So cute and I love this trope! The art style is so pretty too. Really looking forward to reading more volumes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for giving me volume 1 of this manga.


Omg man....it's just sooooooo boring and so uninteresting, I've read better shoujos then this!I literally just thought the story and main characters was just so bad. Other then the art being incredibly pretty when there's close-ups but the rest, bleh....

THIS IS THE EPITOME OF SHOUJO MANGA!! Find love in high school - check! I think this is my first time reading work by this mangaka and so I really loved the art style!

Chiaki is such an adorable girl and her personality is sweet and caring! There’s a good foundation of this as well as her dilemma in this volume. You really get to see how she “struggles” with her feelings and how she goes about it,

Subaru is another great character with personality. He’s naturally charming and works hard towards what he wants and he knows that Chiaki will always be there for him.

In the first volume, it becomes easy to see why Chiaki likes him and makes you wanna know how the story unfolds! Honestly wished I’d taken longer to finish, but it was so good!

Quick, cute, and sweet read. The artwork is really well done. I enjoy the concept of childhood friends to possibly something more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

I was very excited to see this getting an English release as I am a fan of the author's previous work. This story follows a girl and her childhood friend who is now a model and tv star. The main lead is trying to navigate life while dealing with the fame that comes with her friend's success. I think this was a fun first volume and nice set up for the story. I will say I am weary of the male lead because he doesn't seem too understanding to the main character's plight but that could change. Overall, I am intrigued to see where things go and will be picking up the next volume.

What an absolute adorable friends to possibly more story. I will absolutely be picking up the next volume and highly recommend to anyone who likes a good little rom-com story! #GazingattheStarNextDoor #NetGalley

I read this so quickly because I was hooked straight away and I already need more!

The storyline is so sweet, childhood friends but Chiaki has a crush on Subaru and he is pretty flirty with her❤ I really loved the art which was beautiful and am so invested that I've already looked up to see when the next volume is going to be released and seen vol 2. and 3 will be out later this year so I'll be pre-ordering.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion

Going into this manga I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it, but I really enjoyed it! The characters were engaging, and I liked that they both seemed down to earth and believable.

The book itself was a cute wholesome story between two childhood friends! I really liked the art work and appreciated that the story didn’t try to move too fast allowing you to become more invested in what was happening!

I recommend this to anyone interested in romance manga, and I’m already looking forward to reading the next volume!

A story of childhood friends to secret high school crush - but is it really one-sided? Subaru is an up and coming star (model and actor) and Chiaki is the girl next door who helps him out while his mom is busy working. There was some great banter as well as some very sweet moments. And I loved Chiaki’s little sister!

This was such a cute start to a series - I’ll definitely be looking for the next volume when it gets translated!

Chiaki's been crushing on her childhood friend Subaru forever, feeling relegated to the dreaded friend zone. To make things worse, he's now a famous model and celeb, so Chiaki tries to ignore her feelings, thinking she doesn't stand a chance. However, it is clear that there is a strong connection and chemistry between them (and that Subaru may also have feelings for her). Can they overcome these obstacles and ever get together?

I love the classic "popular boy - average girl" trope, especially when they are childhood friends like Chiaki and Subaru. This first volume does an excellent job of establishing their close friendship and the comfortable feeling of being at home when they are together. The pacing is great, and the backstory adds to the story's appeal.

I can't wait to read the next volume!

This was a short and sweet manga about a young girl and her childhood friend that is a famous model. I enjoyed reading it but it’s not a super memorable story and not much really happens in this first volume. I’m sure we will later find out that the ML is already in love with the FL (that’s my guess at least), but until he actually says or does anything, it’s just kind of sad reading it all from her POV since she thinks she is so clearly below his level and he hasn’t pursued her in anyway yet. The art style is nice though and their friendship is cute. Still not sure I would actually care enough to read the next volume though, but I could see a younger audience appreciating this story more than me.

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

4.75 stars!
celebrity childhood friend romance and I definitely devoured this one so fast. Pacing is great and the backstory is a great amount to keep the readers hooked. I am so excited to read the next volume and hopefully this gets an anime adaptation in the future! If you like manga that keeps you smiling and love the childhood friend trope then this one is for you!

Thank you netgalley, kodansha comics!

I looooove the story! A short and light read if you want to wind down--something I really needed today. The characters are so adorable and the art style is so clean 💙

Adorable! Great start to this childhood friendship. I can't wait to see where their relationship heads in future volumes. Art work is fantastic

Ugh! This one is CUTE! Shojo, a little bit of comedy, and slice of life. I devoured this first volume and it leaves off on such a cliffhanger! I instantly need the second one. The FL/ML seem to be well-rounded and have actual personalities, too, which is fantastic. I think this series will blossom into a wonderful story. I can't wait to see it!

