The Fall 2023 Manga Guide

Plus-Sized Elf: Second Helping

What's It About? 

Massage therapist Naoe Tomoatsu certainly has his hands full. Not only does he have his job at the Smiley Boar clinic, but he's inadvertently become the go-to health expert for all sorts of bodacious fantasy babes, especially fry-loving elf, Elfuda! Now that she's back under his roof and rounder than when she arrived, will Naoe-kun be able to help Elfuda keep the weight off for good this time?

Plus-Sized Elf: Second Helping manga is the sequel to the Plus-Sized Elf manga. Its story and art are by Synecdoche. The English translation is by Miki Z with lettering by Viet Phuong Vu. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment (September 26, 2023).

Is It Worth Reading?

MrAJCosplay

Rating:

I thought this book would be more perverse than it ended up being. Don't get me wrong, there are different flavors of fanservice present here, from specific camera angles to voluptuous curves. But aside from the last chapter, it doesn't seem to try to sell itself on the sex appeal. Plus-Sized Elf is keen on being an edutainment book that focuses on working out and learning about different dietary benefits. It does feel preachy at times and runs the risk of being one of those books that propagate being healthy under the guise of controlling how people present themselves. I love the body types throughout this book, and it's nice that the story doesn't directly condemn anyone except for our main titular character. People get on her case more because she has no self-control, which can get out of hand, rather than because she's clinically obese.

Still, aside from the bits of educational material and the lovely, well-shaded artwork, there is only so much else to this title. Only half of the book is dedicated to educating the audience, as the other half feels more like a conventional slice of life introducing a variety of characters I don't remember much about. I wish there were more here to hook me because, from what I can tell, this is a reasonably popular manga. I see the novelty in mixing many standard tropes in such a way. It's more on the unique side, so if you're looking for a palate cleanser, I can recommend worse things. Just don't expect to walk away with anything remotely profound or memorable.