Like many others said, this manga is splendid. Art is not the best, but still amazing. This is a really good romance story. I love the characters. Almost all of them.
I...I don't think this is for a younger audience. It gets really intense in the middle. By intense, I don't be smutty or anything crazy like that. I mean emotions.
Oh, I should point out one con. There are several side plots in this entire manga. If you don't like reading those, just skip them. They don't matter that much.

dropped it at the end of chapter 3.
I'm not a fan of the girl who cries when someone ignores her,in other words,mentally-weak female lead. Sigh,and I thought that this was gonna be good.
Well I'm more into the mentally-strong female lead type~

For all the "kyaaa" fangirls, presumably, you'll have closed the books blissfully after Arima returned from the Kendo tournament as national champion and they find they love each other more than ever. Your more complex desires (if any) have been satisfied sufficiently by the intriguing premises - like Yukino being a closet mugger and putting up a front at school - and so you pat yourself on the back. Job well done, you say.

Well, no. That's not even reading half the story (literally), and that's like having friends just for shopping and goukons. Maybe you'll come back when you grow up a little, and realise that this is more than that. The start is really setup, and when you flip the final page on Yukino's story, the author does more than foreshadow: she says it right front. "This is where their stories diverge."

Because not all change is good. Yukino has overcome her own weaknesses and integrated well. Great. Her boyfriend hasn't, and he's hiding it more and more, and their roles are reversed. He doesn't want her to ever find out and leave him, and the pressure piles on in vicious cycles. Then the past starts coming to haunt him. The dark and sometimes surreal plot-twists are at once terrifying and exhilarating - like the motorbike that Arima's dad arrives on.

It peaks in insanity. You would never imagine it, and I'm not saying it - but you know if you read. Yukino, bless her, has grown. She's a woman (in more ways than one) and she's willing to sacrifice. And the ending we get is one borne of her maturity, where she has outpaced Arima in mental growth only so she can be the one to pull him back when he needs it most - just like he did for her right from the start. And that sacrifice, from utmost trust and love (pun), is perhaps the most touching of all.

It's not perfect. The artwork could do with touch-ups. Arima's inner struggles could've been brought out more strongly, and Yukino's leaps of faith are so amazing that she could be a saint. But the development was paced, even if not completely rational at times, and the author evidently knew where she was going. I think this is a deserved 9 out of 10.

Of course, if you're only shoujo-shopping and on the lookout for BISHIE X SULLEN GIRL (that never would get a boyfriend except in Manga ooh imagine I were her), then feel free to close this by the end of Yukino's story. You'll have been satisfied. But if you're brave enough to try out the darker side of reality, you'll come out slightly shaken, but stronger for the experience.

I love how this story starts as innocent, and the characters build into somthing more dark and bittersweet. Nothing about this manga is anything like I have ever read. It makes you think about it afterwards, and want to read it again (but I dont suggest this, as the plot turns are spoiled after the first time.) Very touching, emotional and I could not get enough of it.
I forgot to add that I cried BUCKETS.

... Last updated on June 16th, 2013, 6:26pm

This manga is worth the time to read, but sometimes you have to be a bit patient. The characters were very nicely developed. Somestimes, some of them kinda....I don't know.....hog up a chapter or two? But other than that, it was a really nice read. I just love Yukino, she's unlike many shoujo characters I met. Really nice read.

I'm pretty head on with manga, and i don't care what kind of manga i end up reading (unless it's pornogrphic, which i pretty much drop the book after that) but this manga is the ONLY manga (besides Inuyasha, because it was so ridiculously long to read) i just could not finish.
For one thing, the plot, to me, was kind of fuzzy and i didnt really get Yukino (the main female lead) or how her mind works, which really frustrates me because "of her desire to be praised" What the hell? I've NEVER heard of any person who would be so STUPID to do that of stoop that low to get attention. But, i kept on being loyal to the storyline and such because i didnt have anything better to do.
But i have a bad habit of looking up mangas on wikipedia and reading the story lines when i get impatient with the manga, which i only did this with Kare Kano because it started getting boring and the plot got even FUZZIER and i felt it wasnt going anywhere.
And then i got paranoid about Soichiro's so called "dark side" that was coming up about the time i put the book down. I hate it when the leads end up looking like jackasses because of something lame. Oh, and the whole thing with all those people so called "forgetting" Maho's little scheme. I mean, the subject never even got broached up, which pisses me off and the whole thing with Soichiro's past and stuff. It just irritates me.
I recomend this manga to whoever doesnt get bored easily and can handle a bland and unrealistic storyline.

I agree with the commenter below. For me, this series stopped being interesting when it began to take itself too seriously. It's very soap opera-ish and the plot just wears out during the process. It becomes unbearably draggy and boring, especially the latter part.

It looks like not even a single character in this manga lead a normal life. All of them have too many problems and dramas surrounding their lives. It's a good read at the first time, but the repetitive themes and overdone attempts to create a sensational background for every damned character gradually destroy the fun the manga initially offers. Besides, the main lead is too much of an emo kid for me to handle.

