Super cute!

I liked the video game concept and how incorporated into the story it is. This was definitely a lighthearted and sweet read that I was able to get through within a day.

I really enjoyed how wholesome this was and the characters felt very natural, making it a read that I was able to enjoy every second of.

This manga was absolutely adorable. Not what I expecting at all. For them to go from manager/subordinate to friends to lovers was so sweet. I can’t wait for volume 2!

I really enjoyed this! A fun, light read about an employee x boss who unwittingly become friends playing an online game together for a year, and discover their real identities when they arrange a meetup. Most of the story is after this revelation with them trying to figure out how to interact after the realization as friends both in the game and out of it, and becoming closer.

The art style is charming, the characters are likable, and it makes great use of the potential for humor and misunderstandings between the dual identities, which feels fairly plausible given our employee character’s established personality of being very enthusiastic without thinking things through.
Another online friend turns out to also live in the area, and between the three multiple discussions are misunderstood in ways that added to the light silly tone.

I appreciated the slow build of translating an online friendship and in-person boss/employee relationship to a closer friendship in person throughout the story. I could understand some readers wishing to jump into romance or physical intimacy quickly, but the pacing seemed fitting for the characters and worked for me. Knowing there will be more volumes to continue their story helps too; we have more opportunities to see their romance develop.

I always appreciate stories that have characters just have a crush without a heteronormative expectation that they be shocked or embarrassed or have to process it, though those stories of course have their place.
We just have a lot of them, and it’s nice to see this one focus on the premise and be fun, without any internal or external homophobia to be addressed.

This was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to the second volume which looks like it comes out in August!

I received a complimentary ARC from Netgalley. I am leaving this review of my own choice and my views are my own.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Cute! Kind of reminds me of Wotakoi but BL instead. Excited for the rest of the series.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this manga!

This is a cute little story. While it is technically a romance, it isn’t particularly romantic. Mostly just cute and silly. It’s a quick and easy read with nice artwork. I recommend giving it a read if you want something cute and light to read.

5/5 Stars. This started off so embarrassing and awkward, but in a good way! …And it stayed embarrassing and awkward, but in a good way! Oh my, these three idiots. As the title implies, Hashimoto is a young office worker who befriends a player online and goes to meet him after a year of playing together, but comes to find out it’s his “demon” of a boss. If that’s not bad enough, there is a young, high-school boy in the mix with these two adult men (nothing inappropriate happens there!). Hashimotoa is so oblivious and honestly Shirasa and Kumada aren’t much better! “I thought he was going to say he was in love with me or something…” *headdesk* *headdesk* The story is a little trope-y, but I didn’t mind it and I love the artwork! I loved this manga from start to finish. No spice, but this BL is definitely intimate and romantic, and a fun addition to the miscommunication romcom genre. Bonus points for consent!

What a fun manga it was! I loved all the misunderstandings between the main characters and the gaming references.

(The link to the full review to follow.)

Really cute concept, and thought it was well down. I enjoyed the illustrations, and they felt very fitting towards each character and their personality. I found the way each character interacted with each other to feel very real and very realistic. The concept of playing an online game with other people, while one of those people so happening to be your boss was also really funny.

Hashimoto is an office worker, who doesn't like his boss. And complains about him a lot, to his online friend. They spend a lot of time playing the game and talking. When they meet IRL, it turns out that his boss is his online friend. Things are awkward at first, but slowly they get close offline too.

It's the sweetest love story, the kind that makes you go awww. A slow-burn romance, with a bit of miscommunication and a lot of cute moments.

06/28/2024 || Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! 1 by Nmura || #TurnsOutMyOnlineFriendisMyRealLifeBoss #NetGalley #BL #HappyPrideMonth

Thank you NetGalley, Nmura, and Kodansha Comics for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.

All of my thoughts are my own~

I have a mixed rating for this:
5 stars for the lovely illustrations and the overall plot and story line - miscommunication tropes aren't always my thing, but I loved the way this manga managed the trope and amended the issues!
3.5 stars for having a minor (that they express is a minor in HS) interacting with a young adult with romantic feelings. I am not the biggest fan of how this kind of thing works but I am willing to keep going with the series to see if this gets resolved and healthy communication and boundaries are put in place. It seems like that is the pathway this series will take and has started to take with the first volume, but I am still so iffy!

All and all, this is a lovely, sweet, slow paced slice of life BL that I cannot wait to read more of!
Hashimoto spends his free time playing a hit online mobile game where he vents and unwinds after his day of dealing with his "demon boss", Shirase, who seems never satisfied with his work! Through building a year long friendship online, Hashimoto (AAAA or A-San) has decided that he wants to met up with his pal and partner in game UMA-San which ends up being his very boss he has been complaining about!!!

