Thank you to Viz Media and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review.

Warning: Includes topics of sexual assault and gender discrimination. Reader discretion advised.

I'm ambivalent about this first volume of "Not Your Idol." I don't dislike it but I don't necessarily like it.

Most of the characters in this story I either strongly dislike as a character or disagree with their point of view on what's happening within the story. However, the story's biggest strength is the variety of opinions (the good, the bad, and everything in between) on the important issues of sexual assault and gender discrimination. This I think brings an apt realism.

The art was good, one of my favorite art styles in manga. A few transitions between scenes or past/present were jarring. But each time I was able to reorient myself within the story.

The ending was great, leaving off on an emotional high. But I think I would have to read volume 2 to really know if I want to continue this series.

*ARC provided by VIZ Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 3/5 stars

Content Warnings: assault, sexual assault

Not Your Idol, Vol.1 by Aoi Makino is a graphic novel based on a young girl who at one time was part of, essentially, a girl band. Something happens at a fan event that causes her to quit the band, change her name, and move schools to where she’s anonymous.

I enjoyed the story for the most part. There were times when the flashbacks or story transitions were somewhat confusing, but it could have just been because the version I read didn’t have the completed artwork and polished edges.

I am curious how the story will continue so I might continue with it if I come across new volumes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy for my honest review.

I was intrigued initially by the story's concept, a teenage idol attacked by a fan who then removes her from her former life. As she assumes a new name and dresses like a boy to draw little attention her way, one boy starts to break through her walls, but he may have his own dark secrets.

This was a little tough to read, the dialogue seemed a bit disjointed at first. It definitely took some getting used to. The story was a little hard at points based on some of the language which objectified the female characters quite a bit. It was harsh in some ways, yet it is not entirely untrue of how some men act towards women.

I will say that I felt almost confused by the ending. Karen had gone through so much pain and yet when she learns Hikaru's secret she seems perfectly OK with it. That just doesn't seem realistic. I don't think there was enough plot development to show how she could possibly be OK with this.

All in all, the first volume of Not Your Idol was interesting, but not fully developed in my opinion.

<b>2 stars</b>

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I was really interested to see how this story would unfold; the idea was there but I personally didn't like how it was executed. I found the story didn't progress smoothly, it felt quite disjointed like it was jumping to different scenes too quickly and I was getting easily confused about what the point of the story was at times. I also really didn't like all the female bashing "asking for it" trope. There was too much of that, obviously to highlight the issue the book it targeting but it was overdone for me. This could have been approached better in my opinion.

This is the first Manga that I've read in a very long time (probably around 10 years) but it was a fantastic entry point back into that genre! It looks at a lot of issues such as feminism and masculinity in such a brilliant way - I never felt that it was too heavy at any point but it also didn't take it lightly. This is actually more of a 4.5 stars but I did feel in some places that it wasn't cohesive and I struggled for a few panels tom understand what was going on but other than that, it was a fantastic read. It does contain abuse from fan (SPOILER: he cuts her arm with a knife) but the actual scene is shown once and mentioned a few times if that could be an issue for you. I also really liked how it had 2 separate perspectives on the whole groping situation and although it's frustrating to listen to what i thought was a ridiculous excuse for the groping, it was so great to also have it included.
This is a fantastic, suspenseful manga and I can't wait for the second volume to come out!

The story was shorter than I expected as I normally read novels but the story was great. I love the artwork.

Not Your Idol was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a manga with some drama, but this story arc starts off strong exploring many thought provoking problems many people,especially women, face today.
Can’t wait to continue the series! Some trigger warning, the series touches on subjects like sexual and physical assault, depression, objectification of women, and the dark side of fame. I would like to see how the author continues to handle these topics.

Thank You to VIZ Media and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I was the target audience for this manga and I won't be carrying on with the series, but the book did have some interesting topics included which was appreciated. There should be a trigger warning for sexual assault and at times I felt this was not dealt with in an appropriate manner, however nearer the end of the book it did approach the subject in a better way. It was hard to determine as a reader whether I was not enjoying the book because of some of the things the characters said, or if I was simply not liking the characters being introduced. Overall it was an okay read and I'm sure some people will definitely enjoy the storyline.

This novel bewitched me heart and soul.

I received a digital copy of this manga from NetGalley (THANK YOU!). I wish that this was not an eARC, because I need volume 2/the rest of the series ASAP. The premise grabbed me from the beginning; I wanted to know Karen/Kamiyama's story and how she is connected to Hikaru. If you're a fan of <u> SkipBeat! </u> you will fall in love with this one. Even the art is on point. The only element of this novel that I am not absolutely besotted with is the cover, but everything else more than makes up for that. I would consider buying this series to add to my collection.

Thank you Netgally and the author for the free review copy

This manga is pretty dark. It uses the word "pedophile" as a joke which I didn't think was in great taste.

I'm not sure if this was originally written in japanese and then translated into english but I found it didn't "flow well".

I would peg this for more of a older teen/young adult read. Personally I wouldn't let a younger teen read it but that's just my opinion.

The art style is clean, typical manga style. There is a name stamp on every page which I found to be extremely distracting.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy!