The art is sloppy and dull; most of them look alike with the same facial traits and expressions and the only method to tell them apart is the hair. Seriously, some of my friends are much better at drawing facial expressions and human posture than this mangaka.

The humor is extremely lame and forced.

I pick this series because of many recommendations that this story features a realistic, slow-building relationship with a strong and smart female lead. Realistic? Give me a break. Strong and smart female lead? I fail to see that. She's not an irritatingly clingy weakling but giving her such traits is a stretch.

I just finished re-reading Kare Kano properly. I had first read it when i was in elementary school and thought it was the most boring thing ever (oh my gosh I am so sorry for my previous review.. which i probably wrote years ago, dissing this manga).
However, now that I am older, I can truly appreciate this series.

THE PROS:
- All the characters are lovable. Each of the cast members have their own spotlight where their stories are shared, including the parents.
- Low on cliche drama. Yes there is drama, but there wasn't any girl or guy annoyingly trying to seperate the main couple apart. If there was any issues, it was quickly dealt with.
- Realistic portrayal of relationships. The romance in this manga is beautiful. I love how it realistically depicts the stages of a relationship. For example, the the beginning Soichiro and Yukino are in the puppy dog love stage where they are in their own world,
then they proceed to the stage where they have insecurities, and finally the stage of overcoming their insecurities together.
- Although 21 volumes long, I felt that there wasn't any particular part of the manga that dragged on. The pacing was done quite well, and the ending felt "complete" (minus a few things that I'll mention in the cons).
She summed up 4 years of their Highschool lives quite nicely in 21 volumes.
- Arima Soichiro. To be honest, He's probably the biggest reason why I love this manga. His character was the most well developed and it was beautiful to watch him mature, grow, and overcome his struggles.

The CONS:
- I was also a little bit disappointed that Yukino got pregnant in highschool..felt like it was a bit too soon and a cliche shoujo plot, but I guess it helped them realize and follow their real dreams (becoming a police officer for Soichiro and a doctor for Yukino)
- I loved the development of Soichiro. However, the author focused on him so much that he became the sole star of the manga, which is fine, but Yukino was overshadowed. Initially starting out as a strong character, vibrant,wacky and full of personality, Yukino regresses and becomes
a flat character. I wish she would have received an equal amount of development as Arima instead of being tossed into the background. This was my biggest gripe about the series.
- Drawings aren't the best when it starts out, but it improved by A LOT as the series progressed.If the art bothers you, please just continue reading because the art seriously immensely improves.
- Related to my previous point, but the characters looked so similar that I had a hard time distinguishing them. All the girls who didn't have black hair looked like Yukino.
- While I was satisfied with the ending, a few things bugged me such as the absence of Arima &Yukino's parents and Reiji. I know Reiji is mentioned but I wish he made an apperance! I know that the author could only fit so much in though. Also,
- I'm a bit disturbed by Asaba x Sakura-chan.....Just can't get past that. I know it seems fitting since he wanted a girl like Soichiro. But please..just no.

To sum it up, this is a beautiful romance, slice-of-life (I repeat, SLICE OF LIFE) manga with a wonderful cast. If you liked Fruits Basket, I'd suggest this, because it gives off a similar vibe (angst/romance/peaceful atmosphere). In order to fully appreciate this manga, you must read the entire series though. In my opinion, THIS is quality shoujo. Its a classic that must be read.

... Last updated on December 11th, 2013, 3:07am

EDIT: Leaving this up for accountability. But I actually heavily criticize the author. This is J.K Rowling territory of just a bigot getting their name out there - I mention it in this old, crusty review below but.... Masami Tsuda as a whole enables grooming with her whole chest. Asaba Hideaki starts out flamboyant and queercoded and proves as a vehicle for said enabling. It's no excuse and real little of an artist to have a disgusting misogynistic point of view over and over slid inbetween an otherwise mediocre shoujo. And that's not to mention a weirdly subtle classism turning into an outright attack on some kids shoplifting as well as putting people through trauma and literal dissociation with multiple different characters. Miyazawa being forced to have a child who more or less comes from violence and assault ? That narrative is romanticized. Not weird at all, ahaha, just cishetero culture, FOR THE KIDS. Having an entire character be depicted as "perpetually doll-like with the appearance of a preteen" turn into "a bratty yet voiceless, high-earning princess model and muse simultaneously living as a traditional, perfect, codependent wife who can't work or have a legitimate career" sure is weird. Honestly as someone who has worked retail, been too broke to eat, and gone through horrible shit in the industry and in society in general I'm glad I can see the -isms for what they are. And also: make Hideaki gay and NORMAL. Abhorrent.



... Last updated on February 12th, 2021, 9:19am

In my opinion, I think this is one of the best shoujo manga's I've ever read. The story begins as a sort of simple comedy and as it progressed the story became much more complexed, but it ended with everything being tied together and explained beautifully. All of the characters are unique and each of their personalities developed as the story went on. The artwork is really lovely as well, from the cute, funny chibis to the more realistic drawings. Anyways, I'm really glad I read Kare Kano, it's definitely a manga worth reading!