Future Diary Vol. 1

My taste in manga, I think, is pretty varied, in the fact that I like everything from cutesy romances like Love Hina, to borderline hentaiesque manga like Sundome. What I really revel in however are the more unique conceptualized (to western audiences at least) manga like Deathnote, Ikigami and of course Future Diary.

Future Diary is not as obscure or out there as the likes of Ikigami, but it still holds that thread of intrigue that encapsulates my imagination.

What I dig most about Future Diary is the relationship between Yukiteru Amano, the protagonist, and Yuno Gasai (leading female character). While Yuki has lived his life as a shut in with nothing but his cell phone diary and 'imaginary' friends to keep him company Yuno is the grade A student that is popular with all the classmates. She is not without her secrets though, as you quickly find out in an event that saves Yuki's life.

As Yuki learns and tries, to cope with his current predicament of being placed in a game of survival against 11 other 'Future Diary' holders, you slowly begin to realize where the eventual outcome of Yuki and Yuno will lead to. There is a clear divide between these two characters that I don't think either of them are truly aware of, but we, the readers, know full well what it means for the pair, and I think that it makes for wonderful reading, albeit a little less surprising.

It is for this reason that enjoy their interactions with one another and find myself compelled to keep reading as I want to know how the author will handle prophetic events.

Almost makes me wish I had a Future Diary of my own, but then again I would most likely be the first to lose the game.

Rating: 7/10

From the back of the book:

Yukiteru is a lonely student whose only hobby is the daily diary he keeps on his cell phone. But Yukiteru has a secret that nobody knows about...his cellphone can tell the future! Now a vicious game of survival is about to begin amoung twelve future diary holders -with the winner crowned god of a new world!