LETS BREAK IT UP
Usually when discussing an anime, I like to break it apart into seasons. And when I review manga I tend to describe it as a whole, as in like… chapter 1 to finish! But this is simply impossible to do in one blog post for many titles such as One Piece, Jojo, or Berserk, which run well over a few hundred chapters. And I admit I have squished a few decent titles into one post which should’ve been multiple! So let’s dive in to one daringly unique supernatural ecchi Shounen manga by the name of Mato Seihei no Slave; Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops, “Chained Soldier“, etc.
I was watching YouTube when an Otaku youtuber mentioned this particular manga getting an anime adaptation and being shocked by it. Apparently it would need a lot of censorship because of the type of content shown… which made me curious. It has rather positive reviews! Of course MAL is mixed and that’s just what you get when everyone holds different interests.
And so far I’m not disappointed! The story of Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops is captivating, the characters are likeable, the art is great, the battles are cool, and the humor is top notch. It’s not for everyone though… it is a harem, and my God does it have some of the wildest fan-service scenes, so bizarre in fact I have to take a moment to process what I just read.
GIRL POWER
*Cool Voice* In a world… where men are (typically) in charge and gender inequality is the norm… *cough* *normal voice* but enough about our world, let’s talk about manga!
In an interesting spin on the norm, in this fictional world women are in charge, and men in fact struggle to find their place in society. Also there’s this other world full of monsters that sometimes crawl their way into the real world.
Yuuki is one of those guys who doesn’t know his place in life, besides being the greatest cleaner ever thanks to his sisters’ teachings. Also there’s some magic peaches that give girls super powers depending on their ambitions (when eaten), but it doesn’t work for guys… maybe guys just aren’t ambitious in this universe, who knows!
BE MY SLAVE
So when our protag Yuuki is walking home one day after school, he’s transported to another world! No… he wasn’t isekai’d; no buses were involved in the making of this manga. But he did end up in Mato, which is basically hell… barren and dark with these creepy white-faced hulking monsters called shukki that just wanna smash everything to bits.
And when Yuuki is vulnerable and about to get squashed, he meets a katana-wielding silverish-haired girl with these horn accessories behind her ears and decked out in a typical generals uniform, Kyouka. She comes in gung-ho riding her own shuki that… doesn’t survive long. Then she whips out a force field to protect them from the onslaught, but the shukki start cracking through it!
In the next moment, Kyouka pushes Yuuki down and asks him to be her slave.
Wat.
Turns out Kyouka had the ability to bring the best out of others’ abilities, or something like that. Apparently that translates to her being able to enslave Yuuki, who in the next moment decides to friggin’ lick her hand… as if it were the most natural thing to do, annnd he transforms into a bad@ss looking monster. Like a white humanoid dog… lycan/werewolf thingy?
LET’S PLAY… MASTER AND SERVANT
With Kyouka holding the chain to Yuuki’s collar and riding him like a horse, she beckons him to fight and he does so obediently, and the pair overcome the raging shukki, who suddenly combine into a gargantuan shukki but still get demolished by the pair.
After surviving the onslaught, Kyouka explains how she has to compensate him/ reward her slave for their hard work.
Annnnd then at that moment I understood why Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops has an ecchi tag. But censorship wouldn’t be needed yet. Oh no!
So Kyouka rewards Yuuki with a kiss (his first kiss by the way). Probably the fastest I’ve seen a protagonist get a kiss, and this is still chapter one. But that’s not all she does! With a face of terrible embarrassment, Kyouka pushes Yuuki to the ground and… well, they make out, French-kissing and all.
Kyouka explains to Yuuki that the reward is based on the job done as well as the slaves’ ‘latent desires’. For Yuuki, deep down he probably thought Kyouka was a cutie and imagined kissing her. That somehow translated to that ‘reward’ given. Another interesting point here is that Kyouka’s body moves on its own when rewarding.
It’s a weird plot device, I know… and it may turn away some readers. As for me, well… *avoiding the question*, the story is just so fascinating!
IT’S A HAREM!
With admiration for Kyouka’s work, ridding the world of monsters, Yuuki accepts her off-color proposal for him to become her slave. They go off to where Kyouka is stationed, the 7th Division (10 groups of super-powered women dividing and protecting mato basically).
Here in an eastern style mansion, Kyouka introduces Yuuki to her squad, and so we meet 3 more colorful characters. There’s Himari, the black (or green?)-haired tsundere who comes off as a straight up b*tch, keeping her guard up and spitting orders at Yuuki. Then there’s Shushu, the ditzy blonde that’s overly curious about meeting the new boy. Lastly there’s Nei, the 11-year-old grade-schooler who’s fascinated by the arrival of a new member.
With house-cleaning, cooking, laundry, and other chores to be done, Yuuki’s new life as a slave begins. They use the word “slave”, but that’s really just a title. Sure the other characters may give him orders and think of him as a pet, but he still gets his own room and bed, meals cooked by him, and freedom to roam the mansion and say what he wants.
