As a disclaimer, I dropped this series chapter 74, so as I write this review, I've only read about 30% of this series. Whether you choose to value my criticisms or dismiss them based on how much I read, just know I'm only speaking about what I have saw.

First, allow me to soothe your mind and soul by talking about the good, that is, before I put on my apron, grab my knife, and butcher this series. Sasuga's art is consistently good. I don't think I read a chapter where I had any complaints with how it was drawn, so you can bank on this series looking visually appealing. Occasionally, you'll get a great double spread that will raise the ceiling for the artwork in the manga. If you can count on Domestic Girlfriend to deliver on one aspect, it would definitely be the art.

In addition, the comedy can be good, albeit sometimes for the wrong reasons. Whether this series entertains you by design or with it's ineptitude, if you walk away with at least a chuckle, then that should be viewed as a positive.

My last bit of praise will go to the fan service. Fan service can sometimes show a lack of confidence in one's writing by leaning on T&A to please the readers, but it isn't inherently bad. In this series fan service is par for the course, and as a self proclaimed, "man of fan service", I refuse to avert my eyes to panels of Hina's breast, I stare at them head on, I dream about them vividly, for what man could I be, to shun a divine blessing? I dare not find the answer.

As for the bad, honestly, I have no idea where to begin. There is so much wrong in Domestic Girlfriend, I'm struggling to focus on which issue I should tackle first, but I suppose I'll start with the premise. I dubbed this series "Heterosexual Citrus" when I first heard about the plot, and it's not hard to make the connection. A high schooler wants to bang his step sister and with that, a lot of drama befalls the characters. However, unlike Citrus, instead of lusting over one step sister, the main character lusts over TWO step sisters, double the incest, double the xp. Now the way I look at it, the pseudo incest alone isn't the only con dragging down this series, it's the multitude of hurdles that plague Hina and Natsuo's relationship. Hina is the stepsister of Natsuo, is 6 years older than him (at the time Natsuo was a minor), and is the teacher of Natsuo. The facts scream with a megaphone, that Natsuo should not pursue this relationship, that Natsuo should find someone else, that Natsuo should not even think of Hina as a romantic partner, but alas, Natsuo is deaf. Maybe, just maybe though, that's the point of this series, Natsuo is deaf to bad signs, Rui is numb to feelings, and Hina is blind to all good decisions.

Transitioning into the characters of Domestic Girlfriend, as a unit they are mediocre at best. On paper you would think Natsuo is a good character, he's smart, diligent, and a decent individual but he is insufferable to watch. Natsuo's indecisiveness will drive you up the wall and sure, you can somewhat defend it since he is a high schooler, but he's more fickle than a newborn. Chapter 7 Natsuo might like Rui, chapter 12 Natsuo might fancy Hina, it's a back and forth seesaw of "who should I be with." Rui is a more likeable character but even then I feel like her stoic personality is a tad bit overdone. Rui is so clueless, she doesn't even understand the concept of love, so much so, that she decides to have sex with a guy she literally meet within a hour. I think in writing Rui the way that she's written, she has potential for a ton of development but ultimately, her development amounts to realizing she wants to bang her stepbrother and that's just...yeah. The worst of them all though, without a doubt, has to be Hina. Unlike Natsuo, Hina doesn't have the excuse of being a horny teenager, she is a fully grown adult who jeopardizes her livelihood, all for a minor who also happens to be her stepbrother. Hina is supposed to be one of the most responsible characters in this series, yet she makes some of the most mind boggling decisions, that will leave you in awe, and not in a good way. If you're looking at a dilemma in Domestic Girlfriend and you think of a couple of smart routes to maneuver out of it, expect Hina to take a complete detour and take you places, devoid of logic and reasoning. The side characters are a plus though, in fact they're better than the main cast. It's very sad when a cafe owner and a high school girl, who has had more sexual partners than there are hours in a day, are leagues better than the likes of Natsuo and Hina.

Briefly, I want to pile on by pointing out the forced drama that this series tries to dish out chapter to chapter. When you see Domestic Girlfriend going in a direction where the plot seems to have mellowed out, prepare for drama to hit like an anime vechile. Out of nowhere, no matter if it makes sense or not narratively, there will be a "plot twist" soley for the purpose of keeping the attention of readers, and not to progress any real story elements. I won't go into detail but you'll start to see the pattern, drama happens, characters deal with said drama in various stupid ways, the drama ceases to exist, the characters pretend to have gained some newfound knowledge from their experience, rinse and repeat.

To conclude this mess of a review, I will say that Domestic Girlfriend is a trainwreck happening over and over. Sure, it may be fun to watch a trainwreck go down now and again, but once disaster becomes the norm and bad becomes the status quo, it transforms from entertainment to tragedy.