Have you ever felt like a monster to your friends and family? If so you might relate to the escapades hidden within Spica Aoki's doki doki romance: Kaiju Girl Caramelise.
Summary
Kuroe Akaishi has never been quite like other girls. And I do mean that literally as whenever her emotions run too high, she finds her body growing spikes, fangs, horns, and all matter of monstorous body parts. Until now, she's been able to live an everyday life despite her condition, till she catches the attention of Arata Manimi, the high school sweetheart.
Despite finding herself to be a rotten apple in his eyes, the two's growing fondness for each other seems to grow with each meeting. Along with Akaishi's body, she soon becomes a full-blown kaiju anytime they breathe the same air. This leaves the young girl with a puzzling problem as our love-drunk girl must find a way to keep this love story going while keeping her secret and Japan intact.
Characters
Kuroe Akaishi: Our main character, Akaishi's unique condition has left her spiteful, akward, sensitive, fearful, and dismissive of people. All traits which are less out of actual contempt but more fear of accidentally being viewed as a monster. Through her relationship with Arata, we see more of her fun-loving and cute side, as she refuses to give into fear and let love conquer all.
Rinko Akaishi: Akashi's doting mother. She seems to be an overprotective but sweet mother who seems to know more about her daughter's origins than she lets on.
Arata Minami: The shining golden boy of Akaishi's school, Arata's beauty tends to be a double-edged sword. He may get a ton of positive attention, but a lifetime of superficial interactions have made him introspective, observant, and earnest. After becoming interested in Akaishi's seemingly hardcore status, Minami develops a growing love for her.
Manastu Tomosato: One of Akaishi's first friends, Manastu is full of obsession and love for all things kaiju. Armed with a bank account that could reduce anyone to tears, her biggest wish is for her beloved "Harugon" (Akaishi's kaiju identity) to notice her. Even if it's at the cost of her wallet and life.
Overview
Hot diggity dog, it's been a long while since I've gotten a more traditional romance with a premise this engaging (Love Me Knot potentially?). However, it's hard to appreciate said fact when every page of this manga gives my eyes diabetes from the cuteness! The way Spica uses color and bright turns to make everything a cutesy wonderland is something I love to study because it's jaw-dropping.
It both delivers on the larger-than-life features of Akashi's kaiju form and the larger-than-life feelings one would have when experiencing young love. The secondhand blushes, the crazy double takes, and the wild imaginations all feel organically written to make Akashi's and Minami's relationship work. Add Kuroe's Kaiju misadventures to the pot, and we also get lots of spicy drama and comedy linking potentially juicy plot points later on. Hell, there are times when I feel like I'm reading more of a 60's Spiderman comic then a manga in the best way.
The secondary cast doesn't hurt either. Through Akaiashi finally deciding to pursue her passions, she unintentionally inspires many supporting characters. While no character is hiding a skyscraper-sized secret, the respective struggles of characters like Manastu and Rairi Kunono, friends who often express their passions to cover up insecurities, do wonders to add a lot of parallelism to Akaishi's growing affections.
On top of everything else, though? This manga is funny af. Outside the main characters, no single brain cell is in sight here, and I couldn't be happier. Whether it's Akaishi getting wrapped up in some weird antics or coming up with a halfhearted explanation, there are a lot of moments that will have you munching and throwing your popcorn across the room out of either frustration or laughter. Amidst the choas we do also get some potential story details about a gargauatan plot in the background that will probably be revealed later.
Epilogue
Kaiju Girl Caramelise is one of the cutest reads I've had in a minute. Unfortunately, the translations for future chapters have been super slow as of late, so I don't know how well I can keep up with them in the future; though the place the manga is in is far too good to easily forget, so I hope it returns faster. I want to see if there's more light to shine on it in the future. Until then, though, let's see where the spotlight takes us next.
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