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call it step-cest, sister complex, whatever – can’t excuse the fact that haru no arashi to monster is a pretty messed up manga.

the blurb doesn’t exaggerate when they say he’s a creepy jerk - this boy (yes, boy - thirteen year old at that) is deadset on robbing our FL’s right to a normal, socially viable life for herself by being so overbearing. please be for real, he’s thirteen with mommy issues, and it doesn’t help that our FL Ran is playing into this mommy issues nonsense either. i’m not one for stepcest “romance,” and while i understand that everyone has their preferences, this ... borderlines on horrific.

the side characters are somewhat refreshing for once (shoutout to our second love interest), and make the story somewhat bearable. i loved ran at the start of the manga, her backstory and personality actually made sense, but now it’s just used as a weird ploy that kaya manipulates for the sake of "romance," wanting to ostracize her from everything and everyone when she wants the opposite for him, while she makes efforts to get him acclimated to social gatherings.

she gets more airheaded as the chapters progress, her motor skills flatline when he lays a smooch on her and she looses all sense of rational thinking. you can barely recognise her from the start and where she's at now. it’s pretty messed up, and i’m not really eager to see how this story goes ahead. save yourself some time and just don’t read this.

If you are looking for a manga that is cute and heartwarming, this is not the one. If you want to see characters develop their feelings and grow closer, this is not the one. If you want a story with deep meaning, this is not the one. In short, as long as you don't care about any of those things then by all means read it!

With a medicore plot filled with little character development and tsundere teenagers, "#Tonari no Koitsu" doesn't give us anything new and struggles at being memorable or leaving an impact on its readers. The only thing worth appreciating is the ... art-style and how our female lead isn't a stuttering, blushing mess of a character.

If you're looking for something to tug at your heartstrings, this is not for you. But if you're looking for a quick read just for kicks - knock yourself out.