James Nicoll Reviews

2021’s Kaiju Girl Caramelise, Volume 5 is the fifth tankōbon of Spica Aoki’s comedic kaiju romance manga. Titled Otome Kaijū Kyaramerize in the original Japanese, Kaiju Girl Caramelise has been serialized in Monthly Comic Alive since early 2018. The 2022 English translation of Volume 5 is by Taylor Engel.

Kuroe’s social anxiety is fueled by a medical condition she’s desperate to conceal even from her astonishingly hunky boyfriend Minami. When stressed, Kuroe transforms into the office-building-sized kaiju, Harugon.

How did Kuroe contract this unusual condition, you ask? Kuroe’s mother Rinko knows.

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2020’s Kaiju Girl Caramelise, Volume 4 is the fourth tankōbon of Spica Aoki’s comedic kaiju romance manga. Titled Otome Kaijū Kyaramerize in the original Japanese, Kaiju Girl Caramelise has been serialized in Monthly Comic Alive since early 2018. The English translation of Volume 4 was published in 2021.

Public revelation of Kuroe Akaishi’s relationship with handsome fellow student Arata Minami provokes a reaction — although not the one Kuroe expected.

Background: when stressed, Kuroe transforms into the massive kaiju Harugon. It was as Harugon that she kissed Arata. The press is hounding Arata, who has been dubbed the Kaiju Prince.

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Kaiju Girl Caramelise, Volume 3 is the third tankōbon of Spica Aoki’s comedic kaiju romance manga. Titled Otome Kaijū Kyaramerize in the original Japanese, Kaiju Girl Caramelise has been serialized in Monthly Comic Alive since early 2018.

Despite the crippling social anxiety caused by her unique medical condition, occasional kaiju Kuroe Akaishi has won the heart of handsome Arata Minami. The relationship having survived the couple’s first date, Kuroe now focuses on her next worry.

What will happen when students learn Arata is dating one such as Kuroe? Will the mob turn on him? Will they turn on Kuroe?

[beware spoilers]

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2019’s Kaiju Girl Caramelise, Vol. 2 is the second of six volumes in Spica Aoki’s Kaiju Girl Caramelise (Otome Kaijū Kyaramerize) manga series. Kaiju Girl Caramelise has been serialized in Monthly Comic Alive since early 2018.

Social outcast Kuroe Akaishi has, to her own astonishment (and that of the other students at her high school), caught the eye of high-school model Arata Minami. In many stories, the handsome student’s apparent romantic interest in Kuroe would be a cruel joke. But in fact Arata is quite sincere. 

As flattering as this is, Kuroe dreads what will happen when Arata learns the truth about Kuroe’s unfortunate medical condition. Whenever Kuroe is stressed, she becomes an office-building-sized kaiju. 

A first date with dreamboat Arata is just the sort of experience that could well stress Kuroe.

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Kaiju Girl Caramelise, Vol. 1 is the first collection of Spica Aoki’s eponymous Shoujo manga. 

Kuroe Akaishi suffers from a rare (probably unique) medical condition so embarrassing that she hides it from her schoolmates. The condition is exacerbated by strong emotion, so she tries to avoid drama. She’s aloof and detached … or at least as detached as she can be given that her schoolmates mock and torment her. 

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