Kimi ni Todoke
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You

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I just had to write a review for this story, because even though it's not over yet, I am shocked by how addicted to it I am. The story is pretty simple, and not uncommon: girl has few friends. girl meets popular guy with lots of friends. girl slowly makes friends + develops crush on boy. When I read the summary for this manga, I think I rolled my eyes at the thought of a manga based on the fact that someone looked like a character from a horror movie. How could that be believable at all?

It totally was.

What makes this manga different? It's ... really hard to put my finger on, but for some reason, even though it's a common story, this author has made it draw me in with the most refreshing characters and most realistic situations I have seen in a long time. Simply put, the characters are honest and real, the situations are believable and cute, not exaggerated and fantasized. At any time when you are reading, you'll put yourself in a place where you can put yourself in the place of a character... Sawako or her friends or even the girl who can't understand what Kazehaya can see in someone like Sawako. As the story continues along, the characters stay true to their roots, while being exciting and fun to read about at the same time.

Also, the author is excellent at writing the romantic side of the story in a way that while it is constantly touched on, but never becomes the sole focus of the plot. It's so exciting to see a romance that isn't focused on the couple, but on a character's journey though the world into romance and school and life in general.

The art is nothing to call home about, but it is nice and cleanly drawn.

I have really high hopes for the rest of the volumes and the conclusion. If the author keeps writing how she has been, I have no worries.

"Reaching you", no other words could have been the best title for this manga.

Kimi ni Todoke, when you look at its cover, seems like generic Shoujo romance manga with obvious development and obvious characters. Even some of actual fans of this manga seem to think that is a case. However, not much people notices how much shoujo cliche that Kimi ni Todoke broke in order to become one of the current most popular shoujo manga in Japan. It has so many appeal points for anyone who is not experienced with female-targetting series and it also hooked me up instantly. This review will be mostly ... about why Kimi ni Todoke is successful, why Kimi ni Todoke is one of the best shoujo manga to the date.

The story starts with a single girl called Kuronuma Sawako. One key point about this character is that she is 'not normal'. Most of shoujo story deals with 'ordinary girl' with 'ordinary appearances' who experiences 'unusual situation' and 'unusual love', and later ends with becoming 'special person'. In this way, target population, 'ORDINARY female readers' can fantasize the events relation to themselves, and that's how shoujo story worked.

In Kimi ni Todoke, Sawako is 'unusual girl' with 'unusual appearance' who experiences 'ordinary situation' and 'ordinary love'. If you look at chapter 1 and the most recent chapters, you will find that Sawako's appearance never ever changed from the start. The only thing changed was her attitude and way to express her emotion. Thus, she was 'SPECIAL' and 'BEAUTIFUL' from the start of this series. Not just that, she is extremely good at studying, good at sports, good at teaching, only flaw point that she has seems to be her lack of personality, shyness and hikikomori-ness. This is complete antithesis of general shoujo heroine, and this constructs most of refreshing point that Kimi ni Todoke uses to appear viewers.

Let's go more deep inside Sawako's character development. Even though she is beauty who is basically good at everything, she is extremely shy and always with various rumours involving exorcism (...). She does not know how to communicate. She is way too pure and naive, definitely lacks some general social skills and way to express her feelings, which is already apparent in the various start of the series. As series develops, we find these hindering properties starts to be minimized, 'WITHOUT' diminishing some of appeal points comes from those elements. Sawako's appealing personality hasn't changed, but her 'attitude' is the major thing that changed. It adds a layer of realism and to herione and we can easily sympathise and adore her, unlike other major heroines in shoujo series who are mostly like Harem leads in shonen manga; indecisive and thoughtless.

However, if there is a reason why Kimi ni Todoke also appeals to Male viewers, Kazehaya Shouta is much definite reason for it. Situation that character confronts are... just unbearably cute and honest. It is 'VERY REAL', except Sawako's introvert personality. He is, compare to Kuronoma, very ordinary. If we exclude the fact that he is the most popular guy in the school, his reaction to ongoing romance and situation is extremely realistic, ordinary and even cute for male-standard. The way he blushes and react to Sawako is as if seeing ourselves in love there. Unlike most of shoujo male leads who always seems to be in rivalry or usual indecisiveness, Kazehaya Shouta's love interest is a single person from the start to the end, Sawako. It is also true for vice versa, Sawako's love interest was never a person other than Shouta. This makes things clear why Kimi ni Todoke is appealing. This is a manga about 'pure love', which was pretty rare in recent shoujo. And author is constructing this pure love in most interesting, effective and enjoyable way by creating characters that breaks the cliche and situations where characters react 'differently' compare to other manga.

