English Dub Season Review: Monster Girl Doctor Season One

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Monster Girl Doctor is set in the city of Lindworm, a place where monsters and humans exist together in harmony. At least, they do now. There was once a great war that was fought between the two factions, but thankfully that’s all in the past now. In the present day, Doctor Glenn Litbeit runs his own clinic along with his partner Saphentite Neikes, a lamia who has a big crush on the doctor.

With Glenn’s medical knowledge and Sapphee’s assistance, the clinic lends medical help to any monsters who need aid. Whether it’s an injured mermaid or a harpy who turns out to be a phoenix, the doctor treats his patients with the utmost care, and gains quite a few admirers along the way. By the time the final episode rolls around and he cures the renowned Lady Draconness of her heart condition, he’s become a beloved figure around the city.

Our Take:

Monster Girl Doctor is a very specific kind of show that’s meant to appeal to a certain type of viewer. If you enjoy monsters, doctor’s visits, or both, then the series will probably be right up your alley. However, if you don’t see the appeal to those limited niches, then Monster Girl Doctor will be an easy show to skip.

The show began by teasing a bit of history. With the years of warfare that had come previously, there was the possibility that the tension between monsters and humans in the city. While there are a few hints of this throughout the series, it never really explored this too much, mainly because this isn’t the type of show that cares much about plot. The main draw of the show is shipping the doctor with various patients, which will either turn you on or turn you off. For me, it represented somewhat of a wasted opportunity because there was some interesting backgrounds and biases that could’ve been further delved into without such a focus on Glenn’s harem.

Doctor Glenn himself is pretty much the blandest protagonist you could ask for. He’s a good doctor, who always figures out the right answer and is never at a loss for ideas. Without showing the audience any flaws that might make him into something resembling a real person, it’s almost understandable why basically every other character in the show gets paired up with him.

Sapphee, of course, is the default option. She lived with Glenn’s family for a time growing up due to trade agreements brokered during the war, and she followed him to medical school. She’s definitely one of the best characters of the bunch, if only because her fiery spirit stands out in contrast to the doctor himself. For a supporting cast of love interests, there’s Tisalia, a minotaur warrior who decides she’s going to marry the doctor without getting his opinion first, Lulala, a mermaid who has to be saved from drowning by Glenn, and Arahnia, a creepy spider woman who constantly broadcasts how manipulative she is but is almost never called out on it. Skadi, aka Lady Draconness, is also a big part of the show, but is pretty much wasted. At the start, she’s billed as this powerful figure who has helped to make the city a success, and by the end of it she’s reduced to an adoring devotee of the doctor’s who’s only purpose is to spend as much time with him as possible.

When it comes to the more artistic merits of the series, there aren’t a whole lot to speak of. The dub is solidly done, with actors being cast in roles that fit them well. However, there aren’t any emotional high points or memorable performances. That’s probably due to just how lowkey this show is — it’s very hard to get emotionally invested in routine checkups — but the art and design is nothing to write home about either.

Monster Girl Doctor is a series that nobody should watch unless they already know that they’re going to like what they’re getting into. For everyone else, it’s just a boring snoozefest with archetypal characters without much personality who go around getting examined by a doctor who might as well be infallible. Too bad the show itself couldn’t learn from him.