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Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances
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Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: His and Hers, The Tiger and the Chameleon: A Promise for One Week, Ashita Mata Mori de Aou ne, Meet Me Again Tomorrow in the Forest, KKNJ, Abareru Ousama, The Raging King

Japanese: 彼氏彼女の事情

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 21

Chapters: 108

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 22, 1995 to May 10, 2005

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Theme: School

Demographic: Shoujo

Serialization: LaLa

Authors: Tsuda, Masami (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.18¹ (scored by 14,423 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #485²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #449

Members: 38,841

Favorites: 1,621

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May 30, 2008

dazedqt23

Recommended

Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (Kare Kano for short) is an amazing journey of a group of high schoolers with the main focus revolving around the power couple Soichiro Arima and Yukino Miyazawa. It is falsely advertised as a simple comedy/romance genre manga. There is so much more to the story, to be specific, there is a very dark side that makes the reader's heart wrench in pain as they watch the character struggle and grow. It has elements of psychological drama that are in line with stories such as "This Ugly Yet Beautiful World," "School Days," "Ef-A Tale of Memories," and "Elfen ...

Aug 2, 2008

Akaike

Recommended

In typical fashion, I decided to read this manga months after watching the anime adaptation. And, while, the anime remains partly true to the manga, the manga itself offers so much more than what the anime ever could. Not only that, but it continues past the anime's ending point - the cultural festival, or more importantly the stage play that was taking place. As this is actually quite an important part of the story.

Now, I know what you're thinking - 'this is just another high school romantic comedy manga'. You know the ones, boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy ...

Sep 14, 2014

ClownOnACloud

Recommended

Now I wouldn’t really describe myself as being a big fan of the shoujo genre and to be perfectly honest I always normally hate series that centre around high school students (so perhaps I am not the best person to be writing a review for this series but oh well). The reason for this is that these stories have been done again and again thousands of times and have become stale but here we have Kare Kano (short version of the title) which is for all intents and purposes one of these old boring high school romance series that we have all seen far too ... many times before, the only difference being that Kare Kano is a lot better than many other similar series that come to mind, and why is this exactly?

Well Kare Kano really isn’t any different than any other high school love story you will have seen before. There are no radically new approaches to the genre or anything of the sort; on the contrary it is more like a perfect refinement of all of the elements that make up this kind of story. In short this is just a simple love story told very well. Well actually it is not as simple as I made it out to be, there are plenty of complications and unexpected developments to keep the reader hooked and complex multi layered characters that elevate the story above most anything I’ve read thus far, so if anything it is the depth and complexity of this story that makes it great.

While the series appears to more or less be your typical high school romcom it eventually evolves into its own independent story and separates itself from those familiar series. If you go into this series (like I did) expecting some kind of fluffy romance then you will most probably be caught off guard as this story is a lot darker and more mature than you would expect.

I think the main thing that stood out for me, personally, about Kare Kano was the feeling of authenticity that this series seemed to have. It felt like the author was probably basing aspects of the story on things that she herself had some kind of experience with, which makes a real change from those wish-fulfillment harem series that I am used to.

The two main characters, Soichiro Arima and Yukino Miyazawa, particularly felt very real to me. They really do seem like real people complete with flaws (extremely well hidden, mind you) and emotional baggage. Everything about their relationship felt very truthful to me, nothing felt forced and all the challenges the two had to face were relatable. The cuteness of their relationship and the envy seen by fellow classmates also rings true as well.

But each of the main characters individually are both really great as well. I especially liked Yukino because she is really completely unlike the stereotypical shoujo female lead. On the surface she appears to be the ideal student; kind, extremely smart and attractive as well. But this is only a mask beneath which lies a money crazed borderline sociopath that desperately craves everyone’s admiration and praises. Right from the get go I really loved her character for some reason but over time she really developed into a wonderful and really likable character.

The male lead Soichiro Arima appears to be the typical super idealised male that you can’t help but fangirl over but he is a seriously complex character and much of the story deals with his emotional scars and checkered past.

