Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi’s Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 12 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).
The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, 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. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.
Back cover blurb
Teru and her friends sneak aboard a yacht in order to save Rena and foil Morizono’s plan to sell the new “Jack Frost” virus. The rescue mission turns out to be more than anyone bargained for, however, when Kurosaki runs into a man who makes his blood turn cold…
The RevieW
This being a romance between an impoverished high school student and the school custodian, Motomi-sensei doesn’t have much occasion to draw our main couple in formal attire. So part of me thinks she cooked up this particular arc so she could show Teru and Kurosaki all dressed up. Actually, several characters get that opportunity although others wind up in server uniforms for “Love and Friendship: Operation Rescue Rena.” The story takes on an action spy flavor as Teru and company foil bad guy Morizono’s Neo Jack Frost plot. Motomi-sensei throws in several comic elements such as Teru’s shock-tenna, and as stupid as Morizono is, everything goes exactly according to their plan. That is, until our newest bad guy takes the stage.
The appearance of Antler took me completely by surprise and causes a large shift in the villain roster. Morizono pretty much drops from the lineup, which isn’t surprising considering he was just a rich dumb bully. Akira, on the other hand, is starting to look more like a pathetic victim rather than evil personified. That role gets passed over to Antler, a shadowy figure involved with the original Jack Frost virus.
And he takes on that mantle fairly strongly. Morizono might have had Neo Jack Frost, but Antler claims to have the key to M’s Last Testament. It’s enough to throw not only Kurosaki but Riko, Ando, and Boss into turmoil. And interestingly, Antler’s got a hold on Chiharu and Akira as well. As connected as he is with so many characters, he looks like he’s really going to shake up the story.
In Summary
Love and Friendship: Operation Rescue Rena! Teru and friends launch a multipronged attack to take down Morizono’s Neo Jack Frost. The plan goes off without a hitch – until a new villain rears its head. Motomi-sensei sets the stage for a new, more dangerous challenge with the appearance of Antler and the key to M’s Last Testament!
First published at the Fandom Post.
Keeping It In Canon ...mostly 