I tell myself that I’m not into idol manga, but then the premises get me every time anyway. And Gazing at the Star Next Door was too cute to pass up. Chiaki and Subaru are childhood best friends, to the point where nothing is really private between them anymore. Subaru is a rising star in the idol world and Chiaki is just…a highschool student who wants to mature as fast as possible.

The story is sweet and angsty, in the sense that Chiaki and Subaru were so close for so long and she still knows him better than anyone else, but she feels him being pulled into his stardom and becoming someone that is for everyone and not just for her.

What I appreciated most about this manga is that, even for shojo, was that this story was really just dorky kids being dorky and trying to figure out their feelings for each other in a very grown up world. I want to see more manga where 16 year olds are dorks. Let kids be dorks!

The art is also very shojo but fine tuned to the artist’s style - you know exactly what you’re in for the moment the first page is turned. The story is sweet and a solid first installment for a series.

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.]

Chiaki and Subaru have been friends forever, stuffing Chiaki into the dreaded ‘childhood friend’ category. To make matters worse, Subaru is now a model and star on the rise. Can these two catch a break and do they want to to begin with?

This is an interesting mash-up of two ideas, but what really piqued my interest was realizing that the mangaka behind it was Ammitsu, creator of the very good and very underrated <i>Ran the Peerless Beauty</i> (and the covers here aren’t nearly as dull as that series’ mercifully).

Ammitsu doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel in terms of plots, few shojo do, but she does know how to write really good characters and draw solid art; both strengths are put to very good use here.

Poor Chiaki is not only 80% tsundere with how much she refuses to admit her feelings, largely believing that Subaru is slowly leaving her orbit, never to return, but Subaru’s celebrity is absolutely wrecking her other chances at love because guys think they have to measure up to him.

Subaru and Chiaki make for a good double act - he is unflappably cool, but very honest about things. He just hasn’t said the like portion, but he clearly puts Chiaki head and shoulders above everything. Yet she’s too busy trying to hide her affection to notice.

And so it goes with them trying to be closer and not quite managing it. Another big plus is Chiaki’s other best friend, Ha-chan, who has a slightly detached and wry attitude that adds a lot. She’s a great sounding board for Chiaki, while also giving the two lots of chances for light banter.

In the author’s notes, Ammitsu has a fascinating story about how this mash-up came about, but either way it actually does really work when you look at it. There are a fair few of these ‘girl gets idol’ stories and even the good ones often hinge on contrivances.

Here, they’ve been friends long before Subaru got discovered and that fuels a lot of Chiaki’s inadequacies and the way that they interact, which is at times tinged with that somewhat too comfortable tone that friends can take that makes anything beyond that difficult.

Now, it’s not perfect. Some of this is absolutely taken from the usual playbook - the second Chiaki and Ha-chan are headed for a mixer you might as well set a countdown for one of the guys going too far and Subaru coming to the rescue. It’s still a good scene because of Chiaki’s reaction, but originality only goes so far.

Still, there’s lots of room to grow and I definitely had a good time, enough that I’ll be reading this one going forward. There’s a bonus <i>Ran</i> short as well, but it doesn’t exactly add much to that story or this volume, if I’m honest.

4 stars - this is a solid start to a story of childhood friends wrestling with feelings while one of them is dealing with their star on the rise. It’s a clever conceit being done rather well by a strong creator and worth a look if it sounds at all appealing.

This was so sweet. Gazing at the Star Next Door follows Chiaki, who is childhood best friends with Subaru, who is also an up in coming model/actor/heartthrob. Despite their friendship and his fame, Chiaki is crushing on him massively but is scared that she is second best compared to fame. As he gets more famous Chiaki has to decide if shes going to fight for him or let him go.

This first volume was a banger. I really like our MC and love interest and their friendship as it feels authentic. The art style is adorable and overall this was a great start to a romance manga. Definitely recommend!

The manga is really cute but it does seem like every other childhood friend romance, popular guy with an average girl, regular girl and superstar/model guy. I am curious to see how this manga will set itself apart from others in this trope.

Mangas like these remind me why I still read shoujo!
I loved this so much. The story follows a teen girl who is in love with her childhood best friend who just so happens to be a up and coming model/actor.
The moments they shared together was just so sweet and the banter was SO cute.
The art is also just top teir.

Thank you Net Galley and Kodansha for the ARC in exchange for a review.