But Kare Kano is not solely focused on these two characters. There is a large cast in this story and unlike too many manga they are not mere cardboard cutouts, they too are fully fleshed out characters in their own right. I really loved the way that the author would occasionally take a step away from the main story to concentrate on other characters that would usually be ignored, this really serves the series well in my opinion as it makes the whole high school experience presented feel that much more personal for the reader which is always a good thing.

I also feel like I should praise the use of comedy in this manga because the author managed to find that perfect sweet spot. There is plenty of comedy but it is always at the right moments and when the story gets more serious these jokes are carefully placed to one side and only picked up again when they should be, this is something that a lot of anime and manga completely mess up and I find it quite frustrating but Kare Kano did a great job in regards to the use of comedy.

The artwork in this series is quite simple which is not to say bad, characters are all distinctive, landscapes are clean and there’s really nothing I can criticise…well sometimes she would put too much into a small panel and things would look a bit messy but this was only present in the early part. The art progressively improves as the series goes on and the mangaka did take special care with the art in the more significant scenes which makes them stand out and it makes them more memorable. Also I loved those little rant type things down the side of the page.

The more I think about it the more trouble I am having expressing exactly why it is I liked this series so much. If I had to sum it up it was mostly because I loved both of the main characters and I was always very happy to see things work out for them. The story just sort of felt personal to me and I was able to get very involved and relate to the story, feel for the characters and I felt really immersed and captivated by this not-so-simple-simple-love-story.

Apr 6, 2008

yakusoku

Recommended

Story: Kare Kano is a longer shoujo series filled with romance, drama, and the life of teenagers. We get to see the life of a high school couple overcoming many obstacles. This being a long 102 chapter manga, a lot of things happen. It is not a typical school/romance, you will notice.

Art: really unusual art. definitely not a commonly seen style, but appealing nonetheless.

Character: What's interesting is that yukino + soichiro are both very intelligent, and both pretend to be someone theyre not. The other characters, their classmates, add variety to the series with a bunch of side stories. The characters portrayed in this ...

Feb 7, 2009

yuki_no_kuroi

Recommended

I recently picked Kare Kano up for a second read after i read it about 5 years ago. THe reread value was as good as the first time around. There are several components of a shounen manga that can make (or break) it, but in this case i found that there was a balance in all aspects.

The charm of this series is the manner that the characters interact with one another. As you read the manga, every character becomes memorable and likeable in his or her own way. pretty much everyone worht mentioning in the manga has a well developed storyline. I especially liked how ...

Jun 13, 2021

tsundereputa

Recommended

HI! Barbie here <3!!!♥*♡∞:｡.｡
"Now that you finally touched her, you got a good look at the distance between you and her, you realized the two of you are completely separete individuals".

THE MOST underrated STORY in the whole history.
Karekano is just a masterpiece, full jewel, this manga really blow my mind, the mangaka really wrap you and fool us all to think this was another shoujo stroy so when you bite it, this has chocolate milk inside and it's so sweet, I remember reading this at my 10 year old, my cousing had the manga but i didnt even pay attention cause i was more interested ...

Dec 4, 2013

animangaline

Recommended

I am absolutely entranced by Kareshi Kanoujo no Jijou.

Underneath what may seem a simple romance budding between our main characters, Arima Souchirou and Miyazawa Yukino, lies a multi-faceted story of love, childhood, family and friendship. I have to admit, in the beginning, I have underestimated this manga. The art did not particularly appeal to me and although the story did, I was sceptical about whether or not it could capture my attention.

I was wrong.

With 21 volumes, Kareshi Kanoujo no Jijou (Kare Kano in short) seemed like a huge read. Well it was, to a certain extent. But what comes from that huge read is ...

Jun 28, 2010

Magdalen

Recommended

*slight spoilers ahead, though nothing you might not already guess*
Kare Kano is the best manga and anime I have had the pleasure of reading yet. Simply because of this - it tells a story so bittersweet, so captivating, so enthralling, you cannot bear to tear yourself away from the page in case you miss something.

