Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents
(Bath, Lavatories, and Angel Are Communal) – Vol. 1
Written & Illustrated by: Suu Minazuki
Translated by: Noboru Akimoto
Lettered by: Arbash Mughal
Published by: Yen Press (print/digital)
Genre: Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Supernatural, Ecchi*
When I first saw the licensing announcement for Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents I figured it would be yet another fanservice fueled comedy, given it is the latest series by Suu Minazuki (not to be confused with Suu Morishita), a mangaka that has been making many well known ecchi works decades now – including his most well known work – Heaven’s Lost Property. His other well-known work includes Plunderer and Gou-dere Sora Nagihara-chan, both also currently licensed by Yen Press.
The first cover of Rejects For Residents led me to believe it would also have that same ecchi-fueled focus, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not saying there weren’t any fanservice or ecchi scenes, but the series delivers a deft touch of wholesome class as Minazuki flexes some quality writing chops by heavily focusing on the “found family” composed of the rejects that call the Dame Residences home.
Rejects For Residents primarily follows two main characters, Yuugo Sayama – a seemingly good-for-nothing and jobless 20 year old, and Hamniel – an equally good-for-nothing angel sent down from heaven to help wayward and lost souls with their struggles. Yuugo seemingly understands the predicament he is in, but would almost always rather make excuses for himself instead of actually fixing the situation. On the other hand, Hanniel is beyond gullible and immediately falls for Yuugo’s pathetic excuses, leading her further and further away from her goal of helping Yuugo, which often results in her being kicked out of his room.
Its in these scenes where the story of Rejects For Residents finds its main beat as a slice-of-life comedy, with Hamniel trying to figure out ways to help Yuugo, while also befriending the other rejects of Dame Residences.
The cast includes an odd-but-friendly shut-in, a pair of close sisters, and a single father and his very young daughter which the rejects fondly look after – often at their own expense. It’s these interactions between the other residents that really caught me off guard, as Suu Minazuki really puts care into showing the internal monologues and interactions they share with each other.
Every single one of these so-called “rejects” are here for one reason or another, but they all see and understand the issues each person faces. As a result, they always choose to face them together. This makes the bond between the characters feel like something truly special, and I found that quite refreshing.
As I alluded to before, we are also quickly introduced to the one main fanservice gag in the series (so far) when Hamniel first appears before Yuugo – or at least attempts to – as she immediately gets stuck in the portal she created to come to Earth. Apparently this is something that always happens to her, and in her embarrassment she always blames it on her “love handles”.
Of course, this gag always rains on Hamniel’s parade whenever she tries to make a grand angelic entrance and instead only ever results in her becoming extremely embarrassed. That said, while this gag does occur a couple times throughout the initial volume, it is not something that is repeated often enough to the point it gets repetitive or offensive.
I should also point out that while some websites have “Rejects for Residents” tagged as an “ecchi” series, the series itself is only rated “T” for Teen audiences, and honestly I feel that rating fits, though it remains to be seen if that changes for future releases.
One final aspect of Rejects For Residents that really caught my attention was the striking artwork and character designs throughout, especially the gorgeous scenery surrounding the Dame Residences. Minazuki often chooses to switch up art styles on the fly, leading to some pretty hilarious scenes of chibi versions of the characters, as well as yet another gag of Hamniel drawn in great detail when ever she tries to pull off something you’d expect out of a heavenly angel… only for her to fall flat on her face or fall for one of Yuugo’s many excuses. The double page spreads are also worth paying attention to.
If you are in the mood to read a slice-of-life comedy with a heavy helping of wholesomeness and a dash of fanservice, Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents is a solid choice and this is one series I will be continuing to follow. Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents – Vol. 1 is now available at your favorite retailer. Vol. 2 is scheduled to release on December 10th, 2024.
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