Title: Darling
Genre: General Hentai / Comedy
Credits: 2003 Cherry Soft / Anime 18
Shop: Darling Item Shop, Hentai Item Shop

Description:
No cover description as I have only rented this title. Plot summary is included in the review.

Jun and Miyuki Kitano are your typical conservative newlyweds—typical in the sense that Miyuki lost her virginity to her hubby only after their marriage. (A little detail that I can relate to, considering I’ve suspected I’ve always been a closet prude in real life. Heh.) But wait, take a closer look and you’ll realize they aren’t as conservative as you think. After all, Jun is a hentai manga artist and Miyuki used to be his assistant. With a combination like this, you’re bound to have one hell of an interesting marriage. And I should know, because Jun and Miyuki actually gave me ideas on to how to spice up my own marital activities. This is while keeping in mind that there’s a huge difference between a girl and a guy’s idea of romance, which Jun and Miyuki blatantly demonstrate. That’s practically why I’m giving this a 9. All those plus points were incurred by the fact that I find Darling very helpful as well as entertaining.

The “honeymoon” begins with a visit from a beautiful representative of some ambitious manga company. Apparently, the woman was desperate to find an artist who could do the Best Hentai Manga of the 21st Century™. It should be an easy feat for a man who is tied to a ready and willing source of inspiration, you might say. But here’s the catch: he must finish the manga within a month or the girl who’s hiring him would end up as the head honcho’s sex slave. How’s that for pressure? Jun initially replies with, “Sure, I love drawing pussies and penises but it takes a lot of skill!” He relents anyway, knowing that with the help of his Hyper Erection Mode™, he can definitely do the job. At this point, I am not really sure if Darling really does depict hentai artistry in its raw form, or if this title is just making fun of me. But I digress…

So off the couple went, searching for the kinkiest costumes and even kinkier reading materials. Miyuki does her best in providing Jun with enough stimulation to get his creative (and other forms of) juices flowing, while Jun draws till he drops. Literally. In any case, they work hard towards a happy ending, which is all good and nifty for our cute cute couple.

What does Darling have to offer for our h-loving fans? It’s basically like Cool Devices, except it’s a comedy. Since our protagonists are masters in the erotic side of the Japanese comics industry, you will see their ideas unveil right before your very eyes:

1. Chun-Li-Wannabe is a spy who gets caught by the very people she is working against. The leader of the group demands that she gives them back the microchip she stole, but she persists in maintaining her innocence. There is only one way to make her talk…

2. A new intern has just arrived and it seems like he specializes in gynecology. Will our nurses be up to the task of helping him be a better doctor?
3. A female student asks for the help of an upperclassman from her band club. Is she really bent on improving her musical skills, or is she after some other type of instrument?
4. Two female space cadets get kidnapped by a bunch of green tentacles and are delivered straight to a robotic pervert. To the perv, tentacles are titillating, but it would be even more titillating if he could make his women don maids’ costumes.
5. A serial rapist is on the loose and people are chasing after his ass. But no one is as adamant in destroying him as a girl who had been a hapless victim. She is now a super heroine cat girl who will use her vagina to bring her tormentor to justice! This is a battle you truly shouldn’t miss.
6. Confessing your love for your teacher is perhaps the most romantic thing you can imagine. But what if that teacher is of the same gender? And how will you take it if the teacher is actually hiding a deep dark secret?

As you can see from the summaries I’ve enumerated, Darling provides any h-addict with various scenarios. The sex scenes are graphic, although none of them could be considered extremely offensive. Once in a while, Jun and Miyuki are shown enjoying each other sans the illusion of being comic book characters, but these moments aren’t any less appealing than their make-believe counterparts.

What about the other elements of Darling? The artwork and animation are pretty; the voices are superb. English dubbing is okay. It might also be remarkable to note that Darling is based on a bishoujo game of the same title. In truth, however, I couldn’t care less about the rest of it. All I know is that I haven’t had this much fun watching married h-protagonists since the days of Elven Bride.