Demon Diary, Volume 07

Demon Diary #7

by Kara, Lee Yun-Hee

As a young Demon Lord-in-training, Raenef has experienced it all -- he's fought the good fight, made close friends and developed a deep bond with his tutor Eclipse. Despite his scattered nature, Raenef has learned everything there is to know...and now it's all gone! In this final volume, Raenef finds himself back on the street with holes in his memory, his wallet, and his heart. An unforgettable fate awaits the world's most lovable Demon Lord!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Manhwa, Graphic Novels, Comics, Shounen Ai, Comics Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

"Kara" consists of two illustrators: Yoon-Gyeong Kim and Eun-Sook Jeong.

Not to be confused with French author Philip Kara who uses the same pseudonyme.

Reviews

[Ditte Hjort Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always love this manga story, it is filled with humor and excitment, that will keep you on the edge of the seat. I highly recommend this to everybody.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is ...really just like an extended unnecessary epilogue, but also it's really no better or worse than any of the rest of the story so I'll just 3 star it like everything else. I still feel fairly certain that I never made it this far when I first read this series, which I find hilarious. Also I'm still confused as to why so many of the earlier volumes were shelved as yaoi because it's ...definitely not? I mean maybe she said it was supposed to be in an interview or something? But there is not really anything to textually support that. Anyway, definitely a nostalgic series for me but overall a pretty average read.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raenef finds he’s got no memory of his life as a demon lord, so he’s returned to the life he lived before as a thief with his old gang. Eclipse, however, isn’t willing to leave things be or let his master go. During this memory loss, the powers and personalities within Raenef are waiting to be synthesized within their young vessel. Compromise between Raenef’s true character and all he’s learned as a demon lord turn out to the keys to a happy ending, although Chris has a way to go before he gets his and Erutis wants nothing to do with the happy ending Krayon has planned for her. The series returns to its lighthearted former state, achieving resolution, yet one can grin and imagine stories to come in this world involving these characters. Altogether this was a delightful read, intense enough to keep things exciting and light enough to make the whole fun. To Young Adult readers looking for a fantasy manga with a touch of shounen-ai, I’d highly recommend this series.

[Rain Misoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate it when people say all good things must come to an end. It makes me want to get a stick, beat them down to a bloody pulp, drag them up a 80 story building, set them on fire, toss them off the roof, then drop an anvil on their head whilst eating donuts and reading a good book. Nothing good should ever end. At least, that's my theory. I believe in always being happy and having good things surround you constantly. And so, though this is the last volume of Demon Diary, it does not have to be the end. If you have this manga in your collection, then you can always re-visit the world over and over again. So you see? Nothing ever comes to an end. (Even if I was freaking out about it in previous reviews! XD) This doesn't have to be the end.

Lee Yun Hee... I can honestly say you did a fantastic job with Demon Diary. When I learned that they changed the author, for whatever reasons, I was a bit skeptical. I thought that is wasn't going to be as good as the first and I felt that the characters were not going to be themselves. However, reading the entire thing through just proves you, Hee, are awesome. Thank you so much for giving these characters meaning and for giving them each a happy ending. It's amazing you did that. Kara, my love, thank you for bringing these characters to life because without you, there would be no sexy awesomeness! We need sexy characters to be all yay with after all~ Both of you did absolutely wonderful with this series and I hope to see more from you guys in the future! ^_^

I've gushed about these characters in every single review but I cannot help it. They are so loving, funny, caring, silly, strong, stupid, and just wonderful. Eclipse and Raenef will never fade! They will always be together loving each other. What they share is a joy that no one can comprehend. It's their's and shall forever remain as so. Even when seperated, they think of one another... wanting to be together with the one you love is something that few people understand these days. The concept of "forever" is too long for the weak-minded so... when I see people who understands what it means and are willing to go along with that feeling no matter what, it pleases me. It excites me and it gives me some hope for humanity. (Which is good because I have none). Eclipse and Rae have this down. They are beautiful and I know they will always remain as so.