Another key point is, that 'pure romance' is NOT the only enjoyable plot point it has. In has relatively few sub characters and all of them represents one of the key themes that act as strong point of Kimi ni Todoke. Sawako's relationship with her new friends, Chizuru, Yano and Sanada is never set aside from the plot. She is not only reaching to Shouta, but also her friends. It is interesting how Sawako, Chizuru and Yano is very different from each other, yet became best friends to each other. Even though they all have different personality, one thing they share is that they are all kind. They respect each other and they share each others thought. There has never been a serious fight between each other other than misunderstandings. Thus, viewers can enjoy this manga really relaxed, without worrying about some crazy development or accidents we normally see in other shoujo manga. Whenever I read Kimi ni Todoke, always have smile on my face, never annoyed by character what-so-ever.

It is true that Kimi ni Todoke has relatively slow story development compare to other shoujo series. It 'does' seem a bit too slow sometimes, which I can't really describe in this review due to spoiler issues. However, the way to negate that issue was already established from the start, it's Sawako's personality. The story is about pure romance and friends ship, but ultimately about Sawako's character development. Even though it is slow, we can see how Sawako is changing, compare to the start of the series, how she is more active, how she can express her thoughts and feelings more AND, how her personality has always been positive, kind and pure.

Art, is brilliant. Honestly, art was one of the major reason why I started this series. Compare to usual Shoujo manga with huuuuuge eyes, long eyelids, male character with triangle shaped head, extremely cold and tall and, most of all, never ever showing any realistic expression on their face. Art style of Kimi ni Todoke is acceptable for any readers, due to its sense of realism in terms of character's expressions. It is also beautifully drawn without those usual shoujo-style exaggeration I mentioned above, too; it has its own charm and uniqueness.

It is apparent that many people, including me, enjoys this series. Others, who don't, ask us 'Why?'. I can easily answer it. It has a pure story of realistic love. We were tired of reading stories like those from White Album or Strawberry 100%. When other shoujo series puts unrealistic fantasies into the story makes intresting, Kimi ni Todoke tells story of 'ordinary love' between friends, classmates and family and does its best attempt of it.

Kimi ni Todoke, is about unusual but naive girl who faces ordinary situation and ordinary love. That enough is already reason why it is, and will be one of the most unique and well-written shoujo I've seen.

"Kimi ni Todoke", translated as "From Me to You" or "Reaching You" is one of the sweetest and most heartfelt stories I have ever read. After reading it for so many years, I couldn't stop myself from writing this review.

It's slow-paced, simple and delicate in the best of ways. I feel that it mirrors the pace of true high school life: little things happen day by day, inching slowly towards the end. It's a story about love, of course, but it's so much more than that. It's a story about expressing your emotions and love for others, all kinds of love: romantic, friendship & ... familial.

The story starts with a pretty standard trope: unpopular girl meets popular boy. But, the way this plays out is honestly far from the standard. The main leads are both shy, kind and the relationship is balanced. It isn't one of those relationships where the boy is highly experienced, always reassuring the girl who can't understand why he would like her. If I recall correctly, Kazehaya may have to reassure Sawako in the beginning but after that, they are comfortable and confident with one another. Sawako and Kazehaya are always trying to improve themselves and always want to communciate. Of course, this may take some time to develop as there as initial misunderstandings (like many other real relationships). But I think the two main leads are adorable and depict a very sweet and healthy relationship.

The romance is sweet, and the friendships are sweet too. This story is full of girls lifting up girls, supporting one another, admitting their faults and forgiving each other. Yes, there's a popular "rival" like pretty much all other shoujos but there's alot of slow and satisfactory character development.

There isn't much else I can say without spoiling it but if you want a heartfelt shoujo manga please give this one a try!

Recently rated as the top manga for the week of 28th November 2007, I feel that the manga deserves its' ranking. While there are moments of pure shoujo cliches (angry rivals) I love the main protagonist's personality. Instead of having a warped personality from being treated as an outcast, Sawako keeps her naivete and is always wanting to help lighten the burdens of others.

I find the art cute and pretty, not overly shoujo with flower backgrounds but, similar to the style of Honey & Clover. Rather than being a love story of an unpopular girl falling for the most popular guy, I think that ... Kimi ni Todoke is about a journey of a girl trying to reach understanding from her classmates.

