Spring Storm and Monster, Vol. 1

春の嵐とモンスター [Haru no Arashi to Monster] #1

by Mitsubachi Miyuki

High school freshman Ranko Haruno’s sole desire in life is to keep her head down and just get by with as little human interaction as possible. It’s working well, until a random guy is literally hurled into her path (and knocked out when his head hits the wall). The responsible party? A guy she later finds out is her new stepbrother, Kaya Amamine...How exactly is she supposed to live with such a creepy jerk who seemingly has a penchant for violence?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Young Adult, Contemporary, Comics, Comics Manga

172 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2022

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): ミユキ蜜蜂

Reviews

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am ashamed that i enjoyed this LMAO

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, look, a step-sibling romance! But before you run away, this one does things at least a little bit differently. One major factor for some readers may be the fact that Kaya isn't technically Ranko's stepbrother - he's a distant relative of her new dad whom he only recently took custody of. That means that Kaya is even more out of his element than Ranko is, and the story works with that well. Both teens are dealing with a lot of emotional baggage and mental health issues, and Ranko's anxiety disorder and attendant agoraphobia really shape her arc. A girl whose only safe space is her room is quickly forced out of her one comfort zone when her mom remarries (which, in a shocking manga twist, she did in fact tell her daughter), and when Kaya comes in, she decides to move out to the storage shed. But she quickly realizes that Kaya needs a family more than anyone, and that's where the story takes off. It isn't quite different enough to win over those decidedly against the genre, but it's worth a chance if you're more ambivalent, and I found myself rooting for these two poor kids to find a place where they can feel safe and comfortable.

CW: off the page sexual assault

Bonus: Ranko has an adorable pet pig.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The leads in this are far more layered than your average shojo, and it really sets this apart. I finished this volume wanting nothing more than to protect these two. Neither one really knows how to connect with another person, and are handling their loneliness and pain in different ways. Together though, there's the start of some healing and it moved me quite a bit. Also, on a lighter note, there's a pet pig and it's adorable.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO funny. I hella enjoyed reading this. Brief spoilers below, but I think they are important enough to mention in full.
I do hope the story dives into Kaya-kun's trauma and the SA he experienced because if this read as a college boy jumping into a middle school girl's room OFTEN it would be taken SUPER serious while so far I think Ranko doesn't exactly understand the ramification or meaning behind his confession. There is a scene were she reaches for him when he is sleeping and he wakes up and slaps her hand on instinct. Which, I'm thinking will mean he was hit as a kid too and not that he still has SA trauma... because then the author has Ranko accidentally kiss him when he is sleeping and he doesn't react so ????

There is some character development here too. I think it is going at a rapid pace and we could really dive into more of this!! It is there though and I'm loving where the story is going.

[Ray M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc given to me via Edelweiss!

This is your run of the mill shoujo that features a forbidden romance between stepsiblings so I wasn't expecting much but this manga surprised me in the best way. I loved how much I could connect with the FML as she was a loner who hates conflict. I'm the same way so to see her branch out and start to empathize with her new step bro was a sign for good character growth in my opinion. And the ML, I'm not sure what happed to him in the past but I love how his character is drastically changing from being a troublemaker to being... well... less of a troublemaker. But he's a troublemaker who's learning to rely on his family thanks to the caring environment they provided for him. In the future vols. I'd love to see both characters interact more with the school setting as they start to branch out and understand the differences between sibling, friend, and romantic relationships.

[任煦涵]

Uhhh what?

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haruno doesn’t like people. They’re mean and fight all the time. She prefers being alone at home and avoids making friends at all costs. Then her mother remarries and she gets a new ’little’ brother. He’s a foster son of her new father who has been passed around in the family. He’s unpredictably violent and she’s scared of him, but she can’t help taking care of him too. Little by little she realises he’s been scarred by his experiences and doesn’t understand human relationships any better than she does.

