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, training and studying long hours just to get that pat on the head, that acknowledgement she is brilliant. Why? Because she loves the praise.
Everything is going well, until a competitor shows up. Soichiro Arima, who matches Yukino in everything, from brains to beauty. And it really burns her to see someone as tirelessly perfect as she is. Except, he's no fake.
And what happens when he falls in love with her facade?
The next 100odd chapters are all about this couple. But not to fear, although they get together fairly quickly in the story (volume 2 I believe) don't worry about the next 19 volumes being utterly about the lovey-dovey couple.
The way the mangaka does this wonderful manga is she spins it to feature other brilliant characters. Watch out for Hideaki Asaba as a hilarious, comic relief character, but who also is generous, kind hearted, and just a little pyschotic. Arima's past comes back to haunt him, and you can't help but feel empathetic for him.
Your never bored, or wishing something else would happen.
The only complaint I could have is that by the end of the manga, you will be left wanting, and begging, for more of this beautiful tale.
