What an adorable and strange premise for a shojo manga. I really enjoyed Goshiki and her realization of love--very cute. I look forward to the continuation.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this.

A Galaxy Next Door is a very cute story following Ichiro Kuga struggling to support his two younger siblings on nothing but a small inheritance and his passion for drawing manga. As it becomes harder to keep up with his growing responsibilities and deadlines, after his last assistants quit to follow their dreams, he meets Shiori Goshiki who applies to become his new assistant. However she is not who she appears to be, and Kugo finds his world-changing when by accident, he finds himself engaged to marry her.

This is a very cute story, and I really liked the artwork. I look forward to reading more.

[Rate: 4.5/5] I liked this manga way more than I expected! At first I was a bit confused about the stinger and how it turned to be a bit of a fantastic reality, but it added a funny part to the manga which is actually really nice!

I loved the artwork here, it was so well done and constant, and I loved how the little siblings were drawn it was so cute and I wanted to squish their cheeks as well. I also loved how the artist played on the shojo clichés and added it as a comedy part on our MC's story! The whole stinger thing was actually interesting once you get over the confused moment of "oh wait it's a magical reality then?". Ichiro and Shiori are actually really cute together and I loved to see how their relationship developped during all the chapters!

I removed a 0.5 stars only because I was bothered by the small recap at the beginning of each chapters - it wasn't needed even if it was just a page. But otherwise this manga is worth a 5 stars and I actually can't wait to read the next one :)

Ichiro Kuga is a mangaka struggling to keep up with deadlines and care for his two younger siblings, so he decides to hire a new drawing assistant. Her name is Shiori Goshiki, and she's incredibly beautiful and talented. However, she may not be from this planet.

A Galaxy Next Door, Vol. 1 by Gido Amagakure is an out-of-this world, oddball romance comedy.

First off, I did like how meta and self-aware this manga is since Ichiro is a shoujo mangaka and the story uses and discusses classic shoujo romance tropes throughout the story.

However, the first volume felt incredibly rushed and I wished that the romance and Shiori’s character progression had taken longer to develop.

I also want to point out that this story is definitely a fluffier, lighter read. This might be a bonus for some readers, but I generally prefer stories with more emotional depth. For instance, within the first volume, it barely touches upon Ichiro coping with his father’s death, so I do really hope that this is further addressed in future volumes.

Overall, this is a sweet and charming manga, but I unfortunately didn’t feel invested in the characters.

I stumbled on the summary of this book on Netgalley and knew I needed to give it a read! After losing his father Ichiro works hard, as a manga author, to provide for his two younger siblings and ensure they’re well taken care of. Life can get a little hectic trying to balance the responsibilities he faces as an older brother, as well as an artist with deadlines but Ichigo is determined to provide for his family and still pursue his dreams of being a successful manga author.

Though the loss of Ichigo’s father is discussed, overall, this is a very sweet and light-hearted read that had me giggling in joy and secondhand embarrassment.

Shiori and Ichigo are so adorable and somewhat socially awkward, Shiori because she’s not from our planet, and Ichigo because he’s more introverted and isolated due to all his responsibilities. From start to finish both characters had me cracking up and cheering them on.

Another thing I loved was that the author included some translation information in the back, in case anyone’s newer to Japanese culture. I also found out there’s an actual name, in Japan, for a common trope I adore [at least in media lol]…the trope is called: kabedon and it’s when one character slams their hand against a wall trapping the other character. So many Jdramas, and Kdramas, I’ve watched have had me squeeing, in fangirl, when the main love interest does this to the hero/heroine.

I’m so glad I stumbled onto the summary of this book and I cannot wait until more volumes are translated to English!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Cover: 4/5
-Story: 5/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!

First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review! I about jumped for joy when I saw this up for a request and even more excited when I got the acceptance. I have been waiting for this manga and honestly can say it didn't disappoint! I really struggled seeing if it should be rated a 4 or 5.

I did go with a 4 (even though it was a 4.5 honestly) because I was a little bit confused by Goshiki and who exactly she is. Also a little bit of points off because it seemed a bit fast paced in volume 1 but I am looking forward to more of this story. Honestly really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the ARC!
I don't read manga very often, but the description sounded fun, I love stories about books or about people creating stories.
This one is about a struggling manga artist who has to support his younger siblings. One day he gets a new assistant and...cuteness ensues?
The *cof* fantasy portion *cof* kinda threw me off, like ooookay is this what we're doing?
But the family dynamics are cute as hell and all the characters are so vivid and lovable.
The art style is really nice also.
I'll have to read the 2nd volume to see if it goes more in depth about Goshikis background, because I was Confused™.

