Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

Romance isn't my favorite genre of manga but it's also the only medium in which I care about it.

I'm not an avid reader of shojo romance manga but when I watched the anime of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, I knew I needed to know the ending of that story.

I then read from vol. 5 to 8 online very quickly and then bought the physical volumes later and have never read them... until this day. (All of this to say my reading was a little all over the place so I may not make sense sometimes)

I considered this manga to be one of my favorite romance if not THE one. I had even put it as one of my favorites on my profile but have removed it since. Years have gone by between my first experience of this story and my discovery of its ending.

My tastes have changed since then and my interest had faded.

So what drew me back to it? Why couldn't I just let it go? Why is it important to me and why I think it's a solid 8?

The positives of this story :

The characters. In a manga like this, I believe it is the one and most important point, the one that really counts. Haru and Shizuku aren't the plain couple you might imagine. The couple's dynamic isn't one of trying to bring a bit of the other in them. Basically even though Shizuku is a serious student that puts her studies before all, this isn't a story about her becoming someone else or changed. It's about being there and understanding each other. What Haru and Shizuku bring to each other isn't a new vision of life but the ability to freely live their own.
The relationship they establish is an unbreakable bond that will hold even when they spend months apart.
Also this manga's goal isn't to see the protagonists end up together because they do, fairly soon actually. It's about reaching that point where they're really in sync, when they fully understand one another. When there's no more fear that justifies keeping their emotions or lying.
This manga doesn't try and make you doubt about the fact they'll be together.

In this day and age, harem is prevalent. Stories where multiple contenders aim for the same boy/girl don't do a good job at truly developing the ending pair's feelings. You feel like you've read something that could be multiple standalone love stories and the ending feels like it could be one of many alternatives one. Even 5-toubun that ended recently and that I consider very good shares this unavoidable flaw.

This story has none of that, it is a story about the building of a solid relationship. If you like the chase of harem mangas, this isn't it. If you like the slow pace of a romantic settle down then this is for you.

When I say the characters are good, I don't mean only the main pair. I won't go into too much details here since that'd be long to cover up and it's honestly something you should definitely find out yourself. But I'll say that the characters you'll come to like I'm sure are all treated well. There are some truly side characters that don't bring much to the story, but much of the supporting cast aren't left over and they all have good development and conclusions.
There's even a pairing (if not two) that, to me, could have ben stories of their own and they've been just as good as the main one. Those are more of the "chase" kind of stories and I found that great.

I truly think there's everything romance fans look for in this story.

The negative aspects :

After all, this isn't a 10 is it? There are some things I didn't like.

First, the psychology aspect. Now I don't mean "deep psychology" I'm talking about these moments where characters reflect on their lives to make the next decision. Even though they're obviously necessary, I think sometimes the author draaaaaagged it a bit. Sometimes I feel like some internal thoughts went on for too long to reach nothing. I think especially about everything that's Haru's family related. Except his relationship with his aunt and cousin, I think most of it was unnecessary and boring and existed only to get a bit of drama. Basically Haru's family is pretty important and his family and him are in bad terms but because his father is that important, he won't reach out to him. It's a complicated family to say the least but it doesn't bring anything to the table besides being just that: complicated. Haru's family could've been complicated another way, I don't understand why it needs them to be "People". I didn't see the point in Haru's family business existing. So whenever the story tried to make hardships based of that I couldn't really get into it.

So that's it, this manga ended years ago and I don't believe anyone will read this, but if you've read all the way through and I assume you're into romance then give this series a shot, it's nothing like anything I've read and even though I'm sure there are other mangas like this I know that this one is special to me and I'm glad I finally got to reading it all the way through.

