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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I received an electronic ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow I LOVED this. I haven’t read manga in a while but gosh dang this was a great one to restart.
Flow was typical of a shoujo manga, but the topic was deeper and more heavy than a typical love story. THAT ENDING THOUGH!
I loved that this manga dealt with sooo many topics that are very prevalent in this day and age. Masculinity, femininity, sexual assault/harassment, trauma, gender expectations, toxicity in the idol world, are to only name a few of the issues breached.
I want to read more. I am so ready to read this entire series. Give it to me pleeeaasse!
Wow I LOVED this. I haven’t read manga in a while but gosh dang this was a great one to restart.
Flow was typical of a shoujo manga, but the topic was deeper and more heavy than a typical love story. THAT ENDING THOUGH!
I loved that this manga dealt with sooo many topics that are very prevalent in this day and age. Masculinity, femininity, sexual assault/harassment, trauma, gender expectations, toxicity in the idol world, are to only name a few of the issues breached.
I want to read more. I am so ready to read this entire series. Give it to me pleeeaasse!
Thank you to Viz Media for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I began reading Not Your Idol, I was struck by two things, the beautiful artwork, and the objectification of the female characters. This is a running theme throughout the manga, but it's necessary to the story. We immediately see that Hikaru is not typical like his male classmates, just as Kamiyama is not typical among her peers.
I was pleasantly surprised with how the themes of misogyny, assault and its aftermath, victim blaming, and gender roles were handled. I think the story is interesting and the characters are fantastic. The pacing was quick and the story draws you in, it leaves you needing to know what happens next.
I'm looking forward to Vol.2 and I will definitely be adding this to my personal library!
When I began reading Not Your Idol, I was struck by two things, the beautiful artwork, and the objectification of the female characters. This is a running theme throughout the manga, but it's necessary to the story. We immediately see that Hikaru is not typical like his male classmates, just as Kamiyama is not typical among her peers.
I was pleasantly surprised with how the themes of misogyny, assault and its aftermath, victim blaming, and gender roles were handled. I think the story is interesting and the characters are fantastic. The pacing was quick and the story draws you in, it leaves you needing to know what happens next.
I'm looking forward to Vol.2 and I will definitely be adding this to my personal library!
I'm hooked!
Karen/Nina is hiding from her past as best she can. However, things change quickly and it all starts with a boy. The story is fast paced and gives a good background about the life of a former idol. The topic of sexual harassment was very realistically portrayed. The characters covered a range of perspectives that really add to the story being told. The style of illustrations were well chosen and depict the characters emotions very well.
I am really looking forward to where this series leads! I would highly recommend this manga for my realistic fiction lovers.
Karen/Nina is hiding from her past as best she can. However, things change quickly and it all starts with a boy. The story is fast paced and gives a good background about the life of a former idol. The topic of sexual harassment was very realistically portrayed. The characters covered a range of perspectives that really add to the story being told. The style of illustrations were well chosen and depict the characters emotions very well.
I am really looking forward to where this series leads! I would highly recommend this manga for my realistic fiction lovers.
The seriousness of the topic covered in "Not Your Idol" took me by surprise given how. . . cute. . . the art style is. Shame on me for pre-judging. This series is a thoughtful look into how a pop music idol deals with the trauma of stalking, assault, and nearly being killed by a fan. Not only does Nina drop her idol persona "Karen" and withdraw from the limelight, she reinvents herself as a boy in a new school. It's the only was she has found to feel safe. The plot is also a serious look at the permissiveness some societies have toward objectifying woman rather than treating them as people with thoughts and feelings. With public unwarranted touching, justifying actions saying the victim was "asking for it", as well as thinking of them as personal objects to be owned being seen as acceptable behavior toward women, is it any wonder that Nina feels unsafe when dressed as a female? Hikaru acts as a superb foil to the dark actions taken by other males in this series. He is the goodness that Nina is afraid to believe in.
While the writing was a bit choppy at the start, it improved with every panel. There were no filler characters and no unneeded crudeness. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
* I received a free eARC from the publisher through NetGalley*
While the writing was a bit choppy at the start, it improved with every panel. There were no filler characters and no unneeded crudeness. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
* I received a free eARC from the publisher through NetGalley*
I really wanted to like this more but the end sort of took that away from me. I get this fight, I back this fight, I know the importance of this fight - not so sure the author does.
TW: Sexual harassment, groping, physical assault, stalking
TW: Sexual harassment, groping, physical assault, stalking
Ahhhhhh I love this so much!! The storyline is amazing and the art is just beautiful! Can't wait to pick up vol 2!
challenging
dark
tense
More thriller than mystery, Not Your Idol does what shojo does best- interrogate patriarchy as a regime, and in particular, femininity's role in the objectification, commodification and subjugation of women and girls. A really refreshing if harrowing take on some common animanga mainstays such as idols/idol culture and the princely/boyish girl, which it tackles far more deftly and deeply than other more popular works (Oshi no Ko and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk come to mind).
welcome to this book review,
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review !
This manga was a surprise, the art is what first caught my attention and the premise really intrigued me. From the first couple of pages I was captivated, the mystery of knowing why Nina (AKA: Karen) left the idol world and was hiding, dressing herself as a guy (even though everyone knew she was a girl) with a new name in a new town. I hated Miyu and her victim blaming/downplaying sexual harassment of herself and another girl. The author beautifully wove the links between the people and the surrounding events without giving away the punch.
The cliffhanger left me wanting for more !
I totally recommend.
Though it should get some trigger warnings for sexual and physical harassment and PTSD.
-Bookarina
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review !
This manga was a surprise, the art is what first caught my attention and the premise really intrigued me. From the first couple of pages I was captivated, the mystery of knowing why Nina (AKA: Karen) left the idol world and was hiding, dressing herself as a guy (even though everyone knew she was a girl) with a new name in a new town. I hated Miyu and her victim blaming/downplaying sexual harassment of herself and another girl. The author beautifully wove the links between the people and the surrounding events without giving away the punch.
The cliffhanger left me wanting for more !
I totally recommend.
Though it should get some trigger warnings for sexual and physical harassment and PTSD.
-Bookarina
4.5
Uffff. Me ha gustado MUCHO, en realidad. Hay alguna cosa que no me termina de encajar, pero supongo que forma parte del misterio. Y es de estas pocas veces donde no me he querido creer el giro y no estoy para nada seguro de haber acertado no creyéndomelo. Pensaba haber leído un par de capítulos y acabé leyéndomelo del tirón.
Uffff. Me ha gustado MUCHO, en realidad. Hay alguna cosa que no me termina de encajar, pero supongo que forma parte del misterio. Y es de estas pocas veces donde no me he querido creer el giro y no estoy para nada seguro de haber acertado no creyéndomelo. Pensaba haber leído un par de capítulos y acabé leyéndomelo del tirón.