What an ending for these other characters as well! Did you see how they just all came together? Well, if you didn't read then... no... you wouldn't have. XP So... this next paragraph might have a few small spoilers because I'm just too excited to keep it bottled up! Just skip to the last paragraph to see my conclusion! Anyway, Erutis surely got her happy ending. I know it doesn't seem that way for her now but... in due time... she'll grow to love her stalker. XD Chris, just when you got promoted... you do something stupid to be demoted again. *Sighs* I love you, you silly boy you~ XD I'm glad you are back with Hejem, though! Father and son shouldn't be seperated for too long. Krayon... continue stalking and persisting. I'm sure she'll crack one day! And I told you! Raenef IV is not as evil as they made him out to be in the previous volumes! He's just misunderstood~ God, I love these characters! They need a hug from me because I loves them! <33333

What can I say? This is just a wonderful manga. I love it with all my heart. I'll admit that the ending is a little bittersweet. You kinda wish there was more. However, this does not ruin the manga one bit. It just leaves things open for you to imagine what other endeavours the characters will have to go through. Nothing like fanfiction, ne? Seriously... go get this series. It's worth the read. There's something for everyone. Action, comedy, magic, romance, and a sense of pure joy. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get your hands on this title! ^_^ Though I am sad to see I finished the series for the sixth time, I am truly happy to know that I will be able to visit these characters again whenever I wish it. So, good night for now, my loves. I will see you all in due time. *Smiles serenly* Be back before you know it! Matta ne!

[Jody Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very strange and lovely story. The plot was relatively simple and straightforward, but the story was very character driven, and the relationships between the characters, particularly between Raenef and Eclipse, were very moving and emotional. I really enjoyed the artwork, it is enchanting, a great mix of dramatic elegance and comedic chibi. I'm kind of sad it's over, but it ended at an excellent spot. I'd still love to read a sequel if the mangaka were to draw one. Just loved it!

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for complete series



Raenef is an orphan and part of a thieving guild that steal to get by. He himself doesn't have much of a talent for theft, nor in anything much else. The renowned demon Eclipse is surprised to find that this naive street boy is destined to become his new master and Demon Lord. Although Raenef does seem to hold the powers of a Demon Lord, he is proving as inept at being one as he is at everything else. Soon, his new domain starts to attract visitors who sense a weak demon has taken up residence.

Firstly, I have always found it baffling and incredibly misleading that people mark this as LGBT/BL. While one could interpret Reanef and Eclipse's relationship as romantic, there is nothing specific enough to suggest things one way or another. Their relationship could just as well be platonic or even fatherly. And while I would be perfectly happy to see these two as a romantic couple, the fact remains that there is not enough to suggest so, especially considering that this is a comedy that is almost completely free of romance.

Demon Diary is from my favourite Korean manga (or manhwa) artist duo. I'm not overly fond of manhwa as the art often doesn't appeal to me, however, Kara's art has always reminded me more of the Japanese manga style. Demon Diary isn't their strongest work in terms of art - don't get me wrong, I like Kara's art, but it isn't quite as pretty and refined yet as in their later works.

However, it is, one of the funniest I have ever read. Do you know that kind of comedy that is so over the top that it's not actually funny anymore? Demon Diary pushes to the next boundary and is just so ridiculous that it's funny again. Raenef is adorable but hopelessly dense and naive. His complete inability to read situations or people has him walking from one witless act to the next, and that's really not the image anyone expects of a great Demon Lord.

Eclipse is a perfectly dignified demon who has a reputation to think of. Rather than a servant, he becomes more of a babysitter and protector of Raenef and is usually the one who feels the embarrassment the most. As Eclipse tries to push Raenef onto the right track of being a good - by that, I mean evil - Demon Lord, various other characters venture through their castle and the one thing they all have in common is their belief that Raenef is completely unsuitable for this role.

Among these characters are Erutis and Kiris - both of who didn't initially stay in the castle voluntarily but ended up being a fixed part of the residents. Erutis is a female swordmaster who doesn't quite know how to act ladylike yet throws a fit if anyone mistakes her for a man. Kiris is a cleric in training and thus a sworn enemy of demons. Somehow, these four end up co-living and even building friendships in which they are willing to take life-threatening risks for each other.

