This review and summary of Kaiju Girl Caramelise by author Spica Aoki contains volumes 1 and 2.
Spoiler Free Reviews
I reread the first two volumes of Kaiju Girl Caramelise in order to refresh myself before continuing the series. I also took notes this time to provide the summaries since I originally read them during a lazy phase. To be fair, these are the perfect lazy books. They’re quick and cute and a really nice little break from the world.
Volume 1 Review
Kaiju Girl Caramelise is a manga about a young girl with a rare condition that is apparently incurable and unknown by modern doctors. She sprouts grotesque monster parts throughout her body that deform and embarrass her.
These monster parts have always been temporary but she is concerned that one day it will be permanent. The concern grows when one day she doesn’t only grow monster parts she grows to be a complete monster, or kaiju. Head to toe she is basically Godzilla.
This always happens at the most inopportune times, like when she’s talking to the most popular boy in school who, it would seem, is actually interested in her! YA graphic novels and manga are a great way to explore these themes in a more lighthearted way. I like when teens are able to be teens without the heaviness of sex and fully adult drama.
At its heart this is a story about dealing with puberty and first loves. That awkwardness that we’ve all been through and even sometimes feel as adults. The embarrassment that is simply part of being a teenager or young adult who has no idea how to interpret their hormone signals.
How do your emotions change you? Do they make you an uncontrollable monster? Does that feel humiliating or empowering? Maybe it’s even possible to take what humiliates you and use it to your advantage.
Kaiju Girl Caramelise vol 1 is an adorable and relatable story of first loves. Also, the protagonist Kuroe Akaishi, has a huge sweet tooth and that’s just double adorable to juxtapose her kaiju body.
I really like the way it is drawn. She is just so darned cute, especially the way her eyes are drawn with hearts in them even when she’s a monster. And whether she’s in love with boys or with sweets! She’s so excitable it’s contagious.
I also am interested to see how the relationships develop in the next volume. Volume 1 is a good introduction to the characters but there is definitely more depth to come. It is also very likely to go deeper into the whole “love someone for who they are” kind of story and I like it’s original take on that trope.
We have her love interest who is your basic pretty boy but hopefully he proves himself worthy of our protagonist. Her new friend, who is helplessly in love with the monster that she becomes but doesn’t know it’s her. And her mother, who is supportive but in very strange ways.
It will be interesting to see where this story goes and if nothing else it is cute, light, and different.
4/5 kaiju 🦖🦖🦖🦖
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Kaiju Girl Volume 2 Review
Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off. We have our young heroine who turns into a giant monster whenever her emotions get out of control.
Her emotions are very focused right now on an attractive popular boy named Minami at her school who she cannot believe even talks to her. He asks her out on a real date to go to a Disneyland type amusement park, for legal purposes this is not actually Disneyland and that’s not actually Mickey Mouse.
She’s so nervous that she maps out the park and finds places she can easily run away to if her monsterism starts to show. She has contingency plans for every possible occurrence but forgets that she should probably try and enjoy herself as well.
Due to her nervousness she acts strange and aloof around the boy and he starts to feel like he’s not wanted. The poor guy is trying so hard to impress her and she’s just trying to not scare him to death.
When she realizes she may have just ruined her shot by being nervous she goes half monster right in front of him. Luckily, everyone thinks it’s cosplay and she’s able to relax a little bit and have a great time with him.
This series continues to be a cute metaphor about puberty and early love. It’s still relatable and still incredibly adorable. I really like this awkward girl and her attempts to balance human interaction with being afraid of her own true self.
I’m curious to see where the next volume takes it since the second was quite similar to the first. I hope it gains some more depth.
I am hoping to see some more development with her weird friend who worships the monster that she becomes but doesn’t know it’s her. The love story is cute but that story is way weirder and way more interesting to me.
There are more relationships in this book than just the basic love story but I know that many readers will just be in it for the hopefully happy ending. It is nice to find a romantic interest who will accept you with all of your flaws, no matter how great.
Overall, I recommend the Kaiju Girl Caramelise series for a nice quick read when you want something light. It’s perfect for when you have an hour at the end of a long day and just want to get lost in a cute love story with a little bonus destruction.
3/5 kaijus 🦖🦖🦖
Kaiju Girl Caramelise Summaries
So far I’ve read the first two volumes of this manga series. I’ll be adding to these summaries as I continue to read the series.
Volume 1 Summary
In the first volume we’re introduced to young Kuroe Akaishi who has a rare genetic disorder that causes her body to deform and mutate into monster parts at the most inconvenient times. She isolates herself to avoid embarrassment.
One day, the cutest boy at school, Minami, sits near her at lunch and is nice to her. He returns the next day and she’s determined to ignore him to protect herself but he has an extra ticket to a premium pancake place. Her insatiable sweet tooth cannot say no.
He’s very kind as they eat sweets. They leave together and the popular mean girls spot them and harass her. He responds by holding her hand and protecting her. Overwhelmed and afraid of transforming into a kaiju from the strong emotions caused by this she runs away and jumps from a bridge. She emerges from the water as a full blown kaiju.
The next morning she wakes up thinking it was a dream but the local news station says otherwise. Back at school nobody cares about the kaiju but they do care about her being spotted with way out of her league Minami. The girls harass her some more out of jealousy.
Then a cute girl named Manatsu clings on to Kuroe because she’s obsessed with kaiju and saw that she was near one. She’s convinced that Kuroe is the kaiju’s, dubbed Harugon, high priestess. To get into her good graces she decides to play matchmaker between her and Minami.
The mean girls aren’t having it and lock her in a closet. Minami comes to rescue her like a little prince. She can’t stand the emotions this brings and goes full Kaiju with hearts in her eyes. He doesn’t think the monster is her but he does think he saw something in those eyes.
Kaiju Girl Caramelise Volume 2 Summary
Volume 2 of Kaiju Girl Caramelise has more of a slice of life feel as Kuroe and Minami go on a date to Destiny Land, which is totally not Disneyland. She’s so afraid of transforming that she keeps him at a distance the whole time. Her worried mother follows her around disguised in a Mitchie Mouse costume.
Kuroe starts to change and she manages to stop it in a half form with big monster hands and tail but the rest of her normal. Minami and everyone in the park think it’s cosplay so she is able to enjoy the rest of her date in peace.
In the second half of Kaiju Girl Caramelise Volume 2 an old partner of Kuroe’s mom, Koutarou, shows up after seeing the kaiju on the news. He knows it’s Kuroe and has come to help support. They both like metal music and he invites her to a show. They run into Minami who has picked up a part time job with the concert venue because he wants to be able to take Kuroe on more dates. Awwww.
Koutarou is super protective though and embarrasses her. Kuroe is worried that everything is ruined, this stress causes her to transform again.
Minami wonders if he has a connection with this kaiju since he’s always around when it appears. Manatsu sees the monster on the news and shows up quickly. She’s worried Minami is in danger and tries to rescue him. In all the chaos Harugon actually ends up saving him from a crashing helicopter instead.
When Minami and Kuroe are reunited in human form they declare their mutual interest in each other and he formally asks her to be his girlfriend. So continues the adorable saga of Kaiju Girl Caramelise.
