"Kimi ni Todoke", translated as "From Me to You" or "Reaching You" is one of the sweetest and most heartfelt stories I have ever read. After reading it for so many years, I couldn't stop myself from writing this review.

It's slow-paced, simple and delicate in the best of ways. I feel that it mirrors the pace of true high school life: little things happen day by day, inching slowly towards the end. It's a story about love, of course, but it's so much more than that. It's a story about expressing your emotions and love for others, all kinds of love: romantic, friendship & familial.

The story starts with a pretty standard trope: unpopular girl meets popular boy. But, the way this plays out is honestly far from the standard. The main leads are both shy, kind and the relationship is balanced. It isn't one of those relationships where the boy is highly experienced, always reassuring the girl who can't understand why he would like her. If I recall correctly, Kazehaya may have to reassure Sawako in the beginning but after that, they are comfortable and confident with one another. Sawako and Kazehaya are always trying to improve themselves and always want to communciate. Of course, this may take some time to develop as there as initial misunderstandings (like many other real relationships). But I think the two main leads are adorable and depict a very sweet and healthy relationship.

The romance is sweet, and the friendships are sweet too. This story is full of girls lifting up girls, supporting one another, admitting their faults and forgiving each other. Yes, there's a popular "rival" like pretty much all other shoujos but there's alot of slow and satisfactory character development.

There isn't much else I can say without spoiling it but if you want a heartfelt shoujo manga please give this one a try!