Finished
“Shy Karin falls for Kiriya, facing sabotage from jealous Yuka in their high school romance.”
Kare First Love
「彼」first love
7.52
3,061 rank · 17,334 readers · 365 favorites
Shoujo
School
Drama
Romance
Slice of Life
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Honest pros & cons
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Synopsis
Shy Karin falls for Kiriya, facing sabotage from jealous Yuka in their high school romance.
Coy and self-conscious high school student Karin Karino never paid much attention to boys until she met Kiriya, a popular student from a nearby boys' school. Karin and Kiriya embark on a romantic journey despite Karin's classmate Yuka's best efforts to sabotage their relationship, but Karin soon learns that living happily ever after isn't on the curriculum when she becomes Kiriya's center of attention, as well as embittered Yuka's bull's-eye on her dartboard of hate. (Source: VIZ Media) Included one-shot: Volume 10: Kiriya at 13 (Spring)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 11 sampled reviews
7.0
/10
What 11 readers settled on.
78%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7
mode 7
σ 2.45
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.45 · split reception
The polarity gap
5.6 pts
Recommenders 8.6 · others 3.0
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 2.00
Running avg · Sep 2007 → Apr 2023
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 10 “This story is wonderful and provides a truly enjoyable reading experience. It effectively captures the essence of true love and the genuine hardships that come with it, and I have no criticisms to...”
- 9 “This manga is a heartwarming and relatable exploration of teenage relationships and insecurities that successfully captures a slice-of-life feel without becoming overly depressive. I have no...”
- 9 “This manga is a deeply touching and sentimental read that transcends typical makeover tropes by exploring meaningful themes like family, first love, and intimacy. While photography is central to...”
Verbosity
Short · 73%
Medium · 27%
Long · 0%
Read Order & Related
A self-contained story.
No sequels, spin-offs or alternate tellings — Kare First Love begins and ends here.
Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 58 × 10 ch × vol
- Total read 7h 44m approx
- Published Aug 2002 – Jan 2004
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M0647 catalog