Demi-chan wa Kataritai (Interviews with Monster Girls): Season 1/ Episode 1 "Takahashi Tetsuo Wants an Interview" [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jy6_Fp_fco

Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Demi-chan wa Kataritai reminds me of Zootopia. For despite the cuteish nature of the previews, it deals with prejudice, being uncomfortable in knowing you are a minority and having to dispel and avoid stereotypes.

The Introduction

Tetsuo is a biology teacher at either a middle school or high school and, recently, those known as demi humans, be them succubus, vampires, and the like, have gained legal acceptance in society. They are provided government assistance and are a recognized minority. However, like many minorities in our world, in their world there is this sense that they perhaps can never be fully comfortable in their person. For even those who can pass as human, such as vampires, succubus, and yuki-onnas (Snow women) can, there is this constant need for self-awareness. Making for when the students meet someone like Tetsuo who has an interest in them, for research purposes, the students obtain this feeling of acceptance.

Which seemingly will be what this show is about, gaining acceptance from their teachers, their peers and, going by the show’s Wikipedia article, even accepting themselves as demis.

Collected Quote(s)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO-2nRYg9TW/?taken-by=amarisali

Highlights

Different Take on a Familiar Topic

Monsters being amongst and going to school with humans, is nothing new. However, when said monsters are almost exclusively women, usually a harem or lots of ecchi follows. With this show, though, even the succubus isn’t sexualized. In fact, she covers herself up, avoids eye contact, and tries everything possible to not live up to any sort of stereotype. With this, while these characters represent monsters they also present what many people of color deal with.

For while we don’t, in the first episode anyway, see serious prejudice, we do witness Hikari, a vampire girl, after revealing she is a vampire, having to have that talk with Tetsuo to see if he is prejudice due to his reaction to the reveal. With that, you get a subtle taste of what it maybe like for someone who passes for one thing, like say something who passes for white but is Black and come to realize that her mistaken identity is why she got fair treatment.

And I know, as some may argue, ‘not everything is about race,’ but it’s hard to deny as the girls speak of the fear of being unaccepted, stereotyped, and watching them gracefully deal with ignorance, that you can relate it to the topic.

On The Fence

Will, and Does, This Show Need To Show Overt Prejudice?

This show, as noted, is very much about these demi-humans pursuing normalcy by going to school, being teachers, and either grown or teenaged women. So comes the question, will the show keep things sort of light where the demi-humans face just simple ignorance or will hatred, and whatever –ism applies to monsters, rear its ugly head? Also, is that necessary? Does this show need to get preachy or just let us get the point?

Overall: Positive (Watch It)

The show is doing something different, or at least different to me, than what is often seen. Now, perhaps it may not go far enough, is too silly, or you may not get what I’m talking about in terms of the monsters representing more than simply demi-humans. But still, it is undeniable that this show is either seeking to explore a topic, perhaps just touch on it, or maybe even do a deep dive. Either way, I’m for it and will definitely continue watching.