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Monday, June 9, 2014

Manga Review: Kare First Love, Volume 10, by Kaho Miyasaka



Rating (Out of 5): ~1.5
Publisher: Shojo (VIZ Media)
Release Date: December, 2006
Volumes: 10
Spoilers?: Yes.
Volume: 1. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four-eyed high-schooler Karin has never thought of herself as the glamorous type, so why is this hot guy on the subway taking pictures of her? Does he actually like her or is he just some kind of subway perv? Things get complicated when the most popular girl in Karin's school, Yuka, starts showing an interest in Kiriya (yes, that picture-taking guy on the subway) and sees Karin as her rival! Can Karin build up her self-esteem (and ditch her glasses) enough to stand up to jealous Yuka--and experience first love?

What Will I Miss?:

  • I suppose I did enjoy the drama, at least for quite a bit of the time. I like drama, and sometimes you're just in the mood for the over-the-top stuff that this is. I don't think I'm going to miss anything else.

Review:

I was, um, kind of extremely disappointed with this volume. I really wanted to like it, I was really hoping it would be good. And it wasn’t.
I think my biggest problem is that I just don’t believe in Karin and Kiriya. They’re cute together, I guess, they have fun and get along sometimes. They have disagreements and move past them. They’ve matured, some, since the beginning. I just don’t believe they’re ready or mature enough. I mean, their story ends with a proposal and a wedding and everyone happy, which I guess is what people wanted, maybe? I didn’t want that. I wanted them to separate, grow a whole lot in themselves and their place in the world, and then maybe go back to each other. I mean, in this volume, they take a trip together and then Karin gets depressed when he leaves her alone for a couple of hours. That doesn’t show me that she knows who she is or how to be sufficient on her own.
I just don’t think they’re ready to be together forever, to devote themselves to the other person for the rest of their lives and yada yada yada. I don’t believe that they’re mature enough, or that that was the right ending for them. I can’t say I was surprised, though, because that was obviously where the story was going.
I think that’s really all I had to say about this volume. It upset and disappointed me, and I’m glad I read it but I’m also glad that it’s done.

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