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Okay, let's get this out of the way first: Shinrei Tantei Yakumo's other manga adaptation had a hotter Saito Yakumo.

But that doesn't diminish the enjoyment factor of this manga adaptation of the popular light novel series' Volume I. Whatever was traded in Yakumo's looks department was compensated by his mellower, kinder persona in this particular manga work.

He didn't become a saint overnight, certainly, but the mangaka added a few touches here and there that softened his crass & sass personality a bit (ex. the scene when he lent out a coat to Haruka isn't in the actual novel, but the mangaka made the scene ... feel organic and seamless in transitioning back to the actual novel events)

Haruka is surprisingly less annoying in this adaptation. She certainly felt more mature, not easily taking Yakumo's mood baits. Across all STY media, I think I liked her best here.

tl; dr: great read, even if you've already read the other manga adaptation or read the light novel-- especially if you're a Haruka x Yakumo shipper like me! :)

This is the second work of the mangaka that I read, and once again, I completely enjoyed it even if I've just read one chapter so far.

STORY
Highly intriguing. Letters from a supposedly dead person. A mysterious Harry Potter-like man appearing in times when the heroine is in trouble. A Victorian setting. I love the buildup so far. The romantic vibes I'm getting from the main characters don't hurt, too!

ART
As always, the characters are all attractively drawn. The use of historic period costumes is such a breath of fresh air too from the shoujo genre's ubiquitous school uniform-- the lead guy looks so suave and debonair!

CHARACTERS
The ... heroine is a damsel in distress in denial, but she's pretty spunky and feisty. I like that she doesn't easily trust people, and that she's impulsive in an age when women are expected to be passive and meek.

The main guy is smart, dashing, rich, and enigmatic. I would love to read the rest of the story to find out exactly how he is tied to the lead girl's life.

OVERALL
I can't wait to see the rest of the translation to come out!This mangaka has not disappointed me so far, so I'm off to read more of her work!

I'm a sucker for historical-based manga, so I was really thrilled to chance upon this light-hearted detective shoujo that promises romance among its genres, but has not shown explicit rabu-rabu 11 chapters in.

STORY
So far, the chapters following the lead heroine's obligatory intro and meetcute with the lead guy have all been mini-arcs of cases. The mysteries vary from something as banal as mixed restaurant orders to something more Meitantei Conan-like (decade-old murder cases).

I'm the type of reader who easily goes "oooh!" at simple cases of observation and deduction skills, so I really can't recommend this to mystery lovers. However, I can vouch for its ... light humor and over-all pleasant feeling it brings to the readers.

Romance (which is one of my criteria for selecting manga reads) is still not evident, but the story's just starting. There are subtle hints here and there about the special bonds the leads share, like the detective's protectiveness over his assistant.

CHARACTERS
The lead male is refreshingly cheerful and uber nice to the lead heroine. No back stories about him encountered yet, but I sure would like to know how he ended up as a detective in a historical period!

The lead female is sincere and kind-hearted. She also reminds me a bit of my favorite shoujo heroine, Naedoko of Kono Dano Ai Dano, appearance-wise. But I digress. Kanoko is pretty likable.

There are other characters here, and they all appear every now and then in the chapters. While they're mostly in the background, their scenes have been enough so far to give the readers an idea about their personalities.

ART

Very nicely drawn. I love the characters' wardrobe most especially (but then again, please refer to my earlier disclosure that I love outfits from this period)

OVERALL

I look forward to reading the successive chapters (and hopefully, read the romance its genre tags promised!)

On paper, the plot doesn't really bring anything new to the table. It's the same May-December dynamic you've probably read elsewhere.

The execution, though, is better than expected in terms of average shoujo manga. The heroine, refreshingly, doesn't come from the "crybaby but works hard so she's lovable" block. One chapter briefly touches on her spotty past, but it makes a great jump-off point to the story's theme of second chances and redemption. She is also surprisingly pragmatic, despite being a teenage girl in love.

The male protagonist doesn't come off as icky to me. His transition from mentor to friend to "something more, maybe" felt natural ... and unforced. His previous relationship hangups didn't feel like a big deal enough to be treated as a conflict, but otherwise, I liked how he was depicted.

The flower motif tied very well with the lessons the manga wanted to impart. Plus, I learned a lot of nifty things about being a florist! Good research and integration into the plot.

After finishing the manga, I felt quite fulfilled. The ending was not solely about how her love story turned out, but also how she and the other people around her changed over time.

Art style-wise, Akuma no Puzzle is nothing groundbreaking. The characters are drawn well enough to be likable.

But I praise this title for its ambition to come up with plots that break the shoujo mold. There's fantasy, school romances, omiai, demons, etc., so you're bound to find a oneshot you like here.

Characterization-wise, I like how the mangaka developed the characters. The women aren't badasses, but they're not helpless, crybaby wimps either. They're even fairly entertaining, even at the height of their mandatory naivete.

Lastly, I must especially mention the male lead in the fourth oneshot (July Bride's Yuu, who's just the epitome of coolness), ... who I would welcome reading again in a series.