This was even more hilarious than I thought it was going to be. The male lead is head over heels for his older coworker and I am here for it. Can't wait for the next volume to see how these two progress.

This was so absurd it had me cackling. Hiwatari has a crush on his boss, Takanashi, who turns out is struggling with impotency. Hijinks ensue after a computer mishap at work, and the illusions in this are incredibly funny. I look forward to reading the next volume of this comedic BL. Thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé, Vol. 1 kicks off with a strong visual identity and a dynamic that’s ripe with tension. This series blends sharp banter, fashion-forward aesthetics, and a mentor-protégé relationship that teeters between playful and emotionally charged.

In a twist on expectations, it's actually the "zaddy" character who is more friendly while the protégé is aloof. While he can’t seem to fully explain his own reactions—especially the more intimate or confusing ones—toward his younger protégé, he frequently shows care and tenderness that almost crosses into romantic territory. There’s a push-pull here that’s intriguing, but also occasionally hard to pin down emotionally.

One issue that pulled me out of the story a bit was the subplot involving the zaddy’s ED (erectile dysfunction). It’s played for awkward humor and character development, but I honestly hope it doesn’t linger throughout future volumes—it’s already wearing thin, and I’m not sure it adds much beyond surface-level jokes.

The bigger reason I dropped this to a 3-star rating is a storyline choice that made me uncomfortable: it’s revealed that the protégé has known the zaddy since childhood and has harbored a crush on him for years. While the zaddy hasn't explicitly returned those feelings or expressed discomfort, that kind of dynamic—where one character knew the other as a child and becomes their romantic interest later—has always felt off to me. It introduces a power imbalance and familiarity that complicates the romance in a way that feels unnecessary and distracts from the otherwise promising emotional beats.

On a brighter note, the artwork is top-tier. The character designs are stunning—clean lines, expressive faces, and perfectly styled outfits that really bring the fashion-forward vibe to life. The contrast between the zaddy’s reserved coolness and the protégé’s bold presence is beautifully done through body language and panel composition. Visually, it’s sleek, modern, and hard to look away from.

Overall, this was a fun and stylish start with some strong elements, but certain narrative choices gave me pause. I’ll keep an eye on how the story develops, but I’m hoping future volumes steer away from those questionable dynamics and lean more into the emotional and character-driven potential that’s already there.

I loved everything about this manga from the artwork to the mutual pinning they have. Work settings are always nice but that doesn’t lead to anything outside work obstacles. I don’t really like the miscommunication trope, but “curing” the ml is something I’m willing to read more about.

There isn't much happening in this volume yet so there isn't much I can say :(
the way one of the mmcs is oblivious is kinda cute 🤧 i want to know what happens next because that last panel???😳😳🫣🫣 yesss!!! that is actually what I want🫣🤣🫣

the side story is so helpful to understand how this possessiveness started 🫣🫣

4.5⭐️

I really liked this! It was cute and a lot more funny than I expected. Very excited to see how the story and the ranch will progress.

Really enjoyed the art style and our characters. I will absolutely read volume 2!

This first volume is a delightful start to what I expect will be a fun series. It's a little over the top ridiculous at times, but it made me laugh out loud multiple times. Both characters are quite loveable -- it's easy to root for the two of them to get together, with feelings already sparking in this first volume. In terms of the visuals, the art style is very pretty, and the lettering, speech bubbles, panel layouts, and sound effects are very clear and easy to read.

Thank you to netGalley and Kondansha for the eARC!

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protege was a fun read for a BL manga, with mid adult aged men navigating their issues and setting up their future relationship. I really thought the pacing and the story was fun and compelling, not taking itself too seriously, but also making the characters likable, relatable, and more human. The main downside I think is the localized title name, I think zaddy is already a worn and aged slang term, and it will not age well in the long run. But also, the original title called the older man a monster so maybe the cringe name is just part of the charm,

This first volume was a blast! It was the perfect combination of humor, potential romance, and engaging characters. I really appreciate the way that our 40 year-old lead was treated and represented on the page. I also appreciate that his budding relationship with his younger co-worker represented open communication even in "awkward" situations. I look forward to the next volume and seeing their relationship progress.

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé is an office romance. The main character, Makoto Takanashi, is very good at his job, so people are often jealous of him. He seems perfect at the first glance, but he’s struggling with erectile dysfunction.

Ren Hiwatari works at the same company, and he’s in love with Takanashi, and he wants to help him with his little problem.

This manga is really funny. I’m rating it 3* because plot wise not much has happened so far, but I really want to read the next volume.

You’ll definitely like this, if you enjoy hilarious stories or age gap romances.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a very cute BL. I really enjoyed that the story wasn’t rushed (so nothing serious happened in the first volume), and I loved how flustered these boys get over eachother. The age gap trope was also done very well. I can’t wait to read the next volume.

Thank you NetGalley & Kodansha for a free digital copy of this manga in exchange my for honest review.

I read this via Net Galley

Volume 1 of The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé probably isn't a 5 star read, but I'm bias and enjoyed it enough to still give it 5 stars.

This is a comedic office romance featuring Makoto Takanashi (40) and his subordinate Ren Hiwatari (26). Takanashi is handsome, popular, and top salesperson at work but he has a secret... he's been dealing with erectile dysfunction for about a year. Meanwhile, Hiwatari is a hard worker but has resting bitch face which scares his coworkers. He's also got a huge crush on his team leader Takanashi. Through a series of silly moments, these two men grow closer and get to see another side of one another.

Somehow their relationship feels like it's moving fast but also slow, which I think works given it's a comedy. There are shirtless/naked scenes and a bit of suggestive moments but no "spice"

I mention some spoilers in my goodreads review.

I thought this was cute. I’m excited to see the next issue. It cut off at such an important part! Also the art is good and it was pretty funny

Thanks a lot for the ARC for the first volume of this series!

I've previously read Yutori Has His Eye on His Boss' Body from Fumito (available on Bookwalker, INKR etc.) before and I remember making a mental note on their gorgeous character designs and upbeat tone. Also, I can never say no to the younger top x older bottom dynamic. It's just not in my genes.

The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protege delivered a much better experience! The art is more refined, the comedy is ramped up, the premise is great and it's never at the cost of its characters. Very sincere, fun and simply perfect volume! Cannot stress enough how excited I am for the continuation, thank you for licensing this series!

A light hearted BL about an older man with ED and his younger work subordinate who’s in love with him!

Enjoyed this thoroughly and can’t wait for vol 2!

Thank you Kodansha and Netgalley for my ARC of this!

This was a funny book, I think there was some good humor in it and the characters had a good dynamic. I just couldn't get into the story all that much, it might be because there are more volumes to it so the pacing was slightly off but I did think the main duo had a funny and interesting dynamic that could lead to a really good relationship.

This was silly and fun! Not a whole lot happened though. This is very obviously a part 1 setting up for future parts of the story, so for that I'm a little disappointed. There's a lot of obliviousness and misunderstandings happening, but things got resolved rather quickly. Looking forward to seeing how things progress in the next installment, as the end of this one has left me hopeful for what's to com

I freakin loved the first one and i am also thinking about getting the others too because their chemistry is STUNNING!!!

Such a good start for a really funny story, I read it so quick. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Actual rating 3.5 (mostly for the ick factor)

I don't normally go for age gap romances but I didn't mind the 14 year gap here. This was cute and a little funny but I could have done without the side story of them knowing each other since Hiwatari was a kid and the short bonus story of them at the end when Takanashi was 25 and Hiwatari was 11 and them having a nap together - serious ick vibes which I am pretending didn't happen. There is nothing from Takanashi that this was sexual in any way but still...