can extrapolate that Keima doesn't believe that a single person (i.e. himself) can change the world.

In short, either due to Hamartia or an event in his past, Keima has somehow concluded that he cannot achieve any significant good in the real world and thus secluded himself in a world where his efforts can make a difference (i.e. games).
By being forced to assist demons (Elsee, Hakua, maybe even the new demon) to help troubled girls, perhaps he'll come to realize that he CAN actually make a difference in reality.


2) Given that Keima fell in love with the poorly drawn "Yotsuba Sugimoto" and his reaction (or lack thereof) from seeing Hakua naked. I don't think Elsee's breast size would matter to him.
Of course to the readers it WOULD probably matter.

3) Personally, I think the main reason why the characterization was changed was having the looming threat of abyssal horrors being unleashed on the world in the case of failure seems a bit dark for a comedic series. Furthermore a time limit of 7 days makes other types of captures such as Yukie's method all but impossible.


4) From Shiori's chapter it seems that victims of spirit possession seem to retain some memory (as if seeing things from a dream).

As I mentioned before, even within Elsee's group of friends, Miyako remembers Keima as Ayumi's fanboy, Ayumi remembers setting Keima together with Chihiro.
It was fortunate for Keima that Miyako was not present for Keima's tutoring session in Chapter 54, or it could have gotten really messy.

If Nagase-sensei returns in the next semester, she will almost certainly remember after comparing notes with Nikaidou-sensei.

As it stands, for every additional girl, the probability of things getting complicated increases exponentially.