Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
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.

Karin and Kiriya's relationship is in jeopardy after a heated argument during Club Day at Kiriya's school. The following morning, Karin gets wind that her rival Yuka went on a group date with members of Kiriya's class, but Kiriya isn't talking. Is Kiriya cheating on her? But despite Karin and Kiriya's romance blowing hot and cold, their desire to spend Christmas together is overwhelming. Too bad Karin's father has them swaying to a melancholy holiday tune instead...

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

9 people are currently reading
196 people want to read

About the author

Kaho Miyasaka

113 books103 followers
Kaho Miyasaka (Japanese: 宮坂香帆) is a Japanese manga artist.
Miyasaka is best known for the manga Kare First Love.
Her newest manga is called We Came to Know It, which currently consists of 12 volumes.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
371 (37%)
4 stars
318 (31%)
3 stars
233 (23%)
2 stars
57 (5%)
1 star
16 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Biena Magbitang.
189 reviews55 followers
March 31, 2013
At first they talked about french kissing, then sex, then teenage pregnancy and just when it's about to take on a different angle like friendship, it suddenly maneuvered into two minors thinking of living in one roof. Oh well... This manga is definitely NOT for minors.
Profile Image for Shae.
3,221 reviews353 followers
June 14, 2019
This volume made me feel better after reading Volume 3. There are still lots of struggles ahead for these 2. I'm about ready to slap Karin's dad though! Man, he's a jerk!
Profile Image for Arlene.
1,201 reviews622 followers
July 8, 2011
I like me my mangas. What can I say? If I’m not reading a book, or flipping through a magazine, I’m hiding in the corner reading one of these little bits of entertainment. ^^ So if you’re looking through my collection of ~insert snark~ profoundly inspiring reads and you find these guys, don’t be perplexed, there just my guilty pleasures. :P

Okay, now that I’ve cleared that up let me get to this fourth installment of Kare First Love. As with the other books in the series, the characters and art work keep me glued to the pages. The storyline is a 10 on the scale of light reading and a 7 on the scale of entertainment value. I liked it just fine.

In this book, Karin and Kiriya are going through a rough patch in their relationship. They each make some choices that make it difficult to see one another and at the end of the book, they begin to contemplate a head banger of a decision. I’m seriously still shaking my head in disbelief, but that just makes me want to pick up the next one right way. It sure does…

