Kokoro Connect

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tl;dr: A very well written story with incredibly dense character and relationship development.

Kokoro Connect is an eleven volume light novel series that has also received a manga adaptation that adapts the first three novels, and an anime adaptation that adapts the first four. It is primarily centered around a high school club known as the Cultural Research Club (CRC) getting screwed around with by a supernatural entity known as Heartseed who causes various supernatural phenomenon to affect them, such as body swapping or types of telepathy, simply because it finds doing so interesting.

The volumes aren’t numbered, but are definitely meant to be read in ... release order, which is also chronological order outside of the side stories. There are essentially two types of volumes. The first type of volumes, of which there are eight, are those that include the word “Random” in the title, each of which contains a single continuous story about the CRC experiencing a new type of phenomenon, though the finale is a bit special in that it’s two volumes long and more complicated than the rest. The other type of volume, of which there are three, are those with “Time” in the title, the first two of which contain short stories chronologically from throughout the series, and the last of which is the last volume for the overall series and serves as an epilogue.

At its core Kokoro Connect is a story centered around pure unfiltered highly concentrated character and bond development in its cast of characters. The premise is that the cast is essentially being harassed by an omnipotent supernatural entity, but the circumstances of who that supernatural entity is or how anything works do not matter at all outside of the finale. What matters is the supernatural phenomenon the cast has to deal with and how those results in rapid character and relationship growth.

It is important to note that these phenomena are always the type that are best suited for such development, because rather than things like turning them into animals, giving them super strength, or other larger than life concepts like that, the phenomenon they have to deal with are those that tie very heavily into their psyches. For example, the first phenomenon they have to deal with is body swapping. This results in the CRC growing much closer as a result of literally having live in each other’s shoes for a time as one would expect. But beyond that, it also brings up more personal issues individual members of the cast are dealing with, such as a girl who’s androphobic making progress in getting over her fear of men, or a girl essentially having an existential crisis because she’s been someone very easily shaped by her immediate environment, thus only really having a sense of self arising from her physical identity, and thus with that too fluctuating she questions whether she really is someone at all.

And that’s just a single phenomenon. The main cast ends up going through seven phenomenon and going through major character and relationship growth alongside each one. Plus, there’s a good variety to the phenomenon so that keeps things from ever feel like they’re getting repetitive because they’re constantly showing off the main cast from a new angle. There eventually are some inconsistencies in terms of messaging, such as the growth in one character in an earlier volume being centered around how people always have a true them that exists deep down, while in a later volume a character’s growth is centered around how someone can change who they are completely if they really try, both of which are pretty positive standard messages but feel somewhat strange when looked at directly next to each other. Still, overall while not perfect, the writing is still incredibly high quality and does a good job of using the supernatural phenomenon for everything it’s worth to build up to and execute character and relationship development in a really satisfying manner repeatedly throughout the series with overall arcs to characters and their relationships being pretty consistent and feeling like they have really solid pay offs in the long run.

That it shifts focus from character to character to really get into the heads of the characters as they are going through growth works really well and it feels like the writing really manages to really cut deep into what the characters are going through and convey in earnest what they’re feeling. I think this is one area that the light novel really excels compared to the anime and manga, wherein certain characters and situations feel really different. The most prominent example of that is Inaba, who comes through as pretty amazing in the anime and manga as well, but has much more depth in the novels. Who she eventually grows into beyond where the anime and manga end would feel somewhat strange based on just what is shown in the anime and manga, but felt completely natural in the novel, and overall makes her an even more amazing and likable character.

Furthermore, I just overall feel that the cast is incredibly strong and really likable. Part of that is because it’s really easy to get invested in the growth they go through and just be really happy for them as they get over their issues. But another part, which sounds somewhat similar but is very different, is that the characters that they ultimately grow to become are amazing and the type of characters I can’t help but really like. That I tracked how they became such characters is probably a core part of why I like them so much, but I feel that the end result in terms of the characters and the dynamics between them would still be amazing even without that in that they have fun personalities and the bonds between them are really heartwarming. I was attached to the cast here to a really high level and felt really sad about essentially having to leave them when the series was over to a degree that was almost at the level of the Persona games, which anyone that has played the Persona games will know is really high praise.

