thatmangachick

Dengeki Daisy, part 5

I’m trying something new to select manga. I put everything recommended to me or that interested me in a list and used a random number generator to decide!

And the winner is….! *drumroll* Dengeki Daisy!

Dengeki Daisy (image: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=hT9fXeysIfK1ggeEr7-QDQ&q=dengeki+daisy&oq=dengeki+daisy&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.314.2465..2706…0.0..0.129.1467.0j13……0….1..gws-wiz…….0i131j0i10.Lmn75bT-9YU&ved=0ahUKEwisg4746ZfkAhXymuAKHYTXD9IQ4dUDCAc&uact=5)

I actually own this one (that’s how it made the list) xD I’ll try to stay impartial, but spoiler alert, I really liked this series! Not sure how it’ll rate because it’s been a few years since I’ve read it, but we’ll find out together!

The back cover reads:
“After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the messages she exchanges with DAISY, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. Meanwhile, mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help. Could DAISY be a lot closer than Teru thinks?
One day at school, Teru accidentally breaks a window and agrees to pay for it by helping Kurosaki with chores around school. Kurosaki is an impossible taskmaster though, and he also seems to be hiding something important from Teru…”

I am going to be doing shorthand as I read. These descriptions are really more of a reminder to myself about what all I have been able to read so far. Sorry if this bothers anyone! I will do a full description on the final review page of each series I read.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

ch20: Teru’s friends arrive and while they’re all tending to Kurosaki, Teru gets another text from the fake Daisy, telling her it’s her fault >( Kurosaki’s hospitalized, but even when questioned by Andy and Boss, Teru won’t say anything for fear more people will be hurt because of her. Kurosaki has a severe concussion but no other injuries, and he soon wakes up. he can tell something’s up with Teru, and through him, the truth is revealed. they wonder why Kurosaki was targeted until he realizes Teru must’ve been the real target, probably for information. she remembers the website info the 3rd year gave her, and the team jumps into action. Kurosaki reminds Teru that she owes him her life, so he expects absolute obedience; she better be ready to stay by his side at all times xD through their convo, Kurosaki looks like he’s about to kiss her–!!! but then Riko walks in, and Kurosaki has to play it off as something else xD he sends Teru out to get Riko some coffee -because he’s still in panic mode xD Riko asks if he can really tell when Teru’s hiding something, like her current secret (Riko, why would you put this on his radar!??!)

ch21: so it turns out that Kurosaki realized Teru knew that night just before the power went out =.= on another note, at school, Teru tells her friends about everything that happened -in a loud voice in the cafeteria. now the school’s on alert about the fake Daisy, and yes, she did do that on purpose. she also has a talk with Haruka about the almost-kiss to figure out if it was really almost a kiss. Haruka thinks so, probably xD Riko tries to check out the site, but the password’s changed, so Daisy’ll have to look into it. also, Kurosaki wants Riko to give Teru a necklace from Daisy. it was originally going to be a farewell present, but he realized he and Teru are in too deep for that, so now the necklace is just a normal present. he does intend to stop the Daisy thing someday, though; he wants a real relationship with Teru and he can’t do that while he’s still hiding behind Daisy. Riko gives Teru the gift immediately then leaves so now Kurosaki has to deal with Teru’s excitement xD it’s a simple necklace with a metal daisy charm ❤ it’s really cute on Teru ❤ she sleeps with it by her pillow so nothing will happen to it. that night, Kurosaki gets to work breaking the password on the site. the next day, Daisy sends a message to Teru telling her that someday, he wants to tell her everything and that it won’t happen through a screen. Kurosaki’s doing this so he won’t run away; he’ll have to face her and be honest with her.

ch22: Kurosaki and Boss track down some students who were paid to steal e-mail addresses, and they know there’s a black haired kid involved somewhere, but they don’t know who’s really pulling the strings. Teru tries to flaunt her new necklace to her friends, but Rena shoots her down saying that men only give gifts unexpectedly when their about to do something bad. Haruka takes notes and Teru apologizes for her folly xD btw, the student council computer’s slow again xP Teru recommends Kiyoshi to fix it (btw, Rena has a type: smart, handsome, with glasses. though she doesn’t always stick with this type). Teru tries to ask Rena about Mr. Aria (because Daisy said he might be involved -his coding style matches the website), but Rena shuts her down very quickly. on a side note, Kurosaki’s been more popular lately and he’s talking to students more. Andy asked him to get info from the students, but he hates it, and he hates how popular it’s making him Dx Andy tried talking to Ms. Mori, but she said she was being threatened, that’s why she told Teru where to go that day (Andy also has a type and it’s not Ms. Mori; he’s apparently a “super masochist”, so he doesn’t like when girls cry easily). Teru tells Kiyoshi about the student council computer but Kurosaki makes her stay because his new fangirls are outside and he doesn’t want to deal with them xD he falls asleep on her shoulder because he’s been so stressed and tired ❤ Kiyoshi fixes the computer -and deletes all the unnecessary apps that were slowing it down xD – and when he tried to ask a question that involved Mr. Arai, Rena goes off on him, saying she doesn’t know anything about him because they already broke up and why does everyone keep asking her, she won’t get him involved again, he’s not all bad! … which wasn’t what Kiyoshi was going to ask xD he calls her out on obviously knowing more than she’s saying, but he thinks it’s amazing how much she could defend the guy, but that she’s also a fool for doing that xD he finishes by saying he doesn’t like her xD

