First Love Monster (初恋モンスター, Hatsukoi Monsutā) or Hatsukoi Monster is a Japanese shōjo manga series written by Akira Hiyoshimaru and published in Kodansha's Aria magazine. An anime television adaptation aired from July to September 2016.
First Love Monster | |
初恋モンスター (Hatsukoi Monsutā) | |
---|---|
Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
Manga | |
Written by | Akira Hiyoshimaru |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher | |
Magazine |
|
Demographic | Shōjo |
Original run | 28 January 2013 – present (on hiatus) |
Volumes | 8 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Takayuki Inagaki |
Produced by | Suzuki Renta Yohei Ito |
Written by | Deko Akao Sayuri Ooba Takashi Aoshima |
Music by | Go Sakabe |
Studio | Studio Deen |
Licensed by | |
Original network | AT-X, Tokyo MX, KBS, Sun TV, BS11 |
English network | |
Original run | 2 July 2016 – 17 September 2016 |
Episodes | 12 + OVA |
The story follows 15-year-old Kaho Nikaidō as she leaves home to live in a high school dormitory. Almost getting hit by a truck, she is saved by a boy named Kanade Takahashi. She falls in love with him, only to discover that he is her landlord's son and a fifth grader.[3]
First Love Monster is written by Akira Hiyoshimaru, who began publishing the manga in Kodansha's shōjo magazine Aria on 28 January 2013.[10] Its last chapter in the magazine was published on 28 November 2016.[11][12] On 3 March 2017, the manga started publishing on pixiv Comics.[13]
Yen Press announced in October 2014 that it had acquired the rights to publish the series in English.
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 July 2013[14] | 978-4-06-380638-0 | 21 July 2015[15] | 978-0-3163-4367-1 |
2 | 7 January 2014[16] | 978-4-06-380666-3 | 27 October 2015[17] | 978-0-316-34610-8 |
3 | 7 July 2014[18] | 978-4-06-380699-1 | 26 January 2016[19] | 978-0-316-34611-5 |
4 | 7 January 2015[20] | 978-4-06-380738-7 | 26 April 2016[21] | 978-0-316-31488-6 |
5 | 7 July 2015[22] | 978-4-06-380781-3 | 27 September 2016[23] | 978-0-316-54526-6 |
6 | 13 May 2016[24] | 978-4-06-358815-6 | 24 January 2017[25] | 978-0-316-50461-4 |
7 | 22 July 2016[26] | 978-4-06-380862-9 | 22 August 2017[27] | 978-0-316-47241-8 |
8 | 7 February 2017[12] | 978-4-06-358815-6 | 14 November 2017[28] | 978-0-316-44255-8 |
The limited edition versions of volumes three, four, and five include an audio drama CD.[29]
An anime adaptation of the series was announced in the August issue of Aria.[1][30][29] The cast of the audio dramas reprised their roles for the anime.[1][4] The series aired from July[31] to September 2016. Studio Deen produced the anime, with Takayuki Inagaki directed the series and Mariko Oka designed the characters.[32] The anime has been licensed by Funimation[33] and by Madman Entertainment[34] for streaming. Medialink licensed the series in South and Southeast Asia and streaming this anime in their YouTube channel.[35] The anime ran for 12 episodes, released over 6 Blu-ray and DVD volumes.[36] An OVA episode was bundled with the manga's 8th volume and released on 17 February 2017.[37]
No. | Title[38] | Original air date |
---|---|---|
1 | "So: I'm in Primary School. What Now?" Transliteration: "... De, ore, shōgakuseidakedo dō suru ka?" (Japanese: ...で、俺、小学生だけどどうするか?) | 2 July 2016 |
2 | "Ah, Kasumi House" Transliteration: "Ā Kasumi sō" (Japanese: あゝ華すみ荘) | 9 July 2016 |
3 | "It's My First" Transliteration: "Hajimete no" (Japanese: 初めての) | 16 July 2016 |
4 | "Sought-After Undies" Transliteration: "Nerawa reta pantsu" (Japanese: ねらわれたパンツ) | 23 July 2016 |
5 | "I Know--To the Bath House" Transliteration: "Sōda, sentō ikou" (Japanese: そうだ、銭湯いこう) | 30 July 2016 |
6 | "Hula-Hoop Hullabaloo" Transliteration: "Futte furafurafurafūpu" (Japanese: 振ってフラフラフラフープ) | 6 August 2016 |
7 | "Sending My Feeling's... (To the Bathroom)" Transliteration: "Todoketai omoi... ... (Toireni)" (Japanese: 届けたい思い...... (トイレに)) | 13 August 2016 |
8 | "Kanade's Telephone Helpline" Transliteration: "Sō denwa sōdan-shitsu" (Japanese: 奏電話相談室) | 20 August 2016 |
9 | "A Hushed and Crabby Love Song" Transliteration: "Hiso ya kanirabusongu" (Japanese: ひそやカニラブソング) | 27 August 2016 |
10 | "A Proper Rom-Com For Once" Transliteration: "Tamani wa mattōna rabu kome demo" (Japanese: たまにはまっとうなラブコメでも) | 3 September 2016 |
11 | "No Peeking! Kanade's Secret Diary" Transliteration: "Micha dame! Kanade no himitsu nikki" (Japanese: 見ちゃダメ!奏の秘密日記) | 10 September 2016 |
12 | "Adorable/Abnormable" Transliteration: "Rabunōmaru × abunōmaru" (Japanese: ラブノーマル×アブノーマル) | 17 September 2016 |
OVA | TBA | 17 February 2017 |
Rebecca Silverman, reviewing the first volume for Anime News Network, gave it an overall grade of C−. She criticized the series for its attempts at serious romance in what was essentially a comedy, and also found fault with author's skill at drawing people. She was most heavily critical of the age gap between the two romantic leads, commenting that upon examination, "First Love Monster's comedy is overwhelmed by its creepy factor." She did, however, praise the series' dialogue, stating that "the way Kanade talks is a fun mixture of childlike and more adult."[6]