Due to some circumstances, I have set on rewatching Manabi Straight at last, this time from the comfort of a couch. And coincidentially, Zyl remarked today:

Manabi Straight: It sounds like so much fun but I’m just defeated by the whole fat loli thing.

I'm happy to report that the fat heads get tuned out so well over time that I am having a hard time understanding the issue on rewatch, even though I remember well the heated blogging from back when Manabi aired.

As far as story goes, it's the usual rewatch experience: I know what to expect, so I focus on different things, like the way the first few episodes set up the scene (in particular, the role of Momoha is way more obvious to me now). This makes me wonder, how effectively can creators maintain the fresh perspective on the work? Perhaps they never even realized to what degree fat heads alienate.