ch23: Rena gives Teru Mr. Aria’s info, though it may be out of date now. when Haruka invites Teru out for cakes later, she invites Rena along, too, and Ms. Mori overhears them. when they’re all being updated on what’s going on, Kiyoshi asks Andy if Mr. Arai is definitely the suspect; it seems like they don’t have enough proof, and Andy agrees; they just want to talk to Mr. Arai to find out more info; there’s not enough proof to put all the blame on him. when Teru comes to ask Kurosaki for money for the cakes, he sends Kiyoshi with her to keep an eye on things. elsewhere, we see Mr. Arai; his site’s been shut down and his employer’s not happy about it. apparently, he keeps helping them because they’re threatening Rena’s safety otherwise. back to the kids! Kiyoshi is amazed the girls can eat so much xD Rena leaves early to meet her fiancé– FIANCE?! apparently her parents have put her into a relationship because they don’t trust her judgment of men xD Haruka also has to leave early, leaving Teru and Kiyoshi to catch up some. Teru notices that he’s matured a bit -and maybe gotten taller. while they chat, Ms. Mori shows up, asking Teru for Daisy’s e-mail because she’ll get hurt without it. Teru refuses, and Ms. Mori gets mad. Kiyoshi says this is really suspicious, and Ms. Mori leaves in a huff. Teru tries to go after her, but not before Ms. Mori’s stabbed in the street. it’s just in the arm and it’s not deep, but she’s taken to the hospital. Kurosaki takes Teru home, and she finally understands what guilt is. she thinks she’s figured out what Daisy/Kurosaki have been hesitant to tell her…

ch24: we flash back to Soichiro telling Kurosaki to suffer, but we hear more of it and learn that Riko was there, too. the sin he suffered was trying to forget and remove his guilt by selling his heart/passing it off. the crime was bad, but trying to excuse himself and not internalize the consequences was his sin. back in the present! Kurosaki and Riko talk some more, and Kurosaki asks her about Ms. Mori. suffice it to say, Riko’s not a fan xD she thinks Ms. Mori’s just stupid, an air head, and too focused on her nails; she does them every day. elsewhere, Teru got a scrape in gym so she has to go to the infirmary. Ms. Mori hits on the guilt a bit, but then brings up how Teru was almost an accessory to murder, and Teru really starts to feel overwhelmed with guilt. Ms. Mori tries to cheer her up, saying they can team up and take down the bad guys together if they just go to the police. before Teru can agree, Kurosaki shows up and takes her away. Teru wants to do Ms. Mori’s plan, but Kurosaki starts pointing out the flaws. like how giving the police Daisy’s info’s the same as turning him in -since hacking’s a crime-, and that Andy would go down too since he used Daisy’s skills as well, so now the school’s in trouble, and if they point the police at Mr. Arai and they’re wrong, then his reputation has been ruined for nothing. rather than passing off the judgment to ease your guilt, you need to own who you are or you could deal with the consequences forever; they’d forever weigh on your conscious. when he leaves and Teru calms down, she asks Riko what she should’ve done, and Riko tells Teru the story “of two men” -the flashback we saw before. elsewhere, Ms. Mori approaches Kurosaki; she wants him to serve her, not Teru. he comments on her nails and how they’re painted despite her injury. she tries to get away, and he tells her that he knows she’s not as dumb as she wants people to think and that he’s going to keep protecting Teru. that night, Teru’s over at Kurosaki’s. she talks with him and admits that when Ms. Mori originally asked her for Daisy’s info, it wasn’t from the kindness of her heart that she kept it from Ms. Mori. he lets her cry it out

To read my continued review, please click here.

Dengeki Daisy, part 4

part 1, part 2, part 3

I’m trying something new to select manga. I put everything recommended to me or that interested me in a list and used a random number generator to decide!

And the winner is….! *drumroll* Dengeki Daisy!

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

ch15: Teru’s trying her best to be normal around Kurosaki and Daisy, but she’s terrified she’s going to slip up. she works herself into such a panic that she faints at school. Riko checks on her in the infirmary; they think she’s just anemic. turns out class pres is the one who called for help; she also calls Teru out for holding things in until it affects her health. she recommends that Teru talk to someone -but clearly not her, she’s too busy and important to speak with someone as lowly as Teru (this girl is a tsundere). Teru decides to talk to her best friend, Haruka -who we’ve seen from the start but now she has a name. class pres was also listening in. they basically suggest that Teru already knows what she must do?! it works because Teru’s able to get things back to normal with Kurosaki. Haruka also invites class pres to hang out, so hey! new friendships! though they have very different personalities xD (btw, class pres’s name is Rena. maybe I’ll remember it >.>;; )

ch16: Teru’s thinking about love a lot more seriously; does Kurosaki actually like her? how can she find out? what if he doesn’t? can she do something to make herself more appealing? Haruka tries to give her advice, and another of their friends invites Teru to a mixer with them. Teru agrees because she wants to learn how women attract men xD while doing work for the school, Kurosaki gets sick. he gets medicine from the infirmary and Ms. Mori’s a little too attached to him. he still gets sick, though, and Riko tells Teru so she can get some medicine after the mixer. Teru instead leaves the mixer to take care of Kurosaki. Haruka invites Rena to come to the mixer instead xD Kurosaki and Teru have an almost moment that goes awry, as usual (can I just say that I love his hair when it’s falling down a little and not quite so stylized? sooooo cute..!)

ch17: we learn a bit more about Soichiro this chapter ❤ everyone loved him, though they all saw different sides of him. Teru gets to tell Kurosaki and Riko about her silly, over the top, doting brother, and Riko gets to talk about the man and work partner she fell in love with ❤ Kurosaki can’t talk about him, though, since he’s never admitted to working with him. Daisy can, though, and he does a little. Teru asks Daisy if her brother gave him that name, but there’s a deeper history there… Before that, though, a 3rd year tries to harass Teru so he can smoke on the roof, but she refuses to comply. when Riko tries to step in, he uses his dad’s influence to threaten her position as a teacher. Kurosaki punches him and warns him about the future consequences for his continued behavior. Kurosaki then gets 5 days of house arrest and 3 months without pay for punching a student >.>; when Daisy finally answers Teru about his name, he reveals the not so great truth… back in the day, he’d given himself the name Daisy Cutter in reference to a destructive bomb, to reference the power of his cracking/hacking programs’ destructive power. later, he came to regret his name, but Soichiro wouldn’t let him forget it. Teru expresses her sympathy and empathy in a kind message to Daisy and also goes to find Kurosaki. she comforts him in that silly but heartfelt carefree way her brother used to comfort her while also being sneaky yet understanding like Kurosaki does