Overall, a great choice if you like mangas and ya-contemporary. Definitely a series I plan to continue reading.
Profile Image for Francesca.
222 reviews
December 15, 2025
Sono stata indecisa fino all’ultimo se dare 3 o 4 stelle, e credo che questa incertezza dica già moltissimo su quanto Lui, il primo amore sia un manga capace di dividere le sensazioni. Perché da un lato ha un inizio che per me era da 5 stelle piene, dall’altro una seconda metà che mi ha fatto storcere il naso più e più volte, fino a farmi scendere la valutazione.
I primi volumi sono stati una vera coccola. Mi piaceva tutto: Karin, Kiriya, il loro primo amore acerbo e intenso, e soprattutto il gruppo di amici, che è uno dei punti di forza del manga. L’amicizia tra Karin e Nanri è forse la cosa che ho amato di più: Nanri si dimostra un’amica vera, presente, leale, di quelle che vorresti avere nella vita reale. All’inizio c’è quella leggerezza tipica degli shōjo adolescenziali ben riusciti: piccoli drammi, imbarazzi, incomprensioni gestibili, sentimenti che crescono piano piano. Era tutto molto tenero e autentico.
Poi, però, da circa metà opera, qualcosa inizia a crollare. L'autrice, nell'intervista all'interno dell'ultimo volume, rivela che non inizia mai un manga con un finale scritto già in mente. E, devo essere onesta, si vede.
Quei piccoli casini adolescenziali diventano drammi esasperati, trascinati avanti per volumi interi. I misunderstanding non sono più realistici o funzionali alla crescita dei personaggi, ma diventano infiniti, pesanti, estenuanti. E soprattutto entra in scena una fissazione sul sesso che, inizialmente, poteva anche funzionare: lui che si trattiene, lei che non si sente pronta, l’imbarazzo… carino. Il problema è che questa dinamica viene ripetuta identica per tipo sei volumi, senza evoluzione, senza dialogo reale, senza maturazione, anzi. E' proprio qui che Kiriya, purtroppo, diventa una red flag spaventosa. Più volte si arrabbia con Karin perché non si sente pronta, le mette pressioni e quasi la obbliga, e arriva praticamente a sfiorare il tradimento andando quasi a letto con un’altra.
Questo è stato per me uno spartiacque. Una cosa gravissima, trattata nel modo peggiore possibile. Il fatto che tutto il gruppo lo venga a sapere (Nanri compresa) e che tutti decidano di coprirlo, senza mai dirlo a Karin, è semplicemente inaccettabile. Lì mi è crollato tutto, specialmente la bellissima amicizia nata tra le due. È sbagliato a livello narrativo, emotivo e anche etico. Se almeno questa cosa fosse venuta fuori, se Kiriya avesse dovuto affrontarne le conseguenze, se ci fosse stato un vero confronto, se avesse pregato come un cane il suo perdono… forse avrei potuto rivalutare tutto. Invece no: la cosa viene sepolta, Karin non lo scopre mai, e si va avanti come se nulla fosse successo. Per me, imperdonabile. Stronzo lui e tutti gli altri.
Da quel momento in poi, da quei volumi in poi, la relazione perde equilibrio. Kiriya diventa sempre più instabile: sparisce, mente, si arrabbia con Karin senza motivo, la manipola, la tratta male. È vero, ed è giusto dirlo, che la sua fragilità viene poi spiegata: la morte del fratello, il rapporto complicato con i genitori, il suo dolore irrisolto. Ed è anche bello vedere come, grazie a Karin e agli amici, riesca piano piano a stare meglio e a ricostruire un legame con la sua famiglia. Quella parte è ben scritta e umana. Ma questo non cancella ciò che è successo prima, né il suo comportamento instabile, che forse meritava più auto-analisi.
E poi c’è Karin. All’inizio mi piaceva molto: silenziosa, un po’ spenta, ma autentica, vera con sé stessa. Col tempo, però, diventa un'altra persona, una lagna continua. Sempre a piangere, sempre a colpevolizzarsi, sempre a fare la crocerossina ogni volta che Kiriya sparisce, mente, la ignora o la manipola. Lo perdona in tre secondi, si contraddice da sola, si fa cento volte le stesse domande. A lungo andare è stato davvero stancante leggere sempre le stesse dinamiche ripetersi senza mai una vera presa di coscienza.
Fa quasi sorridere leggere i commenti dell’autrice che dice di ricevere mail su quanto tutte vorrebbero Kiriya come fidanzato… personalmente, ma anche no, grazie. Neanche sotto minaccia.
Detto questo, voglio essere onesta fino in fondo: se non ci fosse stata tutta la questione del quasi-tradimento (che per me vale come tale, ma vabbè, opinabile) e del silenzio complice che lo circonda, questo manga avrebbe tranquillamente meritato 4 stelle. Rimane comunque uno shōjo classico, con tanti cliché che io amo, e nonostante tutto ho fatto binge reading senza troppi problemi o pensieri. Proprio per questo mi dispiace ancora di più: perché aveva tutte le carte in regola per essere davvero una lettura leggera e piacevole, pur con temi importanti e delicati.
Una storia che parte fortissima, che emoziona, ma che a un certo punto si perde nelle sue stesse scelte narrative. E fa male dirlo, perché all’inizio mi aveva conquistata completamente!
Profile Image for Maria Fernanda Fabricio.
231 reviews
March 18, 2021
O traço de Kare First Love é muito bonito, e gosto do ritmo da série. Ela não é muito parada, e os dramas não costumam demorar muito para serem resolvidos.
Porém, algo que já estava me incomodando na outra edição, e que continuou nessa, foi a abordagem que deram para o despertar da vida sexual da Karin. Apesar de ainda não ter acontecido sua primeira experiência, a pressão que ela sente por parte do namorado, e até da amiga mais próxima, me incomoda bastante, pois em nenhum momento a Karin parece entender que isso é algo que deve ocorrer no tempo dela, quando a própria sentir que quer fazer sexo. Ela acredita que é algo que deva fazer para não irritar o Kiriya, algo mecânico e não causado por desejo e vontade própria.
Por sua vez, o Kiriya explica suas atitudes inseguras para ele, e os dois se entendem enfim. Ele tem seu lado fofo e companheiro, mas isso me incomodou, mesmo que seja algo da idade e dos hormônios, e mesmo que ele não tenha ultrapassado nenhum limite e a desrespeitado de alguma forma.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
694 reviews27 followers
December 8, 2024
The adults in the series are quite annoying . Also this is most likely a cultural thing and maybe an early aughts thing but why the hell is it the schools business who you are hanging out with afterschool. Karin was called into the principals office bc she was taken in by the truancy officer even though they had no school and there were rumors she was in her school uniform and went to a hotel with a guy.

