If you are a fan of series such as My Dress-Up Darling, Kiss Him, Not Me!, and Horimiya then you may want to delve into Phantom of the Idol. This musical comedy series follows an upcoming idol singer, Yuya Niyodo, and his anything but “idol” persona. He originally joined the idol career scene because he thought it was easy money and in reality, it turns out that he actually has to put in the hard work. On the brink of giving up due to the stress of the job, Yuya meets the ghost of Asahi Mogami. Asahi died early in her career before she could reach the heights of stardom and spends her ghostly days hoping for a second chance at the stage. Could this new partnership between Asahi and Yuya actually work out?

This series instantly reminded me of reading other idol-themed stories such as Full Moon Wo Sagashite and Ossan Idol. I love a good musical-themed story and that’s the aspect that drew me to try out this new series. The first volume is light and entertaining, with many comical moments. Yuya and Asahi are complete opposites as idols and personality-wise which leads to a lot of laughs. Asahi’s bubbly nature and passion for the stage prompt Yuya to try harder as an idol while he would rather sleep in order to not practice. His dry humor and the duo’s personality differences made it fun to read, especially the parts where she borrows his body and performs in his place. The story has a lot of wacky antics making it a fun read, and I felt there was never a dull moment.

At the core of the story when you put the glitz and glamor aside, this story has a lot of heart. It’s a series about fulfilling dreams and finding your path. When Asahi meets Yuya, it makes him question just what kind of idol (and person) he wants to be not only for the fans but more importantly himself. The first installment has a good blend of comedy and true sincerity that will capture the reader’s attention. Additionally, the artwork and bits of the story poke fun at idol culture with stereotypical fans and shojo-esque tropes.

I requested this on Netgalley thinking it gave me Allstars Ensemble vibes, and I was right and more. This is such a fun read from the moment it begins and if you like idols and Ensemble games, you are going to love this manga as it delves into the story of an idol who needs to make an effort and the ghost of an idol who is a bit disappointed in him to be honest.

Asahi and Yuya are a great pair throughout this book and reallyhave a great relationship as they create this deal. She's fierce, demanding but also fun and Yuya is dry, sarcastic and trying his best to keep up with the energy Asahi has throughout this first edition and I can't wait to see where their teamwork leads into the future - I really wanna know what happens next!

I also like in the book how you see the perspective of fans who are seeing him go from the perfect idol one day and then being him again the next time and how they do PR for the band as they go into promotions is really cool and I'd love to see more of that narrative. Another thing I really appreciated at the end of the book was the glossary of terms about idols in Japan and all the cultural references the text for a better understanding of the story.

Really fun read and would love to read more!

This is just fun. We have the grumpy only-in-it-to-make-easy-money idol Yuuya who stakes by on doing the absolute barest minimum. So much so that his agent threatens to fire him. He meets the ghost of Asahi, a young idol who died the year before and who loved everything about her idol life. After they discover Asashi can possess him the two of them begin an odd partnership, sometimes she will take over and perform the hell out of the shows.
I think this is cute and will probably be entertaining to read from start to finish. I am looking forward to the next volume.
Sidenote: I really enjoyed the fan perspective scenes.

This was a cute and witty story about a boy group Idol who doesn't really appeal to anyone in the idol world. He ends up meeting a girl - who's a ghost.

This manga is a josei and it's from the point of view of the male idol. Yuya is lazy and not really interested in the idol life but for some reason he then meets and forms a friendship and partnership with the ghost. He allows her to inhabit his body and she now participates in events for him instead. This may seem like some kind of cliche, but Yuya's character in contrast to Asahi's is refreshing! Though it is your typical sunshine vs grumpy person trope.

The manga panels are sometimes a bit full and messy however not all the time, so I managed to read it quite well. The story and dialogue flowed well at a good pace and the art style matched the story well.

I believe that this is the making of a good series, and I am looking forward to reading more and finding out how the story develops.

A funny comedy where a lazy idol boy meets his passionate girl counterpart... who is dead. Well, being a ghost doesn''t stop her to furfill her dream to perform the perfect show for the sake of the audience. Him ? I'm curious about his go with the flow/I don't care attitude, I'm definitively convinced there more than just "I want the easy money".

Every protagonist is adorable, joyful and you want to protect and see them growing. It will be a fun ride in the idol land.

Phantom of the Idol (vol 1) is about an Idol, Yuya Niyado who doesn't really appeal to the Idol fans. About to get fired he meets the ghost of Idol Asahi Mogami. Together they decide to make him a good Idol.


This was a pretty average story. I liked the the plot and both characters were enjoyable. Nothing too special but would recommend if you're looking for a short easy read.

Phantom of the Idol surprised me as this manga is actually josei for once! I'm not really a fan of the idol industry, but at least the series looks at it from a boy idol group's point of view. Yuya belongs to a pop idol duo called ZINGS, but is utterly lazy and not really interested in the job. He's partner puts everything out there, but Yuya is mostly hostile and disinterested. I actually love Yuya a lot, since his off-putting attitude is refreshing! Suddenly Yuya can see this ghost girl for some reason and soon learns that she's an idol herself and has passed away already a year ago. She can posses Yuya's body and they start their idol journey together. In a sense this feels like a cliche, but Yuya's character is something else and it's a great counterpart to Asahi's giddy persona. They make a good pair, really. There's humor and everything, but the best part is surely how these two interact.