ch18: Kurosaki’s still on house arrest, so Teru watches scary stuff at his apartment -since Riko’s gone. lately, Kurosaki’s been making more jokes about leaving or being fired, and Teru’s not ok with it. back at school, a mysterious guy keeps appearing; he’s so scary and disheveled, everyone thinks it might be a ghost, but it’s even scarier if it’s a real person… also, cell phones are getting virus messages under the guise of Daisy. Teru’s ticked, but her friends try to cover up the she might know Daisy or any hackers at all (hacking’s a crime, after all -or “cracking” as this manga says). Teru gets a message from the fake Daisy telling her to meet him at a specific time and place, but the ghost -apparently the school director named Ando- appears and talks to her. Kurosaki also shows up and punches the ghost for not explaining himself correctly. Teru does not approve of her school’s director in any way xD Kurosaki’s given the job of watching Teru while Riko and Boss go to the meet up. the photography club’s there because they got a tip that “Daisy’s” partner would show up, so Teru was almost set up for blackmail or social ruin. on another note, turns out Kurosaki gets scared by horror stuff even more than Teru does xD

ch19: Teru’s being bullied again. it seems rumors about her knowing Daisy -even the fake one- have gotten around. all the school can do is post a notice about the e-mails and texts being fake; they won’t delete your data, but if your data was affected, please notify the school. Kurosaki wants to do more, but Andy (director Ando’s called Andy) and Riko tell him just to take care of Teru since Kurosaki may be the real target. he hates feeling so useless, though. he’s been feeling more tense around Teru and thinks he should end the relationship. Andy tells him to do it bluntly, and Riko comes back later to explain that if he’s too strained then he should change the relationship; reach out to Teru, confess to her, and she’ll accept him; Kurosaki’s the only one torturing himself and he doesn’t have to. elsewhere, the 3rd year from before corners Teru and gives her information about a dangerous website that students are being recruited to in order to make money; he says she better never reveal how she got this, but maybe it’ll help stop all the cell phone attacks lately. Miss Mori spots them and tells Teru that Kurosaki was looking for her. when Teru goes there, Kurosaki’s not there, but there’s a note on the ground. Kurosaki shows up just in time to knock Teru out of the way of a falling desk and chair, getting hit himself. he’s unconscious and bleeding when the chapter ends…

oh jeez; I wish I had the next volume with me to read it right now!! to keep reading my review, please click here.

Dengeki Daisy, part 3

part 1, part 2

I’m trying something new to select manga. I put everything recommended to me or that interested me in a list and used a random number generator to decide!

And the winner is….! *drumroll* Dengeki Daisy!

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

ch10: in which Riko trolls everyone xD (btw, I’ve been reading the chapters and then doing a recap after) Teru’s about to move out, and she wants to get a thank-you present for Kurosaki for letting her stay with him. her friends suggest many things, but a good meal seems like the best idea. Kurosaki asks Riko where they’re moving, and Riko says you can’t get there in just a few minutes by car; she warns Kurosaki that he better be sure this is what he wants. when Teru asks her, Riko still won’t say. Teru wanted to make pot stickers for their final meal, but packing her old place takes too long. turns out Kurosaki can cook, though, so he made the food, and he’s being nice to her, and it finally hits home that this easy time with him is ending. she runs out crying, and he comforts her by saying she can come back to clean and work for him whenever she wants xD it works, and she feels better. the next day, Teru moves out… and moves in right next door 8D

ch11: Teru hates the rain because that’s when her brother died. her friend from middle school comes to check on her, and he’s just a super friendly guy but his gf gets jealous of Teru. of course it’s raining. the next day he asks her to manage the kendo club because their normal manager is out sick. she wants to get out of it, but Kurosaki releases her for the day since he has Kiyoshi as a servant, so she agrees. she does a really good job! but the friend’s gf decides to bully Teru, and Teru’s just done with it. she tries to fight back, but Kurosaki shows up and stops her. he also low key threatens the other girls so they leave Teru alone. he scolds Teru and when she runs out, Kiyoshi tries to advice Kurosaki before realizing he’s extra mean so Daisy can be extra nice (Kiyoshi also knows that Kurosaki is Daisy). when Teru complains to Daisy, he’s very kind to her, and she feels better. she goes to Kurosaki later to apologize for her behavior and says she thinks she’ll start to appreciate rainy days thanks to Daisy. she also remarks that bad memories can become fond ones thanks to those around you which resonates strongly with Kurosaki who keeps remembering Soichiro’s death but Teru’s starting to make those memories better

ch12: Riko wants a cheesecake, so she makes Kurosaki buy it when he loses mahjong. he makes Teru come with him since she’s his servant. they get separated when Takeda appears. Teru’s phone dies, and Takeda leaves a cryptic message to Kurosaki on purpose. he also offers to charge Teru’s phone, and she lets him but she also calls him out on searching it for her brother’s software. he tries to deny it, but she knows how sometimes you have to do bad to get far in business; that doesn’t make you bad, though. he finally admits that she’s right and that after his search, her phone is clean. Kurosaki finally shows up and after a quick talk, Kurosaki starts to take Teru back to Riko. when Takeda tells her he won’t approach her again, she tells him to take her with him to another cafe sometime because she’d like to still see him. she saved him from his own darkness. he also warns Kurosaki about others wanting Soichiro’s program, so turns out he’s not a totally bad guy. he also teased Teru about who Daisy might be which leads her to start hoping that it might be Kurosaki, but she’s not ready to find out yet.

ch13: Teru and her friends are going on a study trip to the beach! since she doesn’t have a swimsuit other than her school-issued middle school one, Kurosaki buys her one, and on the shopping trip, she learns the name of a song that Kurosaki likes (I wonder if the Japanese version of the manga uses the same song titles =O they’re very western). Teru invites Kurosaki to the beach, but he refuses because he doesn’t want to hang out with a bunch of teenagers. Riko goes in his place and trolls him some more xD Teru buys a music box -with the song Kurosaki liked- for Daisy and Riko gives it to him when she heads home early for work. there’re a typhoon coming soon, so the teens have to figure out if they should leave early. Teru doesn’t want her money to go to waste, but she’s nervous about the storm. she calls Kurosaki to ask, and he makes up the excuse for wanting to eat curry so she better come home and make it for him xD so she goes home. on the trip, two of her friends get together! everyone else is happy and salty about it x’D btw, Daisy sent Teru a picture of the music box she’d sent him. Kurosaki leaves his window open when he goes to buy groceries, and the papers under the music box shift so it goes airborne. Teru’s at the apartment when it happens -dun, dun, dunnnnn…!

