As someone who's fallen down the rabbit hole of k-pop just a few years ago, this manga made me wonder how I'd possibly react to meeting the Idols I like in real life.

Getting to lightly explore the complexities of fandom and parasocial relationships and the blurred lines between reality and life in the spotlight, in a quirky, overall lighthearted way was fun.

It was also interesting how all the main characters were female, but the story presented a starkly different variety of die-hard fans: the respectful one, and the obsessive one with no regard for boundaries.

The art was gorgeous. Very dynamic and expressive.

I'd be interested to read the following volumes.

This was a cute read that made me giggle. The way the main MC was just being goofy and starstruck :"') I mean, in some ways I get what she feels ngl if my idol sits at the desk next to me.

The story follows the life of our protagonist, Yuki, an unassuming high school student with a remarkable secret: his desk neighbor, Arisa, is a famous idol. Arisa's dual life as a pop sensation and a regular student is at the heart of the narrative, creating a unique and intriguing premise. This setup allows the manga to explore themes of identity, friendship, and the pursuit of one's dreams

One of the manga's strengths is its ability to convey the essence of Yuki and Arisa's budding friendship. The moments of genuine connection and understanding between them are beautifully portrayed, offering a heartwarming and relatable narrative that will resonate with readers of all ages.

Also, Yuki is one of those girls that are so purehearted like Omg , my heart for this girl. Quite a good read for a coming-of-age manga.

3.5🌟

This manga was enjoyable but really did not have substantial plot. The romance at least was pretty good but by the end of it, I did not want to read the next one at all.

2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this I, unfortunately, didn't really enjoy this though. I wasn't going to review this because I felt bad but I think it's more important to be honest. I just didn't connect with this story well and I found it hard to stay focused even though I usually love this sort of idol/pop star at my school troupe. I didn't really like the characters but the art was super cute.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This manga was not what I was expecting in the best way. I thought it would be more of a romance story. However, it is a beautiful friendship story that discusses when a fan meets their idol and how they can positively as well as negatively react. I do warn you there is a ton of girl hate at the start of this manga. Other than that, though, I would highly recommend this to teens to help people learn about what being a fan or a proper photographer 4-4.5 out of 5 stars

What would you do if one day you went to school and found your favorite idol sitting one desk over? That’s exactly the situation shy little Sakiko finds herself faced with in “My Idol Sits The Next Desk Over! Vol. 1.” by Koyubi Sugawara. While trying to keep her fangirling at bay, Saki must also grapple with how to act around someone she looks up to so much. But it turns out that she might not be the only fan around trying to catch Chiro-chan’s eye…

This fun and cutesy manga, great for fans of “Not Your Idol,” is a lighthearted read. A story of good-old-fashioned friendship between two charming characters, it’s a sweet little read paired with an art style that’s just as lovely, although it becomes a bit cluttered at times.

However, this story toes an odd and unsettling line. The plot seems to veer toward darker ideas at moments but instead twists them into good-natured, girlhood dynamics in a way that seems questionable. I’d be interested to see where the story ends up going and if wrongs are righted (or at least addressed) or if this series continues to be a cursory glance at best, glossing over grittier and somewhat alarming ideas. But as it stands, it’s a good time and a quick read that simply shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

I rated “My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over!, Vol. 1″ 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

What would you do if your idol transferred to your school, but nobody seemed to recognize her? This is the question that My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1 decided to tackle.

Sakiko Manaka is obsessed with Chiro-chan. Not in an unhealthy way; she just thinks that Chiro-chan is the best idol out there and that the world will someday see this and agree with her. So imagine Sakiko's surprise (and delight) when her favorite idol walked into her classroom one day.

Only nobody else seems to know that it's Chiro-chan. She seems to be trying to fly under the radar, likely hoping to get a good education. As a fan, it is Sakiko's duty to keep this secret.

Oh my, goodness, did this series have potential! I love the premise of My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1. For the first few chapters, I was hooked. The plot was strong enough on its own before they decided to go and throw in another complication.

Unfortunately, I didn't really like that complication. Her name is Maaya Tozawa, and this girl should probably come with her own trigger warnings. She's a stalker and cyberbully and is pretty willing to do whatever it takes to get closer to her idol, including indulging in abusive behavior.

It adds a sour tone to what was otherwise an endearing and charming series. I didn't like how lightly the whole Maaya plot was addressed. Heck (spoiler warning), at one point, Sakiko invites Maaya into the friend group, knowing full well that she's a cyberbully. Not only was this pretty naive, but it was unkind to Chiro-chan, whom she didn't bother to warn (side note: if you know somebody is stalking your friend, TELL THEM).

