Kamichama Karin Chu, Vol. 01

[chroniclesofreading]

BY: Koge-Donbo*

SERIES: かみちゃまかりんchu [Kamichama Karin Chu] (#1)

RELEASES: June 24, 2008 by Del Rey

GENRE: Fantasy, Romance

AGE RANGE: Teen

RATING: 2 out 5

SYNOPSIS:GODDESS OF LOVE!

Karin is your lovable girl-next-door type–if the girl next door also happens to be a goddess! Karin has a magic ring that gives her the power to do anything she’d like. What she’d like most, though, is to live happily ever after with Kazune, the boy of her dreams. Magic brought Kazune to her, but it also has a way of complicating things. It’s not easy to be a goddess and a girl in love!





REVIEW: She is your typical girl-next-door type, if the girl-next-door were also a goddess! Having a magic ring gives Karin the power to do anything she wants. Her greatest wish, though, is to be able to spend her entire life with Kazune. As she discovered, magic has a way of complicating things as well. Being a goddess and in love isn't easy!

In retrospect, I forgot that Kamichama Karin Chu was the sequel to Kamichama Karin. Though Kamichama Karin is not a perfect manga, it is charming with lovable characters and a wacky plot that makes it easy to get sucked into its world. Despite its attempts to be more serious, this sequel fails with its otherwise cute art and sugary cliches. Because of that, I thought Kamichama Karin Chu was a separate series.

There is no charisma to the characters - Karin and Kazune have lost all their old spark, and they are just your average shoujo couple who pine for each other despite already being in a relationship - a lot of pointless drama.


Karin is the only notable female character surrounded by guys who appear to be in love with her, despite knowing she is in a relationship. Karin is not a bad character, but she is so different from what we see of her in the original story, and there is no setup to explain why others suddenly want her.

While I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the original, I do hope it makes up for some of the things the original left out. My disappointment is that this takes on a completely different route that screams clichéd magical girl. It's frustrating to see a sequel stray so far from what made the original compelling. The lack of character development and overuse of tired tropes make it hard to stay invested. A more cohesive story could have redeemed it.

To better align with the original, the sequel could focus on deepening the existing relationships and exploring the characters' growth. By reintroducing the original's unique charm and humor, it would create a sense of continuity that fans would appreciate. Additionally, addressing unanswered questions from the first series could provide a richer and more satisfying narrative.

In conclusion, the sequel falls short of expectations by deviating too far from the original's charm, lacking character development, and relying on clichés. A more cohesive story and deeper exploration of relationships and growth could have made it a worthy continuation.