I strongly believe that this manga is one of the best I have yet read/am reading. Even though I have only read chapters 0 to 3, I can honestly say that I believe this manga will turn out to be a great success. So far the characters have really started to come into play, and the story is just starting. It's only just the enterance of a great tale, and I am already looking forward to buying all the volumes of this manga. I truly think that the creator of this manga will be successful. I love this manga.

The story is simple; awkward girl meets a little less awkward boy and they fall in love. But the girl is so socially awkward that its just hilarious.

Seriously though, the story is great. Sawako gaining friends and learning about other people is a pretty good core, but learning about everyone and what their troubles is one of the best things here. The romance is great, I love how diverse and different each relationshipdynamic is and yet how, they all just 'clicked'. 9/10 for story.

I'm not the best in terms of judging art, but i really love how it's drawn. It's clear and well-drawn, with some ... amazing details every once in a while. All the
characters were all very diverse as well, and you could easily tell them all apart. 10/10 for the art.

OK, so we have a main cast consisting of the MC(Sawako), the loveinterest(Kazehaya), the tomboy friend(Chizu), the bitchy friend(Ayane), the one that everybody knows(Ryu), the teacher(Pin), the blonde male loverival(Kent) and the alpha bitch(Kurumi).

I really loved Sawako. She is a pretty great main character and her character development was done subletely, but it was there, and when you look back at older chapters, you really can see how much she's changed, even if not in major areas, considering what the manga is all about its pretty great.

Kazehaya is honestly hilarious. Thats just my opinion. He is not really a funny guy, he is just hilarious in some situations. His relationship with Sawako is probably my favorite thing aboyt he whole manga. I really liked him, though after chapter 60-ish he starts to act a bit weird, and it kinda bothers me.

Chizu and Ayane are both amazing, they a re so different and i love it. Chizu has her problems with Ryu and Toru while Ayane tries to learn and love herself and fall in love.

Ryu is the silent one that is forgetful and always tired. He has a close friendship with Kazehaya and Chizu and is alwayd there for them. He is the one that is always honest and who provides a lot of comic relief. I really love Ryu, as well as his relationship with everyone in the show.

Pin is just one huge-ass troll. Either he is the most annoying on the planet or he gives some really great advice that really helps everyone out. I like him though. He's funny.

Ok, so i hate Kent in the anime BUT since im reviewing the manga where he gets a lot more character development and screentime, i have to say he is way to nice for his own good. He is kinda stupid(the blonde stereotype i guess) but on the other hand, he always helps people and really means it. I love him, he is such a little sweetheart, even though he can be kinda asshole-y sometimes without meaing to.

KURUMI! She is my favorite character. She is a bitch, manipulative, confident, hardworking and ambitious, and she is just wonderful. I love her development. I love her silent support and the way she accepted things and started becoming friends with Sawako.
9/10 on characters

I enjoyed this very much and im looking forward to teh next chapter now that im finally caught up on it. I would definantly recomend Kimi ni todoke. I love it so much, its probably my favorite shojo right after OHSHC. 10/10

It's funny how when you start to read a manga, and you start to smile, and kind of "tingle" inside. You become engrossed in it, and all of a sudden it's worn out and raggedy, but you don't want to get a new one because this it has become a classic to you. That's how much i love this manga.

Kimi ni Todoke isn't the average shoujo. Sawako isn't a brain dead pretty girl crushing on the most popular guy in school. No. she's just a sweet girl, who seeks understanding from her classmates. The first ever person to give her that is Kazehaya. Kazehaya isn't ... head over heels for her. At first he is just interested. He sees that she is always helping others indirectly, and he likes that about her. Over time, he gets to know her, and starts to like EVERYTHING about. This slowly blossoms into love.

Sawako respects, and worships Kazehaya. He helped her come out of her shyness and make friends that she is willing to do anything for. She goes through a lot with them, none of it being overly dramatic or unrealistic. Of course, she spends some time with Kazehaya and treasures the simple but special moments that they spend together. This, too, blossoms into love.

This manga is totally original. Everything is written beautifully, and nothing is rushed. After about 3 chapters, this manga became one of my favorites.

The art isn't anything spectacular. It is not bad, either. It's simple and cute, like the story.

