The Devil Does Exist (amazon
I got this volume from Dave, in one of his periodic giveaways that inspired my recent manga giveaway. I was struck with a weird sense of deja vu when I started reading this book. One of the things that struck me was the character design, I kept wondering where I’d seen eyebrows like that before. Then I realized that Mitsuba Takanashi was also the writer/artist of Crimson Hero, which is currently being serialized in Shojo Beat. The Devil Does Exist started publication in 1999, and Crimson Hero started in 2003.
The other thing that inspired the feeling that I’d seen this title before was the plot. Kayano is about to confess her love to Yuichi, the captain of the basketball team. However, she is such a nervous wreck (to the point of not really looking where she’s going) she ends up confessing her feelings to a first-year student named Takeru, an infamous troublemaker and son of the principal. Kayano runs away, forgetting her letter to Yuichi and Takeru takes the opportunity to start blackmailing her into attending class with him.
Kayano’s mother announces her engagement to Takeru’s father (a delightful if somewhat silly man who enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing video games), and Kayano begins to struggle with her growing attraction to her new “little brother” and the possibility that Yuichi isn’t the nice guy she thought she was in love with.
Whew! I have to say, if you want to read two series that feature a storyline about non-platonic feelings between a girl and her not-related-by-blood-brother, a bad boy with a heart of gold, and a nice guy who might be bad after all, you can’t go wrong with The Devil Does Exist and Hot Gimmick. If you only want to read one series with this plot though, go with Hot Gimmick, which dials the twisted soap opera plot all the way up to 11. I would rate The Devil Does Exist at a mere 5-6/11 for twisted soap operaness.
Still, Takanashi’s art has an attractive glam punky aesthetic, and this book was pretty decent. I tend to scale my expectations way down the CMX line, but I enjoyed reading The Devil Does Exist. I do think that Crimson Hero is a much stronger series, since the art is a bit better and Takanashi seems to be juggling many storylines (playing volleyball, being housemother in a dorm, dealing with an ultra-traditional family) so effectively.
10:05 am on September 12th, 2005 1
Having finished The Devil Does Exist and read about three volumes of Crimson Hero in scanlations, I’d agree with you — Crimson Hero is much stronger. It’s got better character development and more interesting conflicts, whereas with The Devil Does Exist I felt pretty impatient with characters for getting worked up about problems that struck me as ridiculous. It didn’t help that I didn’t find Takeru at all convincing.
It’s nice to see the ways in which the mangaka developed over time, though.
1:54 pm on September 12th, 2005 2
I think I liked Crimson Hero better too…something about the delinquent club ground *thing* in DDE just got on my nerves after a while. But of course, Hot Gimmick does beat them both. =3 Oooh how I love Ryo!!
When I first read HG though, I had to reread it because it confused me a little…plus some of the chars have the tendency to look the same, or like other chars… ==_==
I read Tokyo Boys&Girls last night, and I must say I was sooo disappointed! The story jumped around a little, and the art is so different from Hot Gimmick. I was like =O
And my sister refused to read it because ‘it sucked so bad’. I thought the overall story was ok, but I don’t think I’ll be collecting that series…
Ps-I just checked the mail and the manga came! *huggles* Thankss, and I can’t wait to read them tonight! ^___^
6:46 pm on September 12th, 2005 3
Mely: I do like to see how the art develops over time. The work in Crimson Hero looked less “typical” somehow. Anyway, I’m glad to know that my first impressions seemed to hold for the first few volumes of Crimson Hero.
Bethany: Glad you got the manga
I don’t know, I wasn’t too crazy about Tokyo Boys & Girls, but I think it came out much much earlier in Aihara’s career, so there is no way it isn’t going to suffer greatly in comparison to Hot Gimmick.
2:06 am on September 15th, 2005 4
What I’ve read of and about this title hasn’t won me over, but I do love the title… it nicely captures a feeling of adolescent melodrama.
At least, it does once you realize it’s not a horror manga.
7:38 am on December 2nd, 2005 5
i just dont like rika she is doing everything to get takeru. in vol 2. but i love how the story goes it is so cute.
8:50 am on January 27th, 2006 6
The story The Devil Does Exist is really cool. I’m already finished with the first one and it was amazing. Right now, I’m still working on the second book. I hope all the other series will be as cool as this one.
11:50 pm on August 17th, 2006 7
I think the story is really awesome! Takeru has the attitude…and of course (duh) the looks!! The story is great. The plot is nice and everything in the story is very cool. I think it really ROCKS!
9:41 pm on April 12th, 2008 8
Well, I think in Akuma De Sourou(the devil does exist) the way she drew the lips were so great. I hate Kayano and how she’s obsessed with Takeru, but if she wasn’t then she wouldn’t be Kayano^^… Overall I love the drama and everything!
Crimson Hero is GOOD but i got annoyed in the middle…But what I like about it is that its nothing like Akuma De Sourou! Sometimes the writer puts some similarities in her mangas, but those two are completely different. x]]