This was a good start to a fairly complicated story. There are no easy solutions and every time Haruno thinks she’s made progress with him, something happens to ruin things. Their parents are clueless to his behaviour, preferring to believe the children get along well, so they’re no help. The book ends with him declaring he wants to go to her class, which might indicate he’s older than everyone believes.

The art was good, but a bit cramped and messy at times, making it a slightly confusing reading experience.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[**Sognatrice di libri** · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inizio una nuova serie di questa mangaka per ora la sto trovando piacevole e divertente, ma vedremo nei prossimi volumi per dare un giudizio più preciso.

[Kaitlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. 10 out of 10 for the vibes.

The author definitely has a distinct way of writing and creating characters, because the ML is definitely giving the exact same vibes as the ML from Namaikizakari which I , personally, liked.

I think (hope) the relationship between a character who really wants nothing to do with anyone and a character who is scared of being alone will be interesting, and I can't wait to see how things progress, and watch them grow.

Thank you Yen Press for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Penguin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ew⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️

[scarlettraces · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't help it, I love everything she does

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ero indecisa sul voto da dare perché il manga mi è piaciuto molto, mi ha divertita e intrattenuta.
Alla fine ho optato per 4 e non 5 stelle perché non amo le storie tra “fratellastri” anche se qui il rapporto è un po’ più complicato.

Mi affascina molto questa nuova serie della stessa autrice di “ma che sfacciato” (uno dei miei manga preferiti <3.) perché molto diversa da questa infatti come ha detto lei stessa alla fine è una storia facile da capire ma al tempo stesso difficile, tra un pizzico di luce e un pizzico di ombra e così è proprio il protagonista Kaya. È un personaggio complesso e mi piace molto per questo, sono curiosa di andare avanti e conoscerlo meglio e vedere la sua evoluzione.
Non è il primo protagonista con questo background che anche se non ancora svelato, si può immaginare (povero Kaya 😭) però appunto mi intriga come lui abbia un lato molto infantile che si scontra con un suo lato che invece è troppo cresciuto e sia abbastanza instabile.
In tanti hanno mollato questo manga perché lui diventa molto possessivo (e già lo si è intravisto) però secondo me è un aspetto fondamentale che dice molto di lui e del suo carattere.

Sono entusiasta e al tempo stesso spaventata di sapere cosa ha in serbo la sensei e come svilupperà la storia, non so proprio cosa aspettarmi 🐷🩹❤️‍🩹

[Coco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Their parents get married and FMC is a loner. When she first meets her future roommate he’s in the middle of whooping ass. She is taken by surprise when he moves in and learns he will be her younger step sibling even though he is under the care of his Uncle who is marrying her mom. She moves with her pig until the shed to be able to lock the door. Kaya has been passed around to different foster families and skips school. He is trouble who does whatever he wants because no one has taught him right from wrong until now Ran. She seems to be the only one he cares about and listens too and has a crush on her.

[Martina Koa Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inizialmente è un mix così concentrato di assurdo e cliché che ho pensato di dropparlo, poi però ho iniziato a trovare interessante questa rivisitazione di una trama stile anni '90 riadattata ai giorni nostri. Rimane sempre trash, però ha i suoi momenti geniali e i suoi momenti carini, che tutto sommato mi hanno fatto andare avanti. Credo che leggerò anche il prossimo volume.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I really like this then I thought like to see where the story goes.

[marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim and was surprised by how much I liked it. Both leads are nuanced characters with a lot on their plates: Ranko has social anxiety to the point where she avoids human interactions at all cost, whereas Kaya is implied to be a victim of abuse. The story sounds depressing, but it's actually funny without ever making light of their struggles. Excited to see where this goes next.

[sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[devynreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars ✨

Not going to ask what age this "middle schooler" is supposed to be. Let us pretend they're the same age, for sanity's sake.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I have read quite a bit of this prior to the official translation, but it's been some time. It feels a bit like a different version of It's Okay To Not Be Okay kdrama with the mental and emotional issues happening. I remember the pig element and some of the abuse discussed, but donrecall where I left off. I really like this art style.

[ru · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, I've been reading this since July 2023 and now that it has an english print out, it's time to give my honest opinion on it. I hate it.

