Tamon’s B-Side Manga Review

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Tamon’s B-Side is a manga about Utage Kinoshita, who works as the housekeeper for her favorite idol, Tamon Fukuhara, and discovers that his idol personality is not his real one. Tamon is actually a depressed teenager with low self-esteem. Utage dedicates herself to helping her favorite idol, learning more about him along the way. 

While the anime of this series has just recently started, I’ll be focusing on the manga for this review. I’ll probably end up writing a separate review of the anime at a later date. I prefer to binge a season rather than watch an episode week by week.  

I started reading this manga long before any anime rumors started to surface, and I am glad it’s gotten one now because it is an enjoyable story. It’s cute, funny, and mostly lighthearted.  

The main characters are teenagers. Utage is in school, so it does have some typical school settings you’ll see in a lot of teen romance manga. However, that doesn’t mean it has the same tropes you often see in those types of manga. Since Tamon is an idol, it also goes into other parts of life.   

And coming from an adult woman, this manga doesn’t feel too young for adults to read either. They might be teenagers, but they are dealing with a lot of relatable issues than both teens and adults can understand.  

It is mostly lighthearted and funny. It does have some more serious undertones, like the issues Tamon has with his low self-esteem. However, the tone tends to stay light and humorous. That’s not to say it’s making fun of anyone who struggles with their own self-worth. It shines a light on issues in an easily digestible way. 

Tamon’s B-Side is interesting and entertaining to read. However, the story does become a bit formulaic and repetitive. Like Tamon, it turns out that each boy in his idol group also has a different personality than the one they portray to the public. Once Utage meets another one, discovers his real personality, and solves an issue that he is facing, she meets another one and goes through the same process. 

That’s not to say it becomes boring or feels the same though. Each boy has their own unique personality and issues. So, while it might follow the same overall form, there are still different details to each arc.  

It’s a very character-driven story. Each idol boy and Utage is likable. However, while Utage’s worship of Tamon is very funny most of the time, as the story goes on, it does start to get frustrating. She’s so focused on the fact that Tamon’s an idol that she sometimes forgets he’s also just a teenage boy with self-esteem issues.  

She is caring though, and over time, it’s clear she’s starting to understand that more and more. But after how close she’s become to him, in the later chapters it’s starting to get frustrating that she still thinks he’s someone she should just worship from a distance. 

For example, Tamon really just wants to be friends with Utage. But Utage is obsessed with the idea that he’s an idol. She doesn’t think she’s allowed to see him as a friend. She tries to support him but simultaneously denies him a friendship and, in the long run, just hurts him. 

Her attitude towards him also slows down any romance. While it’s evident the two are getting closer and developing feelings, it’s extremely slow progress. So, if you’re looking for a quick romance, you’re not getting that from this manga. But the story is still cute. They have a lot of sweet, adorable moments that make you keep coming back for more. 

I do hope, though, with around 50 chapters so far, that we start seeing a bit more progression in their relationship. The two of them are cute together, but if things drag on too long, it could start to feel like too much of the same thing in each chapter.  

The artwork in the manga is beautiful and expressive. There’s a lot of focus on their facial expressions, which help show off their different personalities a lot. Obviously, being a manga, each drawing is black and white. To be honest, I am kind of excited to see the characters in color through the anime. Tamon has pink hair, but unfortunately, we don’t really get to see that in the manga much. 

Tamon’s B-Side is a cute romance comedy manga with a lot of funny moments. While the story is a bit formulaic and repetitive, it stays fresh with unique details. The romance progresses very slowly, but it’s adorable, and you want to read the next chapter to see more. Every character is incredibly likeable. However, I hope that Utage will soon change her opinion of Tamon. She focuses on his idolness so much that it occasionally hurts their friendship and negatively affects Tamon’s sense of value. I enjoy reading the story and look forward to each new chapter. If you’re looking for a lighthearted romance, then I definitely suggest you check it out. 

Check out some of my other reviews.

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