The characters are something special, though, that you will never forget. Sawako is sweet and shy. She volunteers for things that no one else wants to d, just so someone unwilling won't be forced. She treasures small things, like friendship because they are new to her.
Kazehaya is optimistic, friendly, and loved by all. He is the first one to befriend Sawako. Early in the story, he develops a crush on Sawako. He defends her from rumors, without it having to be front page news, unlike all the other guys we usually see. He is kind to Sawako always.
Chizuru and Ayane are the Dynamic Duo. you never see one without the other. They quickly welcome Sawako and accept her, finding her sweet and cute. Chizuru is athletic, but a bit dense. Ayane is sensible and mature. They are Sawako's best friends.
Ryuu is also Sawako's friend. He doesn't talk much, but they get along together well. when you see these friends interacting with each other you'll smile.

The enjoyment was high, seeing as I was always enjoying every second, just watching Sawako open up, and hang out with friends for the first. time. Sawako is the sweetest friend ever, and I felt as if I knew her.

Overall, this manga was amazing. It wasn't over the top, didn't have a lot of comedy, but it had heart warming scenes that we take for granted.

This has got to be my favorite manga... granted I haven't read many, but this manga has you rooting for the main character, who has the most innocent, sweet, and sometimes painfully honest personality... she's a hard worker, a genuine friend, and an admirable person overall.

STORY: This may look like your typical romantic story, but it really isn't. The main char is quite unique, where she basically kinda scares everyone around her cuz of her similarity to the girl from The Ring, but you find yourself totally drawn to her and cheering for her as she grows as an individual... it's a really touching story, ... not just romantically. For anyone who is even slightly introverted or shy, you can just imagine yourself in her shoes and flourish with her! =)

So not only are you following her through her development as a person, learning to open herself up to others, to make friends, to smile... you then start to follow her romantic story as well as the stories of the people around her, who you also will develop attachments too. Every character has a loveable side, as well as flaws, so it's all very realistic and the dynamics of the story are believable and enjoyable.

The way she understands and interprets things is really comedic and unique sometimes, and causes quite a bit of mess sometimes. There's never a dull moment in this manga, and it's just a really touching story with awesome characters.

ART: I think the art is something to get used to kinda, but I love the doll versions of people - the artwork can be quite comedic at times. =D The art is drawn so that you just find yourself staring at each page because it just fills your heart with joy, happiness, love, and all those warm gushy feelings. You really get drawn into the art, no page is wasted, and it just sucks you into the story like you're really in it... it's amazing!!

Oh, and if you watched the anime through season 2, I believe the last ep is ~ chapter 42 of the manga, with Kurumi. So, if you need a starting point to continue the story, that'd be it. But I recommend starting from chapter 40......... =)

I've already written a review for this series, but I wrote it when I was tired and not thinking well enough to create very coherent thoughts, so this is me trying again.

You know what? I love this series to pieces, and my love for it only increases each time I read. I've scored all four of the categories Story, Art, Character and Enjoyment fairly high, but only one of them is the reason for my shameless adoration of the manga (and its anime adaptation, but I'm not reviewing that right now), and that would be its characters.

That's not to say that I love all ... of them. But I can safely say that this series holds some of the most entertaining, interesting and original characters I've ever read about...which is funny, as most of them seem to be based on common archetypes.
We have the shy, misunderstood loner; the popular chick-magnet she falls for; the hyperactive tomboy; the quiet, apathetic guy; the mature and worldly wise girl, and a number of other fairly well-worn character clichés.

And yet it's the way that the characters are developed far beyond what their moulds would initially make them out to be that makes Kimi ni Todoke really shine. They are so much more than what they may initially seem in the first few volumes, and so are the relationships between them.

This being primarily a romance manga (in the technical sense of the word, anyway, but I'll go into that later), character interaction and development of relationships is obviously a very important element, and, due to the brilliance of the characters, it's handled incredibly well. Love - romantic, platonic or an entirely different - is never easy to understand or handle, and the series does a great job of handling that realistically whilst keeping just enough light-hearted fluff and comedy in the equation so as not to let things become melancholy and exhausting.

But still, realistic it is. Sawako and Kazehaya find expressing their feelings difficult to the extent where any chances they have at love are often poorly handled or missed entirely; Ryu and Chizu have such a strong friendship that Ryu's romantic feelings for her are naturally approached with the expected caution; Kurumi is in love with a boy who's never noticed her back (and, unless the plot takes a shocking twist, never will); Ayane finds it difficult to feel true love and isn't sure that she deserves it anyway.
The relationship progression between all of the characters is slow - sometimes painfully so - but it's amazingly rewarding because the next steps feel much, much sweeter as a result.

