I wasn't super convinced with the premise at first, but the execution of this manga is definitely great!

The drawing style is incredibly beautiful, and there is depth to the characters, even if there's a good dose of comedy.

If you like romance, even if you don't like elements like idols or celebrities, I'd say give this story a try. It won't disappoint you. (In fact, it will make your heart race!)

Such a lovely manga and overflowing with cuteness, hearts 💕 and flowers. What happens when the boy next door, who is your childhood friend and buddy, becomes a model, an actor and the nations darling?

Chiaki has always had a crush on the boy next door, Subaru, who is a rising star in Japan and growing away from Chiaki and home. How can she who is plain, or thinks she is, compete with the fame, stars and bright lights?

Possibly not, but still a very entertaining and heartwarming story. This is the kind of story when the reader has to cheer for the underdog, hope for a miracle and cling on for the rollercoaster of emotion that you know is coming.

A lovely story and definitely a series to follow cheering the girl next door.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have added a copy of this to my wishlist.
I like the cover of this book also.
The artwork of this is great also.

4⭐️

It was very enjoyable !
It was a good intro with really nice art..
This is a great starter manga for people who have never read it, and it’s good for those that are fans.
Overall, a fun experience.

This one was sweet, but I wanted more from the POV of the MC H. From where I was standing, it didn't look like he had a thing for her as much as she did for him. He was WAAAAY to cool and casual about it. The MC h, on the other hand, was more obvious, but then again, we see things more from her POV, so we get to see her internal dialogue and how she feels.

We also have the trope of "she defends him to people who take offense at her calling them out, so the MC H has to end up saving her" trope, which seemed slightly OTT, both with her screaming at the dude in question and his grabbing her, in public. I get that they are young, but that just seems to be a bit much.

All in all, not a bad start to a series and I want to see where it goes.

3, why didn't I have a childhood friend/neighbor who ended up being hot and famous it's not fair, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review.

I couldn't really get into this, but it definitely scratches that particular shoujo itch of girl-and-star-boy that seems to have never go quite out of popularity.

This was a very cute read! I loved the characterization of the characters and how their storyline flowed. I found it interesting how she was in charge of waking him up for school, too.

This was such a cute read! The next door neighbor/friend trope is a fave of mine. The art style was also very nice. Can’t wait for the next volume!

Thank you Netgalley for approving this arc for me to read and send an honest review.

I have now found a new romance manga series to add to my favourite list, and also ever growing collection. This story started off adorable, and I love the characters.

I'm so glad that I could read this first volume of this series. I need to find the next volume as soon as it comes out. Subaru is the boy next door, who just happens to be the latest star on the rise. The artwork for this series is so cute. This was such a fun story and I will be reading the rest of the series as it comes out.

I received this from the published in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine and are uninfluenced.

This is a cute coming-of-age high school romance between childhood friends, one being an ordinary girl and the other a model/actor. I don't mind stories like this every so often. It's cute and refreshing. My only issue is that I'm tired of very insecure and naive female leads which is what most shojo manga main characters are. I don't know if I'll continue this series because of it, but I definitely think if you like childhood friends to lovers then you'll enjoy this

Chiaki's best friend Subaru is a rising actor and gaining popularity. She thinks she's not the kind of girl he would date and firmly tries to be his friend while keeping her feelings to herself. However, Subaru clearly values their relationship and makes an effort to stay connected. Overall, a cute manga of two friends who seem to be drifting apart but want to be together. Looking forward to volume 2.

Chiaki has been best friend's with Subaru since they were kids and had an unrequited love for him. However, Subaru is a famous actor and model who is becoming more popular. Chiaki constantly feels like they are drifting apart and that she is not good enough to be with him. However tenuous their relationship has become, she sometimes thinks there could be something more.

Gazing at the Star Next Door was such a sweet manga. I enjoyed the characters and their friendship. They had such cute chemistry. I also really enjoyed the story. It was hard to out down and after I finished it, I desperately wished the next one was out. I cannot wait to read more of this story as it comes out. I will have to check out other works by this author as well because I enjoyedd this one so much!

4.5 stars

Childhood best friend / neighbour / human alarm clock and personal chef. I absolutely loved the tropes found in this story, where two friends from childhood find themselves in high school and the guy, a model and now actor, begins to grow in popularity while his friend pines over him. I really can see this developing into a lovely storyline, the characters are likeable (and somewhat relatable) with real concerns about distance and sentiment in a digital age of followers and celebrities. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

<i>I received a complementary copy of this manga volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>.

This was such a cute book. I'm so excited to continue reading this series. It's not that often that I come across a book where the love interest is also an idol so this was fun to read and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds.

Ugh this was so cute! It made me really nostalgic to when I was younger and reading manga. The childhood friends to possibly lovers (fingers crossed) was always my favorite and this hit the spot. Chiaki and Subaru have been friends since they were kids and now Subaru is a model who is getting more and more popular while Chi is trying to get past her feelings for him because she feels like she's not the girl he'd be with. I loved the dynamic of the two and how they still showed up for one another and the banter was amazing as well. It was really cute and the ending?! Omg I need vol 2 now

One of my favorite romance tropes is friends-to-lovers, and this manga has that trope! I read shoujo mangas before I got into reading romance novels. This gives nostalgia to those times! A cute high school romance following a popular boy and his ordinary girl friend. Excited to see their romance unfold!

tl;dr
Competently hits most of the expected beats, with a nice twist about characters who might be growing further apart instead of closer together.

Thoughts
If you're an avid reader of shoujo manga, you know what to expect. Beautiful artwork with soft lines, and a plot packed with longing looks and light flirtation. We've got all the hits: Childhood friendship, the hottest guy in school, and even the ill-advised mixer with college boys. All of it is very competently done, with nothing to complain about, and plenty of very pleasing illustrations and sweet moments. The author's notes talk about the story being one of drifting further away from friends with the passage of time. It's an interesting twist on the usual: Most shoujo romance features our main characters slowly growing closer. In this case, they might actually be growing further instead. There's a bit of a bittersweet tone that comes through because of it, but nothing too sad. In the end, it's still a sweet and light romance with a very pretty boy.

I thought this was a cute, shojo manga. It was entertaining. I think a lot of girls and teens would like to put themselves in the main character’s shoes—crushing on a friend who is a celebrity.

This book was super cute! I loved reading it. It's adorable.

The story is light and fluffy. The characters are interesting. I like how the female lead and male lead interact with each other. While it follows similar famous star next door tropes, it takes a refreshing twist and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series!