I really like the male POV as we get to see Kai experience love for the first time. There is a bit of insta-love, but also because Kai doesn't know how to deal with heart squeezes and know what to do around the girl he likes. Hatsu Haru is definitely super cute and I really want to see where this takes me!!!
P.S. Kai is the real cinnamon roll with a booty to boot.
"Why...are there so many girls in this world? It's like we've a never ending supply. So why? Out of all of them, did it have to be her?"
Can we get a standing ovation over here? Like right now!
This was too good. I freaking loved it. A shojo with a male lead? Who falls for an awesome girl? Omg sign me up!
15 year old Kai Ichinose gets all the girls. He's the popular guy at school who's naive when it comes to women. He sees them as objects to accessorize his reputation, and he's living a dream. He's literally got some swagger too as the mangaka draws Kai to be the ultimate dude.
But he's really just a boy trying to find his way in a world he really knows nothing about.
After hurting one of the girl's feelings, he gets a surprise. Takanashi Riko KO's him the next morning and proves herself to be a formidable girl we can root for. She takes no shits from anyone and is loyal to her friends and goals.
Kai and Riko went to elementary together after she transferred into his class, and he constantly picked on her. Until she flipped around and gave it back to him. From then on he left her alone and never noticed her.
Except now Kai can't stop watching her. He wonders why the guys think she's cute when he knows she's a violent tomboy.
When their teacher turns out to be a very young man who took care of Riko, Kai realizes Riko isn't a cold person and that she feels love too. Riko volunteers to be the class helper and signs up Kai as payback for hurting her friend. She apologizes for hurting Kai but won't forgive him. He tries to make her swoon but fails and is flabbergasted.
He leaves only to return and find her gazing at sensei outside. Kai teases her but when he sees her expression as she gazes at him, he realizes he likes her. More than he thought.
Ensue cute moments galore! XD
Really, it's not original. It's cliche at times but dang the mangaka can write! I was pissed off at Kai at first and suddenly I'm rooting for him and wanting him to grow up. Riko is just an awesome female lead and I'm glad that her admiration for the sensei isn't weird.
It's done tastefully and I really wish this series would be licensed. It's a fantastic spin on shojo and made me so freaking happy!
I immediately added this to my Favorites shelf after reading this.
I don't support scans and yes, I read this in Japanese. I ordered the first 5 volumes and it didn't disappoint so far. ^^ If you're learning Japanese, this one isn't too hard to read. As long as you have the basics down, know around 300 common kanji related to school, and understand the slight differennces in gendered language, you're good to go!
*Kai does several times refer to himself with 俺, meaning he thinks very highly of himself. Or that he's a pompous asshat lol but it works for his character here.
It’s funny how one line can sour a whole book sometimes... “You wouldn’t want it to leave a scar. You’re a girl after all.” Is that supposed to be romantic? 🤮
Not a fan of the violence used from the MC h to the MC H. If it had been reversed, it would never fly. I hate double standards like that.
The story isn’t a bad one, with the womanizing guy being snared by love, but it can perpetuate the myth that rakes make good husbands/yes Lady YOU are so special that even though he is a man-ho, he will fall for YOU and never have eyes for another woman AGAIN!!&2?38/!{€|^]!
Yeah, no. Tigers don’t change their stripes.
3, not bad but not pushing healthy expectations onto those who read this, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I can definitely see why this series is so popular because even just Kai's "transformation" in this volume was VERY good! Definitely wanting more and bummed that I currently only have the first volume. I MUST REMEDY THIS!!
The art is superb and the storytelling is AMAZING! Simply beautiful!
Riko is different then I expected based on how we first meet her, but she is so so so sweet! I love her innocence as well as her fierceness.
And Kai.
*happy sigh*
He gives me Okiawa from Haikyuu vibes and that makes my heart even happier. <3 I REALLY love how he respected Riko in that one scene though. MUCH impressed with him and excited to see how he grows as a character!
