Reviews for Devils' Line

This manga is in definite need of an updated review. Now 6 volumes and 32 chapters through, I am loving the story, it's characters and their interactions! "SaxyGeek's" review after reading 9 chapters was a fair, yet overly harsh, review. I hope to explain what I mean & convince you to read it as this manga doesn't have a fair bunch of scores or reviews due to it's very slow & mediocre start. Story: 9/10 For the first two volumes (up to chapter 9) this story is essentially one with no real direction & no definitive movement. They set up the two main characters, Anzai& Tsukasa, and their growing relationship after he saves her from a Devil related attack. After the first two volumes, I was debating between a 6/7 out of 10. It was fine, nothing special but not terrible. I was slightly intrigued.

However, the last chapter of volume 2 finished on a huge cliffhanger, with the introduction of a new character. Volume 3 took this introduction and flew with it - the story has not stopped improving since. Throughout volume 3 the cast was continuously added to, two noteworthy standouts include Devil test-subject Hans Lee and anti-Devil terrorist Zero Seven, part of the mysterious anti-Devil organisation CCC. The story also quickly switched from primarily linear to one with a multitude of arcs and plots. This sharp change was exactly what the series needed, it now has definitive protagonists, clear and also mysterious antagonists with an overarching sinister organisation driving the motivations and desires of all characters involved.

Worth a special mention is the way this manga deals with the Devils, or Vampires themselves within society. There are arguably huge political undertones, with Devils largely being misunderstood & unknown entities who aren't the classic lonely, isolated and remorseless hunger driven species this medium is used to (one noteworthy instance includes a forced transformation of Anzai, who simultaneously has tears streaming down his face as he attempts to control the Devil and bloodlust within through fear of himself). Devils, like Anzai, wish to integrate & be recognised for what similarities humans & devils share, not what separates them. As one who fits a "minority" group, this really resonated with me. It is interesting to see "Devil advocates" (humans) hunted down, attacked & shunned by society, just as those who supported minority groups decades ago were.

Art: 7 or 8/10

Not an artist myself, the art is good, very good in parts. There are some moments where smaller chibi-like bodies are used in the background but this is only ever for comedic effect. Proportions can be jarring at first, but quickly got used to. There are also extremely well done standout moments, usually during transformations of Devils - fangs, claws and emotions included. They balance each other out well.

Characters: 9/10

Such a high score due partly due to their growth as characters over the numerous volumes - something I absolutely need in stories. I have already mentioned the fleshing out of characters, so I will primarily focus on Anzai and Tsukasa.

Obvious spoiler for those who make it past volume 2, Anzai & Tsukasa eventually decide they want to be together. However, what follows is an extremely adult orientated plot line focused on the two overcoming the biological boundaries between them, as Anzai attempts to (re-occurring theme) control himself over fear of harming Tsukasa. The primary relationship is very straightforward - much to it's strength - as Anzai & Tsukasa openly discuss these challenges and how to overcome them, sex and all. To read such interactions in a gripping manga about vampires is something I long assumed the Japanese kept restricted to Hentai - such a refreshing and welcomed approach (plus it makes for great reading). They are ~cute~ and largely reflect the interactions I find myself having in a real-life relationship, albeit Tsukasa can be a bit ditsy sometimes (but what Japanese female character isn't).

Two of the main antagonists, Zero Seven & *spoiler* (^^), are deep, fleshed out and strongly motivated. The "flashbacks" or backstory to these characters are done extremely well, with their intentions well-supported and focused, if not always predictable.

Hans Lee, a foreigner who went to the same Devil-only orphanage as Anzai, deserves a special mention as he is the only character to have no true revelation regarding his past as of yet, except from the fact he is German. His interactions with Anzai specifically are interesting, given they're the only two "half-Devil" characters known of (assumed plot will elaborate but nothing I know of yet). Lee aids Anzai in 'accepting' himself while providing small comedic relief being foreign compared to all other characters.

Police Task Force (F) - Anzai's human (and some Devil) colleagues are also well fleshed out and not typical, but not to the same extent as the main cast (obviously). They continuously help to drive the plot whilst living their own lives & plots. Not everything revolves around Anzai - something appreciated as it aids the story in feeling large & supported.

