I review things based on my overall personal enjoyment of them, and quality amongst other factors contributes to the overall rating. This is my personal opinion and I'm making a review to share my views and thoughts on one of my favourite light novels of all time. As stated in the summary this will cover volumes 1 and 2 since overall it's a fairly short series (600 pages?). If you yourself want to read this piece there are (similarly to most Type-Moon works) no English copies and all paperbacks are basically gone from the earth. I highly suggest reading the fan-made visual novel which covers volume 1 or finding an online edition. Another thing to note is that well, volume 3 is not in any sight as stated by Nasu as he is unable to get into the same headspace he was in whilst initially creating it so the likelihood of a volume 3 is close to none. Also I've never written a review like this before so forgive me if it's in an "incorrect order" of sorts or it's just me rambling.
There will we spoilers when I discuss the plot so avoid that if you wish.
(will cover first like 10 pages so spolier-ish)
As stated prior DDD is one of Nasu's earlier works and is arguably one of his darker ones with direct links to, off the top of my head, self-harm, gorey moments, cannibalism and you get the jist.
Unlike Nasu's many other stories DDD is in a whole separate world meaning it has 0 links to his popular works such as Tsukihime or Fate, making it (almost) a standalone. A brief summary of DDD is that it takes place in an almost apocalyptic sort of Japan, where a disease known as Abnormal Agonist Syndrome or Demonic Possession is rampant. Our main character, Akira, has suffered an incident related to it causing him to lose his left arm. Akira's job is to exorcise these demons to protect mainly himself with others being protected as an added bonus. He works for a boy called Kaie and there's where I'll stop with the summary.
DDD can be considered a dark action light novel with elements of religion (in the form of well, demons) and involved but then again, I don't really know how to determine genres.
Ishizue Arika
Our protagonist Akira wants to live a normal life. While yes this idea has been repeated throughout animanga, instead of trying to force it to happen he allows fate to take him into its hands. When he is first introduced we first see his left arm being "slurped" by his little sister, who is seemingly a victim of AAS/demonic possession, causing him to lose it completely. He then goes on a exorcism of a man called Kuzuki, a victim who wants to end his suffering. This exorcism is then revealed to be a bad dream Arika was having of a past experience. Awaking to his employer, Karyo Kaie, being assumed by his fear. Overall I think he's a great main character with a relatable enough goal of wanting to live easy, however what truly makes me love him so much is how he reacts to challenges and his achievements such as when he finally
Karyo Kaie
When they're first introduced, they're described as unbelievably pretty and charming, to the dismay of Akira. However it's revealed that they're actually a boy, around 14 or 15. He is the literal embodiment of evil, however in fairness he doesn't show this directly. It's mostly shown through Akira's perspective however moments such as Kaie first laughing at Akira's pain can paint a picture on how he acts. The concept of a completely immobile man of evil can certainly be considered interesting as he is in a way unable to act on his own accord. The part I enjoy about Kaie is not him himself, but rather his body parts. All his body parts exist in a way where he cannot access them, which is why he needs Akira for basic tasks, but others can, mostly notably his left arm, zoo (Hatred), which
Others
I'm grouping this up because I'm lazy. DDD has a limited cast, but a great amount for only 2 volumes, with mentions such as Mato and Shuusei as great characters. Each character has a layer to them, however this is obviously overshadowed by the fact these "layers" won't be covered anymore.
The art in DDD was done by Hirokazu Koyama and I cannot stress enough how phenomenal his art was in DDD, especially the art of Shuusei and Zoo. He is also able to capture moments of pure dread within the light novel such as Yukios hideouts reveal amongst more. I believe the designs are well-done as a majority of characters have a normal, everyday, look to them. Those who don't, have a design which most definitely matches their tone in the novel.
Well, as stated prior volume 3 isn't in sight which is a letdown but also understandable as Nasu move's away from dark themes and has more on his plate (Tsukihime remake part 2, mahoyo sequels, FGO amongst others ~~GIVE ME GIRLS WORK NASU~~) all of which have a happier(?) tone to them. If you're invested in the series like I am there is one extra piece of content for you to consume. I hinted at this near the start but DDD isn't exactly a standalone in it's universe. An accompanying light novel called 3/16 Jiken is set in the same world (I presume from when I read it) and is set around Akiras little sister (the arm eater, yeah).
I hope you enjoyed reading my review (if you did) and ensure that this wasn't filled with alot of spoilers so you can still enjoy it. One last thing I have to say is that despite my 10/10 rating of DDD from my personal enjoyment, I've given it a 92 here as it is an incomplete story, which again is a letdown.
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