Ren Kawahara is a Japanese manga artist and writer, recognized as the original creator of the romantic comedy series Ao-chan Can't Study!. Kawahara is also known by the pen name Haruka Kanda, under which earlier works in the shoujo genre were published. Debuting as a published manga creator in 2008, Kawahara has additionally worked as an illustrator for light novels.

Kawahara is best known for creating Ao-chan Can't Study! (titled in Japanese as Midara na Ao-chan wa Benkyō ga Dekinai). The manga was serialized in Kodansha's Shōnen Magazine Edge from October 2015 to December 2018 and was compiled into eight tankōbon volumes. A sequel manga, Ao-chan Can't Study: Otona-hen, ran from January 2019 to April 2020. The series received an anime television adaptation produced by the studio Silver Link, which aired 12 episodes from April to June 2019. For the anime production, Kawahara is credited as the original creator and also provided the original character designs. The manga is licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, which released the series digitally in English.

Beyond this notable work, Kawahara is the author of another long-running romance and comedy series, We're New at This (Mijuku na Futari de Gozaimasu ga), which was serialized on Kodansha's Comic Days website from March 2018 to June 2024. This series follows the humorous and awkward journey of a newlywed couple navigating intimacy and marriage. Kawahara's body of work consistently focuses on the romance and comedy genres, with narratives that often explore the nuances and realistic complications of modern relationships, from first love to the challenges of married life. The artistic style is characterized by bright, clean artwork and expressive character designs that effectively convey both comedic gags and heartfelt romantic moments.