Sawako Kuronuma is a quiet girl, who unfortunately resembles Sadako, the creepy ghost from The Ring, causing her classmates to be afraid of her and no one to remember her real name. Then, Shota Kazehaya, the most popular boy at school, takes an interest in her and suddenly she has friends for the first time. How could she not fall in love with him? But will Sawako finally find the nerve to let him know her true feelings?
Kimi ni Todoke is one of the cutest manga I have ever read. Sawako and Kazehaya are both really adorable characters who simply don’t see how great they are. You cannot help but cheer them on. The only problem is the misunderstandings between them drag on for a while. They have each confessed to the other so many times I’ve lost count, but something always happens so that the other person doesn’t understand. It gets a little frustrating and caused some eye-rolling on my part after a while.
The side characters are what really kept me reading, particularly Sawako’s friends Chizu and Yano. They are such great and supportive friends, even though they are confused and unhappy with a lot of things in their own lives. These three girls are total opposites, but have an amazingly strong bond. They take care of each other and make the story about more than just romantic love.
This story is really sweetly told and the artwork matches it perfectly. It is traditional manga style, but with more rounded lines. Kazehaya’s eyes look like actual eyes, only larger, of course. The thing I appreciated most about Shiina’s artwork is that she really concentrates on the backgrounds. There is a lot of shading and interesting backgrounds like clouds or sparkles (of the non-vampire variety). It lends a lot to the pages, making each one really fascinating to see. I found myself studying each one slowly, instead of turning the pages quickly like I usually do.
This story is truly adorable, and, while it focuses on romance, appropriate for anyone struggling to find themselves in their teen years. Each of these characters is going through a tough, awkward time and its fun to watch them figure things out.
Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me To You, vol. 1-10
by Karuho Shiina
Art by Karuho Shiina
Vol. 1 ISBN: 9781421527550
Vol. 2 ISBN: 9781421527567
Vol. 3 ISBN: 9781421527574
Vol. 4 ISBN: 9781421527864
Vol. 5 ISBN: 9781421527871
Vol. 6 ISBN: 9781421527888
Vol. 7 ISBN: 9781421531755
Vol. 8 ISBN: 9781421531762
Vol. 9 ISBN: 9781421536880
Vol. 10 ISBN: 9781421538228
Viz Media, 2009-2011
Publisher Age Rating: T/13
