First Love Monster

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
Cover of the first Japanese volume
初恋モンスター
(Hatsukoi Monsutā)
GenreRomantic comedy[1]
Manga
Written byAkira Hiyoshimaru
Published byKodansha
English publisher
Magazine
  • Aria
  • (28 January 2013 – 28 November 2016)
  • pixiv Comics
  • (3 March 2017 – present)
DemographicShōjo
Original run28 January 2013 – present (on hiatus)
Volumes8
Anime television series
Directed byTakayuki Inagaki
Produced bySuzuki Renta
Yohei Ito
Written byDeko Akao
Sayuri Ooba
Takashi Aoshima
Music byGo Sakabe
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
Original networkAT-X, Tokyo MX, KBS, Sun TV, BS11
English network
Original run 2 July 2016 – 17 September 2016
Episodes12 + OVA

Plot

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]

Characters
Kaho Nikaidō (二階堂 夏歩, Nikaidō Kaho)
Voiced by: Yui Horie[4] (Japanese); Bryn Apprill[5] (English)
Kaho is a 15-year-old girl and falls in love with Kanade after he saves her from an accident.[4] As the spoiled daughter of an elderly rich couple, she has found it difficult to make friends.[6]
Kanade Takahashi (高橋 奏, Takahashi Kanade)
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai[4] (Japanese); Eric Vale[5] (English)
A fifth grader and the object of Kaho's affections. He is 10 years old, but looks significantly older.[4] Although he mostly behaves his age, he at times shows mature behaviour, passed on from his deceased mother who serves as his role model.
Tomu Kaneko (金子 十六, Kaneko Tomu)
Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo[4] (Japanese); Austin Tindle[5] (English)
One of Kanade's friends and a delinquent.[4] Like Kanade he's also considerably tall for his age.
Ginjirō Sannomiya (三宮 銀次郎, Sannomiya Ginjirō)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita[4] (Japanese); Chris Ryan[5] (English)
A grade schooler and another of Kanade's friends.[4] Like Kanade he's also considerably tall for his age. His father is an OB/GYN where he is groomed to follow his father's profession.
Kazuo Noguchi (野口 一男, Noguchi Kazuo)
Voiced by: Ayumu Murase[4] (Japanese); Dallas Reid[5] (English)
Another of Kanade's friends, but of normal size.[4] Contrary to his age, he is far more mature, level-headed and insightful than his peers, to the point that it surprises Kaho and Kanade's circle consider him their leader. He disapproves of their relationship due to their age difference and believing that Kanade only clings to her out of lack of a maternal figure. Despite this he still addresses Kaho respectfully. Since he has a butler it is hinted he comes from a rich family.
Jōji Takahashi (高橋 譲二, Takahashi Jōji)
Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura[4] (Japanese); Anthony Bowling (English)
Kanade's cousin.[4] He has a strong kansai dialect and is one year older than Kanade. Both him and Kanade get along very well. He has an interest on Kaho.
Kōta Shinohara (篠原 耕太, Shinohara Kōta)
Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto[4] (Japanese); Chris Burnett[5] (English)
A first-year high schooler who was in love with Kaho.[4] He's one of the residents of Kaho's dorm. Due to being a shy individual he's often the victim of many of Kanade's circles stunts, as well as being teased frequently by Chiaki due to his crush on Kaho and his inability to act and being easily scared on several matters. He hides an effeminate face under his bangs.
Atsushi Taga (多賀 敦史, Taga Atsushi)
Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa[4] (Japanese); Ian Sinclair[5] (English)
A college student and Kaho's rival.[4] He bears an extremely hostile attitude towards Kaho. He claims to be interested in Kanade though as the anime progresses he seems to develop feelings for Kaho.
Arashi Nagasawa (長澤 嵐, Nagasawa Arashi)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[4] (Japanese); Newton Pittman (English)
Kaho's strange neighbor.[4] He likes and collects cute things and is a hardcore fan of the idol Renren. He dates Chiaki who accepts him as he is, although she is often annoyed with his otaku fanaticism.
Daikoku Nikaidō (二階堂 大谷, Nikaidō Daikoku)
Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa[4] (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum (English)
Kaho's older brother.[4] He went to America for some time. Despite calling himself a "doting brother" he in fact has a morbid obsession with Kaho, going as far as collect items she has used (such as chopsticks or leftovers) and place them in a plastic bag.
Chiaki Yokōchi (横内 千秋, Yokōchi Chiaki)
Voiced by: Mizuki Wai[7] (Japanese); Dawn M. Bennett[5] (English)
One of the residents at Kaho's dorm. She is serious and level-headed and often serves as a voice of reason. She finds the relationship between Kaho and Kanade to be amusing and frequently teases Shinohara for his personality. She dates and accepts Arashi despite his weird tendencies.
Mafuyu Hayashi (林 真冬, Hayashi Mafuyu)
Voiced by: Ai Kayano[7] (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)
One of the residents at Kaho's dorm. While she tends to be composed on the outside, deep down she has a morbid obsession with Shūgo, going as far as stealing his underwears and sniffing them. When noticed or denied her fetish by others, she can enter into a frenzy where she demonstrates animalistic behavior, which cannot be stopped unless she gets what she wants. When provoked she speaks on a deeply foul language.
Shūgo Takahashi (高橋 修吾, Takahashi Shūgo)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi[7] (Japanese); Phil Parsons (English)
Kanade's father and the landlord of the dorm.
Yuki Fukaya (深谷 友基, Fukaya Yūki)
Voiced by: Iori Nomizu[7] (Japanese); Skyler McIntosh (English)
One of Kanade's classmates, who has a crush on him.
Munemitsu Makurazaki (枕崎 宗光, Makurazaki Munemitsu)
Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi[8] (Japanese); Alejandro Saab[5] (English)
A butler for Kazuo.
Renren (レンレン)
Voiced by: Shouta Aoi[8] (Japanese); Aaron Roberts[5] (English)
An androgynous boy, who is also a cross-dressing idol.[9] He's the object of fanaticism by Arashi, much to Chiaki's chagrin.

