Demon Diary by Lee Chi-Hyong and Kara | Series blabber

Demon Diary by Lee Chi-Hyong and Kara
Manhwa – Fantasy
Seven volumes
Read June 18 – 21, 2018
Spoiler-free blabber

This is the fluffiest thing I’ve ever read about demons.

And it was rather enjoyable. The series begins when the main character Raenef, pictured to the left here, is put into the position of Demon Lord after the previous one dies. From the sound of the premise, this sounds like a good opener for a coming of age, serious, character-driven story.

Well… not really. I mean it is, but it’s not really serious, and the character development gives way a bit for a wave of comedy instead. Raenef is a young kid – fifteen or so – when given this title. And by no means was he prepared for it. He’s still childish, light-hearted, and all around goofy. So the plot basically revolves around Raenef being himself during his training and his advisor, Eclipse, growing ever more exasperated trying to get him in line.

It’s adorable and endearing and I love the bond of friendship that grows between the two. I like seeing male friendships that are healthy and dynamic and don’t revolve around constantly jabbing each other or shared interest in a woman or… anything like that. I just like seeing two men get along on principle and not be afraid to actually show that they like each other.

The cast of characters that are slowly introduced are rather amusing as well – some align more with Eclipse’s seriousness and others are very much like Raenef, which is why they seem to gravitate towards him. They’re funny and cute, and they improve the flesh of the story in a good way.

The only thing I can complain about in this series is the ending. No spoilers, promise. But. The ending of the ‘plot’ concluded earlier than the end of the series, and the final bit was basically a plot device trope used to extend the writing a bit more. It had nothing to do with the plot, was overused, and was not done super well. Also, I feel like the story could have gone on for ten volumes more. There would have had to been a second arc in the story to do it, but it could have easily been done. The world that was built was rather big, but only a small part of it was explored, leaving much plot and character development to be desired.

But aside from the end section, which was not my favorite, the plot and characters that I did get to read in this world were pretty great. I just… wish there would have been more. The comedic aspects of the series kept me entertained and laughing, and both Raenef and Eclipse are wonderful characters to read about. If you’re looking for a short-ish manhwa series to dive into, I recommend this one.

Overall series rating: 4.25/5 stars

Individual volume ratings:
One: 4/5 | Two: 4/5 | Three: 5/5 | Four: 5/5 | Five: 4/5 | Six: 5/5 | Seven: 3/5