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sicilyjoy 's review for:
Not Your Idol, Vol. 1
by Aoi Makino
Not Your Idol: Volume 1 by Aoi Makino by Aoi Makino is a psychological thriller that explores sexism and rape culture. I will not get into the plot since there are many reveals about the characters and plot twists throughout the manga.
With that said, Not Your Idol is a one sitting, keep turning the page, well-written thriller. The art was also well done. I liked that the imagery really captures the deep emotions of the characters. Aoi Makino took great care in expressing the characters’s personalities through the drawings.
I appreciated that the manga’s principal focus was misogynism, rape culture, and toxic masculinity. It was skilled in the way it pointed out how people enable sexism through big and small actions. For example, I liked how some characters used judo to reinforce their machismo, while others correctly see martial arts as first a practice in nonviolence, and secondly to be only used as needed self defense. Also, there are scenes that show the consequences of the nice girl and pretty girl tropes. Not Your Idol doesn’t offer any answers, but it does an outstanding job asking how we can improve our world for women and girls.
I wished the comic would have dealt with the gender spectrum and nonbinary identities more directly. At first, I thought there was a nonbinary character. But, even though the book challenges gender roles, norms, and gendered fashion, the question of what about nonbinary people is left hanging. However, there is a scene where a character is not allowed to go on an all female train car because she is misgendered. So, it is implied, that non-binary identities are marginalized. I hope in the next volume there are explorations of transgender and nonbinary experiences.
There is a mystery throughout its pages and I’m eager to read the next volume to get answers. I rated this book a 4 out 5 stars. I recommend this book for graphic novels fans who like to read about social issues. Also, for teens and adults who enjoy fiction that makes them think and challenges the world order.
With that said, Not Your Idol is a one sitting, keep turning the page, well-written thriller. The art was also well done. I liked that the imagery really captures the deep emotions of the characters. Aoi Makino took great care in expressing the characters’s personalities through the drawings.
I appreciated that the manga’s principal focus was misogynism, rape culture, and toxic masculinity. It was skilled in the way it pointed out how people enable sexism through big and small actions. For example, I liked how some characters used judo to reinforce their machismo, while others correctly see martial arts as first a practice in nonviolence, and secondly to be only used as needed self defense. Also, there are scenes that show the consequences of the nice girl and pretty girl tropes. Not Your Idol doesn’t offer any answers, but it does an outstanding job asking how we can improve our world for women and girls.
I wished the comic would have dealt with the gender spectrum and nonbinary identities more directly. At first, I thought there was a nonbinary character. But, even though the book challenges gender roles, norms, and gendered fashion, the question of what about nonbinary people is left hanging. However, there is a scene where a character is not allowed to go on an all female train car because she is misgendered. So, it is implied, that non-binary identities are marginalized. I hope in the next volume there are explorations of transgender and nonbinary experiences.
There is a mystery throughout its pages and I’m eager to read the next volume to get answers. I rated this book a 4 out 5 stars. I recommend this book for graphic novels fans who like to read about social issues. Also, for teens and adults who enjoy fiction that makes them think and challenges the world order.