Anime / Delusional Monthly Magazine

Over-Scientific! ^note Left to right, top to bottom: Edward, Perch, Noin, Catherine, Goro, Jiro, Saburo, and Taro

When unexplained and supernatural occurrences happen all around us, Monthly Moso Science is a magazine aiming to shed light on the mysteries of the world... at least, in theory. The publication's editorial staff — consisting of slacker Taro J. Suzuki, snarky Adorably Precocious Child Jiro Tanaka, and their pet Afghan Hound Saburo — aren't all that dedicated to seeking out genuine oddities beyond what's needed to keep the bills paid, but everything changes when they're sought out by intrepid researcher Goro Sato. Goro believes he's discovered the key to uncovering the mysterious Mo Continent, an ancient land inhabited by an advanced race known as the Motarians, but after being shunned by the scientific world for believing in such a thing he enlists the Moso staff to help him find the truth. Unbeknownst to them, the local MegaCorp White Pegasus Company is also interested in the Mo Continent, and not too keen on letting anyone else be the first to learn the truth about it.

...Did we mention this story is also about people who have the ability to transform into big, rainbow-haired furries?

Delusional Monthly Magazine (月刊モー想科学 Gekkan Mousou Kagaku ^note lit. "Monthly Publication Delusion Science") is an original anime produced by OLM Incorporated, airing on Tokyo MX and BS Asahi from January 11th to March 28th, 2024. Crunchyroll has licensed it for viewing with subtitles.

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This anime provides examples of:

• Advertised Extra: Despite being highlighted in the opening, Nancy is just a Satellite Character to Taro as his matchmaking contact, only appearing briefly in most episodes and never directly contributing to the main plot at all.
• Alternate Identity Amnesia: Taro never remembers anything that happens while he's transformed, though this could also be because transforming requires him to be hit over the head with his MOPart and be knocked out. Jiro is initially the same despite not having this drawback, but he soon becomes able to keep his memory intact after learning more about the true nature of his beast form.
• Amplified Animal Aptitude: Saburo is just below Scooby in terms of intelligence, having implicitly human-level idea comprehension and being able to do things like dance and perform sumo wrestling moves, only hampered by his inability to talk. It makes sense given he's actually a Motarian and is implied to have been aware of it before most of the others were.
• And the Adventure Continues: In the finale Four Tune announces the discovery of more possible ancient civilizations and continents aside from the Mo continent, with the Moso staff ready to investigate. The Stinger shows what looks like an intact MOPart buried in the remnants of the sunken Mo Continent beneath the sea.
• Animal Lover: During his time as a scientist, Edward mentions offhand to Four Tune that he loves animals, which is part of what makes him take an interest in her research on the Motarians. He regrets it when he winds up assisting her with dissecting a few of said animals.
• Apocalypse How: Catherine's true plan is to cause a Class 3a one, using Ra Mo to rid the earth of humans so the Motarians can inherit it. The king of the Mo Continent previously tried to prevent this by inflicting a Class 0 on the continent itself, sinking it into the ocean and seemingly eliminating all Motarians by reincarnating them among humanity.
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Saburo's big floppy ears are closely emulated in his human form by a head of long blonde hair.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Catherine technically gets what she wants once the Mo Continent is raised, since her original plan was to definitively prove its existence to the world and regain her scientific credibility. She's even able to pick up right where she left off in the finale by going back to her research, with the only caveat being that her true goal of wiping out humanity was thwarted and she no longer wants to do that anyway.
• Bears Are Bad News: Perch's and Noin's Motarian forms are a polar bear and a black bear respectively, and they assume the forms in earnest to help Edward by getting in the protagonists' way. They can also combine to become a gargantuan panda bear that's even more trouble, beating Taro to a pulp during the climax.
• Beast Man: The Motarians' true forms were those of large, anthropomorphic animal-people. The one subversion is Saburo, who's true form looks human, but this is Double Subverted in the finale when he reveals his real true form to be that of a massive bird.
• Big Bad: Edward Chi, president of the White Pegasus Company and the one opposing the editorial staff's quest to collect all the MOParts.
• Born-Again Immortality: After sinking the Mo Continent into the ocean, the King made it so that the Motarians would live alongside humanity by being reborn among them. However, they retain dormant memories of their original selves through all their different lives, essentially allowing them to be reborn over and over again.
• Bumbling Henchmen Duo: Perch and Noin. As detailed below, despite being reasonably competent their failures are still played up for humor a lot.
• Butt-Monkey: Despite being the main character, Taro is subjected to emotional or physical turmoil on a regular basis, to the point that even initiating his Transformation Sequence can't be done unless he gets hit over the head and knocked unconscious. Him being a staunch Lazy Bum and Casanova Wannabe who garners little sympathy from those around him makes it hard to feel bad for him, though.
• Casanova Wannabe: Taro is constantly trying to woo attractive women, though his efforts inevitably fail due to his age, lack of endearing traits, or bad luck.
• Chekhov's Gun: The song Saburo plays as a Motarian. Ostensibly it's just a culturally significant tune from the Mo Continent but it later turns out to be hiding a clue about how to disable Ra Mo.
• Child Prodigy: Four Tune was already an esteemed and respected scientist by the time she reached her teens, being able to work full-time as a researcher at the same facility Edward worked at despite her young age. It's implied she benefited from having her memories from her original life as a Motarian awakened at a young age, affording her quite a bit more knowledge and experience than a normal child could have.
• Christmas Cake: Taro is a Rare Male Example. He wants nothing more than to marry a woman with a steady career so he can quit his job and become a Househusband, but being almost 30 often hinders his chances. He goes so far as to regularly consult Nancy's matchmaking service to try and find any woman who'll give him the time of day.
• Contrived Coincidence: Catherine's entire plot hinges on having access not just to other Motarians and their respective MOParts, but also the ancient ruins needed to use them for raising the Mo Continent. Miraculously all of these things happen to become available within Most City, something she herself lampshades by expressing how convenient it was for everything to fall into place.
• Conveniently an Orphan: Jiro was abandoned at Rock's coffee shop as an infant, having been raised by Rock and Taro.
• Culture Chop Suey: The setting is aesthetically based on Post-War Britain but with many cultural aspects borrowed from Japan, such as Japanese-style houses, magazines, and bento. The main cast all have fully Japanese names despite being from the same England-esque location.
• Cunning Like a Fox: Catherine's Motarian form is of a tall, slender fox person. Not only does it tout a pleasing appearance — Edward outright calls the form "gorgeous" upon first seeing it — it also comes with plenty of cunning since Catherine masterminded the entire plot from behind the scenes to get everyone to help her achieve her own goals.