Furthermore, the series also does a pretty great job with its side characters as well, especially as the series goes on, with a lot of them getting fleshed out pretty well and going through character and relationship arcs of their own. These aren’t anywhere near as deep as those of the main cast, but they’re very nice on the side and work well to complement the stories of the main cast and furthermore add variety that helps with pacing. Plus, some of these side characters have incredibly likable personalities, such as the amazing superwoman Fujishima, so it’s just nice to have as much content with them as the series does.

My biggest problem with the series is the finale, Asu Random, which I largely feel wasn’t at the level of quality as the rest of the series and thus not as spectacular of an ending as it could have been. The biggest problem is that I think it tries too hard to crank things up beyond the rest of the series in order to give a truly epic finale, but it largely just didn’t work. The writing was a lot more messy and much less focused, which resulted in what it was trying to convey, which was generally pretty crystal clear throughout the rest of the volumes, being much more muddled. It also finally tries to explain in more depth the supernatural entities and have the cast actively fight against them instead of just trying to survive them, which inevitably requires giving them limitations that can be exploited and such, but this didn’t feel all that well written and thus it just kind of makes things fall apart because it feels like it makes things feel less magical so to speak. There were some pretty good concepts there, such as a larger focus on the bonds the main cast have outside of directly with each other, while at the same time emphasizing how special the main cast has been from the beginning by contrasting them with how others react who also experience similar things. Still, I very strongly feel that all of this could have been much better executed if it didn’t try so hard to go well beyond everything before.

Fortunately, the weakness of the finale is greatly minimized by how fantastic the epilogue is. It barely mentions Heartseed and the supernatural phenomenon, instead basically being a tour de force on just showing off the characters at the end of their character arcs. That this manages to invoke such strong feelings, far beyond the finale which had a strong emphasis on the supernatural elements, I think shows very clearly that what truly mattered in this series isn’t the supernatural elements themselves or the plot surrounding them, but rather how the effect they had on the characters. Ultimately, I feel it was the perfect send off, and though I’m sad that it’s over, I’m still immensely satisfied with the series as a whole.

In terms of general comments, I don’t know Japanese and thus can’t judge the translation quality in terms of how accurate it is, but in terms of the quality of the translation in and of itself I think it was pretty solid, overall sounding pretty natural and flowing well for the most part. There were some choices that I was very not much of a fan of in terms of tone and voice, especially in the earlier volumes, but they’re not major issues. Also, just as an aside, I’m incredibly curious about whether some elements were essentially completely new material added in the translation or actually found in the Japanese. The presence of English specific memes is obviously something that was added in by the English translator, but with things like the references to Superman/Batman I’m curious because it could be either. The art for this is done by a KyoAni artist and very much looks the part, and thus even though it’s just basic high school stuff in terms of design, it still ends up looking pretty great.

Kokoro Connect follows the members of Yamaboshi High School’s Cultural Research Club, or CRC for short. Though formed mostly by happenstance, the five members of the CRC, Yaegashi Taichi, Inaba Himeko, Nagase Iori, Kiriyama Yui, and Aoki Yoshifumi, became a close-knit group of friends. For various reasons, they attracted the attention of a supernatural entity calling itself ‘Heartseed’, who, claiming to seek ‘entertainment’, subjects the CRC to a series of supernatural phenomena that forever change their lives.

Kokoro Connect is a story about the CRC fighting against their unfortunate supernatural circumstances, their bonds put to the test and their will pushed to its limits. If they ... can endure, however, perhaps they’ll come out stronger than they ever could’ve dreamed of.

Nearly a decade after the series first began publishing in Japan, Kokoro Connect received an official English publication starting in 2018, and with the series now available to such a wide audience, I felt it important to do my part in trying to convince anyone and everyone I can to read what became one of my favorite series. Prepare yourself, though: this is a long review.


