# A Polar Bear in Love

A Polar Bear in Love (Japanese: 恋するシロクマ, Hepburn: Koisuru Shirokuma) is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Koromo. A Polar Bear in Love was first launched in Comico in December 2014 before being serialized in the monthly manga magazine Monthly Comic Gene beginning in June 2015.

## Plot

A lost earless seal finds himself in the company of a polar bear. The polar bear falls in love with the seal, but the fearful seal constantly misinterprets his romantic advances as a strong desire to eat him.

## Characters
### Seal (アザラシ君, Azarashi-kun)

    Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae

### Polar Bear (シロクマさん, Shirokuma-san)

    Voiced by: Yūichirō Umehara

### Cathy (キャシー, Kyashī)

    Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara

### Orca (シャチ, Shachi)

    Voiced by: Ryohei Otani

## Media
### Manga

A Polar Bear in Love is written and illustrated by Koromo. The manga was first launched on the manga app Comico in December 2014. It was later serialized in the monthly magazine Monthly Comic Gene beginning in June 2015. The chapters were later released in 4 bound volumes by Kadokawa under the Monthly Comic Gene Series imprint.
In 2017, Yen Press licensed the manga for distribution in English.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
| 1 | January 27, 2016 (2016-01-27) | 978-4-04-067892-4 | November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21) | 978-0-31-644171-1 |
| 2 | August 27, 2016 (2016-08-27) | 978-4-04-068528-1 978-4-04-068529-8 (LE) | February 27, 2018 (2018-02-27) | 978-0-31-644173-5 |
| 3 | March 27, 2017 (2017-03-27) | 978-4-04-069091-9 978-4-04-068914-2 (LE) | July 24, 2018 (2018-07-24) | 978-1-97-532622-7 |
| 4 | April 27, 2018 (2018-04-27) | 978-4-04-069830-4 978-4-04-069833-5 (LE) | December 11, 2018 (2018-12-11) | 978-1-97-532889-4 |
| 5 | December 27, 2021 (2021-12-27) | 978-4-04-680956-8 | January 17, 2023 (2023-01-17) | 978-1-97-532889-4 |

### Anime

An anime adaptation was announced in December 2016 as a theatrical short. The film was written and directed by Kazuya Ichikawa, with Yō Yamada in charge of sound direction and Scenario Art providing the theme song. The film was screened on March 4, 2017.

#### Theatrical shorts

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 1 | "Passing By Each Other" Transliteration: "Surechigai" (Japanese: すれ違い) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | March 4, 2017 (2017-03-04) |
| 2 | "If You Eat Me" Transliteration: "Taberu nara" (Japanese: 食べるなら) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | May 13, 2017 (2017-05-13) |
| 3 | "A Misunderstanding" Transliteration: "Gokai" (Japanese: 誤解) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | July 1, 2017 (2017-07-01) |
| 4 | "Uneasiness" Transliteration: "Fuan" (Japanese: 不安) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | September 4, 2017 (2017-09-04) |

#### Web shorts

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 0 | "Encounter" Transliteration: "Deai" (Japanese: 出会い) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | March 1, 2017 (2017-03-01) |
| 1 | "Ice Wall Slam" Transliteration: "Hyōhekidon" (Japanese: 氷壁ドン) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | November 3, 2017 (2017-11-03) |
| 2 | "The Weight of Love" Transliteration: "Ai no Omosa" (Japanese: アイの重さ) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | December 1, 2017 (2017-12-01) |
| 3 | "This is Correct" Transliteration: "Kore ga Seikai" (Japanese: これが正解) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | February 1, 2018 (2018-02-01) |
| 4 | "Dear Star" Transliteration: "Ohoshi-sama" (Japanese: お星さま) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | January 15, 2018 (2018-01-15) |
| 5 | "Food Chain" Transliteration: "Shokumotsu Rensa" (Japanese: 食物連鎖) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | March 1, 2018 (2018-03-01) |
| 6 | "Matching Outfits" Transliteration: "Osoroi" (Japanese: お揃い) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | May 4, 2018 (2018-05-04) |
| 7 | "It Hurts (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Kurushii (1)" (Japanese: 苦しい（1）) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | July 6, 2018 (2018-07-06) |
| 8 | "It Hurts (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Kurushii (2)" (Japanese: 苦しい（2）) | Kazuya Ichikawa | Kazuya Ichikawa | September 7, 2018 (2018-09-07) |

## Reception

Reviewers at Anime News Network praised the artwork, but had mixed opinions about the story's more serious moments. The book came under scrutiny when parents in Orange County, California pushed to have the book banned.