In today’s edition of our stroll down eromanga lane we take a look at the most recent work* from Amatarou, an artist who is tenacious in his pursuit of the awesome. I hope you’ll agree that “Happiness!” in the title is not mere hyperbole, and while reading this review might not make you a better person it will certainly uplift your spirits (or something else). 18+ ONLY, NWS.

Title: Happiness!
Author: Amatarou (天太郎)
Release Date: September 19th, 2006
Pages: 4 color, 202 total
Publisher: Core Magazine
Imprint: Megastore Comics
ISBN 13: 978-4862520401
Availability: Mangaoh, Amazon
Support HD!: Parade! (also by Amatarou)

Art: ★★★★☆
Story: ★★★☆☆
Ero: ★★★★☆
Themes: bakunyuu, 3P, first time sex, swimsuits, lingerie, assertive girls, fellatio, girls with glasses, uniforms, paizuri, shota

Eromanga artist Amatarou has been drawing professionally since at least 2002, with four compiled volumes of work to his name. This is the third in publication order, but the most recent in terms of content (for some reason Core Magazine published Parade! most recently, despite containing content from 2003 and 2004, versus the material from ’05-’06 contained here). This is important to note because if there’s one thing that fundamentally characterizes Amatarou’s work is that he is constantly improving, and this book represents the pinnacle of his craft (so far).

Amatarou’s style is distinguished by his use of narrow, almost eggshell thin lines to define the outer limits of rounded volume, which he then grants texture and life through the deliberate use of tone. The shapes of his extremely well endowed characters are firm and taut, but not overly spherical – gravity works here, but in a contest between the laws of physics and the laws of sexy the latter invariably emerge victorious.

A competent mastery of pacing and page layout flows through the ten stories present in this volume, which content-wise are invariably good natured (with a bit of light bondage to liven things up). Moments of sweetness and joking playfulness thread through each story, from the first tender confession of love (sparked by the discovery of a used condom) to the last threesome (an ex-girlfriend convinces her virgin roommate to use her former boyfriend as a “meat vibe”). Regardless of the scenario, happiness results in the end for all involved – the reader included – making this a very aptly titled volume indeed.

If the book has one weakness it is tied to Amatarou’s strength, that is to say his constant innovation and quest for improvement. He notes in the afterward that this is the first time he’s used a PC to color, and it shows (this is the one area in which the subsequently released Parade! is clearly superior); also, some stylistic variations are noticeable from story to story where he has tried slightly different approaches to the subject matter, with some working better than others.

Overall however this book falls into the category of those I can easily (and happily) recommend to anyone, both due to the very fine art and the lightness of tone that permeates the stories. Those not attracted to huge tracts of land in the chest region need not apply, but I’d wager that just about anyone else will be well pleased by the acquisition.