Yukino Miyazawa is the top student of her class, of her year. She is beautiful, smart, sporty, kind and helpful to everyone. All the boys fancy her and the girls want to be her. The only thing is - it's all fake. She, in secret, works tirelessly to be the best, ...

Feb 24, 2008

kara

Recommended

this story takes a long time to get good.like in the second or third is were it is good.the first volume is really slow. you get kinda bored but wait until the second volume to deceide if you want to drop it or not.
the romance is not too extreme.like a chessy junoir high crush."like he was destined for me" kinda thing.basically it is about two teens tryin to find who they really are instead of who they try to be in every day life.

Jun 11, 2020

TheCoolGuy82

Recommended

After the frustrating and abrupt ending of Kare Kano anime I have to read the entirety of the manga to get most of the story and I am so glad I did. Kare Kano is an amazing story from beginning to end. I specially love the growth of the characters. I also feels like I grew up with the characters. Kare Kano may seem like your typical, cliche highschool romance at first but it is not. As there are a lot of unexpected and shocking moments also goes deeper with personal life and issues of the characters. There are also psychological and tragedy aspects as ... well. Focuses more on human drama (which i love more about this series).

Story- The story is about Yukino Miyazawa is sweet, intelligent girl who is popular, always gets first in class and praised by everyone. But in reality she is different person who always tries very hard to get praised. But in highschool she gets beaten (got 2nd) by her rival Souchiro Arima who is also perfect like Yukino (also likes her). One day unfortunately Yukino's true self get discovered by Souchiro. As Yukino also discovered Souchiro's secret and understand each other. The two become friends, then become more than friends less lovers and eventually lovers. As their relationship progresses they have to overcome lot of obstacles but their love for each other become also stronger. As the first half of the story mostly highschool romcom focuses also on several other character and couples. But the 2nd half is psychological, tragedy, drama. Also advances Yukino and Souchiro's love more than ever as they help each other. And finally to the most satisfying ending of all romance drama.

Art- The artstyle which I would call flawless. I love the character designs. I also love how the faces of characters changes as they grew up. The artstyle is perfect. I love it.

Character- The character are the best thing about this series.Yukino Miyazawa is great and enjoyable female character. Souchiro Arima seems mysterious at first but we get to learn more about him. Besides Yukino and Souchiro's relationship. In several other chapters and volumes it focuses and develop various other characters as well. We also get attached to this characters as if they are real people.

Enjoyment- I realy love reading Kare Kano manga from the very beginning to end. It is transition between several genres romance, drama, psychological, tragedy. The series is really unpredictable as it does lot of shocking and unexpected moments. I love the ending as well. Which left a big impact on me. I enjoyed this series a lot.

Overall- As I like the anime of Kare Kane. I love the manga more than ever. We got to know and explored more of the characters. I am so glad I read the entirety of Kare Kano. I absolutely recommend it to everyone. But don't expect it to be cliche it is unpredictable.

Rating- 11/10 😁😁😁

Jun 10, 2021

louise4

Recommended

!0/10 !!

I love this manga sm, definitely my favourite so far, and one of the most mature and heart-wrenching high school romances i have read <33

reasons why i love it

- characters: both the leads were incredibly loveable and felt extremely realistic to me. their flaws and mistakes were so well portrayed you really couldn't blame them and it made the manga sm better. the two main leads truly brought out the best in each other and progressed beautifully as the story went on, one of the most realistic portrayals of adolescences and relationships i have read and seen. side characters are also fully fleshed ...

Aug 16, 2019

lemozine

Recommended

I came into this manga a little hesitant, to be perfectly honest. I looked at the art style and thought, "Oh, this is an older manga, I wonder if its any good". I'm used to reading the new and seasonal stuff, but man was I in for a surprise.

