By 
Daydream Darling is a shojo manga with a heroine presented with the idealized version of a young man she has a crush on in her head and the actual person in front of her. Which is unexpected, to be sure. After all, the actual premise is even hidden from the reader initially, so we don’t even know that the Sou Akutsu heroine Iroha Hosho depends on at the start of the first volume isn’t the real person. But the fact that a focal point becomes her learning to connect with real people again after relying on fantasies and overcoming her own issues via this new relationship offers an interesting set-up for the series.
Editor’s Note: There will be no spoilers for the second half of the first volume of the shojo manga Daydream Darling below.
When we meet Iroha Hosho in Daydream Darling, it is established that she’s incredibly shy. However, when studying at the library she happened to see an older student named Sou studying there. She aspired to get into the same school as him, and he even noticed her and offered her notes. From there, it seems like the two have kept in touch! She talks to him. She apparently meets him at school. He encourages her. Her classmate Meguru Kamiyama notices and tries to connect with her, but she shies away, and he even sees her in the courtyard during one of these periods.
However, it’s after they’ve all been at school and classmates for a bit that the truth comes out. People start claiming Akutsu isn’t real and confronting her about it, but she starts to insist that he is as best she can. It’s then that the actual Akutsu does show up and things get interesting.
The real Akutsu remembers her, and he’s now back at school after some unknown events kept him away. Moreover, he’s now also in their class and not her senpai as a result of what happened, so they’re classmates. This means that Hosho is confronted with the actual person she’s “depended” on to help her get by.
It is also when Daydream Darling starts to get interesting and feel different than other shojo manga series. The actual Akutsu is a bit of a mystery. There are certain plot threads that are teased that suggest something is up with the unknowns about him and things Hosho isn’t aware of. He’s clearly interested in her, however, and actually steps in to act as a real conversation partner and companion to help her build up her confidence and feel less awkward.
At the same time, there are still the fake Akutsu moments! Hosho hasn’t “abandoned” this imaginary friend. When there are tense moments when the real one isn’t around, we’ll see her still interact and talk to the idealized version she built up in her head. She understands it isn’t happy and that one isn’t enough, thankfully, especially after connecting with the real person. But I appreciate how the story after the early reveal acknowledges that the fake can’t possibly know certain things or help in certain ways, showing that fantasy’s inadequacies.
There’s also a sense of positivity. Kamiyama is clearly being set up as another possible love interest for Hosho. However, his motivations also seem entirely altruistic and understanding. Like he seems able to tell that she’s perhaps looking for an opportunity, but isn’t able to quite voice what she wants or needs. The same goes for classmate Beni Igarashi, who also seems to show an interest in Hosho as a friend. As the first volume goes on, we see how her past shapes her own means of reaching out to the other girl and approaching the situation.
Daydream Darling essentially ends up being a shojo manga that plays with the idea of outgrowing an imaginary friend and getting over the idealized version of a crush. Hosho clearly wants to grow and develop as a person, and through the first volume we’re seeing her start to make strides to reach out. Actual Akutsu is a bit of a mystery, but also seems interested enough in her to at least want to assist her in finding a way to connect with other people. And the supporting cast so far also seems designed to assist in her overcoming her anxieties. It’ll be interesting to see how all the relationships, as well as the one with “imaginary” Akutsu might turn out.
Volume 1 of Daydream Darling is available now, and Viz Media hasn’t set a release date for the second volume of the shojo manga yet.