ch14: the music box opens, and Teru hears the song. she knows Kurosaki told her not to enter that room, but she wants to know. so she enters, and the room’s just full of books and papers and computer equipment. she finds the music box she sent Daisy and closes it. Kurosaki calls her then, but she can’t face him, so she runs back to her place after closing the room back. when Kurosaki gets home, he’s drenched xD Teru’s making tea in the kitchen. she makes a comment about running home because she left her window open, and after calling her stupid, Kurosaki realizes he did the same thing xD he finds the music box safely closed on the floor and thinks he dodged a bullet, but a lot of his papers are ruined. Teru’s trying to act normal, but she’s strained and he notices. the power goes out when lightning strikes, and Teru breaks a cup and cuts her finger when trying to clean it up. Kurosaki treats her cut and comforts her, thinking it’s the rain that has her out of sorts. she cries herself to sleep and prays that Kurosaki never finds out that she knows; she just wants to keep Daisy forever, no matter what.

And that’s it for volume 3! to read about volume 4, click here.

Dengeki Daisy, part 2

part 1

I’m trying something new to select manga. I put everything recommended to me or that interested me in a list and used a random number generator to decide!

And the winner is….! *drumroll* Dengeki Daisy!

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

ch5: Teru’s still staying with Kurosaki, and it’s starting to get under his skin. unlike the side comic, Boss reminds Kurosaki what his real job is as Daisy. when Kurosaki snaps at Teru again, she goes back to her ransacked apartment. she wants Kurosaki to come for her, but a pushy salesman shows up instead. before Teru gets too upset, Kurosaki does show up and invite her back so she can work off the debt of staying with him xD he makes her cook, clean, organize, and even give him a massage -she’s a good cook, though. he asks if she’d still defend Daisy even if he was actually Kurosaki, and she says she’d obviously love him. And then she pulled his hair out for asking such a “weird question”. she admits to herself that she’s already in love with Kurosaki

ch6: exams are coming up! and Kurosaki agreed to buy Teru a reward if she’s top of her class, so she’s being extra super serious about it! a lady named Riko shows up, and she knows that Kurosaki is Daisy; she’s also the new school counselor. during the test, Teru gets a nosebleed and later has to go to the nurse who’s apparently afraid of blood, so she can’t help -but all the guys love her. she mentions the new teacher and says she might be Kurosaki’s lover. Teru takes this to heart and approaches Riko who denies it while laughing herself to tears. she tries to convince Teru to stop her feelings for Kurosaki because he’s horrible, but Teru refuses and says she’s horrible, too. Riko also almost convinced Kurosaki to interview at a far away company; she’s watch Teru while he stays Daisy, but when Teru tells Daisy about her feelings for Kurosaki, he changes his mind; he wants to stay. she wanted a dvd about birds, and they watch it together -though she falls asleep

ch7: Daisy tells Teru that Riko’s a friend, so they reconcile. Teru talks about her love and respect for Daisy and mentions that his messages are her greatest treasure. the student council’s computer has been hacked again. the computer club accuses Daisy, so Teru goes to have a talk with them. she overhears their plot to get her cell phone. when they try to pressure her, she hands over her phone because she deleted all trace of Daisy. Kurosaki tries to talk to her about it, but she’s making herself be strong. he calls her strength beautiful, and she’s uplifted ❤ when they walk off, Kurosaki feels eyes on them but whoever it was hides. turns out Teru’s friend Kiyoshi’s being pressured to get her phone TToTT

ch8: Riko and Kurosaki team up to find out the truth. Daisy puts pressure on the computer club, and he finds out at the same time as Teru that Kiyoshi’s behind all this. Kiyoshi convinces Teru to meet him in the science lab; he says alone and without telling anyone but she tells Riko. he tries to threaten her with a box cutter, but she punches him because it’s so out of character xD he says her phone may have her brother’s unfinished computer program and it’d be very valuable. when Kurosaki and Riko show up, Kiyoshi runs and calls his boss who sends a car. to try and run him down! …. thankfully Kurosaki saves him. later Teru’s worried about being a target, endangering her friends, and if Kiyoshi would even still be her friend after everything. in true Kurosaki fashion, he takes care of her and reassures her that she did the right thing by getting help, that standing up to her friend kept him from committing a crime, and if they can work it out, then they can be friends. after she cries herself to sleep, he hopes she won’t cry like that for him when he leaves (why you gotta leave, DAISY!?)

ch9: Kurosaki takes Teru to see Kiyoshi at Boss’s cafe, but Riko steals her away as soon as they get there. they want the truth from Kiyoshi, and they worry he won’t be able to say it in front of Teru. he explains that he originally tried to research her brother to find out why/how he could abandon his beloved sister after death; surely he could’ve left her something!? so he hacked the brother’s company and got caught, then threatened. he wanted to help Teru, but now he worries she’ll never forgive him. Kiyoshi’s friends sent him a signed present and even Teru signed it. Kurosaki reminds him that he also owes Kurosaki for saving his life, so now Kiyoshi will also be his clean-up servant xD Teru and Riko go to a cafe, and Riko asks Teru to move in with her. Teru’s honored but curious why; it can’t just be because of Daisy, right? Riko reveals that not only does she know Daisy, but she also knew Teru’s brother; in fact, she was engaged to him (how could he not tell his little sister about his gf?!). she explains to Teru (as Boss explains to Kiyoshi) that they all worked on a team together -even Kurosaki (lol)- and that Teru’s brother, Soichiro, gave everything he had to protect the team. after his death, the team disbanded. that night, Teru tries to ask Kurosaki for advice, but he’s spaced out, so she exposes her bellybutton to make him pay attention xD it worked xDDDD (she tried other stuff that failed). he tells her why Kiyoshi did what he did, and she tells him about Riko’s offer. that night, he has a nightmare about when Soichiro told him to watch over Teru. Teru takes care of him and says she had a nightmare of her own which he knows is a lie. he can’t fathom why Soichiro would entrust Teru to him, and he’s terrified of it

end of volume 2! please click here to read part 3!

