Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a very character driven story, and though I sometimes find this kind of stories boring, TnK did a fantastic job at making me love every single chapter. I needed to read the first few chapters to get hooked, but still, they were all outstanding. I'm probably a little biased about this manga, but I really do think it deserves the score 10. In the end it's just my opinion and my taste, of course.

I loved the characters of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun the most. There's a bunch of them, and they're all interesting and relatable, every single one. Through all their school, love, friends, family and other-related struggles, I was rooting, wondering what was in store for them, gushing at their romances. I found parts of myself in the characters when seeing their reactions, their thoughts, their wants, etc.. The interactions between the characters are great too. Shizuku is a super studious, cold, expressionless girl, and Haru is a delinquent-type who's actually a naive yet (academically) smart guy who wants to make friends. The model student+delinquent has been done before but Haru and Shizuku's relationship is unique and simply adorable. They don't know how normal relationships work, so they work on it on their way, and they can be silly and mature. And then there are all the supporting characters that I definitely don't want to just put aside as side characters. A lot of them each have their own story that affect each others like they would in real life.

The art isn't particularly amazing, but it's a simple style that puts enough details. The mangaka is great at conveying emotions and stories through the drawings, and everything's all very pretty (yet not overly done so). The panels are well arranged and I think it's great that the characters can be told apart not just by their hairstyles (i've seen drawings like that..). I love the art for the funny parts too, they add a lot to the humour.

Overall I loved reading this manga. It subtly pulled the strings of my heart (how cheesy am I saying that) and near the end I felt like crying, it was too good to end. But everything was wrapped up and concluded perfectly. I very, very strongly recommend you to read Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, it's not a flashy story so it might not be interesting enough for some, but for most it could be a lovely experience. It's definitely on my favourites list now. Just give it a read ^-^

p.s. This is my first review but hopefully it was somewhat helpful! *sweats nervously*

I've never, ever been a Shoujo Girl. To me, it was all the same; unrealistic, over-the-top and generally ridiculous. But, being a bit of a hopeless romantic, I dip my toes in genre every now and again. I've found a lot of gems, and even more garbage. When searching for something new to watch or read, it is always so great to find something that is EXACTLY what you were looking for. Tonari no Kaibutsu-Kun is everything I've ever wanted from a shoujo manga.

-Story- 10
In the cookie-cutter world of shoujo, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is refreshingly different. The super-nerdy girl and the violent but kind-hearted guy are two characters who would normally just pushed to the side as friends to the main character. But here they get a chance to shine. What I love most about this story is how realistic it feels. You can really understand the main characters and they are much more relatable than the standard shoujo pair. It also deals with deeper emotions like how everybody wants to feel like they belong. Not everybody falls in love on the spot. Sometimes it takes some internal battling and self-revelations to realize what you really want. Change is not only good, but sometimes necessary to make you happy. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun touches on all of these ties them up in a extremely sweet and supremely funny story.

-Art- 9
There is not much to say about the art really. It is very good, but nothing spectacular or ground-breaking. It is clean and pleasant to look at. It has that more realistic look (that I am so very fond of), so no googly eyes that take up 5/6 of the face or vaguely infantile proportions.

-Characters- 10,
All of the characters are pretty likable, even the egotistic, elitist, snobby, rich- boy has his merits. There will always be someone you love/ grow to like. There is also a good variety of character types, so you never feel like all 37 main characters are the same, despite their slightly different hairstyles.

-Enjoyment- 10
Tonari is nothing if not enjoyable. It's a bit addicting to read, I pushed aside my mountain of essays just to keep reading (I regret nothing). I can't understand how you couldn't like it, even if was only a little. The emotions are genuine, and the jokes are actually funny. The characters are very lovable and you will attach to one quickly. The art is great and the pacing is appropriate. What more could you want?

-Overall- 9.5
I would recommend this to anyone who just wants a good story, be you an manga fan or not.

Today the final chapter was updated....

It was such a sad sight to see my favorite manga end.

KOU YOU HAVE GROWN UP!!