This story reminded me what made me fall in love with manga in the first place. They may be far and few between, but there are great authors with even greater stories to tell. The depth of this story just touched my heart. It starts off as your typical high-school love story (and I did really ... enjoy that part of it. Just taking the first half, this was an excellent romance story), but then it transitions into some darker, and more profound. It gives you a vivid dive into what it means to be human, and I mean human in the way that whenever someone does something bad, we say they are only human. We are all a little messed up, some of us more then others, many through no fault of our own, but this story gives me hope. We are all trapped by vicious cycles, but those cycles can be broken.

There is just so much to talk about with this manga, I don't even know where to start.

For the first half, I really loved how each side character was given their own unique and beautiful love story. Each persons struggle was unique, but I found myself reflected in each piece. I felt attached to each character, and really loved deepening my understanding of them. It was like I got a little tangent from our main romance, but each tangent was so great in its own right, that I would have no issue reading an entire manga about them.

For the second half, I was just straight up blown away. The depiction of both struggles and people overcoming those struggles had me alternating between crying from despair and joy. Not to mention the classic theme of people growing up, leaving their high-school friends, and living their life. This was one of those stories that made me step back and look at my own life, and just, get excited? That's not quite the right word. Its more just being amazed that I get the opportunity to experience this crazy and amazing thing we call life. This story changed me, and for that, it deserves 10 stars.

I desperately need to go back and find more great, older manga like this. Society may change, and our stories change with them, but we are still human, and this story is touchingly human. It speaks to something innate in the human experience, and that kind of story will always resonate with me. If you haven't read this manga, you need to. Its got romance, its got deep characters, its got coming of age, and if you are anything like me, you will cry (a lot).

Dec 30, 2017

SolarFox

Recommended

What to say about this series now ? Just calling it one of the greatest romance/drama stories ever just doesn't do it justice.

Yukino is one of my favourites characters ever, and one of the more original concepts I've ever seen. This double-faced, incredibly sharp, amazingly strong-willed (yet sometimes insecure), partially evil but always funny girl is the character I'm gonna miss the most. It really is worth it reading the manga just to see her interact with the rest of the cast, with the world, and often just to follow her thought processes. Her reactions to developments are often surprising, yet endearing to the reader. ... Her simple but powerful "I never said no" little speech (you'll know it when you get there) remains one of the most touching and memorable (and unexpected) things I've ever read. Yes, she's that amazing and more.

Arima is also a good character, always interesting to read. He and his family are responsible for most of the drama in the series, specially in the second half of the manga (the part that's left out of the anime). In fact, he's pretty much the main character in this half. And although I was a little skeptic at first as the author hinted at his future developments, I have to admit Ms. Tsuda did a terrific job in this "Arima arc". Seeing Arima battle his personal demons was truly touching, and the outcome of all this was very satisfying.

The rest of the cast is also comprised of funny, charming, real, memorable characters, and it's a really nice thing that they are all (some more, some less) given space to show themselves and develop. I also love the fact that they are all given some sort of closure by story's end.

This manga does back story like no other. Starting from Yukino, you get to hear the story of her parents since their childhood. In Arima's side, you get to hear about his parents and their cousins, as adults, teenagers and children; about Arima's grandfather (quite a bit), and even about that guy's father, and it's all important to the story as a running theme is the effect parents have on their children's lives. All in all, five (!) generations are explored, to a different extent. And this is a good thing, because it deepens the story as it explains the motivations of the characters to act as they do.

So, to recap: this manga is an exploration of love between teenagers as they bloom and become adults (with its fun, tender and painful moments); it's a look at the world of parents, and how their actions can both screw or save their children; and it's a beautiful tale of young people trying to understand themselves, improve themselves, overcoming their burdens and finding out what their dreams are - and then launching on the life-long trip to fulfill them.

Definitely a 10 out of 10 !

Jul 18, 2020

Puhapoci

Recommended

His and her circumstances

I have watched the anime first and I was expecting a funny light story. Oh man, I was very wrong. After finishing the anime (which had a horrible low budget art) I couldn't wait to read the manga.

