Dengeki Daisy Review: A Girl's Guardian Angel Is Closer Than She Knows
by Kyousuke Motomi
*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Take
- A girl whose late brother left her a phone to contact a hacker named DAISY for protection — not knowing the school janitor she bickers with constantly is DAISY himself
- Shojo romance with an unusual mystery/technology element and a love interest who knows their feelings but cannot act on them for specific reasons
- 16 volumes, complete
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want shojo romance with a mystery component
- Fans of secret identity romance where the audience knows the secret before the protagonist does
- Anyone who wants a love interest carrying real guilt rather than manufactured misunderstanding
- Readers who want a complete series with a satisfying resolution
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Romantic content, themes of grief (the heroine's brother died), hacking/technology subplot
Generally accessible. Some later plot content is more serious.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★☆ |
Story Overview
Teru Kurebayashi's older brother Soichiro died when she was young, leaving her a phone and a message: if she ever needs help, contact "DAISY." DAISY is a hacker who protects her from a distance — warm, reliable, and always present through a screen.
Teru ends up working for the school janitor, Tasuku Kurosaki, to pay off damage she accidentally caused. He is gruff, puts her to work, argues with her constantly, and is infuriating in every way. He is also DAISY.
He knows who she is. She does not know who he is. He cannot tell her because of his history with her brother and his guilt about how Soichiro died.
Characters
Teru Kurebayashi — Determined, poor, and reliant on DAISY's emotional support without knowing how close it actually comes from. Her gradual understanding of her own feelings for Kurosaki parallels her investigation of who DAISY actually is.
Tasuku Kurosaki — The janitor/hacker who is withholding his identity because he feels unworthy — specifically, because of the circumstances of Soichiro's death. His guilt is real and the manga takes it seriously rather than resolving it easily.
Art Style
Motomi's art is expressive and warm — the comedy of the Teru/Kurosaki dynamic is handled well visually, and the tender moments when DAISY (texting) and Kurosaki (in person) are both being the same person for different reasons are effective.
What I Love About It
Kurosaki's specific guilt. He is not withholding his identity because of a simple misunderstanding or a bet. He is withholding it because he made a choice that led to Soichiro's death, and he believes that telling Teru who he is would destroy the one thing her brother wanted for her. That moral weight makes the romance complicated in ways that most secret-identity stories avoid.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Dengeki Daisy has a loyal Western following within VIZ shojo readers. The tech/hacking element is considered more creative than most shojo premises. Western readers appreciate Kurosaki's moral complexity — his reasons for the concealment are more serious than typical "I am too cool to admit I care" love interest motivation.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The moment Teru pieces together who DAISY is — not told, but figured out — and her initial response before she processes what it means, is the manga's best scene. Her reaction is not simple, and Motomi does not simplify it.
Similar Manga
- Skip Beat — Romance with a protagonist who works hard for recognition
- Ouran High School Host Club — Comedy romance with mystery undertones
- Kimi ni Todoke — School romance, similar warmth
- Strobe Edge — Compact shojo, similar emotional maturity
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1. The secret identity premise requires starting at the beginning.
Official English Translation Status
VIZ Media published the complete 16-volume series. All volumes available.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Kurosaki's guilt is more substantial than typical love interest obstacles
- The technology/hacking subplot is unusual for shojo
- 16 volumes, complete, satisfying resolution
- The comedy of the daily Teru/Kurosaki dynamic is genuinely funny
Cons
- The later plot involving the technology conspiracy is less engaging than the romance
- 16 volumes is a commitment for readers who want faster resolution
- Some readers find the secret identity conceit frustrating before its resolution
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | Standard VIZ release |
| Digital | Works well |
| Physical | Fine |
Where to Buy
Get Dengeki Daisy Vol. 1 on Amazon →
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.