Story: 7
The story is amazing for the first seven, eight maybe nine at a push volumes and then it just goes in to the territory of repeating itself and not many problems arise towards to end, its almost like you're just watching their perfect lives unfold and the ending felt rushed to me, the fact that it does the advance into the future thing multiple times by like a year disappointing me a little bit over the course of the entire ending and the personality flips towards the end got to me a little bit and mad me feel like it ruined the story.
Art: 9
The art style is something I love, the hair styles in general of the characters were quite nice on most of the characters that were drawn. The backgrounds were well lit and detailed and the style continued without fail throughout the entire thing.
Character: 8
The characters within the anime, without spoiling things change too drastically over and over to the point where they aren't actually themselves anymore by the end of it, some people call that character development but I think to myself they developed a little too much. Too many spins on their personalities and actions were implemented, and the lead in particular at the end was disappointing.
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 8
I enjoyed reading the manga as a whole because of the way it does things no other manga I have read before has done it, the ending let it down with too many spins and no actual problems arose apart from the distancing issue towards the end and that's what let the overall down because to me the story is everything and they ruined it for me and probably for most others that read it, so I would recommend this manga to anyone who likes romance and wacky twists, it'll make you laugh and cry at certain moments with the adorable moments, just don't get too attached to a character.

I came here after watching the anime, so for those wondering the story continues from chapter 16 onwards.

I've watched a decent amount of romance anime and read a few romance manga and in my opinion "My Little Monster" is special from the rest. I wouldn't say different because the setting and plot progression isn't totally unique, but special.

Liking someone isn't as simple as you think, feelings become more confusing the more you think about it, and the closer you are to someone the more complicated things will get. But going through all of that, struggling, suffering, just to love someone, I personally think that's what "My Little Monster" is all about and why it is special to me.

Also, it's a good read and definitely satisfying if you're looking for closure on the progress of Haru and Shizuku from the anime.

What an interesting manga.

PROS:
- The art is beautiful and the characters are drawn with an absolutely stunning range of amazing expressions. It's wonderful how you can really get a sense for surprisingly complex emotions from the characters from the way they are drawn.
- The characters are likeable, interesting, multifaceted and do not always act in the manner you'd expect them to.
- The dynamic between Haru and Shizuku is really interesting. It's very refreshing to have a pair of characters who evolve in interesting ways together, and who interact in a variety of different ways depending on the situation. They're not always in 'love-love shoujo' mode to each other, and actually enjoy spending time with each other for their personalities and interests. It's nice for it to not always be blushes and sidelong glances.
- Great character growth on all fronts.
- This manga doesn't suffer as much as many others do from a sense of repetitiveness - although there were some instances where I felt material was being rehashed, the were relatively rare.
- I like how the side characters manage to have their own stories without seeming to take away from the main plot and characters.
- The plot definitely deviates from the typical shoujo narrative at many points. There are some aspects of the plot that are never fully explained, but are presented in such a way that you are comfortable with the level of insight you have.
- I like a lot of things about the last few chapters. I've never seen a mangaka present so much plot and emotion in a chapter that has almost no text. It was super interesting!

CONS:
- Although I understand why they were presented in the way they were, the ending chapters were a bit disjointed and unsatisfying. I think maybe breaking up the last chapter into two slightly longer chapters would have been more effective.
- Uhhh...that's honestly the only one I can think of!

This is a typical romcom manga, but with cooler characters and a satisfying ending.

I actually really liked the variety of characters, unfortunately some characters were just thrown to the side and got little development (I’m looking st you, sasayan).

Story wise, I’m glad it didn’t drag on incessantly and it ended perfectly. Plot elements are okay, but it felt like I’ve read this storyline before. To me it felt like a mix of Ao Haru Ride and Nisekoi.

The art is on point. Everyone looks good and it’s easy to recognise characters (something I regard as good character design).

I was in the mood for romance stuff and this manga was enjoyable. Don’t look down on the number of chapters, each chapter has at least 40 pages and can get close to 60 pages. I gave this series a 6 before reading volume 13, and after that volume I raised it to 7. The main point for Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, is that you fall in love with the characters, and you watch them grow up throughout the series, and after you finish you’ll feel like you’ve watched your own children.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun Manga Review
By: Robiko
April 3, 2019

Overall: 8

Plot: 6

This series is one of the, we can say, famous shoujo which most of us know. When you mention Ao Haru Ride, Kimi ni Todoke, the name of this story will also come up. After watching it a second time, I realized why I forgot how the story goes. Well, except for the chicken the characters used to take care of. This series made the reader expect for more, more revelations, more twist, more explanation on why characters acted the way they are. It is a story of a young boy, who don't have a clue on how to act properly, who left his home out of strong hatred, and was revived by a girl who saved him from the darkness he was in. Along the story, it became a loop of confused emotions, a question and annoyance on how weak the feelings are conveyed. Maybe that is the reason why it feels like it is really slow paced. The concept of the story is good, but the reason on why the story moves forward just disappeared.

