This was not the manga I was expecting nor something I'd normally read.

It was fiction but had so much reality to it.

Consent is a hard subject to discus in books let alone manga but this manga pulled it off perfectly including more than one type of reaction and what can happen if someone steps in.

Nina is a former Idol dressing as a boy as to avoid unwanted male attention in hopes of living a normal life after an incident where a fan attacked her.

This story is written well giving you all you need to know in the moment and keeping the rest as a mystery while also discussing serious issues.

I may get this wrong and there is definitely someone reading this who has a better way of verbalizing their thoughts, but I will try to talk about this book. This is a great graphic novel that portrays the topic of women and what they wear being used to place blame during assault. It also talks about how not every man is thinking the same about women's bodies. It is empowering to talk about these topics and being able to express a hard topic like this in an "entertaining" manner makes the topic more accessible to younger demographics. IT's great that topics like this are being shown and have a great dialogue about how different people view and put blame on people who are/related to victims of abuse.

Thank you to Viz Media and Netgalley 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!

This was a super fun and quick read. However, I found it to be quite confusing. To me, it felt like there were different plots going on at one time.

Well that wasn't anything like what I was expecting it to be!

I'm not sure how many volumes this series is going to be but wow, did volume one pack a punch! It was a whole lot darker than I was expecting it to be - which I enjoyed a whole lot, since I think this manga fully captured the gravity of the situations the characters were facing in regards to sexual harassment and assault, but made for an entertaining plot at the same time - so I was pleasantly surprised! I loved our protagonist so much and how she came to terms with the fact that she'd been repressing her feelings for so long that, just now, she's finally starting to understand what being a human feels like.

I will say though if you're not one for a manga that's quite stressful, I'd skip this one. I have anxiety myself and, while reading it, I did find myself getting rather stressed so especially if you're someone who's experienced any sort of sexual assault/harassment in the past, I'd be wary going into this if I were you.

Not Your Idol is a suspenseful story that considers issues such as masculinity and femininity, gender expectations, the price of fame, and dealing with past trauma. I was immediately caught up in the action and the characters, while the steady pacing kept me always keen to turn the page to see what would happen next. The story is definitely gripping, and when I closed the final page I wished I could read on. I would certainly be interested in picking up volume two to see how the story evolves from here. I also liked the artwork style in this one; it is beautiful and free-flowing. A solid 4.5 stars from me.

This series was a total and utter surprise. It was much more suspenseful than I originally anticipated, but I am now fully invested in the series.

In this series our primary perspective is Nina. She is, or was rather an idol. At a fan meet and greet, she is attacked by one of her fans. After this attack, she stops looking like an idol, and more like Haruhi Fujioka from Ouran High School Host Club. A new, shorter haircut, and wearing a boys uniform instead of a girls, she moves, and begins to attend a new school.

While she is there, she changes her name, and is trying to lay low, since her attacker was never found. She avoids trying to fit in at school out of fear. One classmate, a boy named Hikaru, starts trying to become her friend, even though she makes it hard for him.

I don't want to say anymore because of spoilers, but I was gripped throughout this volume. There were little things happening here and there leading up to certain things. The ending BLEW ME AWAY and I am sad this series is most likely going to be a slow release, since there are only 2 volumes out in Japan right now.

Either way, I do recommend trying the series for yourself!

I really really enjoyed this manga. I enjoy most manga, because the artwork is so nice to look at, but the story line of this series is very intriguing. The main character used to be an idol in a girl group, but due to an attack from a fan she has hidden from the public and is dressing as a boy while trying to deal with the trauma. I liked getting a peek into the idol lifestyle, as well as the typical Japanese high school life. There was some definite interesting character development in this first volume, as well as hints that certain characters are not what they seem. The end of the book is a definite twist that leaves you wanting more. I will be picking this up and eagerly waiting for the second volume to see what happens next!

Karen is the unabashedly most famous member of Pure Club, a miniskirted all-girl pop band. After being stabbed at a fan event, she quits the group. Hikaru is a judo jock. Nina Kamiyama is the only girl in their high school who wears pants. How they relate to each other is the main subject of the #metoo manga, Not Your Idol Vol 1.

At its heart, this is a high school relationship manga. However, it also has surprising twists and an underlying message. Can a girl be girlish without being objectified?