Long story short, I had high hopes for My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over! Vol. 1, but they kinda fell flat thanks to a couple (read: one) unnecessary plot points.

A cute premise, but at times just a bit too much stalker behavior treated as laughable.

For Libraries: YA suitable, but sadly this appears to only be available on eBook.

Such a cute and adorable story about friendship that comes with some unexpected twists and turns. From being a hardcore fan of an idol group, to having desks next to each other at school. Would love to read more!

**Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Cute and funny! I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down! The characters are great and the story is really good! I want more!

I really enjoyed this manga volume! I loved how they tackled some bigger issues in this first volume that is a new phenomenon with younger people, namely holding idols/other celebrities in high esteem and thinking they are your friend. It also is just a fun thing to imagine yourself having to deal with, especially if you're someone who enjoys idol groups as much as I do.

Cute story and drawings however it didn’t hold my interest enough to finish the story.

I think that the drawings were really well drawn and it meant I could follow the manga well and the characters were well developed but there wasn’t enough intrigue for me.

I didn't finish the book.

I didn’t get a chance to read this title before it was archived unfortunately. It looks cute though!

This was such a cute manga!
I look forward to reading the next volumes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for providing me with an earc of MISTNDO Vol. 1.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this copy.
As a manga it was fast to read; however, this wasn't so easy to do it. I found myself skipping some dialogues because it felt repetitive. It goes always around Sakiko and Maaya being obsessive fans and having thoughts. Both are the same. But at some point, the manga tries to change that, to makes us see Sakiko as the good one and Maaya as the crazy one.

I can't see any other topic than obsessive fans. This is not about frindships or idols.
So I felt dissapointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-copy of this manga in exchange of an honest review.

Una historia interesante, pero no tan atrapante. La verdad me resultó una trama plana, Chihiro no se entera de nada, Saki es muy crédula y la otra chica tiene una personalidad completamente desesperantes.

Aún así el último capítulo te deja con ganas de saber más de estos personajes, y quedé con ganas de saber cómo comenzará el siguiente volumen de la historia.

Super cute story about friendship! This is a bit different than any other manga I have read since my niche genre is shojo romance manga. But I am loving this first volume.

Sakiko Manaka is a super fan of the idol group Spring Sunshine. One day, she becomes classmates and seatmate to Chihiro Yoshida, her favorite idol from the group. And to her surprise, Chihiro is super cute and friendly. However, Sakiko starts to receive some mean messages from another fan who is jealous of her seating arrangement.

To be honest, I have never been a super fan of anyone... okay, maybe a certain boy band in the 1990s... but no where near as obsessive as the girls in this story. I can't say I relate to the characters but the drama and excitement definitely makes for a good story!

The story balances cute with some dark themes but I think it will all work out in the end. I am also interested to see if a romance blooms with Sakiko and a certain photography club member...

How would you react if your favorite performer started going to your school? And then ends up sitting right next to you in class! That happens to Sakiko Manaka. This story is light, heart-warming, and cute, albeit a little slow at the beginning. As it is the first manga in the series, I imagine the story line will pick up more as things progress.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

My Idol Sits the Next Desk Over!, Volume 1 by By Tetsu Tsutsui and Koyubi Sugawara was a strange experience for me. It's a manga about a high school girl who finds out her new classmate is her favorite pop idol and goes from there. it's pretty obsessive and flirts the line between comical and uncomfortable, and that's not even addressing the other girl character who seems downright stalker-y and threatening at first. Overall, the art was really nice, but I'm not sure what the story was trying to portray and it came on a bit too strong for me, so I don't plan on reading any further in this manga.

Thank you so much to the publishing company, Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with a copy!!!

I’m always thankful to Kodansha Comics for accepting my request for new mangas. I always manage to find some great reads. Sadly for me, this one didn’t hit the mark. This really wasn’t my cup of tea…

The summary really got me intrigued. Yet, the storyline itself didn’t do it for me. I had to force myself to really get through and finish it.

This manga follows a girl in high school and lucky enough a member of her favourite band is her sitting neighbour. However, things go weary when another student and fan starts becoming jealous…

The art was really well done and I love the theme of friendship but the story as a whole just didn’t sit with me. I didn’t connect with the characters at all…so sadly I will not be continuing on with this series. But again thank you to the publishing company and Netgalley for the earc.