Anyways to the real subject.
Amazing. That's the only word I can use to describe this anime.
This describes what ACTUALLY happens in a relationship. In other shoujo manga's Girl meets Guy is so unreal.
Tonari no kaibutsu-kun described how I would feel.
Kou was such a sweetie. He was kind caring and it was really nice.
Shizuki was cold in the beginning of the manga. There were some moments when she showed us her inner tsundere (AAAAAAAAAAA SO MOE)


None of the characters were the evil bitchy girl. They just stopped chasing Kou quietly. That might be one of my favorite parts cause I detest you evil gold digging snatchers!

Anyways read the manga if you want to roll on your floor fangirling.

Hello! So this is my debut review here in MAL, and I feel kind of uneasy.. I hope my review would be helpful to you, my reader. :)

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. Actually, I just read this manga after I watched the anime adaptation because I was really hooked by it. My otaku friend was the one who introduced me to its anime adaptation, and I really am grateful he did introduce me because I really enjoyed watching and reading Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.

Why? First of all, its very funny. Every chapter makes my stomach hurt, but the romance element of the manga never fails to make my heart clench a little. There isn't any chapter that is dull, nor annoying, and that's also one of my reasons why I really think that this is a great manga and I really wish that it had more than 49 chapters to offer.

--Story--
The story is very good, not as cliched as those love stories I've watched/read before. Their first meeting was hilarious, but kinda sweet at the same time. The comedy of the manga isn't too much nor goes overboard, and it mixes well with the romance going on between the two main characters.

--Art--
The art is great. As you can see, Haru is really handsome. Yuuzan and Yamaken, too. What wonderful creatures. >//< Natsume-chan and Shizuku were also drawn very well, they're so cute and really adorable.

--Character--
The characters are also one of the reasons why this manga is great. There's an idiot, a rich kid, a study bug, and a childish one. Haru may act like an idiot a lot, but he's really intelligent (way more intelligent than Shizuku) and his childish acts are just so cute you can't hate him. The way he likes Shizuku a lot is really something. >////< On the other hand, Yamaken is the genius, playboy type; he has a lot of girls who likes him, he's rich, and he's smart. Like Haru, he's handsome too, and really passionate and patient when in love. Shizuku, the study bug, even she's at first unsociable, her honest personality and how she always expresses what she really feels is admirable.

--Enjoyment--
I really enjoyed this manga, and believe me, if you're a fan of rom-coms and hates stereotype shoujo, I believe this is something you should give a shot.

Overall, this manga deserves more than an average score of 8.39, for me. For readers who likes the shoujo genre, or rom-coms, this is a must read manga for you guys. Don't even think twice on reading it, for I assure you you will never regret giving it a chance.

I don't usually read shoujos but I caught a glimpse of this manga out of the corner of my eye when scrolling through the Romance genre. I honestly thought this would be another "Nana To Kaoru" but safe to say it wasn't.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a sweet story about two characters slowly building their love-relationship, it has it's ups and downs but only to strengthening their bond.

If you ask me, the phasing is pretty fast (already seen in the synopsis) when it comes to the sudden "nut" confession but the author handled it pretty well since both of them are still pretty one-sided about each other only to slowly come to a close that maybe perhaps they actually do love each other.

The story itself is your average shoujo with it's standard love rivalry. One of the main things I don't understand about shoujos is why can't the love rival understand and respect the relationship the heroine is having with the main guy but where's spice am I right?

The art is pretty simple, it isn't bad nor is it mind-blowing. Can't expect much as for an action manga.

The characters are likable aside a few them being as dense as a wall in some moments despite it being so obvious. There isn't much to say about the characters since in a way they're almost flawless in a mediocre way.

I have to be lying if I didn't say I enjoyed this manga and it's diabetic moments with the characters. Shoujos could have an effect on you, turning you into a teenage girl for a split-moment, it's either scenes that play with your heart or scenes that flusters you.

Overall: This manga was good, not really the best nor the worst but I enjoyed it to the very end. It's somewhat relatable characters and cute-median story puts this place in a 7.

I LOVE this manga! One of the best and non-stereotype shojo I've read. The art, the story and most of all the characters are very appealing to me.