Dengeki Daisy, part 1

I’m trying something new to select manga. I put everything recommended to me or that interested me in a list and used a random number generator to decide!

And the winner is….! *drumroll* Dengeki Daisy!

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

ch1: a lot happens in chapter 1 xD we meet Teru, our main girl, who’s constantly bullied by the student council and their fans because she’s poor. I’m not sure how this school works, but all council members are rich and their families make donations. anyway, Teru and her friends are usually picked on, but Teru gets it the worst. she’s become the leader of her group, though, because she never gives up. she’s also a scholarship student who’s always at the top of the class. she has a cell phone that connects her to Daisy; they message regularly, but she never tells Daisy about her problems. through reasons, she accidentally breaks a window, and the school custodian, Tasuku Kurosaki, tracks her down. her friends want her to play dumb because she can’t afford to fix the window, but Teru’s moral compass won’t let her, so she confesses. Kurosaki then drags her away to do manual labor to work it off while he plays mahjong instead xD
the school’s computers are down due to a hacker (Teru says “cracker” because -and I quote- “A “hacker” refers to a person with exceptional computer skills. A “cracker” is someone who uses such skills for wrongdoing.” I’m not sure this is right, but whatever). when the council takes Teru’s phone, making her panic, Daisy sends a message threatening the council. from there, they’re excessively nice to Teru. the student council president asks Teru to ask Daisy to fix the computers because Mr. Arai, the council’s advisor, changed numbers and wiped out scholarships, etc. Daisy revealed himself as a hacker to the council member he’d threatened but not to Teru. she asks for Daisy’s help for the 1st time on behalf of the council, so Daisy fixes everything and exposes Mr. Arai -also Mr. Arai and the president were dating so the pres couldn’t turn him in.
later, Teru asks Kurosaki if he’s Daisy, but he denies it. turns out he was lying, but Teru believes him. and that’s just chapter 1 @.@;;; loooots of info, but I remember LOVING every panel the first time I read it, and it’s still really great xD

ch2: Teru goes out with her friends, but she gets knocked over, and everything in her bag falls into the street. people help her pick everything up, but her cell phone is gone. she searches in the rain but gets sick. she still tries to go to school, but Kurosaki figures out she’s sick and takes her home. she still tries to go look for the phone, but Kurosaki threatens her life xD he gets her to give him Daisy’s e-mail so Daisy can get the phone back for her. while she’s resting, Kurosaki tracks down the phone and returns it to her, but she’s delirious with sleep and thinks he’s Daisy. she thanks him from the bottom of her heart, and they all feel better for it. Kurosaki then puts her to work once she’s able to come back to school; now she has to pay off all the medical stuff he’d bought to take care of her cold xD also -forgot this last time- Teru’s brother died a year ago

ch3: Teru’s friends start crushing on Kurosaki, but Teru’s adamant that he’s a jerk xD later, she sees the council pres with a boy. she gets concerned and tells Kurosaki, and he mentions that he always sees the pres eating by herself at lunch. Teru makes an effort to eat with her, and they fight, but at least they communicate xD Teru even mentions the quality she likes in boys! when the pres (I should learn her name >.>; ) tries to break up with the boy, she mentions that her friend (aka Teru) warned her about him ❤ he drags her into his car, and Teru jumps in, too, so they’re both kidnapped. Kurosaki sees it and has Boss -he owns a café that Kurosaki frequents (he even bought Teru food there once) tail the car. Teru tries to send a message to Daisy, but the kidnappers stop her. while she and pres fight to fend them off and cause a ruckus, Kurosaki shows up and scares off the kidnappers with a weedwhacker. Teru tries to thank him, but he’s ticked. by the end of the chapter, Teru realizes that Kurosaki has the traits she likes in a guy -someone who holds you responsible for your mistakes and who will cheer you up and who has an unexpected side to them. Pres also figures out that Kurosaki has feelings for Teru

ch4: Teru meets an acquaintance of her brother, Mr. Takeda. he’s been hired as the new computer teacher since Mr. Arai got fired, but he knows Kurosaki and knows that Kurosaki is Daisy. he also tries to pressure Teru to give him info about her brother, but she shuts him down. he hires people to break into her apartment to find the data instead, but they find nothing. Teru runs to the café and finds Kurosaki. he lets her stay with him then goes on a man-hunt to stop Takeda. he asks Boss to find Teru a new apartment, and during their banter, Kurosaki admits that he’s in love with Teru but that he also caused her brother’s death, so he doesn’t deserve her

extra side chapter: Boss warns Kurosaki about pushing himself to reject Teru. he then paints a vivid scene that embarrasses Kurosaki to no end xD

end of volume 1! I forgot how much keeps happening to Teru xD
to read part 2, please click here.

Super Mario Adventures

a friend pointed this out to me at Books-A-Million, and I had to buy it. honestly, it took me about a week after reading it before it finally hit me that I could put this on my blog, so here we go!
I actually got to meet the voice of Mario/Luigi/Wario(and Waluigi, baby Mario, and baby Luigi) after buying this manga, and he signed it for me! <3333

Super Mario Adventures

(image: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=V7xYXa_lOMS1tgWbratw&q=super+mario+adventures&oq=super+mario+adventures&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.1135.3530..3713…0.0..1.540.3155.12j6j0j1j0j2……0….1..gws-wiz…….0i131.VKHWp7tRqjY&ved=0ahUKEwjv7JL_s4vkAhXEmq0KHZvWCg4Q4dUDCAc&uact=5)

the back cover reads:

Super Mario Adventures, inspired by the best-selling Super Mario video game franchise, is a collection of comics that originally ran in Nintendo Power magazine.
The peril-plagued Princess Toadstool is kidnapped by the diabolical deadbeat Bowser, but super plumbers Mario and Luigi hatch a plan with their new friend Yoshi to rescue her. Are the Super Mario Bros.’ plans a pipe dream? Can they stop the Koopa King before he forces the Princess to be his bride?!

it was originally published 1 chapter per month for a year and a month, so there’re 13 chapters.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Review time!

