Maken-ki

Genre: Action, harem
Score: Bad
Rating: 12 for violence and nudity

Takeru is accepted to the school his friend Inaho goes to, which until recently was girls-only, but he’s surprised to find on arriving that it’s a school for magical training where students are given magical weapons (maken) and expected to participate in dangerous battles. Lacking talent of his own, he ends up on the committee that polices the student’s magic battles.

This is an action harem like the used to make in the bad old days. Takeru is surrounded by voluptuous, talented women – who regularly save him, do all the work and tolerate the regular wardrobe malfunctions – despite the fact that he has no redeeming features. Usually a male character in such a position finds some manly quality to cancel out how pathetic they seemed: a strength of will, a deeper insight, or a willingness to put their life on the line for justice; but Takeru really is just pathetic.

Avoid.