Is Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu Worth Reading? Review & Where to Read
Quick Answer
If you want a long-running, high-energy harem comedy built around three distinctly weird club members and their paranormal 'research,' this delivers consistent laughs across a substantial run, even though its ending doesn't fully commit to resolving the harem.
Quick Verdict
“Three gleefully unhinged club members and one hypnotized guinea pig make for a long, reliably funny ride that never quite picks a winner.”
Best for: Readers who want a long-running, gag-driven school harem comedy with a strong, distinct cast of female leads.
Not for: Readers who want their harem comedy's romantic thread to actually resolve by the end.
- Type
- Manga
- Genres
- Supernatural, Comedy
- Status
- Completed
- This review
- Minor Spoilers
- Author
- Masahiro Anbe
- Publisher
- Akita Shoten
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Format | Manga (shōnen), 379 chapters, 20 volumes |
| Run | 2016–2024 · completed |
| Community score | AniList 7.4 |
Overview
Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu follows Daisuke Goryou, a high schooler who gets hypnotized into joining the Mysterious Research Club, a group run by three girls each chasing their own paranormal obsession: Suzu is fixated on curses, Chiaki performs feats of strength that are a little too superhuman to be tricks, and Kotone specializes in hypnosis. Daisuke, still under Kotone's influence, becomes the club's reluctant guinea pig for their ongoing 'research,' and the series builds its comedy out of that dynamic for the long haul.
What it does well
What keeps a 20-volume gag comedy from running dry is a strong cast, and Masahiro Anbe gives each of the three female leads a genuinely distinct comedic identity rather than leaning on interchangeable harem archetypes. The curse-obsessed, superhuman-strength, and hypnosis angles each generate their own flavor of joke, and rotating between them keeps the premise from feeling one-note even across hundreds of chapters. Daisuke's position as an unwilling, hypnotized test subject gives the whole setup a repeatable, reliable comedic engine - there's always a new 'experiment' to react to, and his exasperation is consistently the funniest part of the equation.
Where it falls short
A run this long inevitably has slower stretches, and even with three distinct comedic wells to draw from, some arcs feel like they're repeating earlier beats. The most pointed criticism from reader feedback is the ending, which is described as rushed and unwilling to commit to a definitive pairing among the harem's heroines - a familiar complaint for long-running harem comedies, but a real one here. The series also carries ecchi-leaning fanservice typical of its magazine, and there's no official English release, so picking it up currently means relying on fan scanlations.
Verdict
Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu is a long, consistently funny harem comedy anchored by three sharply differentiated female leads and a dependable paranormal-guinea-pig premise. It doesn't stick the landing on its central romantic question, but for readers who want a lot of gag-driven school comedy with real personality behind it, this is a substantial, worthwhile read.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- The three female leads each have a sharp, distinct comedic identity - one obsessed with curses, one with suspiciously superhuman feats of strength, one with hypnosis - giving the ensemble real variety instead of interchangeable harem archetypes.
- Daisuke's reluctant guinea-pig role in their 'research' gives the gag structure a reliable, repeatable engine that stays funny across a very long run.
- The paranormal-research framing gives the comedy a consistent identity beyond just a generic school-club setup.
- At 20 volumes, there's a huge amount of material for readers who want to stay with this specific cast for the long haul.
Weaknesses
- The series runs long enough that some stretches inevitably feel repetitive, even with three strong comedic engines to draw from.
- The one detailed reader review available specifically criticizes the ending as rushed, with the author avoiding a definitive choice among the harem's heroines.
- There's no official English release, so English-reading fans currently rely on scanlations.
- The series carries a suggestive content rating with ecchi-leaning fanservice typical of its Weekly Shounen Champion harem-comedy lineage.
Similar Titles
Another long-running harem comedy with a large, distinct cast and a romantic resolution that divided readers.
A similarly long-running school comedy balancing a large ensemble of female leads against one central (if less hypnotized) protagonist.
A much shorter series, but a similarly odd, specific comedic hook driving its central cast's dynamic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu finished?
Yes, it's complete at 20 volumes, having run in Weekly Shounen Champion from 2016 to 2024.
Is Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu available in English?
There's no official English release yet, so it's currently only available through fan scanlations.
How long is Atsumare! Fushigi Kenkyuu-bu?
It's a long-running series at 20 volumes and roughly 380 chapters, making it a substantial commitment if you read the whole thing.
Does the harem get resolved at the end?
Not definitively - reader feedback indicates the ending avoids picking a clear final pairing, which is a common criticism of long-running harem comedies.
