Slow beginning... but good solid shojo     Jun 20, 2007     reviewed by Rainy    

I was talked into reading this manga by friends, and for about the first 3 or 4 volumes I was bored.... but then started all the side character stories. This manga has some of the best side characters ever! I started liking it much more.... Then half way through the series, everything changes... the manga makes a dark turn... then it turns into pure win! I just love the second half of this manga, it's interesting, slightly dark and very good. If you can get through the beginning, then it's really good shojo!

Rainy also recommended: Peach Girl, Skip Beat, Fruits Basket,
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To die for     May 30, 2007     reviewed by Tuttle    

It starts off pretty lame but increases to awesomeness after v.4. So many good characters that are developed over the course of all 21 volumes. I reccomend it to both genders.

Tuttle also recommended: Kare First Love,
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a sweet love stories     Jun 16, 2007     reviewed by black_orchid    

Well i wrote down love stories because although this started with journey of love-not so really hate relationship between Yukino and Soichiro it then develop with their closest friends and family love relationship too.It's a long run manga but it's fun shoujo manga to read.

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A perfect girl finds a perfect boy..     Apr 29, 2008     reviewed by Joey    
(Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances) Vol. 01)

I haven't really read any Manga of the Shjo type. Some would say that it would be odd because I am a male. But I was interested, and I do love the Romance genre in media. So, I decided to go into Walden Books and buy the Kare Kano Volume 1-3 collection. Since I just finished the first volume in this collection and feel like reviewing, I will review this and review the whole collection after reviewing the 3rd separately.

Kare Kano is a very entertaining Manga. You could almost cry. The humor, romance, and suspense that builds in the relationship of Miyazawa and Arima is unexplainable. This heart-racing Manga was excellent and I am getting ready to stop reviewing and just read the second volume right now.

Miyazawa seems like the perfect girl. She has good looks, she's smart, and she's admired by her peers. But, Arima is taking that away from her. They are competing in the battle of admiration, although Arima doesn't care. Soon, they become friends and peers are gossiping about a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship.

This manga will leave you begging for more. A page-turner for all Shojo, New Shojo, and Manga fans.

Joey also recommended:
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AWSOMENESS (^_^)v     Jul 05, 2007     reviewed by kyo kurai kori    

even though when you start off its ok funny but doesn't realy pull you in but as to cont around vol 3 on the plot gets better and better untill you can't stop reading this series also tells more into all the characters and there pasts in the whole series and leaves you guessing...but on the down side there is one book vol.11 that gets thrown off topic cause it focuses more on one character and his band but other then that the ending is awsome and it shows the future of what happened to them all which is awsome considered some don't do that so read it you'll love it!!!!!!!!! *dances and trips and falls threw a never ending hole* nooooo!!!!

kyo kurai kori also recommended: kare first love, saiyuki, saiyuki reload, wallflower, trigun,
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better to rent first     Sep 11, 2007     reviewed by KoolKat    

A high-school manga, this series might best be appreciated by readers of that age group. Arima's struggle with his surfacing past promises to bring new development the series, but by the time his arc really starts, you'll probably be tired of reading it.

The comedic and dramatic aspects of this story don't blend well. It feels as if a switch is constantly being switched between either one. This can be tiring and ruins any chance the series has of improvement. The characters - of which there are many - are all well-developed, many even receiving their own side story.

If you are interested in following this series, it might be best to rent or borrow a few copies before deciding if you want to purchase your own.

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it's Shojo for a reason     Sep 11, 2007     reviewed by Bunnii    

Story: 4 stars Strong points - It's a really cute love story, with your typical Shojo humor and drama, which include random funniness, cute characters, a dark past, slice of life every now and then. What I like about Kare Kano is that there is no main love rival like in other Shojo. The challenge the lovers face in this Shojo lies else where.

Weak points - The mangaka often stray away from the main storyline to tell stories about Yukino's friends & their relationships. Her side notes said that it was her intention, but I think she could've save the sidestory for a spin off or something, because the series could've done without some of the sidestories. It sucks to wait 2 volumes just to get back to the main story. Not to say that the side stories aren't good.

Arts: 4 stars Okay, it's not CLAMP's details & intricate kind of pretty. And its not Yuu Watase's super handsome boys. Masami Tsuda has her own style, which I think is much more simpler than other artists. It's enough to tell the story. Nice enough for you to enjoy. If I remember correctly, this is her first series. I think the downside is that her style changes a little toward the end of the series. It could also be the fact that the characters are more mature later on in the series, hence the change in art style. Maybe both.

Bunnii also recommended: Kare First Love, Mars, Peach Girl,
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Boring, cliched, and just plain awful     Jul 30, 2007     reviewed by Michelle    

I was expecting a lot when I first picked up Kare Kano. The plot written on the back cover of the first book describes Yukino, the top student in her high school, who is obsessed with being perfect. She is jealous when a boy named Soichiro transfers to the school and is quickly known as just as smart and popular with the others as she is. Though furious with him at first, she unexpectedly ends up falling in love with him.

I was initially intrigued, because the plot really seemed to have a lot of potential. What a complete disappointment when I actually began the series.

You'd think that this sort of hate turned to love relationship would progress through several volumes. Rather, Yukino and Soichiro are friends by the end of the first book, and are dating by the end of the second. This wouldn't be so terrible if the series was three or four volumes long, but it actually spans over twenty.

I was so disgusted with Kare Kano, I wasn't able to read past volume eight. Apparently, the story is supposed to pick up later on, during the second half of the series; quite frankly, a good series shouldn't take around ten volumes to pick up. The plot completely dies by volume four, and although there are semi interesting sub plots taking place with side characters, it's certainly not enough to hold your attention for long.

Yukino and Soichiro's relationship is kind of enjoyable to read about in volume one. That's it. From then on, it's pretty much they date, they're separated (oh noes!), they have sex, etc. The only problem that ever appears is when Soichiro's inner demons surface over time due to his childhood, and this begins to distance him from Yukino. It's the typical boy is tortured, girl saves him, boy is happy. Like that hasn't been done before.

On top of that, the art is just lousy. Kare Kano was the first graphic novel series I ever read, so in the beginning, I didn't think much of the art. But after I started losing interest in the series and read other, much more enjoyable ones, it became apparent how sub par the art in Kare Kano actually is.

The artwork in the first volume can only be described as rushed. The characters often look strange with their necks set too far back, their noses mysteriously missing, or their features completely out of proportion. And if you're expecting the art to get better later on, don't, because it's all downhill from book one on.

Overall, Kare Kano is just terrible. If you want to read a good romance story, look elsewhere. The worst part is that Kare Kano had a lot of potential, but the actual result leaves much to be desired.

Michelle also recommended:
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Kare Kano     Jun 04, 2007     reviewed by Aly    

ah, Kare Kano. Quite mediocre, but still a sweet love story. The artwork is mostly just lazy, but the emotions still come off good. The story is cliched, but still a good read.

Aly also recommended: Azumanga Daioh!, Fruits basket,
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