Romance is never an easy thing to get right. Sometimes there are too many differences between two people to make it work in the end. It could be something minuscule like food tastes or lifestyles. Other times, big things like politics or religion can play a role in why a relationship wouldn’t work. Oh, if only it were that simple for Kuroe Akaishi (Hikari Senga), whose differences are…let’s call them “monstrous”. And I mean that in a literal sense.

**WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**

Kaiju Girl Caramelise follows the tale of Akaishi, who stands out from her classmates being labeled “Psycho-tan” due to her looks. Because of this, Akaishi doesn’t have a single friend in her class. However, her reason for a lack of a comrade isn’t because of what others say about her; it’s due to an odd affliction that she has. Whenever Akaishi gets stressed or flustered, she starts growing horns, a tail, and scales all over her body. And when things go full Code Red, she transforms into a 20-story kaiju that the people dub “Harugon”.

You would think that all Akaishi has to do is keep to herself, and everything would be fine, correct? Ah, how ignorant you are of teenage girl needs. This is a girl who dreams of making a friend, going out on hangouts, and even falling in love. So while her mom Rinko (Ms. Sailor Moon herself, Kotono Mitsuishi) tells her not to stand out, that’s not at all what Akaishi wants. Instead, life gives her the chance at gaining everything she wants, but with a bit of a price to pay. And it all starts with Arata Minami (Daishi Kajita), the most popular guy in her school.

Where everyone treats Minami as the god amongst all handsome fellas, Akaishi at first treats him coldly, seeing him as a one-dimensional hunk with nary an interesting thing about him. But then, they start talking, and it turns out Minami wasn’t always the top guy in every girl’s eyes. In fact, before entering high school, Minami was a chubby ne’er-do-well who was the ridicule of everyone’s eyes. Seeing how he was able to change himself for the better, it inspires Akaishi to do the same, while — at the same time — reminding Minami that she likes him no matter what body type he may have.

From there, Kaiju Girl Caramelise goes into rom-com mode, albeit in a way that no other romantic comedy has ever gone before. When Akaishi and Minami go out on dates, the poor girl has to fight every urge to reveal her monstrous side. Every interaction that causes her heart to flutter results in another part of her Harugon persona to appear. A horn, a claw, and even that pesky tail. It makes going to theme parks, hotcake cafes, and even the beach a big challenge.

Thankfully, as the story progresses, more people align with Akaishi, despite them not knowing of her alter ego. The first, Manatsu (Akira Sekine), is madly in love with Harugon, and sees Akaishi as the special person that calls upon the beast. Rairi (Haruka Shiraishi) embraces Akaishi for letting her be her true self, as the gyaru has trouble with her gorilla-like face when her makeup goes awry. Then there’s Daichi (Ryota Suzuki), who is first seen as a troublemaker when he witnesses Akaishi transform, only for him to have a very funny secret of his own.

Much of the humor of Kaiju Girl Caramelise comes from Akaishi’s attempts to hide her monstrous side. Her inner dialogue is one filled with constant anxiety, making our protagonist somewhat relatable when it comes to how the world perceives her. As her problem is nowhere as common as any viewer’s, it makes Akaishi’s situation a lot sillier, with her cute and cartoonish facial expressions emphasizing the comedy side of things. But when she goes full kaiju, the humor can sometimes be tossed aside for some unexpected sweetness, especially on Minami’s part.

Speaking of the kaiju parts, it’s these moments where Liden Films (Call of the Night) shines as an animation tour de force. On top of the 2D animation, the CGI elements surprisingly mesh well with the hand-drawn surroundings, bringing forth a great amount of Godzilla-like chaos in every scene Harugon makes her appearance. And when other enemies hit the screen, the fights play out like a wonderful homage to the classic rubber-suited era of Toho Cinemas productions.

Perhaps the weakest element of Kaiju Girl Caramelise may come in the romance department. I think I’ve said it before, but I am getting very tired of having a couple fight over a misunderstanding that could be solved with one or two sentences. This happens later in the series between Akaishi and Minami, the latter of whom is eyed by the Japanese entertainment scene for his association with Harugon. Communication is always the key element to a healthy relationship, so why doesn’t any anime couple — let alone this one — seem to remember that?!

No matter. The important thing is that Kaiju Girl Caramelise surprisingly wraps up its story in a way that feels both satisfying and endearing. Although the original manga — penned by Spica Aoki — is still ongoing, the anime adaptation ends on a note that feels like a solid conclusion. It is not often that any romantic comedy gives viewers an ending that will leave them feeling okay if a second season is never green-lit, but this one delivers it in spades with a wrap-up featuring one more giant monster battle and a teenage boy truly speaking from the heart to ease the person he cherishes most in the world.

It may have its bumps on its narrative road, but Kaiju Girl Caramelise delivers such a great finale that it makes it worth driving through it all. This is the sort of rom-com that will appease anyone, be it the ones who enjoy the lovey-dovey stuff, and the ones who like to see giant monsters destroy cities. Being in a relationship is never easy, but if Akaishi and Minami can get through even the most wild of differences together, then I say that there’s hope for anyone! As Kaiju Girl Caramelise teaches, just because someone looks like a monster, doesn’t mean they’ll act like one.

Now give me a live-action adaptation of this…I say as I notice a monkey’s paw curl one of its fingers.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and has been licensed by Crunchyroll. Episodes 1-12 of the English sub were observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.