I also can't talk about numerous characters due to huge spoilers, but there are others separate to both the police task force and the terrorist organisation CCC who play influential roles

Overall: 9/10

I have spoken about some of the plot and characters to illustrate how, if you can make it through the first volume and half the the second, this manga is personally gripping, fleshed out and engaging - with standout moments of gore, action, societal struggles and relationship based hardships. After spending all my time reading one volume after work for a week, I can't wait to see how the story progresses from here!

This manga is just one big mess. It has its moments where it's genuinely enjoyable, but those instances are heavily shadowed by several glaring problems. Story: 5/10 I think there's something going on here? It seems to be about humans vs. rogue vampires, and using vampires against said rogue vampires. That's an okay basis I suppose. Then there is an organization that's pit to expose all vampires. That's a good idea as well, but it's not supported by a cast that can pull it off. Art: 3/10 This one hurts. This manga has moments where it looks great, but most of the time the art is so terribly awkwardand inconsistent it hurts to look at. You can tell that the artist is good at drawing one angle of face, and that's about it. The look of the vampires is intensely ugly, which wouldn't be so bad if ti was done consistently. It seems like every time a vampire shows their teeth, they grow more teeth and their jaws poke out of their faces further and further. It's terrifyingly bad.

Oh, and don't get me started on the tiny hands. It's like everyone was Deadpool and sliced off their hands routinely. It's that bad.

Characters: 4/10

The ideas for the characters themselves aren't too bad. A half vampire guy, and a normal girl who is falling for him. Good start, but you have to actually develop the characters for them to work. The guy keeps visiting this girl, and there is NO motivation. He himself is confused as to why he keeps visiting her. He's practically living at this girl's house, and none of them have any idea why.

At one point, the writer thought to add in a happy, comic relief character. Oh, let's just make them strangely happy and ditsy. Why? Who knows, that's just how they are.

Everyone just feels so two dimensional, I can't bring myself to care about the characters at all.

Enjoyment: 3/10

I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for vampire manga, but there's only so far down crap alley I can go. I like the bloody scenes, but it's simply ruined by bad art, I can't bring myself to enjoy it. I just keep cringing at how bad everything looks.

Overall: 4/10

To give it its credit, I did sit through 9 chapters of this slop. If you REALLY like vampire manga, you might get through it. Otherwise, there's no reason to enjoy this manga.

So, I have just logged onto my account after 4 years (lol) and decided to post this much needed review which is my first "real" and thorough review on a manga since becoming a member here. I was compelled to get my login info back after finding out about this manga a week ago and reading all updated chapters (47 so far) in just 3 days. Yes, it's THAT good, and anyone can take my word for that because it is VERY HARD to please me with manga plots and characterization. Whoever didn't like this manga probably just didn't like the gore or thriller aspectbecause thats the ONLY reason I can think for someone to stray from it after finding this hidden treasure. The other reason that compelled me to come and voice out my view on this work is the fact that EVERYBODY KEEPS COMPARING IT TO THE DAMN CHICK FLICK TWILIGHT and in doing so, turn away from it or worse insult it.

The only explanation I can think of as to why everyone mentions twilight at the mention of this manga, especially more so now since an anime adaptation has been announced for spring 2018 (Whoo!), is because they judge the whole story from the key visuals because it gives them the "twilight vibe" which honestly I failed to make the connection with. Basically, they're just incredibly ignorant I gather. If having the common sense to actually go and read up on the plot on your own doesn't quite suffice then I hope you can LISTEN UP and get that hideous notion out of your mind that such a seriously intellectual work layered with a deep plot is anything like that overrated teen movie about having flings with random creatures. Just because all the world knows when it comes to "vampires" is twilight, doesn't mean you all have to mindlessly keep jumping on the same bandwagon and put the same label on other "vampire" related works. Don't embarrass yourself that much.

First of all, instead of "vampires", the mangaka literally uses the direct translation of "red eyes" or "devils" to explain the vampire-like entities in the manga. The only thing vampirish about them is that they lust for blood when they see it.

