I'm super invested! I really like that this is from the perspective of what is normally the antagonist girl, rather than the cheerful happy go lucky protagonist.

Girl Crush is a really lively and stylish manga about two very different Japanese teenagers trying to become K-Pop idols. The subject matter feels very fresh and relevant, and the art does a great job depicting the movement and passion of the dancers. This is a title that I would definitely recommend to schools looking to add modern titles to their manga libraries.

Light hearted, comedic, and a joy! Love getting to see more k-pop and j-pop idol sensations. A fast read and looking forward to the next one!

This was a very intriguing start to a series. As someone who used to be into K-pop a lot, I can see this book pulling in readers who love that genre. I love stories about idols trying to achieve their dreams and characters that have the "it factor" or not. If I had access to more chapters, I would have easily binge-read this. I love the dynamics between the two main girl characters. In places where I thought the main character might be petty or mean, she rises above that, and I can see a genuine friendship beginning between them. The fast pacing of the manga, as well as the dynamic art, makes this a delightful read. I can't wait to read more!

I was unsure when I first started this as it seemed this was going to be the usual love triangle type thing but this was more! I actually really liked the second half of this. I am definitely going to check out volume 2.

Tenka Momose has it all, she can dance, she can sing, and she looks flawlessly perfect, dancing like a pro for the school's dance team. Not like Erian Sato, an upbeat loner who dreams of crossing the channel from Japan and becoming a K-Pop idol, but is sloppy in her execution. So why does Tenka's crush Harumi like Erian? Tenka decides to go with Erian to Korea to steal her audition out of jealousy.

However, since Tenka's always excelled, she doesn't know how to express her heart, something Erian is good at even though she lacks Tenka's inate skill. When they arrive in Korea, neither Tenka's skill, nor Erian's enthusiasm, is enough by itself, and they get shown up in an early audition. However, they're offered a private audition after giving an impromptu performance on the street. Can they make it work somehow?

That about sums up the events of Girl Crush Vol. 1. But it's more the vibe that's interesting. Tenka is a fascinating but unsympathetic protagonist, she goes along with Erian seemingly out of spite, but can't help but be drawn to her. Erian's bubbly and unflinching optimism and drive are so thoroughly in your face, it's hard not to see them as a mask. Girl Crush is setting these girls up to need each other for success, though volume 1 ends before it gets there.

Art wise it has the look of a lot of contemporary web manga, a slightly thicker line than I'm used to seeing in print, but not an unwelcome one. Characters are expressive, but the choice to focus on Tenka, as a seemingly capricious or even cruel protagonist (instead of Erian, who would be the more traditional choice for a shoujo protagonist) may turn off some readers.