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Dengeki Daisy is, without a doubt, one of my favourite series, encapsulating all the elements I seek in a shoujo manga:

- A heroine with emotional strength
- Engaging and likeable characters
- A distinctive, unpredictable storyline
- A generous sprinkling of romantic scenes from a well-matched pair
- Significant character development
- A unique and visually stunning art style
- A plethora of laugh-out-loud moments

... However, the most captivating aspect of this manga, for me, lies in the relationship between the two main characters: Teru and Kurosaki.

In many series featuring an older male and younger female, the male lead often adopts the role of the wise and responsible figure, inherently superior to the female lead. When the female lead is depicted as passive and easily intimidated, it skews the balance of their relationship. This imbalance can detract from the appeal of the series, leading me to abandon it despite a compelling plot.

Dengeki Daisy presents a refreshing contrast. Teru is introduced as a vibrant, cheerful, and somewhat goofy girl, yet she proves to be mature, intelligent, and fiercely independent for her age. Kurosaki, though an adult, occasionally displays childlike behavior around Teru, especially when teasing her.

This dynamic is what truly sets them apart. Despite their age gap, they interact as equals, and their remarkable chemistry makes their slow-burning (but never dull) romance utterly engrossing. Their playful teasing and bickering dynamics, coupled with their suppressed emotions, add depth and poignancy to their romantic scenes. We also witness their growth, both as a couple and as individuals, influenced significantly by each other.

The only thing Dengeki Daisy lacks is an anime adaptation. It's genuinely surprising one hasn't been made yet!

In conclusion, Dengeki Daisy is an exceptional and entertaining series that continually draws me back to re-read my favorite moments and chapters. I cannot recommend it highly enough

One of the greatest pleasures in reading Savage Garden is the eerie and mysterious ambiance it gives. Compared to the other gender benders I've read, I personally find this really unique with its darker portrayal of such genre.

Artistically, I was captivated. The characters are pretty and the settings look peaceful. It was indeed the perfect combination with such an intriguing plot.

Setting aside the fact that this was a shoujo fantasy, I find the story quite original. We have messed up characters who are living in an era where there's plenty of political intrigues and where most of their fates were already decided - and ... with this, our heroine (Gabriel) is no exception.

Since Gabriel an orphan from a fallen noble family, it was already long decided that she's to become a maid. But due to some twist of events, she ended up becoming a replacement for her friend (Jeremy) and entered an elite school for nobles. We find out later that Gabriel isn't only trying to cover up her guilt but also desired to live the illusion of being a noble. However, through Gabriel's perspective, we see that illusion crumble down. The place was nothing ideal and was actually filled with people who cared for nothing but their own greed.

Personally, I like Gabriel's inner strength. There is no guarantee that she will live by doing such a risk - yet, she still managed to show her inner person: spunky, selfless and kind-hearted. Her actions against the nobles' wrong doings is really admirable and therefore, I don't question why some of the guys were interested with her.

As for the romance - I think I'm part of the minority who likes the budding affection between Gabriel and Ray. Gabriel was drawn to Ray more than Euan because they're very similar. Both of them suffered a huge trauma from their past (which is for you to find out) and because of this, they can understand and sympathize with each other better.

(It doesn't mean that I didn't care about Euan though. In fact, he has the best character growth out of all the protagonists. But saying anything more about him will spoil the story.)

Since Gabriel and Ray were both living in the past, it makes sense that they don't have any future goals nor any motivations to work upon it. Certain factors were supposed to trigger them to change the way they live - and this, I think, is what the manhwa's originally trying to accomplish.

However, we didn't get to see any of that cause we arrive to a rushed and inconclusive ending. I don't really need answers to my questions but it would be nice if I get to see what have become of their lives after all that sufferings they went through.

Nevertheless, it's quite a surprise that we get a "not so tragic" ending from this artist + I really enjoyed reading this manhwa - so I'm still somewhat satisfied.

If you have watched the drama, don't skip this manhwa. It's a lot different and it definitely has its own outstanding charms.

Still, having watched the drama first, I was surprised at how different Shin was in the original source. Here, he was your usual arrogant and spoiled rich kid - whereas in the drama, he was cold, more controlled and quite reserved.

Chae-Gyung, however, was still your normal and average heroine whom you can easily empathize with. Having her life changed like that, I can actually feel how lonely and miserable she was inside the palace. Not to mention that in comparison to the drama, ... the royal household in the manhwa is really strict and much more suffocating.

Anyway, I'll stop mentioning the drama and focus on the manhwa now.