So yes, there is also a slightly darker plotline running in the background, and there are some meaningful relationships between the characters. But when it comes down to it, this is and remains a comedy - and an absolutely hilarious one at that. It was among my first manga (manhwa) and it's one that I have been pleasantly surprised to find that even non-manga-loving friends of mine have had laughing fits when flipping the pages of Demon Diary.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zum Inhalt:

Als Dämonenlord in Ausbildung hat der junge Raenef viele unglaubliche Erfahrungen gemacht, aber im abschließenden Band findet er sich dort wieder, wo Eclipse ihn zum ersten Mal antraf: auf der Straße. Raenef kann sich an nichts, was passiert ist, erinnern. Er hat kein Geld und weiß nicht, wohin er gehen soll. Doch viel schlimmer für ihn ist die Leere in seinem Herzen …





Cover:

Das Cover des letzten Bandes zeigt die beiden Charaktere Raenef und Eclipse. Das passt ganz gut zu diesem Band, da die beiden Charaktere hier noch einmal zu ihrem Ursprung zurück kommen.





Eigener Eindruck:

Ohne Erinnerung erwacht Raenef in den Straßen einer Stadt. Er weiß nicht wer er ist, er weiß nicht wo er ist und er hat keine finanziellen Mittel. Hilfe bekommt er von den Straßenkindern der Stadt, die ihn bei sich aufnehmen. Der dämonische Diener Eclipse macht sich unterdessen auf die Suche nach seinem Herren und findet ihn in der Stadt, wo er ihn einst zum ersten Mal traf. Doch so einfach wollen die Priester der Stadt den Jungen nicht gehen lassen…



Der letzte Band der Reihe „Demon Diaries“ aus der Feder von Kara und Yunhee Lee hätte meiner Meinung nach gar nicht erst verlegt werden müssen. Ohne Anschluss an die Vorbände bekommt man hier eine Art Rückblende (und auch wieder nicht) präsentiert, bei der Raenef das Gedächtnis verloren hat, aber scheinbar doch nach irgendetwas sucht. Das ist auch wieder sehr wirr und sprunghaft geschrieben, sodass einem schnell die Lust am Lesen vergeht und man sich ehrlich gesagt auch nicht die Mühe macht, um dahinter zu kommen, warum der Bengel nun allein durch die Straßen irrt. Schade um das viele Papier, schade um die Zeit. Ich dachte es geht nicht mehr schlechter, aber mit diesem letzten Band haben die Mangaka absolut den Vogel abgeschossen.





Fazit:

Diesen Band hätte es meiner Meinung nach gar nicht geben brauchen. Fernab der Hauptgeschichte bekommen wir hier noch einen Bonus und eine Art Rückblick. Doch warum, das erschließt sich dem Leser nicht.





Idee: 2/5

Charaktere: 3/5

Logik: 1/5

Spannung: 1/5

Emotionen: 1/5





Gesamt: 1/5



Daten:

ISBN: 9783865800770

Sprache: Deutsch

Ausgabe: Flexibler Einband

Umfang: 166 Seiten

Verlag: Tokyopop

Erscheinungsdatum: 01.10.2005

[Hanii Aburame · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting ending for this demon Lord.

After the battle with Raenef IV, Raenef V disappears when he awakens from his weakened state, not knowing where he's at, he wanders off to some place familiar, causing his friends to fear the worst and take off in search of the missing lord.

While the beginning volume started out a bit aimless, plot wise, the rest of the 7-volume series delved deeper into character motivations and made the plot emerged quite seamlessly. The art and atmosphere also improved from the beginning volumes. The action scenes feel more fluid, and the characters have a bit more definition to them.

In this volume itself things wrap up nicely, I won't say whether negative or positive as I don't want to spoil anything, but I very much like how each character got their own bonus story chapters at the end, showing their lives after the climax of the main story.

This whole series had me in stitches from beginning to end, and it was fun watching the characters grow and discoursing with each other. I recommend this series as a light-hearted rump through a fantasy world with lovable characters, but one needs the patience to get through the first volume on to the story.


Check out my bookstagram! @Witchy.Otaku

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELCOME to the final volume of a series that had trouble deciding on a consistent tone.