As one would expect from a slice-of-life/drama story, the most important aspect of Kokoro Connect is undeniably its characters, and the series more than delivers in this regard.

Kokoro Connect contains one of the most memorable, likeable, and fleshed out main casts out there, in my opinion. Individually, every member of the CRC is excellent. Each has an endearing personality infused with enough unique flavor to avoid falling strictly into archetypal molds, and they, too, each possess a considerable amount of depth which is exposed and explored across the series.

Despite being solid from the get-go, these characters by no means remain stagnant. From a complete, reflective perspective, the amount of growth each member experiences is quite incredible, and only serves to make the main cast all the better. The pacing of growth varies by character and over time: some growth is slow and gradual (sometimes even stretched across multiple story arcs), and some growth arrives in a more desperate, immediate fashion as a response to events significant to the character in question. However it’s done, the development of each character is striking; at most points in the story, one could look just a volume or two back and notice significant changes in the characters.

To talk more about the intricacies of the main cast members would require going into specifics about each character individually, so for the sake of brevity and keeping this review focused, I’ll refrain from doing so (as much as I may want to). Needless to say at this point, but, in summation, I believe the five members of Kokoro Connect’s main cast to be quite remarkable characters deserving of much praise.

Now all that said, while I’ve talked extensively about the main cast members as characters, I’ve yet to mention what I personally believe is the singular best aspect of the entire series: how absolutely fantastic the CRC is as a group. While, standalone, each member is great, together they create arguably the greatest group dynamic in any series I’ve ever watched or read.

The sheer amount of chemistry between every single member of the CRC is astounding. A scene can bring together literally any possible combination of these five characters and it will work seamlessly. It doesn’t matter if the scene is serious or comedic, drama-filled or simple banter; these characters click so perfectly together that their actions in any situation are enjoyable. I can’t think of a single other group of characters that are capable of this to quite the same degree.

Kokoro Connect doesn’t even stop there, either, as it sports a lively, loveable side cast as well. Though it remains relatively light earlier on, the supporting cast grows considerably towards the middle and end of the story, both in terms of number and individual depth. Not only are most of these characters solid and likeable, but several also get significant character arcs of their own, and many play important roles towards the end of the story.


Although supernatural elements are a core aspect of Kokoro Connect, a big strength of the series is, in my opinion, its realism. While the supernatural phenomena themselves are obviously fantasy, most of the essence of the story is fairly realistic and relatable. Fundamentally, the story is about relationships: how they form, change, and incite change in the individuals within them, all of which are things every single person experiences in real life. In fact, a recurring theme across the story is how mundane and unimportant most problems a person faces are, and yet how they still carry much importance. Despite the supernatural elements, the real draw of the story is, ironically, these ‘normal’ events that everyone experiences. The supernatural phenomena add an interesting, unique twist, but they rarely interfere with the overall realism and relatability of the story (which is impressive writing, in my opinion).

Now that I’ve touched on the main focuses of the story, I’d like to talk a bit about the other story aspects. First off: comedy. Kokoro Connect is not heavily comedy centric, but like with most slice-of-life stories, comedy is essential to making individual scenes entertaining. A majority of the comedy in the series comes in the form of lighthearted banter, and given how strong the characters and their group dynamics are, this unsurprising works. Every character, main and supporting, brings their own type of amusing dialogue to the table, keeping the banter fresh and enjoyable throughout. The comedy ranges from charming to cringey (not necessarily in a bad way), and there are a fair few hilarious moments sprinkled about. It’s not the funniest I’ve ever seen, but it’s also not trying to be, and I found it solid overall.

Another important aspect I wanted to touch on is romance. Kokoro Connect isn’t a completely romance-focused story, but romance still plays a very important recurring role in the series. This is partially just because I personally like romance stories, but many of the romantic moments were among my favorite parts of the series. The lighthearted moments are exceedingly sweet and heartwarming, and the more heavy, emotional romantic moments are thoroughly tense and meaningful. The main romantic relationships in the series are solidly developed, especially later on, evolving over time as the characters within them grow and change.


