Until yesterday, the title 'Me-Teru No Kimochi' meant nothing to me. And, going on the small amount of ratings it has, many others are still in the dark. After reading all 28 chapters in one sitting, never once feeling bored, my goal is to bring this unknown gem some much needed love. If you've read 'Welcome to the NHK' then you'll have a decent idea how the story goes: a reclusive guy gets helped out of his shell by a beautiful lady, eventually finding himself able to live a more normal life. The big difference between the two is that, where as it's fairly believable fora slightly nutty young(er) girl to want to use a loser for her own interests (NHK), it's pretty... out there for a HUGE breasted, super model type 22-year-old woman to first marry a bald old man (because he looked like her father) and, later, go on to mother/wife his 30-year-old son; a son who has locked himself in his room for 15 years. Where are these selfless 'would die happy after having sex with' women in real life!?

However, if you can get over the basic premise, you're in for something of a treat. Slowly but surely, Haruka - the aforementioned big-breasted lady – attempts to get her reclusive 'son-in-law' out of his room by first trading a notebook that they can communicate with in order to work around his shyness and, later, helping him talk, go out and... well, do 18+ things I'll cover at the end. Early on in particular, there's always comedy preventing the mood from being depressing (just like in NHK), with the reclusive lead plotting how to win the heart of his new 'mother' and, among other things, naming a dog after her in order to practice calling her name affectionately. (Note: The dog and him get pretty close - there's mouth-on-mouth action! If you love your dog more than you should, this is the manga for you!)

Ignoring Haruka's devotion to bald old men and losers, the biggest issue series has is, not surprisingly (for a NHK fan, that is), its ending. It's open-ended and rushed, and it didn't even end very well in terms of the relationship shared by the main two. It wasn't the worst ending known to man, but there are examples of far better executed endings out there. The mangaka working on 'Gantz' at the same time may have played a part in how the story ended.

Honestly, I'd recommend this to anyone not cynical to the point they'd judge it based on its first chapter and/or basic premise. It's a heartfelt comedy/drama, sure to be involving for anyone who can relate to the lead and enjoyable for those looking for something different from the usual romantic comedy offerings. The art is very appealing, which allows readers to fully understand just why the reclusive lead gets tongue-tied around his new 'mother', and the manga is short enough to read in one sitting. What do you have to lose? Give it a go!

Extra: The manga isn't ecchi until towards the end, when a few chapters are dedicated to a sex scene. There aren't any nipples or private parts on show, but there's plenty of kissing and touching, and it's made perfectly clear what's going on. If you're against the idea of cunnilingus in your manga, then this might not be the one for you. But let me repeat myself in order to make this crystal clear: the scene is near the end and there are only a few chapters covering it. The sex scene in question does serve a purpose, meaning it'd be wrong to class the manga as pornographic because of it.