As a fan of Kimi ni Todoke, I was happily surprised to see this title. I think the author's story is cute and I like that it features characters from the original story. The love interest, Sawako's cousin, is only the narrator in the 4th chapter, but it would be interesting to hear more about his past. I would recommend this to readers who want a shoujo romance manga.

5/5

Sawako and Kurumi are attending college together and spend all their time with one another. They’ve come a long way from their rivalry and Kurumi has finally found a best friend in Sawako. Kurumi feels as if Sawako is her soulmate, so what will happen when she is convinced to attend a mixer?

It is an absolute pleasure to be back in this world and back with these characters that I fell in love with so so so long ago. I love that we’re getting Kurumi’s love story. She is a captivating character, and I relate to her more than Sawako.

Karuho Shiina is a master of this genre. The dialogue and the pacing are perfect. The art is like being welcomed home after a long journey. I am already so in love with this series.

I cannot wait to keep reading this series. Volume one is already such an excellent dive back into the Kimi ni Todoke realm.

This was a super cute followup to the original series! You do get to see some of the original characters, but the story is quite different - which isn't a bad thing at all. I'm very excited to keep reading!

I write this review as a fan of the original series. I remember one of my biggest disappointments when Kimi ni Todoke ended, was that we never got to see the characters beyond their high school years. (I wanted an epilogue where we got to see everyone as adults.) So, it's nice to see Soulmate pick basically right where the original left off. It's set in university and Kurumi is now the focus character, (at least for this volume, anyway.) If you already liked the original series, this is a worthy sequel, It's got the same solid building blocks, but plays with them in its own way.

Cute vibes only!
A Relatable Heroine- Sawako's struggles with social anxiety and miscommunication are endearing and relatable.
Sweet and Wholesome Romance- The seeds of romance are planted in a gentle and realistic way. The focus is on friendship blossoming into something more, making the development heartwarming and believable.
Beautifully Drawn Artwork- The art style is charming and expressive and is such a throwback to earlier Shojo Mangas.
Lighthearted and Uplifting Tone- Despite Sawako's initial struggles, the overall tone is lighthearted and optimistic. You'll find yourself smiling and cheering for the characters as they navigate the challenges of high school life.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind:

Slow Burn Romance- If you're looking for a fast-paced romance, this might not be the story for you.
The focus is on character development and the gradual building of relationships.
Classic Shojo Tropes- The story utilizes some classic shojo tropes, but it does so in a refreshing and heartwarming way.

I've watched the Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You anime, but I have not read the manga it was based on. Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate Vol. 1 was cute, and it let us get into Kurumi's head. She has definitely changed from the Kurumi we were first introduced to, and if anything Sawako seems to have rubbed off on her. I signed up for an adorable, fluffy read, and I got it. My only complaint is the annoying stalkery guy in white who came off as a hastily thrown plot device character.

Kimi ni Todoke saw a resurgence of popularity thanks to the anime being on Netflix. My niece discovered it recently and I was so happy to share my love of anime and manga with her.

I thought the story ended with Sawako and Kazehaya's happy ending. Kimi ni Todoke : From me to you: Soulmate continues the story with Sawako and Kurumi going to college. They have apartments close to each other. Kurumi and Sawako have become best friends, in fact Kurumi can often be found at Sawako's place hanging out.

Watching Sawako and Kazehaya's relationship, Kurumi wishes to have someone she can rely on like that too. She has never had a boyfriend before and does not know how to meet someone. Convincing Sawako to go with her to a mixer turns out to be a bad idea. The two attract the attention of an over-enthusiastic guy. The guy comes on too strong and over steps the bounds of Japanese familiarity. Invading their personal space. Thankfully Sawako's cousin is in the restaurant and comes to their rescue. Eiji gets Kurumi like no one has before. It shakes Kurumi to the core. He breaks down her defenses and leaves her speechless. She is so mixed up she has no idea how to react or what her real feelings are.

This is a beautiful beginning! I look forward to Eiji getting under Kurumi's skin some more.

Told from Kurumi's perspective, follow Sawako and Kurumi to university where each struggles with adulting. When Kurumi decides to try dating, she draws the attention of Sawako's cousin.

What's been illuminating about reading this companion series was seeing Sawako from an outside perspective. Kurumi's view of Sawako is very different from Sawako's own. It's been a gift.

Love, love, love this addition to the Kimi ni Todoke world. Being able to see the characters we knew and loved from the original series develop, grow, and thrive in their young adult years is amazing. The artwork is beautiful, as always, and the characters are relatable and likeable. Excited for the rest of the series.

I hadn't thought about Karuho Shiina's works in a long time, and then all of a sudden, here's a new one that's spun off of both of her previous English-translated releases, <i>Kimi ni Todoke</i> and <i>Crazy for You</i>. In all honesty, I like both of those works better than this one, which takes Kurumi/Ume from the former and sets her up with Akahoshi from the latter, and there's a bit too much of instalove for it to really work. Kurumi is unhealthily dependent on Sawako (at least she knows it) and Akahoshi is very bad at listening when she tells him no, and frankly he would come off a lot worse if Shiina wasn't smart enough to put in a stalker to contrast him with. But despite these issues, there's a comfort food level of shoujo lunacy to this, rooted in earlier days of the genre. I'd definitely recommend familiarity with both previous titles (released by Viz, <i>Crazy for You</i> as a digital-only title), but if you have that, this is a pleasant enough way to spend some time.

I was a fan of "Kimi ni Todoke" when it first came out so when I saw this sequel drop I was super excited to read it! Now having read it I can say it did not disappoint.

It mainly follows Sawako and Kurumi as they navigate college together. Though Kurumi has her own apartment she is constantly over at Sawako's place. It seems she's gotten closer to Sawako and has become somewhat clingy. The two of them are invited to a mixer by their classmates and Kurumi forces Sawako to go because though she wants to have a romance of her own, she doesn't want to go alone. At the party they are pestered by one of the guys and Sawako's cousin comes to the rescue.

I love that this has a large focus on Kurumi and her love life. I was rooting for her by the end of the previous series, but it ended with her developing her friendship with Sawako. This left me a little disappointed, but I am now happy that we get to see her blossom into her first romance. I'm eagerly awaiting the next volume!