The art looks nice and lively, which fits the series well. The panels are slightly stuffed at times, but the rhythm is good and the dialogue good too. This first part has so much in it that I don't know where this can go from here, since the series needs more than just the two Yuya personalities. Still, this is so much better than most of the idol series and Phantom of the Idol actually laughs at idol series, so points for that. As josei, this works.

the manga is really very interesting, being the first volume introduces the story and the various characters well. I will definitely continue to read the next volumes, it intrigued me a lot!

One day she came to me because she’s dead.
And now her peppiness is in my head.
And through this labyrinth of idol life
The Phaaaaaaaaaantom of the idol is here to give me strife.
…
The opportunity was right there, okay? If you like odd couple comedies of the body-sharing variety, there’s fun to be had here!

Thank you to kodansha and netgalley for the arc. It was extremely funny, and I could totally relate to the mc lazyness XD. The topic was interesting and the drawings very cute.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second book and I'm very excited for the anime that will be released next week.

At first I definitely got some Star Crossed vibes, but Asahi is a ghost (former idol who passed due to an accident) who takes over Yuya's body. Yuya is part of a boy idol group with Kazuki, however he is pretty lazy. When Asahi takes over his body, she brings her own persona and the fans never know what Yuya will appear (the real Yuya or Asahi's version). Asahi notices Yuya's potential as he can memorize something after seeing/doing it once, but he does it halfa**.

There was some funny moments and so far really enjoyed the plot. I liked the art and how not only the two main characters balance each other out being opposite but also how Yuya and Kazuki help with the others weakness in some way.

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 5/5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 5/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Comedy/Paranormal
Type: Manga
Worth?: Hell Yes!


First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review. HOLY. CRAP. I downed this book in a few hours and wow... I want more. I originally picked it up because I like expanding my manga reads and wow... I was NOT disappointed. This manga is funny as hell and entertaining. The art was good but what really pulled me in was the freaking amazing story line. And the ending was left on a CLIFFHANGER! Oh boy how I am hanging on. I really hope to read the second volume soon!

This book was pretty funny. The way the main characters were such complete opposites worked really well. I was a bit confused at why Yuya was so willing to help Asahi when he didn't care about being fired five minutes previously. That being said, this book will definitely appeal to teen manga fans.

I loved this volume! The 'idol' setting has always intrigued me, and that combined with a ghost who takes over an idols body = I'm sold.
The story was fun! Loved every second of it, and I can't wait to read volume 2. Very tempted to collect the physical books for this series as well, because I'm sure that I could re-read this a bunch of times and still not get bored.

I feel like this would work so well as an anime or a drama, and I would love for the story to get picked up in a movie format!

I also quickly want to mention the art style, which was really cute and the kind of art style I absolutely love to look at when reading manga!

A fun and unusual manga concept—for me, because I've never seen or read anything like it before.

Another thing I liked about the book is that it revolves around the life of an idol as well as the industry, demonstrating how difficult and stressful it is.

Overall, I thought this was a good manga, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

This was so much fun! I loved the plot and all the callbacks to idol and fan culture - it can feel a bit over the top at times but I think it works in a comical, almost satirical kind of way. The art style isn't my favourite unfortunately, which is why this is only 4 stars, but I'm excited to continue on in the series!

This was so awesome! I loved how fast I can read manga! She get so excited that he can see her! I can’t wait for the next one to read!

This was a very cute start to this manga. All the characters were lively and fun. I love the contrast of personality between the two protagonists and the silly gimmick of the alive male idol being more "dead" than the actual ghost female idol. The high jinks were entertaining and I think this is a good beginning to a series that has a lot of potential. The characters lacked some depth and backstory, but I am sure that will be explored next. The art was nice, though nothing special. Overall an enjoyable beginning.

Phantom of the Idol focuses on Yuuya, one half of the idol duo ZINGS, and the ghost of Asahi Mogami, a beloved singer whose life was cut short in a tragic accident. Yuuya became an idol because he thought it would be an easy way to make money. As a result, he's a sloppy performer and gives horrible fan service. After a terrible concert, Yuuya's idol life is on the brink, and he meets Asahi, who wishes she could still be an idol. They come to an agreement, and this first volume follows the two of them working together to continue Yuuya's idol life. This was a fun, lighthearted read that I would recommend to anyone, but especially to anyone who enjoys idol culture. I'm looking forward to volume 2 to see how the story continues!

Thanks to Kodansha Comics for approving a copy of the e-ARC on NetGalley for this honest review.

Okaaay I had a really good time reading this and I think “it’s like being haunted by Tom Nook” might be one of my favourite manga quotes ever!

The art is really cute, first of all. I really liked the art style and the way the characters are drawn! It also really gets the idol industry and fan culture and I was sitting here like “so true omg” so many times, it was highly entertaining and maybe a little bit nostalgic!

Most importantly, it’s honestly hilarious and I laughed so much reading this! He’s literally the worst idol ever but he’s also amusing with it, and his fans decision to keep backing him make it even funnier!

This is a great first volume with a good pace to it, which shows the inner workings of idol careers and is highly relatable in some respects, all while being incredibly entertaining! The volume leaves on an intriguing note/cliffhanger and I’m ready for volume 2!