Karuho Shiina was born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan. ThoughKimi ni Todokeis only her second series following many one-shot stories, it has already racked up accolades from various "Best Manga of the Year" lists. Winner of the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for the shojo category,Kimi ni Todokealso placed fifth in the first-ever Manga Taisho (Cartoon Grand Prize) contest in 2008. An animated TV series debuted in October 2009 in Japan.