THOUGHTS ON THE MANGA
How do I… begin to describe my thoughts on Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops? I’ll be honest I’m past chapter 60 and I’m still invested in what the story throws at me. It’s got that typical shounen vibe where protag-kun and his tsundere counterpart strive to be heroes of justice, slashing monsters along the way and striving to correct the wrongs that come their way.
Oh and its softcore p#rn.
Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops doesn’t shy away from its ecchi tag. It’s definitely not a hent@i however, as fan-service is only sprinkled throughout the plot. I say “sprinkle” but it becomes a rain-shower as the plot deepens; our boy Yuuki getting “compensated” for all his ‘hard’ work. While it doesn’t drown out the story (at least for me anyway) it manages to stay interesting, throwing in some really bizarre and creative scenarios only the wildest minds could come up with. Like being stepped on? Yuuki does… deep, deep down.
Aside from that, the characters have grown on me. They each seem to have clear ambitions they’re working towards, those details revealed as you read further in (spoilers coming later). The setting is different from the norm, taking place mostly in a dark wasteland occupied by monsters and… authoritative magical girls. It also takes a progressive approach to gender norms; here women hold the power in society while men are left fighting for scraps. The manga creates other unique laws of this world, like the Matou being a parallel world, and women receiving superpowers after eating a strange peach (but only women though!); and new elements continue to get introduced. Let’s talk spoilers.
SPOILERS (FIRST 20 CHAPTERS)
FIRST INVASION IS A PIECE OF CANDY
Right when Yuuki was just starting to wonder when his dorm chores would end, an alert is heard and the 7th division heads out to fight some shukki. Himari rides a jeep, Shushu’s got a motorcycle, and Kyouka… rides Yuuki.
With the whole squad fighting (minus Nei) there isn’t much for Yuuki to fight. And in the end, what was thought to be another steamy reward from Kyouka turns out to be no more than a piece of candy. Turns out his compensation is based on how much work he puts in.
But we do find out the other girls’ abilities!
Nei is clairvoyant, being able to detect monsters and danger with her mind. Makes sense that she’d be kept out of combat, besides her young age.
Shushu can grow in size, as well as shrink; she’s basically DC comics‘ the Atom or Marvel’s Ant Man. Author Youhei Takemura knew exactly what he was doing, giving her that ability; you could imagine the ecchi tropes that ensue.
Himari… can use anyone’s ability. What? Yea… she has like…this cell phone that has a built in friggin’ gacha game where she can copy other girls’ abilities and swap between them using this… phone? Sounds like a God-ability, but the plot armor isn’t too bad here. She mainly wields a gatling gun out of her arms.
SECOND WAVE/ WILD COMPENSATION
And just as the 7th Division was winding down from that last invasion, another one shows up. This time the shukki appear at their base. With Kyouka’s leadership, she splits the team up and together they take out the threat. And this time, Yuuki put in a bit more work.
And as you might expect, Yuuki gets rewarded. Kyouka gives him a piece of candy, but this time she puts it in her mouth and delivers it to him mouth to mouth… yep. It doesn’t end there, but going into the spicy details would just ruin the fun of reading it!
Yuuki then expresses his concern for Kyouka, after all, the compensation for his efforts aren’t what you’d call completely “tame”. In rebuttal, she answers that her “dislike for him is surprisingly low”, so… she likes him? Defeating the shukki is utmost important to her. And besides, compensating him is like giving a dog a treat (that’s really what she tells him).
HERE COMES THE SHUSHU TRAIN
As you know, Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops is a harem, I mean all Yuuki’s commanding troopers are women. Kyouka may primarily use him for combat, but you could guess that the other girls would eventually want a piece of him.
In comes Shushu, the ditzy blond who becomes envious of Kyouka. I was a little annoyed by this scene at first; Shushu threatened to blackmail Yuuki for touching her undergarments (he was cleaning her room), but her character really grew on me as the manga progressed. Her intentions are innocent, and the two even play what looks like the Nintendo Switch.
A new wave of shukki appears, and coincidentally Kyouka, Hamiru, and Nei are away. It’s up to Shushu and Yuuki to defend the base! But with Kyouka away, how will Yuuki manage to fight?
While Shushu grows in size and goes on a rampage like a kaiju, Yuuki goes through Kyouka’s clothes and… proceeds to sniff them. All seems lost as he can’t get a good reaction however, until he finds her boots annnd licks them. BAM. Transformed, he arrives right on time to relieve a wounded Shushu from combat.
HOT SPRINGS AND REVELATIONS
I feel like… there’s a checkbox that manga authors go through when writing these kinds of stories, and Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops isn’t an exception. Did protag-kun walk in on their childhood friend changing? Was there a sudden miscommunication that made the situation sound lewd? Is the protagonist a pervert, or do the female characters wear suggestive clothes with way too little fabric?
