Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this!

This manga is adorable and everything I wanted it to be. A lighthearted and fun romance and I can't wait for the next volume! I know the plot will thicken but this is a promising start.

A very light gaming centered romance. If you are a fan of manga or manhwa centered around in-game interactions between characters with cute avatars you'll probably like this. This is a very slow burn. This volume mostly focuses on the two main characters getting to know each other better and realizing they may have judged the other too harshly. There are some romantic elements, but it is very tame. The one kiss we do get is actually censored. This series is currently ongoing, with 3 volumes out in Japan. If you enjoy office romance, gaming romance, misunderstandings, boss/employee dynamics you will like this. And it is pretty wholesome.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As the title suggests, this is a super cute and fun romance between a man and his boss who discover that they also know one another through an online game. I thought that this concept was really creative yet realistic. I really enjoyed jumping between the two of them in-game and in real life. It was a really funny scenario, especially when they were first figuring it out. I also enjoyed the addition of another online friend who has a crush on our main character as well. The miscommunication that came from that was very funny. I think my only issue would be regarding the pacing of the relationship. I didn't expect things to develop as fast as they did, especially when it seemed like their work relationship was quite negative. It would have been more fun if it took longer for them to discover their identities, as well as taking time to go from the work relationship to friends to lovers.

With that being said, I quite enjoyed this first volume. I found this story to be charming and cute and I'm excited to continue the rest of the story!

This was so silly and sweet! Hashimoto was so oblivious but in such an endearing way! Shirase was the typical cool and serious type. The sort of "enemies" to friends to lovers trope in the manga was something that drew me in. The story went by quick, but it didn't necessarily feel rushed. The side characters also brought a lot to the story as well but didn't overtake the story. Overall, very cute!

This delightful and charming BL book is a joy to read. Its appeal spans a wide range of BL enthusiasts across different age groups. While it works beautifully as a standalone story, the author has expanded the series, much to the delight of fans. The artwork is visually pleasing, and the plot is well-paced, ensuring an engaging read from start to finish.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This was an adorable manga but honestly very choppy in plot. I do also wish there were more volumes to flush the characters out. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3 out of 5 stars

A really cute story mixing the game world and real world together between a zero awareness main character and his boss.

I love the premise of this story but I also understand that it’s difficult to execute. Hashimoto is an office worker who struggles under his demon boss, Shirase. His only escape is the online game with his online friends, but when they plan a real life meetup things start mixing up!

The story can get confusing. There isn’t enough character and relationship building done through the game play, so when they meet up in real life it feels awkward and disconnected. This is true for later on in the story as well, when they should be more comfortable and natural around each other. The manga doesn’t do a good job in building their relationships through meaningful interactions.

The manga tends to be jumpy. It switches to past events quite suddenly and the smooth transition between the online game and real life interactions are missing. There are also quite a few time skips that sometimes cut off events awkwardly instead of using them to build on the characters and their relationships.

Hashimoto is a character who misunderstands a lot but he’s also the one who tells Shirase to become kinder. I think Hashimoto’s misunderstanding is what kept this manga going and interesting. He really has a creative way of looking at things. Also, I wanted to like Hashimoto and Shirase’s dynamics because there are some places that are really enjoyable and sweet, however the story doesn’t do justice with depicting their relationship and their feelings. It feels very vague and erratic.

The artwork is quite lovely. It’s crisp, clear and descriptive. There are a lot of descriptive backgrounds and iconographic panels used throughout. I also like the characters’ designs as they weren’t the typical office look but much cooler and relaxed. Unfortunately there aren’t many characters in this story, it’s just the main three but it works since the story isn’t complex.

Overall I enjoyed reading this manga but I would have loved it more if we could witness their relationship growing, instead of little pockets of events all over the place. Although this is volume one, it feels pretty complete with no noticeable subplots to be continued in this next volume. I am curious to know what volume two will entail.

Quite a long title, but also quite a great addition to the BL manga genre. As someone who reads A LOT of BL manga, some are obviously better than others, and I would genuinely lump this one in with the best of them. It features a lot of fun tropes, the leading couple is absolutely adorable, and it has lots of antics and comic relief sprinkled throughout that I genuinely found funny. So yeah, if you are big into the genre, I really recommend it. And, the sequel is dropping soon, and I will be absolutely grasping for it when that time comes.

This is a really fun, cute BL book. This will appeal to lots of BL readers of different ages. This does work as a one shot, but apparently the author has continued this series. The art looks good and the plot is well paced.

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.)

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.