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lastblossom 's review for:
Phantom of the Idol, Volume 1
by Hijiki Isoflavone
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
tl;dr
A genuinely funny look into the world of idol culture with high energy artwork and a fast-paced story. One of the leads can be frustrating at times.
About
Yuya is the lazier half of idol group Zings, and his extreme laziness is about to get him dropped from the group. But a chance meeting with the ghost of idol singer Asahi Mogami might give them both the solution their problems. If Asahi possesses Yuya for his performances, she can continue the dream she had in life of being an idol, and Yuya won't have to work hard at anything. Surely nothing can go wrong?
What I Liked
Yuya and Asahi are a great odd couple representing the toxic extremes of idol culture: Yuya in it only for money and attention, and Asahi's identity so tied to serving the fans that she cultivates dangerous parasocial relationships. The story treats this with a light touch (so far), allowing the leads' attitudes to play mostly as jokes rather than getting too mired in the darker side of idol culture. The back and forth between the leads is refreshing and fun, as they banter about their differing ideals without devolving into fighting. Although still budding, their friendship feels very stable, and I enjoy it. Typical drama moments about a guy and a ghost girl living together are skipped altogether, with a 4koma in the back of the book even poking fun of the expectation. Yoshino is a great supporting character, and I do hope that he gets his time to shine as well. The best portion of the stories is the fans themselves: sometimes passionate, sometimes despairing, always relatable. Artwork is very high energy and dynamic with a lot of great expressions, and Asahi's design is my favorite. A scene in the middle where Asahi and Yuya attempt to remake Yuya's image is genuinely hilarious.
What Wasn't For Me
The front half of the story moved at a breakneck speed. I wouldn't have minded giving our leads a little more time to figure each other and themselves out through their first few performances before introducing in other characters or plot points. Yuya's attitude can be grating, especially when it comes to how he treats Yoshino. If he were a real idol, his label would've dropped him ages ago, no matter how good his looks. Anatomy in the artwork can sometimes be inconsistent.
tl;dr
A genuinely funny look into the world of idol culture with high energy artwork and a fast-paced story. One of the leads can be frustrating at times.
About
Yuya is the lazier half of idol group Zings, and his extreme laziness is about to get him dropped from the group. But a chance meeting with the ghost of idol singer Asahi Mogami might give them both the solution their problems. If Asahi possesses Yuya for his performances, she can continue the dream she had in life of being an idol, and Yuya won't have to work hard at anything. Surely nothing can go wrong?
What I Liked
Yuya and Asahi are a great odd couple representing the toxic extremes of idol culture: Yuya in it only for money and attention, and Asahi's identity so tied to serving the fans that she cultivates dangerous parasocial relationships. The story treats this with a light touch (so far), allowing the leads' attitudes to play mostly as jokes rather than getting too mired in the darker side of idol culture. The back and forth between the leads is refreshing and fun, as they banter about their differing ideals without devolving into fighting. Although still budding, their friendship feels very stable, and I enjoy it. Typical drama moments about a guy and a ghost girl living together are skipped altogether, with a 4koma in the back of the book even poking fun of the expectation. Yoshino is a great supporting character, and I do hope that he gets his time to shine as well. The best portion of the stories is the fans themselves: sometimes passionate, sometimes despairing, always relatable. Artwork is very high energy and dynamic with a lot of great expressions, and Asahi's design is my favorite. A scene in the middle where Asahi and Yuya attempt to remake Yuya's image is genuinely hilarious.
What Wasn't For Me
The front half of the story moved at a breakneck speed. I wouldn't have minded giving our leads a little more time to figure each other and themselves out through their first few performances before introducing in other characters or plot points. Yuya's attitude can be grating, especially when it comes to how he treats Yoshino. If he were a real idol, his label would've dropped him ages ago, no matter how good his looks. Anatomy in the artwork can sometimes be inconsistent.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death