“I don’t really want to tease you. I actually want to hold you in my arms…I tried to run away many times. But I want you.” – Tasuku Kurosaki, Dengeki Daisy volume 6.

One of the manga series I’ve been really enjoying reading recently is Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motomi. The series is about Teru Kurebayashi, who was left a cellphone by her older brother after he died that connects her to Daisy, a hacker whose identity remains unknown. When Tasuku Kurosaki, a deliquent janitor, shows up at Teru’s school one day he becomes Teru’s protector and is quickly revealed to be Daisy. At the heart of my enjoyment of this series is the relationship between Teru and Kurosaki. I don’t think I’ve ever fallen for a couple as quickly as I have in this series. There are couples I love because of their dynamics (such as the rapport between Akito and Sana in Kodocha, who argue and tease each other but are always there for one another), or I love the couple’s love story more than the couple itself (such as Naoki and Kotoko in Itazura na Kiss). Dengeki Daisy is one of the few series where I feel as though I love the couple for both reasons.

On the surface, Teru and Kurosaki as a couple remind me a little of Tsukushi and Tsukasa from Hana Yori Dango. Both couples bicker a lot – Teru always tells Kurosaki that she hopes he’ll go bald, while Kurosaki often makes remarks about her ‘puny A-cups.’ And at certain points in both series the main girl is hiding her feelings for the guy she loves. However, while  Tsukushi’s refusal to admit her feelings for Tsukasa is a bit frustrating, I actually enjoy watching Teru struggle to hide her feelings for Kurosaki. I think a lot of this is because I love the setup of Teru and Kurosaki’s relationship: Teru knows Kurosaki is Daisy but doesn’t want him to know this, while Kurosaki is trying to resist his feelings for Teru because he is unwilling to forgive himself for a certain incident from the past (which I won’t reveal). Thus, their teasing dynamic is really just a pretense to cover up their hidden affections. But it’s more than just Teru and Kurosaki’s fun rapport or their unique situation that makes me like them as a couple. I really appreciated that Teru’s a bit brighter than the average shojo heroine because she figures out that Kurosaki is Daisy on her own pretty quickly – I expected that revelation to be dragged out a lot more. I also really love the use of inner monologues in the series – not that this is unique, it’s just that it’s great to see Kurosaki’s thought processes, because normally guys in shojo are left shrouded in mystery.

And, much like Tsukushi and Tsukasa, Teru and Kurosaki have great chemistry. I’m a fan of sexual tension in manga as long as it’s not too smutty or the only point of a series (cough cough Black Bird), and Dengeki Daisy hits those notes very well. Because Kurosaki and Teru’s relationship is one where they both have to repress their feelings, the tender scenes between them stand out. Little things like Kurosaki brushing his fingers through Teru’s hair, putting his face close to hers, or kissing her cheek when she’s asleep make it impossible not to root for the couple (and also get Kurosaki labeled a pervert by Riko, a woman who works with him). That’s probably a good thing, because one potentially troublesome aspect of the blooming romance between Teru and Kurosaki is the characters’ age difference. While Teru is 16, for awhile in the series it’s unclear just how old Kurosaki is - but it’s quite obvious that he’s at least a few years older than Teru considering he’s working at her school. I felt it was wise that Kyousuke Motomi held off on revealing Kurosaki’s age for several volumes, because by the time it was specified I had already fallen for Teru and Kurosaki’s vibe as a potential couple. And besides, Kurosaki’s teasing makes him seem more like a teenager anyway. If anything, I think it’s because Motomi knows how to tease her audience that Teru and Kurosaki are such a fun and workable couple, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more.

Probably my favorite disc of Kodocha, which I've watched 386204 times. Approximately.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about rewatching anime and rereading manga. I see people write on anime forums all of the time that they don’t rewatch anime, even their favorite series, because they’d rather watch new ones. Even people who say they rewatch series ‘all of the time’ say they’ve only watched their favorite series two or three times. Then recently I read an article about the failing anime industry in America, and the author cites more than just piracy for the drop in DVD sales: he also believes that for some, anime may not be worth owning because most series don’t deserve to be watched more than once. I began to wonder if that makes me really weird because I love to rewatch and reread series. I watched my favorite anime, Kodocha, every weekend for two years and never got tired of it. I did the same with Boys Over Flowers and I still marathon the anime about once every three months. Even series I don’t love (like Fruits Basket and D.N.Angel) I’ve seen in their entirety at least four times, and there are probably a handful of anime in my collection I’ve watched three times or less.

