Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke Vol. 2 by Karuho Shiina
Sawako Kuronuma is a victim of pop culture. With her pale skin, long straight black hair in a particular style, and an inability to put on a fake smile (it just looks creepy), Sawako bears a passing resemblance to Sadako, the scary ghost girl from Ringu (“The Ring”). A classmate accidentally called her “Sadako” in elementary school, and the nickname stuck, causing rumors that Sawako actually had supernatural powers/a curse, so people shunned her.
Sawako’s gotten used to being alone, but does yearn for connection. So the fact that popular boy Shota Kazehaya shows no fear of her and actively communicates with Sawako is a blessing. Jock Chizuru Yoshida and fashionable Ayane Yano (“Chizu” and “Yano-chin”) initially meant to tease Sawako, but quickly realized what a sweetie she is and their relationship is now friendly. Sawako’s learning to open up and slowly the rest of the class is beginning to realize they’ve misjudged her.
Except that as this volume begins, nasty rumors have surfaced about Chizu and Yano-chin’s past, rumors supposedly spread by Sawako! The whisper campaign makes it sound like Sawako’s just using the girls to get closer to Kazehaya. Sawako’s three friends find it suspicious that Sawako’s credited with the evil rumors, given her legendary shyness, but when they hint around the subject, Sawako’s poor communication skills make her feelings towards them seem ambiguous.
After Sawako is bullied in the girls’ room, Chizu and Yano-chin come to her rescue and the air is cleared. At least for now. But if Sawako didn’t start those rumors, who did?
One of the themes of this early 2000s shoujo manga, English subtitle “From Me to You” is “communication.” Sawako and her friends learn early on that the best way to resolve misunderstandings is to speak to the person you’re having a misunderstanding with directly and straightforwardly. While they struggle with this (Sawako isn’t good at confrontation and has problems finding the right words) and have to relearn the lesson several times, this does mean that interpersonal situations that might take several volumes to resolve in other romance manga are cleared up in a few chapters here.
Sawako is a good central character for a romance. She’s good people, but her quirks keep her from feeling too perfect, and her occasional missteps seem organic to her personality. Kazehaya is a bit flatter, as the boyfriend a lot of girls would have wanted to have in school–handsome, athletic and caring. His problems tend to come from outside, like the girl who started the rumors (seen in this volume but not officially introduced), and Kazuichi “Pin” Arai, the baseball coach who’s not at all more mature than his students.
Minor characters in this volume include Ryu Sanada, Chizu’s childhood friend who’d like to be a bit more, and an unnamed girl who turns out to be the one who nicknamed Sawako in the first place. She feels guilty about that, not enough to actually be Sawako’s friend, but makes sure to always talk to Sawako when they meet.
This is a very “sweet” manga romance story, and very popular in its day. There was even an anime!
Content note: Bullying, slut-shaming. Pin overindulges in alcohol.
Recommended for shoujo romance fans who prefer a little common sense in their relationships. Komi Can’t Communicate fans may also enjoy this as it’s a clear ancestor.
Here’s a peek at the anime!