Not Your Idol Vol 1 is a good gift for someone struggling with a #metoo situation. But it is also a just plain entertaining mystery. 4 stars!

Thanks to VIZ Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first manga that I have ever read.

I found at the beginning that I was reading it wrong (my own fault more than anything else) but once I got the flow, the story was really interesting.

It was interesting to read about a story surrounding Japanese Idols and I found myself researching about them soon after I finished the manga.

A brilliant manga, looking forward to reading more about Nina as she tries to piece her life back together again after enduring such a horrific attack.

I enjoyed the way this manga is drawn but I feel that the story falls flat and I don't plan on continuing the series.

This story was really cute. I enjoyed the art style and overall beginning to this story. Highly recommend for anyone who likes Idol storylines and cute art. Overall, very enjoyable

Really enjoyed the first volume. The story seems promising and I can't wait to see how it will actually develop.

I thought the artwork was lovely and it provided an interesting commentary on the darker side of stardom, especially for young women and the precautions we take to keep ourselves safe after experiencing trauma. Some of the storytelling felt a bit disjointed at times, but overall it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds and is captivating enough to keep the reader interested in another volume.

This manga looks excellent and really intriguing, unfortunately my download had some problems so I wasn’t able to read this which Is such a shame as it looks fantastic and sounds well worth a read. I have read the other Netgalley reviews to get an idea of this manga and can honestly say that I would love to read it and will be recommending to other manga readers. Thank you

This book wasn’t the best or worst, I had hoped it would be a bit more though. The characters fall flat for where they could go overall. Thanks for the advance read publisher.

This is a fantastic manga!

While it deals with sensitive material, I feel the author did an amazing job with how it was handled.

The art is marvelous and the storyline intriguing. It will keep you turning pages until you reach the end.

It talks about what a lot of women feel and have to deal with on a daily basis for just being a woman. For how men think they can behave towards them and how trauma can change a person.

I can't wait for the next volume because of that cliffhanger...wow.



Warning: Trigger warnings for some.

Not Your Idol is not an ordinary manga that is a light read. This was something else. It deals with assault, femininity, fame, and the excruciating road to recovery. What I loved most about this manga is that it touches upon a serious issue and combines it with pop culture, making it relevant for all age groups. I wish this manga was a standalone, but I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment.

This is a very cute manga. Nina is actually an Idol who has retired due to some bad incidents. She is slowly working through those issues and trusting others/boys. Horiuchi is a boy from school who has interest in Nina. Could he be her stalker?

I really enjoyed the ups and downs in this installment. I would definitely continue reading future additions as this one has me hooked and waiting for more. Not just the average cliche manga romance.

I would rate this 4.5 stars!

Not Your Idol attracted me because I am a fan of both manga and Kpop. Not Your Idol follows a member of a female kpop band who was attacked at a fan event and thus quit the band and went into hiding because she couldn’t cope with what happened. She tried to minimise her femininity as much as possible and keep to herself. She slowly begins to talk to one of the boys from high school judo squad at her new school and begins to open herself back up again slightly. The illustrations used in this manga were stunning, but the watermark applied by NetGalley was a bit distracting at times.

This manga addresses the very current and common issue of sexual assault in a realistic but gentle way. There is a lot of talk about young women getting groped, raped, and being an idol for anyone to stare at. It’s the harsh reality that many women, young or old, face each day.

The approaches to gender blaming, victim reaction and other myths surrounding sexual assault draws awareness to and opposes this false view society has created. Not Your Idol highlights realistic aspects of Asian culture and of the kpop industry, making the manga more enjoyable and real to read. Kpop stars are attacked by fans and thousands of men and woman are sexually assaulted daily, all around the world. Not Your Idol explores these issues in a gentle but, in my opinion, successful way.

I loved Nina as a character and how brave she was. She had her days where it was all too much, but she stuck up for those who wouldn’t or couldn’t on their own. The manga’s approach to her flashbacks was clever and well executed albeit a little confusing and hard to follow at times.

There is a twist about three quarters of the way through this volume that I did not expect at all! The volume ended on such a cliff hanger as well! Now I see why the manga is described as a psychological suspense thriller. I need the next volume as soon as possible to find out what happens!

This book isn't not graphic with the visuals or description surrounding the topic of sexual assault, but please be aware that it is very emotional and could be triggering to those with similar experiences.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.