Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi Target Attacks Episode 1 Review: The Boy Thought He Was Embarking on a Great Adventure… But, Uh, What's Going on Here?

In the crowded space of isekai/high fantasy/RPG anime and related media, Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi Target Attacks? switches things up from its contemporaries by transporting a male protagonist and his doting mom into a fantasy world. To make things weirder, his mom is one of the most powerful characters. Let’s see what hijinks ensues in this fantasy adventure comedy!

Plot Synopsis

The episode starts with Masato filling out a survey about his relationship with his mom, Mamako. He is then introduced to a very blunt woman from the government named Shirase, who tells him that he’ll be transported to a beta MMORPG virtual world (hilariously re-titled MMMMMORPG in the anime.) Seeing this as an opportunity to leave home and embark on his own adventures, he is suddenly sent away through a portal. At first he thinks he finally has his freedom, until he hears his Mom’s voice and realizes she has entered the virtual world too. They meet the world’s king who bestows some powerful swords to both Masato and Mamako. It doesn’t take too long, however, for Masato to realize his sword skills suck and that Mamako – his own mother – is already more powerful than him. After a brief verbal spat, they reconcile and move on to interviewing potential members to form a party – much to the delight of Mamako.

Episode Highlights

Puns Galore

Throughout the episode, you’ll notice a good number of pun-filled names and places that I thought was a nice touch. The obvious one is Mamako’s name which derives itself from the word ‘Mama’ and Masato’s nickname as Ma-kun. The one that got me the most was Mommalia – the first kingdom Masato and Mamako touch down upon. For future episodes, I’ll be on the lookout for more cheesy puns like these. I hope they give you a good chuckle.

Mamako is Too Adorable

This anime wouldn’t be itself if it didn’t highlight one of its main characters: the very charming and attractive Mamako. Her naivety, cluelessness, and genuine kindness kept me engaged throughout the episode, especially with her interactions with Masato. Her voice actress Ai Kayano does a really great job of emulating her sweet demeanor. If she’s proving to be popular to the point of already having her own anime figure, I expect Mamako to be the main driving point of the series, as well as the center of the storyline.

The Opening and Ending Themes

Both songs featured in the opening and ending sequences of the show are very catchy and hard to skip. The animation in the opening sequence does a great job of showcasing our two main characters and the rest of the cast. The ending is a bit more focused on Mamako’s admiration of her son, featuring scenes of them together, much to Masato’s embarrassment. Both themes are a fun way to begin and end each new episode.

Comments

I was excited about Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi Target Attacks? from the day it was first announced it was getting an anime. My curiosity in the series peaked when I heard Animate held a promotion where buyers could bring their own moms (blood related or not) to buy one of four light novel titles that won a Fantasia Prize. As a result of their purchase, they would receive a free 16-page short story booklet. It’s a neat way to get mothers involved with the otaku madness.

Right from its first episode, this anime proves to be everything mother-centric and I’m so very on board with that. We’ll most likely get to know the other girls in Masato’s party very soon, but the real highlight of the episode is how effectively it sets up his relationship with Mamako. Masato’s at that age where he’s trying to figure himself out and his mother’s constant doting makes it hard for him to break apart and become his own person. In addition to feeling embarrassed and annoyed by her actions, he simply can’t accept how his mother – who knows next to nothing in terms of video games – manages to look better in combat than him. I really like how the anime does this because it flips the isekai anime concept of having a single powerful main character solve all the fantasy world’s problems and winning all the ladies. Instead of Masato being the most powerful character, it’s his mom who has all the power and the willingness to do anything to protect her son, much to his dismay.

I also appreciate how the anime approaches an emotionally tense scene between the two characters. While most of the episode is lighthearted and cheerful, there’s a good moment where we see a bit of Masato’s insecurity exposed. Visibly frustrated as to why he won’t get answers from Mamako on why they’re both in the virtual world, Masato threatens to disown her. This breaks her heart and she begins crying, but Masato apologizes soon after by saying he didn’t mean it. Mamako is a character you want to root for, so seeing her cry pulled at my heartstrings a bit because she was only trying her best for him. You can definitely label Masato as the bad guy in this situation, but he’s just a teenager who has a hard time expressing his feelings.

The comedic timing in the anime is also pretty decent, with the anime playing the story pretty straight despite its self-aware parodying of the isekai genre. The banter between Masato and Mamako can be very entertaining and I so sympathize with how he facepalms every time his mother dotes on him or does something unexpected. There are also a few video game references and neat little transitions that resemble a loading screen. I expect more things to happen once we encounter the other three party members.

Mama Prepares to Interview/Interrogate

I’m very excited to be covering Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi Target Attacks? as my first weekly anime series review for MANGA.TOKYO. The first episode proved to be very fun and a bit dramatic. I expect the next episode to highlight how brutal Mamako can be in her interviews with potential party members (who are all girls coincidently.) I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of Mamako and the rest of Masato’s potential harem in the next few episodes.

What did you think of the first episode of Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi Target Attacks? Is Mamako also your favorite character so far? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check out our other anime reviews for Summer 2019.

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