Characters: 7

If I were to pick my favorite character, I will choose Yamaken. Aside from the fact that he is handsome, rich, and intelligent, he also show that he really love the girl. He always gather his courage to show it, to protect her, even that means facing what he is scared of. Not like the protagonist of the story who always run of nowhere just to hide from confrontation. Honestly, the only proof shown by him that he love the girl is the way his face became so red. Oh, is it called love? Maybe his never ending confused feelings really got through me, and it is hard to just believe what he says. Lucky that the girl is head over heels to the guy and there's no other option she wanted unless it is him. It is just kindof sad that I never saw the guy fully show his sincerity, his love, to the girl. Not once.

Art: 10

There is no doubt that the way the characters expressed their emotions are great. The feelings of the characters at that certain time has been properly shown. I really love the art of this story. It is lively, detailed, sometimes scary. What I love to see the most is the clothes of the characters which always look cool and fashionable. It made me feel like I want to see them in real life, like literally them. Oh well, art really make a difference.

Enjoyment: 9

If Yamaken is not there, I won't enjoy the whole series. If he's been highlighted on most of the episodes, that would be really really good. I think, he deserve more scenarios, a chance to show his feelings, but he got dumped right on his face. There are fun parts on this series, the way teens enjoy their life, the way they feel happiness on little things. It is simple things but its quite enjoyable to see.

Ending: 8

If you are the type of person who wanted a happy ending, an ending where the characteras are sure not to let go of one another, then this one is for you. The way the creator lock the story by the marriage of the protagonists is great, for a shoujo genre. Since that is the most cliche, but wanted endings. But for me, it is not simple. The conflicts that was initially shown in the story must be solved first. Yes, it was solved but it is kind of incomplete since there's nothing that really happen. It's just like, yeah, lets just forget about it. Well, I'm glad to see all of the characters happy with their individual life at the ending of the story.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is one of those mangas that are light-hearted and fun to read through and through.It's like picking up a fantasy book and reading not so much because of what is going to happen but the build-up itself and the characters

Story:7
We've seen it,we've heard it,we've read it.It's a simple story about a girl meeting an eccentric boy and their adventure through their highschool years.What works here better than the rest is the fact that it's all relatable stuff not something that most shoujos do(leaning towards completely oblivious characters who can't seem to read body language).It's entertaining seeing these characters grow.

Characters:10
This is what makes this journey worthwhile,mostly due to the vast number of characters each with their own personality traits,hobbies,quirks and stories.The best part about this is every character gets their limelight moment,even the most secondary of them all and that is something which pleases audiences of varying tastes

Art:8
Art is subjective in all cases,however what i think makes Kaibutsu-kun divert from the rest is the facial expressions of the characters,they are all spot on and beautifully drawn with great emphasis on their faces

Enjoyment:10
It's hell of fun watching all these characters rise and fall from grace and tackle new and old problems in life

Overall:9
It's a really bumpy ride with ups and downs which makes for an intriguing story,asking for what comes next and how new characters will fit in and what will they bring to the table as well as the revelations turning it into a drug that you can't stop taking till you've reached the end

Writing this review, I realize that I generally write reviews when I am disappointed by said MangaAnime, which happens way less often than when I am happy and content with the MangaAnime that I have finished, due to correct choice of what i "Consume". and with this Manga, I had a BIG problem with one specific character- scroll down for the details .

And with that said, let's dive into the review:
(Warning, may contain spoilers, i will try keeping them as vague descriptions).

Story: 5

Very simple Shoujo High-School Love Story. Love at first sight between the Male and Female Protagonists. Despite some twists and turns, nothing too special or original. A few love triangles, a few rejections, and heartbreaks, you know- the usual. So why only 5? because I could not shake the feeling that many plot points could have taken a much more interesting and generally better turns. This manga, despite taking a generic story, could lead it on a much better road, yet it didn't-which is a shame.