I still like the writing in this series. Very believable and Miyasaka’s artwork is well done especially when it comes to Karin’s facial expressions.
Profile Image for Gore.
243 reviews3 followers
April 22, 2022
Cute as always, but I think they're rushing! Not sure how long Karin and Kariya been going out, but it couldn't have been even a year and they're already talking about living together? Well, they are young, so maybe that big step is not totally abrasive to the two as to adults. I also enjoyed Nanri having a bit of a spotlight. She is so cool, and I'm happy Kaho Miyasaka gave more character to Karin not only being a young girl in love, but a loving friend.
Profile Image for Kareena.
1,740 reviews25 followers
May 8, 2017
Well her dad is officially awful. But them moving in together would be so cute!! Ah!! ❤️❤️
Profile Image for RaeMisha Richard-Slocumb.
203 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2024
4 down and 6 to go

Still love this manga to the moon and back and just bring me back to memory lane is awesome . Can’t wait to ready the next one . Until then,
Onward hehe
Profile Image for Remna M.
272 reviews7 followers
May 25, 2025
Some good soup! Though the parents are now getting on my nerves.
Profile Image for Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin).
1,006 reviews113 followers
March 13, 2017
The following review is based off my own opinions, thoughts and reactions. So in other words brace yourself. *There may be inappropriate words such as curse words.* You have been advised in advance.*

description

What can I say about this book other than it was insanely intense! I mean, damn I thought some manga books had suspense, but dang!

This is one hell of a roller coaster ride to read. However, the suspense definitely has you reading like the speed of light to find out what happens next! Even I was shocked at how quickly I read this book!

Definitely a good read especially if you want something fast, but yet still holds a lot of action and suspense!
Profile Image for Judyth.
1,743 reviews41 followers
September 16, 2014
~3.5/5

[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]

(Contains some spoilers.)

This volume actually surprised me a little. I had much less hopes for it in being stereotypical, but it actually turned out better than I suspected it would.

Karin and Kiriya make up, and talk some more about the S-E-X stuff, and Kiriya feels actually bad about how he reacted, and what he said, and Karin is happy about his feeling bad. She isn’t as mad as she should be, but still—it’s better than I thought it would be. Then there’s some sweet moments between the two, them growing closer again, and her taking care of him when he gets sick.

There’s a small scare for Nanri, as she finally tells Karin about how she might be pregnant, and she tells the guy, who immediately becomes nonexistent as he avoids her, and Karin goes with her to get the pregnancy test. This just ends up worse, and they get picked up by the police, but that’s a different matter. Nanri ends up being fine, her period is just late, but she gets a lot closer with Karin because of it, and gets smarter about boys as well. It’s good that she’s not, but I also feel that it would have been exciting if she had been—that could have been an interesting turn of the plot. Anyway, I like Nanri. And she gets close to Hiromu, the friend of Kiriya’s, which is nice.

The big plot of the volume, though, is that Karin’s father is back. Her mother just seems to ignore Karin when she can, isn’t around much, but we know that she does actually care about Karin from when she got sick in a previous volume. When her father finds out she’s sneaking around with some boy, and gets in trouble with the police because of another friend of hers, he freaks out and wants her to stop hanging out with him. And her mom just stays silent through it all. Her phone is taken away, but her and Kiriya stay in contact as best she can, and they kind of decide to move in together when they get enough money saved. I don’t think that’s going to work very well, but we’ll see, I suppose.

Also, the volume ends with Kiriya and Karin back in her room, I believe, in the middle of the night, about to have sex. We’ll also see how that goes in the next volume.

Once again, I’m liking this series so far. It’s interesting, it’s fun, it’s very drama-filled. It’s also cliché and nothing that I haven’t seen before (especially compared to Mars). But I’m enjoying it, and hope to get more soon.
Profile Image for Amy.
278 reviews2 followers
Read
August 20, 2009
Kare First Love Vol. 4 (Kare First Love) (Kare First Love (Graphic Novels)) by Kaho Miyasaka (2005)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.