So this is really just the wrap up stuff. Surprise amnesia! Also ok maybe Ranaef IV wasn't awful exactly. Maybe. Poor Eclipse.

I did like that this was a strong call back to how this all began as well as an indication on how clever Ranaef V has gotten.

Um but the entire town might now be gone and it does worry me that Ranaef doesn't seem bothered that his Thieves Guild buddies potentially died.

We also get an epilogue about what Erutis is up to (Krayon in tow as a lovesick puppy, I love it), and the fact Chris did not learn his lesson at all (that poor High Cleric will never get to retire).

WAIT WE LITERALLY NEVER GOT RESOLUTION ABOUT CHRIS REMEMBERING WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS TOWN. The High Cleric and god Rased both thought it would be a really bad moment when Chris regained his memories...but he never did.

And wait so what is Erutis' backstory???

AND HOW CAN RANAEF BE A DEMON LORD IF HE REFUSES TO DO THE DEMON LORD SHIT??

Not to mention I don't want to remember that Ranaef and Eclipse (and Krayon) will live long loves past Chris and Erutis.

UGH THIS SERIES WHERE ARE MY RESOLUTIONS?

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last, I can bring this series to a close. This wasn't the best ending I've seen for a manhwa, but it wasn't bad and I still feel rather satisfied overall with how things ended.

Essentially the twist here is another "characters find themselves back at the beginning all over again"/deja vu event before the series fully concludes with a happy ending. It's a touch cliche, but it works in a really sweet way for this series. (Additionally, there are two epilogue chapters here, and they're a bit ridiculous in only the way that Demon Diary shenanigans can accomplish.)

Overall, this wasn't my most favorite series I've read, but it was still plenty enjoyable and light-hearted, and it was worth it. I've enjoyed the time spent with it, and I'm still hoping there's at least some reference to this series in Angel Diary whenever I return to reading and collecting that series.

[Luru · Rating 3 out of 5]

3½ stars.

A semi-confusing ending that didn't seem all that necessary at first, but it concluded the story in a satisfactory manner.

Also, nice to see where the secondary characters ended up - that was definitely entertaining.

I think at the end of it all, I felt like the characters weren't established very well. They were described being a certain way, highlighted almost to a point of annoyance, but it didn't translate too well to the pages to make it feel organic. More of a "I'm telling how it is" instead of "I'll show you". It makes the end result fluffy and lightweight, and funny, but also a bit shallow.

[Carrie-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was quite chilled to be fair, the big fantastical all out battle ending happened in the previous one, so this is mostly just wrapping up the storyline. I liked that it was more 'this is the beginning of the characters stories from now on' rather than a 'and now all is done and this is the end'.

There were two epilogues - one for Chris and one for Erutis, both were just little fun one shots rather than telling us exactly what they are doing now (especially the Chris epilogue)

All in all, I really enjoyed this series. It equal amounts of fun, silly humour, and epic magical happenings.

[Cecillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is mostly based on how much I liked the book when I first read it as a teen.

This last volume wasn't necessarily needed in my opinion, but I guess it was an okay ending to the story. Again a bit weird in the tone, and it confirmes that my favourite volume is the 6th one (because the tone is consistently more serious).
I didn't really care for the bonus stories. The one about Erutis had jumpy pacing. The one about Kiris was boring, and really we've already seen similar in previous volumes

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically this is not a yaoi more an implied shojo but its a favorite and one of the first yaoi/shojo books I ever read. This was back in the day when Tokyopop was new and still churning out random stuff, they didn't seem to know what to publish! But I always loved the relationship between Raenef and Eclipse and remember loving the artwork-the illustrator Kara does beautiful work!

[Veronica Pappolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una serie davvero bella, peccato che l'edizione italiana lascia a desiderare! Onomatopee non tradotte, quelle tradotte sono sono ovvie. I dialoghi sono artficiosi e difficili da comprendere per colpa di una traduzione approssimata, peccato perché era una serie che si meritava quattro stelle.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The resolution to the issues doesn't make total sense but it was still a fun read and a cute little series. I enjoyed how hey occasionally broke the 4th wall and had humorous little moments.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute and awesome manga i really love it. I will be reading this serie more <3

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really not sure why this volume exists. It adds nothing to the plot overall. It could have been skillfully finished in the prior volume and yet... I'm not thrilled with it, but it does provide a nice ending.

