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Title: Kare Kano
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
When it comes to objectionable content, parents have little to fear. Although there is some bad language, it is very mild. There are lots of thematic elements that involve love, sex, growing up, and past demons; however, none of these happen without a reason, and most kids could probably learn more from "Kare Kano" than be scared by it. People who love good romantic comedies are sure to love this title for the complicated and deep romances that the characters share. Fans of comedy will most likely love the energetic mood of the story and all the hijinks included. Drama fans are the ones who are going to get the biggest kick out of this series, as the drama is very realistic and moving. Men will love this series too. Come on guys, not ALL girl comics are too girly for you! Put your macho personality aside and read a series with quality to spare. |
Love is complicated and so is this book. When I wrote my review for "Fruits Basket", the response I got was, shall I say, a bit apprehensive. I knew that giving a bad review for one of the most popular shoujo ever would result in mostly negative responses from my visitors, but I must admit the death threats were uncalled for. One of my readers asked me (and not in a kind tone), "If 'Fruits Basket' isn't worth our time, then what shoujo series out there IS worth our time?!" Well Amy, I'll TELL you what shoujo series is worth your money and (more importantly) time! There is currently a very good shoujo series being released by Tokyopop called "Kare Kano" that is worth checking out (side note: sometimes this series is known as "His or Her Circumstances" thanks to the anime being retitled by Right Stuf International). When you hear someone describe the story of "Kare Kano", you might think it sounds like it's going to be nothing more then a simple "boy meets girl" romance story for girls to blush over... in fact, looking at one of the covers for this series you may walk away with that impression, but when you actually start to read it you'll discover that this series is so much more than what it presents itself to be.
The story of "Kare Kano" revolves around Yukino Miyagawa, who has everything a high school girl could want. She's got good looks, the highest grades of the whole school, all the school students admire her, and she is perfect in every single way... or is she? While she may look like a naturally perfect person to the outside world, at home she's a slob who doesn't have ANY of the interests (or manners) she seems to have at school! At home she is rude, crazy, she puts her elbows on the table, and she listens to rock music. Why the split personality you ask? The reason Yukino lives this double life (so to speak) is because Yukino craves attention, and she works hard to make sure she is looked on as a "perfect girl" and loved by everyone she sees. Then one day, a new boy named Soichiro Arima comes to her school, and he's perfect in every way too. Except the difference with him is that he has everything Yukino has, yet he has those skills naturally. When Arima grabs the top spot in the grades and Yukino gets number 2, she is furious! She is so furious, in fact, that she vows that she WILL beat him in the next round of tests, and she WILL humiliate him, and she WILL win!! When the next round of tests comes around, she claims the top spot, and thinks she's won some sort of war... that is, until Arima walks up to her, smiles, and congratulates her for getting the top spot.
It's at this point Yukino realizes that Arima was never trying to outdo her in test scores, he was just naturally good. He was the real deal, and Yukino realizes that she's been wearing a mask of perfection for everyone, and that she was, in reality, a low life. She is crushed when she looks at Arima and the way he lives his life compared to hers. Although, Arima doesn't care that she is really imperfect, because he falls in love with her anyway. All of this is really just the set for one big long soap opera, but I must say that if soap operas were as good as this series, then no one would ridicule them. Despite what the description of the series says, this series is NOT only about Yukino and Arima's relationship! In fact, to tell you the truth, "Kare Kano" isn't really about any one thing at all. "Kare Kano" deals with subjects such as love, high school rivalry, parent problems, and inner demons. In fact, I hesitate to even call Yukino and Arima the stars of "Kare Kano," because as the cast of characters grows in this series, everyone's story is unveiled to us, everyone has a history, everyone has secrets, and not ONE character is a background character! EVERYONE plays an important role at some point or another! From the secondary characters, to the teachers, to the students, to Yukino's parents, everyone in this series gets to tell a story, and all the stories are believable and great to read. Of course, the story is not perfect by any means.
One of the great things about "Kare Kano" is its huge cast of characters, with everyone in the cast getting a story to tell, but this is also a double-edged sword. The first problem comes with the fact that there IS a huge cast, and maintaining a steady focus on all the cast members becomes a problem. There may be some characters that will play a major focus in, say, book two, but then they'll disappear untill book six, or at the very least be reduced to mere cameo appearances until they are needed to play a major part in the story again. Another problem could be that all the side characters' stories may come in at the right time, but sometimes the main story (which is ultimately about Yukino and Arima's relationship) gets put on the back burner so many times, you might forget what this series was originally about in the first place. Ultimately, this isn't a huge problem as the series never really gets boring, but be warned that the story does get to be a little murky sometimes. One thing that may or may not bother you is the artwork. The artwork is... how shall I say it... simplistic. The art is not detailed, the backgrounds are usually white or black, and when there is a background, it usually isn't a very detailed one -- even the characters themselves aren't drawn that uniquely, and they rely on simple things such as hair and weight to tell each character apart from the other. In my opinion, you will either look at the artwork in this series as a style that fits the series like a glove or as sloppy dreck that deserves to be destroyed. The choice is yours (personally, I'm somewhere in the middle).
Getting off the nitpicking side of things, a nice bonus with this release is that almost every book that Tokyopop has released contains a short story from the author. Masami Tsuda started her career by doing short stories, and thanks to Tokyopop including these shorts in various volumes of "Kare Kano," we now have the good fortune of being able to read them. The stories range from serious, to funny, to sometimes even both, but they are all very enjoyable to read. Despite the minor problems I had with this series, make no mistake about it, "Kare Kano" is a masterpiece. It takes real life issues, deals with them in a realistic way that isn't boring, and there are so many different characters, you are bound to be able to relate to at least one of them! Despite what the "Top 100 Best Selling Books" list says, "Kare Kano" is the best shoujo on the market right now and NOT "Fruits Basket"! Take my advice on this one: dump that sorry excuse for a manga "Fruits Basket" and go buy "Kare Kano," which has a story worth telling and characters worth caring about. "Kare Kano" may start out as a simple love story, but it becomes more. Much more.
- -Review By Kevin T. Rodriguez- -