This is the first Manga that I've read in a very long time (probably around 10 years) but it was a fantastic entry point back into that genre! It looks at a lot of issues such as feminism and masculinity in such a brilliant way - I never felt that it was too heavy at any point but it also didn't take it lightly. This is actually more of a 4.5 stars but I did feel in some places that it wasn't cohesive and I struggled for a few panels tom understand what was going on but other than that, it was a fantastic read. It does contain abuse from fan (SPOILER: he cuts her arm with a knife) but the actual scene is shown once and mentioned a few times if that could be an issue for you. I also really liked how it had 2 separate perspectives on the whole groping situation and although it's frustrating to listen to what i thought was a ridiculous excuse for the groping, it was so great to also have it included.
This is a fantastic, suspenseful manga and I can't wait for the second volume to come out!

The story was shorter than I expected as I normally read novels but the story was great. I love the artwork.

Not Your Idol was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a manga with some drama, but this story arc starts off strong exploring many thought provoking problems many people,especially women, face today.
Can’t wait to continue the series! Some trigger warning, the series touches on subjects like sexual and physical assault, depression, objectification of women, and the dark side of fame. I would like to see how the author continues to handle these topics.

Thank You to VIZ Media and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I was the target audience for this manga and I won't be carrying on with the series, but the book did have some interesting topics included which was appreciated. There should be a trigger warning for sexual assault and at times I felt this was not dealt with in an appropriate manner, however nearer the end of the book it did approach the subject in a better way. It was hard to determine as a reader whether I was not enjoying the book because of some of the things the characters said, or if I was simply not liking the characters being introduced. Overall it was an okay read and I'm sure some people will definitely enjoy the storyline.

This novel bewitched me heart and soul.

I received a digital copy of this manga from NetGalley (THANK YOU!). I wish that this was not an eARC, because I need volume 2/the rest of the series ASAP. The premise grabbed me from the beginning; I wanted to know Karen/Kamiyama's story and how she is connected to Hikaru. If you're a fan of <u> SkipBeat! </u> you will fall in love with this one. Even the art is on point. The only element of this novel that I am not absolutely besotted with is the cover, but everything else more than makes up for that. I would consider buying this series to add to my collection.

Thank you Netgally and the author for the free review copy

This manga is pretty dark. It uses the word "pedophile" as a joke which I didn't think was in great taste.

I'm not sure if this was originally written in japanese and then translated into english but I found it didn't "flow well".

I would peg this for more of a older teen/young adult read. Personally I wouldn't let a younger teen read it but that's just my opinion.

The art style is clean, typical manga style. There is a name stamp on every page which I found to be extremely distracting.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy!

Well, this book was the opposite of a ray of sunshine. Not that I was expecting a light read when I read the description -- this is a manga about a girl who stops being a pop idol because she was assaulted by a fan -- but this is definitely grim. Lots of talks of assault, me-too like situations and talk, girls being told they can't do things because of a pervert on the loose, and more. It definitely weighed on me, especially when so many characters in the book shrugged it off, made excuses, or "not all men"d it.

Like I said, not a light read.

That's not to say it's bad. It does seem like it's trying to shed light on important topics, and the story is interesting. The art is up to the usual standard I expect from manga.

However, it's too dark for me. I don't want to read something fictional and feel worse afterwards, and this was definitely a bummer. I'm a bit curious as to where it goes from here, but I probably won't pick up another volume, as, again, the level of bleakness isn't my thing. But if you're into darker manga that does focus on real-world problems, you may enjoy this.

Interesting! I can see Not Your Idol becoming a new favorite series. The story was great. I'm going to need another 200 more chapters ASAP!

I think this is a very honest look at gender and how gender is perceived. We have a main protagonist who now does not want to present herself as female because of an assault. We are faced with blatant misogyny and how this protagonist faces these comments as well as the internalized misogyny within herself.

I admit, I wasn't sure how I would like this book when I first started-I'm not much of a girly girl and the whole miniskirt thing at the beginning didn't exactly pull me in. That said, I was wrong. I really enjoyed this manga.
I feel like the topics were tactfully but honestly presented in a manner that feels quite realistic. I didn't feel like the characters were doing things for the convenience of the story or that reactions were over or under-dramatized. The art was lovely and did a fabulous job of displaying the emotions and thoughts each character was experiencing throughout the story, and the manga-ka did a great job of ensuring that each character looked like themselves (I'm sure we've all come across stories where each character feels the same or every attractive person looks the same except for their hair/eye color). The relationships feel well-paced so far and I look forward to seeing what comes next for Nina and Hikaru.

Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the digital copy of this manga. My opinion in this review was not affected by receiving a free copy.

