my online friend is my boss
it was a pleasure to read my online friend is my boss. i really like the clean designed and minimalist style. the quiproquo was a fun one! it wasn’t redundant at all. all in all, i recommend this manga if you want a chill, cute and fun read!

A nice story about a guy who has a secret online crush who he becomes close with
He confides him him how much he hates his boss only to realise the person he’s talking to is his boss!

Honestly, I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. The title pretty much sums up the premise of the story but it basically follows the main characters as they play an online game and agree to meet up in real life for the first time, but things become awkward when they realize they actually know each other as boss and employee.

We have Hashimoto, the main male character (the employee) who is quite cheery and extroverted, but kinda dense; Shirase, the second male lead (the boss) who is kinda cold and doesn't realize that his direct and straightforward attitude can come off as harsh but interacting with the mmc warms his personality; and Kumada, a sort of side character, who, after meeting both in real life, misunderstands the nature of their relationship as boss/employee to be romantic and jumpstarts the plot for the rest of the story.

It warms my heart to tell you that this is great to read for anyone looking for a story with a queernormative atmosphere. I really appreciated how normal each male character felt in realizing their attraction towards the other. And it wasn't a question of "am I (morally) right for feeling this way?" but rather, "I need to confess my feelings immediately and know if they feel the same way about me" that had me swooning.

Beyond that, I was really routing for the main couple too. There are entire pages of different scenes that I loved from start to finish that I've gone back to reread a few times.

My only real critic for this story is that the online speak felt kinda cringy at times. For example, "lol" was overused so much it was distracting. But, aside from that, I loved seeing characters gush about their favorite game and structure their downtime to hang out in person or online to chat about it. It felt so cozy and relatable to see the fun, addictive nature of gaming.

And this isn't really a critic, but I think it's important to note that there is an underage character who has romantic feelings towards an adult character, so if the idea of this potential age-gap dynamic makes you uncomfortable, then this story probably isn't for you. But, to be clear, this story does NOT cross any lines or contain any actual problematic content.

Now, with all that said, I came across the one trope I usually hate and actually didn't hate it this time: the miscommunication trope. I don't read much of this trope because I find it absolutely frustrating to read, but that wasn't the case here! I think the miscommuciation was done in a funny and entertaining way that had me covering my mouth from laughing out loud all while flying through the pages. The characters actually spent time together and talk to each other without having to fight out their misunderstandings which I find deeply refreshing to read. And the characters' personalities seemed to really compliment each other well.

Overall, this story was funny, heartwarming, and a very fast-paced read. I finished it in two days and recommend it to anyone who needs something lighthearted and fun.

Okay, but I'm low-key obsessed with this. I read this straight in one sitting.

First off - if you don't like miscommunication tropes, don't read it. Literally everything is a miscommunication. The whole book. HOWEVER I love it in this so so so much.

First of all, all three characters are vastly different and I'm here for it. And Hashimoto being so dense is hilarious every single time. Shirase is also adorable, in completely different ways. I think they compliment each other well, and it's HEALTHY. So freaking cute, I'm dying, I love it. Also mildly amused by the "we've dated a short time let's move in together" gay trope xD. And we shot down the underage kid. Fucking bless. I was so scared that was gonna be a thing and I was like "No please, please don't ruin this" and they didn't and I'm thrilled.

Anyways, I need more. I love this. So fucking wholesome. (Also, as a gamer, I am living for the game friends thing. I've also met my game friends IRL and it's so great. I love when media reflects wholesome and nice stories about games, not just stereotypical ones)

This was my perfect manga. The art is great, the plot is fun, the dialogue is hilarious and so very clever, and these are the kinds of characters you desperately wish could be your real-life friends. Gamer nerds will find this story incredibly relatable. I recently read "The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait" by this author and found it very lacking in characterization and relationship-building, but this manga is the exact opposite. In fact, it took the entirety of the first volume for the main characters to realize they're in some kind of relationship, which was adorable and hysterically funny at times. If this doesn't get an anime, I will riot. It's subtle but sexy. Your heart will pound one second, then the main character does something idiotic again and you just end up laughing along. I'm going to buy it right now and preorder the next volume. Absolutely my new favorite. I can't wait for more!

I loved the concept of this book right from the get-go. I think it's the perfect blend of light-hearted, cute romance. However, as much as I loved it, I would've loved if it were a little more in depth when it comes to the build up of the character's relationship. It feels a little more scattered than I typically like, and made it slightly difficult to connect with characters on an individual level as well as connect with them as duos and pairings in both platonic and romantic ways. Overall, it was a quick read and I think the storyline has so much potential. I'd simply love to see the author dig a little deeper when it comes to showcasing everyone's connections.

A cozy and silly read, the miscommunication made me smile and laugh. It was fun to see the way the virtual world of gaming was incorporated in the manga and the characters were just lovely! Enjoyed my time immensely reading this manga; can't wait for the next volume to see how their relation develops more!! and Kumada was such a cutie!

This manga was such a delightfully fun story. I love romantic stories that involve ongoing awkwardness as a trope. The main character has such golden retriever energy, it made it a delight to read about his experiences with his boss and his online friend group. I also enjoyed the satire and comedy centered around online gaming culture. It was clearly written by a Manga-ka that enjoys online gaming and appreciates that fandom generally.