I am really really excited for volume two! I loved his friends, the setting, and just the overall setting!
Off to buy volume two (and three and four and so forth *winks*)...
OMG this was so cute and sweet! A playboy named Kai (sorry, I would definitely call him a playboy) falls hard for his childhood friend, Riko. He doesn't know how the handle these feelings, especially given how Riko is (a tad bit violent at times which is a trope that does get old) + she has unrequited feelings for an older guy (who she calls onii-chan as he has been in her life for a long time when her dad died and her mom had work). I loved how Kai took care of Riko when she was sick. I loved seeing him fall harder and harder with each bit of the book. I loved Kai's friends (well, OK, not too fan of the playboys in the group). The art was so pretty!
Spring break read #2. Definitely a hit! I really liked Kai, and Riko, and the novelty (this is only the second time I've seen it) of having a playboy as the main character, rather than a female MC. It was rather fun, I have to say. I'm definitely a Kai fan. I think this first volume does a great job of setting up the story, with pretty art, too. I'm so glad I have volume 2 on hand! 4.5 stars. Really cute!
Volume Review: 5/5 Very excited for this new series! I loooove Riko the smart and strong girl. I don't like playboy characters in general but I think Kai is going to change and become sweet. I also hope there are more stories about his good-looking friends. The art is really great. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume soon!
It's okay, but doesn't do much for me. I don't care much for the male lead, a playboy who becomes reformed by his crush on the female lead. The female lead is a tomboy tsundere who isn't interested in male lead because of a crush of her own. They aren't generic nor are they all that quirky (I guess "playboy" could be considered a quirk, but it's fairly tame as far as anime goes).
The biggest problem I have is the art. Most of it's perfectly fine. It's not the most gorgeous art, but it's not terrible either. The expressions are passsable, a little stiff sometimes, but at other times expressive. For me, though, the big problem is the eyes. To me, they look like doll eyes most of the time, and the lifelessness kind of weirds me out. They have this wide-eyed stare all the time when they aren't emoting.
I'm on the fence about whether to continue the series or not. If I hear enough buzz one way or the other, I might keep going.
If you're looking for a romance manga that will make you believe in love again, laugh out loud hilarious, and knows how to use the tropes typically found in this genre in an intelligent way then this is a series you should consider starting.
PLOT: While Kai has always had luck winning the hearts of the girls at his school, one stands among them all when it comes to Riko because she can't stand him. However, when it comes to Kai's attention that Riku has a crush on someone he can't help but become intrigued which surprises him even more, why does he care so much?
REVIEW: Wow. There are these moments where a new series comes along that really takes you by surprise. This is one of those series where I was instantly pulled in by the breathtaking artwork and the humor. Not only that but it's so refreshing reading a romance manga where not only are some of the classic tropes pointed out but is changed up by having the series told from the male main characters POV. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. Overall, I give this first volume 4.5/5 stars.
3.5 - Not the most original but still fun anyways.
I’ve read quite a few manga/webcomics like this. There’s a guy who’s a player and there’s a girl who TOTALLY hates him. But then they fall for each other. It’s familiar.
The two things that help redeem this is the art style and the emotions. • This art is well done and fairly proportionate. I really liked how the author came up with the character designs. The problem with the art style is how big the eyes are on everyone. • The character’s emotions were good. I could pinpoint what they were feeling without much trouble.
Actually this has been my top manga i have found so far after a while (thank u Gia) it's so classic romcom but the main character is a GUY,, it's so gasp/heartwarming/i'm so invested. i do not rlly count mangas as books so i will not update when i finish the rest of the series but SO GOOD.
Hatsu*Haru might have a male protagonist, but it is a shojo romance through and through. The way our hero falls for the heroine might test the limits of credibility, but if you can get past that, you’ve got a wonderfully illustrated dynamic of a guy who wants a girl who’s pining after a man she can’t have.
