By REBECCA P.

“School life is a drag, and home life is no better. Sometimes it seems like the devil really does exist!”

“High school is hard for Kayano. When she tries to confess her love to the kind but distant Yuichi, the school bully Takeru makes her life hell. But things get worse when Kayano’s mother gets engaged to Takeru’s father, the school principal! How will she cope with having the devil himself living in her own home?”

My thoughts
The Devil Does Exist begins with Kayano, a 17-year-old student about to confess her feelings, via a note, to the kind and quiet Yuichi. However, luck isn’t on her side and she accidentally slips the love letter to the school bully and roughneck, Takeru! He immediately takes interest in her and her torture begins. As Takeru says, he gets what he wants and he wants Kayano. Fortunately, her friends and even Yuichi are there to help her, at least until they meet Takeru!

The Devil Does Exist is one of those manga that clearly stand out from the rest and with good reason. Despite being a shojo, its down to earth and real. The characters themselves are mature and rational and are 3 dimensional, more so than most manga characters. There are some goofy characters thrown in for kicks (such as Takeru’s father and Kayano’s mother), but for the most part the characters are very human. The Devil Does Exist feels like a story that could actually happen with real people something that is lacking in most manga.

The art style itself is unique. It’s not your typical manga drawing and Takanashi Misuba has clearly created an effective style all her own. Some manga fans may not find it the most attractive, but it works for a story like The Devil Does Exist that is realistic. My only artwork peeve was Takeru. He looks like a girl in some scenes and downright creepy when his hair is up. There isn’t a good deal of background detail as the focus is on the characters and emotion of the story.

The Devil Does Exist is a manga I can’t recommend enough. The first volume hints at things to come between Takeru and Kayano, so those who are weary of step-sibling relationships may be turned off. It’s also a volume that leaves at a comfortable ending. You’re not dying to know what happens next, but by the same token you’re living to know what happens next. In the end, I hope the unique and compelling pattern the first volume sets continues on through the manga’s 11-volume span.