This Manga was the sweetest story, An older brother becomes the carer for his two young siblings after losing their father and their mother leaves.
Ichiro Kuga is a hardworking writer, who desperately needs help. He finally finds an assistant in Goshiki, their relationship blooms to an arranged marriage through an accidental finger prick (loved this part).
They slowly fall in love, and then...! I can't wait to see what happens next!

thank you so much to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for this ARC!!

this was such a fun read and the art soooo beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
the pacing for the manga itself was just perfect.
i loved the different relationships and dynamics that were showed. Ichiro's relationship with his siblings was so beautiful. he's such a good brother, and his hard work was admirable. though it breaks my heart to see the burden fall on him, and him overworking himself.
i really enjoyed Ichiro's character, he's such an adorable dork and i love it.
Machi and Fumio are great little siblings, they're doing what they can to take care of their older brother and it's so cute.

Shiori is a great character herself, and it's so much fun watching her character grow slowly.
i loved reading about Shiori and Ichiro's blooming relationship and their cute moments.

Moka and the editor were also great additions. the editor is such a good guy, and Moka is a great friend. i love her friendship with Ichiro.

This was my first manga and i can say that I did enjoy it more than i thought i would and will definitely be checking out more of them thanks to this one!

A fun Shojo starter with an interesting twist on the fish out of water story line. The tropes are light but well applied and there is some fun lampshading. Will be purchasing this title for our collection.

The artwork and concept of the manga is really interesting and refreshing however I was a little bit confused by Goshiki and who exactly she is. I had to read the mange a few times to get my head around it which made it difficult to completely love the manga and fall in love with the story. I think the pacing needed to be slower to help the reader understand who she is, why she's there and then maybe at the end they could have left it on a cliffhanger with the main event that happens earlier in the manga (wont say due to spoilers).

I am looking forward to Volume 2 and hope that the pacing becomes easier to digest due to the complexity of the story behind Goshiki.

This is an adorable romantic comedy with an interesting twist, from the creator of Sweetness and Lightening. Kuga is a manga creator who supports his two young siblings after the death of their father. Goshiki comes from a place where she lives a very isolated life. She becomes Kuga's manga assistant and tenant Her people have certain unique customs that will change the course of Kuga's life in an unexpected way!

giggling and kicking my feet in the air right now, this book is making me so happy it's embarassing 😭

this is the sweetest manga i've read in a long time, matter of fact this is so sweet that it gave me diabetes and i honestly don't think i'll be able to wait much longer to get the next book (Kodansha Comics pretty please, if you see this i'm begging you to give me the ARC of the second book, i've been a really good girl this year <3 )

now enough of me fangirling, let's get into the nitty-gritty : this book follows Ichiro Kuga, a young manga artist who lost his father and is left with his two younger siblings and unfortunately a very small inheritence.
[disclaimer : this book isn't centered around grief at all so if you have trouble with that topic, don't worry it's barely discussed and this is a really light-hearted book ! ]

instead of looking for another job to make a living, he decides to continue his job as manga artist since his first book sold pretty well and he got enough recognition to make it his main source of income ( talk about a #boyboss 😌 ) but the deadline is approaching and with no one to help, it seems almost impossible to complete everything in time ...

and here comes my wifey, Shiori Goshiki, the love of my life and the sweetest angel the earth had the privelege to welcome <3
she's an extremely talented assistant, even though it's the first time she has ever done that job, she's gifted, she's sweet and she's absolutely gorgeous to top it all off but ... she seems a bit strange at times like she doesn't really belong or almost like she doesn't even come from earth ...
now you have to read the book to figure out why !! ( don't throw tomatoes at me please i love you )

the art is absolutely amazing, it's flowing really well, the plot is a little excentric but that's super refreshing and fun and the characters are my little babies i love them so much and the way they're written don't make them feel one dimensional at all !
i would absolutely recommend it and i'll 100% be reading the next books !!

Thank you so much to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Ichiro Kuga has struggled to support his two younger siblings on nothing but a small inheritance and his passion for drawing manga. His last two assistants quit, in order to pursue their own dreams of creating their own mangas. Just as he’s nearing his breaking point, the beautiful and scarily competent Shiori Goshiki applies to become his new assistant. But after a small accident after a manga drawing all-nighter together, Goshiki announces that they're now engaged and that she's a Princess?!