Media

Manga

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.

Volume list
No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 5 July 2013[14]978-4-06-380638-021 July 2015[15]978-0-3163-4367-1
2 7 January 2014[16]978-4-06-380666-327 October 2015[17]978-0-316-34610-8
3 7 July 2014[18]978-4-06-380699-126 January 2016[19]978-0-316-34611-5
4 7 January 2015[20]978-4-06-380738-726 April 2016[21]978-0-316-31488-6
5 7 July 2015[22]978-4-06-380781-327 September 2016[23]978-0-316-54526-6
6 13 May 2016[24]978-4-06-358815-624 January 2017[25]978-0-316-50461-4
7 22 July 2016[26]978-4-06-380862-922 August 2017[27]978-0-316-47241-8
8 7 February 2017[12]978-4-06-358815-614 November 2017[28]978-0-316-44255-8

Audio drama

The limited edition versions of volumes three, four, and five include an audio drama CD.[29]

Anime

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]

Episode list
No. Title[38] Original air date
1"So: I'm in Primary School. What Now?"
Transcription: "... De, ore, shōgakuseidakedo dō suru ka?" (Japanese: ...で、俺、小学生だけどどうするか？)		2 July 2016 (2016-07-02)
2"Ah, Kasumi House"
Transcription: "Ā Kasumi sō" (Japanese: あゝ華すみ荘)		9 July 2016 (2016-07-09)
3"It's My First"
Transcription: "Hajimete no" (Japanese: 初めての)		16 July 2016 (2016-07-16)
4"Sought-After Undies"
Transcription: "Nerawa reta pantsu" (Japanese: ねらわれたパンツ)		23 July 2016 (2016-07-23)
5"I Know--To the Bath House"
Transcription: "Sōda, sentō ikou" (Japanese: そうだ、銭湯いこう)		30 July 2016 (2016-07-30)
6"Hula-Hoop Hullabaloo"
Transcription: "Futte furafurafurafūpu" (Japanese: 振ってフラフラフラフープ)		6 August 2016 (2016-08-06)
7"Sending My Feeling's... (To the Bathroom)"
Transcription: "Todoketai omoi... ... (Toireni)" (Japanese: 届けたい思い...... （トイレに）)		13 August 2016 (2016-08-13)
8"Kanade's Telephone Helpline"
Transcription: "Sō denwa sōdan-shitsu" (Japanese: 奏電話相談室)		20 August 2016 (2016-08-20)
9"A Hushed and Crabby Love Song"
Transcription: "Hiso ya kanirabusongu" (Japanese: ひそやカニラブソング)		27 August 2016 (2016-08-27)
10"A Proper Rom-Com For Once"
Transcription: "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 (2016-09-03)
11"No Peeking! Kanade's Secret Diary"
Transcription: "Micha dame! Kanade no himitsu nikki" (Japanese: 見ちゃダメ！奏の秘密日記)		10 September 2016 (2016-09-10)
12"Adorable/Abnormable"
Transcription: "Rabunōmaru × abunōmaru" (Japanese: ラブノーマル×アブノーマル)		17 September 2016 (2016-09-17)
OVATBA17 February 2017 (2017-02-17)

