It's been almost two months since I've actually sat down and watched a hentai title, the amazingly mediocre "Tragic Silence" being my last fare. Lucky for me I decided to go with Darling, which turned out to be one of the better hentai features I've had the opportunity to view.

Darling's premises are simple. We have a sweet married couple who earn a living by churning out pornographic comic books (hentai manga). Jun draws and writes the story while his wife Miyuki models and gets his juices flowing in more ways than one. They are quite a team, and anyone with a healthy libido would probably find their lifestyle as the ultimate fantasy come true. Jun is approached by a publisher with a deadly deadline, putting the pressure on the lovebirds. Jun and Miyuki have to use every possible means to come up with a really good hentai manga within the short time alloted to them... and this is where the fun begins.

Jun and Miyuki cosplay, visit the friendly neighborhood sex shop, screw each other's brains out, etc. As a result of their combined efforts, Jun fleshes out several kinky short stories for his hentai manga anthology. There's a spy thriller peppered with a bit of bondage and mild torture; a tentacle romp in outer space; a hospital gang-bang starring doctors and nurses; a rape comedy (I didn't know there was such a thing till now) with some cosplay elements; and a couple of school scenarios featuring students and teachers engaging in a variety of sexual activities. Since everything is kept light in tone and presented in an amusing manner, there's nothing really offensive during Darling's whole run.

Darling's visuals are above average. Good enough I guess, albeit nothing exceptional. Character designs are generally nice -- pleasant faces, well-proportioned bodies... I just didn't fancy Miyuki's overly contrived "sweet and innocent" look highlighted by extra thick hair decorated with humongous bows. Sex is depicted graphically. Penetration and all relevant parts of the anatomy are shown in their full unabashed glory. The English dubbing is pretty decent to boot.

I truly enjoyed Darling. It's a welcome alternative to the multitude of either overly depraved or incredibly dull cookie-cutter titles that dominate the hentai scene these days.

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