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I can't believe Merry Checker doesn't have an MAL review yet. Or an OVA.

Let me start with the story. An office-worker who also writes a fairly successful blog meets a fellow blogger at an IRL meetup. They're both drawn to each other, first and foremost as friends, but their undeniable attraction is bringing them closer and closer to each other. Only 6 chapters, but so much happens! For a short manga, MC never stops trying to put a smile on your face or warmth in your heart. When I picked up MC, I thought it might be unsatisfying, considering it had only 6 chapters. Boy, ... was I wrong! The story's straightforward and feels very real and sincere. If you're looking for shounen-ai/yaoi tropes, you won't find them here. The humor's adorable, I read this entire manga with a giant grin that lasted long after I finished reading it. I even read it twice back to back and still smiled all the way!

The characters - my most favorite part. Oh dear lord, the two leads. The uke (glasses-toting senpai

Let me start with what I loved the most about this manga. (And this is going to be a long list...)

1. Characters.

There's no place for a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu) in Dengeki Daisy. No one is perfect. You cannot just use a blanket descriptor like "kind" or "sweet" for any of them.

Especially the two main characters, Teru and Kurosaki. Dear lord, these two. They're real people - when you finish the manga, you feel like you've known them forever. You understand the things that worry them, the things that make them happy, the things that MAKE them. Their past, their feelings, everything defines and ... shapes them.

Teru could be just another shoujo heroine - there's a real danger of that, considering Dengeki Daisy is a shoujo manga. There are a lot of situations where the mangaka could've taken the easier way out and just labeled Teru to be an absolutely helpless angel who just needs Kurosaki's protection and can't do something on her own. But Teru isn't just another shoujo manga heroine. She's not only strong, independent and unmelodramatic unlike most shoujo girls, she's also very believable. Her reasons for choosing things are sound.

Kurosaki. (If I had to count the number of ways I love him, sigh.) It's been a while since I fell head over heels in love with an imaginary character. But he doesn't even feel imaginary, that's the best part. He's a real man, he isn't just wildly strong or wildly good-looking or wildly successful. He's just a normal guy with a normal job, and he has fears and apprehensions. He's not invincible, he's very human.

The secondary characters aren't far behind in development. They aren't just for show. Each character serves its purpose. From Riko to Rena to even the deceased Souichiro, each character has a job and they all do it splendidly. When a character appears, you know what to expect from them. It feels like you spent several hours just hanging out with all these folks at Master's restaurant.

2. Chemistry and Romance.

Teru x Kurosaki. Early on in the manga (like in the very first chapter - actually, in the first 2-3 pages) you start shipping this couple. And then you never stop.

The chemistry between these two is the kind of stuff that could make your breath catch. He's an adult, she's still a child, and he's very, very mindful of that. With just one look, one word, one action, they show they love each other very much and they crave each other's contact very much. You really wish you could read a chapter from the future where Teru's all grown up and ready to handle the man that Kurosaki is, but nope. This is a shoujo manga of a high school girl called Teru and you have to take a cold shower at the end of the "hot" scenes (and not hot because they're explicit - the author calls this a "lukewarm" manga, but I feel like the characters are enough to set the pages on fire; no need for sexual tension at all) just like Kurosaki is going to have to.

The love doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen because Kurosaki's hot or because Teru's sexy. The love builds on top of (in spite of, as a result of) several trials both the characters go through. Their bond gets stronger with each interaction they have and you can feel it. The romance is very, very satisfying. When you finish the manga, you sigh and wish that there were a couple more chapters after all the JF drama where they both just love and fall deeper in love.

Though this is a shoujo romance manga, it doesn't neglect the other relationships. The chemistry between the MCs and the secondary characters are also tended to with TLC. Teru's relationship develops over time with the rest of the people. She makes new friends, she forgives an old friend, and all of that strengthens the bonds she has with all these people. Kurosaki matures as a character and so do his relationships with the people around him. The friendships feel real and warm.

3. Humor and Drama.

The main thing I love about this manga is, I lost count of the number of times I laughed till my tummy ached and cried till my heart ached throughout the story.

Things may seem like they're taking a turn for serious, and suddenly there's an extremely humorous comment or dialogue that makes you laugh out loud (ugh, the number of times I made a fool of myself in public!). And just when it all looks hilarious, there's one dialogue or just one statement that could make you long for a love like that or a friend like that or something that makes you feel sorry for even the bad guy.

4. Art.

Fantastic. Detailed, beautiful, emotive, meaningful (and I have more adjectives, but I'll stop here).

As for cuteness...

Chibi Teru. Period.

Bonus: Author notes.

I LOVED reading Motomi-sensei's notes and the Q&A sections. Hilarious and extremely cute. Reading the sections has the added benefit of making you feel like you've gotten a bit closer to the characters.

What I don't like about the manga:

Just the rushed ending. That's all. Really can't think of anything else.

The story isn't this manga's strongest point, but it's not the weakest either, it's still pretty detailed. In such a believable manga, some scenes are way too flashy, but it's difficult to nitpick too much when it's all heartfelt and leaves you a molten mass of fuzz.

Give it a try, just because it's addictive and fun, like the best rollercoaster ride you've ever had. It may not be a masterpiece or classic, but it's still one of the best shoujo mangas ever written (and drawn).