What's DIFFERENT is that they are biologically and physically otherwise exactly like humans when not "transformed". The transforming of the devils in the manga is provoked when they are sexually aroused or during the sight of blood. What's interesting is that unlike other vampire movies/mangas ...like vampire knight, where it's the vampires who intentionally go out chasing humans, in this case they are in fact a minority in the world with an intact intellectual ability and reasoning like that of humans; they try their best to blend in with the humans and live peaceful lives as it is the humans this time who constantly HUNT THEM down. They are bullied and constantly deprived of human rights when confronted with the public. To help protect their rights, there are unions, campaigns, and activist groups to set fair laws in motion and montior the facilitation of how the basic needs are being delivered to the devils. In particular there's a bionomics research facility lab which also has a built in orphanage for devils which is where our main character comes from. Then of course with the devils rights activist group there's also a secret organization made of people from the law enforcement/government who are relatively powerful and are looking to eliminate the devils and the devils themselves are stuck living between these two societal divisions while learning to cope with their own debilitating "disease" (as they like to refer to it) but life is always harder as nobody likes to give them jobs and they are mainly viewed as dangerous and disgusting by the public. There's all that and MUCH more going on a federal level in the manga in terms of the government and then there are many characters explored extensively in the manga and what their role is and how it helps to contribute to the plot of the story. This manga is sophisticated and its mature. It doesn't leave room for mindless comedy or high school crushes but at the same time also manages to relieve the reader with light hearted scenes that fit well in whatever the mood is. Each character is given a chance to be analyzed in some detail in terms of their ethical beliefs which is something I love-so this means some characters switch sides from bad to good, some are neutral, and some so mysterious it leaves you guessing the whole time until shocking revelations are portrayed.

The story is centered around a 22 year old half devil and half human boy named Anzai who works with a specialized unit in the police force which focuses on crimes committed by devils since he is a devil himself. He utilizes his strength and sharpened senses to help the police. His team is made up with both humans and devils who trust one another very much and get the bottom of things using their own style. One night he's dispatched to go and rescue an intelligent graduate student, Tsukasa, on her way home with her boyfriend she doesn't know is also a devil who Anzai thinks may hurt her. Upon meeting one another, they over time, start to develop an understanding as Anzai sees she's not afraid of him but rather tries to subdue his insecurities as she sees he's kind at heart. He tries to suppress his lust for her blood and decides to protect her as she starts to accompany him and his team with their cases (because for more than one reason she's getting caught up in them). And with that, their story starts and the both together go through many trials and hardships dealing with the public, the corrupt law force, and even devils in order to fight injustice and as Anzai tries to unfold his past and where he came from since he had been a part of the bionomics research lab while very young.

Its a rough manga to really understand because it's not giddy and an "easy going" story. It's very strategically developed and explores the prevalent issue of discrimination and racism and what it's like for those who are the suppressed ones, even if they're not human themselves. The devils are supposed to be the ones in power yet before they're provoked to transform to their true state by scheming humans who bully them, they are ironically always the ones who are overpowered by the weak yet deeply cunning and merciless humans.

One of the main aspects to the manga without a doubt, IS the relationship between Anzai and Tsukasa, which is what most people keep focusing in on I gather, and keep comparing it to "twilight". Although Anzai also meets her as he saves her in some way like the movie, NO, their encounters after that and build up to their feelings is NOTHING like twilight because their WHOLE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIFFERENT. THEY ARE DIFFERENT. Different in a much more refreshing and real way. Their relationship is commendable because they FEEL what each other's needs are and they work around in every way possible to protect each other's feelings. They're simply two people who have come to be very comfortable with each other. It's especially nice to see their interactions because they are just so light hearted and tension eased. They laugh at the most subtle things which increases the intimacy and Anzai has this cute tendency to always ask before touching her...he wants to respect her because he knows he's different from the normal guy and doesn't want to let that get in the way of how he wants to treat her. Furthermore, he tries to change his very devil nature to become someone capable of protecting her and she herself in her own way also wants to hone in on her knowledge about devils to support him and fulfil his needs whether emotional or physical.

The manga started out and as it developed, is STILL ongoing as a masterpiece. The plot is rich with amazing content which ALWAYS leaves you wanting more. About the Anime, I don't know how it's going to get executed and how much of the deep story they intend to encompass in the season. Depending on all that and who does the OST, it could turn out to be a just as worthy masterpiece as the manga or even exceed it being an anime. We'll just have to see. But for the manga and actual story, its hands down a breath of fresh air from the norm of vampire stories because it encapsulates so much more than just bloodlust; explores topics we see problematic even in the real world like suppression, corrupt government, undercover groups, and hardcore discrimination leading to protests. There are SOOO MANY interesting characters and they each bring their own intake into the plot developing it further.

That's why for anyone intending on reading this, I strongly advise you to free yourself from previous notions of vampire works you have watched or read and not lump this story with any of those pre-conceived ideas. This is a complete unique work and it should be treated as such in order to fully and thoroughly enjoy the endless exciting material it has to offer.

