Demon Diary by Kara (Art) and Lee Chi Hyong (Story)

Everyone must think it's great to be a demon: get to punish do-gooders, torture families, steal candy from babies and never saying you're sorry. However, what if you're a naturally kind hearted person and you have to not only *be* a demon, but a Demon Lord as well? How do you go from utter bouncy happy to wickedly evil? By being dragged every step of the way

Demon Diary is the story about Raenef, a young demon who has always been teased for his absentminded and kindhearted nature. He does horrible things like say "please" and "thank you", doesn't believe in servants or superiority. However, when it is time for him to become part of the demon court proper, Raenef must be whipped into shape by his servant, a fellow demon lord by the name of Eclipse. Eclipse is powerful and respected in his own right, but Raenef's antics put a severe hurting into Eclipse's reputation. As he tries to get Raenef to be more evil, Eclipse finds himself becoming enamored of this misfit, even if Raenef's personality wants to make Eclipse tear out his own hair. (In one instance Eclipse chides Raenef for being polite, in which Raenef then apologizes for being polite) However, there is more to Raenef's existence than is let on; the fact of a demon having such a lack of evil tendencies is almost unheard of...

Demon Diary seems to have much in common with the other Tokyopop manwha (Korean style manga) title Under the Glass Moon in which the plot is tightly knit and it doesn't take long to get the story going to full speed. While not as fast as that particular title, Demon Diary does go along on a rather fast clip, getting the reader quickly familiar with the rich tapestry of the world in the story. The setup of characters is a bit cliched, though. Raenef is your typical manga heroine but as a boy: klutzy, goofy, likes to sleep, utterly clueless but with a gentle heart. Eclipse is also the typical bishounen companion; graceful, elegant, versed in etiquette, basically all the things Raenef isn't. However ordinary of a setup, the best part is how it is executed; the complete reversal of circumstances (being evil instead of good) saves this fantasy romp from becoming a mere sword and sorcery fest. There are a few typical fantasy story moments, such as when a paladin attacks the castle, but they are given their own refreshing twists unlike their usual cliched endings. The art itself is incredibly beautiful, but is very reminiscent of the generic shoujo-manga style common in girl's weekly magazines. The character designs are somewhat stock selections but have their own charm, which makes them new. However, the crowning achievement is the actual translation of the story. The staff at Tokyopop deserves props for such natural sounding dialogue instead of the sometime slightly wonky phrasing found in Japanese titles.

Demon Diary is another great entry of the manga genre with all of the adventure and comedy of an American fantasy novel mixed with the beauty and drama of manga storytelling. This story is a wonderful addition to any bookcase and a series to look forward to in the future.

Love it? Hate it? Buy it.