• Dark Action Girl: As a Motarian, Catherine is deceptively powerful despite her true form's slender appearance, and more than willing to put it to use for her plans. While Jiro is strong enough to be able to one-shot Noin, when he fights Catherine one-on-one she nearly kills him.
• Disney Death: After trying to shoot Taro and getting Punched Across the Room in retaliation, Edward suffers severe internal bleeding and seemingly dies then and there, but is resuscitated by Jiro shortly after thanks to his healing powers.
• Distinguishing Mark: All Motarians have a distinct "お"-like marking somewhere on their body to identify them, which is also the spot where they must touch their MOPart to transform. Taro's is the most obvious being on his forehead, while all the others do a better job at keeping theirs concealed to set up for The Reveal.
• Doomsday Device: Ra Mo, a tool created by those in the Mo Continent who felt humanity deserved to be eradicated. While the specifics of it aren't described in detail, upon its activation Ra Mo is shown to be so powerful that it can erase all humans from the earth simultaneously by making them fade from existence.
• 11th-Hour Superpower: In the final battle, when Perch and Noin's fused panda form nearly win against Taro, he suddenly becomes able to conjure huge energy fists to turn the tide against them.
• Evil Mask: Episode 5 is about a struggling figure skater named Ryoma who accidentally buys a magical mask. Putting it on makes him far more confident as a skater, but also renders him completely insane and consumed by the need to skate, while also giving him the ability to freeze over anywhere he goes so he can skate everywhere. The mask turns out to be Perch's MOPart.
• Floating Continent: Unlike records claiming that it existed on land, the Mo Continent is actually a huge floating landmass.
• For Science!: Goro's defining trait is his single-minded fixation on uncovering mysteries and making scientific discoveries. It's even the basis for his Character Catchphrase!
• Fusion Dance: In the final battle, Perch and Noin use an ability to fuse together into one Kaiju-sized panda bear.
• Goldfish Poop Gang: Zig Zagged with Perch and Noin. They come off as fairly competent, but their efforts are often thwarted entirely by misfortune or a new tactic from one of the main characters. They start off at a disadvantage thanks to being outmatched by Taro's Motarian form, become credible threats once they both get the ability to transform as well, then return to being less of an issue once Jiro and Saburo also regain their true forms.
• Gratuitous English: Again, Goro's "Over-Scientific!" Character Catchphrase, which is always spoken in English.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Catherine was the true mastermind behind Edward's plot to collect the MOParts, convincing him to help her while simultaneously presenting as the magazine's editor-in-chief to manipulate the protagonists as well.
• Healing Hands: Jiro is able to produce a healing energy from his hands.
• Househusband: Taro's goal is to become one, by marrying a woman with an established career so he can quit his job and stay at home. Every woman he tries to woo immediately loses interest in him when he tells them this.
• Hidden Depths: For all Taro's faults, the flashback to when Jiro was an infant shows that he does know a thing or two about domestic work, or at least taking care of a baby. While Rock was unable to soothe Jiro enough to get him to drink from a bottle, Taro manages to do it easily, and it's implied he helped Rock raise Jiro up to the present.
• Humanity Ensues: Unlike the other Motarians, Saburo's true form looks human for unexplained reasons. Though it turns out he can also take the form of the legendary Mo Mo Bird.
• Humans Are Bastards: According to Catherine, enough of the Motarians held this belief that they created Ra Mo, a weapon specifically designed to wipe humanity off the face of the planet. However, they were opposed by those who felt humans deserved to live and they should try to live in harmony with them, a sentiment held by the king which drove him to destroy their own civilization and plunge the Mo Continent into the sea rather than allow such a weapon to ever be used.
• Invisible to Normals: Some supernatural items, including some MOParts, manifest curses that most people can't detect outside of the effects they have. Taro has the unique ability to see these curses, though he despises this ability as he's deathly afraid of curses in general.
• Intrepid Reporter: The editorial staff, albeit mostly because of Goro who's the most eager to seek out stories For Science!.
• I See Dead People: Taro's ability to see supernatural forces also allows him to see and communicate with ghosts, though this only comes up in Episode 4 where he bonds with the spirit of a woman who died trying to confirm the existence of the local Stock Ness Monster.
• It Will Never Catch On: Taro and Jiro agree that Goro's "Over-Scientific!" catchphrase is pretty lame, a sentiment shared by some of their readers when he attempts to shoehorn it into the magazine. It's never established whether or not the phrase eventually gains more popularity among their reader base, but by the finale Jiro has at least come around to start using it as well.
• Karma Houdini: Catherine manipulated and lied to everyone, including Edward, to enact a plan that almost annihilated all of humanity and nearly killed Jiro herself for trying to stop it. What are the consequences? Being forgiven by everyone, getting away with it in the eyes of the general public, regaining her legitimacy as a scientist, and getting to go on living with Edward while continuing to pursue her studies.
• Lost Technology: The Motarians were said to have created technology far beyond what humans are capable of making, though specifics are scarce. What little we do learn about it points to it being Magitek or something similar, as they were able to make things like teleportation circles and even a device capable of wiping out all of humanity automatically.
• Married to the Job: Four Tune was so devoted to her research that she got into the habit of sleeping at the research facility instead of going home at night. She nonchalantly tells Edward this after he learns she keeps bedding and pajamas in the lab with her.
• The Men in Black: White Pegasus's Mooks dress like this.
• Morphic Resonance: Motarians keep their overall hair and eye styles between their human and beast forms.
