Tamon's B-Side · review
This is a comedy manga which means it doesn't take itself very seriously. Listen, I'm not an idol fan, I've never been obsessed with celebrities or any type of media. I thought I was not going to be the target audience for a manga that is centered around an idol group and their superfan. BUT this series is hilarious! If you're not into idol-culture like me, this is a great satire, the manga is self-aware enough to portray both sides of the entertainment industry while still being fun. If you're unsure about the relationship dynamic, it's not weird at all. Utage might be Tamon's fan,but she usually separates his idol persona and his real personality (referred to as Gloomyhara). She's not going through his personal things, not posting personal information about him, the worst she does is "explode" when Tamon switches to his on-stage-persona. If you keep reading the series, Tamon is actually the bigger weirdo between them, and it actually makes sense knowing he doesn't have friends and his self-confidence is at rock-bottom. They have a funny and cute dynamic, and I haven't even mentioned the other boygroup members who are all extremely entertaining. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's refereshing to see an idol-centered romantic comedy that shows how these celebrities are just putting on a planned act made by their companies and how people buy into it, while still acknowledging the positive side of being a "fan".
I personally think most new shoujo series are kind of bland, this one is actually one of the funniest rom-coms right now, if you love slow-burn romance with lots of over-the-top comedy with subtle nods to real-life problems idols have to face this is a great choice.