A Polar Bear in Love is a Josei manga series by Koromo. The message of this 4-volume series rings clear: Love is love! (Warning: Light spoilers ahead.)
A Polar Bear in Love (or Koi Suru Shirokuma in Japanese) follows an unlikely couple: Mr. Polar Bear, an actual polar bear, and Li’l Seal, a young seal who was separated from his mother. (By the way, Mr. Polar Bear gave him that nickname!) Mr. Polar Bear falls in love at first sight with Li’l Seal. Although this swooning polar bear only wants to love and protect this young seal, Li’l Seal is terrified that he’ll wind up getting eaten! After volume 1 made my heart melt (which is why I reviewed volume 1 for Quail Bell Magazine), I just had to read the rest of the series. I needed to know how things unfolded with this odd couple. This is the wholesome queer content I’ve been craving all this time!
This manga has been making quite a splash! Koromo first released it as a webcomic on a free manga app called Comico in December 2014. In June 2015, Koromo began serializing it in Monthly Comic Gene. The comics are also available on Pixiv. Yen Press published the first English volume of the manga in November 2017. During that same year, Shochiku released a series of animated shorts based on the manga that Kazuya Ichikawa directed. Other notable fingers include 2 awesome voice actors: Yūichirō Umehara as Shirokuma-san (polar bear) and Natsuki Hanae as Azarashi-kun (the frightened seal).
There’s a reason why this manga series is so well-received: It’s really good! Furthermore, it takes the phrase #LoveIsLove to a new and adorable level.
All four volumes of A Polar Bear in Love depict love as it is: a force that transcends differences. Throughout this series, love continually transcends sex, gender identity, and even species. However, the love is so powerful in this series, it causes a big, carnivorous predator to fall in love with a small animal he could turn into his next meal. Because Mr. Polar Bear is in love, he isn’t bothered by their differences. If anything, these differences motivate him to be even better and kinder towards Li’l Seal. After all, love is love, even when you’re higher up on the food chain than your loved one is!
As the series progresses, Mr. Polar Bear continues to fawn over Li’l Seal. They even have an awkward first date! Li’l Seal has periods where he feels comfortable around Mr. Polar Bear, but he can’t drown out his instinctive fear. That fear comes and goes even as the couple shares adorable moments together that make for great comics. Volume 2 is especially interesting because in it, Koromo introduces other characters that play a significant role in the story. These characters are all different species, but they extend kindness and consideration to one another regardless.
I appreciate how inclusive this manga series is. The story centers a same-sex relationship in the very beginning, but branches out into being trans-inclusive and focusing on other types of relationships later on, including human ones. However, I should warn you that not every character is entirely accepting of other characters’ differences. Yes, love can conquer all, but that doesn’t happen all of the time. These difficult moments remind the reader that unfortunately, a lot of people still fail at accepting individuals and relationships for who/what they are. This especially applies to those of us who don’t conform to society’s cis heteronormative standards.
Yes, this manga primarily follows a gay relationship, a fact that’s further emphasized by one of the main characters being a literal bear. However, the whole series resonates with me as a member of the LGBTQ+ community for another reason. Sometimes, when I (a bisexual femme) am talking to an attractive woman or femme, she/they might as well be an actual bear because that’s how intimidating it can be to talk to individuals I find attractive! I perceive Li’l Seal’s fear of being eaten alive as a metaphor I relate to: Instead of having the fear of being physically eaten alive like Li’l Seal does, I have a fear that the person I like will reject, dislike, or outright hurt me. Dating and being vulnerable can be scary, but both bring rewards that make the risks and effort totally worth it. This manga does a great job of conveying just that.
I recommend volumes 1 through 4 of A Polar Bear in Love if you’re in the mood to read something super kawaii. This entire series is cute, so you won’t be disappointed. Overall, I’m very satisfied with this manga series. I really hope Koromo comes out with volume 5! Writing this review feels like an honor because this manga deserves far more attention than it’s already received. If it interests you, definitely check it out!
Thanks for reading!