So, to wrap up: is this series perfect? No, not at all! Sometimes the pacing is a little inconsistent - potentially deeper storylines are occasionally rushed, whilst some of the more tedious ones are dragged out to a ridiculous extent. At points, the chibi forms of the characters are overused, killing what may have previously been a serious or emotional scene and creating severe mood whiplash. The love bubbles everywhere are very pretty, but sometimes they only serve to make an already cute scene almost too sickly-sweet. And it's slow moving, very slow moving, to a point where things are *horrendously* frustrating at times (although I wouldn't call this a flaw persay, since it does mean we get a lot of relationship development; still, if you don't have a lot of patience and you aren't prepared to really commit to a series, then maybe this isn't for you).

And yet these flaws all fall into insignificance, because I can safely say that I would far rather put up with those and spend time with characters I can't help but love to pieces than, well, not.

Kimi ni Todoke is a romance manga, and yet it is about so much more than that; it's about friendship, it's about overcoming social difficulties, it's about moving on after times have been rough, it's about being true to yourself, it's about loving and caring and hurting and growing up and learning and being honest and so much more that comes with being alive. It's funny and cute and sometimes sad, and no, it's not perfection. It's probably nowhere near as amazing as I think it to be.

But as far as high school dramas go, it's one of the best out there. And I'd advise anyone who wants to read something that will make them smile and giggle and feel things to pick it up, because it's well worth a shot.

Recently I have gotten into this rage of reading Manga, thanks to my craving to read and right now its focused on Japanese graphic novels alias “Manga“.

Anyway, coming back to the point which is the review of the Manga “Kimi ni Todoke” which means “reaching you“. At first, Kimi ni looks like just another Shoujo Manga, but that’s where the similarity ends. This Manga series mainly focuses on love and friendship. It has very beautifully created some of the most outstanding moments that happen when the seed of first love sprouts in a teenage heart. It certainly made me nostalgic about my teenage years and ... school life. The slice-of-life that has been depicted between the main protagonist Sawako and her friends, both male and female is just too cute and innocent.

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
For those who have not yet read the manga (or seen the anime), this will be a bit of a spoiler summary for you.

The plot/story goes like this – Our main protagonist female lead Sawako Kuronuma is called “Sadako” by her classmates because for her resemblance to the character from The Ring horror stories, and has always been feared and misunderstood because of her appearance. There are also rumors floating around the school that Sawako can see ghosts and curse people. However, despite her appearances, she is a sweet, a bit naive and timid girl who longs to make friends and just blend in with the crowd like a normal high school student. Everything takes a new turn in Sawako’s life when the popular boy of her school Kazehaya begins talking with her. With the help of Kazehaya, Sawako tries to make friends and starts talking to different people. With all these changes happening around her Sawako can’t thank Kazehaya enough for giving her these opportunities. Slowly, but surely a sweet, innocent love story is also blossoming between the two. This manga is their journey of love while overtaking any obstacle that come in their way… (with a little help from their friends of course!).

Whether you like romantic genre in reading or like to dig in once-in-a-while in the leisure of romance then give this Manga a shot. I know it’s a graphic novel/comic but hey nobody created an age bar when it comes to a “good read” or you can watch the anime :).

TL;DR at the bottom

The shoujo romance is one of the most popular stories published in the magazines of Japan. The story of a high school girl living a mundane life before one guy turns her life upside-down is a story that’s been done time and time again. But how different series differentiate themselves ultimately comes down to their starting conditions.

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You), written by Karuho Shiina is one of the longest and, arguably, the most successful. Whereas other series have fairly unrealistic and wacky premises, Kimi ni Todoke keeps it simple: the socially awkward girl Sawako Kuronoma, who’s never made ... friends due to her creepy resemblance to the girl from the ring, suddenly meets the first person to brush aside all the rumors and treat her like any other girl, the most popular guy in the class, Shota Kazahaya.
Okay maybe it's not that realistic.

Now it's not spoiling it to say that these two will end up being a couple. As with most shoujo romance stories, you already know from the beginning that the two first characters introduced will get together. But, as the saying goes, it’s not about the destination, it's about the journey.
And boy does this journey suck.

If you’re a big fan of characters misunderstanding each other because they are dumb and just won’t listen, you are going to love the first 11 volumes. As soon as you think that they’ve made progress on their relationship, the main pair somehow finds a way to perform a soft reset. The arc leading up to their inevitable conclusion is one of the most frustrating and unbearable arcs I’ve ever read and made me wish I could do a free kick on an abandoned child across an empty parking lot. Genuinely one of the first times I’ve gotten angry over a set of panels.
Although I would say that when they finally get together, it is good. Like I was giggling like an idiot. But of course it's good. That's the whole appeal of a romance story.
I can’t say it was worth it.

