When reviewing manga, please don't just assign an arbitrary value for the Sound section. Instead, you can review things such as the dialogue, translation quality for the particular edition you purchased, etc.
Demon Diary manga Review
Story & Playability
Okay... since there is no synopsis, here is a short one. Hope I don't get in trouble for it...
Raenef is a young boy who is learning how to become a proper demon lord under his given tutor Eclipse. The only thing is, he is so naive and kind that it is hard to believe he can even be one. Who has heard of a lovable demon lord?! Along the way, he meets Erutis the knight, who tried to kill him and Chris, a priest... who also tried to kill him. His greatest challenge to come however is facing his predecessor, Raenef IV. Can Raenef be a Demon Lord at all?
The first thing I would like to mention about the story is that the first volume was written by someone different than the rest of the volumes. This will be my big quirk with the story of Demon Diary/Diary of a Demon King.
The manga starts off cute and is humourous as you come to realize how horrible a demon lord Raenef will be. He has the blonde hair and big eyes and his speech is even just too polite. The humour is kept throughout the manga. It gets outrageous and you cannot believe how these characters embarrass themselves. Sometimes the humour can get a little tired but really, overall you can't help but laugh once or twice each volume. Chris is there with his huge ego, another demon lord get a crush on Erutis and a girl gets a crush on Raenef. That was all fun and you can't help but feel sorry for the characters and their hilarious situations.
Unforunately, the humour is the only thing that is kept as the manga shifts to a different author. I understand that a writer's style changes from person to person but certain things were forgotten. In the first volume, there was a whole scene where Raenef was... well... a man and he was talking to himself about going somewhere. It was also set in a desolate like place. Well, that was completely forgotten. Raenef stays his age the whole way through and basically, the very beginning of Volume 1 was useless. I must say, it was an interesting part too... I was upset that it was left out.
Another thing is the changes in Raenef and Eclipse.(Erutis was kept well however.) Raenef had this dark past as seen in Volume 1, where he was angered. That anger disappears and Raenef loses a lot of his character. No more angry side of Raenef at all, just nice and naive. It takes out the 3 dimensions of a character you could say. It is as if Raenef is not allowed to get angry... only happy or concerned. One more thing I forgot to mention is that Raenef learns NO NEW SPELLS with Eclipse when you read it... where did the Demon Lord lessons go? @_@
For Eclipse, his dark character deteriorated all too quickly. In the 2nd volume he was yelling at Raenef (Who didn't repond with the "How dare you raise your voice at me", like the 1st Volume.) and lost his cool attitude very quickly. The easiest way I can put it is that Eclipse was more human than demon, which is not a good thing. The progression of a character is lost too quickly. I believe that he may have turned out to act human eventually but not already in the 2nd volume!
Sorry for the rant about the change from Volume 1...but I felt it was needed... ^_^;
What was intriguing about the writer change was the story and bringing in Raenef IV...XD Sure, they made facts fly out of nowhere at you but gathering them and understanding the whole plot was interesting. How the situation was solved however was not great... Raenef explains everything... and then you think, "Ahhh... I see-wait... what?!" Don't wish to be rude... But I thought it was corny. XP
Last thing to note is that yes, the main relationship is Raenef and Eclipse. (There are arguments whether it is shounen-ai or not but I am steering clear of that for now...) Here is a continuation of my complaints with the first volume thing. Raenef speaks about how there should be equal positions, such as being no master and servant in the first volume. Well, now it seems like Raenef no longer cares about that and he is the master the whole way through. Okay, good things about the relationship however is the loyalty that Eclipse gives to Raenef and the bond they seem to grow.
As much as I may have butchered the story, it wasn't horribly bad and under the circumstances of an author switch. The change was okay but mostly just fun and humour.
Rating:
Graphics
Okay... I love the art. It starts off well with so many details and it just gets better and better. The art is by Kara and each manga, the art progresses. Raenef's eyes get more sparkly, Eclipse's hair gains more flow and Chris's hair in no longer a messy mass. The propotions in some of the faces are slightly off in the first few volumes but disappear in the later volumes. The folds in the clothing are perfect as well. The coloured pictures are something to stare at and the sideviews of the faces are so pretty. The art is really nothing I can get angry at.
Each character has their own look that fits their character. Raenef is super cute and Erutis looks like a boy. It matches and as for the mood it brings... well, great!
Yay Kara!!
Rating:
Sound
Edited thanks to shinsengumi-san. ^_^
Really, I have no idea how well Tokyopop translated this manga but for a few volumes, there was one or two speech bubbles left blank. That can be really annoying, especially when the scenes that these do happen seem funny.
The dialogue was corny but in character for the most part. Nothing to say that was special. The lines were cliche or predictable so it can't be put down, other than the fact that it isn't something completely original.
Rating:
Fun
Humour scores big points in this section. I liked the manga, yes really but when I read the first volume it always annoys me about how more in depth the story could be.
Definitely worth a read if you like to laugh at cheese... which I do... XD
EDIT: Please, I gave it a 7 due to my own preferences... If you think that it deservered an 8 I would gladly like to see more reviews okay? ^^
Rating:
Final Verdict
7.0000 (above average)
Reviewed by IkuiTenshi, Feb 26, 2006
Comments
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shinsengumi Retired Moderator Feb 27, 2006
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arch-god-elle Mar 15, 2006
Demon Diary wasn't the best, but it does desire better then 7, at least 8.
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Meron Apr 07, 2006
It was soooo cute!
I don´t like cute at all. ^^"""" but this one was really nice. And funny. Think, it's worth reading it. =3 -
Countess-D May 29, 2006
A seven? come on...how about an 8?
Well, this was my first and only manwa (did I spelled it right?) and I found it quite enjoyable. Sure...you're right about the changes from volume 1 to 2 and actually...I does pisses me off a little what happened (the first pages where so promising!) but well...I won't deny the cuteness and humor cheered me up and I also liked the previous Raenef (mischievous ^^), Lord Crayola xD (a Diva!) and the "other" Raenef (psycho bitchy? O_o?), but of course the shadow of what it could have been will never fade...
I guess the 7 is ok but they should also give us what was promised on volume one, even if it has to be an alternate universe or something =_=...
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makiyasha Apr 01, 2007
i think its resonable 7 but maybe 8 will be better
but alittle of subject has anyone read angel diary yet?
its by the same person but the storys beter but demon diarys funnyer ^^
but i dont think they huv angel diary on this site TT^TT
XOX DEAMON DIARY ^_______^
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