Soul Eater NOT! Review: New DWMA Students Learn to Partner Before They Can Think About Saving the World
by Atsushi Ohkubo
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Quick Take
- A deliberately lower-stakes spinoff that shows the DWMA world from the perspective of students who are not destined to save anything — the contrast with Soul Eater's operatic scale is the series' self-aware joke
- The Tsugumi/Meme/Anya triangle is pleasant enough, and the DWMA world-building holds for fans of the original
- 5 volumes complete; light spinoff for Soul Eater fans; not a standalone entry
Who Is This Manga For?
- Soul Eater fans who want more time in the DWMA world
- Readers who prefer lower-stakes school slice-of-life in familiar supernatural settings
- Anyone who found Soul Eater's secondary characters more interesting than the main cast
- Readers looking for very short complete spinoffs
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Mild action violence; supernatural content; school settings
T rating — significantly toned down from the main Soul Eater series.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★☆☆ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★☆☆☆ |
Story Overview
Tsugumi Harudori has just discovered she is a Demon Weapon — she can transform into a halberd. This is unexpected. She enrolls at Death Weapon Meister Academy as a first-year NOT student: NOT stands for Normally Overcome Target, the track for students who are not combat-specialized, who need basic training before they can think about more advanced work.
At DWMA she meets Meme Tatane, who is calm and capable but has serious memory problems, and Anya Hepburn, a princess from a noble family who enrolled to experience normal life. Both want to partner with Tsugumi. Tsugumi, who is not sure which she prefers, is now navigating first-year academy life while the choice remains open.
The series is about the beginning of things — before expertise, before destiny, when it is enough to learn how to partner at all.
Characters
Tsugumi Harudori — A protagonist whose ordinariness is the series' point — she is not exceptional, and the series does not pretend she is.
Meme Tatane — The cheerful partner with memory problems whose relationship to her own forgetting is played as both comedy and gentle melancholy.
Anya Hepburn — The princess whose earnestness about experiencing ordinary life creates consistent comedy and genuine warmth.
Art Style
Ohkubo's distinctive art style is present in modified form — the DWMA world looks like itself, the character designs are in Ohkubo's hand, but the overall visual register is lighter and less intense than Soul Eater's gothic energy.
Cultural Context
Soul Eater NOT! ran in Monthly Shonen GFantasy from 2011 to 2014, overlapping with the final volumes of the main Soul Eater series. It was designed as a lighter companion piece — same world, different scale, accessible to readers who found the main series too intense while rewarding main series fans with familiar setting elements.
What I Love About It
Meme's memory problems treated with affection rather than comedy. The series knows her forgetting is sad, and it treats the sadness honestly alongside the comedy it creates. That balance is the series' best character work.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe Soul Eater NOT! as a pleasant supplement for Soul Eater fans and a weak starting point for newcomers — specifically noted for the DWMA world feeling lived-in for existing fans, for the main character trio being genuinely warm, and for the lower stakes being a feature rather than a flaw. Consistently recommended only after the main series.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The moments when Soul Eater's main characters appear in the NOT! setting — viewed from the perspective of students who don't understand how extraordinary they are — are the series' most self-aware and charming content.
Similar Manga
- Soul Eater — The main series; required context
- A-Channel — Similar CGDCT slice-of-life energy in non-supernatural setting
- Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches — School supernatural with similar character trio dynamic
- New Game! — Ensemble character work in similar warm register
Reading Order / Where to Start
Read Soul Eater first (at least several volumes). Then Volume 1 of Soul Eater NOT!.
Official English Translation Status
Yen Press published the complete English series. All 5 volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- DWMA world-building rewards Soul Eater fans
- Main trio has genuine warmth
- Short — 5 volumes is the right length
- Meme's character work is surprisingly thoughtful
Cons
- Essentially inaccessible without Soul Eater context
- Lower stakes limit engagement for non-fans
- Tsugumi is underdeveloped as a protagonist
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Yen Press; complete series |
| Digital | Available |
Where to Buy
Get Soul Eater NOT! Vol. 1 on Amazon →
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*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.