In another spin on the "girl-meets-idol" trope, Tamon's B-Side puts forth the following premise: Heroine's favorite idol is actually a mess whose off-duty demeanor is that of a black hole. Instead of just trying to cheer him up or appeal to his off-duty demeanor, she sells him on the concept that is idol-as-he-is-worshipped. It's absurdity all around, and it had its moments that made me chuckle. Do I want to read volume 2? Not really. Perhaps there are more in-jokes that I didn't understand.

I NEED MORE RIGHT NOW! This was so good and I want more already... PLEASE AUTHOR PLEASE!!!! Also like who doesn't love this cover? so stinkin cute.

A very cute start to what I am going to say is going to become my next favorite shojo series. It reminds me of "Star Crossed", in the the male lead is a pop-star, but everything after that is totally different but equally amazing

When Kinoshita meets her idol in an unexpected situation, she discovers that his outgoing persona hides a huge imposter syndrome. Can she help Tamon find balance in his life?

I have read other books by Yuki Shiwasu who had similar split personalities in the hero. I'm not sure that I enjoy Tamon's B-side as presented in volume 1, but the concept is interesting. Kinoshita is a well developed character who is not a typical fangirl. I will reserve judgement until I read further into the series.

This is a cute little romance from the creator of Takane and Hana, which is a series I love but creeps people out because of the age difference. Well, this one, the two leads are only a year apart, so this will be a good one to get into school libraries! In this story, Utage gets a job as the housekeeper for her favorite idol singer, but at home he is vastly different than he is on stage. She takes it as her duty for her job but also as his fan to help make him the best version of himself. This means helping him with the cleaning, but also making sure he has nutritious foods, and helping him shop for clothing. It doesn’t go so far as co-dependence, so that’s good to see, but she does help nurture him out of his deep, dark and twisty places in a healthy way.

Given the premise, I wasn't expecting this title to be as sweet as it was. We've got fan who works a day job as a house keeper and she gets a look at her fave idol's home life. Turns out, he's an anxious mess of a man who puts on a peppy work persona. The premise works because Uta uses her powers of staning. positively. by pointing out his good qualities to help Tamon build some confidence in himself outside of work. It's way more charming than it could have been. This is a cute idol- flavored love story.

Church of Tamon unite!

Utage is a highschooler that lives the delusional lifestyle for a boy group called F/ACE. In order to maintain her fangirl funds, she works a part-time gig as a housekeeper. Well, what happens when her new client is THE Tamon and her ultimate Bias? Like any other fan, she freaks out! But as it turns out, behind-the-scenes Tamon is FAR different from his boygroup persona. What Utage soon finds out is that her favorite, flirtacious idol, is actually a home-body that only owns one outfit! And it's sweatpants!

As Tamon and Utage grow closer, she learns how to navigate being an ultimate fan of his, while also encouraging him through his social anxiety. As we see the two grow closer, we watch their relationship transform quickly before our eyes. Funny, relatable, and entertaining, this first volume was 4.5 stars for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Viz for a copy of this arc in exchange for my review.

Utage works as a housekeeper to save up money to spend on her favorite idol, Tamon. When she's asked to fill in for her sick coworker, she discovers her new client is Tamon and she learns that when he's not in his stage persona, he deals with anxiety and depression. Utage is determined to support Tamon no matter what and helps him navigate various situations. Utage's mostly calm approach is a good balance for when Tamon's view of himself leans towards negative and rather than trying to fix him, she focuses on being there for him. Overall, a cute start to a romance series featuring a fan and her favorite idol. The many references to idol culture will be amusing to fans.

What happens when you discover that your favorite idol is just a person? If you're Utage, you devote yourself to helping him manage his crippling anxiety and depression so that it's easier for him to turn "on." The story tries to strike a balance between the silly and the serious, and it mostly succeeds - Utage's intense fangirling doesn't blind her to Tamon's reality, and he really needs someone to know both sides of him, especially since his idea of "going out in disguise" is to put an actual paper bag over his head. That, and the fact that he thinks of his idol persona as a creepy sexual predator because of the slimy lines he spouts, both made me laugh out loud, but the greatest strength of this volume is the way that it shows that idols and fangirls are really just <i>people</i>. The usage of Tamon's depression for humor doesn't thrill me, but this is definitely worth picking up for fans of <i>Phantom of the Idol</i> and <i>My Special One</i>.

3.5/5

Ramon’s B-Side follows one of Tamon’s biggest fans, a 17 year old named Utage. For 2 years Utage has followed everything that Tamon has done. But being the ultimate fan can get expensive so she has a job as a housekeeper. When one of her coworkers calls in sick, Utage is sent to a mysterious client who happens to look like Tamon? Except that his personality is nothing like the idol she knows.

I’ve never read or watched Takane to Hana so I don’t have any previous experience with Yuki Shiwasu’s work. Although I must say that I’m happy that this manga’s age difference is just one year.

I personally like the art style of Shiwasu. I liked the duality of Tamon’s character but his over-dramatic self-loathing started to get kind of annoying to me. But that’s the plot so I understand why it’s so over the top. Utage is surprisingly level-headed so I’m interested to see more of her backstory.

Overall a decent new manga if you like idol-fan trope, dual personality trope, or secret relationship trope. I’m personally hoping the over-the-top personalities will grow on me. I hope the romance picks up a bit more in the second volume. Until then, can’t wait!