Mama Akuma Vol 1 Review

Mama Akuma, by Kuzushiro, is a series that I decided to pickup simply because the cover looked cute, and this turned out to be an example of a time when judging a book by it’s cover was a great decision. This is a fun and charming comedy about a lonely girl and a forlorn demon who wind up becoming family, thanks to a magical pact and an unconventional wish.

Synopsis:

The demon Seere has always strived for perfection in his work. When he makes a contract to grant a wish in exchange for a person’s soul, he ensures that he gives that person exactly what they wished for. Seere will stop at nothing to deliver what he promised, even if it means toppling a kingdom or causing massive amounts of destruction in order to do so. The thing is, despite how hard he works, his masters never seem to appreciate what he’s done for them and always complain about the results of his labours. Well, this time around it’s going to be different! His newest master is Sakura, a young girl who summoned him in order to have a very simple and pure wish granted: she wants Seere to become her Mama! Should be easy enough! At least, that’s what Seere assumed, but Sakura has a very particular vision of what a Mama should be and it doesn’t involve using magic or destroying nations. Is Seere really going to be okay, or is he in over his head when it comes to his new daughter?

Sakura is very strict about certain things.

Review:

Seere’s problem with granting wishes seems to be that he tends to take things humans say entirely literally and then pursues the most direct, and consequently the most brutal, route to accomplishing what has been asked of him. The lack of nuance in his approach has always resulted in a bunch of unforeseen consequences, meaning, having Seere grant your wish is something of a monkey’s paw type scenario. Sure, he’ll give you what you asked for, but in a way that will make you ultimately wish that he hadn’t. Thing is, he’s not doing this on purpose and Seere is always perplexed – and kind of hurt – when his masters are unhappy with what he’s done.

But, Seere is determined to get things right this time, so he asks for details on what exactly it is that Sakura wants and she’s more then happy to dole out specific instructions on how Mama’s should behave, though her image of a Mama is mostly based on watching her friend’s moms or the mama’s on TV, since her own mother passed away when she was an infant.

Sakura is a very sweet girl; she doesn’t just want someone to take care of her, she wants to help her Mama with chores and do all of the normal things that a mother and daughter would do together. Sakura doesn’t hesitate to correct Seere when he’s doing things wrong, and he take all of her feedback seriously and determinedly works to embody her ideal Mama. Their relationship is so wholesome and cute, especially since Seere is delighted to have finally found someone who appreciates all of his efforts.

Probably the funniest parts of the manga are Sakura’s brother and father’s reactions to Seere, as both of them had no idea that Sakura was planning to summon a demon and are completely side-lined when a strange man with horns shows up in their house. Sakura’s father initially displays normal, fatherly concern over the fact that his daughter has entered into some kind of demonic contract, but then is quickly won over by the promise of help with the housework and raising the kids (not to mention the fact that Sakura is now guaranteed perfect protection so long as Seere is around).

Can’t argue with that logic, dad.

Sakura’s moody older brother, Hijiri, is not so easy to please, however, and he is stuck playing the straight-man to this group of air-heads who are quick to accept the existence of magic and the presence of a literal demon in their house. I really enjoyed the unusual family dynamic that formed between these four characters and I got a lot of laughs out of watching Seere struggle to impress his new human children and figure out what exactly it means to be a Mama.

Mama Akuma is pretty hilarious and very adorable. This is a great series for anyone looking for something heart-warming and humorous to brighten their day.

Final Score: 8 out of 10.

What did you think of this manga? Let me know in the comments.

For more information on this series, check out Yen Press’ website.

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