Characters
I gotta admit that the characters in this story are the strongest point of this manga. Shizuku, Haru, Natsume, Sasayan, Yamaken and his trio gang, Ooshima, Micchan, Yuuzan and their familis; They’re all awesome and special in their own ways well… except for few ones but they’re still lovable and adorable XD Every each of them especially the main characters get great character development, something that hardly exists in typical shojo manga ( I don’t read that much or it’s just I always end up picking wrong mangas with shitty characters =,=) but at the same time, the progress didn’t ruin their original self or turning them into someone else instead they just become a better person with the same old personality and attitude (Gawd, just how many shojo heroines who are strong-willed at the first part of the manga becoming annoying, whining, indecisive girls as the story goes on esp when they finally realize their feelings. But I'm yet to see this in Shizuku) Well, this part is hardly shown now but in few more chapters, we’ll see it especially with Haru’s character and with Shizuku in dealing with her very first love relationship in the future.

Plot/Story
Since Tonari no Kaibutsu -kun is a character driven story so automatically the story is moved by its characters development and actions. But with Haru’s family issues, Shizuku’s mother and Micchan/Natsume/Sasayan relationship, at least we can anticipate something for the plot and story.Plus, this manga is only on its early stage so it’s too early to say that this manga is slow and the author has more room for the story development. I hope it wont be too long or dragging or dramatic wtv. Just sweet and cute, the way it is. Not to mention, it is a slice of life manga which is targeted to younger audiences too, so the story is just involved in everyday of teenage student’s life, no need for intense or twisted storyline, I think.

Theme
Okay, I like the theme that the author plays out in Tonari; romance, friendship, family, and individual theme, they’re just balanced and mixed so well and appropriate for girls teen-targeted manga. They’re not too simple or too complicated for weak teenage brain like mine to receive XD The physiological theme involving characters development also can be seen through Haru’s character, an abandoned child, wild, uses violent and fists to solve problem, unsocial boy that slowly changing into better, stable emotional person with the help of his friends and Shizuku of course. Yeah, it’s quite usual and ordinary in most of shojo story but Robiko sensei managed to display Haru’s mental growth distinctly throughout the story. Same applied to other characters too but Haru is the most interesting IMO.

Art
Cute and pretty art. With Tonari I don’t get dizzy or blind by reading too much panels and dialogues. Art is important to attract new readers, it’s sad when a manga with good story didn’t get more attention than it should because of the art. I’m glad that Tonari get beautiful and cute art to attract the audiences. Reminds me of Ouran, as much as I love it, I got pretty hard time to read and nearly put me off because of its drawing. I’m relieved that I got the patience and kept reading because Ouran is awesome^^

so, if you're searching for a warm, light love story but at the same time, you want the enjoyment from its story, I highly recommend this.

*As I'm very lazy this is just my review from another forum so some might have read this.

After dropping this manga halfway the first time, I read it from the start for the second time. I actually didn't like the anime at all but since usually mangas have a better storyline, I thought I'd give it a shot. Yoshida is a violent character who doesn't have basic communication skills so he has problems in school. He also confesses the second someone showes him kindness. Shizuku is a weird character too who doesn't want social interaction and only wants to focus in her studies. The pacing is fast since the characters confess on a whim. I really didn't like any of the characters, I found myself just reading it to get over with it. One of the problems is Yoshida keeps telling some cheesy lines and kisses her but he suddenly is not sure about his feelings when she confesses. Another problem is that Yoshida doesn't listen what she has to say, acts whatever he feels like, doesn't stop when the girl is clearly uncomfortable and the manga shows this as something cute and quirky. Many might see this as cute too; getting hugged forcefully and threatening to harass the girl if she screams, a guy pushing you and getting on top of you forcefully the first time seeing each other and many more forceful moments. But it wouldn't be the case if she didn't have any feelings for him since he does all this without any ties or consent. They also both say that one of them dumped the other quite a bit when it's their fault being so bad at communication. There's usual love triangles and unsuprisingly the girl chooses the male who treats her like trash. The violent and immature behaviour of Yoshida bothered me because he always tries to solve problems by violence then wonders why Shizuku got mad at him. As Yamaken literally said at some point "His mental development stopped at the level of a grade-schooler".

The art is typical shoujo art, it is consistent.