Now, for as much (deserved) praise I’ve given in this review, Kokoro Connect certainly isn’t perfect, and I’d like to touch on my main issues with the series. For as realistic as the story is a majority of the time, there are a few moments that, unnecessarily, severely push the limits of the reader’s suspension of disbelief. There were two moments like this in particular that really struck me, and as both were key events, the random logical escalation they introduced couldn’t really be ignored. In both cases, they stand out as sore spots whenever I look back at the arcs they occurred in.

Additionally, for as much praise I gave to the main cast, I have to mention one character specifically for criticism: Aoki. While, overall, Aoki is a good character, when compared to the other four main characters, he’s severely lacking in depth and overall development. While the comments I gave on the main cast as a whole still apply to Aoki, it’s to a distinctly lesser degree than to the others. Arguably, there are even two or three side characters that receive more development than him, too. This is my largest critique of the series, as it was disappointing to see Aoki never really receive the full treatment the rest of the CRC got.


To finish off, I’d like to briefly note that the art in this series is great. Shiromizakana’s character designs are phenomenal and they fit the story quite well. I didn’t place heavy weight or emphasis on the art for this review because I generally consider the art in light novels to be a supplementary component more than anything else, but I still wanted to give a brief comment on it.

In conclusion, if you watched and enjoyed the anime series and want to experience the rest of the story, or if you just want to read a great series, I’d wholeheartedly recommend picking up Kokoro Connect.

This is my very first review here in myanimelist so, please bare with me and my grammar. I'll be honest, I only read chp.1 - 7 of vol 1 of the novel in baka-tsuki but, I knew every plot of every volume because of random Japanese and English website. I'll just give a quick and short review. So here it goes.

Story: 10
Kokoro Connect was not really all about swapping souls just like in the synopsis because, every volume have different plot and problem to be solve. Though the story has a fantasy in it, I find it to be realistic. If you look at it ... in different way, you will see that those things really do happen in real life.

Art: 10
I'm a fan of Yukiko Horiguchi and I love her artworks (Specially K-On.). I was surprise (well, most of us I think) that the character designs in this novel looks very the similar to K-On. In fact, when the novel begun to published in Japan, it attract more attention to lovers and non lovers of light novels because of the art design. It's very moe/cute. But I think, the character design is appropriate to the series. Also, I find the artwork very refreshing, deep and emotional. The way she draw and put color in her drawings was very very suitable in the story. Its "GOOD JOB!" for me.

Well, if you don't love cute characters, feel free to deduct 3 points in it.

Characters: 10
The development of every characters are very interesting. First you will hate this character but then, after you read some chapters, you will eventually like him or her. The most interesting character for me is Iori, then followed by Taichi, then Inaba and then Yui and Aoki.

Why Iori? Because, shes the most developed character in the series. Its a very long story so I'm not gonna elaborate it.
And about Taichi, well, I find some or most of the people hate Taichi. My suggestion is, don't judge into conclusion. Taichi was the most interesting character here because of his "selfless freak" attitude. The vol 7 of the novel is really important to Taichi because, it explains everything about him.
Inaba in the other hand is a really really interesting character. The way she love and support her friends (specially Taichi and Iori) is really strong. She's the most likable character for me.

Enjoyment: 9
Well, I'm not really into drama's and it lacks comedy (which is I'm really fond of.) but, I really enjoy it compare to other slice of life because, it has this thing called "story".

Overall: 10
Kokoro Connect was the very first light novel that I fell in love with. The art and the story is a combo, a masterpiece. The series didn't really aim for a love story but, it aims to show each persons personalities and the way people live. I pray that they published it on English so that, everyone can know how awesome is this series. Also, I prefer the light novel than the anime and manga because, it contains more details, explanation and expression more than the other two. ^_^

Note: Theirs a possibility for me to edit this review but for now, I think this is okay. ^_^