I first heard of it when it began being scanlated (is that a word??) and the summary made me scoff. "I will always protect you.."? What kind of crap is that? Sometime in early 2010, I went by the Dengeki Daisy page on mangaupdates.com and looking at the ratings, I was shocked. An average of 9.1/10? It is a standard unheard of in shoujo manga. The shoujo genre is always one riddled with criticism due to its reliance on cliches and stock characters, however, this one had one glowing review after the other. There must be something great about it if it were rated so high...right?
This led to the following lesson - never underestimate overtly good ratings.
I would start by stating that Dengeki Daisy (or DD, as it will be called now on) is not some incredibly ingenious and new story. I am pretty sure that this story has been done in a lot of media, by a lot of people and to death. Where it differs is execution. Motomi Kyosuke is a brilliant storyteller - he takes this mundane and done concept and puts his own spin on things. He knows what the target demographic wants and he gives it to them without making it obvious and leaving room for wanting more.
STORY - 9/10
There is no surprise in who Daisy is - it is made pretty clear in the first chapter itself. The events that unfold in the manga speak of a larger plot point and the proceedings towards it has been great. What I liked best about it is that despite the fact that DD is a predictable story, the mangaka handles it well. Everytime we're told a little something more about the story, I wasn't surprised by it but it didn't make me bang my head against the wall or scream at the computer screen in frustration. I consider that a good thing in any shoujo manga.
Another great thing about DD is that the romance flows at a believable pace. Midway into the 7th volume and nothing really earthshattering has occured between Teru and Kurosaki but whatever has leaves me to think that this is one of the sweetest shoujo romances I have read in a long time. And how the age difference between these two doesn't bother me is a testament to how great I think this manga is.
The comic timing here is nothing short of absolutely flawless. All comedy comes whenever you least expect it, literally doubling the funny factor. I particularly like the self aware nature of the manga and its cracks on the shoujo genre. An early example of this comes in the first chapter itself when Teru, rather honestly, proclaims that she was the one to break the window and is poor. Kurosaki sweetly claims that it'd be alright and not to worry about it but takes it back almost immediately stating incredulously, "You really think I was going to say that???"
ART - 8/10
I don't judge manga based on art but the story it is telling. I am yet to decided if this is a good thing or bad. DD has a typical shoujo style without being excessively flowery. I enjoyed seeing all of Kurosaki's overhyped reactions and getting his ass kicked by Riko. I must say, Motomi Kyosuke does a great dark and dangerous Kurosaki face.
CHARACTERS - 9/10
DD has a great array of characters. That said, my issue was definitely the fact that some of the back characters stay exactly that till the 7th volume. I could even go far as to state that only Teru and Kurosaki have received any development. However, I am willing to overlook that since the manga isn't finished yet.
Teru is a great shoujo protagonist and I love her to bits. She is the main reason I read shoujo, hoping to find someone like her. While she has suffered hardships in her life, she does not dwell on it and instead chooses to move forward. She does not have any of the unnaturally excessive traits I have come to liken with typical shoujo girls - unwavering optimism, airheadness, naivete and helplessness. Teru is far from these stereotypes. She is independent, intelligent and rational. There are times in the manga when she reacts in what I call a typical shoujo-girl reaction but she always, always turns it right around and surprises me. I love the fact that she breaks all these molds but remains pretty damn human as well, with her own weaknesses.
Kurosaki Tesuku is close and at the same time, pretty far from the shoujo boy stereotype. He is a tsundere character (always my favorite type) which lends to much in terms of the shoujo bashing I mentioned earlier. He is flawed - excessively so. He is rude, violent, mean and he smokes like a chimney (I usually hate that) but is remarkably intelligent and a competent hacker. But offsetting this 'bad' side of him is his inner turmoil relating to the main plot and his feelings for Teru as both Daisy and himself. In these places he is vulnerable and sweet. I love this guy, his dedication to Teru yet the distance he puts between himself and her is a part of the plot too and I am frankly dying to know more.
That said, my favorite back character is definitely Teru's brother, Souchirou. At least the incredibly idiotic side of him. He is hilarious with his sister complex! I am pretty sure we'll be seeing more of him.
ENJOYMENT - 10/10
DD caters to all my needs - shoujo romance, mature angst, nerdy factor (well, I am a computer engineer...) and most of all, comedy. Best of all, its well put. I enjoyed it a lot. My biggest complaint is its addictive nature. DD is so good without it being overtly in your face. It leaves subtle hints along the way making you want to read more - just another volume. Not much to ask right? I can't stop wishing for faster scans.
OVERALL - 9/10
DD is a great manga. I can't stress that enough. While it is no epic love story, it works with what it has so well, you can't help but want more. That is one of the primary reasons I want it to end soon - if it did, I could read the whole thing with satisfaction and stop checking if the latest scans are in yet or not like an obsessive fangirl that I am.
