Itoshi no Karin
Karin who I think tenderly of

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Reader beware: this story is so vanilla you'll get a toothache. Itoshi no Karin tells the story of Yutaka Hanagasaki, an overlooked theme park gardener, and his fondness for the popular park mascot, Merun-chan. This is the author/artist's debut published work.

The art in this manga is fantastic. However, the characters are not that strong. No character aside from the two protagonists is developed; they are all merely plot devices. Meanwhile, the main characters aren't flawed enough to be realistic, but they aren't perfect either. The story is rather straightforward, but the ending, while sweet, left something to be desired. There are also some bits that ... could be entirely eliminated without the reader losing much. At only 20 chapters, though, the fluff is hardly unbearable.

Overall, this manga was pleasant. It's a very light read, and a cute story. The art really sells it, and I look forward to the author/artist's next work.

"It's a hard task to grow the flower we call "love", to make it fully bloom one day. But I want to nurture it as best I can, for the sake of my beloved Karin."

Itoshi no Karin is basically summed up in the quote above. Love isn't an instant connection nor is it a fairy tale where a prince and a princess live happily ever after. Love contains what life has to offer and that is called choices. Itoshi no Karin is a typical lovey-dovey super cute love story about a 20yr gardener and a 17yr high school girl who both work at the same ... place. Of course it starts off with the premise of the guy being infatuated by the girl and suddenly getting closer to her but as cliche as it sounds, there was something in this manga I really appreciated. It considered life. Usually these kind of love stories just end in a story about two people getting married, the couple escaping town together, or an ending that neither character takes account for what their actions will result in the future, but no, Itoshi relates to none of the things I mentioned. The main MC is a shy, warm hearted guy who actually has balls. He's not the typical MC where he holds his thoughts in but instead thinks about his actions and his words carefully. I really appreciated this about his character as the character wasn't all about "PANTIES! LOVE. LOVE. TITS", his thought process was more like, "What's the best decision for me and her and our future?" I really liked the fact that he wasn't driven by hormones but instead by logic and clear decision making.

The main heroine, Karin was absolutely great. Her character wasn't complex just another wifey material heroine. She was a solid character in that she wasn't annoying and properly presented her feelings and was not immature about any situation but that was about it. She had no outcasting personality that made me go WHOA but I really appreciated the mature side of her. She kind of reminds me of Takagi from Karakai just because of how much she cares and teases the MC.
Characters aside, the art was AMAZING. I was absolutely amazed by how good the characters looked. Everything aside, I would just read this story just for the art. It's that good.

Overall, this story is very cute and heartwarming. As people have said the ending isn't too conclusive but I felt it was perfect for this manga. The symbolic meaning of the ring at the end and how both of the protagonists chose to chase after their ambitions instead of their love for each other was admirable. I really wish more manga characters were like the protagonists in Itoshi and that's what made me enjoy this manga so much. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a great short read/romance/comedy/slice of life kind of manga. Just because of pure enjoyment and the art, I give it a 9.

Not the best in terms of actual romance, but it was really realistic and cute.

This will contain spoilers.

The story was short and every chapter was sweet. I do have the complaint of never seeing them as a couple, as when Yutaka confessed, the manga ended.
The whole manga was really heartwarming.

The art isn't too unique, and there are some panel that are text boxes with a white background and some gradients. But, it didn't bother me, which is the most important part. The character art for Karin was cute, and the flowers were not rushed.

The characters were thought out and real. Yutaka was relatable when ... he didn't want to approach Karin who he liked and with his flustered reactions at the beginning when the girl talked to him.
Karin was very likeable, as she didn't show signs of prejudicing people. (Also her character art and when she's flustered)

I enjoyed this short read, and I would highly recommend this. But in the case that you are looking for romance with kissing and dating and hugging, this is not for you. (they didn't even have a kiss..)