MM! – Final Review

It makes me wonder, was there an Anime that focused on sadomasochism with comedy and romance? Not until MM! started to air that featured it. When I watched the first episode, I wondered if MM! would be painful to watch since it’s about masochism. After a few episodes, I was proven wrong since the comedy is rather entertaining and the girls are cute. (Image Source)

The plot of MM! focuses on an extreme masochist named Sado Taro. He gets excited when cute girls beat him up. Since his masochism was shown in public, his reputation went down. After that incident, he seeks help from the 2^nd Volunteer Club to cure it. When he opened the clubroom, he meets Mio who controls the club with another girl named Yuuno, which is androphobia. Unfortunately, they give in with their outrageous experiments. On the same day, he is attracted with this girl. When he catches the girl, it turns out to be his best friend, Tatsukichi who crossdresses. Since that day, more characters are introduced such as Noa, whom also likes Taro along with Taro’s mother and sister that adds more to the chaos.

Since the comedy is character driven, each character has a quirk that makes them rather enjoyable or even funny. While there are other characters in the show I didn’t mention, I would rather focus on the two main girls shown in most of the episodes. These girls are Mio and Yuuno.  Mio is president of the 2^nd Volunteer Club. She is a violent tsundere that contributes to her sadism towards Taro. On the other hand, Yuuno is drastically nicer person than Mio and she has an attractive appearance. Like Inami from Working!, Yunno has a fear of men that was caused by an abusive boyfriend she used to date. Surprisingly, she is the reason why Taro’s masochism was awakened. Yuuno develops a love interest for Taro, which is noticeable. On the other hand, Mio has some liking towards him even though she denies it.  Later, Noa, Taro’s sister and mother try to win him over, but it doesn’t quite work out.

As for the production values, they were good. I liked how the characters look, especially the girls since they are so colorful and cute. Come to think of it, I have noticed this style from other shows animated by Xebec like Rio: Rainbow Gate. In contrast, the music is a mixed bag.  When I heard the opening theme, Help!! (both versions), it sounded bad. This has to do with Taketatsu Ayana since she is an incompetent singer.  Fortunately, the ending song, More-more LOVERS!! sung by Aso Natsuko since it sounds really catchy and pleasurable.

In conclusion, I enjoyed MM! for the masochism and the hilarious attempts to cure it.  While the masochism does not entirely reflect sadomasochism in real life, it’s not a point against this show. There were some favorite moments such as Taro crossdressing and the contest to see which girl is the most sadistic. Nevertheless, the ending did not resolve the romance or even solves the character’s problems, so there might be a possibility for a second season to resolve everything.

So, do I recommend watching this anime? If you want some masochism with mild fanservice, comedy and romance, then go for it!

Overall Rating

8.6/10, B, Very Good ¶