Manga & Anime Comics

Kimi No Todoke v3Reviewed by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane

Kimi ni Todoke is such a treat to read! It's such a simple story, never relying on dramatic plot twists, and its faith in the ability of the characters to carry readers along is entirely well-founded. Watching Sawako discover the simplest pleasures of friendship, such as meeting up for ramen and then (!) visiting someone else's home, is absolutely lovely. Among other things, this modest adventure of Sawako's involves her friends convincing her to call Kazehaya so he can come join them, and gives her the opportunity to learn more about him.

As volume 3 continues, Sawako finds herself expected to play soccer for the school Sports Festival, and doesn't want to let her classmates down...but she has no skill at the game. No matter--determination overcomes a multitude of such weaknesses, and she has determination in spades. She also finds herself making friends with Kurumi, an adorable girl in another class who went to junior high with Kazehaya, and while Sawako's guileless approach to people keeps her from questioning Kurumi's interest in her, Yoshida and Yano aren't so sure about her newfound friendship.

There's no doubt that Sawako's as-yet-platonic relationship with Kazehaya is charming, but her friendship with Yano and Yoshida remains one of the highlights in this volume, which is a nice feature. Romance is hardly a one-step cure-all for someone who's been lonely and aching to be understood for her entire life, and the fact that Kimi ni Todoke not only acknowledges but understands that is one of the things I like best about it. as Sawako comes out of her shell, all of the people around her are desperately important, despite her particular feelings for Kazehaya, which so far are mostly confusing her.

Her mother and father are also a nice touch--they appear only briefly, but are quite convincing as the parents of a lonely and misunderstood girl, who've known all along how sweet she is but are both taken aback and thrilled when she begins to make friends.

Volume 3 of Kimi ni Todoke includes one page of cultural notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.

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