So why are there 19 more volumes?
Half of it is focused on the romance of the side characters, which, in Kimi ni Todoke’s defense, are some of the best side characters I’ve seen in a shoujo romance story. While Chizuru Yoshida’s romance consists of the standard “childhood friend doesn’t know when the feelings of friendship turn into feelings of love”, and to be fair, is pretty fun in its own right; Ayane Yano’s romance is by far the best part of this manga.

Ayane is awesome based solely on the fact that she actually feels like a normal human character with a normal human brain. It's always fun when a character actually knows the romantic shenanigans that are going down. But what makes Ayane a compelling character is the fact that no guy she hooks up with ever seems to be ‘the one’. It's not like other romance stories where you kind of know who they’re gonna end up with. She experiences commitment issues, relationship doubts, and even breakups, which is honestly just a breath of fresh air that I’ve never really seen in a Japanese romance story before. So to see Ayane have a satisfying conclusion to her character is one of the few joys of this manga.

But, alas, that's only half of it.
The other half consists of stuff between the main couple. You may be wondering, “after the main couple gets together, how can you make their interactions compelling and interesting for 19 volumes?”
Well, you can’t. At least this manga can’t.

After reading this manga I now understand why so many romance stories end after the main couple gets together. Nobody wants to be in the same room as a lovey-dovey couple making out. Many of the interactions between Sawako and Shota make you feel like a third wheel. 90% of the time their interactions begin with “I want to see you” and end in “I love you”. Sure, it's nice the first time around, but after the 7th time, I kinda wanted to throw up. But maybe I’m just lonely.

The root of the problem is really the fact that Sawako’s entire personality is ‘nice girl’ and Shota’s entire personality is ‘nice guy’. When the two get together, besides the occasional awkwardness, there is no interesting banter or chemistry or just any fun to be had when all they can say is how much they love each other.

TL;DR Kimi ni Todoke is one of the most barebones shoujo romances you can get. All I can really say about the main couple is that they’re safe and normal, if not repetitive and boring. Where the series really shines is the side characters, even if the manga doesn’t really flesh most of them. With beautiful art and decent characters, it's a perfectly fine introduction to the shoujo romance genre. But keep in mind it's often a huge drag to get to the interesting stuff. If you like the genre, you’ll probably like the series. If you’re just starting out, give it 2 volumes before dropping it.

I will say though, the girls in this manga are really pretty.

Kuronuma Sawako's one wish in life is to make friends. That's a difficult proposition when everyone who meets this high school student cowers in terror! She just wants to be like her classmate Kazehaya-kun, a laid-back, easygoing guy. Like CHARMING JUNKY and THE WALLFLOWER (aka Perfect Girl Evoltuion), this is a lighthearted and romantic comedy.

Even though i have just read the first book, i am so eager for another one. Kimi no todoke, of what i have read so far, the story is cute and cheerful and you also feel like shouting (or maybe this only counts for me XD) Sawako you silly billy don't act like that they are scared of you because you like that.
Basically its a cute, romantic, sweet and charming story of what i have read so far! And the artwork is pretty and the main boy is seriously cute tehe XD

Okay, up for a second review. This might be long than I thought. Okay, so Kimi ni Todoke is your simple and satisfying manga. Not the best, not the worst.

It may sometimes leave some readers unsatisfied with the misunderstandings happening and revolving around the story, but this is just natural, and on learns to get used to it. The story is simple, and just every girl's life-style, inlove, unable to confess, likes of the different likes. Pretty to think so, that this just show's how every girl like Sawako is trapped in this situation. The Characters may sometimes be uncool because of the misunderstandings happening, ... still, one learns to accept the fact.. that it's just showing what every person in the real human life would do.

Every event happening here is happening there. A simple life-style manga, you called. The story never goes out of it's simplicity. Simple, yet natural, and complicated, we can bear with it. It's our own life too. As I go back again, some scenes may be unsatisfying and seems to be 'unfair' and drastic, but in the end, like we always do, we get a reward from a punishment we made. And the reward shall be everlasting happiness. The story is just very open for everyone to see what's really hidden inside what our life is now.

