The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters Vol. 2 Review – Take My Braincells

So I’m a Spider, So What? has become a rather successful light novel and manga series, so why do I find myself so interested in the spinoff The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters? The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters Vol. 2 continues the pure insanity that the first volume laid out. However, it seems like Gratinbird has really honed in on what they want this series to be: A pure comedy.

The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters Vol. 2 gives readers chapter after chapter of short bouts with each character, Magic Brain #1, Magic Brain #2, Information Brain, and Body Brain. Instead of separating them for individual adventures, we get more interactions with the group in the series. This can be seen as a bad thing because these characters together only spell disaster. The power that Gratinbird has over this universe is too strong as rules are broken and thrown in the garbage. You can try to guess what will happen next, but good luck.

One of my favorite short stories was a fashion show the group put on to determine who is the cutest, even though they are technically the same person. I just couldn’t help but laugh at these insane characters. The rules of the characters and their personalities were laid out in Volume 1, and Vol. 2 tends to prove how crazy they can be. As a reader, you’re simply along for the ride.

I’ll say that many of the funnier jokes include some knowledge of the world and the mainline series. However, this is meant to be enjoyed by non-fans of the source material. The pure comedic approach is commendable as there aren’t any fanservice tropes to lean on, and you simply exist in this world of monsters and crazy situations. If you’re the audience for this type of humor, then you found an offering of stories akin to watching the Animaniacs.

The illustrations nail the humor, and there’s a good sense of pacing throughout each panel. I will say that a few of the chapters felt needed. This is a pretty lengthy volume, but some of the stories feel like needles padding between the more significant joke themes. I suppose it’s just a hit or miss, and the shotgun approach here means you’re bound to find at least one of the stories fun.

The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters Vol. 2 is exceptionally well written. To tell so many stories through a comedic lens of four spiders sounds rather tricky (if not a little insane). However, Gratinbird has done it, and there’s something extra for fans to enjoy about this series. I don’t know what I can be looking forward to, but I wouldn’t mind more focused chapters rather than filler stories.