I've read this side story from Nana waaay too much

Now, when it comes to manga, I’m admittedly less familiar with how often most people reread series. I’ve rarely seen people bring up this topic in manga circles, and truthfully I think I have a harder time of keeping track of how often I’ve reread certain series. When I watch anime, I have to get in the mood for it, but reading manga is something I do when I’m bored, when I wake up in the morning, when I really should be studying – it doesn’t matter. And when I watch anime, I like to watch large chunks at a time, but with manga I’ll read it regardless of whether I have time to marathon a series or not. I also have a habit of rereading the most recent volume of a series right when the latest volume is supposed to be released. There are, however, certain volumes or chapters I know I’ve reread a million times, such as the sidestory on Takumi in volume 18 of Nana or the wedding in Itazura na Kiss.

I think my affinity for rewatching and rereading series may be why I enjoy longer series so much. The reason I revisit series is because I love getting engrossed in the plot of a series once more, and all of the emotions and drama. Many times, I find new elements in a series (pieces of foreshadowing I missed, or I may look at a character I didn’t particularly care for in a new way). And while the element of surprise may be taken away, there have been some series I didn’t love much the first time around that I grew to appreciate upon revisiting them, such as Honey and Clover, Cardcaptor Sakura, and High School Debut. With Honey and Clover in particular I originally thought was overrated because I was expecting it to be a wonderful romantic comedy, but when I reread it, I paid more attention to the cast’s touching friendships and enjoyed the series much more. And when I rewatched Cardcaptor Sakura I came to love Tomoyo’s character. I think my habit of revisiting series is also because my favorite aspect of watching anime and reading manga is getting attached to the characters and their relationships, which happens the more you watch or read a series. So I’d like to hear your thoughts: do you guys reread or rewatch series often?

1. Being hugged from behind and told “I love you”
2. Being asked out in a slightly forceful manner, e.g. “You’re going out with me today”
3. Being patted on the head and told to “Do your best!”
4. Discovering that their male confidante was in love with them
5. Turning to look behind them and being kissed by surprise
6. Having someone worry about them and look into their eyes while asking “what’s wrong?”
7. Being fought over by more than one man
8. Being grabbed by the chin and kissed suddenly
9. Seeing him off at the train station and being dragged on to the train at the last second
10. Having him wipe their tears away while saying “Don’t cry”
    

    Romantic, huh?

Number three seems more like how you’d treat a pet than a girlfriend, so I don’t see the romance in it at all. I’ve definitely seen it, though – I believe Sano does this to Mizuki in Hana-Kimi. Being asked out on a date in a forceful way I’ve seen done by Tsukasa in Boys Over Flowers, which lead to a disastrous (yet intriguing) date. I’m definitely not a fan of number nine – someone dragging you on a train at the last moment seems pretty selfish to me, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen this one in any anime or manga. Some of these scenarios are very fun to read whenever they occur in manga, especially numbers five and eight. These two just scream Yuu Watase: probably my favorite forced kiss is with Takiko and Uruki in volume of Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden. Another great example is between Naoki and Kotoko in volume two of Itazura na Kiss, which is the first sign that Naoki has feelings for her. And, for some reason, many of the forced kisses I can think of in anime are initiated by the rival (losing) love interest like Soshi in Absolute Boyfriend and Fuji in Sand Chronicles. And being fought over by more than one guy is in pretty much every shojo manga and it’s mother (although once again Yuu Watase is the queen of this cliché. No wonder she’s so popular). But in real life, I’m pretty sure having more than one person interested in you, while a confidence-booster, wouldn’t exactly be fun.

Takiko and Uruki

Naoki’s ‘take-that’ kiss with Kotoko:

Naoki and Kotoko

 And yet another forced kiss:

Soshi and Riiko

What’s interesting about this list is how forceful a lot of these scenarios are. In my opinion, a lot of these scenarios aren’t so desirable or sweet once you place them into a real life context. Being grabbed by the chin and kissed or being asked out in a forceful way are only romantic depending upon who does it: if a guy you don’t know or don’t like did this you probably would be pretty scared or pissed. But what it really comes down to I guess is different cultural values: many Japanese males are shy, especially when it comes to romance, so this helps explain why Japanese women want more assertive men because there aren’t as many men who are openly romantic, and thus this is reflected in manga. So this begs the question: which came first? Did the fantasies of real life Japanese women influence the pervasiveness of romantically assertive men in manga, or was it that these male characters in manga shaped women’s real-life desires? Or maybe it’s a little bit of both. And some of these fantasies definitely appeal beyond Japanese audiences: I have to say, I’d love to have number one done to me. I guess I like it rough, too.