I don't recommend this if you don't like immature characters, forceful touching and bad communication. I didn't enjoy it but there are many people that did so you can check it out, though it certainly wasn't for me. I was just so glad it was over.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is probably a manga I won't forget. Despite it having a simple premise and characters that have stereotypical archetypes (Shizuku being a study bug, Haru being an eccentric softie, etc) I still enjoyed this so much because it was executed nicely and, true to the description provided by MAL, a fresh take on your typical tsundere girl x dere boy romance.

The characters are definitely the best part of this manga. Though they aren't groundbreaking, their interactions with each other and how each of them influenced the other characters (directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly) felt so honest and true to what high school and youth in general is like. Unlike other shoujos I've read that were so dreamy and impossible, it felt as if what these guys went through and felt could actually happen to you in real life (and some of these things probably have). I especially loved the dynamics of the main protagonist "quartet" (Shizuku, Haru, Natsume and Sasayan), who befriended each other regardless of their differences academically, socially and as a whole -- though this manga focuses on the relationship of Haru and Shizuku, I'm also glad that the mangaka took the time to show us through these four that love can also come in different forms and people, not just in a romantic way, and change us just as equally. Though Haru and Shizuku would definitely be different if they hadn't met, the fact that the people around them were just as important and that they weren't the only people in that world was what made this manga stand out to me.

On that note, the story and writing is probably the epitome of what "slice of life" is. It's slow but mellow, and it ultimately doesn't make you feel as if you're reading filler. The conversations and events that take place are meaningful and there are quite a number of quotable sayings from this manga, at least for me! It was also really funny and sweet, enough to make me giggle at the awkward moments caused by a lot of characters' inexperience (especially Shizuku) when it comes to relationships with others, and even laugh whenever anyone (shout out to the Natsume-Haru duo!!) would do something wacky. Though this work is primarily narrated by Shizuku, whenever it shifts to another person's view for a chapter or two, it never feels out of place and it flowed really nicely overall.

The art was just as wonderful! It was clean and pleasant to look at, and the character designs really fit each of their personalities. (I'll be honest, I looked forward to whenever Natsume came "on screen" because her clothes looked so fun and very fashionable, compared to the modest Shizuku, who dresses like a grandma!) Also, the backgrounds were detailed, and the overall quality was just really great and consistent.

All in all, this is a really enjoyable manga! Though there's certainly romance involved, this manga is about love in general, what it means to truly reach out to someone and what your relationship with that somebody does to you and others as people. It's nothing overly convoluted, but it's not that simple, either. It's a fun read and definitely worth a glance if you have the time. This may be a shoujo, but I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read something a little more unique.

Before I begin this review, I would like to say that I literally just binge read the whole series, even chapter 52 which updated TODAY. I saw on mangahere that this series was going to end soon, which is did in chapter 48, but I waited it out till now so I can have a fresh perspective on it. I shall avoid major spoilers of course, but I am planning on writing a very lengthy 'rant' blog on this (once I find more time) because I'm not exactly too happy with the story (even though I enjoyed it). So... let's begin.

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= Story =
- Love at almost first site. Yoshida, the cute delinquent turned sweetheart, "falls" for the cold Shizuku. Please read the full synopsis on the manga page.
The plot wasn't too complicated. Romance wise, the story makes it quite linear who ends up with who, but the reoccurring themes about individuality and friendships. I had read through a few forums and this manga was a reoccurring title in which the internet seems to love and adore. Judging the book by it's cover, I automatically assumed ------- Character Section ----------. The overall summary sounded decent enough and I was expecting a SUPER COMPLICATED PLOT. Thank goodness it wasn't.
SOOOOO story wise, if you love brain teasers, a look into life morals, friendships that seem to last, cutesy love and quite a bit of harem with a decent/mediocre complexity rating, try 'Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.'

= Art =
- The art is lovely. I quite fancy Shoujo manga without the HUGE eyes. The drawings were smooth, the clothing looked original enough to the mangaka's style. Again, absolutely gorgeous. -

= Character =
- JUDGING THE BOOK BY IT'S COVER, I AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED... (without reading the summary) that Shizuku and Yoshida were delinquents considering she has a dog collar around him and he looked menacing enough. I was wrong of course.

