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• Akuma De Soro Manga Series

The Review

First Impression

It began as a typical shoujo manga - confession and confusion, blackmail and truces - gradually changing to forbidden romance between two step-siblings, not unlike the scenario seen in the manga Marmalade Boy. Cute, sweet, but nothing particularly unique or new.
And it basically remains much like that, plus a lot of what we already see in most shoujo-based manga - redefining characters, going over their dark and dirty pasts, and in the end a happy ending.

The Artwork

There were times when I was ready to reject the artwork altogether, and times when I simply stared at all the inhumanly handsome hunks and laughed.

If there was one thing I liked about the art, it was the lack of anorexic-bodied females; if there was one thing I didn't like, it was the wild hair style that made the characters look like they had rampant tulips growing from their heads.

Other than that though, fairly average.

Overall Impression

As the series moves further along, there is a noticeable pattern that Takanashi seems to follow - there is a recurring sequence of roles being redefined. The story focuses a lot on family relationships by constantly referring to each character's role in society - for example, a sibling must act as a sibling, nothing more; the proper conduct parents must have in order to serve as good role models for their children; and the growth period which bridges the gap between childhood and adulthood. The author tends to break many of these societal roles by applauding rebellious behavior: step-siblings who, since they are not related by blood, can happily fall in love; parents who can be open-minded enough to accept the fact that their respective stepchildren have become more than just friends (or siblings); and prospects for a college-bound, successful future which still allows room for a strong relationship to grow into marriage.


All in all, Akuma de Soro is a story written from a very optimistic point of view. If you like these kinds of themes, with little dramatic twists here and there, this will be a good read.

Breaking It Down