Kare [彼] First Love
Kare First Love (『彼』first love ) is a ten volume manga series by Kaho Miyasaka. It first premiered in the March 2002 issue of Shōjo Comic, with new chapters continuing until August 2004. Kare First Love was well-received in Japan, selling more than 1.5 million copies.
Plot
The main character, Karin Karino, is a bespectacled and shy girl who happens to meet three boys on a bus. The boys, from Takashiro (a local boys' high school), are named Tohru Ebihara and Aoi Kiriya. The boys, who are taking pictures of girls on the bus, initially make snide remarks (such as "four eyes") at Karin for her wearing glasses. Then Kiriya approaches her when he realizes that she is reading a book called Blue, a book by a photographer named Yuuji. Karin is uneasy about the advances and starts to leave when the bus stops at the stop for Seika Girls' Academy, which is Karin's high school. Karin drops her book, and Kiriya inadvertently lifts Karin's skirt when he tries to give her book back. The skirt-lifting, combined with the fact that Kiriya still has his camera in his hand, causes Karin to think that Kiriya is "upskirting" her. Karin hits Kiriya and leaves without her book.At school it is revealed that Karin has low self-esteem, and her "friend", Yuka Ishikawa, exploits Karin for free answers to homework. Karin and Yuka later meet the Takashiro boys, and the two begin to fight over Kiriya. Later volumes focus on the romance developing between Karin and Kiriya. There are some filtered "sex-scenes" in this book.
Characters
Karin Karino 狩野 花梨Karin is considered a plain-looking girl by most people, due to her wearing glasses and her tendency to dress conservatively. She meets Kiriya on the bus, and he is able to see past that to realize she is an attractive girl. Karin has low self-esteem at first and is unable to say the things she really wants to when being used by her so-called friend Yuka and say the things she really wants to say. Due to her self-image, she initially doubt Kiriya's compliments and thinks he just teasing her. Through her relationship with Kiriya, and her new friendship with Nanri she finds her self-confidence.
Aoi Kiriya 桐矢 葵
Kiriya first encounters Karin on the bus to his school, when he accidentally pulls up her skirt while picking up a book she drops. He is eventually able to convince her that his attraction to her in genuine and to go out with him. As their relationship grows, Kiriya pressures Karin about sex, but after some arguments allows her the time she needs to get comfortable with the idea. As he lives alone, due to a conflict with his father, Kiriya works several part-time jobs in order to support himself. He loves photography, a hobby he learned from his late brother, and wants to be a professional photographer.
Yuka Ishikawa 石川 ユカ
One of Karin's classmates who pretends to be Karin's friend. She takes advantage of Karin's shyness and low self-esteem. When she finds out Karin and Aoi are together, she becomes enraged and does things to push Karin away from him. After Aoi rescues Karin when Yuka locks her on the school's roof in the rain, she stops bullying Karin. However, when Karin starts to work part time for a restaurant where Yuka also works, she beings to tease her but she does not outright bully her.
Nanri Ayase 綾瀬 南里
Nanri is the confident girl who helps Karin in a nonchalant manner. When Yuka picks on Karin, she defends Karin or often seeks her out afterwards to see to her. She dislike Yuka and her buddies, referring to them as "low class people." She's not afraid to speak up to Yuka or call her out when she's being spiteful. She becomes best friends with Karin. She always assists Karin when it comes to problems about her relationship with Kiriya..