Story: The story starts off by introducing two brilliant teenagers who pretend to be something else than what they are in real life. Yukino is the female lead who has a twisted second personality and her biggest "enemy" the flawless Souichirou. I really thought this was going to be another romantic shoujo manga with spiced with some humor. Again, I was dead wrong.

First, this ... story has logical and real emotions from a realistic relationship between the two main characters. I have never seen anything like this before from a shoujo anime. Their love builds up so nicely to the point that they actually decide to get to the next level. This is something very rare in romantic animes as most of them only build-up to the first kiss or just to start the relationship. But not this one. And the best part is that the story only just starts getting more interesting as from that point we getting to know the main male character's real nature and thoughts. I don't want to spoil anything, but it gets very dark. Way too dark for a simple romantic shoujo manga. I loved it!!

Second, all side characters have a real background and story. They are not just side characters, as they are very important to the story. Again it's so rare when we get so much info to get to know other characters than the mains. Any of the side characters could be this manga's main protagonist as they all have detailed personalities. Honestly, this amazed me! We even get to know all the parents and their backstories. This is very rare!

The story overall: I hardly say this to anything, but the story is outstanding. No awkward silly situations, everything realistic, and even managed to be funny. I read the manga straight away after watching the anime and it was one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. 10/10

Art: The art was very good compared to how old is this manga. The only thing that I didn't like that it has a lot of scribbles between the conversations. It made it a bit messy. 8/10

Characters: I would write an essay if I start to analyze all of them. They are great! doesn't matter which character we talk about as they all have their stories. As I said above any of the side characters easily could become the main character of a stand-alone manga.
The main male protagonist's story is so interesting that I couldn't stop reading the manga so I was up until 4am for two days in a row just to get to know him better :D
My favorite was Kazuma. No particular reason simply that he is like an angel, but not in the common anime way. No, he is really something else.
Characters are an absolute 10/10

Enjoyment: I loved it! It left a huge impact on me. I'm so happy that I found it. The only reason why I give a 9 instead of 10 because there were some chapters that I had the urge to skip because it felt disappointing that something interesting going on then Bamm and 5 chapters of something completely different.

Overall: This is a great manga. I really recommend it to anyone who likes mature thinking and strong characters. READ IT! haha 9/10

Jan 12, 2014

Kelly97

Recommended

Story
" In the eye's of others, what kind of person am I?"

-This is so much more than a typical love story this story is so complex and full of emotions. Yukino Miyazawa who is this perfect model student is full of pride and hypocrisy she is “perfect” in everyone’s eyes, then we have the other model student (Arima Soichiro) who is also a perfect model student, but he is full of a mysteriously dark side and it becomes apparent throughout the manga. Yukino is very jealous of Arima’s new found popularity over all the attention he is getting for representing the freshmen class, they ended ...

Aug 24, 2009

rinn4

Recommended

Wow. That was really intense. I have been reading this manga non-stop since I started it a month ago. There were times when I felt like crying and I have definitely sworn a couple of times during the course of reading it from over active emotions brought out when I was dragged into the story. I loved how all of the different characters had their own little side stories that gave you the satisfaction and turmoil that most shugo manga do. What makes this one special is that in the midst of all the side plots are those life changing questions that just get thrown ...

Jun 21, 2019

GiantSpaceFlea

Recommended

"Classic" is a word that's vague by itself, whose meaning's continually changing with time. In the 90's, when KareKano was first published, the "classic" works of shoujo were titles such as Princess Knight and The Rose of Versailles; nowadays, these mangas are still classic, but KareKano, which used to be a prime example of a modern shoujo, has gained a very different aura.

The characters of KareKano are always dealing with their own identity. Their worrying about the face they present to the world and their real self — about the difference between who they are and who they want to be — is, for ... me, what turns this manga into a universal experience, making it transcend Japan in the 90's to still be relevant twenty-odd years later.