The Review
It only takes a glance at Hatsu*Haru’s dewy-eyed character designs and sparkly backdrops to know that this is a shojo romance. And inside the cover are a host of stereotypical elements for that genre: the high-school setting, the handsome playboy, the awkward heroine, the crush on a teacher. However, one aspect of Hatsu*Haru that veers from standard protocol is that our main character is a guy.
First-year student Kai Ichinose is a handsome playboy, and his relationships with girls don’t go much deeper than a good time to indulge his male hormones. As for the beauties he flirts with, they definitely do NOT include tomboy Riko Takahashi. Especially after she thrashes him for breaking her friend’s heart. But despite his efforts to avoid her, he winds up as co-class representatives with Riko. And when he discovers she has a one-sided crush on their homeroom teacher, Kai find himself falling in love with her.
That last bit is the biggest leap of the story. Riko and Kai have known each other since third grade (or as they put it, “an unnecessarily long time”), and during that time, Riko has fought and humiliated Kai more than once. She is decidedly an enemy in Kai’s eyes. But then he catches her looking longingly at the object of her affections, and suddenly Kai is head over heels for her.
If you can make the leap that a maiden’s tender look (on another guy!) can captivate a shallow philanderer, the rest of the story is quite entertaining, with a good balance of comedy and heart-fluttering moments. Much of the humor gets supplied by Kai’s three friends: Miki, Tarou, and Takaya. Although they make a foursome, they’re not an F4-type clique. Rather, they serve as a means for Kai to vocalize his internal turmoil. As he struggles with inexplicable new emotions, his friends alternate between teasing him and making commentary that indicates just how much Riko’s affected him.
As for the romantic bits, Fujisawa-sensei relies on cliche situations (i.e., object of affection gets a fever, school camp confessions). However, she depicts the characters’ emotions so exquisitely and paces her drawings so beautifully that the illustrations completely draw you in. So even though Kai’s abrupt attraction to Riko might not seem plausible when considered objectively, Fujisawa-sensei’s drawings make you believe it’s 100% real.
Extras include embedded author’s notes, afterword, and translation notes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a new favorite of mine. I loved this series, especially how the main two relationships were handled.
I love that this is mostly from Kai’s POV, he is the main central character, his feeling and concerns are the ones we follow the most as he tries to understand his own feelings and then as he tries to help Riko with hers all while determined to win her heart. Their roles are slightly revered in that she is the more stoic one and he the more emotional one. Honestly I really love how Kai is written, he is a wonderfully written character.
Riko is an all around great gal, she is a champion to all the girls and takes no nonsense from anyone. Her crush is sweet, I really like the back story and it is totally understandable why she thinks she is in love with him, he is a safe choice for her and honestly I don’t blame her, he is a great guy too! This series is filled with kind wholesome characters. Another winner for my shoujo loving heart!
So I reread Hatsu*Haru again since last year and I gotta say, I still loved it.
This is probably one of the best and most refreshing shoujo manga I have ever read. I love how this manga is shown from the boy's perspective. I also like how it really shows us readers the feelings he has been experiencing thoroughly. I also thought all of the interactions here are really cute and quite wholesome. And also, even if this was just the first volume, you can already see how drastic the character development has been. I think it will be interesting to see how Kai takes his feelings for Riko but I definitely can't wait to read more.
What a fun, refreshing romance! Love the art style and the characters! The whole forbidden romance thing between teacher and student is pretty cliche and I am thankful that the manga itself acknowledges it. I am looking forward to seeing the romance progress as the series moves along and I can't wait for volume 2!
ps I think it's great we're getting a romance from a boy's perspective. The "womanizer turn lover" trope has been done before but I am just thrilled that we get see a romance blossom from a boy's perspective rather than a girl's.
Cute. Told from the boy's perspective, watching as he goes from a playboy type, careless about girls beyond getting their attention, to falling unexpectedly for a girl who despises him and thinks he's a waste in regard to being with girls.