This may sound weird, but whatever we are, we always tell ourselves how real and possible this could be. This is everyone's story people, this manga is telling us how idiots we are and just like in a simple, in what we will do in this situation. Better understanding, better learning. :D

-Furei Ren

In this story, I enjoyed it a lot more although it was really long. When
I mean really long, I mean that it took forever for any relationship between the two main characters to take place. But what kept me reading this story is that I can relate almost 100% with the main character at the beginning of the story. She had no friends. She was really lonely. Everyone was mistaking her for something she wasn't. That in my life, is also how you would describe it. I think this story is good for those like me, who are lonely and have close to no ... friends in thise world. So far, it's great :)

Sheer brilliance in a beautiful story.
So rarely does a shoujo manga completely defy the norm and venture into unknown territory. The main character, Sawako Kuronuma, is completely unlike any manga character I've ever seen. Looking spookily like Sadako from The Ring, Sawako is an outcast, all other members of her class shunning her out of fear. The classic 'rumours' getting out of hand, descending into such idiocy it is said if you look at Sawako for more than seven seconds something bad will happen to you within the week.
But is Sawako bitter, vengeful or twisted because of been shunned the majority of her life? ... Is she heck. All she wants to do is make friends with the people who've feared, constantly trying to make friends, bizarrely done so admittedly, but never the less. And because of her desperation, she's caught the eye of 'everyones' Kazehaya - the class' most popular boy.

You will devour this beautiful tale, Chizuru - Sawako's friend, is one of the most brilliant characters you will come across. You'll end up wishing you had her friends, and wishing you knew her.

Lovely tale and beautifully drawn. Believe me, you will regret it if you don't have a shot at reading this lovely story.

Kimi ni Todoke would have to be one of my personal favorite reads. The plot is very unique, and I haven't read anything else that comes close to a story as good as this one. First off, the idea of a girl as beautiful as Sawako being feared by everybody else may be farfetched, but everything seemed to fit so perfectly in the end, that Kazehaya fell in love with someone the other boys would cover in terror facing, that he, the ever popular Kazehaya Shouta of all people, would be in love with Sawako Kuronuma, nicknamed "Sadako."
Not only is the main plot interesting, but ... it also touches the heart, because the scenes wherein Sadako cries are scenes where you feel like you can relate... whenever you overhear gossips that are untrue, or whenever people say bad things behind your back... it felt like I understood the pain she felt. Not only the sadness, but also during those times when you read each page, and both Kazehaya and Sadako are in tears of utter joy-- I feel happy for both of them. When I read it, the story seemed like it made the characters come alive. Kimi ni Todoke is both a must read and a must watch, so all you manga lovers out there looking for something interesting, then I tell you. Look no more. Read it.

So, this manga is probably one of the best your gonna get from this genre. At least, as I've found so far. I said this with the anime as well, but Kimi ni Todoke is as realistic as realistic get with romantic fiction, and that's really nice. I won't lie to you: if you don't like slow paced things, this manga will probably bore you more often than not. It does take the story extremely slow, so you need to be invested in the characters to care about what's happening.

Though, that really shouldn't be a problem, because all of the characters written for this manga ... are absolutely amazing. I think the thing I loved seeing the most was how the characters' friendships were written. It felt authentic to watch Sawako's friendship begin and develop with her friends because the writer took such care with it. It's because of that specifically that this manga could be about more than just romance. It had substance beyond that.

Some of the negatives, and I'm gonna keep it a buck, the story's pure form as far as the romance goes got so boring after a while of reading it. Don't get me wrong, this is a really inspirational manga that really showcases what it means to be a teenager, especially a teenager that feels invisible. It tells a great story about a great main character that breaks out of her shell... but the *romance,* oh my goodness. The development of it was wonderful and realistic. I think seeing how she falls in love was done beautifully. However, after a while (about where the anime drops off... well, at least for the main character), it just got to be a bit too much.

It didn't turn super gushy, but it felt like the progression with the characters stopped in favor of romantic developments and conflicts. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the series probably should've stopped a bit earlier than it did, but I understand why it went where it went.

I've got the negatives fresh in my mind because I didn't quite enjoy the last stretch of the manga, BUT the manga as a whole is amazing. Honestly, if you want a good slice-of-life type romance manga, you should read this. It's warm and comforting, and it'll make you happy from the bottom of your heart. Just... pace yourself with reading it so you don't get jaded like I did. That's all for now.

I read this manga just after finishing "Ao Haru Ride," so I have something to immediately compare it to, and I want to say that this one was much, much better. Even though it's frustrating and slow at times, like high school love, it's still extremely refreshing and heart warming.

