Thank you to Kodansha, Nico Nicholson & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Reading Time: 1 Hour

I was definitely on the fence for this one, but Megumi QUICKLY became one of the most relatable manga characters in a long time - as the weird girl who still keeps some interests private this hit hard but still remained funny.

Definitely for fans of Wotakoi - I suspect this might get picked up for an anime adaption eventually (if it hasn't already).

Was also a big fan for strong anime + gaming references, definitely felt like a reflection of the times.

My Lovesick Life as a 90's Otaku is a slice of life manga that follows an adult Megumi Sato recounting her teenage years growing up as an otaku (a person who deeply enjoys nerdy activities like manga, anime, and video games.) She struggles on whether she should hide her interests from her peers to get social validation or to embrace what she loves.

This manga has funny moments and a compelling side story with her pen pal. Overall the manga has room to be interesting in later volumes, but her naiveté can sometimes be both very realistic and yet very annoying.

This was such a fun and relatable read!

The story transitions between Megumi’s past teenage years and her current adult years. Megumi is currently divorced with a teenage daughter who is living her otaku years freely without judgment. This makes Megumi reminiscent about her past teenage years when she was bullied for being an Otaku and had to change schools to hide her very being. In her new school she falls in love with the basketball star Masamune, who looks just like her favorite character, however he hates otakus.

This was an interesting and relatable read. Honestly even today, I still hide the fact that I read manga, light and web novels as well as watch anime/donghua from all my work colleagues and friends. If it weren’t for the staff at Indigo Chapters, I probably would’ve hid my true self like I did back in high school. That said, this manga was highly relatable and I could understand a lot of what was going on in Megumi’s mind.

I liked how this story unfolded. Using the present day occurrences as the trigger point to depict a story in the past. I found this unique and was interested in Megumi’s current situation. Her past personality is quite different from her current one and I’m interested to know what brought about this change. And whatever happened in the past broke somewhere as Megumi is now a single, divorced mother.

The artwork felt like an ode to 90’s manga style. The various 90’s references were smartly placed alongside humorous yet charming dialogues. The artwork is expressive and descriptive with sometimes over the top facial expressions. I liked the comedic touch because it was just enough to cause second hand embarrassment while making one laugh.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. Although I wasn’t part of the 90’s otaku period, a lot of the insecurities and anxiety faced by Megumi is still pretty valid and relatable today. I’ll probably be picking up volume two since I’m curious to know what happened in Megumi’s past. Maybe we’ll also get a glimpse into what her current situation is.

I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this - since I'm not someone who often reaches for overly silly mangas. Yes, It can be a bit goofy and over the top, but it's also relatable in many ways. Those moments really the show the heart of the story and kept me interested.

'My Lovesick Life as a 90's Otaku' has such a fun charm to it that I think many people will enjoy.

Overall an enjoyable read! Although the main character can be a little embarrasing at times, 'Meggers' is very endearing. I'm someone who hates the feeling of secondhand embarrassment and while we had a few of those moments it was very tolerable. I can relate to keeping your 'weird' interests quiet but not to the extent the mc faces. The flashbacks from past and the glimpses of present make me very intrigued as to the main characters past and what had happened through her life, especially resulting in marriage and divorce. Volume 1 finishes leaving a few different threads that could be followed which makes me want to check out the next volume when it drops!

I go back and forth on if I think this was a 3 or 4 star read (I really wish you could do half stars on goodreads so I could just give it a 3.5). It was cute and I liked the main character and the otaku and 90s references were fun (also really fun to find out from the author in the end how much was based on their real life events). I just didn’t really like the Prez character which is the ML I’m pretty sure. Nothing wrong with him, really, I just feel like he might not be the best fit for our FL (also we know early on that in the present time our FL is divorced so I’m not too hopeful about her romance to begin with). But I could definitely see him getting better in future volumes the more you get to know him. So ultimately I think this first volume setup the story pretty well and the series could get better from here or could remain around a 3 star series for me. I’ll just have to read the next volume to find out.

Thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the ARC I read.

90s Japan vibes, like the wonderful manga "Gals!", with relatable geeky characters I couldn't help but root for, like "Wotakoi"!

Loved the concept and loved the execution. Can't wait for more!!

A promising start to a new series, focused on how otaku culture is becoming more popular. Megumi is in her 40s and finds it hard to believe that people are willing to show their interest and devotion to manga and anime outright, when she used to hide it from everyone when she was a teen. The story switches between the two timelines, but focuses mostly on the past for this volume. The art is fun and although Megumi tends to overact, it fits with the manga and anime tropes. Overall, a highly relatable manga for people who felt they had to keep their anime and manga interests hidden. Look forward to finding out more of Megumi's history in future volumes.

This is so fun and silly!! Being a woman in my late 30's, I feel the secondhand embarrassment of the main character, wanting to hide her otaku (or nerd culture) self from the people around her to fit in. I feel like this series, though silly, has a charming narrative voice, and I really had a great time. The art is fun, and I am excited for the next volume!!

Very cute and relatable. Meggers is adorable. I understand her so well. Seeing her grow up hiding her otaku side is sad because I never want to hide my geekiness. I enjoyed this and I want to continue it.

This was a cute start to a series I want to keep up with! The past and present shifts really do work in this series' favor, the 90's anime and manga scene really was that different and seeing our MCs teen daughter in the present really has shown how much things have changed, mostly for the better. Going forward I hope we get a bit more of adult Meg's life, because I'm just as interested in who she is in her 40's as her flashbacks as a teen.