Devils Line is a gem, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy, fantasy, the unknown, thriller, exciting action, friendship bonds, political issues, mature themes and sweet romance.

Thoughts become reasons, take action, cause consequences. They form new thoughts, new reasons, new truths. When individual truths turn inter-subjective, societies are bound to break and change, for better or for worse. *A spoiler free review* Devils’ Line. Seeing the cover, reading the synopsis, it has all the same makings than every other dark and brooding vampire romance out there. Well, colour me surprised. What I found was a thrilling police drama with decent action, complex relationships and ever evolving storytelling. Having a strong focus on politics, power struggles and discrimination it’s also an interesting study on society. Starting out as a cute romance, it never forgetsto throw in some steamy moments either.

What I really like about Devils’ Line is that it’s not afraid or embarrassed to present us subject matters that are rarely seen, controversial or even plain taboo. It won’t judge its characters either; it’s up to the reader to make their own verdicts. The characters are treated quite impartially and almost gently, and we get to see inside every player's head and learn their backstories and motives, which blurs the line between good guys and bad guys and sometimes turns the situations upside down. The story maintains a level of realism, showing us a world that could be our real world and in a metaphorical way actually is, and creates a bit apathetic, yet alluring atmosphere that finalizes the story’s identity.

There are also things I wish were made better. The start of the story concentrates on our main couple’s relationship and is sweet and silly at its best, cheesy and predictable at its worst. After making some rather cheap moves, the story starts to find its direction out of the generic monster/human love story route. Speaking of love stories, there’s a lot of them, and while diverse and interesting, they can get a little exhausting, especially when it comes to our main couple. They’re the sweetest cinnamon rolls, but the places where the story starts to drag are regrettably the ones where their relationship is given more focus than usual. From there we’ll go to the next stumbling block which is...

The art. The art style greatly defines a story. At first, I thought I was reading a shoddy Korean web manhwa. The kindest thing to say would be that I became really fond of those bobbleheaded figures with their creepy, tiny raptor hands. And that I loved Anzai’s emo forelock, it was genuinely sexy. It’s not that I hated the art, despite being clumsy it actually fits and brings some cute innocence to the story and makes the characters sympathetic and approachable. The biggest flaw is that there are a lot of characters you gotta remember, and they can be hard to recognize or tell apart. Heck, one of them even gets a heel-face turn treatment, emphasis on the word Face. The art though, as usual, gets a little better, and nobody can say that it isn’t unique at least.

Devils’ Line is also a modern take on the vampire genre. Being a lover of everything vampire, I think Devils’ Line does a great job with it’s purely scientific approach to the subject creating modern, almost zombie-esque creatures called devils. Having no myths, no folklore, devils are urban creatures fitting the story’s urban environment. The mysteries surrounding them and their origin is one of the longest running sub plots of the series and in my opinion one of the most intriguing as well.

The characters in Devils’ Line have something endearing that makes it easy to like them. I found myself caring and becoming invested in their - usually contradictory - missions only after a couple of pages and wanted to know more about them. The focus is on character dynamics rather than their development, and being a study on society and its individuals it rewards you the deeper you go. My only real complaint with the characters is that while mainly realistic, their thoughts and actions considering romantic relationships were sometimes incredibly naive.

Devils’ Line has moments that warm your heart, break it or make it throb with excitement. It’s easy to read and easy to like. For me the most enjoyable aspects were the police and mystery features and some great side characters with interesting stories. There’s a fun mix of fluffiness, erotic lust and intense action moments – the” zombie house raid” must be one of my favourite scenes in a long memory, resembling a chilling mission in my all-time favourite game Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines. The pacing is quite fast and tight, and while not able to dodge all the sinkholes along the way, the story delivers and manages to end in a pretty good place. Don’t forget to read all the extra chapters, either!

You don’t have to become a superhero or a badass to make a difference.

TL; DR

Clumsy and weirdly charming, Devils’ Line is a story about society and the individuals’ struggles to change it. It’s a story that evolves and grows, delivers surprises and makes us chase after mysteries. Recommended for people who like police and detective stories or societal studies and won’t mind it glazed with romance.

