Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 [With Sticker(s)]

by Karuho Shiina

Book Overview

R to L (Japanese Style). Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine... for a horror movie . With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for Sadako, the haunting character from Ringu . Unbeknownst to but a few, behind her scary fa ade is a very misunderstood teenager. Shy and pure of heart, she just wants to make friends. But when Kazehaya, the most popular boy in class, befriends her, she's sure to make more than...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1421527553
• ISBN13: 9781421527550
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Viz Media
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Great book

I loved it

Good read

"Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1" is a really good read for people who like a good romance with some comedy. I am sure that the story will grow into something worth while to just go and wait out side of the book store in till they open to get the next volume. I am looking forward to getting finished with volume 2 soon since i just started right before come on to do my review. (Yeah the end of volume 1 is that good) For young readers who just want something to smile at, or someone who just loves a good romance, I really would suggest you read this. Hope my review helped you.

This is worth reading.

I don't really consider myself into Shojo manga/anime, but I end up watch a good share of it. It's probably because I look for something different in manga/anime these days, and if you're up for something unique too, then I recommend Kimi ni Todoke. It hinges a lot on whether you like the main character, Sawako. Her peers see her as angry-looking, perpetually unhappy, and a loner, but she's totally the opposite of that on the inside. Let's also get this out of the way too: she's not emo, but she has a lot of self-doubts and questions just like I imagine many of us do when dealing with others. The story is about her meeting the one person, Kazahaya, who doesn't give a crap about how others sees her, and approaches her as a friend, and in turn, it helps her change the way she thinks about herself and how she relates to others.

Volume 1 - Introducing Sawako

Sawako is a sweet, optimistic and generous teenage girl seriously handicapped by her resemblance to Sadako, a character from a horror movie. She has no friends because she doesn't know how to get past all the absurd paranormal things her classmates believe about her. Her lonely existence takes a turn for the better when the extremely popular boy Shota Kazehaya takes an interest in her. Kazehaya's acceptance of Sawako leads to other classmates giving her a chance to show her true kind nature. Encouraged by two of her female classmates, Chizuru Yoshida and Ayane Yano, Sawako starts learning how to turn her scary appearance and reputation into a positive thing, first by secretly play the role of a ghost on a class outing, and then learning to tell ghost stories. Naturally, many of the other girls in her school are angry and jealous of the time and attention Sawako gets from Kazehaya. An unnamed wavy haired girl puts in a few appearances, and I'm thinking she's going to turn out to be a significant antagonist in this story. The last two pages of vol. 1 show Yoshida and Yano hearing that Sawako is spreading ugly rumors about them. Of course to the reader, who has been privy to Sawako's thoughts and gotten to know her, this is preposterous, but it looks like vol. 2 will be concerned with further instances of Sawako trying to clear up misunderstandings about herself. Sawako is prevented from being a pathetic, pitiable character by her endless optimism and willingness to help others. She doesn't spend time feeling sorry for herself, nor has her isolation and the often cruel treatment of her classmates made her bitter. She is unfailingly generous with her time and her understanding of their school work. Sawako learns and grows from the difficulties she runs into. Watching as she develops her friendships (and what I'm sure will become more than a friendship where Kazehaya is concerned) is a good read. I'm looking forward to volume 2!

A fun, entertaining series

The story centres around Sawako Kuronuma, a shy high school student, who has a reputation for being scary and ghost-like. In reality she's actually a really good natured, naïve girl who is constantly misunderstood. The story starts when Sawako has recently entered high school and hasn't yet made friends. She manages to make friends with Kazehaya, a popular, cheerful boy in her class, who seems to be the only one who isn't terrified of her. With Kazehaya's help Sawako starts to come out of her shell and the story is basically about how she tries to make more friends and clear up the various misconceptions about her. Let me say straight away that this isn't a serious manga at all and is a really light-hearted, fun read. Sawako's naïve personality and the various situations she finds herself in are really entertaining. I should maybe also add that her innocent, kind personality doesn't come across as being annoying at all- it's actually really endearing. The artwork is also very pretty. The characters are well developed, including Sawako as well as the various supporting characters that are gradually introduced. The plot is also well developed and the story doesn't feel cliché at all, despite what might seem like an overlap with some other series out there. I definitely recommend picking this up if you're looking for a solid, entertaining shojo series!

100% Nice!

I've been waiting for "Kimi ni Todoke" to be published in English for a long time. I first saw it in the pages of BetsuMargaret manga anthology and was instantly captivated by the warm art and the characters' gentle facial expressions. I could only figure out the basics of the plot, but what I could understand seemed interesting and made me want to read more. Sawako Kuronuma is a shy, sweet girl who wants to make friends and get along with everyone. This might not so hard for her to accomplish were it not for her looks. But with her long, dark hair and pale skin, Sawako looks just like Sadako, the ghost from the classic J-horror film "Ringu". The association is so strong that her classmates think that her name really is Sadako. They're afraid of her, thinking that she can see ghosts and curse people with her gaze. Sawako tries to explain herself, but she's too shy to really speak up. And her quietness and isolation only make her seem more mysterious. But Sawako's classmate Kazehaya isn't afraid of her like everyone else. He's a kind person who reaches out to loners, and he's taken a special interest in Sawako. Kazehaya befriends her and encourages her to reach out to others. With his help, she slowly starts to make friends. The story here is plenty entertaining. The basic premise is interesting, and it's well executed. It's sort of slice of life, so nothing really exciting happens, but it's sweet and funny. My favorite was the part when Sawako's class does a haunted trail. This is a typical shojo plot, but I really like the twist the Shiina put on it. The episodes move the story along at a good pace and develop the characters. And they're such wonderful characters! Especially Sawako. Sawako is considerate and a bit old fashioned, and she's a very pure-hearted character. She's a hopeless optimist despite being lonely, and she looks for the best in people. She keeps trying to communicate no matter how discouraging things get. The phrase "Kimi ni Todoke" literally means "reaching for you", and it perfectly describes Sawako's desire to connect with others. She might have seemed a bit of a Pollyanna, but Shiina avoids this by gently poking fun at her naivety. You really can't help but love her. She's such a refreshing change from shojo heroines who mope, criticize themselves, and blame others over the same situation. I also really liked Kazehaya. He's popular, but not in the typical shojo manga I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt kind of way. He's just a really nice guy, and his natural charisma attracts people to him. It's not so unbelievable that he's interested in Sawako, either. His feelings seem to start as curiosity, becoming something more as he learns more about her. Despite the difference in Sawako and Kazehaya's social skills, they're similar in spirit. I really like the romance between them. Sawako's admiration of Kazehaya is adorable, and so is his occasional shyness around her. There's an innocent awkwardness about their relationship that's r