This manga is definitely unique! I really do like the concept and the characters are quite likeable! I love the character development, not just with the two main characters but the side characters as well. Here's the No:
It great that it's a bit realistic though because a lot of shoujo's aren't. I'm just glad the ending actually had an ending and not some stupid cliff hanger or an open ending.

7/10!

... Last updated on September 26th, 2014, 12:03am

Granted I've only read the first two volumes so far, but the plot seems to be moving along at a rate predetermined by the mangaka instead of the character's actual personalities or growth... Some situations seem absurd and included for the sole purpose of inducing the lulz but end up feeling very forced. Or maybe it's just the translation/interpretation that I found a tad uninspired.

Undoubtedly it will get better. Surely over 22,000 readers couldn't have averaged a rating of 8.4 on tosh!

EDIT: OK, so obviously it does get better. Not amazingly so, but there are those Wheee and Kyaaa moments which make it an engaging lead. And I have to say, the secondary characters really MAKE this story!

... Last updated on September 24th, 2014, 1:38am

I started the series a few years ago but never got into until the recent anime adaption done. Overall, art style is consistent from to finish and characters are recognizable. Ending is a bit dull and predictable but most of the background drama is low-key.

Mitty is a awesome heroine though :3c

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.

This is a shoujo manga that could also pass for a shounen manga. The perspectives of both the male lead (Haru) and female lead (Shizuku) were equally presented in this story. The reader is given the chance to understand how each of them is feeling while their friendship grows into romance. But that aspect is not even the best asset of this manga. The best thing about Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is that, underneath the love story, it teaches its readers that you can mature in a better version of yourself. If you read until the very end, you'll find that the characters have learned to embrace their identities but becoming mature nonetheless.

Realistic and refreshing story coupled with good illustration, this is a manga worth checking out. If you liked the shounen love story Horimiya, this is for you.

... Last updated on June 28th, 2014, 2:41pm

This manga really shows how you can be who you are, but still grow and change to nurture relationships.

LICENSED NOW! Kodansha picked it up! Super excited about that. Even though I've finished the whole series, I will still support the Mangaka by buying their work.

... Last updated on March 20th, 2014, 11:25pm

First off, let me just say that I don't read a lot of shoujo manga. And this is, unmistakably, a shoujo manga, with all the qualities that the shoujo genre generally has- sparkles and all. With that being said, this is still pretty dang good. Good, expressive art, for one- I can easily tell all of the characters apart. They all have unique designs, and it's a great departure from the usual cookie-cutter people who just have different hairstyles. There's good backstory to the characters, too, and there are a lot of unique issues brought up and different situations. It's sort of refreshing; it doesn't break out the mold completely, but it does stretch it, which is nice.

The characters are likable, too. Shizuko, the heroine, is a unique character- emotionally dense, but not obnoxious about it, smart, ambitious, hard-working, and cold. She has her cute moments, though, and Haru, the male lead, has his absolutely adorable moments, although he is childish and irritatingly dense. I find that's a trend in shoujo manga... unrealistic emotional denseness (density?).

And that's where my conflict lies, in the emotional aspect. I really enjoy the story and the characters; the romance is sweet, and everything that happens generally tugs on my girlish heartstrings. But gaaaah, some of the events just... arrrrgh! FRUSTRATING!

Since this is a manga that focuses on the romance and lives between the characters, and it's already eleven volumes long, there's obviously some love rivals and conflict thrown in. But honestly... seeing the love rivals makes me think that the two main characters shouldn't even be together, haha. Yamaken, for example, just makes you want to tease him and be his best friend. He's just so lovable, it breaks my heart to see him totally ignored by Shizuko. All the other characters have a lot of care and development put into them, even the side characters like the love rivals and Natsume. It makes me want to shout at Haru to grow some common sense and goshdarn develop already! He's seriously like a little kid- super possessive, dense and confused, aggressive, selfish, irresponsible... and occasionally ridiculously adorable. Occasionally. But, like I was saying, unless the main characters shape up and get on with their relationship and connect better, I can't even root for them. Which sucks. The other character's relationships and love just make me not like the main characters as much! It makes me conflicted, since it's a nice story, but I literally can't stand to read it anymore. It's sort of painful to see Shizuko and Haru's relationship go by in slow mo while other stuff happens. I wish the author would just get them to directly interact and develop! Random things happen, rivals pop up, and the actual relationship between the main characters that got us hooked in the beginning is completely shoved to the side so that the story can get a few more volumes in.... ugh.

... Last updated on June 20th, 2013, 12:05am

I was reluctant to continue to read this manga cos I actually dropped this series a long time ago. However, I decided to watch the anime yesterday and you know what.. IT'S AMAZING UGH. WHY DIDN'T I REALIZE IT SOONER ?!

I have no idea, I used to find this manga pretty boring though. But omg, the anime version is SO GOOD. I love the characters, they're all lovable \(^.^)/

I fell in love with Haru. He's such a sweetheart. I loooove him when he's together with Shizuku. They make such a cute couple.

HOWEVER,

YAMAKEN'S CAPTURED MY HEART SOON LATER THEN. (sorry, Haru. lol)
Awwww he's a cutie. I love how he always blushes whenever Shizuku starts talking to him. But I guess he doesn't have a chance to be with her in the end. Aaah. But I'm still rooting for you. <333333333

Why did the anime end so fast though? I hope there's gonna be a new season soon. I'm looking forward to it! I've decided to read the manga again, it's not as good as the anime though. I prefer the anime version, but it's ALL GOOD. At least I get to see my Yamaken-kun lol. <33333333333

Overall, I had a great time watching and reading this series. Totally recommend!!

... Last updated on May 20th, 2013, 4:34am

Really if you don't like shoujo you're not going to find anything in here that you like.
This series does a good job of setting up the girl, but it somewhat superficially attaches the male protagonist to her (but manga demands you get things rolling right away and not ease into it, so it's forgivable). The other relationships feel more natural in their development.
Only the Male protagonist in this manga is really abnormal in his daily and social behavior, however his thought/reactions to his relationship with the female protagonist fall in the normal range for a character with his background. The rest of the cast feels very believable in their interactions and reactions. The think I liked the most about this series is that all the character interactions and reactions feel very natural, I was never left thinking "well that's out of the blue".
The art is doesn't stand out as being great or terrible, it's on par with other similar mangas.

Read: 39ch (chapters are double length ~40p)
Rating: 5 of 5 (non-shoujo fans 1 of 5)
Typical slow romance shoujo with most of the plot focusing on it, side character's romance, or every-day drama.

It is surprisingly well-made despite it's simple plot.
I suppose it's a slow paced, but the character development is spot on. The story definitely caught my attention and I love the details the mangaka put into the side characters. If the story continues like this, I don't mind the slow pace because it's that good. Also: mangaka is excellent at weaving in the side characters into story. Worth reading their stories as well.

I must be honest that Haru x Shizuku is not as interesting as the beginning. Dare I say that the side characters are more interesting than the main couple? I guess the main couple needs a bit more work :')? But i Definitely recommend this.