Plus-Sized Elf

Plus-Sized Elf (エルフさんは痩せられない.) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Synecdoche. It was originally serialized on Wani Books' Comic Gum website from December 2016 to June 2020, with its individual chapters collected into eight volumes. After Wani Books' license to the series expired, Synecdoche self-published the series from April to May 2021, then started a continuation manga titled Plus-Sized Elf: Second Helping! (新・エルフさんは痩せられない.) in Akita Shoten's monthly magazine, Dokodemo Young Champion, in October 2021, with its individual chapters collected into three  volumes. Both manga are licensed for English release in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. An anime television series adaptation produced by Elias premiered in July 2024.

Plot
One night, Tomoatsu Naoe, an osteopathic massage therapist, meets a new client. She is Elfuda, an elf who gained an excessive amount of weight during her stay in the human world by eating French fries, and needs his help shedding pounds so she can be able to return through the portal that leads to her home universe. As Tomoatsu assists with Elfuda's weight loss, many other overweight mythical beings come seeking his help.

Characters

 * Tomoatsu Naoe (直江 友厚)
 * A seitai massage practitioner who works at Smiley Boar, a relaxation clinic. He is in charge of setting treatments and meal plans for his patients.
 * A seitai massage practitioner who works at Smiley Boar, a relaxation clinic. He is in charge of setting treatments and meal plans for his patients.


 * Akiho Ino (猪野 明穂)
 * The director of Smiley Boar who looks younger than her actual age suggests. She is unaware that Tomoatsu's clients are not humans. She likes to regularly go out for drinks, much to Tomoatsu's chagrin.
 * The director of Smiley Boar who looks younger than her actual age suggests. She is unaware that Tomoatsu's clients are not humans. She likes to regularly go out for drinks, much to Tomoatsu's chagrin.


 * Elfuda (絵留札)
 * An otherworldly elf who became fat from eating too many French fries in the human world and is seeking help losing weight in order to use the portal which leads back to her home. Although she accomplishes her goal at first, her weight keeps fluctuating with each visit between worlds due to her fondness for fries. In her universe, she is a skilled archer.
 * An otherworldly elf who became fat from eating too many French fries in the human world and is seeking help losing weight in order to use the portal which leads back to her home. Although she accomplishes her goal at first, her weight keeps fluctuating with each visit between worlds due to her fondness for fries. In her universe, she is a skilled archer.


 * Kuroeda (黒枝)
 * A dark elf who works at a convenience store. She is troubled by her big butt caused by long hours of standing and no exercise. Because elves and dark elves are natural enemies in her universe, she does not get along with Elfuda. She is a sorcerer.
 * A dark elf who works at a convenience store. She is troubled by her big butt caused by long hours of standing and no exercise. Because elves and dark elves are natural enemies in her universe, she does not get along with Elfuda. She is a sorcerer.


 * Mero (米路)
 * A merrow who works at a fish market. She can maintain a human form by using a special kind of medicine. She suffers from sagging arms due to a lack of swimming because of her busy work schedule.
 * A merrow who works at a fish market. She can maintain a human form by using a special kind of medicine. She suffers from sagging arms due to a lack of swimming because of her busy work schedule.


 * Kusahanada (草花田)
 * An alraune who owns a flower shop. She normally has one large flower on top of her head, but is troubled by the rapid growth of said flowers from an overexposure to sunny weather. Her hobbies are gardening and sunbathing.
 * An alraune who owns a flower shop. She normally has one large flower on top of her head, but is troubled by the rapid growth of said flowers from an overexposure to sunny weather. Her hobbies are gardening and sunbathing.


 * Oga (男鹿)
 * An ogre who gained a beer belly from excessive drinking in the human world because of a fondness for alcohol. Normally, she is a fierce warrior who is tall, muscular, and fights with brute force without using weapons.
 * An ogre who gained a beer belly from excessive drinking in the human world because of a fondness for alcohol. Normally, she is a fierce warrior who is tall, muscular, and fights with brute force without using weapons.