What about a trip to a hot spring or a randomly placed bath scene? Check…. Yes the dormitory the 7th Division resides at has an outdoor bath. And Yuuki happens to stumble upon his superiors bathing. Hamiru does chase him around with a chainsaw she whipped up using her power, however, so that’s fun.
(Note, here on out, I’ve noticed the ecchiness picks up, and it gets pretty wild. This may deter some readers. Just a thought going forward).
Later, Kyouka has the day off and decides to take Yuuki back to the real world to show him the gravesite of her fallen city. She tells him about the “one-horned” demon and how that vengeance has driven her to fight the shukki. Turns out both Yuuki and Kyouka have similar goals; to be heroes. This fact is the reason why they’re a compatible duo (go figure).
TWISTED SISTER
And later on after Kyouka tells Yuuki about the need to defeat the One-Horned, a warning is put out somewhere in Mato, and guess who shows up? One-Horned! With the whole squad, Kyouka rides her slave into combat and goes face to face with the menace.
But hold up…
Hol’ UP!
Who’s that riding the One-Horned?
A mysterious girl with markings on her body and a high fighting spirit rides the monster towards Kyouka and Yuuki. But she makes eye contact with Yuuki, and they both pause for a moment. Yuuki swore his sister died a while ago with their parents, but could that be true?
I’m not sure how the hybrid girl knew from looking at the transformed Yuuki that it was him, but she did. In the next moment she backs up and flees the scene. But in a fit of rage, Kyouka beckons Yuuki to chase after her. After all, she’s waited for this moment to kill the One-horned for a long time.
With a cool head, Yuuki instead looks to save his comrades, who’ve been injured in battle. It’s at that moment Kyouka realizes… she was blinded by revenge. She gives up on the chase to carry home her wounded troops.
STEP ON ME, CHIEF
Back at the dorms, Yuuki lays on the floor and expresses his feelings about seeing who looked like his sister. While hearing this, Kyouka proceeds to step on his body. It’s part of Yuuki’s compensation (riiiight…); he has some “unique” latent desires. She tells him it has to be a coincidence and he shouldn’t dwell on it. I’ll be honest, this scene was hilarious, and it only gets weirder.
Sometime later, the members of the 6th division show up for a friendly spar. This includes the chief Tenka, who later honestly becomes my favorite character and best-girl, Himari’s sister Yachiho, some other girl that sleeps a lot, and another girl who isn’t that memorable.
BATTLE OF DIVISIONS
Seeing her sister again, Himari realizes she’s got a lot on her plate. To carry the Azuma name, she has to prove her strength to them. Tenka takes an interest in Yuuki, and a deal is struck between her and Kyouka to fight in a friendly spar.
Yuuki is hesitant to help at first. After all, he isn’t on the best terms with Himari, but this would give them a chance to overcome their differences.
To prepare for the competition, Kyouka let’s Himari borrow Yuuki for training, through “lending”. Here, we get to see Yuuki’s second transformation (skyward slave?), a weaker but faster form.
And the pair learns how to take advantage of this newfound ability. Of course, Himari discovers the hard truth about compensation for using Yuuki, but she doesn’t mind because she has to win this and face her sister.
I thought this was an interesting development, as Yuuki being able to take on multiple forms adds a new layer to the story. He’s almost like Pokémon’s Evee (kinda, sorta… not really ahah).
THE COMPETITION
And so the battle arrives. Himari’s older sister can stop time for 5 seconds, and Himari takes advantage of this to confuse her, sending Yuuki in another direction and even swapping abilities mid-fight. In the end, they overcome their foe, and Himari proves herself to her sister.
Shushu fights the sleepyhead next. But while Shushu’s ability to grow huge has its perks, the sleepyhead holds her fingers up and takes her down anyway, proving that size doesn’t matter… *cough*.
Right when Kyouka is about to challenge Tenka, whose ability is to teleport, a new threat emerges, and both divisions must fight together as a team to take out the threat.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops is a fun ride of a manga for those who are interested in what it has to offer. Supernatural ecchi harem shounen aren’t for everyone, but it certainly delivers with what it does bring to the table of fiction. My thoughts on the first 20 chapters are a little biased only because I’ve read quite ahead and can confirm the manga stays fairly consistent!
The characters are likeable and cute and funny (cunny); they may appear generic at first glance but they grow on us and we look forward to their development… at least I do.
The setting is odd; between the real world and a dark one filled with monsters, and even swapped gender norms that’s clearly a critique on social-norms.
The plot starts out simple, but unravels to something on a bigger scale. New elements are introduced and this keeps things fresh as well.
I say if the first 3-6 chapters of the manga don’t grab your interest, then maybe Slave of the Capitals Elite Troops isn’t for you.
For me personally… it’s a hidden gem and frankly, a guilty pleasure. I find joy in all its funny moments, sexy moments, suspenseful moments, bad@ss moments, wild moments, and unexpected twists.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and look forward to the upcoming anime adaptation!
Can’t think of a funny caption to go with this pic at the moment, comment yours below!
Bonus Meme:
When decades of human rights progression gets wiped.
