Dengeki Daisy 4

Kyousuke Motomi – Viz – 2011 – 10+ volumes

Although the secret between Teru and Tasuku was revealed earlier than I’d like, I can’t say I’m not happy with the fallout in this volume. Tasuku is completely oblivious to what’s going on, but the reality of her situation hits Teru hard, and it makes others around her worried. Actually, I love that one of her current best friends was the jerk girl from the first volume. She’s still a jerk, but all the same, she’s a great friend to Teru, and the fact that she’s still a jerk is one of the numerous bits of endearing humor that make me adore this series.

Most of the conflict, the part I love the best, is that Teru is so completely thrown that she can’t write to Daisy. Throughout the entire series, through thick and thin, Daisy has been her one link, her one source of comfort through all the hard things. That she’s lost this friendship is utterly tragic, and to see her unsure what to write to sound normal is heartbreaking as much as it is romantic. That I’ve grown to love Teru so much in such a short time, that this affects me, is pretty fantastic. She’s torn as to whether she should admit what happened to Tasuku, and watching her debate that while trying to act “normal” for Daisy is just… hard. It’s hard, but it’s compelling reading.

This is followed by the inevitable “Tasuku is sick so Teru has to nurse him” chapter. Romantic stuff, especially after what just happened. My heart can’t take much more of this. I’m sure there are many who aren’t nearly as amused by this sort of sappy romance as I am, but seriously. Dengeki Daisy is good stuff for a shoujo junkie like me.

The rest of the volume… hmm. There’s some more discussion of Teru’s brother, a story that makes Tasuku afraid that Teru will stop liking him because of the terrible person he used to be and the terrible meaning behind the nickname “Daisy,” and… the creepy, creepy, AWESOME director of the school. That one’s mostly a gag chapter, but I think the director stays around and, in addition to being a sympathetic character who has many useful skills, continues to be a closet-hiding creep.

And, with all those stories, there are just countless sweet, funny moments between Tasuku and Teru. That’s really what this series does well. It can get kind of ridiculous with all the hacker stuff, and the plots about putting Teru in danger time and time again, but really, it’s all about these funny scenes between Teru and Tasuku. They always cheer each other up, bully each other, and just fit so well together. Not just in a romantic way, but as friends, too.

I love this series. Seriously.