ExemplarCayman

“I've always thought about this, but she's way too sensitive! ...I've never been this close to her before. She smells so damn nice! She feels so soft too! And what thick thighs she has. It smells of flowers, fruits, and sun from her which is different from soap... A calming scent and warmth, as if I were surrounded by nature... Wait, that's not it! I'm surrounded by natural flesh, not nature itself! This is bad! I'm starting to feel funny! Is this her mana's doing too?!” - the protagonist’s inner monologue during the classic To LOVE-Ru gag of a girl tripping and landing with her crotchonto his face. Futoku no Guild is that one scene from Konosuba where Aqua and Megumin get molested by giant frogs stretched out into an entire series. What’s amazing is that it actually works, thanks to absolutely top-notch writing. First, let's get the elephant out of the room and into an ivory processing factory. This show is very lewd. Being lewd, however, is not the same as being vulgar (here’s a quick guide on how to tell that two words mean different things - they’re two different fucking words). A lewd show still can be classy and/or wholesome, while vulgarity is the opposite of those things. See the epigraph, this is about as classy as you can be in response to a faceful of vagina. In contrast, something like a panty shot is comparatively less lewd, yet much more vulgar because of the non-consensual peeping aspect. And while one’s personal tolerance for how lewd a show can be without turning vulgar is entirely subjective, the actual level of a show’s vulgarity is entirely objective, it can be objectively quantified by comparison with other shows. Redo of Healer, Futoku no Guild, and Bakemonogatari are three examples of lewd anime, and if asked to sort them by their vulgarity, you'd need to have some sort of brain damage to give an answer that wasn’t Redo of Healer - the most vulgar, Bakemonogatari - the least, and Futoku no Guild - in-between. Furthermore, lewdness and vulgarity aren’t even directly connected, it’s a matter of how you handle the subject matter. From recent examples, Uzaki-chan and My Dress-Up Darling are two shows that are much less superficially lewd than Futoku no Guild, yet much more vulgar because of how they handle their lewdness - as a source of fap bait, they’re pretentious censored hentai. Futoku no Guild is the polar opposite, it’s very lewd on the surface but uses that lewdness as a source of comedy, which naturally leads to a higher degree of writing quality and integrity, as making your audience laugh is a much more intellectually demanding task than making your audience masturbate. So, here’s what makes Futoku no Guild’s writing highly intelligent: The protagonist. Given how lewd the show is, it would’ve been so easy to make the protagonist a faceless cumbrain so that the coomer audience could self-insert into him (like Highschool DxD’s protagonist). Kikuru is so much better than that. He’s the straightest man that ever straighted (in the tsukkomi sense, not in the not-gay sense). He’s entirely unamused by all the lewd bullshit happening around him, and his unexpectedly classy and sensible responses are a major part of the show’s comedy. He is also a refreshing sight as far as fantasy anime protagonists are concerned, being a highly competent professional that relies on his wits, training, and experience. Kikuru shares more in common with Goblin Slayer than with your average Kirito clone. This matters because the series follows Konosuba’s formula of being a light-hearted sitcom most of the time, but switching into action hype mode for major boss battles - and the action scenes here are better than in the majority of “serious” action titles. We even get genuine character growth with occasional emotional moments on top of everything else. The girls. Futoku no Guild unambiguously belongs to the “Konosuba’s bandwagon” genre like pretty much every single isekai/fantasy comedy made in the last seven or so years. Seriously, try to name three titles of this kind that do not include a ditzy Aqua-like goddess. Again, Futoku no Guild is far above just copying Konosuba, it builds something of its own on top of the existing foundation. For example, the ensemble includes two “Megumins” (haughty nerd mage) and two “Darknesses” (bubbly warrior bimbo), yet each of them has a distinct and well-developed personality. Since the principal cast is so big and varied, the show can allow itself to swap the characters in and out, focusing on just a few at a time, exploring their unique chemistry and the unique sort of situational comedy their interactions bring. The worldbuilding. There is a reason why the world of Konosuba is colloquially referred to as Fantasy Australia, but 90% of isekai titles get bashed for being generic. Good worldbuilding is absolutely crucial for a show of this genre to feel fresh. When the protagonist enters the adventurers’ guild and you see the receptionist behind a desktop PC, while a pair of chipmunks in overalls are nonchalantly vacuuming the floor, you know this isn’t your average isekai. The story. The main premise of the series is that the local JRPG monsters that the characters are supposed to be slaying are suddenly focused on molesting female adventurers instead of killing them. And the story acknowledges that this is, in fact, what is happening. The MC questions why the monsters are behaving in such a bizarre way and tasks himself with investigating it. He also wants to quit his job but feels obliged to train his replacements - also a goal that he meaningfully works to achieve over the course of the series. Unlike many similar ecchi shows (such as Ishuzoku Reviewers), this one has an actual story and a sense of progression, which saves it from getting stale after a couple of episodes. The comedy. Genuinely clever and imaginative, not limited to just “haha, boobs,” and absolutely nailing the comedic timing. I can’t repeat this enough, it’s both in the style of Konosuba, and, more importantly, on almost the same level of wit. The ecchi. Just to make it clear, you absolutely can turn your brains off and watch this series just for the THICC art. The THICC here is beautifully drawn and the ecchi scenes are hot. The show is a ton of pure fun. 9/10 for a high-quality erotic comedy.

Marinate1016

Futoku no Guild is exactly the type of masterfully written and executed series we need more of these days. It doesn’t waste time trying to create an intricate narrative and well developed characters. Instead, it takes full advantage of the sexual depravity of the average Otaku and uses that to its advantage, making one of the most entertaining shows of 2022. What I like most about Futoku no Guild is that it doesn’t hide what it is. From the very first episode it’s clear this show is designed for the most down bad individuals out there. Putting the female characters in increasingly degenerate and lewd situationswhile having some genuinely good comedy as well. The scenarios range from your usual tentacle r**** scenes to somehow even more provocative imagery. I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that I did anything but fight a primal urge to grab tissues and lotion during these eps. The fanservice and lewd moments are awesome, but I also found the show genuinely hilarious which is rare in anime these days. The MC’s recurring schtick about him being an airhead and oblivious to the girls’ feelings about him was pretty enjoyable. The character interactions and banter were great too. Futoku no Guild is definitely one of the best ecchi anime we’ve got in the past couple years. Hot girls that are suitable for a variety of different tastes, lewd fan service moments that only the most seasoned of Exhentai users would be able to come up with and a playful vibe that makes every episode go by in the blink of an eye. Not much else needs to be said. It’s a must watch for lewd enjoyers. Futoku no Guild gets 10 tentacles out of 10.