Justin: The very first page of Kaiju Girl Caramelise has main protagonist Kuroe confess she likes a boy, holding a radiant sunflower as her face is flushed.
Meanwhile, the boy screams in terror.
Spica Aoki’s high school girl meets kaiju story takes us to that brief moment in time where Kuroe found love but her monster hand pretty much frightened the kid. Since then and after a few other attempts at trying to befriend others, she gives up. She goes through most of life without much friends, much less any boys she loves, and that doesn’t change in high school, only that she’s been given the name Psycho-tan due to her sometimes abnormal efforts to get people to stay away from her. But that changes when Instagram star (note: only in that the girls in his class take pictures with him and post it on Instagram) Arata Minami tries to talk to her. After much confusion and surprise, this actually gets Kuroe to find some hope…
…Up until she transforms into the kaiju, yes.
From the start to finish, Kaiju Girl Caramelise is a pretty enjoyable read. From Kuroe’s interactions with not just Arata but those around her to the really sharp, appealing art designs that range from Kuroe getting the shoujo sparkles treatment as she’s eating pancakes to her confusion when rich girl Manatsu (kaiju otaku) calls her a priestess, the idea is simple but fairly engaging. You can pretty much tell Spica Aoki did what she wanted for the most part, and that comes across in panels where Kuroe is pissed or when Kuroe is terrified of being found out that she’s a kaiju. The pacing is pretty neat, and certainly feels like a quick read.
The only issues is where it goes from here. Outside of its simple premise, there’s maybe a few things of note outside of the developing romance between Kuroe and Arata. It does start with Arata though, who isn’t quite defined yet (since it’s Kuroe’s story right now), but did he really just fall in love with her because they relate a bit or is he hiding a secret? So there’s a bit of mystery with him. Is Kuroe the only kaiju that exists? I do wonder if it will go that route since this story does joke a bit about that with the Godzilla references, but it certainly can do it if they try. However, what might have to happen aside from the romance is what happened to her father. After their dog knocked some stuff down, Kuroe’s mom (who looks like she’s in her late 20’s, early 30s???) went to pick up a very monster looking egg, but also dropped on the ground was a picture of a man she went on a trip with (they looked to be wearing either archaeologist or adventurer gear). Will we learn who that is? I get the feeling we might.
In any case, it is early enough that we don’t need to know that right away. For now, Kuroe transforming into a kaiju is more than good enough. Well, her turning into a kaiju because of love is also likely enough as well…
Justin’s rating: 4 out of 5
Rai: I’m just gonna come right out and say it: I love Godzilla. So, when I heard about this manga and saw its frilly artwork, I HAD to read it. Kaiju Girl Caramelise is about a high school girl named Kuroe Akaishi, who has a strange disease…that makes her change into a monster when she gets too emotional. Most of the time, she’ll temporarily sprout small spikes on her back or another minor trait that’s easy to hide. But when she’s really worked up, she literally becomes a kaiju. We’re talking about a 50-feet tall, Godzilla-esque dragon, known as “Harugon.”
I love this premise. Can you imagine if every teenager went through this? We’d all be in trouble. But at the same time, it’s not exactly the most original idea. The concept of “the monster inside” or “losing control under pressure” has been used countless times — just think of the Hulk. Still, I love the contrast between the lovey-dovey shoujo elements and the classic kaiju features. Spica Aoki does a great job of alternating between sparkly art, and art that’s not so fluffy. For example, when Kuroe is happy, the big eyes and flower backdrops magically appear. But when she’s mad, nervous, or scared, her reactions look more like something out of My Hero Academia. And they’re hilarious.
The contradicting art styles also add to the manga’s silly, self-aware concept. It’s as if the mangaka is saying, “Yeah, these two things don’t really go together but we’re gonna make it work!” Additionally, there’s small yet funny details that add to the story and tons of Godzilla Easter eggs. But my favorite part is how Harugon is drawn: he’s terrifying. I like this because many monster girls (aside from maybe Toru from Dragon Maid) still look cute and anime-y in their real form. However, in Kuroe’s case, she is very petite in her human form but big, bad, and scary in Harugon form. It really adds an extra layer of satire to the manga.
