HENRY READER: KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE VOL ONE-FOUR! -Part One-
KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE
By: Spica Aoki
So I've been a reader of this series since June of 2019 and since than this series has been a "Must pick up" whenever I see the English volumes of this comic available for purchase. Kaiju Girl Caramelise is a Shojo manga about a young woman in high school who's challenges of high school life are further complicated due to a "genetic condition" that rapidly changes her body to a fearsome appearance when experiencing emotional extremes. She thought she had it all under until she started being the romantic interest to the most popular guy in school; which now reveals that she is actually a "daikiaju" or giant monster!
This premise alone was apparently, from Spica Aoki's own account, something that was spitballed when after working in 8 years in magna, didn't know what to do for their editor. The editor loved the idea and despite this being released into a "boy's magna" this Shojo (young woman manga)'s success is due to the belief of the editor, Spica's own talent and some success on the Twitter platform. KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE has been running since 2018 in the Seinen manga publication Monthly Comic Alive (2019 in English by Yen Press). It has become a popular magna and for those who enjoy giant monsters / daikaiju genre aka "Kaiju" . One familiar with the genre might find this as a high school relative to the 2016 film COLOSSAL which starred Anne Hathaway who was linked to a giant monster in Seoul. The differences is why Anne Hathaway and the monster existed at the same time, while in this comic, our lead is the monster.
So lets get into it shall we! Unlike my previous Henry Reader Review, this is a series overview with a more focused review for the recently released Volume 5 (Jan 2022).
VOLUME ONE: "Today I learned that I'm a teenage giant monster?!"
"LOVE IS NOTHING BUT TERROR" is how we are introduced into this story as we witness a flashback of our lead, Kuroe Akaishi, have her first love confession that reveals not just her first taste of rejection, but reveals to the reader the extent of of Akaishi's "condition".
In high school, Kuroe, now a social outcast, prefers to avoid social situations incase her "condition" advances. As the story progresses, Kuroe begins to have an unlikely bond with the most popular guy in school, Arata Minami. As the two retreat away from folks (Kuroe doesn't want to deal with people and Arata being Mr.Popular wants some space where he isn't overwhelmed.) As their bond grows and Kuroe meets someone who actually cares about her despite her quirks, she also learns that her heart isn't as closed as she once thought.....
The first volume hits the normal beats you would find in a classic Shojo manga where the outcast girl is trying to process her feelings while also dealing with the good ol' classic teenage problem: Body dysphoria. I gotta say, Aoki does a great job of presenting the teenage dread of their ever changing body and using the plot device for Kuroe's genetic condition makes it doubly fun and oddly more relatable.
Eventually and unexpectedly (to Kuroe at least) Arata takes her out to eat the exclusive pancakes at the famous "Cafe Serizawa" . Which of course is a fantastic easter egg for the first volume, since Professor Serizawa was the man with the plan in the classic 1954 giant monster film, GOJIRA.
Eventually, the date goes surprisingly well and because of this...in the tune of one of my favorite Nickelodeon cartoons: "There was a great big flash, everything just changed, her molecules got rearranged! When she first woke up, she realized, she was a hundred meters high and glowing red spines!"
And thus, HARUGON IS BORN! After Harugon's first appearance, Kuroe tries to learn more about what exactly is going on with her but with little success. As she tries to navigate and distance herself from Arata, she soon learns its going to be a little harder than she thought when Arata just up and outs asks her out much to her surprise which then summons her Harugon form once more!
To end this overview I want to just introduce...well I would say favorite character but honestly I love the characters in this series and while at present the characters are hitting the normal beats of a Shojo manga, I gotta admit...Aoki brought to life one of my favorite things about this manga: Manatsu Tomosato aka "THE KAIJU SADIST"!
We'll get more into her and more as this review continues but just letting you know that volume 1 has an ICFAMMPod Grade as such:
Story: 5/5
Human Characters: 4.5/5
Creature Concept: 5/5
Creature Design+Execution: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Overall Grade: 24.5/25
SOLID A
Make sure to check Part 2 for info on the other volumes. Wanted to give one a bit of a focus! Also make sure to check out the following links to learn more about the creator of this fantastic series Spica Aoki and where to purchase this manga and check out the series yourself!
Spica Aoki's Twitter:
The latest Tweets from 蒼木スピカ😈6巻1月21日 (@nakiringo). 漫画を描いています。KADOKAWA /月刊コミックアライブ「乙女怪獣キャラメリゼ」連載中。 薔薇監獄の獣たち/デビ★ロック/SPREE★KILLER□ご連絡はnaki0458☆
Yen Press Kaiju Girl Caramaliese Page:
Suffering from a rare, incurable illness that causes frightening changes to her body, loner Kuroe Akaishi spends her high school days avoidi