This manga is soo hilarious!
The girl is really cold and only interested in studying and the guy is cute, strong and a total weirdo but together they are so funny. I think them and this manga so far are pretty unique. =-)

I started reading this years ago but stopped at about volume five. When the anime came out I didn't really remember it, so I watched it and enjoyed it for the most part. I felt some story things were lacking and wanted to see how/if they resolved, so I started reading the manga again right afterwards - and while I did enjoy it, I definitely didn't leave satisfied.

The art is good (this is a small thing, but I appreciate that the characters occasionally change hairstyles and are still recognizable), and the premise of 'straightforward and serious girl attracts wild and emotional boy' was fun; the story flips the cliche confession trope right off, which was interesting, and kept doing it as well (frankly, I think the third time was pushing it, but I can appreciate the the manga both trying to do something different and also keep the 'pining' aspect that is so crucial to most shoujo). I liked the characters a lot, and I really loved how friendships worked and grew throughout the series. It actually reminded me a lot of Kimi no Todoke in a way, where many of them needed to learn how to make friends and grow as people while still being true to themselves. The secondary characters are really what kept me reading by the end, and I would have loved more side stories and backstories with them. I would have appreciated some other romantic relationships as well, especially since, like I said, I ended up being fond of basically every character and several of them spent...years? in one-sided loves that clearly weren't going anywhere, which was a bummer.

It's the lack of resolution in this story that really bothers me. We spend a lot of time building up Haru's family drama and his relationship with his brother, and ultimately that is never wrapped up or hashed out. We also never meet an important member of Shizuku's family, which again, felt like it was something the story was leading to only to just...stop? And the whole ending felt very weird and rushed to me. I know it's typical to do a time-skip and for the third year to be more rushed (or skipped completely), but this really felt like it came out of nowhere. I don't know if the mangaka didn't know where to go with the story or just wanted to be done with it, but everything felt so thrown together and, having lost the ability to root for our main couple, I almost just decided to not finish the last few chapters.

tl;dr: With an interesting premise for shoujo and a good protagonist, this had the roots of a really good story, but everything needed to be flushed out more to make it really worthwhile. While this was enjoyable for one read, I wouldn't go through it again.

... Last updated on September 16th, 2019, 9:43am

This manga is amazing to the brim. Exciting, cute and funny. It is definitely one of my top tens. Unfortunately, dear future readers, be aware of the fact that Yoshida Haru has a thick skull.
He may have genuine interests towards Shizuku but what do those 'interests' actually mean? Love as friends or lovers? THIS, is an issue for me. I nearly flipped a table due to his bluntness. Haru could have just made things CLEAR. Take Shizuku and leave any other unnecessary girls! (I may seem cruel but I am itching to say so). But overall, the manga is good.

This is a fun, slice of life type manga that progresses slowly (which just makes the changing moments that much sweeter). All the characters are likable and the series is just as much about friendship as romance (probably even more). The atmosphere is similar to Orange (Takano Ichigo) The drawing is superb-it's clean, pretty, and has a clear style that is uniquely Robiko's. Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys a slow, well thought out shoujo.

PS Yamaken is freaking cute.

... Last updated on May 20th, 2013, 5:56pm

Okay if you’re tired of same old cliché shoujo manga that you see everywhere! Then you should definitely try this manga! This manga separate itself from many other shoujo manga. The main female character is strong and independent, she has a cold personality, but she is also really funny and is unique. And the main male character is very refreshing from the typical shoujo main lead, he hot-headed but as a cute happy dog personality and he striving to makes friend, but he always get in to fights.

I can't say much about the plot though since they are only 8 translated chapters but I'm sure it be epic. But so far the manga is pack with a lot of funny events that happen with the group (yes they form and group with a girl who is obsessed with the internet, and baseball guy, and a chicken!)

And the art is very good too. Its simpler to shouen manga art.

So I defiantly recommend everyone to gives this manga a try. It’s a good read!

... Last updated on April 23rd, 2011, 3:13pm

Oh this is a manga i wouldn't hesitate giving a 10.
I've always been attracted to cold female leads, and this is lead gives me the the most realistic feel. I can't wait for the next chapters...

I wish it would meet my expectation. but for now, i'd say, you better read it.

It's good. nice read. light and nice. it left me smiling...

It's been a while since I've started to read this and now that it's finished, I think it's time for a retrospective analysis of this story. First thing first, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a shoujo, nothing more, nothing less. That being said, it brings out the best in the genre.
It follows a classical setting depicting the usual high school romance scenario, we watch as two inexperienced young people fall in love, learn to cope with this new feeling and try to find their place in life. Sounds simple enough and not exactly original, but here the author (Robico) decides to shake things up a bit. It turns out that both of the protagonists, Haru and Shizuku, are oddballs with issues of their own and both of them are quite hard to understand. Their thoughts, responses and actions keep the series fresh from the beginning to the end. Their struggles to understand the world around them, so different from their expectations of it, frustrate you as much as they captivate you, not letting you go of this read. This is a character driven story and that also shows in the side characters. They are all interesting and differently from most shoujos they actually manage to make you care about them.
It helps that the art is really neat with gorgeous character designs and nice backgrounds, while the dialogues are poignant and effective. The humor is also witty and fits really well with the story, oftentimes offering a break from a serious situation without disrupting the flow.
In the end, I'd recommend this story to everyone and not only to fans of the genre. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun might be an excellent shoujo, but first and foremost it is simply a great, fun and different manga.

I love everything about this manga. especially the characters. I even love the side characters. what I've always hated and feared in shoujo manga is when the mangaka purposely writes a character in a way to make the audience despise them. I can't do that with this manga. each of them are lovable, hilarious and relatable.

what I really love about the female lead is that she is confident. that is something that lacks in shoujo heroines. typically, they dwell in self pity and wait for some prince to come save them. but this girl, knows what she wants and will get it. she's also not overbearing (you know the hardcore, shounen girl type). she's not the type that makes you want to facepalm, shizuku is the kind of girl you respect. in fact, I find shizuku extremely adorable and I totally understand why haru would like her.

and what one reviewer said about the plot. there really isn't a "plot". it really is just the development of characters. almost like koukou debut.... but the roles are reversed.

I think the reason why haru likes shizuku is because she brings out the best in him. she is everything that he isn't, and he strives to be like her. and I think that's why I love this manga so much. when two characters bring out the best in each other. haru really brings out a softer side of shizuku that she didn't even know she had. their relationship is so dynamic. honestly haru & shizuku is the ultimate manga couple :3

... Last updated on August 21st, 2012, 12:14am

The series does not feature the typical dramatic, emotional roller-coaster of girls' manga, being a bit more down to earth with a heavy emphasis on humor.

Almost everything in this series is endearing, but while the main couple's relationship is carried through and resolved neatly, every other character is practically overlooked, which is a real shame because there quite a few interesting ones. While there is a good amount of development in the frame of their high school lives, the characters are not explored in much detail. In the end we learn very little of their lives, especially bothersome in the case of the main characters, because it makes their relationship a bit boring otherwise. I feel like the series had ended too soon, as it had a lot to offer, but skipped forward to a rushed conclusion.

in every shoujo I read, I look for something like kare-kano's character development. This one started good and ended good but in the end the mangaka didn't bother to solve the characters' family problems. I would like to see where did haru's relationship go with his family, or shizuku's relationship with her mother. Her mother's chara especially looked very interesting, I wanted to read more about her.

I think it is a shame. I'm not sure maybe the highschool zone is safe, so authors don't want to leave there and explore their characters in different environments? Maybe it's editors' fault?

It was a good shoujo though however it could have been better.