I'm picky when it comes to manga series that expect me to take hours out of my time to read. Usually once I read the first chapter, I either continue or I stop right there. I considered stopping for this manga. The characters to me, at that point in time which was roughly 3 hours ago, had no potential to grow in an exponential way for the next 51 chapters. "Why's she so picky?" you may ask. Like video games, I like spending money on one game with replay value so I can get my $60 worth as opposed to spending money on multiple cheap games that I'll only play once. I've read a lot of manga already so now I'm just being picky on what I want to spend on leisure time reading.

Back to the characters. Shizuku is a cold person who is more aware of some emotions around her. She's straight forward and in the beginning likes to put a distance between her and other people. Seemingly enough, all she did was study as opposed to having fun. I found her character to be bland. She does however develop once their social group expands, but she wasn't my most favorite character.

Yoshida (Haru, either or) was a character I didn't like. People who have read this series would be all "WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU HE'S ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND IS SO SWEET ASDFGHJKL!" His character was flawed from the beginning being that he is a violent person to start out. However, in a few chapters it all changes and he becomes less violent and less scarred and it's as if that Haru who had potential for psychological development never existed. He was a sweetheart with a blunt mouth, but after the change from delinquent to puppy, his character stayed linear for the rest of the series.

A character that I did like a lot and was shipping with Shizuku, like, REALLY hard, did not get a fair trial. Yamaguchi (Kenji) was a pretty forgettable character in the beginning. I didn't start liking him until 1/3 of the way through because he got no page time before that. I thought he was just a side character (or an extra) because of his lack of presence in the beginning, but once Robic(k?)o, the mangaka, changed the pace of the story by having him come out as "I MAY SEEM LIKE A JERK AND I AM BUT I REALLY AM A PRACTICAL AND SWEET GUY AT HEART," I was sold. I wish the ending after the official end did him justice, but alas, it was not meant to be.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that there are a lot of "supporting" characters that I didn't fine memorable. They felt more like extras added into the plot for the convenience of relevant characters. For example, (tiny spoiler, but it doesn't affect anything to me, but still) one of Yamaguchi's hommies just happens to own/have access to a 'resort' (more like a cabin in the woods to me) which, again, was convenient for the relevant characters to deepen their friendship. -

= Enjoyment =
- Considering I binge read all 52 chapters, I'd say i enjoyed it quite a bit, even if I wasn't took happy about the ending and character development.-

= Overall =
- RECOMMENDED. Very sweet, cute, funny and it puts a smile on your face. (:

Hello everyone! This is my first review ever, but I hope it is still helpful.

Story:
At first, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun seems to be the kind of a typical love story where opposites attract each other, but it soon can be seen that this is not the case. It may not appeal very interesting at first, but already in the first chapter it holds your attention and makes you want more. The story is not really predictable but easily to understand and it doesn't move too fast, even though I have to say that it could move a little bit faster.

Art:
I really like Robiko's style. Usually, shoujo artists focus on the cute and big eyes, but Robiko gives the characters with her drawings a more mature aura. Each of the characters look really good, but they are also a little bit plain. It often happens in shoujo manga that you can barely seperate the characters from each other, but in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, every character has its own style. Also, every scene is not decorated too much that makes it looks very nice.

Character:
The characters make the series so unique and adorable. Each of them have a personality that makes you root for them. Even though the main characters are Shizuku and Haru, the people around them are also getting in the spotlight. I just love how everyone has their very own unique personality that you can barely see in other shoujo manga. You actually have to discover them and you can feel with each of the characters.

Enjoyment:
(I actually wonder what this category is especially about haha.) I've enjoyed every chapter so far and I'm always excited when a new one is released and translated. Although there are a few scenes where I think that they are not really that necessary since they gave me a ltitle bit of a boring feeling. But any other scene were really lovely and cosy, if I can describe them like this haha.

Overall:
I really recommend this manga to everyone who likes romance without much drama. Anyone who is bored of the usual shoujo story line will be pleased with Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and their characters.
(A little note, on my profile I gave it 10 out of 10 points, since Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is one of my favorite manga series and I gave my other favorites also 10 haha.)

Thanks for reading! There are probably little mistakes in my English, but I hope everything was understandable.