If there's something worthy of praise, it has to be the originality. It's not easy to think of possible scenarios that could occur in AU Korea - and it's really amazing how the author illustrated these "what-ifs."

The art here is really gorgeous and it improves in every volume. I really like how detailed the scenery and the clothes were. The characters also become more and more attractive especially Shin and Yul.

Now as for the plot and characters - I guess what I love the most in the manhwa is that you get to see how the protagonists fall in love. It was slow and gradual yet very convincing.

Having brought up by such an environment, Shin was first introduced as a stuck-up and selfish jerk who's not capable of caring for others. When he and Chae Gyung were forced to get along, he begins to feel emotions that were new to him and eventually realize that he's actually missing a lot of things in his life.

It's also the same for Chae Gyung. She was a hyper and cheerful girl who was suddenly thrown into an unwanted marriage. But then, the more time she spent with Shin, the more she got to know and understand him - which eventually leads to her pitying him. And in which such pity turns to love.

Their relationship made me feel a rollercoaster of emotions: I laughed, get angry and cried along with them and the situations they get themselves into. It's true that the story got draggy - but then, I didn't mind it that much cause I did enjoy the ride and it made me like the main characters (yes, their flaws included).

I guess the only disappointing thing was the ending. It was left out in the open and there were still a few unresolved plot points. But since the manhwa did spend a lot of time building up the characters and their relationship, you can already assume that it still end in a positive outcome.

Also, I find it hilarious that the author makes fun of shoujo/drama/romance novel stereotypes. I mean, even Hana Yori Dango was mentioned!

Overall, the author did a great job in balancing the comedy, drama and romance. Recommended!

Hana Yori Dango is the first shoujo manga I read, therefore it always hold a special place for me. If you have seen the anime or any of its drama adaptations, you should definitely check out this manga as well.

In the times when feminism is yet to conquer Japan, Makino Tsukushi (the heroine) retaliates against the F4's bullying. Yes, I'm aware that she doesn't have the fighting skills of Wonder Woman but what makes her strong is the strength of her spirit. She's spunky, independent, hard-working, refuses to be a subject of social humiliation and stands up for what she believes is right - traits ... that, I believe, perfectly define her as a "weed." And yet, despite all this, Makino has a warm and forgiving heart and sees people the way they are. It's true that she had her own moments of weakness but that just makes her more human and realistic in my opinion. However, the bullying part only covered like 20% of the manga - and the rest is your typical shoujo/romance plot between a rich troubled guy and a poor plucky girl.

And because of this, I'm not surprised at the number of readers who complain about how cliche it was. This manga is supposed to be a CLASSIC and since it was the best-selling shoujo manga of all time, it's no wonder that it's one of biggest inspirations from all the cliches you've been reading in the mainstream shoujo titles now.

But what makes this manga stand out for me are the CHARACTERS. Each of them are multi-faceted and well-rounded and for that, I was too emotionally invested with them more than the plot. They have their good and bad traits that you can actually love or hate them as the story progresses on.

Perhaps there are even a few people aware of the fact that Hanadan was Yoko Kamio's "experimental" work. Back then, she planned to make Makino end up with Rui - which explains why the Domyouji/Makino ship doesn't seem like a "match made in heaven" in the earlier volumes and "doesn't seem right" for super feminists.

But since the mangaka changed ships, transforming Domyouji from a mess to a human being (so Makino will change her opinion about him) became the basic premise of Hanadan - and I believe that it's one of the biggest strengths of this manga.

Both the character growth (especially that of Domyouji) and how the pairing development was handled is quite impressive. Every mistake and transgression he caused her, he pays for it a thousandfold. How he does it? Words of apology are the hardest things to come out especially from a character who has the biggest pride in this manga - but he did show it by RISKING HIS LIFE for her a lot of times. Not to mention that he has to undergo one hell of an emotional rollercoaster just to win her over. He suffered as much or even more than she does. I wouldn't date a guy like Domyouji in real life but since Makino is a character neither me or you can insert yourself into, I believe he and Makino suit each other well.

The change wasn't one-sided since you get to see that happen in Makino as well. Throughout the course of their relationship, they both became mature and better people. If you compare Domyouji in the beginning and in the end, you get yourself two different people. And not just Domyouji, you can also see how much influence Makino brought to the rest of the F4 as well.

As for the art, I'm probably part of the minority who wasn't bothered by the earlier style since I began reading this during the 90's. Trust me though - the more you read, the more you see how much both her art + story-telling improved.