I started reading this knowing it had a step-siblings plot because of all the hype I'd seen people make on social media about the art, the author and also the main guy. I have to say I'm not a big fan of the art but I won't focus on that in this review because that's the least of the issues with this series, to me.

Let me start by saying that I wouldn't be completely against step-sibling plots if done right because it could be almost the same as a cohabitation story, so my issue isn't on the theme itself but how terrible I believe the writing in this to be.

Beware of spoilers from here, that may contain content from future volumes (not in detail).
There's so many things I hate about this so I'll try to remember them all, lol.

First, what I hate the most is how weird and almost creepy the writting on this and the author's stance on it is. The characters are NOT in any way blood related and not even actual step siblings, as the guy isn't her mother's new husband actual son, but rather the son of an acquantance of his! So from here, this couldve worked perfect if not for the author making it super creepy with the female protagonist constantly thinking and seeing him as an actual little brother and feeling an incredibly big motherly instinct towards him. You know how we all understood that in Fruits Basket Yuki had the same feelings towards Tohru? Seeing her as a motherly figure he never had and craved? That's exactly what happens here. And again, it could've been fine to develop the story from there if not for the fact that, once again, the author makes the male character literally pounce and assult the protagonist all. the. time. And despite the protagonist's pleas with him and saying things like "youre my little brother" "im your big sister" "we cant" and so on......the author also continues to feed on this toxic narrative and makes the protagonist give in to the male's assault everytime because.... "he needs love" ????????????

I have my fair share of toxi plots that I admitedly enjoy, but this is NOT one I'll ever get behind or understand why others defend it so much.

Another thing is that with time, the protagonist gets to know her classmate better and begins to crush on him, and he likes her back! She's so freaking giddy everytime she's with him and he's shown great care for her. But then....she comes to the conclusion that she can't allow herself to have feeling for her friend because.... it will hurt her little brother and he can't be "abandoned" ???????

The overall writing on this feels incredibly awful to me and botherline misogynistic. The female protag is initially a shy and introverted girl who struggles with making friends and has a hard time saying no to people, and then we add an impulsive guy who she sees and feels like a little brother to her who's constantly assaulting her and she can't do anything except let him get his way with her.

I have to admit I've kept reading this story until volume 5 for now because I'm genuinely curious on how much worse can this get and I'm waiting to see some kind of redeeming part on all of this, tho I doubt anything like that will ever happen as this author seems to have a track record for toxic/bad stories (tho I haven't read her other stuff).

And yes I'm aware the guy has severe trauma related to his parents and abandonment and maybe he doesnt fully understand the extent of his actions, but hes also not a complete child and if the girl is telling you to stop and that she sees you as a brother, you fucking stop. He knows what siblings are, he just doesn't fucking care about how she feels.

The only way I would be satisfied with an ending for this would be if the guy gets some fucking therapy and the girl finally breaks free from the misogynistic writing and either ends up single or with the friend, that actually cares about her, but never with the little brother.

[Julie]

I've been drawn to pick up this series because of the art style twice! I may have finished the first volume and maybe read more than the first idk. I never marked it as read because I had mostly skim read it. So I have to mark this as dnf to make sure I don't accidentally pick this up again.

This is a high school romance between step-siblings. Which you can love that or hate that as you like. I don't think it's as bad when they didn't grow up together, but like completely ignoring that aspect I just can't get behind the relationship. Kaya is just so childish and immature and just so incredibly unlikable to me. He's constantly pushing boundaries. I kept waiting for it to get better and it just bothered me so much. This is probably something I would've enjoyed when I was in middle school or high school, but my adult brain can't handle it. I only vaguely remember what I read previously, but as soon as it clicked that I had read this before I remembered my distaste.

[genrejourneys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up)

A very strange mixed bag of some very serious topics (grooming, abuse, grief) with a very silly set up that I didn’t realize was gonna be the premise. Hypothetically I could see this getting better as a series but I don’t really care enough to continue.

[Mariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so unexpectedly good! While the premise isn’t entirely new, the characters bring a refreshing depth to the story. Ranko, the female protagonist, genuinely enjoys being alone. She doesn’t get bored or lonely, which is rare to see portrayed so naturally—at least when it’s not set in an "Otaku-type" context. On the other hand, Kaya, the male protagonist, is her complete opposite. He surrounds himself with people, yet we soon learn that this doesn’t actually make him feel any less lonely.

Their unplanned collision forces both characters out of their comfort zones—Ranko from her solitude and Kaya from his learned social behaviors—pushing them to see the world from a new perspective, a new chance. Ran-chan’s realization that she wants to be friends with Kaya—not out of obligation, but for herself—feels authentic and heartfelt. Meanwhile, Kaya comes to understand that he doesn’t need a large social circle, just the right people who truly matter.

As they grow closer, an unspoken tension begins to surface—a dynamic that enriches the story. It’s a forbidden-but-not-quite-forbidden kind of attraction, the kind that keeps readers eager to turn the pages.

And then there’s the animal in the room—no, not an elephant, but a pig. Yes, a literal house pig! Ran-chan’s quirky companion adds wonderfully lighthearted and comedic moments that balance the story’s emotional depth.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first volume and hope it continues along this warm, funny, and not-too-dramatic path. It’s a heartfelt story with just the right mix of humor and introspection. Looking forward to more!

[Aki hamsterlos_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich wollte den Manga unbedingt lesen, die Rezensionen waren voller Begeisterung, und die Mangaka ist dieselbe wie bei Namaiki Zakari, einem Werk, das ich damals sehr geliebt habe.

Das Setup ist eingängig: „Bad Guy trifft Shy Girl“. Die unscheinbare Ranko und ihr neuer Stiefbruder Kaya werden in eine turbulente Geschichte gezogen. Emotionen und Dynamik werden aufgebaut, jemand, der „Monster“ genannt wird, und jemand, der sich unsichtbar fühlt. Schuld, familiäre Umstände, Macht und Machtlosigkeit: all das steckt drin. Der Manga ist ab 12 und spricht eine breite Zielgruppe an.

Doch hier lag für mich der Knackpunkt: Der Aufbau war mir zu vertraut. Geschichten mit echter Tiefe, komplexen Figuren und neuen Perspektiven sind mein Leseideal. Bei diesem Manga erschien das Kern-Setting eher als bekanntes Romancetrope und weniger als Überraschung. Die Figuren mochte ich zwar sehr gerne, Ranko und ganz besonders auch Kaya haben definitiv ihren Reiz, aber ich merke inzwischen, dass ich mehr brauche. Eine Erzählung, in der Liebe allein nicht ausreicht, um tiefliegende traumatische Kindheitserinnerungen zu heilen. Vielleicht ist das bei mir auch eine Art „Berufskrankheit“ 😅 ich bin mir sicher, als Teenager hätte ich die Reihe wahrscheinlich komplett geliebt, heute merke ich, dass mein Leseanspruch sich verändert hat.

Nichtsdestotrotz ist Frühlingssturm und Monster sehr beliebt, und das mit gutem Grund. Es bietet ein spannendes Setup, bekannte Tropes, interessante Charaktere und einen schönen Art-Style. Wenn der Manga die richtige Zielgruppe trifft, kann er sicherlich zum Highlight werden.

[kashika ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

[this is an overall review of the WHOLE manga, all six volumes]

call it step-cest, sister complex, whatever – can’t excuse the fact that haru no arashi to monster is a pretty messed up manga.

the blurb doesn’t exaggerate when they say he’s a creepy jerk - this boy (yes, boy - thirteen year old at that) is deadset on robbing our FL’s right to a normal, socially viable life for herself by being so overbearing. please be for real, he’s thirteen with mommy issues, and it doesn’t help that our FL Ran is playing into this mommy issues nonsense either. i’m not one for stepcest “romance,” and while i understand that everyone has their preferences, this borderlines on horrific.