[Elizabeth Diop · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This concluding volume of Demon diary is fun but isn't nearly as strong as the beginning of the series.

Raenef V was defeated last volume and this is kind of the tying up lose ends. Raenef IV, gets amnesia and wanders off again and Eclipse, goes off in search of him. We also get fun little snippets into the future of swordsmaster Erutis and cleric Chris.

Its ok, but never fulfils the promise of its yaoi themes. I did rather enjoy the Erutis/Krayon scenario which harps back to the comedy of the early volumes. Very funny where she's forced to don a dress. Artwork is still very pretty, but the story for me never lived up to its initial promise. I thought it would go somewhere interesting and instead we get this totally bizarre time displacement arc that doesn't make a whole lot of sense only to end with this rather unexciting conclusion.

Worth a read and the artwork is lovely, but not the best in the field.

[Cember · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I've read this series as a teen I couldn't help but read this particular volume three times in a row, I was so enthralled. I felt for the confused and lost demon lord I learned about in the series and was at a loss for words myself. I mean he is AMAZING....and a cluts, so how could something like this happen to him? but it's all explained. Will the prophesy come true or was everything doomed to start with? Will this little demon king be able to be put back together or will he always feel so lost? If you've read the other books in this series, well I assure you, you won't be disappointed in this final volume!

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yun-hee Lee, Demon Diary, vol. 7 (Tokyopop, 2000)

Demon Diary concludes, shall we say, not satisfactorily. Given that there were only seven volumes, I imagine it was a surprise to both Kara and Yun-hee Lee when the series was cancelled, but still, it seems like they could have come up with an ending that feels less like dropping off a cliff. Volume 7 also includes two (conflicting, oddly) epilogues with Erutis' and Chris' post-series stories. Something of a disappointment, but the series as a whole is a good one. ***

[Luula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... That was a bit of a let down :(

Demon Diary was the first manga I ever read, and that was waaay back, about 6 or 7 years ago. But finally I've finished it, but not as satisfied as I'd hoped.

Um, in this volume it just ties up the loose ends, Raenef gets amnesia, and everything is happy happy happy. I felt like the series could have done with several more volumes, but I'm not really too fussed :)

Oh, I found this volume less funny than the others...

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the last volume and the whole series! The ending was so wholesome and cute, I loved it so much! I want to reread the whole series now because I just love the characters and their dynamics. I love the art style and the settings and how Raenef says Eclipse feels like home. I just love this series 😊 I want more volumes but I enjoyed how the epilogues were so long. I see there’s another series called angel diary which is just great, I hope it’s related to this series.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Head, meet desk. So I'm happy things worked out for Raenef and Eclipse, but we took a mighty stupid path to get there. And I never really liked Erutis, but no one deserves to be followed around by a loved-crazed Demon Lord who can't understand the word "no".

ETA: And Chris' tragic past never was relevant to anything that happened. Way to drop that ball.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually a really nice series! It was sweet with a lot of humour, and the relationship between Raenef and Eclipse reminded me of Merlin and Arthur from the tv show Merlin.

The side characters were really fun and interesting, too!

If you want something light heartened with amazing drawings, I'd really recommend this series!

[Kristina Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the drama of vol. 6 this is a return to normality, or rather a reappraisal. Raenef and Eclipse journey back to where they first met and re-live the experience, discovering how much has changed between them since then. Neither may have changed dramatically but they've both learnt and adapted. A perfect way to end

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and exciting manga series!

This series has a perfect balance between the humorous and the dramatic. The main group of characters are all well developed, and there is someone for everyone to connect with.

I bought this series and will be keeping it to read again and to lend to other manga lovers.
This is a definite recommend!

[Monaria Yulius · Rating 2 out of 5]

a funny manga.
tidak ada demonnya. raenaf 4 memiliki profil yang gonta ganti. di volume sebelumnya baik, kemudian jahat, trus ternyata baik lagi. chris itu masa lalunya silam, but cuma selingan aja. kirain akan ada apa gitu hubungannya dengan war.