The story was rather unique, the premise of blood thirsty 'monsters' hidden in a human society isn't unique but the way it was handled was. The devils were similar to vampires but had enough qualities special to them that made them stand away from the clichés. There are also a lot of twists and turns and events that catch you off guard and blind side you so there isn't too much stagnation in the plot. My only gripe is once in awhile there needs to be a dull chapter or 2 that is necessary to set up some major plot points. The Art was good.I saw many complain about the art being bad but it is consistent, there is no same face syndrome, and it is it's own art style. If you were shown a character that show's up later in the story that you didn't know yet I'm sure you would be able to identify them as a character in Devils Line. A funny thing is that the author can not draw proportionate hands. I like to call it small hand syndrome. At 1st it annoyed me a little bit but later I found it cute. Not all scenes have the small hand syndrome though. I think a lot of the manga had to prioritize scenes where the art needed to be on point and the scenes where corners could be cut, which is very reasonable. Very quick trigger warning: there are scenes of forced intercourse or attempted forced intercourse, suicide, child abuse etc. Devils Line has some very dark scenes involving those so I felt the need for the warning.

Character: The characters all had their unique personalities and didn't fit into the common type of character troupes you always see. Also CHARACTER GROWTH! I felt like half the plot of this manga was based on character growth and not the typical character just happens to grow with the plot. Also, diversity. There were a lot of different couples with different sexualities and a lot of diversity in the couples. Minor spoiler: asexual couple, gay couple, lesbian character, gay character, cross dressing (male dressed as female but not the 'trap' type) character, etc.

Enjoyment: Easily binge-able and re-read-able. All I have to say about that.

Overall: I rated it a 9 because it was one of my favorites but I can see the different opinions on the different aspects of it.

I've read the 11 volumes available and I can't wait for the next one. This review has some spoilers because I wanted to actually cite evidence to what I'm trying to express. This is not your typical manga. The opening is a slow build with intriguing bits. Here she is being walked home by the "nice guy" and yet he's spouting things that are beyond creepy. Add in that she feels like she's being followed at the same time and yeah...great opening for a vampire manga. Then, it rips it wide open for her... Vampires are real and my dear friendof long standing is one and has been pushed to the wall all this time without my even being aware of it.

Sorry, but I knew exactly what I was about to read when the vampire basically asks the question from moral ethics. Do I kill a few, a single person, or myself? This is not light reading! This is going to challenge your perceptions of society and self. Sure it does it in the venue of vampires, but isn't it really talking about everyone that doesn't confirm to society's norms? How many times throughout our history...written or your personal history...have people who don't conform been driven to the wall? How many of you are otaku who are reviled and accused of immorality because normies can't understand your fascination with an art form they don't understand? *raises hand*

Tsukasa and Yuki met under crazy circumstances. Why are they drawn back to each other without understanding it themselves? Because that's how love works. It rarely makes sense to the people floundering through it, in my experience. If you look at it objectively, however, you find that it makes perfect sense. She gives him the unqualified acceptance that he desperately needs, since he can't accept himself. People say you have to love yourself first, but that's hardly the case. In the end, humans are blind fools about themselves and even children who are "pure" need parents to love them, so they can learn to love themselves. I'd even go so far as to say he tipped ove the edge when her friend is reaching for her and she apologizes to him. Heck, I fell for her a little right then.

But what about Tsukasa? Why would she fall for some guy like that? Really? He saved her from being raped and killed by her friend, which is a whole bother level of difficulty. Then, he blows off his boss and takes care of her, even going so far as to carry her home on his own back. She's already physically releasing chemicals to make her bond physically, but there is also the way Yuki is so gentle with her and then suddenly attacks because her mouth is scratched. Scared? You bet she had to be, but then he tranqs himself to stop himself. He was more scared than she was; how heart melting is that after just having the struggle all vampires go through rammed up in her face by her friend?

So there you have the foundation. This "forbidden love" is the anchor for the whole story. Even in later volumes as Tsukasa and Yuki move forward with their relationship, they are influencing the people around them.

I'd also like to state that the author does an amazing job of handling the sex issue. Consent and communication are handled amazingly well. I love that during the attempted rape scene the author had the characters come right out and say that silence does not imply consent. Yay! An author that is willing to tackle some serious society issues head on! Go get 'em! Then, to show that something like that leaves damage, by having Tsukasa having nightmares...excellent! PTSD is rampant in our society and people on a whole want to turn a blind eye to it. Wake up and smell the fear; minds are just as in need of health care as any other organ in the body.

