Among the manga series I am currently following, Kanan-sama ha Akumade Choroi (カナン様はあくまでチョロい) by Nonco definitely deserves a special mention, both for its character personalities and for its absolutely astounding art quality.
The story follows the strange and often chaotic relationship between Kanan Takakiyo (a demoness whose real surname is Zebel) and Youji Kyouji, a normal human. The series begins with Kyouji being summoned by Kanan into a private room. She seems fully prepared to devour his soul, but Kyouji interprets the whole situation as a sexual innuendo because he has no idea who Kanan actually is.
Things escalate quickly and Kanan ends up accepting a “love contract” with him, which sets the stage for their romantic relationship. Throughout the story she keeps trying to “devour” his soul, only to wind up in humiliating or awkward situations every single time.
As time goes on, Kanan becomes genuinely attracted to Kyouji. Combined with the constant rivalry from the other girls around him, she gradually starts pursuing him more seriously. Her intense embarrassment and total lack of romantic experience, however, make it almost impossible for her to be honest about her feelings.
Some of the standout supporting characters include:
Jaenne, an angel who is so unlucky it is almost a defining trait. Kyouji and Kanan often feel compassion for her and she eventually becomes one of Kanan’s rivals for Kyouji’s affection. She has a puppy-like personality that is extremely endearing.
Ami, Kanan’s personal maid, who takes every chance to prank her mistress and push her into embarrassing situations. She is one of the strongest catalysts for the comedy in the series and one of the characters I like the most so far.
Milch and Miel, Kanan’s two younger sisters, each with very distinct personalities. Milch is a classic mischievous “kusogaki” (you can see later one hilarious scene with Kanan spanking her) while Miel is obsessively attached to her sister to a comical degree which really fuels interesting scenes.
Kanan’s mother also has several hilarious moments with Kyouji, much to Kanan’s despair. She is extremely attractive, so it is easy to see where Kanan, Milch and Miel inherited their looks.
As I mentioned before, the artwork is truly incredible. Every panel is polished and full of detail. The characters are beautifully drawn with a level of precision that makes them instantly appealing. It is honestly hard not to fall in love with them at first sight.
The main story has not progressed dramatically so far, but the sheer amount of comedy is enough to keep me entertained and completely absorbed whenever I read it. We know that Kanan and Kyouji are going to end up together so it's nice that they just focus on the comedy instead.
I am currently on volume 8 out of the 11 available, and since the series is still ongoing, I am very excited to see where things go next. The suffering of poor Kanan-sama is far from over.