 * Laika (頼加)
 * A lycanthrope who can switch between human form and animal form. She gained weight from the amount of food that humans fed her, thinking she was a pet dog due to her appearance. She is innocent and friendly, but also does not get along well with Elfuda.
 * A lycanthrope who can switch between human form and animal form. She gained weight from the amount of food that humans fed her, thinking she was a pet dog due to her appearance. She is innocent and friendly, but also does not get along well with Elfuda.


 * Oku (奥)
 * A pig-like orc who used to be overweight, but through a diet that included swimming, she has achieved a slim figure in the human world on her own. However, when the gym's pool was closed for renovations, she became overweight again.
 * A pig-like orc who used to be overweight, but through a diet that included swimming, she has achieved a slim figure in the human world on her own. However, when the gym's pool was closed for renovations, she became overweight again.


 * Kobo (児穂)
 * A kobold who gained flabby cheeks by eating too many sweets obtained from children at a playground. She likes shiny things and playing pranks on other people.
 * A kobold who gained flabby cheeks by eating too many sweets obtained from children at a playground. She likes shiny things and playing pranks on other people.


 * Sateru (佐手呂)
 * A satyr that feeds on human desires. She also eats regular food, which has made her fat due to the high quality and excessive eating particularly of Japanese food. Her hobby is cooking which she uses to lure her prey.
 * A satyr that feeds on human desires. She also eats regular food, which has made her fat due to the high quality and excessive eating particularly of Japanese food. Her hobby is cooking which she uses to lure her prey.


 * Honeda (骨田)
 * A skeleton that is also a magician who takes the form of a human through magic. As a result of an accident that left her immobile for a long time, she was dragged down by her self-image, and as a result, her magic pseudo-body formed up in a fat state.
 * A skeleton that is also a magician who takes the form of a human through magic. As a result of an accident that left her immobile for a long time, she was dragged down by her self-image, and as a result, her magic pseudo-body formed up in a fat state.


 * Gonda (含蛇)
 * A dragon that communicates telepathically. Her favorite food is meat, and she gained weight by eating too much of it. Her strong instincts have caused her to fail at all attempts to lose weight on her own.
 * A dragon that communicates telepathically. Her favorite food is meat, and she gained weight by eating too much of it. Her strong instincts have caused her to fail at all attempts to lose weight on her own.


 * Hitome (一目)
 * A cyclops who is also tall and muscular. She has been boxing to lose weight, but due to her huge body, she has not been able to find a suitable sparring partner.
 * A cyclops who is also tall and muscular. She has been boxing to lose weight, but due to her huge body, she has not been able to find a suitable sparring partner.

Manga
Plus-Sized Elf is written and illustrated by Synecdoche. The manga was published digitally by Wani Books on their Comic Gum website from December 21, 2016, until June 17, 2020, at the manga's 45th chapter, before Synecdoche announced that Wani Books' license with the series had ended and that the manga would enter on hiatus in order to find a new publisher; Synecdoche took over posting the 46th and 47th chapters on Twitter, released on April 30 and May 29, 2021, respectively. On September 1, 2021, after revealing that Akita Shoten would be taking over as the series' publisher, Synecdoche ended the first manga and started a sequel, Plus-Sized Elf: Second Helping!, which continues the story. Plus-Sized Elf's chapters have been collected into individual volumes across both series. Eight volumes of the original manga were published from June 26, 2017 to November 18, 2021, with Wani Books publishing volumes 1–7 and Akita Shoten publishing the eighth. The first seven volumes were reprinted by Akita Shoten from June 20, 2022 to February 20, 2023. As of January 2024, three volumes of the continuation has been published.

Seven Seas Entertainment acquired Plus-Sized Elf for English publication in North America on November 17, 2017. On March 8, 2023, they acquired its sequel.

Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on January 15, 2024. It will be produced by Elias and directed by Toshikatsu Tokoro, with scripts written by Yuki Takabayashi, characters designed by Katsuyuki Sato, and music composed by Cher Watanabe. The series premiered on July 7, 2024. The opening theme song is "Fried☆Pride" (フライド☆プライド), performed by Real Akiba Boyz, while the ending theme is "Minna de Diet" (みんなDEダイエット), performed by the cast of the show. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America, Australia and British Isles for streaming on HIDIVE, simulcasting the uncensored version.