Sunday, June 26, 2011

I Reads You Review: DENGEKI DAISY, VOL. 04

Creators: Kyousuke Motomi with JN Productions (translation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, B&W, paperback, 192 pages, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-3730-6

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Not only is she an orphan, but Teru Kurebayshi also lost her brother, Soichiro. She isn’t alone, however. Teru exchanges text messages with DAISY, a mysterious figure who can only be reached through a cell phone Soichiro left her. Meanwhile, another mysterious figure comes into Teru’s life, Tasuku Kurosaki, a janitor who is always around when she needs him.

As Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 4 opens, Teru is still reeling from her discover that Kurosaki is really DAISY. What should she do? Should she tell Kurosaki that she knows his secret? Meanwhile, someone else is pretending to be DAISY and is sending viruses to Teru’s classmates, who blame her for the problems the DAISY virus causes them. But this is more than just a prank, and someone may be out to hurt Teru.

The creator of Dengeki Daisy, Kyousuke Motomi, is also the creator of Beast Master. Both series are shojo manga high school romances that match a lovelorn girl with a wild boy type. Talk about star-crossed lovers; sometimes you can’t help but think that the girl is in danger because of her beastly male love interest.

Dengeki Daisy is an edgy romantic drama, sometimes frivolous and sometimes surprisingly dark. For my tastes, this series is too moody and the narrative is drought-condition dry. However, the fake DAISY hacker storyline is fun to read, full of intrigue, classroom squabbles, teen angst, and incidents of bullying. This is a good storyline because there is mystery, conflict, and danger, and it is enough to get me back for a fifth volume – something I thought not possible.

B


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