Without spoiling much else, the pair meets another online friend, Salted Salmon, who is a minor who has a crush on Hashimoto. Throughout the entirety of the first volume, Hashimoto seems to be navigating life, communication, friendship, and feelings/relationships. Shirase is extremely patient and encouraging and almost seems to guide Hashimoto into thinking more about situations and making his own choices about things without any interference (which I really loved seeing!!)

The ages are not given (that I could find), but there is a 5 year age gap between Shirase being older and Hashimoto being younger and Salmon being a teen. Again, the crush Salmon has on Hashimoto seems to be one sided only and I hope it will eventually subside and turn into genuine friendship.

ARC Rating 4/5 ⭐️ This was a great mm enemies-to-lovers manga romance. The romance was sweet, cute, funny, and wholesome. The artwork and drawing style was really good, alongside the storyline.

It follows Hashimoto, a salaryman and his gaming friend who is unknowingly to both of them, his boss.

I really enjoyed the storyline, characters, and amazing artwork. It was cute, sweet, and magical, and the illustrations really brought the story together.

Thank you, NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Nmura, for sending this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

A Fun and Heartwarming Read!

"Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! 1" is a delightful ride that had me laughing and rooting for the characters the whole way through!

Hashimoto, an average salaryman, has a rough time at work thanks to his perfectionist boss. Shirase just trying to figure out how to be a effective boss. Hashimoto finds solace in his favorite online game, where he vents to his best friend "Uma." When they finally meet, Hashimoto is shocked to discover Uma is actually his boss!

This manga is funny, cute, and well thought out. The romance feels realistic since the characters are adults, making it even more relatable. If you’re looking for a feel-good read with a unique twist, this manga is a must-read. I can't wait for the next installment!

reelllyy rreally sweet and cutr story about an pffice worker who's just a bit clueless and the his manager.
i loved how their relationship developed and kumataro was adorable!
funny, sweet and a perfect story for boys love enjoyers and those new to the genre!

This is a sweet and fluffy rom-com that is sure to give anyone a good boost of serotonin when needed.

A fun read but I found there to be a lack of chemistry between Hashimoto and his boss. I was totally shipping Salted Salmon with Hashimoto instead.

Such a fun read!
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy.

This Manga is funny, cute, and well thought of. The main idea of the story so far is simple enough to enjoy it but it still has an interesting development. I like how Hashimoto is not the typical overly shy guy who doesn't take any decisions out of fear, but he's just unaware of what others mean and accepts his faults. He's a direct and sincere character, I like that. I also like the love triangle that it's shown in the story. It's so funny how direct the characters can be and that still creates some misunderstandings.

I like that the love part in the story doesn't seem forced or instantaneous as the main characters are already adults. It's more realistic in that way.

Overall, I love it. I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comica for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a short, sweet and funny manga, where, as the title says, the main character Hashimoto has an online friend he knows through a game they play together. He complains to this friend a lot about his insufferable boss—only to find out, when they meet up irl for the first time, that his online friend is his real-life boss!

Hashimoto is adorably oblivious to how he’s seen by other characters, especially Shirase, but also their other in-game and irl friend Kumada. It made for a lot of misunderstanding, which in turn made me laugh a lot.

Hashimoto and Shirase are adults working together in an office setting, and Kumada is a high school kid, but all in all this manga read very much like YA. There’s no spice whatsoever, and one very chaste kiss you can’t even really see on the page. That being said, it seemed that they were taking their relationship/dating very slowly, and I’d definitely be interested in reading volume 2 of this story to see how the characters and their relationship continue to develop.

Awkwardly endearing.
The story of AAAAA and U.M.A is as lovely and simple as its is hilarious.

From Secret identity to miscommunication trope, all of the basics of this romance brought a hilarious element to the story. As the title speaks, the two coworkers coincidently begin to get along online but the true story begins when they first plan a meet up. From there, the series of awkward, surprising and caring events unfold.

It was 4 star read for me because it felt like the romance was more about realizing their feelings rather than falling for each other. It could also be because as a 1st book in the series it was the preface, an opening of what is to come. I can't wait to read more of AAAAA and U.M.A and see their relationship develop,

This was such a fun and cute manga! I love all the online tendencies of the book. Cant wait for the next.

Such a cute and fluffy read! It does feel like this could be a complete standalone novel in itself so I’m curious to see how the author will expand on the storyline. I really liked each of the characters—they all felt very mature, and I was so relieved to see a BL manga that didn’t feature/romanticize a toxic relationship or MCs. The miscommunication plot lines were about as strong as the conflict got, but there definitely was a lot of (comedic!) miscommunication! This is to say if you’re looking for any *serious* drama, or are averse to comedic miscommunication tropes, this might not be for you. I also felt like the depiction of romantic gestures once they were together definitely wasn’t very strong; I understand that this might be something the author is saving for future explorations of their relationship and I appreciated the wholesome, slower progression to lover that’s so often missing in BL, but this might not be the best for people who enjoy more explicit (for lack of a better word! 😆) romance. The art style was so cute, and overall it was a good slice-of-life BL!