Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Nina Kamiyama was once famed pop idol Karen Amamiya until she was attacked by a fan and left the limelight. She has gone into hiding shunning her femininity and dressing as a boy doing her best to put distance between her past, and now traumatized both by what happened to her but also how it was treated.
Not your idol is an interesting exploration of masculinity, femininity, the price of fame, and how dressing like a female is not an invitation to getting raped. Nina struggles with the trauma of her experience while trying to lay low at school, meanwhile fellow student Hikaru starts to become someone she interacts with but knowing the man who attacked her is still on the loose, and looking and jumping at every noise and dark corner Nina may not be ready to move on as she thinks she is.
Not Your Idol is an important story and so far is handling these very tough topics very well, it’ll be worth checking into the next few volumes to see how it carries through.

Not Your Idol is a suspenseful story that considers issues such as masculinity and femininity, gender expectations, the price of fame, and dealing with past trauma. I was immediately caught up in the action and the characters, while the steady pacing kept me always keen to turn the page to see what would happen next. The story is definitely gripping, and when I closed the final page I wished I could read on. I would certainly be interested in picking up volume two to see how the story evolves from here. I also liked the artwork style in this one; it is beautiful and free-flowing. A solid 4.5 stars from me.

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Coinciding neatly with the #metoo movement, this is a surprisingly hard hitting look at masculinity and femininity, objectification, and the price of being an idol/famous/fandom. While some topics covered are universal across cultures (dressing sexy does not mean rape is acceptable) others are very specific to Japan (groping on trains). More importantly, the author doesn't demonize men - women are held accountable for how they objectify men as well. There is a mystery here, one that will take several volumes to solve. I have hope that it won't devolve into melodrama but there are some worrisome hints of ugly catfighting and female jealousy to come.

Story: Nine was once the greatest of the young girl idols - center figure of idol group Cure, Karen Amamiya. But at a fan greet, she was viciously attacked and left physically and emotionally scarred. Now, at a random high school, she has cut off her hair, changed her name, dresses as a boy, and bluntly rebuffs all friendships and contact, especially from the boys. Judo star Hikaru, however, comes to her with understanding: his sister was sexually assaulted in school and so he treads lightly around her. But he also recognizes her as the former pop idol - which shouldn't be a bad thing until the unidentified man who assaulted her (and was never caught) suddenly finds her new identity and begins to send threats. Worse, the assailant has a lot in common with Hikaru......

There are some very interesting points made or opened for discussion. One chapter brought up the subject of the new womens-only cars in Tokyo trains. Many women were bullied into believing that only the ugly fear being groped - and therefore using the car means calling all men bad and being ugly inside and out. This leads to a schoolmate of our protagonist choosing to be groped daily rather than bear the stigma of riding in the female-only car. As well, those who accuse a man of groping face ridicule and are called liars, attention seekers, and man-haters.

Another theme of the book is the price of fame in terms of fans. It is explained that some fans want to physically hurt their idol in order to 'become closer to them' by creating a unique bond. This segues into the possibility of the idol being killed by an obsessive fan who decides he doesn't want to share the idol with the public. As well, the perfect idol is described as a machine - doesn't date, always treats the crowd (and her/him self) like a robot in order to inure themselves against the passion of their fans. But the idol is also a commodity and in this book, her manager and agency are willing to do some underhanded things to get her to return to the idol group. It is a sad commentary that the negatives in fame are still prevalent - even after the Princess Diana death due to the paparazzi chase.

Perhaps the ugliest aspect is the psychological warfare of the female characters in the book. Nina's schoolmates are vicious when they want to be and connive to destroy anything that could harm their power or influence. It's perhaps the saddest aspect of the book but I also feel the shallowest. In a series with so many themes, I couldn't help but feel that this storyline was just a bit too much and not really necessary.

To keep readers invested, the plot has a central arc of Nina falling for kind Hikaru but not being sure if he is/is not the person who originally assaulted her. This first volume cleverly gives away who the assaulter is in a throw away scene but it will still be interesting to see the bigger picture of how it unfolds.