The mangá was written and drawn by Masami Tsuda, and published in La-La magazine between 1995 and 2005. Its center is the relationship between Yukino Miyazawa, a girl who works hard to look perfect solely because of her need for attention, and Souichirou Arima, who tries to hide the flaws within himself so as not to cause problems for his adoptive parents. Together, they learn about the fear and the joy of true vulnerability, and thus, about the feeling of accepting and being accepted completely by someone else — not only in love, but among family and friends. It's a straightforward plot, and it's interesting exactly because of that: they go through problems many of us have gone through, and the narrative does not look away from the effects these things can have in a person's psyche.

The narrative does not look away from many things, actually. The regular teenage manga rarely deals well with the transition between holding hands and sex, even though this is a very important aspect of a teenager's day-to-day. This is not a problem here: KareKano does not show explicit scenes, but makes it clear that sex is present in the characters' lives, even in brutal ways. The representation of violence, physical as well as psychological, is also outstanding and right on the mark, especially when it comes to mental illnesses.

I believe that KareKano's strongest point are the protagonists. Yukino and Souchirou are built in fascinating ways. It would be very easy to take the initial setup and just extend it, make Yukino into a stuck-up tsundere and Souichirou into a jerk with a hidden "nice side" — but the story evolves, and they evolve with it. Even better: the evolution of the characters does not mean the end of their conflicts, but leads to an increase in their complexity. The manga's climax is not something that comes from punctual misunderstandings, made up in the eleventh hour; it is carefully woven from the protagonists and the natural path towards which their actions take them.

Of course, so much focus in one aspect of the story may lead to slight deficiency in others. In KareKano, I believe this manifests itself in difficulty with teenager characterization. One can justify Yukino and Souichirou's maturity on the count of their, ahem, circumstances — but it is hard to believe that all the characters around them show the same characteristics. The only character that is actually immature reaches a stunning level of philosophical detachment practically overnight. In the same group of teenagers, we have a genius writer and a genius musician, individuals who have already defined the path of their lives, relationship counselors and a girl who is so mature that, in her relationship with a 25-year-old, she is the one who manipulates and dominates everything. I haven't seen such an extraordinary group of young people together since Ouran. (And it doesn't help matters that their personality seems to vanish next to the main couple...)

When it comes to the art, KareKano is within expectatives. It's commonplace to find light and delicate tracing in such publications, and Masami Tsuda draws her bishounen and bishoujo with painstaking care. The character design I like the most is Yukino's; she looks feminine and pretty without relying on that generic blonde phenotype so many mangaka adopt (and that the author herself uses in other characters — I'm keeping an eye on you, Tsubasa), nor in that stereotype of Japanese beauty, with long black hair and mysterious eyes. Generally speaking, it's a style that's very representative of the time the manga was published, without excessive detailing and a more practical look. Even so, there are moments in which the author shines: here I am thinking about the conversations between Souichirou and his imaginary double.

I can safely say I liked KareKano. Even if it's hard to believe in the exceptionality of every single person involved in the plot, it never gets to the point that story takes a backseat to wish fulfillment. The love interests do get together and the author manages to keep us interested for a long time after. I have heard the animated adaptation does not follow the manga until the end, and that that disappointed Masami Tsuda a lot; considering that the climax of KareKano feels like the unavoidable unfolding of the conflicts in scene, I can understand where her distress comes from.

One of the many definitions of "classic" is a work that never "runs out", so to say; a work that always has something to say to the reader, even if many years have passed already. If, once, KareKano was a brilliant example of what was in vogue in shoujo manga, nowadays it can be seen as a sort of pioneer in trails that other works like Toradora! and Kimi ni Todoke have followed. It is easy to notice its influence, and the reason this influence lasts until this day; you just have to open a volume and listen to the messages it can tell. After all, it's going to be a while before KareKano stops talking with us.

Jul 11, 2018

twinkletoes

Recommended

One thing I always wish is that manga grew with their audience - if you think of someone starting to read your typical shoujo manga in middle school (say, 15 years old) and the serialisation takes 5-7 years to complete, if the plot and tone of the manga stay the same all the way through, it's very unlikely that the 20-22 year old who finishes that manga is going to enjoy the ending as much as the beginning, since they valued different things when they were 15. This is a manga that succeeds in growing with its audience, and is absolutely amazing for it. ...

