High schooler Aoto Ichigaya’s light novels of forbidden love aren’t exactly flying off the shelves — but he’s got bigger problems right now. Way bigger, in fact. His cute-but-psycho stepsister Shizuku has decided the way to his heart is through hypnosis…which doesn’t actually work, but Aoto isn’t about to let her know that. Aoto’s childhood friend, Rinko, might be his only hope of rescue — if he even needs rescuing at all. When your stepsister wants to kiss you and kill you, there’s just no way for a guy to win!

Like a lot of current light novels, the title of My Stepsister Who Tells Me To Die Every Day Tries To Hypnotize Me So I Would Fall For Her…! pretty much tells you exactly what you’re going to be getting right off the bat. As a result, you probably already know whether this is the kind of thing you’re immediately interested in or not.

My Stepsister… is, essentially, a sexy comedy with a bit of a dark edge. Aoto Ichigaya, a high schooler who moonlights as the author of largely unsuccessful step-sibling romance web novels, has a problem — his own real-life stepsister, who has a crush on him and is more than a little bit psycho. Unable to admit her feelings, she tries to hypnotize Aoto into doing her bidding…which doesn’t work, but Aoto can’t let her know or risk suffering her wrath. Aoto is forced to play along with her contradictory demands while his childhood friend Rinko tries to extricate him from his predicament. Rinko’s involvement may be hinting at a love triangle, forcing the protagonist to choose between wholesomeness on one side and the dangerous and forbidden on the other. To the manga’s credit, even though the focus of the story is quite clear at the moment, it’s not entirely certain which way Aoto will ultimately go, and Rinko’s concern serves as an important grounding element to balance out the wacky humor of Shizuku’s terrible attempts at hypnotism and unhinged threats.

If you’re not into the themes this one has on offer — forbidden step-sibling attraction with a cute yandere little sister — this title probably isn’t for you. It’s definitely aimed at a particular audience, though, so if that audience includes you, it’s probably worth checking out. The writing is low on plot but heavy on visual gags, slightly edgy humor, and sexual tension. Visually, the manga really hits its stride when it’s at its most risque, offering up a dizzying array of flushed faces, upskirt shots, and lacy underwear. The character designs are appropriately cute, especially Shizuku (who gets a good deal of the fanservice and the laughs). The little sister is clearly the star of the show overall, with the protagonist coming off as a little hapless, but the clash between the two girls shows a lot of spark — and Aoto’s secret double life as a web novel author does add an interesting twist that will hopefully be returned to in the future, especially with the interesting revelation a few chapters in that Shizuku might have taken his work as inspiration in the first place.

As the title might suggest, My Stepsister Who Tells Me To Die Every Day Tries to Hypnotize Me So I Would Fall For Her…! isn’t for everyone — but it really isn’t trying to be. If the scenario sounds titillating and you’re looking for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously, consider checking this one out.

Review by JC Hallows.