Yuu hugging Miki from behind

♥Kyosuke-Madoka-Hikaru (Kimagure Orange Road)♥

Why it stands out: They’re all best friends.

In my opinion, Kimagure Orange Road is the quintessential shonen-romantic comedy series and features one of the best love triangles in anime and manga. At first glance, this triangle may seem straightforward: Kyosuke is a newcomer to town and is torn between a sweet, clingy girl named Hikaru and the ‘bad girl’ Madoka whom he falls in love with at first sight. However, this series raises the stakes because not only are Hikaru and Madoka best friends, but as the series progresses the trio become close friends, making Kyosuke’s inevitable rejection of Hikaru in the series’ first film all the more painful.

♥Kyoko-Godai-Mitaka (Maison Ikkoku)♥

Why it stands out: They’re all sympathetic.

One of the best romantic-comedies there is, this classic 80s seinen series features a love triangle between Kyoko, a widow who becomes the mangager of a run-down boarding house, Godai, a poor college student who is Kyoko’s tenant, and Mitaka, a coach at Kyoko’s tennis school. This is one of the few love triangles I’ve encountered where I liked and sympathized with everyone involved: it’s easy to understand why Kyoko is so reluctant to pursue either of her suitors as she struggles to overcome her husband’s death, and I love that both Godai and Mitaka are very respectful of Kyoko’s feelings. You can’t help but root for Godai to win Kyoko’s heart not only because he is the complete underdog, but because he matures into such a sweet and caring guy. And while in most series the charming rich love interest usually comes across as a jerk,  when Kyoko finally rejects him after he has waited for her to reciprocate his feelings for almost four years, I couldn’t help but cry.

♥Tsukushi-Tsukasa-Rui (Boys Over Flowers/Hana Yori Dango)♥

Why it stands out: It’s unpredictable.

Even though I had been spoiled about who Tsukushi would choose before I got into the series, I still consider Boys Over Flowers’ main love triangle one of the least predictable love triangles in anime and manga. Soon after standing up to the rich clique of bullies at her school called the F4, Tsukushi develops feelings for Rui Hanazawa, the quietest member of the group. However, when the F4’s leader, Tsukasa Domyoji, begins to fall for Tsukushi, she finds herself torn between them. There is a lot of tension in this love triangle, particularly after Tsukasa confesses his feelings to Tsukushi in volume six and Tsukushi ends up feeling as though she betrayed Tsukasa by choosing Rui, and it was at this point in the series that I began to believe that I had been misinformed of who the main couple of the series was. However, Rui ends up rejecting her because he still has feelings for his first love, and over the course of the series Tsukushi finds herself slowly falling for Tsukasa, which made me elated. I think the main reason this love triangle feels so unpredictable is because the author originally intended for Tsukushi to end up with Rui but ended up changing the storyline when Tsukasa became more popular with the fans, allowing the shift in Tsukushi’s feelings to feel very genuine.

♥Akito-Sana-Fuka (Kodocha)♥

Why it stands out: They’re 12.

This was probably the first love triangle I ever became really invested in, which makes sense considering the fact that Kodocha is my favorite series. I love that Akito, who had been in love with Sana from early on in the series, starts dating Fuka when he believes Sana is interested in someone else, which serves as the catalyst for Sana to realize her feelings for him. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that Sana and Fuka are best friends, causing Sana to hide her feelings for Akito from both of them because she doesn’t want to hurt Fuka. None of them know how to handle the situation well because they are only twelve years-old. It doesn’t take long for Fuka to realize she’s the third wheel in this triangle, and I love the scene when Sana and Fuka finally confront one another. When Fuka admits that she doesn’t feel like Akito’s real girlfriend and Sana says she’ll take him from her, all I could think was ‘aww snap!,’ making this one of my favorite moments in anime love rivalry.