Reception

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]

References
  1. Green, Scott (25 June 2015). ""Hatsukoi Monster" to be Adapted into TV Anime". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  2. "Animax Asia to Air WWW.WORKING!!, First Love Monster, Scared Rider Xechs in February". Anime News Network. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. "Yen Press Licenses A Certain Magical Index, Trinity Seven, Chaika - The Coffin Princess, Prison School Manga". Anime News Network. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  4. "First Love Monster TV Anime Casts Takahiro Sakurai, Yui Horie". Anime News Network. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  5. Beveridge, Chris (16 July 2016). "'First Love Monster' Anime Dub Cast Revealed". The Fandom Post. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  6. Silverman, Rebecca (6 August 2015). "First Love Monster GN 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  7. "First Love Monster Anime Unveils Additional Cast, July 2 Premiere". Anime News Network. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  8. "First Love Monster Anime Adds Takuya Eguchi, Shouta Aoi to Cast". Anime News Network. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  9. "「初恋モンスター」に執事役で江口拓也、男の娘アイドル役で蒼井翔太が出演決定". Eiga (in Japanese). 14 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  10. ARIA新作は×××に恋した令嬢の恋愛劇、ピカイチは完結. Natalie (in Japanese). 28 January 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  11. で…荒牧慶彦が小5の奏役だけどどうする？舞台「初恋モンスター」出演者発表. Natalie (in Japanese). 28 October 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. "初恋モンスター（8）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  13. 「初恋モンスター」がpixivコミックに移籍！本日より連載スタート. Natalie (in Japanese). 3 March 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. "初恋モンスター（１）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  15. "First Love Monster, Vol. 1". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  16. "初恋モンスター（２）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  17. "First Love Monster, Vol. 2". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. "初恋モンスター（３）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  19. "First Love Monster, Vol. 3". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. "初恋モンスター（４）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  21. "First Love Monster, Vol. 4". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. "初恋モンスター（５）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  23. "First Love Monster, Vol. 5". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  24. "初恋モンスター（6）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  25. "First Love Monster, Vol. 6". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  26. "初恋モンスター（7）". Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  27. "First Love Monster, Vol. 7". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  28. "First Love Monster, Vol. 8". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  29. "First Love Monster Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  30. Komatsu, Mikikazu (27 June 2015). "VIDEO: "Hatsukoi Monster" TV Anime Confirmed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  31. "First Love Monster TV Anime Premieres This Summer". Anime News Network. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  32. "Rosario + Vampire's Inagaki Directs First Love Monster Anime at Studio DEEN". Anime News Network. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  33. "Funimation to stream D. Gray Man, Servamp, Tales of Zestiria, Danganronpa 3, Love Live Sunshine, First Love Monster, Handa-kun, Tsukiuta, Time travel Girl, Xechs, Regalia". Anime News Network. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  34. "AnimeLab Summer Simulcast Lineup 2016". Madman Entertainment. 25 June 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  35. "《初戀怪獸》-《First Love Monster》". YouTube. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  36. "Blu-ray&DVD". Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  37. "First Love Monster Manga to Bundle Unaired 13th Anime Episode". Anime News Network. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  38. "STORY" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 July 2016.
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