On me, Oh my! Akai Ringo. What would you do if you were Eve? Would you be deceived by the snake? Would you not eat of the tree? Would you find the juicy red apple a nuisance? How would you carry yourself if someone in a higher power told you you can't do something, but your whole big counterargument against it is, "Why not? It's not like I don't like it. I've been doing this for a long time; you can't just come up, and say it's not right because you think so." In a way, this story is more satire than an actual storywith characters and a coherent enough flow that makes sense.

In the not-so-distant future in Japan (at least that's what I'd assume the setting of the manga is), sex is prohibited and punishable by law. An establishment is made to counter fiends that engage in any acts of sexual portrayal, and what do you know, our main protagonist just happens to be the son of a high-ranking officer in said division. Our main guy is so infatuated with his dad that he lives an exemplary life, fitting of such a man's son. But life doesn't take so kindly to this honor student, as soon into our story, a boner would be his downfall, and the ultimate piece that would shoot the bullet heralding our story towards a disturbing, not fun, yet comedically entertaining series of events.

To put it bluntly, this story has an ambitious aim, yet it lacks the technicalities to pull off a high-end philosophical feat that would leave the readers in awe. From the get-go, we're loomed into a cast of perverted individuals who, try as they might to live their fellow lives, always seem to oppose the general reality of the message being portrayed. While an independent character is one that feels real enough for one to be relatable to, in the case of Akai Ringo, its pre-established premise almost always breaks that down. Following this, one can only really wonder if the story is doing anything at all. The characters are constantly bickering about things that just oppose the general idea of the manga to the extent that the message loses promise. For instance, even though the law forbids sex, characters frequently engage in lewd behavior without facing any consequences.

Talking about characters, they pretty much don't have much going for them besides the general motion of the plot occurring around them. Besides a few characters who are very distinct in their mannerisms, the rest are all just walking dummies, basically. Even a few characters who had backstories to them just felt out of place in the entire thing. Not to say they were badly written, but they definitely weren't spectacular representations of what they were going through. One particular character's traumatic childhood backstory seemed shoehorned in and didn't fit with the overall satirical tone. In the end, an explanation wasn't even provided, it was just left as is. P.S., something confusing happens at the end where a character directly contradicts herself from just one chapter before. This makes me question if the author fully put in the effort to establish each character. Obviously, from the end result, we can somewhat confirm that it's not so.

While this type of character depth does leave intellectuals more concerned with the plot wanting, the manga does try to redeem itself with the unexpected B.S it might throw at you, of which could either be a hit or a miss to be honest. This is in turn fueled by mind-crippling comedy that just looms out of the dark like a jump scare in a horror movie, this single bit of the story is enough to hook most of the target audience from start to finish. If I discovered this one when it ended, I could've sworn I'd finish it in one sitting just from the crazy amount of ridiculousness that comes and goes.

The art style, in particular, isn't quite innovative, groundbreaking or unique, but it conforms to the norms and standards of most romance, slightly ecchi (this story goes all out on the s*x scenes), absurdly comedic manga where no explanation for scenarios becomes a selling point for the funny. I'd say the mangaka has at least perfected that craft to the extent that there can be no complaints made in that department.

When push comes to shove, this manga really isn't anything too special. There are numerous others with a similar premise of a future where sex is something to be valued. From the note it ends on, we can conclude that the story was somewhat inspired by the declining birth rates Japan is experiencing, and as such, has in a way contributed its part to society. However, it does so rather poorly. It's not like it brought any particular attention to the issue, but it does try to address it in its own silly way. The metaphors are there, not extremely philosophical, but just bearable enough that one could gauge the writer's pen game. In actuality, it needs really little brain cells to process this story. In some scenes, you'll just have to turn your brain off, not because the situation set up is crazy funny, but just because it either makes no sense or contradicts an already established momentum throughout the story.

To end my review, I'd say this one has an intriguing premise of exploring sexual repression, it does struggles to blend its philosophical ambitions with constant crude humor. The satire has its moments but lacks focus. And thus fans of boundary-pushing comedic manga may still find enjoyment here, but those seeking more depth may want to look elsewhere.