Dec 23, 2020
Tl;dr: Came looking for a cute romance, left with a nice message about honesty and the problem with putting people on a pedestal...but no romance (which is the only "spoiler" I'll leave in this review).
I decided to read this series because I assumed there would be a romance between the leads of this series (I saw the Shoujo Ai tag and jumped to conclusions). While that never happened, the rest of the story was definitely still enjoyable and unique, especially for the angle it took on celebrity. To be clear, I've read numerous manga about characters interacting with idols/celebrities all the while not knowing they
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are interacting with the alter ego of their celebrity-worship (and the subsequent desire of the celebrity to reveal their identity, etc.). However, this story takes that devotion in an interesting direction; that being true obsession. Unlike in other series where the celebrity-worship is dismissed as a funny or quirky trait, in this case other characters sometimes interpret it as borderline scary or unnerving. While Aiko (the obsessive fan) is harmless, the unease from other characters when she starts to discuss things such as "sacrificing herself for Shinonome" feels genuine. These moments really help this manga stand out because I feel that it takes a peek into the less glamorous side of celebrity-worship. Something that I believe is often overlooked in manga.
I believe the series is worth a read if you want a story that strays a bit from the typical path regarding idol-worship in manga while still maintaining a mostly-pleasant atmosphere (it has a few darker moments, but it never gets really bad). As a whole, I gave this a 7. I found the characters likeable enough and the plot strange & interesting. Nothing to write home about, but might be worth a read if you're curious.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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