• Non-Action Guy: Goro, who's just a normal human researcher, and Saburo, who's just a dog. In the latter case, while he does gain his own Motarian transformation, it only turns him into a normal human bard with no active abilities — not even access to Magic Music since, as he attests, "this isn't a video game". The finale reveals he does have powers since he can transform into a giant bird to save everyone from sinking with the Mo Continent, but this is the only time he uses the ability.
• No Name Given: None of the Motarians' original selves are given names, only being referred to either by the names of their current incarnations or by the occupations they held in the past.
• Older Than They Look: Taro is 28 but looks and acts no older than Goro, who's a decade younger. Since several people derisively call him an "old man" anyway, his appearance is chalked up to the show's art style.
• Our Minotaurs Are Different: Jiro's true identity as the prince of the Mo Continent is that of an anthropomorphic bovid, possibly a water buffalo. His father the king was one as well, and since the royal family's symbol was a cow hoof print, presumably so were the rest of them.
• Out of Focus: While Saburo features almost as prominently as the rest of the editorial stuff, his Motarian form is only used twice in the entire show, and doesn't do much of merit in either instance up until the very end of the second one.
• Panthera Awesome: Taro's Motarian form is a huge, muscular tiger man who's tough enough to lift vehicles and take down droves of Mooks. Even Perch and Noin in their transformed states have trouble fighting him unless they team up.
• Playing Both Sides: Catherine is both the editor-and-chief for Monthly Moso Science and the true mastermind behind Edward's plans, having set the two groups up to vie for possession of the MOParts so she can obtain them all faster.
• Pun-Based Title: The mo in the show's Japanese title alludes to several things. For starters, it's the first part of the word mosou meaning "delusional", which is both a part of the magazine's name and a somewhat self-deprecating joke about its focus. It's also an interjection that expresses chagrin or disbelief, which Goro uses as the first part of his catchphrase. Then there's the allusion to the Mo Continent, the Motarions, and the MOParts which drive the plot. And lastly, "mou" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the mooing of a cow, the type of animal the Mo Continent's royal family, including Jiro, happened to be.
• Punny Name: Four Tune, daughter of the renowned Tune family, who's name rhymes with "fortune". Ironically she was considered the Black Sheep by the rest of the family.
• Really Royalty Reveal: Jiro was actually the prince of Mo Continent back in his original life as a Motarian. He doesn't become aware of this until after he obtains his own MOPart, and in the end he willing goes Riches to Rags as he feels it's better to let the Mo Continent stay gone and continue to live a normal life as a human instead.
• Right-Hand Cat: Played with — Edward is periodically seen petting and talking to something fluffy when he's alone at his desk, though what it actually is remains a mystery. The fluffy object is actually the tail of Catherine's Motarian form, which he pets as they discuss their plans in private.
• Ship Tease: Edward and Four Tune/Catherine act closer than former colleagues, especially by the finale where it's all but stated they have feelings for each other.
• The Slacker: Taro would rather take it easy and nap or try to chase the ladies than investigate mysteries. He often has to be dragged to the site of a mystery unless there's something there to entice him, usually the promise of leisure or cute girls.
• Super-Powered Alter Ego: Because Taro has to be knocked unconscious in order to transform, his Motarian form is entirely unlike him in terms of personality and generally acts like a primal beast. Jiro's form is a bit closer to his normal self but still leagues more pompous and showy. It's later established that this is only the case for Motarians who haven't yet regained their memories of their original lives; Catherine is the same person in both forms due to already knowing her origins from a young age, while Taro and Jiro retain their normal personalities once they remember who they were.
• Theme Naming: All four members of the editorial staff have names ending in "-ro", which is a common suffix for boys' names in Japan.
• They Called Me Mad!: Four Tune tried presenting her findings about the Mo Continent to the public, but was summarily lambasted as a quack over it and pushed out of the industry entirely. At first she suffers a Heroic BSoD over it, but with Edward's encouragement she eventually decides to prove her findings directly by finding the means to raise the Mo Continent itself.
• Those Two Guys: Perch and Noin. They're never seen apart from each other and execute all of their schemes together.
• Transformation Trinket: The MOParts. Aside from being the key to uncovering the Mo Continent, they also allow a Motarian to assume their true form when one uses the specific one corresponding to them.
• Two Aliases, One Character: Catherine and Four Tune are the same person, with "Catherine" being an identity she assumed to avoid suspicion while acting as Monthly Moso Science's editor-in-chief.
• Undying Loyalty:
  • Due to their history together as former colleagues and symbolic child/parental figure, Edward is entirely devoted to helping Four Tune (Catherine) in rediscovering the Mo continent. Even in the climax when it's revealed her real motivation is the eradication of the human race, Edward remains so committed to helping her that he actually makes her begin the process when it looks like she's having doubts.
  • In turn, Perch and Noin are endlessly loyal to Edward, enough so that they continue enforcing his will even after his Disney Death and the revelation that seeing his goal through to completion means wiping out humanity.
• World of Technicolor Hair: Most of the cast have hair colors that range from slightly exotic to completely outlandish. Taro's hair actually becomes more colorful when he assumes his Motarian form.
• Younger Than They Look: While discernibly younger than the other two, Jiro's status as the more level-headed and mature counterpart to Taro and Goro betrays the fact that he's only 10.

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