♥Sousuke-Kaname-Tessa (Full Metal Panic!)♥

Why it stands out: Sousuke only vaguely seems to realize he’s in a love triangle.

This is one of the few triangles where I enjoy the romantic moments of both possible pairings because while I prefer Kaname and Sousuke as a couple, I can’t help but like Tessa. While it’s fairly obvious that Sousuke is developing feelings for Kaname, the hot-tempered high school girl he’s supposed to be guarding, Sousuke is completely dense when it comes to love. This is especially true when it comes to his commanding officer Teletha ‘Tessa’ Testarossa, who is anything but shy about showing her feelings for him, which completely confuses (and possibly scares) the moody military officer. So while Sousuke may be completely oblivious to Tessa and Kaname’s feelings for him, the entanglements of this triangle are very fun to watch.

♥Momo-Kairi-Toji (Peach Girl)♥

Why it stands out: She dates both of them.

In most shojo love triangles, when the main female character decides between her two leading love interests, she’ll generally stick with her choice and the losing guy will often find love with someone else. However, in Peach Girl, despite the fact that Momo starts going out with Toji, the guy she had a crush on prior to the beginning of the series, she not only later dates playboy Kairi Okayasu after Sae’s manipulations tear her and Toji apart, but she even ends up with Kairi. While there are a few other love triangles where the female dates both guys (such as in Sand Chronicles),  it’s usually made obvious that she is only going out with the second guy as a rebound and is still in love with her first love interest. But in Peach Girl, despite the fact that Momo still has feelings for Toji when she starts dating Kairi, Kairi’s charms win Momo over and she eventually chooses him.

♥Hagu-Morita-Takemoto (Honey and Clover)♥

Why it stands out: (spoiler) She doesn’t end up with either of them.

While I’ve never personally cared for this love triangle because I never understood why either Morita or Takemoto was in love with the moody and introverted Hagu, it still stands out to me as a unique love triangle because she doesn’t choose either guy in the end. Even though Hagu is in love with Morita, Hagu decides to spend her time focusing on her artwork after her hand gets injured, and asks Shu (Professor Hanamoto) to stay by her side and help her. So even though I may not have been as invested in this love triangle, I respect Honey and Clover for not tying up all of the romantic loose ends like most series would, as well as for being one of the most poignant examples of unrequited love in anime and manga.

So what I’ve noticed is that I especially like love triangles where the people involved are friends. In these triangles, there is a lot more at stake, which is why they are so dramatic and interesting. If anyone has a love triangle they love or feel is unique, please feel free to comment!

I think the other main reason I love Kyoya is because he provides such a great foil to Tamaki, who is my other favorite character in the series. While Kyoya is logical and self-motivated, Tamaki is impulsive and always concerned with making others happy.  But in actuality, much of Tamaki’s capriciousness is influenced by Kyoya ‘the shadow king,’ such as in one episode where the host club wears Balinese clothes because Kyoya slipped a picture of a Bali setting  (all in order to increase the club’s profits, of course). I love the relationship between the two of them, especially the fact that Tamaki calls Kyoya ‘mommy’ (since he sees himself as Haruhi’s ‘daddy’). Despite the fact that the two are opposites, Kyoya goes along with Tamaki’s whims and cares for him deeply because he realizes that Tamaki is the only person who truly understands him. My favorite episode of Ouran High School Host Club is episode 24, which shows how Kyoya and Tamaki met and eventually establish the host club. Initially, Kyoya tries to befriend Tamaki in a polite yet aloof manner because of his father is the school’s chairman, but he soon gets annoyed with Tamaki’s capriciousness and sees him as a moron. But Kyoya begins to see Tamaki as his first genuine friend and reveals his true (cold) self when Tamaki realizes that Kyoya wants much more than simply being the third son in his father’s business. Thus, Kyoya joins the host club as its manager in order to help him develop skills to surpass his elder brothers. But what Kyoya gains from joining the host club is so much better: true friends who matter more to him than taking over his family business, and help him finally escape the shadow of trying to be ‘the perfect son.’