the side characters are somewhat refreshing for once (shoutout to our second love interest), and make the story somewhat bearable. i loved ran at the start of the manga, her backstory and personality actually made sense, but now it’s just used as a weird ploy that kaya manipulates for the sake of "romance," wanting to ostracize her from everything and everyone when she wants the opposite for him, while she makes efforts to get him acclimated to social gatherings.

she gets more airheaded as the chapters progress, her motor skills flatline when he lays a smooch on her and she looses all sense of rational thinking. you can barely recognise her from the start and where she's at now. it’s pretty messed up, and i’m not really eager to see how this story goes ahead. save yourself some time and just don’t read this.

[Yeollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re in the mood for a story about step-siblings and cohabitation, check out this heartfelt romcom: Spring Storm and Monster! This adorable manga features a dynamic duo of protagonists! Aside from the swoon-worthy romance, there’s more than meets the eye. It also portrays the importance of family, supporting each other, and bringing down your emotional barriers to trust and help others.

The story is about learning to adapt from the comforts of your routine and letting the barriers down to trust others. I loved the showcase of familial love—this family of four and a pig are one of the cutest families I’ve seen in manga. I enjoyed Haruno’s and Kaya’s moments alone, they’re sweet and make quite the dynamic duo! The story promises to be romantic and tension-packed with plenty of cute moments and hilarious shenanigans.

Who is this manga for
This one is kinda specific with the step-siblings trope, so it could find a happy home among fans of (slightly) forbidden romance! It’s very sweet, though.

Check out the full review on the blog
https://yeolliestorytime.com/spring-s...

[Shiritaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uiuiui! Bad Guys sind ja irgendwie immer hot!? 🥵😌🤭
Der Auftakt hat mir jedenfalls schon mal seeeehr gut gefallen! Das Artwork ist mega schön, die Charaktere haben gleich zu Beginn eine gewisse Ausstrahlung und der Plot macht ebenso Spaß. Ist an sich jetzt nicht so richtig innovativ.. aber hey, das muss es auch nicht immer sein! Hauptsache man hat Spaß dran! Und den hatte ich definitiv.

Ich konnte mich mit Ranko ziemlich schnell identifizieren und nachempfinden, was in ihr vorgeht. Magosuke (ihr Schweinchen 🐷) ist auch meeeega cute!! 💕 Und Kaya, der kleine Hottie… 😌 ja, der wirkt nach außen hin total böse, aber innerlich scheint er wie ein kleines Kind zu sein. Zumindest wie er auf manche Dinge reagiert ist sehr süß anzusehen 🤭

Ich dachte ja, nach einer bestimmten Szene wäre der Band schon zu Ende (mega Cliffhanger-Potential!), aber zum Glück ging's noch weiter. Dennoch hab ich soooo Bock direkt weiterzulesen! 🥹 Bitte bitte ganz schnell den nächsten Band - oder besser noch: die nächsten Bände!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. The dynamic between the two characters is really interesting. I love the art style so much. I don't love the step-sibling trope though. Honestly, it wouldn't bother me too much since they just met and aren't related at all, but at the beginning Kaya keeps calling Ranko "sis" and that was getting to me. Hopefully, he will stop calling her that.

Ranko having a pet pig is kind of iconic.

[Tia Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would’ve thought this wasn’t weirdly grotesque if the male character was aged up actually both characters should be aged up like he’s supposed to be in middle school excuse me pulling this bs no man. She’s a Freshy in high school 13 and he’s like 12 and with a lip ring and threatening sex excuse me bruh what you a child. Anyways it’s wild, got excited cuz he was cute found out he’s a child so hell nah.

[Shatiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok decisamente meglio e più coinvolgente di "Ma che sfacciato", ma non so...mi sembra qualcosa di già visto, già letto...bhe almeno non è assurdo come Marmalade boy...e per fortuna non è che siano proprio fratellastri.

Vabbhe vediamo dove andrà a parare e se non si rivelerà scontato.
Lui è sul limite del dark romance comunque eh!
Per la miseriaccia!