[REVIEW] Mirai Nikki by Esuno Sakae
Title: Mirai Nikki (Future Diary)
By: Esuno Sakae
Genre: Shounen
Serialized in: Monthly Shounen Ace
Status: Ongoing, currently at 22 chapters (3 volumes)
Warning: Some nudity, mature concepts
Overall rating: 9/10
SUMMARY
Amano Yukiteru is a middle school student who has trouble socializing. Day by day, the only thing he does is record all the events around him in his cell phone. He also has an imaginary friend, Deus Ex Machina.
However, it turns out that Deus Ex Machina is not imaginary, and is, in fact, God. He prepares a survival game for Yukiteru and 11 others, where they must eliminate each other to get the spot of successor to Deus Ex Machina: each participant is equipped with diaries that tell the future in different ways, which they will have to use to best the other participants. The only catch: once the diary is destroyed, the owner will be killed as well.
Main Characters
Amano Yukiteru: The protagonist of the story and the first to meet Deus Ex Machina. He has trouble socializing with other people, and is very dedicated to recording everything around him on his cell phone. Lives with his mother Amano Rea in a small house. Currently attends middle school, and is 14 years old.
Gasai Yuno: A classmate of Yukiteru and school idol. She is pretty and intelligent, but also has some dark secrets. Admires Yukiteru very much, to the point of stalking him. She also records every 10 minutes of his actions in her cell phone.
The review
Story: 9/10
Although having a seemingly harmless device that may or may not kill people sounds a bit like Death Note, the story is really intriguing and mind-bending, and will definately keep everyone on their toes while reading. It incorporates just about everything out there as well, including horror, violence, psychological drama, mind games, yandere, stalkers, and ecchiness.
Characters: 9/10
This is one of the best parts of the manga, because the cast is very diverse and unique, with the participants' ages ranging from five to fifty, and occupations ranging from police to terrorists to avid dog owners. Also, it's a bonus that they all have their own way of manipulating the others, so it's really fun to see them going at it. Each of their endings/stories are really different too, which makes it all the more awesome.
Perhaps the biggest reason as to why Mirai Nikki scored so high (for me) was because of Yuno, who is just about everything awesome. She can act cute and girly, but when it comes down to it, she can hack and slash her way through anything. It helps that she has some kind of dark past too, which makes her all the more intriguing.
Art: 8/10
Clean and nice art style that really contrasts with the manga's mood and quirkiness (but still fits!), as well as good and fitting character designs. However, the art isn't spectacularly outstanding, and the character designs sometimes look typical, so it doesn't get full marks.
Overall: 9/10
A really really good read that everyone should try out! I got addicted to it after the first two chapters, so that is definately saying something. Although there's a bit of bloody violence here and there, it's moderate enough that most people won't be disturbed by it. Possibly the most disturbing part of this manga are the characters and their ideals, which, though a bit creepy, are very intriguing.
Download Links
Volume 1 (Chapter 00-04)
Volume 2 (Chapter 05-08)
Volume 3 (Chapter 09-13)
Volume 4 (Chapter 14-18)
Volume 5 (Chapter 19-22)
*Note: Volumes 4-5 have not been released in tankoubon yet, and are packacked in .zips tentatively.
Alternative download link (Chapter 00-22)
Online Reading Links
Anime-Source (Chapters 00-09)
OneManga (Chapters 00-21)
Other Notes
A side story title branching out from the main series of Mirai Nikki, titled Mirai Nikki Mosaic, talks about how each participant received their future diaries. Currently, one chapter has been released, and the featured character was Uryuu Minene.
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