Plot: 1/2 star. You know, I honestly feel bad giving it only half a star, but quite honestly, the plot was for the brothers to fix the palace pipes in time for Princess Peach’s party that night. Not only did they not fix the pipes at any time throughout the manga, but it took them more than a week to even go after the kidnapped princess and possibly several more days to bring her home. Unfortunately, even her party got cancelled. So, the main plot was not completed… They did save the princess, though, so I will give them half a star for that.

Art: 1 star. Unlike most manga I read, this one was in full color which was very fun ❤ There were a few derp faces throughout the manga, but over all, everything flowed really well. I had a blast reading this, and visually, it worked very well. The arrangement of panels helped to show movement and bring my eye across the page, and the different expressions (and even art styles at times) was very entertaining for me.

Story Progression: 1 star. There is a lot going on in this manga, but since it’s only thirteen chapters long, then I don’t find that to be a problem. It’s very episodic because it was published on a monthly basis, but no chapter felt too full or rushed, and conversely, no chapter felt dull. I had a wonderful time reading this from start to finish.

Genre: 1/2 star. Weirdly enough, I couldn’t find a genre. Not on Google or Wikipedia (without actually searching, and I’m not going to do that). I’m going to give it half a star for that, but if there’s no genre given, then I guess I can assign one. Definitely a comedy. Between all the puns -sooooo many puns- and so much word play, not to mention the different faces, funny scenes, and general hijinks, then this is without a doubt a comedy manga. If you wanted to add fantasy or something (because of the monsters and being in another world) then you could, but my focus is the comedy.

Enjoyment: 1 star. I wish I could give it more stars for this, but that wouldn’t be fair. I loved this manga. Part of that is because I’ve grown up with Mario games and that I met the voice of Mario/Luigi (and others), so I have tons of nostalgia, but really, this manga is just a joy to read. It is completely ridiculous with the puns, though, so you have been warned of that xD I loved Princess Peach’s character in this. The creators made her a strong, fearless woman who liked video games and who was willing to fight for her kingdom. She didn’t like being bullied and could actually be a bit of a bully herself (she was not kind to the Koopalings, but I suppose they weren’t nice to her either). I really liked Mario and Luigi’s dynamic. They felt like partners, and yes, Mario was the leader, but he genuinely cared for his brother while still pushing him forward. Mario was quite terrible to Wario, though xD I worry that Mario didn’t even realize, and that makes me wonder how Mario actually sees the world. Does he really not see the negative things around him, or is he really just that much of a troll? Honestly, this showed a different side of Bowser to me. He’s generally a very good father, though he is a tyrannical ruler. He sees Princess Peach as a trophy rather than a person, so he’s definitely still a villain. I liked that there was another human in Floyd as random as that is xD

Anyway, I’m sorry that I couldn’t give this five stars, but I do unofficially recommend it! I keep sharing this manga with my friends and family, and I recommend you do the same! I didn’t even know this manga existed, and I think there are a lot of people out there who don’t know of it either. Let’s spread the word!

If you would like to read my full review, then please click here.

Super Mario Adventures, part 0

a friend pointed this out to me at Books-A-Million, and I had to buy it. honestly, it took me about a week after reading it before it finally hit me that I could put this on my blog, so here we go!

the back cover reads:
Super Mario Adventures, inspired by the best-selling Super Mario video game franchise, is a collection of comics that originally ran in Nintendo Power magazine.
The peril-plagued Princess Toadstool is kidnapped by the diabolical deadbeat Bowser, but super plumbers Mario and Luigi hatch a plan with their new friend Yoshi to rescue her. Are the Super Mario Bros.’ plans a pipe dream? Can they stop the Koopa King before he forces the Princess to be his bride?!

