A Mouthful of a Title for a Middling Romance
Story & Art by Mito Aoi
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Original Magazine: Palcy
English Release Date: March 1, 2022
I’ve been starting to notice a new trend in the realm of romance manga in recent years. Specifically, the fact that romantic leads are building their relationships on a mutual bond, rather than being two people connected by fate or polar opposites who find themselves eventually forced to develop chemistry. Series like Wotakoi and the recent hit My Dress Up Darling have done so through the realm of otaku culture and more niche hobbies like cosplay. It's through these shared passions that a more natural flowing romance forms, making them popular amongst readers, and it is that same approach that Having an Idol-Loving Boyfriend is the Best! attempts to take.
Our duo of potential lovers this time around are Akira Tachibana and her stand-offish coworker Onda-san, who became fast friends through their mutual love of idol culture. It is through this intense idol fever that leads to Onda’s surprising confession to Tachibana, as she is the only woman he’s been able to personally connect with, and thus cute shenanigans ensue as they go on various idol themed dates and the shoujo situations that follow.
Now while we do get some of those scenarios, Idol-Loving Boyfriend never really grabbed me on the same level as those other hobby-centric romances tend to. Admittedly I’m not super into the idol scene, as all I really know about them is the more jaded perception of idols being manufactured celebrities made to be marketable icons and celebrities. It is a similar vein to people who obsess with major Hollywood stars or musicians, except people go to specific meet and greets or promotional events as if their idol was their god and the one thing that keeps them going in life. Just writing that makes me realize why I can’t seemingly get into idol culture, and most anime and manga I have been able to really highlight what makes idols really special.
Series like My Dress-Up Darling highlight the hobby, or in that series case hobbies, by providing in depth insight into the inner workings of it. The mangaka do a great deal of research and study, and create a believable window into entire subcultures. Locales inspired by real specialty stores are used as backdrops or have our protagonists show off their skills that relate to the hobby. Their is tangible understanding of the effort that goes into being in the community that forms around these pastimes, and it acts as a fun motivator to keep the reader interested that the author puts in to balance all the romcom shenanigans.
Idol-Loving Boyfriend tries to give some insight by showing different idol themed events at restaurants or businesses that are the focus of the dates, but there isn’t any real exploration of what being a fan is like. Even when we get inklings of what it is like, the story still relies on this vague understanding of why such obsessive devotion is supposed to be fun because just seeing your favorite idol's face is keeping you alive. I will give Aoi credit for creating a believable reason for Akira becoming a fan of her idol, as she tells how Fuji-Kun played her favorite character in a stage play, showing a much more grounded reason than the usual tropes. Instead, those tropes are saved for her boyfriend's backstory, as his interaction with his favorite idol, Kiwa-kun, is literally called out as a shoujo manga heroine scenario. It’s admittedly a funny moment, but it's presented as this serious moment for Onda that I just couldn’t take seriously because it was presented as a trope.
Now as for our leads themselves, this is where another core issue comes up, as I feel like they don’t have that strong of romantic chemistry. Granted this volume shows the awkward stage of their relationship, as they are still trying to figure things out, but what is presented just doesn’t get me excited like other romance stories. Even in a more lax story like Wotakoi, that has a similar scenario of characters trying to date based on shared interest, there is still a believable bond that is built between the leads. They have a bond based on the time they’ve shared together, which in turn makes the idea of them getting together more natural. This means the protagonists are able to share their mutual interests and deliver a fun dynamic, and when big steps in the characters' relationship actually happen, they have the kind of impact a romance story needs.
The problem here is that Akira and Onda never really seem to hang out outside of idol activities in the volume, with the exception when they are both at work, and are usually just talking about how their respective idols are the best. When Onda suggests the relationship, Tachibana almost dismisses it until she thinks about the feelings of moe she has towards Onda’s “blushing maiden” demeanor when he talks about Kiwa.
The entire relationship is based on a tropey concept like moe that is supposed to build into a legitimate attraction. That alone feels like a major reason why this relationship wouldn’t work, and the events that follow show that they don’t even take the time to personally learn about one another. The only event that could debatably build the relationship, when Akira tries to avoid going to a Fuji-kun event that's the same day as Onda’s birthday, is still presented where the idol comes first over this new relationship.
Unfortunately, Idol-Loving Boyfriend just didn’t do enough for me to want to see what volume 2 would potentially present. While it is true that the relationship could find its legs with more personal development for the couple, as it stands now the only real thing it brings to the table is cute designs and a whole lot of shoujo tropes. I love shoujo manga, but I know that manga in this demographic are able to tell more interesting romantic plots, whether they’re melodramatic or more laid back. I can only recommend this series to those who love their idols, or if you're willing to just experience some cute artwork as a form of escape.