Aug 7, 2021
Quick foreword to let you know that this is the first review I am writing. I don't know what I'm doing. There is no other review for Deai at present time, so I figured I should write something for anyone that might be interested in this.
Deai (or "Confidential Confessions: Deai") is sort of a continuation to Reiko Momochi's Mondaiteiki Sakuhinshu/Confidential Confessions series, which were published in the english language by Tokyopop. Where Confidential Confessions saw one to four short stories per volume, Deai contains a single story spread across two volumes. As such, if you have read those, be prepared for a much lengthier buildup.
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This is not necessarily a bad thing, however.
STORY & CHARACTERS (slight spoilers for the earlier parts)
Ratings: 9 & 7
Deai's story centers around high school girl Rika. She has a loving boyfriend, Kiichi. The one thing that exasperates Rika about him is his refusal to purchase a cellphone, which he sees little value in having. Meanwhile, Rika's best friend, Shu, makes a lot of money as a sakura on a dating site. (She goes on dates for money.) Soon enough, Rika decides to join Shu, and become a sakura with the intent of amassing enough money to purchase Kiichi a cellphone herself. At first, everything goes smoothly enough. Rika gets money out of simple dates and a few awkward requests that aren't directly asking for sex, but it doesn't take long for one client to go too far.
Enter Kaji and Nanase, two boys her age that came to her rescue. Following their encounter, the four decide to form a team. Their plan: Rika and Shu are the sakuras; Kaji and Nanase are their bodyguards, always nearby just in case. More members are quickly recruited into their group, and Rika becomes the manager.
One thing I see as a glaring flaw of Deai is character bloat. After many new members are recruited in their team, some of the interactions is diluted by too many characters, most of which barely get a backstory. We don't get to learn much about the other members of the team. We barely get their names! On the bright side, a few of the clients become recurring characters, and they are very interesting in their own right. It's a joy to watch Rika interact with Kamejii-san, in particular - my personal favorite!
Eventually, the story begins to take a darker turn. A few members start breaking the group's established rules and end up going rogue. Thus begins a descent into complete chaos for the group, and not a single member will have an easy time...
Where the first volume establishes the story, characters and introduces a sort of urgency to the cast, the second volume deals with that urgency. It is practically nonstop intensity and drama, with little reprieve. A perfect followup to the first volume - I couldn't put it down! I read it in a single sitting while taking a bath, hahah...
ART
Rating: 8
A few of the character designs aren't my cup of tea, but it's overall very good, especially the main four characters. The backgrounds are usually fairly detailed, too. The only noticeable lack of polish I noticed is an occasional lack of facial features. For example, a character's face will have one or both of their eyes missing. It only rarely happens, and it never happens on close-ups, so it's not TOO detracting. But for this reason, I have to give art an 8 instead of a 9.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT
Rating: 8
Deai's story is occasionally slow-paced, but I wouldn't say it is ever boring. The character interactions are a big part of the enjoyment, and the slower parts sure aren't lacking in that department. The story takes its time to settle with the first volume, and explodes with intensity throughout the second. The main cast (Rika, Shu, Nanase, Kaji) is fantastic. So long as the subject matter doesn't turn you off, Deai is a definite recommend if you can get your hands on it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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