it was originally published 1 chapter per month for a year and a month, so there’re 13 chapters.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Mario and Luigi are called in to fix the palace pipe’s before Princess Peach’s party, but while they’re fixing things, large green pipes appear from the ground, releasing Bowser’s forces. Bowser appears to propose/threaten Peach, and she’s so mad that she chases him back through the pipe (with a small group of special forces). Mario’s hit by the stone beam and turned to stone, and the minister of massage has to be called in to fix him. it takes a week, and then the brothers are off!
they land in a jungle and find a giant egg. when they go to cook it, it hatches into a Yoshi! they run away terrified and end up angering a giant caterpillar which the Yoshi ate for them. meanwhile, the Princess and her troops are lost in the desert and running out of supplies. a group of Lakitu find them and start pelting them with spinies.
back with the Mario bros, Yoshi gives them a ride to Yoshi Village. a man named Friendly Floyd translates for them, letting them know that this Yoshi is the chairman of the dino chamber of commerce, and he’d been trapped in the egg by Koopa’s Curse when he went to save other yoshis that had been captured. Friendly Floyd can’t stick around, though, so he sells the brothers a “how to speak Yoshi” guide that’s completely useless xD shortly after, one of the Princess’s guards wanders into the village and tells them that the Princess got captured by Bowser.
over with Bowser, he has kids, and he’s determined they need a mother; they just want to play video games xD he tasks them with watching Peach while he prepares for the wedding. but she’s vanished from her cell! or so she makes them think; when they open the door to look for her, she escapes and locks them in, except the daughter who wasn’t with her brothers. she chases down Peach with an army of guards, but when Peach threatens to shred her favorite sweater, she is released (that’s kind of harsh, Peach; they’re just kids). Peach’s still cornered, though, and she falls from the window during her escape.
Mario and Luigi find the castle but can’t find out how to get there because of the moat. when Luigi sits on a cannon, Mario pushes him out of the way and gets hit with a Bullet Bill. the Bullet Bill shoots him towards the castle, hitting the gliding Princess (oh yeah, she used a cape to glide), sending her off course while Mario landed in the castle with the Koopalings. while Luigi tends to the knocked out Peach, Bowser sends some mechakoopas to threaten Luigi; trade Peach for Mario or Mario gets fried.
Friendly Floyd is around, and he’s selling makeup which Luigi uses to disguse himself as Peach (very convincingly, I might add). “Peach” agrees to marry Bowser; “she’s” wearing a mask because of a cold -to hide the nose and mustache and disguise the voice. Bowser’s beside himself with joy that Peach finally loves him (kinda’ feel bad for the guy, not gonna’ lie).
Peach dreams about marrying Mario, but it turns into a nightmare where she’s about to marry Bowser instead (did they predict the plot of Mario Odessey? O.o?!)! Peach awakens on the shore dressed in Luigi’s overalls and finds out the plan from her guard. when Luigi goes to check on Mario, he’s discovered by the Koopalings. they say they’re going to feed Mario to the moat parannahs, so Luigi launches the plan. he calls to order a “pizza”, and Yoshi delivers Princess Peach and Friendly Floyd WITH BOMBS instead (jeez!)
while Peach deals with the kids, Luigi steals the keys to release Mario. Yoshi joins in to help distract the kids, but after Mario is freed, the whole gang get dropped into the dungeon. the fuse on Peach’s bomb gets lit, and the whole castle explodes, sending the heroes back to the shore. everyone returns to normal and prepares to head home. except they can’t reach the warp pipe! Toad volunteers to fly up to the pipe with the cape and bring back a rescue team.
the team arrives, and turns out it’s Bowser’s troops in disguise! he cuts Mario and Luigi from the ladder, and Bowser appears. he’s taken over the Mushroom Kingdom! he whisks Peach away and sends Koopatroopas after the Mario brothers. Yoshi eats a blue shelled koopa and gains wings, so the brothers follow after Bowser!
but they lose sight of Bowser and get lost on the way, and Yoshi accidentally releases the shell, losing his wings. the brothers fall to the ground and find a house. it’s unlocked and inviting, and a trap!
Mario tries to leave, but Luigi is lured in by the smell of cheese. Mario and Yoshi try to chase after him, but Yoshi’s too big to fit through the door and gets locked out. inside, the brothers begin being attacked by Boos. all according to Bowser’s plan. they manage to seal themselves in a room long enough to develop a plan, and then the boos arrive for THERAPY?! Mario is apparently a licensed psychotherapist, and he’s determined that the boos have anthrophobia (supposedly fear of humans?). apparently, the boos were bullied growing up -as was Luigi-, but Mario talks them through it, and they all leave together, feeling better than ever (wow, Mario; I am legit impressed o_o; ). he convinces them to show him the way to Bowser’s castle, and once out of sight quickly changes back into his normal clothes and races off on Yoshi’s back.
at the castle, the Yoshis are being controlled by a hypnotist and made to pull the giant wedding cake. when they’re done, they’re led to a machine that puts them in eggs. when Peach continues to refuse to marry Bowser, he uses the hypnotist on her, and she begins talking about being in love with him. Bowser is so moved he records it on camera. she and Bowser are walking down the aisle as Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi sneak in. they get separated, and Mario jumps down to stop Bowser. elsewhere, Luigi and Yoshi find the eggs and begin freeing the Yoshis. Mario can’t snap Peach out of the hypnosis and gets captured, but when the Yoshis appear and trample the hypnotist, Peach snaps out of it and frees Mario. Bowser is thwarted, and Peach is saved. Mario even gets a kiss on the cheek ❤
final chapter! Mario vs. Wario! Wario invites Mario over for a visit and a party. Mario and Wario knew each other as kids and played together all the time. Mario remembers everything happily, but Wario recalls everything sourly. Mario remembers picking vegetables together happily; Wario remembers that Mario picked all the turnips and left him with the piranha plants. they flattened coins together, but Wario actually got squished instead. they played sheriff and rustler, and Mario was always the sheriff. the one time he let Wario be the sheriff, Mario mocked him. as Mario approaches Wario’s home, he’s attacked by different enemies, but he deals with them in stride (Idk if he even realizes they’re trying to attack him). after he gets to Wario’s castle, Wario attacks him, too, but Mario quickly knocks the wind out of his sails. Wario starts crying, and Mario tells him not to be such a wimp. somehow this cheers Wario up, and Mario says they should have fun like old times! then Mario makes them play sheriff and rustler, and Wario yells in anger again as the bullying continues.

and that’s the story of the Super Mario Adventures. This series actually had me questioning a lot about Mario’s character xD but I loved what it did with Peach! next time I’ll give my final review, so please click <here> to see that!

-not a manga-

I am so sorry for falling off my posting schedule. This was something I always wanted to avoid, but it looks like I lost track of time. Sorry about that! Posts will be returning as normal starting next Saturday.

Sorry again, but thanks so much for reading my blog!

Dousaibou Seibutsu

Y’know what I haven’t read in a while? Shounen ai! Let’s get on that!

Dousaibou Seibutsu (image from: https://www4.mymangalist.org/read-dousaibou-seibutsu)

General warning/disclaimer: For those who don’t know, shounen ai translates to boy love. It differs from yaoi in that -as far as I can tell- there is generally no explicit sex, but rather, it just focuses on the relationship between boys.

I don’t own this manga, so I’ll be reading a fan translated copy online.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Review time!

3 stars

Plot: 1/2 star. This is hard to do since it’s three different stories… The first and the last story have the plot of wanting to be together, which I suppose they both manage, but I can’t say for sure since I don’t know the end. None of the four guys really express interest in any other long term goals, like dream jobs or things they’d like to accomplish. In the first story, they graduate from high school, and one of the guys gets into college, but that’s all we know. In the last story, one guy already has a job, and later, the angel even gets a job, but neither express what their passions are. In the second story, there really isn’t a plot. They’re both high schoolers, and one of them dies. They don’t say they want to stay together forever, they clearly don’t manage that anyway, and we never see past that one year, so who’s to say what happens later. Even the boy who lived didn’t say if he high jumped in the hopes of that becoming something more; it’s just something he did.
Honestly, it can be hard for short stories like these to create or fulfil plots, and being romance based doesn’t help. Also, being gay couples makes it harder since those relationships are not supported by Japanese society as a whole. Just being together is an accomplishment, honestly. Since two of the three stories at least had the couples get together and stay together, I’m going to give this 1/2 a star, but I’m being very generous with that.