Well, this book was the opposite of a ray of sunshine. Not that I was expecting a light read when I read the description -- this is a manga about a girl who stops being a pop idol because she was assaulted by a fan -- but this is definitely grim. Lots of talks of assault, me-too like situations and talk, girls being told they can't do things because of a pervert on the loose, and more. It definitely weighed on me, especially when so many characters in the book shrugged it off, made excuses, or "not all men"d it.

Like I said, not a light read.

That's not to say it's bad. It does seem like it's trying to shed light on important topics, and the story is interesting. The art is up to the usual standard I expect from manga.

However, it's too dark for me. I don't want to read something fictional and feel worse afterwards, and this was definitely a bummer. I'm a bit curious as to where it goes from here, but I probably won't pick up another volume, as, again, the level of bleakness isn't my thing. But if you're into darker manga that does focus on real-world problems, you may enjoy this.

Interesting! I can see Not Your Idol becoming a new favorite series. The story was great. I'm going to need another 200 more chapters ASAP!

I think this is a very honest look at gender and how gender is perceived. We have a main protagonist who now does not want to present herself as female because of an assault. We are faced with blatant misogyny and how this protagonist faces these comments as well as the internalized misogyny within herself.

I admit, I wasn't sure how I would like this book when I first started-I'm not much of a girly girl and the whole miniskirt thing at the beginning didn't exactly pull me in. That said, I was wrong. I really enjoyed this manga.
I feel like the topics were tactfully but honestly presented in a manner that feels quite realistic. I didn't feel like the characters were doing things for the convenience of the story or that reactions were over or under-dramatized. The art was lovely and did a fabulous job of displaying the emotions and thoughts each character was experiencing throughout the story, and the manga-ka did a great job of ensuring that each character looked like themselves (I'm sure we've all come across stories where each character feels the same or every attractive person looks the same except for their hair/eye color). The relationships feel well-paced so far and I look forward to seeing what comes next for Nina and Hikaru.

Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the digital copy of this manga. My opinion in this review was not affected by receiving a free copy.

This was one of the best manga I've read! The story and art are top quality, but what I really love is the issues that it deals with. In today's society more than ever we are dealing with the issues of assault of all kinds against women. A story centered around this paired with being focused on an idol makes it even more interesting and important. This story shows the dangers of being an idol as well as being a woman in today's society, having to worry about such things that are extremely relevant to today. Not only is the story and art great, but the topics that it deals with is so important for continuing the discussion and fighting of sexism and misogyny.

I’m out of habit for reading manga, but I was intrigued by the summary of this one. The art style is clean and the story has a lot going for it. The plot is shaping up to start really exploring the ideas of fame, recovery from trauma, gender identity, and how that all interacts with the development of relationships (platonic or otherwise). It left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, which didn’t really surprise me, and I’m excited to see what happens in volume 2.

I absolutely loved everything about this first volume, from the authenticity of the theme to the lovely artwork suiting the story so well, to the great pace, to that cliffhanger . . . Oh, I have such a thing for twists!

By addressing complex subjects and important issues, Not Your Idol is a compelling new psychological suspense that makes you turn the pages quite eagerly. Nina might have shunned down her femininity, but that certainly doesn’t make her forget what happened to her. She keeps struggling with the traumatic event that made her start dressing as a boy, and it proves to be even harder when physical and sexual assaults become a daily topic. The reality of the subject surely touches the reader, and the various reactions let you perceive everything in an even more realistic way. In fact, they are exactly what you (sadly) would hear around—some of them seriously make you want to punch people in the face, badly.

Provoking, realistic, and suspenseful. Lovers of thoughtful reads that keep them at the edge of their seats should strongly consider trying this manga. I can’t wait to read more and I totally need this on my physical shelf!

Note: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a captivating first volume. Ex-idol, Nina, begins to dress as a boy after a fan assaults her, and she quits the entertainment business to attend high school. While there is plenty of focus and attention on sexual assault, Nina's assault is not sexual in nature, though still nothing to dismiss. When Nina finally starts to open up about her past, those close to her start to question if he can be trusted.

This first volume puts a lot of focus on the sexual assault, and I applaud the main character shouting from the rooftops that women don't wear short skirts for men. This ends on quite the cliff hanger, and I'll be eagerly waiting for it to be released.

Not Your Idol follows Nina Kamiyama, a former idol, who quits the public life after being assaulted by a fan at an event. She cuts her hair, dresses like a boy and generally withdraws from social interaction as a result of her PTSD from the assault. Nina comes out of her shell a bit more as she gets to know her classmate Hikaru, but her trauma prevents her from opening up until the end of volume 1.

This is an excellent critique of both idol culture and sexism in Japan. Nina reacts not only to her personal assault but also to the way her male and female classmates talk about gender relations in off-handed ways. The first volume doesn't dive much further into critique but I do hope that further volumes see Nina and Hikaru's relationship being interrogated as well as the idol culture that Nina both pulls away from and maybe would like to return too.

If you are interested in complex characters and relationships, Not Your Idol is definitely the manga for you.

This goes into jpop idol culture, feminism, sexism, harassment, and stalking. And I was emotional just reading it, this is an impactful manga and I cannot wait until the second volume eventually comes out. I would go as far to say that any manga fans who can handle these topics and are into the suspenseful genre, this is a necessary read.