Rivalry Leads to Turbulent Romance and Mental Anguish
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Daisy Jealousy. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to overwork, gossiping, bullying, sabotage, self-deprecation, excessive drinking, mentions of sex work, virgin-shaming, kissing without consent, self-hatred, and breakups, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Misaki has one goal in life: to become a professional modeler. Ever since he played his first video game, his love of the industry has permeated his entire life. This has led him to a technical college where he works harder than anyone to achieve his dream of becoming a video game modeler, particularly for the prestigious video game studio Gold Games. But he isn’t the only one working hard, and, in reality, his classmate Kaname might be more devoted to the craft than he is. Regardless, Misaki sees him as a rival, and the two are soon working side-by-side every chance they get.
This leads to the aloof and isolated Kaname to slowly and awkwardly reach out to Misaki. What was once silent work sessions on the weekends ended up with them collaborating and discussing resources. What started as two classmates going to class and then heading home in silence eventually led to them hanging out at a restaurant for dinner. Misaki still sees Kaname as a rival, but there’s something about him beyond his skill that Misaki can’t help but like. But how does Kaname see him?
Review:
Admittedly, I was pretty excited to read this as I’m reading an ongoing series from this same creator, and their art style is amazing. I’m not going to pretend it’s perfect by any means, but it is one of my favorite styles out there. Unfortunately, that does not seem to carry over into this title. I was initially ready to give this a pass on that front, as the title felt older to me, but based on the publication dates I could find, this is actually a newer publication. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s actually newer – it very well could be a repurposed older work or something similar, but it certainly isn’t up to par with what I had expected. The mouths look odd, and their faces look exceptionally long and narrow from the side – it’s just not a good time.
However, while the art may not be to my picky tastes or expectations, the story was a pleasant surprise. The romance in this is cute, but what absolutely rules is its characterization of Misaki. Misaki had goals and dreams, and he desperately longed to be the best at them, but like in any field, other people were better at the things he wanted to do. I got my degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing. My dream was to always be an author, and, sure, I’ve ultimately achieved my dream, but then and now, I still find myself feeling inadequate or less than. Misaki embodies that feeling of inadequacy.
But while many of us may stew in those feelings, maybe quietly giving up or silently pushing through, Misaki crashes out – hard. He not only ruins his relationship with Kaname multiple times but also jeopardizes his career. It’s wild. Misaki embodies all the frustration, pain, and self-deprecation that come with someone striving to succeed in something, only to fall somewhere between great and mediocre. He’s talented, but not in the way he wants to be, and his feelings are what make this title so powerful.
And if that wasn’t powerful enough, the way his emotions about his perceived inadequacy intermingle with his feelings for Kaname are awesome. It’s not good, of course. What was surprising was how desperately he tried to avoid feeling jealous of Kaname. He easily ends up in a relationship with him, and they even have sex, but getting closer doesn’t make his hatred any less. If anything, it makes it worse, leading to an explosive breakup that causes Misaki’s entire life to fall apart. I loved this aspect of the story. I’m used to stories ending as soon as the couple gets together, but this one has so many more narrative beats despite being so short. While it isn’t perfect, it evokes a wide range of emotions in me in a way that’s so meaningful that I couldn’t dislike it even if I wanted to.
Results:
This is a drama. There are so many titles out there that call themselves dramas, but hardly deliver. That is not the case here. This will make you feel so many intense feelings that reach beyond the pain and fluff of romance, and I love it. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it was a good time nonetheless. I highly recommend this one.
Have you read Daisy Jealousy? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