This first volume has been such a fun trip down to memory lane!

We're following two storylines centered around Megumi, our main character.
Megumi grew up in the 90s, a time where loving anime, manga and videogames was enough to win you an "otaku" label (for those not familiar with the term, imagine a deeply geeky person very passionate about a subject). Her daily struggle was to find a balance between her passions and her desire to fit with her classmates and be socially acceptable.
Forward to today, Megumi is now a grown up woman and mother. Her daughter is an otaku too, but things have changed, being an otaku is now cool and trendy, there is no reason to hide it and can be made part of one’s personal style.

Given I had the pleasure of reading only the first volume it is a little too early to say how the story will evolve (this first volume is mostly about setting the stage).
What I can say so far is that all the references and hidden gems to what made my own youth (yes, I was a manga/anime/videogames otaku myself in the 90s) make me absolutely want to keep reading.
I am looking forward to the second volume!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy of this manga volume!

Megumi as a 40 year old mom is so happy that her otaku daughter is accepted just the way she is in modern society. However, it brings her past to mind when she felt the need to hide her otaku nature when in school for fear of bullying and being ostracized.

I really like the idea behind the story. However, Megumi always seemed to be in panic mode when interacting with literally anyone. It seemed very over-the-top and I felt that it distracted from what was actually happening in the scene. I would keep reading the series though because I am very curious about who Megumi ended up marrying and divorcing. I really am more curious about adult Megumi than the high school version.

What a cute and interesting concept for a manga! This story follows a 42 year old woman who is reminiscing about her life as an otaku in the 90s. The story primarily takes place from Megumi’s younger self’s perspective.

I really like how fun this story was and this was a great introduction to all of the characters but it does seem like the story is going to pick up even more in the next volume.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I be honest, I had a more negative connotation to the word otaku, which is what most probably have.
I loved the story about a mom who lives at a time now, where she could live her love for manga without being judged and bullied for it. It gives a great perspective about what certain fandoms have to face. She is thinking about and remembering  her school days and we get to see a fight between who she is and how she would like to be, to finally fit in. Also we get to see why the love interest actually hates otakus. He has a good reason. I can't wait for the second volume.

— 4.5 ⚝

this was adorable. i love manga that don't take themselves seriously but still have meaningful messages to convey and a plot that makes sense. i loved how goofy megumi was. she was such a delight and so so funny. the past/present timelines were very refreshing and a great touch to this manga. the cliffhanger has me rlly sympathizing masamune and excited and intrigued to know more about him. i loved the overall tone of this story and can see this going to a rlly great place in future volumes! super hyped for the rest of them. 100% worth picking this up. it also reads rlly quickly and is just a goofy, fun time.

This is such a fun concept. I do enjoy the beginning of each chapter has current day and then the rest is meant to be a flashback. I’m really excited to see where the love interests goes because of his negative outlook on otakus. I can’t wait to read the second book in the series because it left the story on a slight cliffhanger. I can see why the main love interest doesn’t like otakus now. And I’m also can’t wait to see if the main character gets to meet her pen pal.

All in all I think this series is fun and light hearted and going to be a nice read once more volumes are out.

My Lovesick Life as a ‘90s Otaku was a fantastic read from start to finish. I’m interested that the author decided to split the story into two separate timelines. Even though most of this volume was laying the groundwork for the story in the future, Nicholson did an awesome job creating funny and compelling characters. I love the dynamic between Megumi and Masamune—the teenage awkwardness is written extraordinarily well. But I also can’t wait to read more about Megumi and “Yui’s” penpal relationship; it’ll be interesting to see how their otaku-fueled friendship fares throughout the series.

The art is vivacious and fun and the active, exaggerated expressions help sell the humor of the manga. One of the best things about the series is how younger Megumi views the world through a lens of manga tropes to try to navigate through the complex world of high school dynamics. Beyond the humor it adds to the story, it’s a reminder of the important role that media, pop culture and literature plays in shaping our interactions and perceptions of the world. I can’t wait for the next volume to discover more about Megumi’s adult life!

I would recommend this manga to people who are fans of titles like Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls. If slice of life romance and humor are your thing, chances are you’ll enjoy this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Kondasha for the opportunity to read this volume!

Oh my goodness I want the next volume! My Lovesick life as a 90's Otaku goes over the struggles of hiding your inner Otaku in order to better fit in with the 'normies' being a nerd was not as embraced as it is today. I found myself heavily relating to the main character. This manga is really sweet. We only got a glimpse of the love interest finally showing some interest in the FMC I found myself having difficulty putting this down. It's charming and funny and I wish it were longer!

Thank you Kodansha Comics for a copy of My Lovesick Life as a '90s Otaku 1

"Otaku culture has finally become mainstream, and Megumi can't quite get used to it. Divorced, with a teen daughter, Megumi thinks fondly back to her days as an anime and manga otaku--in 1995. That year, she transferred to a new school and decided to start fresh by hiding her otaku interests. She found herself taken under the wing of a basketball ace named Masamune, who's got a kind heart and looks just like one of her favorite characters. Though Megumi catches a whiff of destiny in the air, she's crushed to learn that Masamune detests otaku..."

REVIEW:
Fans of Princess Jellyfish will enjoy this a lot! I love the dual time line of a mom reflecting back to her childhood and her current life as a single mother. I just feel like I haven't seen this POV from a manga yet.

I love the 90s nostalgia and the current day representation of anime fans! :)