First Love Monster

First Love Monster (初恋モンスター) is a Japanese manga series written by Akira Hiyoshimaru. It was first published in Kodansha's manga magazine Aria from 2013 to 2016 and later on the Pixiv Comics starting in 2018. An anime television adaptation aired from July to September 2016.

Plot

The story follows 15-year-old Kaho Nikaidō as she leaves home to live in a high school dormitory. Almost getting hit by a truck, she is saved by a boy named Kanade Takahashi. She falls in love with him, only to discover that he is her landlord's son and a fifth grader.[3]

Characters

• Kaho Nikaidō (二階堂 夏歩)
• The main protagonist of the series. Kaho is a 15-year-old girl and falls in love with Kanade after he saves her from an accident.[4] As the spoiled daughter of an elderly rich couple, she has found it difficult to make friends. Whilst she is a perfectly pleasant person she is used to never being criticised or spoken to harshly due to everyone in her home kneeling her family. This is why making true friends not those just interested in her status was hard for her. She is attracted to Kanade initially as he very loudly and angrily tells her off for her carelessness at nearly being run over. This took her aback as it had never happened before. She is not at all boastful despite her wealth and tries to live as normally as possible.[6]

• Kanade Takahashi (高橋 奏)
• A fifth grader and the object of Kaho's affections. He is 10 years old, but looks significantly older.[4] Although he mostly behaves his age, he at times shows mature behaviour, passed on from his deceased mother who serves as his role model.

• Tomu Kaneko (金子 十六)
• One of Kanade's friends and a delinquent.[4] Like Kanade he's also considerably tall for his age.

• Ginjirō Sannomiya (三宮 銀次郎)
• A grade schooler and another of Kanade's friends.[4] Like Kanade he's also considerably tall for his age. His father is an OB/GYN where he is groomed to follow his father's profession.

• Kazuo Noguchi (野口 一男)
• Another of Kanade's friends, but of normal size.[4] Contrary to his age, he is far more mature, level-headed and insightful than his peers, to the point that it surprises Kaho and Kanade's circle consider him their leader. He disapproves of their relationship due to their age difference and believing that Kanade only clings to her out of lack of a maternal figure. Despite this he still addresses Kaho respectfully. Since he has a butler it is hinted he comes from a rich family.

• Jōji Takahashi (高橋 譲二)
• Kanade's cousin.[4] He has a strong kansai dialect and is one year older than Kanade. Both him and Kanade get along very well. He has an interest on Kaho.

• Kōta Shinohara (篠原 耕太)
• A first-year high schooler who was in love with Kaho.[4] He's one of the residents of Kaho's dorm. Due to being a shy individual he's often the victim of many of Kanade's circles stunts, as well as being teased frequently by Chiaki due to his crush on Kaho and his inability to act and being easily scared on several matters. He hides an effeminate face under his bangs.

• Atsushi Taga (多賀 敦史)
• A college student and Kaho's rival.[4] He bears an extremely hostile attitude towards Kaho. He claims to be interested in Kanade though as the anime progresses he seems to develop feelings for Kaho.

• Arashi Nagasawa (長澤 嵐)
• Kaho's strange neighbor.[4] He likes and collects cute things and is a hardcore fan of the idol Renren. He dates Chiaki who accepts him as he is, although she is often annoyed with his otaku fanaticism.

• Daikoku Nikaidō (二階堂 大谷)
• Kaho's older brother.[4] He went to America for some time. Despite calling himself a "doting brother" he in fact has a morbid obsession with Kaho, going as far as collect items she has used (such as chopsticks or leftovers) and place them in a plastic bag.

• Chiaki Yokōchi (横内 千秋)
• One of the residents at Kaho's dorm. She is serious and level-headed and often serves as a voice of reason. She finds the relationship between Kaho and Kanade to be amusing and frequently teases Shinohara for his personality. She dates and accepts Arashi despite his weird tendencies.

• Mafuyu Hayashi (林 真冬)
• One of the residents at Kaho's dorm. While she tends to be composed on the outside, deep down she has a morbid obsession with Shūgo, going as far as stealing his underwears and sniffing them. When noticed or denied her fetish by others, she can enter into a frenzy where she demonstrates animalistic behavior, which cannot be stopped unless she gets what she wants. When provoked she speaks on a deeply foul language.

• Shūgo Takahashi (高橋 修吾)
• Kanade's father and the landlord of the dorm.

• Yuki Fukaya (深谷 友基)
• One of Kanade's classmates, who has a crush on him.

• Munemitsu Makurazaki (枕崎 宗光)
• A butler for Kazuo.

• Renren (レンレン)
• An androgynous boy, who is also a cross-dressing idol.[9] He's the object of fanaticism by Arashi, much to Chiaki's chagrin.

Media

Reception

Rebecca Silverman, reviewing the first volume for Anime News Network, gave it an overall grade of C−. She criticized the series for its attempts at serious romance in what was essentially a comedy, and also found fault with author's skill at drawing people. She was most heavily critical of the age gap between the two romantic leads, commenting that upon examination, "First Love Monster comedy is overwhelmed by its creepy factor." She did, however, praise the series' dialogue, stating that "the way Kanade talks is a fun mixture of childlike and more adult."[6]

External links

• at Aria
• Anime official website