I really like this manga! The style of the art is simpler than usually for its genre, but it adds a lot of charm to it. The rest of the characters being drawn in a simpler style makes Goshiki stand out a bit more with her being drawn a bit more detailed. The plot is also very fun! The main character, Kuga, is a hard-working older brother who is doing his best to take care of his younger siblings on his own. I really loved his honest attitude, and his awkward moments with Goshiki were so cute. Goshiki is also a treat of a character. Watching her navigate her new life and freedoms is so fun. Her love for manga is also so fun to see! The story is very much a fun slice of life, with comedy and romance elements to it. There were some hints in their first chapter that there might be a slightly dramatic (or just plain sad) backstory to Kuga, which I'm sure will be touched on in the future. There was also a small line, that I'm sure was just an off-hand line, that smacked me in the heart. "Of course, as much as I love manga, it may not love me so much." Ouch. That feeling of being passionate about a career only to have it be something you can in no way survive working in is a punch to the gut. Kuga also mentions to one of his siblings that he wants them to follow their passion; basically to follow their dreams. It's kind of nice seeing a main character who is both practical and also an optimist. I'll enjoy seeing how Kuga and Goshiki's relationship evolves as the story progresses! The sweet moments they have had so far in this first volume hint that they will have a lovely romance! <3

I’ll start off by saying that Sweetness & Lightning is one of my fave manga series of all time, so I had very, very high hopes for A Galaxy Next Door. And it sort of hits those expectations… and also sort of misses them. Let me explain.

The plot starts off with a bit of a generic first chapter - an alien princess leaves her home island to follow her dream of making manga. A young mangaka struggles to make ends meet and care for his two younger siblings, but gets a mysterious new assistant, the alien princess. After pulling an all nighter to make a deadline, the mangaka reaches for the princess, touches her stinger, and suddenly they are bound together, all but engaged in what seems to be a s*x-adjacent pack for the princess, which did not fit the initial tone at all.

There’s sprinkles of magic in the story that really show what a nuanced writer Gido Amagakure is, but it’s almost covered by plot devices that seem to force these two together in ways that I would expect to be reserved for the first chapter of shojo or male fantasy mangas.

While the art is absolutely gorgeous and really shines in the bits of sci-fi elements that Gido Amagakure adds, this first volume didn’t blow me away. There is promise, but it hasn’t reached the same level as Sweetness & Lightning yet.

I’m anxious to continue and really hope for more from Gido Amagakure!

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

First, my gratitude to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this series in exchange for an honest review.

After Ichiro's parents died, he has been the one to take care of his younger brother and sister. By doing so, he became a serialized manga artist for a living and decided to drop out of high school. Goshiki, in turn, is a princess from another galaxy who wanted to meet him as she was a fan of his works for a while now. She was hired as his temporary assistant to meet his deadline. After an exhausting day of working, as Goshiki lay flat on the floor, her employer Ichiro, was pricked on her tail, thinking it was a manga pen sticking on her behind. Little did Ichiro know that there is a weird tradition lying behind touching a tail of Goshiki's kind. Soon after, Ichiro was hailed as the lady's fiance. Much to the guy's surprise, he starts to open his world to feelings unbeknownst to him before; as strange as the lady's existence, yet familiar as her breathing.

Goshiki in a stunning black dress and umbrella reminds me of Mary Poppins! The art is beautiful and the opening is quite interesting, although, I may have held back a couple of days before finishing it; there are just a few scenes that are boring me out. Nevertheless, the premise is refreshing. Overall, I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It just failed to hook me.

A Galaxy Next Door (vol 1) follows a manga artist Ichigo Kuga who's father died. Due to the passing he has to take care of his two younger siblings with the money he makes on manga. Because of the need of money he takes on an assistant to help him produce more manga. His new assistant Shiori Goshiki is perfect for the role despite her strange personality. This begins their story.

Overall this was average. The art was nice and the plot was run of the mill. The assistant fell in the sheltered girl says weird things troupe that's quite commen in romance manga. It was cute just not very memorable.

Thanks to Kodansha and Netgalley for the eARC.

4.5 Stars

Wild and sweet are the perfect description for this romantic comedy. From the start, the premise was so intriguing and compelling and it only became gradually wild bonkers from there but in a good way and it is for sure not the weirdest setup I've read from a manga.

A Galaxy Next Door is about a Shoujo author named Ichiro Kuga who has taken up the role of sole guardian for his two young siblings after the passing of their beloved father. With stressful deadlines, growing responsibilities, and everything else, he is near his breaking point. Enter this beautiful and mysterious girl named Shiori Goshiki who applies to be his new assistant but turns out to be a mystical star princess trying to find her own way.

So far this has been a light, fluffy, and incredible wholesome story. The relationship between Ichiro and his younger siblings is heartwarming to read. They all have wonderfully different personalities but mesh so well together. (The humor and sass of his siblings are so entertaining to read.) The romance part was adorable too. As much as I do love a slow-burn romance, it was refreshing to read about characters who are aware of their feelings and actually do something about it.

It also felt meta in some ways which made sense with the plot. The art style is too lovely and part of why I enjoyed this story as a whole. Volume 1 was a great introduction to this story and these colorful characters and I'm interested in learning more about this world.

If you love shoujo with a dash of fantasy, give this story a try.

This was such a fluffy and enjoyable first volume! I loved the relationship between the male lead and his siblings and the budding one with the female lead. I really liked the story and I will be continuing the series! (◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。