Art: 6

Honestly, the art style is simple, sometimes messy and at times quite eye-catching, but not very often. Backgrounds are usually very simple and often non-existing, characters are drawn quite well but nothing too great, however cuteness and emotions are conveyed well.

Character: 6

This point is without a doubt the most important when it comes to such Story's, we are supposed to get as invested as possible to the characters and then root for them through their endeavors, cheering, crying and laughing together with them. But for that there's something that must be established first-we need to identify with said characters, basically seeing eye to eye with them and possibly see yourself in them and in their stead.
For me Personally, this Manga simply made this oh so important aspect- pretty much impossible. Don't get me wrong- I did relate, liked and cared for most of the characters of this Manga. well, Most except one- Yoshida Haru, AKA the Male Co-Protagonist himself.
And hear me out about this- after doing some thinking I came to the realization that Haru is Basically a Sheldon Cooper from TBBT, but with having violence tendencies instead of fearful tendencies. So with that in mind- I simply could not relate to him in any way, or see myself and my way of thinking and feeling in him, and thus became to actually disliking his character. I will not go into detail to avoid spoilers, but just think about this- what happens when you throw a character you dislike for obvious reasons, into the midst of all the other characters which you do like, but this character is the Male Protagonist character, and so his happiness and success - no matter how undeserved and unrelatable they are, are still ensured by the author? you guessed it- bad story-telling in the making, which makes the reader sour and bitter about the turn of events.

Enjoyment: 6

Trying to look at this Manga in a favorable light, as I usually do with almost every MangaAnime I approach, I did find myself smiling, being sad, happy, and other emotions that comprise the Enjoyment of a work. Unfortunately- a very big and important part of this Manga(main Protag) sapped a lot of my enjoyment from this one, which is a darn shame.

Overall: 6

This score is me being very considerate, as I pondered whether this should be 5 or even 4. But despite a Story that never took the brave Plot turns, and had a very unsatisfying ending- even if you were enjoying the entirety of this Manga, which I personally didn't for the reasons mentioned above, I still find myself looking back in a positive light on some good and heartwarming moments that this Manga shared with me. Relation-ships who bloomed, the character's who grew, and choices that I did approve of.

Who would I recommend this to? definitely not to anyone, especially not to the ones who are very inspective and judgemental.
But if you like these sort of Cooky Cut Shoujo Manga, and find out after trying a chapter or 2 that you like both the Male and Female Protagonists than by all means give this one a try- it won't be an amazing or Tear-Jerking ride, but with the right attitude, you may very well enjoy this, even a lot.

So I actually decide to read the manga of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun after watching its anime last year. Why did it took me a year? Well, I dislike anime where the ending of it is lackluster and to see more information about it, I'm forced to read the manga. The characters on the anime are really good, but what made them lackluster (in terms of development) is because of that lackluster ending.

I decided to read the manga just now, because I really have nothing to do throughout the summer. I mean, I'm watching Jojo (the first season), but it's not hyping me up (Unlike what other people say. I'm even beginning to doubt that maybe Stardust Crusaders is where the hype is) and it isn't giving me spice.

So we have a cold-hearted girl named Mizutani, Shizuku who only cares about her grades. She then meets this eccentric, happy go lucky boy named Yoshida, Haru. This is where their romance begins to develop in a comedic, slice of life way. I know this isn't a SOL manga, but I do get that vibe as I read the manga.

What makes the story good is how it drives with its characters. Basically, the story doesn't progress without its character's motives. It doesn't even feel forced. I'm not only talking about Shizuku and Haru, I'm also talking about its side characters like Sasayan, Natsume, Yamaken, Ooshima, and so on. The side characters don't even feel left out. They also have their moments where they are the reason why the story is progressing between Shizuku and Haru and that's what I love about the manga - the way it progresses and it doesn't feel forced. The story tackles the romance, family, and friendship aspect and they do it really well. I gave the story and the characters a 10/10 because although it maybe simple, again, the way they it blends with its characters is what makes it outstanding.