Although volume 21 of Nana brought the series to what could have been a dramatic finale, the series is actually on hiatus because Ai Yazawa was being hospitalized for an unknown illness. The manga tells two stories: one of the present day alongside brief glimpses into the future. However, with the series unfinished, there is a gap left between the present day and the future, so many questions have been left unanswered. When did Nana Osaki leave all of her friends behind to go to England, and why? What happened to Black Stones and Trapnest after Ren Honjo’s death? And what happened between Hachi and Nobu? But the biggest question I think many fans want answered is who are the parents of Ren and Satsuki?  I have a few thoughts about this subject, but please be aware that my opinion is pure speculation and that there is no right answer as long as the series remains unfinished.

Child Ren

I’ll start with Ren, the boy we see with Takumi in England in volume twenty. This may get confusing because there are two Rens: Ren Honjo, Nana Osaki’s boyfriend who dies at the end of volume twenty, and Ren the child, so from now on I’ll be talking about the latter unless I use Ren Honjo’s full name. Even though Ren calls Takumi ‘daddy’ and Hachi asks where he is during a phone call with Takumi, many fans do not believe that Ren is the child of Hachi Komatsu and Takumi Ichinose. When Hachi got pregnant, she had just broken things off between her and Takumi and began dating Nobu. However, when she realized she was pregnant, she and Takumi got engaged even though she loved Nobu because she believed there was a greater chance that the baby was Takumi’s (since he didn’t use protection). The fact that Ren has light hair has led many fans to believe that Ren is actually Nobu’s son with Hachi. As for my personal opinion of this theory, while I do think it would make for great storytelling that Hachi dumped Nobu because she thought she was having another man’s baby, just for that baby to turn out to be his, I really don’t believe that Ren is Hachi and Nobu’s child. Just because Ren has light hair doesn’t automatically mean he can’t be Takumi’s son, especially since Hachi has light hair as well. At the beginning of volume 20, Ren is very cold to Takumi, which reminds me of Takumi’s coldness toward most people. Naoki even comments that Ren has Takumi’s “evil eyes,” and thus for these reasons I believe that Ren really is the son of Takumi and Hachi. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were wrong though - after all, this is Ai Yazawa we’re talking about.

Now, before I move on to talking about Satsuki, I feel I should mention that there is a significant group of people who believe that Ren is the child of Takumi and Reira. At the end of volume 19, Takumi sleeps with Reira despite the fact that he and Hachi are already married. Takumi frankly asks Reira if she would really settle for being his mistress, but it’s obvious Reira is unhappy with what happened between them because she’s always loved Takumi. This development, along with the fact that the very first time we see Ren is with Reira in volume 16, is probably why so many fans believe he is the child of their affair. Now while pretty much any theory is fair game, I feel that this one is pretty unlikely. While we don’t know much information about either child yet, I suspect that Ren is the older one between him and Satsuki. He seems to be more independent than her (he’s described as someone who wanders off by himself, whereas Satsuki is always with Hachi or some other adult), and in volume 19, Hachi asks Satsuki if the person she wants to buy chocolate for on Valentine’s Day is her “big brother.” But considering the fact that Hachi is pregnant during the present storyline, presuming Ren was Reira’s child, this would mean that Ren would have to be younger than Satsuki. And when we first see Ren and Reira together in volume 16, he calls her by her name, which doesn’t make much sense considering he calls Takumi ‘daddy.’ Thus, I feel that at the very least, it’s highly probable that Hachi is Ren’s mother.

Satsuki Ichinose

Next, I’ll be moving onto Satsuki Ichinose. Unlike Ren, most fans are pretty much in agreement about who could possibly be Satsuki’s parents.  Satsuki’s debut appearance is in volume twelve, which is the very first time the manga ‘flash-forwards’ to the future. She calls Hachi ‘mommy’ and Takumi ‘daddy,’ and she and Takumi definitely have a strong bond (he clearly misses her when he’s in England). She also has jet-black hair just like Takumi, and thus many fans believe that she is Hachi and Takumi’s daughter. However, I am not most fans. I believe that Satsuki isn’t the child of either Hachi or Takumi – instead, I believe that she is the child of Nana Osaki and Ren Honjo. I am well aware that I am in the minority on this topic, but it all stems from one line: “Because I have a kid.” Hachi says this in the opening narration of volume 19, and it’s struck a chord with me ever since. She says this to justify to herself why she hasn’t gone looking for the disappeared Nana Osaki, but the use of the singular term ‘kid’ speaks volumes to me. It may be a mistranslation, it may mean nothing at all, but for whatever reason as soon as I read that line I connected it with the very first thought I had when I first saw Satsuki in volume 12: she looks like Ren Honjo when he was younger. Aside from this, in volume 21 Hachi mentions that the guitar is like a lullaby to Satsuki, which is interesting considering the fact that Ren H. played guitar in Black Stones. And Satsuki is extremely close to Yasu, just like Nana is.