Like I said, this is not a light read. If it's not touching you, you aren't understanding what's going on in the manga or the world around you. I'm sorry.

As for the art and such... Yeah, it can be improved. Now, go grab a first edition of most any manga and then compare it to the hundredth issue. Notice anything? Yeah, it's called practice makes perfect. I can't wait to see what happens next with the art as well.

Story (7): It was a rather unique plot but also not something that has never been seen before (which is to be expected). Anyway it is about a human girl, Taira, that gets involved with 'devils' (which are low key modified vamps). It is mainly told by her pov and the pov of her half-devil love interest, Anzai. But it does jump pov a lot, thus touching on a bunch of different social and political views etc. Art (7): It can definitely get wonky at times. My main issue with it would be that the anatomy really isn't consistent. Examples being big heads and super tinyhands a good portion of the time. Also the art def changed as the series went on, rather common, but there was one character who was supposed to be ugly but still looked rather normal but when her character arc came they like hit her with an ugly bomb to emphasize her issues. I didn't like the inconsistency with the art concerning her, it would've been fine to leave her design as before. Other than all that I actually enjoyed the art and appreciate that it isn't a common style.

Character (9): I will just simply state that there was a large cast, all of which had strengths and weaknesses. They were all fleshed out pretty good. And with the switching of pov you got to experience a lot of different social and moral beliefs between characters.

Enjoyment (8): I was able to binge it without stopping and can binge re-read it and still get a lot of entertainment from it.

Overall (8): It was rather good and def up there in my favorites but there were some plot holes or just things outright left unanswered, which is spoiler territory so I will leave it at that.

I remember watching the anime first of this on YouTube, when I was younger and falling in love. I rewatched it, but now reading the manga it’s a lot better than expected, I gave this story a 7/10 because of the use of unnecessary rape and how the story ended, I understand that blood lusting and vampires and raping humans can go hand and hand but in my opinion all rape is unnecessary unless education. Though the author didn’t seem like the type of person to add in rape just for climax and or to weirdly bring the main characters together like some, no alot of stories do. The female

Lead’s personality sometimes bothered me, one minute she was acting as a useless princess waiting to be saved next she was putting herself in dangerous situations for no reason. Her attempts was there though. The male Lead’s personality I loved actually, tbh I’m a big fan of cold characters slowly opening up towards others.

The side characters besides the long white hair man didn’t really stand out, I didn’t really care much about them and found a lot of them annoying. The white hair character I don’t really love or hate, he had his best and annoying movements in the mange and anime. Overall if you enjoy a vampire love-story without a abusive relationship and characters that actually talk to one another, no sexual assault between love interest, and something you can easily get through I recommend this.

Note: The story is actually 69 chapters. The other 11 are bonus chapters, though many do provide character insight. Vampire manga with a twist on vampires can be really good or really bad. I’m not naming names, but ones come to mind. But this manga both has an interesting and non-cringe take that keeps vampires cool while also making clear "these are not literal vampires, a term we just sometimes use." You might think it sounds similar to Tokyo Ghoul and it definitely is in some ways, but very much on more of a surface level. It’s a great story and when you see "romance" amongtags like "action" or "drama" you think that either the romance or action/drama are going to take the main stage. That one of these will be the real genre and plot. I definitely applaud this mangaka for managing to make such a wonderful balance. We get a great amount of plot drama and romance drama, and in addition to their growing relationship, we also get to see them growing as individuals. There is also amazing and positive queer representation (with the exception of a trans woman being constantly misgendered, but everyone seems to respect her so I’m guessing it’s a translation choice, since Japanese does not have gendered pronouns).

It’s towards the end (or maybe latter half? It’s after a specific plot point but I’m avoiding spoilers) that the story begins to fall flat. The story has great side characters, but those side characters begin to drag the story down because there is simply TOO much focus in them for a story that is only 69 chapters. “Ah yes, now is the time to bring back that one character we saw for a chapter and a half like 30 chapters ago so we can hear all about his backstory and give him a love interest even though the story ends in almost ten chapters). As someone who started reading this story because I heard there was asexual representation and I am asexual: I’d rather they have just scrapped that part because I don’t even feel we need to hear this character’s backstory and about their relationship with their boyfriend because they are simply not a huge enough character for it to be necessary and we’ve got a handful of chapters left at this point.