For the art, it isn't really detailed, but in terms of the style, it's really good. All of the characters look attractive especially the girls. They look kawaii. For the men, they also look kawaii (No homo).

This is the very first Shojo manga that I finished, so some of you may disagree to what I say (And might say that I have to read other Shojo manga to see for myself), but I still think this manga is great no matter how many Shojo manga I've read. I enjoyed it because of its characters and the way the story progresses. This is way better than the anime... Obviously.

My score for this manga is a 9/10. Outstanding story and characters though it falls in terms of art which is why this manga didn't hit a 10/10. This manga is great for both beginners and veterans. It's great for beginners as this manga doesn't really fall in any cliche tropes (like "fanservice"), so I thought this manga maybe a good introduction to beginners out there.

So let it be said I am a sappy romantic. I love me a good romantic comedy, and I am down. This series does just that. Usually with anime/manga I have a hard time keeping up with characters. It is tough for me to remember their names, and what they do. This series is very simple, and does its time on taking its time to explain everything. The characters are very simple, and extremely lovable. Besides one character. Someone speaking in third person is never good in my book haha. However! I like how the characters motivations actually make sense. Which is very nice in this genre. There are too many love stories that logically don't make sense. It's nice to sit down and just read a good love story. Especially one that has such amazing side characters. On top of that the art is fantastic. It is a shojo, but does not have that standard shojo look. Overall. I would highly recommend this manga. It is a gorgeous series that is nearly perfect. Minus Iyo and her brother. I personally think it would be perfect.

First off, I just want to say, what an amazing and enjoyable series!
The story was awesome. The development of it wasn't sloppy, it was really well made!
The art was outstanding! Robico really knows how to draw. The character designs were great, and the sceneries were beautiful.
The character development was terrific. Everyone was there own person, and they each had their own personality.
Overall, I enjoyed this one 100%! I definitely recommend this manga to anyone who's a fan of high school slice of life stuff.
I gave this one a 10/10 because it's totally worth that rating!

This quickly became my favorite romantic comedy manga. I really enjoyed the story, since it became clear that Haru's and Shizuku's feelings for each other were strong and not in danger of being swayed by silly things (rivals were never really in the running, and the two always showed care for each other and were often affectionate). The art style was right up my alley - girls are cute, boys are dreamy kinda thing. I loved how you got to witness the romance evolve - it wasn't just a superficial relationship. There was real growth.

I would have liked to have seen a little bit of what happened to them after high school and before the 3.5-year jump to the night of their engagement. I loved that as well - it always makes me happy when you know they are continuing in their future together. I also really enjoyed Shizuku's family and would have liked to have seen Haru meet her.

Overall, a story that I found to be original, which is difficult with shoujo manga, and one that was very enjoyable.

If you are familiar with shoujo manga, then you will genuinely laugh at the tongue-in-cheek approach of this one.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (or My Little Monster, as I first knew it) is my favorite shoujo manga. I loved it so much that I felt obligated to purchase the whole series in hard-copy form after having completed it, so that I could read it again and support the author. It's different.
What sets it apart in my mind is the humor. The author caught me off-guard so many times throughout the series. The scene would be set for a stereotypical, sparkly shoujo moment (e.g. compromising positions! the first kiss!)--and then something completely unexpected would happen and cause me to literally laugh out loud. Both character's lack of social graces largely contribute to this, although it looks different for each.
As I have become more familiar with the shoujo genre, I can't say that the lead characters (as much as I love them) are particularly unique. Shizuku is quiet, cold, and studious; Haru is handsome, spontaneous, and inexplicably talented. Even their relationship is a bit of a trope (the initial attraction between the parties is fairly out-of-character).
The supporting cast, on the other hand, is very strong. Their lives outside of the main story line are well-defined, which is uncommon for shoujo. The most surprising thing is the love rival, Yamaken. Love rivals in shoujo usually come in one of two forms: the long-suffering companion who has waited to stake their claim, or the sly "devil's advocate" who has no foundation for their attraction. Yamaken is not particularly likable, but as his character progresses you grow to truly appreciate his unexpected love for and friendship with Shizuku.