But there are other reasons why I feel as though Satsuki is Ren Honjo and Nana Osaki’s child. Throughout the series, one thing that always bothered Nana was that she knew Ren wanted kids even though she didn’t. Nana also mentions right before she finds out about Ren’s death that she kept forgetting to take her birth control pill during the month after they argued and she went on tour, and that her stomach was burning. So if Nana found out she was pregnant after Ren H. had died, how would she handle it? Would she run away from her responsiblity and her baby – just like her mother ran away from her? And it would make sense that Takumi and Hachi would raise Satsuki as their own, considering the fact that Nana and Hachi are best friends and Takumi was Ren Honjo’s band mate. But, this is just my opinion, and there is no right answer – and we may never get one, unfortunately. There are so many mysteries left in Nana,  so many more relationships to develop, and characters that could be further fleshed out. But I love every bit of Nana that’s come out so far, and I think Ai Yazawa is amazing to be able to create such a multilayered story that literally can go anywhere. They just don’t make ‘em like Nana.

I’m sensing a theme here, because my last Cover-to-Cover pick Sand Chronicles also prominently featured beautiful autumn leaves. Nanami and Yano are adorably smiling – their smiles are almost cheesy, which I think works really well since Yano and Nanami at one point joke that they are a cheesy couple. I think this cover stands out to me because it’s brightly-colored and they just look so happy together, which is a huge contrast to the somber tone of the series at this point. Yano and Nanami see each other for the first time since he moved to Tokyo five years earlier, and he casually dismisses her (although it’s obvious he’s struggling with his feelings more than he lets on). Nanami feels as though she’s stuck at age seventeen for being unable to let go of Yano, causing her to turn down Takeuchi’s marriage proposal. Every character is suffering in some way or another, and the future seems bleak for Yano and Nanami’s relationship. Each volume of We Were There is harder  to read than the last, not only because the tone of the series is becoming sadder and sadder, but also because it’s frustrating to feel so bad for these characters who are very much unable (or unwilling) to fix their relationships. If anything, the cover of volume 13 serves as a reminder of the past; of times that will never come again –  for both the characters and the audience.

An early picture of Boys Over Flowers:

Here’s a picture of Boys Over Flowers from near the end of its run:

This works both ways, though. One of the most popular shojo right now (both in America and in Japan) is Vampire Knight. I’ve read the first seven volumes of the manga, but I found Yuki to be a pretty passive heroine, the series wasn’t engrossing enough for me to overlook the slow pace, and none of the characters’ personalities really appealed to me. But it sure has pretty boys. Because Vampire Knight isn’t exactly the best manga, I truly believe it wouldn’t be as popular as it is now if it weren’t for it’s good-looking artwork. Same goes for almost any Arina Tanemura manga. Now, to be fair, there are some people who are completely turned off by Arina Tanemura’s saucer-eyes and sugar-overloaded character designs. However, everytime I’ve heard people sing praises for the author, when they explain why they like her, their number one answer (and sometimes their only answer)  is that they like her artwork. I don’t know how good or bad Arina Tanemura is as a storyteller because I’ve never read any of her series, but I have to ask: would she be as popular if her pages weren’t filled with her signature long-haired damsels and frilly dresses? It’s hard to tell.

A huge part of Vampire Knight‘s appeal is its attractive character designs. That, and the whole Twilight thing:

But I think the biggest problem I had with this series is that Kayano sees her feelings for (and later, relationship with) Takeru as a ‘sin.’ My problem with Kayano’s guilt is probably due to my familiarity with Marmalade Boy, which is a much better series that also features stepsiblings who fall in love with one another. While in Marmalade Boy Miki and Yuu keep their relationship a secret from their parents much like Kayano and Takeru do, the fact that they are stepsiblings who are in love is treated as sort of a joke (at least until the end of the series). But in The Devil Does Exist, Kayano’s guilt over falling in love with her stepbrother is treated as the main dilemma of the manga, and this simply doesn’t work for me because I don’t feel as though it’s a strong enough conflict to carry a series. While Kayano fears the consequences of anyone finding out about her and Takeru, the series hasn’t convinced me that if their relationship were found out it would be the end of the world. Although at one point in volume three Kayano says that to a man of such social standing as Takeru’s father any scandal “would be a fate worse than death,” so far Takeru’s father has been extremely laid-back and affectionate towards his son, so I can’t imagine him getting that upset over Takeru’s choice of love interest. Besides, it’s not as though Takeru and Kayano are actually related by blood – because then their love really would be a sin!