This was one of the best manga I've read! The story and art are top quality, but what I really love is the issues that it deals with. In today's society more than ever we are dealing with the issues of assault of all kinds against women. A story centered around this paired with being focused on an idol makes it even more interesting and important. This story shows the dangers of being an idol as well as being a woman in today's society, having to worry about such things that are extremely relevant to today. Not only is the story and art great, but the topics that it deals with is so important for continuing the discussion and fighting of sexism and misogyny.

I’m out of habit for reading manga, but I was intrigued by the summary of this one. The art style is clean and the story has a lot going for it. The plot is shaping up to start really exploring the ideas of fame, recovery from trauma, gender identity, and how that all interacts with the development of relationships (platonic or otherwise). It left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, which didn’t really surprise me, and I’m excited to see what happens in volume 2.

I absolutely loved everything about this first volume, from the authenticity of the theme to the lovely artwork suiting the story so well, to the great pace, to that cliffhanger . . . Oh, I have such a thing for twists!

By addressing complex subjects and important issues, Not Your Idol is a compelling new psychological suspense that makes you turn the pages quite eagerly. Nina might have shunned down her femininity, but that certainly doesn’t make her forget what happened to her. She keeps struggling with the traumatic event that made her start dressing as a boy, and it proves to be even harder when physical and sexual assaults become a daily topic. The reality of the subject surely touches the reader, and the various reactions let you perceive everything in an even more realistic way. In fact, they are exactly what you (sadly) would hear around—some of them seriously make you want to punch people in the face, badly.

Provoking, realistic, and suspenseful. Lovers of thoughtful reads that keep them at the edge of their seats should strongly consider trying this manga. I can’t wait to read more and I totally need this on my physical shelf!

Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a captivating first volume. Ex-idol, Nina, begins to dress as a boy after a fan assaults her, and she quits the entertainment business to attend high school. While there is plenty of focus and attention on sexual assault, Nina's assault is not sexual in nature, though still nothing to dismiss. When Nina finally starts to open up about her past, those close to her start to question if he can be trusted.

This first volume puts a lot of focus on the sexual assault, and I applaud the main character shouting from the rooftops that women don't wear short skirts for men. This ends on quite the cliff hanger, and I'll be eagerly waiting for it to be released.

Not Your Idol follows Nina Kamiyama, a former idol, who quits the public life after being assaulted by a fan at an event. She cuts her hair, dresses like a boy and generally withdraws from social interaction as a result of her PTSD from the assault. Nina comes out of her shell a bit more as she gets to know her classmate Hikaru, but her trauma prevents her from opening up until the end of volume 1.

This is an excellent critique of both idol culture and sexism in Japan. Nina reacts not only to her personal assault but also to the way her male and female classmates talk about gender relations in off-handed ways. The first volume doesn't dive much further into critique but I do hope that further volumes see Nina and Hikaru's relationship being interrogated as well as the idol culture that Nina both pulls away from and maybe would like to return too.

If you are interested in complex characters and relationships, Not Your Idol is definitely the manga for you.

This goes into jpop idol culture, feminism, sexism, harassment, and stalking. And I was emotional just reading it, this is an impactful manga and I cannot wait until the second volume eventually comes out. I would go as far to say that any manga fans who can handle these topics and are into the suspenseful genre, this is a necessary read.

This story was engaging. I think it's important for stories with topics like this to be available to youth. To encourage them that it is ok to speak out and cope with what's happening. Though the choice the main character made at the end to run off with the suspected assailant was concerning. I suppose it will depend what happens next.

Typically when I read manga I reach for the ones with a fantasy or paranormal twist, but the premise of this one sounded interesting. We're following an ex-idol who has completely changed her appearance due to an assault she suffered and the trauma and effects that come after it. There's also the more sinister story line of her attacker possibly still being after her and a lot of discussion about sexual harassment and assault. I was not expecting the first volume to be as complex as it was, but it all flowed together well.

I'm interested to see where this series goes, especially with how the first volume ended. There's a definite question regarding multiple people's motives, so I'm thinking it will be a twisting series.

I really enjoyed this book. It was surprising how far the author decided to plunge into this topic. I have certainly heard comments like this said in my life. The comment on short skirts and the antagonist female disregarding others safety forced me to deal with uncomfortable feelings. They were not subtle in bringing up any of these topics and I found it refreshing to face them head on. Some of it is a little cheesy and the characters seem a little 2 dimensional but I am hopeful that this series improves and add further complexity to the characters.

Definitely worth reading and I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

Thanks Netgalley and Viz for giving me an early copy.

I adored this manga. There is romance of the budding variety but it’s so much more than that.

The main character used to be a frilly idol and after being assaulted goes through a transformation and tries to become a boy-ish girl so as to not be assaulted again.

I thought it was really thoughtful and feministic read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to read about tough stuff issues. I’m going to check out volume two the first chance I get.