Jun 9, 2013

floryfede4ever

Recommended

Kare Kano is such a beautiful manga I don't even now how to begin describing it. You guys, don't get fooled by the shojo- high school appearance of it, this is heavy gear romance and drama. It deals with real life problems and situations faced by our main couple, Miyazawa Yukino and Arima Souchihiro . Both of them are compelling on their own right and make on of the best couples I've ever seen. Arima, particularly, goes through incredible changes throughout the whole story. The manga deals with matters as simple as a sport festival to really deep ones like family and true ...

Jan 10, 2016

Demi_V

Recommended

Miyazawa (the female protagonist) taught me something that I thought was foolish until I read Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances): never give up on a person no matter how much they push you away. Tsuda Masami created a love rollercoaster -- a couple (Miyazawa and Arima) developed from a hate-love relationship. It is now one of my favorite shoujo manga, especially because the relationship was developed within the first two volumes. Therefore, the entire 21 volumes focuses on the main couple’s relationship throughout high school. It allows you to watch Miyazawa and Arima take their relationship one step at a time.

Kare Kano has ... the usual shoujo tropes in earlier volumes (rivalry, jealousy, etc.), but they’re short-term (first 4-5 volumes). It results in characters enjoying their high school years to the fullest while also battling their demons. Arima is mainly admired by many, so he isn't seen as the most popular guy in school with several girls crowding around him and causing an interference in the relationship. That cliche always annoys me in shoujo. The reason why Kare Kano truly shines is because it focuses on more than just the main couple. There were a couple of fillers, but they necessarily placed emphasis on the other characters. Each story is unique and shows what characters struggle with and how they overcome drastic situations. There are more romantic stories to look forward to. There is comedic relief every now and then in earlier volumes. Then it later turns into a psychological drama with characters battling their demons or experiencing a depressive state. The emotions are so realistic that it is easy to feel compassion.

Tsuda really cares for her characters, dissecting them and giving them their spotlight. The characters have so much pride, which is what I love about them. They think things over themselves, fix their own problems, and express their feelings with no hesitation. The different talents among the characters and their independence are amazing. Each of them have their own ambition and work hard to improve. Talents range from acting, writing, sports, etc. What amazes me is how Tsuda applied their talents into the story, and it was so well done that fans of the series wanted to mimic them. She was a playwright and member of the drama club when she was in high school, so it seemed like I was actually in the series experiencing high school with the characters. Each character have their own story, and one does not even depend on parents. Miyazawa was my favorite character, as you can tell from the intro. She is inspiring with her independence and ambition, and she maturely handles tough situations. Tsubasa annoyed me sometimes. She was practically the baby just because of her height and shyness around strangers. You will find her sitting in others’ laps or riding on their backs. When chapters were later dedicated solely to her life and romance, I started sympathizing with her.

The artwork has its ups and downs. Age transformations were detailed. Artwork displayed the moods carefully. Even the psychological elements had dark settings with drops of blood and shadowy backgrounds. The characters were drawn in chibi form at random moments, and I got confused a few times when it would go into flashbacks to Arima’s childhood. Animals were drawn as plain and ordinary.

The reason I rated it an 8 instead of a 9 is because I wasn't quite pleased with the ending. As far as Miyazawa and Arima, their story was satisfying. However, after spending so much time with the characters, you'd expect to know more about the characters or believe their life took a reasonable path. Yes, Tsuda gave a brief overview of where they were at that moment. What I was mostly interested in was their family lives. Did they have kids? Also, I didn't agree with how one character's love life steered.

If you enjoy shoujo manga with mature characters and a relationship developed in the beginning, I highly recommend this one. I found myself completely immersed in this manga. It shows you can have everything and still be unhappy. I enjoyed reading about Miyazawa and Arima’s time together, as well as the other characters’ romances and life stories. Tsuda deserves an applause for this piece of work, because it was indeed a good experience.