Probably the most unique element of The Devil Does Exist is Takeru's sense of fashion. Seems like it's rubbing off on Kayano as well.

Unfortunately, CMX’s English translation of the series has done nothing to earn points for The Devil Does Exist in my book. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a translation that’s distracted me as much as in this series. The lines that are the most noticeably awkward are Yuzuru’s, an effeminate “stalker” who wants revenge against Takeru and is later revealed to be his brother. It’s obvious Yuzuru is supposed to be speaking strangely, but lines like ”You wish to cultivate Yuzu as an enemy” and “I shall continue to await the collapse of your happiness!” are pretty difficult to stomach. There are also some weird word choices - Kayano’s monologues often include the word “incorrigible,” which doesn’t seem very casual and could easily have been replaced with “hopeless” or even “unforgivable.” I know it’s sort of a minor flaw, but the abundance of cumbersome dialogue really hurt my opinion of the manga. That being said, there are some shining moments in this series - particularly several early scenes between Takeru and Kayano as they realize their mutual feelings for each other - I just wish there were more of them. And as far as characters go, I find Takeru to be pretty intriguing because he knows how to push people’s buttons without pushing them away (or as Kayano puts it, he becomes a “devil” in order to help others). Even though I don’t dislike The Devil Does Exist, I really don’t know if I plan to continue this manga, but considering I already have volume 11 (the last volume) and managed to find volumes nine and ten for a dollar a piece, I may as well. Who knows, maybe the second half will be better. But I won’t hold my breath.

For some fans of Escaflowne, this DVD cover is a spoiler.

My disdain for spoilers, however, can come in contention with my position as a blogger. As much as I hate spoilers, I often find myself writing about them. Sure, I could try to tip-toe around spoilers and try to phrase things as vaguely as possible, but in doing so I feel as though I can’t effectively convey whatever points I’m trying to make. Not only is avoiding spoiling plot elements tough to do, I actually tend to be most interested in discussing plots, themes and characters that definitely are spoilers. Then comes the question ‘What is a spoiler?’ While most people would agree that major shifts in the plot, particularly the ending of a series, count as material that deserve a spoiler warning before discussing them, others would argue that a true spoiler is something that’s unpredictable. This complicates matters because some might argue that many series are quite predictable even up to their finales – so is it really a spoiler that a show ends just the way you’d expect to it to even after seeing just episode one? Meanwhile, I’ve seen a few series that early on take turns that are less predictable than the final episodes of other anime, and yet these shifts aren’t treated as spoilers. Perhaps this is because some fans play the numbers game: discussing a character or plot twist that shows up in episode 25 of a 26 episode series would be considered a spoiler but a character or plot twist that is revealed in, say, episode five is not – because five episodes isn’t so far into the series and whatever is revealed at this point can be seen as ‘common knowledge’ among fan discussions of a series. An example of this is Nuriko’s gender in Fushigi Yugi – the fact that Nuriko is a male is openly discussed among fans of the series despite the fact that this isn’t revealed until episode six of the anime. But I’ve seen people get mad at these types of spoilers as well – because although they may not be as important to the quality of a series as it’s ending, for some people ruining any unforseen details may negatively impact the viewing experience. For example, I’ve seen fans get annoyed at the choice of a DVD cover for Escaflowne because it revealed the true form of a certain character, which is only a secret for the first few episodes of the series.  As for my own take on what counts as  a spoiler, I’d firmly place the ending of series, as well as any huge (and unpredictable) changes in tone or plot into the ‘spoiler’ category.  And to reconcile my hatred of spoilers with my desire to discuss major plot changes, (not to mention to avoid being one of those people who ruins a series for someone), I do usually warn people if there are spoilers within a post I’ve written. The rest is up to their discretion.