Anyway, let’s get to the actual story. Like its premise, it’s not really anything new. Because of her “disease,” Kuroe is a loner. In the past, people have been scared of her monstrous features, and so she isolates herself. She’s very distrustful of those around her, especially popular pretty boy Arata Minami. However, one day Minami starts talking to her. Even though Kuroe’s skeptical at first, Minami’s kindness makes her develop feelings for him. The problem is that when her heart goes dokidoki, she goes into full-on monster mode.
This creates an internal conflict in Kuroe. She wants to be with Minami but is scared he will be disgusted by her appearance. So, Kuroe flips back and forth between her feelings. She also doesn’t want anyone else to find out that she’s actually Harugon. Honestly, the story is pretty predictable. I could have guessed everything that happened. But overall, it’s about finding yourself, being accepted, and falling in love. Who can hate that? And it has Godzilla in it (I can’t stress that part enough).
I want to talk about the characters next. At first, I didn’t really like Minami. He seemed superficial… and kind of dopey. As the story goes on, he shows more depth, so I started to like him more. It’s hard to enjoy a romance story when you don’t like the main character’s love interest. Then there’s Manatsu, a crazed girl who is obsessed with Harugon – not knowing it’s really Kuroe. I usually like quirky, chuunibyou-ish characters, but she felt too over-exaggerated. She literally gets hot and bothered when she thinks of Harugon. It’s probably supposed to be funny, and it was at times. However, I found it off putting. The only character that really stood out to me is Kuroe. I love characters that are outsiders, and I can always relate to ones who are socially awkward. And of course, you can’t forget her kaiju powers and awesome reaction faces.
If you want a shoujo love story with a twist and some over-the-top humor, I would recommend this manga. Or, you know, if you love monster movies like me! My only hope is that some of the story and characters get developed more in the future volumes, so this manga can truly be unique.
Rai’s rating: 3 out of 5
Krystallina: In their author’s notes, manga creators will often talk about their editors. Lots of times, it’s just a funny story about two people hanging out, but sometimes we see learn how much an editor helps craft a series.
Fortunately, Spica Aoki’s editor changed her random idea of a high school girl who transforms into a kaiju for the better. What would have been a harem monster girl series is instead a part parody, part straightforward tale of kaiju, love, and sparkles.
Whenever Kuroe gets emotional, parts of her body start to transform into a monster. The how and why are still unknown, but her mother is likely holding the answers. Mom looks and acts young, and based on what we’ve seen so far, there are a couple of ways Kuroe’s genealogical history and backstory could play out. For now, though, Kuroe is concentrating on being left alone to dream of delicious pancakes and prevent her body from changing.
It doesn’t always work, especially since her assigned seat is next to a popular guy that girls keep fawning over. They drive Kuroe crazy to the point she punches the bathroom door in frustration, but the allure of pancakes makes her agree to accompany Arata to a restaurant. As he continues to show interest in her, Kuroe loses control and fully transforms into a Godzilla-like creature.
It’s a ridiculous setup, and much of the fun of Kaiju Girl Caramelise is embracing the ridiculousness. A several stories-tall monster with hearts in her eyes — you don’t see that in just any manga! Plus, Manatsu, a rich girl Kuroe initially mistakes for Arata’s girlfriend, dons Mothra-like costumes on a quest to meet her beloved “Harugon”, Kuroe’s kaiju form.
Yet in between Kuroe’s sprouting scales and Manatsu’s obsession is a story about acceptance. Early in the manga, Kuroe hears all the people complaining about their makeup or other people’s looks. For a girl whose hands can turn into claws and hair transforms into horns, these comments are cruel reminders that society puts a lot of pressure on appearances. I praised Aoki’s editor for encouraging her to do this series as if it were a shoujo manga, and I don’t think it would have been as enjoyable if readers followed the series from Arata’s (or any other male character’s) perspective. There are plenty of series that already do that, so the theme of loving yourself is stronger from Kuroe’s point-of-view. This also means the art gets to go over-the-top with smiles and screentones, juxtaposing the traditional disaster/action feel of kaiju movies with the metaphorical floatiness and innocence of first love. I really liked Aoki’s art in her series Beasts of Abigaile; I’m glad she didn’t have to radically alter her style for this work.
There’s a lot to like about Kaiju Girl Caramelise, and if you’re a fan of other male-oriented-but-deceptively-shoujo works like Inu x Boku SS or Otome Yokai Zakuro, definitely check this one out.
Krystallina’s rating: 4 out of 5