Future Diary Book

This is a review of the series, I've read up to volume 8 or so.

Yuki is a slacker who keeps a diary on his cell phone. One day he is selected by a godlike being called Deus to take part in a game. In this game everyone has a diary, and that diary can predict the future in some way. It's pretty cool, except for one thing.

All the diary holders must fight to the death. Last man standing becomes God.

But Yuki isn't alone. A pretty, cheerful girl named Yuno Gasai who has a crush on him. She will help him fight. He may have other allies in the shadows too. But Yuno has an incredibly dark secret that will be revealed in time...

First the flaws. Yuki whines a lot and is passive. The plot lurches around like it's a drunken man. Some of the other characters are stupid or unrealistic-the power ranger guy for one. It's long, too. It has a lot of the flaws of most manga series, and without one little thing it probably would have fallen into obscurity.

That thing is Yuno.

See that pretty girl on the cover? That's her. She loves Yuki. LOVES him. Her Diary keeps track of his life in ten minute intervals. She is completly fearless when protecting him. Wouldn't it seem awesome to fight for the chance to be a God with such a pretty girl at your side?

Then you start to notice how odd she is. It takes a couple of books, but Yuno isn't quite right. Something is off. And then you pick up on the real story of the series.

What if you were a scared boy who was lost in a game where people were trying to kill you? What if your only hope, and the beautiful girl you were starting to love might be a serial killer? What if she would do anything for you-kill anyone, anytime, with no reflection or scruples. What if your only hope to find the time to grow strong enough to survive was to trust her?

What if, in the end, you had to kill her too?

This is chilling enough, but then the series starts to really reveal Yuno Gasai; who she is, what she has done, and her motivations piece by piece. Those motivations are terrifying. While this is a fairly violent manga, the real horror is in her worldview and what has happened to her and by her. You get inside her head, and then the twists come. If you stay with the series long enough, the biggest twist is really worth it, and a genuine surprise. But Yuno, not Yuki is what drives this series and why it's so awesome. That pure, burning love for Yuki and only Yuki, and her madness makes for a character that unlike Light Yagami is impossible to parody. No evil, no megalomania, just obsession.

My favorite scene was a little moment that I can describe without spoilers. Yuki finds out something terrifying about Yuno, and he flees her, running at full speed to the safety of his house. He collapses to his knees just inside the doorway, trying desperately to make some sense of what he has learned. Then, not even a panel later, you hear "Good night, Yuki." In terror he turns, and Yuno is just staring at him through the opened mail slot in the door. All you can see are her wide, blank eyes. She ran after him, all the way to his house. It's rare that a manga can chill me rather than disgust me, but man, that scene did.

So definitely pick this up. It's a strong seinen manga with an unforgettable character. It hits guys I think a little more, as it's a deconstruction of the idea of the beautiful girl at your side. You are the girl instead-you are the passive member of a relationship and you need to get strong quick or you will die. Very strong manga.