The front cover of Volume 1
This week I started to read Hana To Akuma - a series created by Oto Hisamu about a high ranked Demon (Vivi) who runs away from hell and picks up a baby human girl (Hana) whom he finds on the street. The story begins when Hana is 14.
Initial Thoughts:
What do you get when you mix Sebastien Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive from Kuroshitsuji? You get Vivi, who has Ciel's apathy, royalty and fashion sense, mixed with Sebastian's natural talent, dark mysterious aura and good looks.
Ciel and Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji
Hana is your typical loli heroine: naive, innocent, and persistent with an all encompassing love for Vivi. Besides from her love for Vivi, I am not getting much substance from her character, making it extremely difficult for me to like her.
There is also an incestuous nature about the relationship between Vivi and Hana: a father-daughter union turned romantic (think Lovesick). Though things seem to be on the gray line of parental and romantic, it is likely going to transition into pure romance in the later volumes.
Why it is doing so well:
- Incest: there is somethi
ng about a forbidden romance between an adult and a teenager that peak the interest of so many readers. (ex: Lovesick, Loveless, Glass Mask) - Loligoth: the fashion sense displayed by Hana is very Lolita-goth, a current trend in Japan.
- Perfect Demons: Popular anime series such as Vampire Knight and Kuroshitsuji have supernatural beings that have skills and physical features that surpass those of humans. They also bring along a dark aura, making themselves mysterious and just plain sexy.
- Original twists: Though it takes successful vices from other anime and manga series, the most important aspect that is making this manga a hit among readers is its own original content. This is where other manga fail. They seem more cut and paste and less original.
Rating: 3.5/5
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