One of the main things that I enjoyed about the series was the lack of fan service and the focus on friendships along with romance. It isn't your average "shy unpopular girl and experienced popular boy fall for each other" story, specifically because the main character is a bit more than just shy. Because of ... her inability to interact with others and her constant overthinking and distancing, I came to believe that Sawako must have serious social anxiety. This makes the fact that she is able to form lasting bonds with people and break out of her shell exciting and sweet for the audience. She goes on an extreme mental journey where she learns to believe in herself and trust her peers, so we see more than just a crush altering her life.

I personally liked all of the characters and the ways they changed. As I said before, Sawako is quiet and innocent, but she's also strong from the beginning. Even though everyone was scared of her, she wouldn't stop trying to befriend them, and Kazehaya saw that. Kazehaya initially seems like the perfect hottie who is inherently nice and approachable, but he's also selfish and completely at a loss when it comes to being in a relationship. We get to see Ayane change from someone who sees no value in herself and is in abusive relationships just to pass time to someone who studies and works hard and gets nervous around someone she likes. Ryu stays quiet and balanced throughout the whole series, but we see his bottled up romantic feelings finally overflow through his bold actions with the one he likes. Chizuru is the only character that doesn't really makes sense to me, since she goes her whole life seeing a character as family and then sees him romantically out of nowhere. Nevertheless, she's still a supportive and air-headed character that provides comic relief and becomes more in touch with her feelings as the story progresses. Pin is hilarious and it's great that we get to see his relationships with his students develop and his true teaching abilities surface.

I really like the art, but I didn't when I watched the anime like five years ago, so it depends on your personal style preferences.

The main thing that I didn't like was how upsetting their misunderstandings and behavior were. I found myself screaming at the pages when the characters would just assume something and make the relationships they were developing take ten steps back in terms of progress. They have trouble expressing their feelings and being clear, which is true of teenagers in real life, so at least it makes sense. I personally didn't have an issue with how slow their relationships moved. It made each romantic moment between them more special since I had been waiting for them for quite a bit.

Ultimately, the story is light-hearted and fun. The audience sees teenagers fumble through their first relationships and then get hit in the face by the iron wall of college and their futures. They mature and change for the better, while also measuring their own worth and effort. I highly recommend it!

[Mod Edit: This review was originally written for a one shot manga which was previously a separate entry and was subsequently merged into Kimi Ni Todoke.]

I will try to not ramble, but I always feel like I need to leave a long involved review for things- which I know is not necessary- but it still ends up like that.

Story: 7
It was short- but fun. However if you don't know the characters from Kimi Ni Todoke or Aozora Yell I can't recommend it. I didn't know the female characters, but I wasn't felt feeling lost because I knew Pin and Tooru from Kimi Ni Todoke.
I think ... someone who, like me, has only seen one of the 2 parent manga, can get the gist of what's happening.
It's not complicated, really easy to understand and made me interested in Aozora Yell- where I wasn't interested before. I haven't started reading it yet- so no idea if I'll like-it, but the main thing is it made me look at Aozora Yell again where I had already written it off since to me it sounded boring.
I have no complaints with the story- if it was a stand alone with no parent stories, then that would be another story all together- it would be too short, too this or too that but it's not so I'm not worrying about that.

Art: 10
If you know either Aozora Yell or Kimi ni Todoke's artwork you'll feel comfortable. As I stated above, I did not know Aozora Yell.
But I do know another manga by it's mangaka- that one is called Koukou Debut. So I am familiar with the art style of that mangaka.
That being said, the art of both the mangaka blends well in this. Their styles match so well that someone unfamiliar with their works who might see the manga but for whatever reason doesn't see the author's names, they might think it was one person.
It's a seamless blend.

Characters: 9
AsI stated above- I don't know the characters from Aozora Yell yet- so I can't say much for them, other than the fact that as someone who doesn't know them, they were funny and fairly likable right off the bat. They made me interested in Aozora Yell.
As for the ones from Kimi ni Todoke. They were fantastic, I love Pin, he's one of my favorite characters. He was displaying more of his funny rather than his serious side here. I actually like him best when he shows both at the same time. But he was still fun to watch. As for Tooru- I haven't seen enough of him in the kimi ni todoke manga to get a good feel for him, I don't hate him or like him. But he was very amusing here too in he last page or so, I loved the reaction to him from the girls from Aozora Yell.

Enjoyment: 9
I enjoyed it a great deal more than I expected given that I am familiar with only 2 of the 4 characters in it and it's only 8 pages long. I would have liked it more if it was a bit longer, but I can't have everything.

Overall: 9
I think anyone who knows either one or both the main manga series will like this. Even if you only know one, I think it's a quick, funny thing to read, adds some more depth to the stories and is easy for those who know the main series to understand.