I don't really have any criticism for this manga. I wish there was another volume ready to read, because every main character in this story is genuinely interesting and relatable in some way if you're a part of online culture. Well done!

Thank you to the author, Kodansha, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review. 4.75/5 stars.

This manga caught my attention on Netgalley. Since I'm a huge fan of Wotakoi, I just had to check it out. Thank you to the publisher for providing this volume as an eARC!

Hashimoto is an average salaryman who struggles a lot at work. His strict boss, Shirase, always criticizes him and demands a lot of overtime. After work he finds a lot of comfort when he logs in to his favorite online game where he can meet his best friend with the username Uma and complain. They get along so well that they organize an offline meet-up and anyone who has read the title will be able to tell that this can only turn out to be very chaotic.

The premise is hilariously fulfilled in that aspect. The comedy thrives with all the different levels of knowledge from the characters. There’s so many misunderstandings! Readers who hate this trope will probably not like this manga, but I enjoyed myself immensely. The developments become so absurdly funny, because all the characters constantly avoid having a straight-forward conversation like their life depended on it.

The focus of this story is less about secret game identity and more about the relationship that blossoms between Hahimoto, Shirase and their third online friend who they also happen to meet at different points in real life. While that does sound more restrained, it does not get boring at all. There are always changes in their friendships, their behavior at work and within the game. Especially when said third friend starts to contribute massively on all the misunderstandings. The romance blossoms very slowly, but it serves for even more comedy potential.

There is not as much emotional depth in this manga as in others, but it’s enough for engaging characters and a highly entertaining read. Another positive aspect is the length of the volume - there’s many pages that provide a lot of reading time! There will be sequels as well, which is something to look forward to.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this manga to fans of nerdy and wacky rom-coms. Only if your tolerance for dense characters is very high, though. It’s a great story for when you just want to laugh out loud!

This miscommunication trope was frustrating and almost went too far but it was still just silly. I wish Kumada wasn’t in high school and was aged up slightly. And that the mmc Hashimoto wasn’t so oblivious to everything but overall a fun read.

I loved the concept of this book. Sadly, the results didn't engage me as much as I had hoped. After reading, I didn't care for either of the characters and felt many online moments distracted me from the main story. This Manhwa is just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

A very sweet and silly read, that had me giggling many times while reading. Love the game characters and how the characters finally met IRL.

I feel that this is a YA read, with too many tropes squeezed into this, but that's what it made so fun to read.

This was a very sweet and easy to read manga. The title pretty much gives the plot away – Hasimoto badmouths his boss to a friend in an online game, not knowing that his friend is actually his boss.

There are multiple misunderstandings, mostly because Hasimoto is ridiculously dense, but they serve to further the plot and character development and are comical rather than angsty.

It was definitely cute and easy brain fluff.

The manga was cute a little drawn out on the oblivious part of the two MC's but altogether I did enjoy the read. Something I can definitely continue in the future as there will be more volumes to it. I can easily see this being turned into an anime and getting hype.

2.5 stars.
Sadly enough not as interesting as I had hoped. Might continue the series if I find a free copy of the next volume, but otherwise... probably won't continue.

cute plot, cute story, funny moments and characters! the main character is so funny with how oblivious he is and how he keeps missing the hints from other people lmao

This was really cute. I’m new to manga so can’t make a comparison but it was entertaining. My only complaint is that it felt like at points is skipped the story and felt a little lost. Def lot on emphasis on online gaming.

Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! (Volume 1) by Nmura is a manga style graphic novel that was originally published in short form online.

Hashimoto is a perfectly average salaryman, working a repetitive office job, made all the worse by his stylish, strait-laced boss, who insists everything be done by the book. Whatever he does for this perfectionist, it's just not good enough! Thankfully, Hashimoto can go home to his favorite online video game, where he can unload on the forgiving shoulders of his best friend, whom he knows only by the name "Uma." The duo make plans to meet in person, but when they do, Hashimoto is horrified by a revelation that will change his entire life.

Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! is a fun and engaging graphic novel. I thought the characters were interesting and I enjoyed the layers of interaction. I thought the artwork was well matched with the story and added many little extra bits of important information. I really enjoyed the story and will be looking forward to the next installment- or looking up the author's online postings to get a head start on reading the next volume.

Super cute BL manga. Giving this a 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A story of just missed chances and misunderstandings, two MMORG players don't realize they actually know each other in real life. The way that their game characters' conversations alter their real-life interactions is super cute. Also Hashimoto is an absolute dork and oblivious, which is cute, but also gives me lots of second-hand embarrassment. Cute read!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley.

This is a sweet, light-hearted BL manga with a Jenga tower style comedy of errors to it. The leads have a lot of chemistry, and while not exact opposite they balance each other well. Hashimoto is painfully oblivious and easygoing, and Shirase is cool and serious and very protective. I loved seeing their interactions and the divide between their work and game personalities. I do wish that the gaming sequences were given more detail as they felt inexpressive, especially for a visual story.

Overall, this was a really cute read that I caught myself smiling while reading it a lot!