The artwork skews a bit young - most of the characters are very round faced for high school students and would fit neatly into an elementary school drama. For that reason, it juxtaposes rather oddly with the very serious themes brought up in the book.

For all the heavy hitting aspect of the story, it is very readable and I think most will especially want to find out the identity of Nina's attacker. I am curious what other relevant socio-harmful topics the author will weave into future chapters. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the free copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

As a survivor of sexual abuse, this sort of story is very important to me. It has to be handled correctly and so far it feels like the manga is doing just that. The way the topic is discussed both through the dialogue and the visuals makes me feel like it's going in the right direction. I've already decided I'll be buying this when it comes out and will be looking for the next volumes in the future.

Usually I do my criticisms first, but there isn't anything I can think of to be critical of. I was initially concerned about the "dresses as a boy" storyline, since that's done a lot, but it's handled well and Nina's reasons for doing it make sense for what she's been through. The way the other characters react to it and her feels realistic. I don't know much about Japanese culture but the judgment others place on her resonated with me. I was also a little wary of the hints at romance, but so far it feels like that's being paced well. Nina's trauma is still very much present in her mind; her wariness of Hikaru and doubts about him are done well and-- at least from my perspective-- are never played up as her being too sensitive or cold or whatever.

On a technical level, the art style is lovely. The shading and angles, the expressions are all done well. Another reason I want to pick this up when it's out is so I can read it without the watermarks. It wasn't distracting but some of the dialogue was hard to read because of the marks.

There's an uncomfortable atmosphere throughout the volume, especially in the ways men talk about and objectify women. But I like it's not completely one-sided-- there are certainly moments when girls are objectifying men and deeming them "ugly" or not because of their body shapes. It often reads like the manga is just holding up a mirror to how society thinks. There's also foreboding in the air since Nina's attacker is still out there and unidentified.

My only regret is that this doesn't even come out until May, so I have a long wait before I can read what happens next. I do think this manga is going in the right direction, though. It's a topic that needs more exposure and I hope this brings more awareness to anyone who reads it.

Advance reader copy provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings for this book: Sexual assault, physical assault

This has got to be THE BEST, if not one of the best manga I have ever read. I am really happy that I got an ARC of this but I am also so sad because it will mean that I will have to wait for even longer to read the second volume... I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

This manga follows an ex-female idol, Nina, who left the industry after she was physically assaulted at a fan event. The perpetrator escaped and has yet to be caught. She has a new identity and looks completely different to how she was previously. This manga follows her journey into adjusting into normal life but her past won't stay away.

The story is so good. Not only does it provide really interesting social commentary on sexual assault, the plot has elements of both a romantic shojo manga and a thriller story. Nina doesn't know who she can trust but she follows her heart and it's so cute but also really scary if her judgement is incorrect.

I would highly recommend this manga because of gripping combination of a romantic shojo manga and a thriller/mystery. I read it within 9 hours and I was asleep for most of the time. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. I had to know what happened next, and now I can wait to see what will happen next in this series!

Wow! That's really all I have to say about this one.

I was fascinated by the premise because of her wanting to give up her femininity which I only assumed was to feel safer after being attacked. There is definitely a lot of talk about young women getting groped, raped, and being seen as an idol for anyone to stare at. It's the harsh reality that many women, young or old, face each day.

I loved Nina as a character and how brave she was. She had her days where it was all too much but she stuck up for those who wouldn't or couldn't on their own.

This  manga definitely struck a chord in me and had me tearing up a few times. I've had unwarranted touching before and the scenes about public transportation had me remembering the days of being cat called and also being called rude names when I didn't respond. These tough topics are talked about in, I think, a good way and use the language we hear about it, good and bad. It makes you think.

The only bad part (it's not really bad) is that it ended on such a cliffhanger! I will be dying for the next book because the plot is intriguing and it was hard to put down even when I got tired because it was past my bedtime.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it.