Art: 1/2 star. The art’s not bad, but I wasn’t blown away by it either. The shading’s fine; I can tell what everyone’s feeling from their expressions. The style’s not that clean, but that may be the scanlations that I read.

Story Progression: 1/2 star. The timeline jumps around pretty quickly in these stories. I would’ve liked smoother transitions. It actually makes it hard to tell what’s going on; how far did we just jump? What happened in the meantime? That was universal between all three stories, honestly. For example, in the first story, I would’ve liked to know what happened after high school; what jobs did they get? How did moving in together work out? Did their families argue (though again, that story didn’t show anyone outside the main two guys) with their decision? What did Nakagawa go on to study? In the second story, I had trouble telling when exactly they stopped hanging out and when Kana decided to start looking for Yuuji. In the third story, I would’ve loved to know how Sakaki grew up. We went from crying child to full grown adult with a job; what happened in between!?! A lot of this stuff was left blank, so I can only give 1/2 star because I feel like I only got half of a story.

Genre: 1 star. This is only listed as a shounenai, which it definitely is. It’s not school life or slice of life since it doesn’t show anything outside the relationships, really (school is more of the setting than anything). The third story could be supernatural because there’re angels, but that’s only one of the three stories, so that doesn’t need to be listed highly. I don’t remember laughing… really at all, so I wouldn’t say comedy. One kid dies, so that could be a tragedy, but he did get to confess to his love interest (and as a ghost, that also supports supernatural). I can’t think of anything that played a large enough role in all three stories, so I guess shonenai covers it. 1 star.

Enjoyment: 1/2 star. It was alright. I wasn’t wowed in any way, and in several ways, I was actually very disappointed. Even with short stories, I feel like there could have been more. More character development, more interactions, more backstory; something. I had an alright time reading this, though, so I’ll give it 1/2 a star.

If you’d like to read my full review, then please click here.

Dousaibou Seibutsu, part 0

Y’know what I haven’t read in a while? Shounen ai! Let’s get on that!

Dousaibou Seibutsu (image from: https://www4.mymangalist.org/read-dousaibou-seibutsu)

I don’t own this manga, so I’ll be reading a fan translated copy online. I am going to be doing shorthand as I read. These descriptions are really more of a reminder to myself about what all I have been able to read so far. Sorry if this bothers anyone! I will do a full description on the final review page of each series I read.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

chapters 1-3 were about two boys named Nakagawa and Yokota. they met in class and somehow became friends. Yokota loves baseball and tries hard at everything, but he fails a lot. Nakagawa doesn’t try very hard at anything (until Yokota inspires him), but he seems to always succeed. they admire those things about the other (1’s devotion and enthusiasm to never stop trying, and the other’s cool demeanor and natural abilities). their friendship progresses to hanging out at each other’s houses (or I guess the manga only shows it once) to staying the night. as Yokota sleeps soundly, Nakagawa decides to mess with him for being so clingy, first by pinching their nose (no response), to then kissing him (because why not). next day, as Nakagawa sleeps on the roof, he’s kissed in return; turns out Yokota was totally awake xD or at least not totally asleep. Nakagawa decides to stop thinking so much and kisses him again to prove it wasn’t an accident/that he didn’t regret it. they become a couple after that (this manga really just focuses on them; nothing about their parents or other friends).
they decide to live together for college (Nakagawa gets in, and Yokota doesn’t). Nakagawa prays every day that they’ll have a red string of fate bind them together forever (which is actually super sweet in my opinion). they vow to never change and to always love each other ❤

ch4: new story, new boys! they meet in a secluded room that no one enters. they take turns hanging out there separately, but over time, begin hanging out together. they study together and such, and during one’s nap, the other kisses him (this is familiar). instead of returning the kiss, he holds hands. the kisser’s also a high jumper (named Kana, btw), and he encourages the other to try it. turns out other guy (Yuuji) is not successful his first time. Yuuji asks if Kana jumps to reach heaven; Kana’s confused. during summer and fall, Yuuji doesn’t come back… Kana goes to look for him, is given no help from his teacher, and must ask each teacher individually for their name roster in order to find his friend’s name -because they don’t know anything about each other. Yuuji left a note to his friend. he tells Kana to meet him in the secluded room and confesses that he likes him. Kana runs there and hugs his friend tight, proclaiming his love. Yuuji had died, and this was just his ghost waiting for Kana one last time (T.T)

ch5 & 6: new boys! only now one’s an angel! angel = Yuki; other guy = Sakaki. when Sakaki was a kid, he wanted to be a princess for Halloween, but 1 year, he stopped asking for that. he finally realized he was a boy; he couldn’t be a princess. he also had no parents, so no one would buy him a dress. that year, he was a scarecrow instead, and he met an angel. years later, the angel (Yuki) came to find him on earth. because even though Sakaki had given up being a princess, Yuki had never forgotten vowing to be his prince. he even left his 6 brothers (most were jerks but 1 was nice) to stay on earth just to be with Sakaki. 6 months flew by, and only after spotting a feather from said nice bro did Yuki open up to Sakaki about the life and family he’d left. Sakaki says it’d be nice if the brothers could reunite, and Yuki is reminded that as long as he’s with Sakaki, he’ll never be alone, and that’s enough to drive off any sadness.

ch7: new boys! college guy = Midori; high school kid = Sora. college kid’s in training to become a kindergarten teacher. his neighbor (Sora’s) in love with him. because of Sora’s parent situation -I think they work a lot?-, they spent a lot of time together growing up. Sora thinks Midori only sees him as a kid, and Midori’s actually really tired of playing the kind big brother; he wants a relationship with Sora! through a little girl’s tantrum, Midori says he’s going to marry the female teacher, but Sora finds out about it. when Midori brings him food later (which’s usual still because parents), Sora kisses Midori and says he doesn’t want him to get married, Midori confesses it was a lie, and they become a couple. the little girl finds out later and throws another tantrum

My full review will come next time, so to read it, please click here.