Karuho Shiina was born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan. Though Kimi ni Todoke was only her second series following many one-shot stories, it quickly racked up accolades from various “Best Manga of the Year” lists. Winner of the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for the shojo category, Kimi ni Todoke also placed fifth in the first-ever Manga Taisho (Cartoon Grand Prize) contest in 2008. In Japan, an animated TV series debuted in October 2009, and a live-action film was released in 2010.