Which brings me to my second issue: it seems like every single character has to be in some sort of romantic relationship. The first romance side story, yeah, that was lovely and wonderfully dramatic and had the interesting twist on the gender roles in a human/devil relationship. Yuki’s parents was as well, and it was one I felt necessary. But then it’s like every single side character suddenly needs to be paired up with someone. I don’t need to know the entire life story of every single person in this manga and seeing them all paired up with one another feels forced, even in some of the cases where I genuinely enjoy the couples. The story is great, the main couple is great, the character development is great, but it simply is not necessary to give every random Joe and his aunt a side storyline, nor is it necessary to pair up any two characters who enter the same room. My opinion? Focus on Taira, Yuuki, the main squad (including Asami, Ishimaru, and Lee)—even then picking and choosing who you want to give the most time), Nanako, Kikuhara, and eventually the big boss. I’m wondering if at this point the sequel isn’t a new story and just a continuation of this because it doesn’t even seem possible to wrap all this stuff up in the few chapters I have left.

Another suggestion: if you want to do redemption arcs, make it so that the characters are… idk… redeemable?

But yeah, overall I enjoyed this story very much. Those two things did get genuinely annoying after a while, but not enough that it made me start disliking the manga or anything like that.

TFW when the random manga you read when you were in middle school can actually hold up when you reread it as as sophomore in college. I decided to reread this because I got an edit of Anzai on TikTok and forgot how much I used to love this manga. However, I think back then despite liking it I was too young to actually understand how good it is. It's honestly one of the only mangas I've read that explicitily touches on topics like asexuality, grooming, and has actual productive discussins about it. I know everyone always talks about Anzai and Tsukasa's relationship because ofthe two sex scenes (like why is this listed as an ecchi on my manga reading site LOL) but I absolutely adore the two of them together. I know their relationship is extremely unrealistic (they literally kiss like 5 seconds after meeting) but this is a story about the supernatural. Not really here for realism. I love how even despite them kissing so early on and feelings being established, you still get to watch the journey of their relationship blooming throughout the story rather than it just being them considering themselves a couple five chapters in. Anzai recognizing how their relationship is definitely more than friendship but cannot be considered a true relationship until he traditonally asks her out pleases me. I don't know, maybe I just love the grand gesture of admitting you love someone. The romance though between Tsukasa and Anzai is still kind of the background focus, which is fine but I just wanted a bit more of it. Romance itself though is a key driving force of the story, and I love how it's talked about in so many different ways. Like even though I hate that Nanako has romantic feelings for Kikuhara, the author does such a good job at making you understand why she does like him, even if it is so wrong for her to do so (I also just freaking hate Kikuhara so bad.). Mayu and Takeshi were a favorite of mine, and here's where I have my only gripe in the manga: I loved the Naoya plot and I wanted it to be way more fleshed out than it was. I thought it was so beautiful, and I don't even like him. But it made me care about what happened to him. I thought him and Yuu were so interesting, and it was one of my favorite parts of the manga.

Overall, if you enjoy vampires as much as I do, you should read this. The author has a very unique take on vampire abilities that I really enjoyed. Also, if you love romance where the two characters actually like each other and communicate their issues healthily, you should read it. Please can someone translate the sequel. IT HAS BEEN YEARS. I AM DESPERATE.

Story 8/10 It honestly has its ups and downs. The beginning, of course, was slow moving, but it builds up in a way that makes it impossible to stop reading. I'd have given it a higher score, but the current arc, after all the action and drama that just recently passed, leaves a lot to be desired. We get what I'm sure plenty of readers have been waiting for, but I personally, was not waiting for it. Art 5/10 The biggest downfall for this manga. The proportions are weird, and very distracting. Sometimes you forget about it and just get too deep into the story to reallynotice, but sometimes it's also so noticeable you have a hard time paying attention to the story. The artist also has a big issue with "same face syndrome." Not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly means this manga lacks in character design for everyone except maybe Anzai and Johannes.

Character 8/10

I already touched base on character design problems, so that's all said and done. The characters are enjoyable. Well executed backstories, giving information little by little when needed to allow us to see why these characters are doing what they are doing. Character development is okay. None of the main cast really have much in terms of character development, aside from being driven by love and stuff. I personally do not think Anzai or Taika are any different than they were chapter 1, but that could just be me. The biggest character development comes to us from many of the "less important," unexpected characters.

Regardless, I do still enjoy the characters. I'm not at the point where there has been a lot of main character progression as of yet, but the current story line leaves a lot of potential for development.

Overall 8/10