D.N. Angel. Vol. 1.

SUGISAKI, Yukiru. D. N. Angel; vol. 1. Tokyopop. 200p. illus. c1997. 1-59182-799-X. $9.99. J

Daisuke Niwu, the 14-year-old hero of D.N. Angel, knows he's having a bad day when Risa, the girl he likes, gives him back his love letter. Now whenever Daisuke thinks about Risa, he transforms into the infamous art thief, Dark. Dark is at least three years older than Daisuke, has different-colored hair, and enjoys spending his free time dodging bumbling cops and stealing invaluable art treasures with Wiz, his shape-changing rabbit. In other words, Dark is a real pain in the neck. Daisuke's mother tells him that it's a family thing-all the male members of the family become Dark when they turn 14, and the only way Daisuke can rid himself of Dark is by having his first love, Risa, reciprocate his feelings and become his girlfriend. This is plainly impossible; whenever Daisuke sees Risa, he transforms into Dark, and it's off to the museum to steal another priceless art treasure. Dark, by the way, is in love with Risa's twin sister, Riku, and transforms into Daisuke whenever he sees her.

This is very suitable for junior high schoolers. The first volume doesn't contain any bad language, nudity or graphic violence; the scariest scene is when Dark steals a kiss from Riku. I must admit that I was a bit confused as to several plot points, and I still don't understand why when Daisuke transforms into Dark, sometimes he's still Daisuke, and sometimes Dark's personality takes over. Hopefully, future volumes will answer these questions. Recommended for libraries with manga collections. George Galuschak, YA Libn., Montvale P.L., Montvale, NJ