Tamon’s B-Side Volume 1 Manga Review (Spoiler‑Free)

Utage Kinoshita is your normal 17 year-old high school student. When she’s not in class, she can be found fawning over her favorite idol, Tamon Fukuhara of F/ACE, or working at her part time job cleaning houses to earn money to spend on Tamon merch or F/ACE concert tickets. When Utage is awake, she’s thinking of Tamon; when she’s asleep, she dreams of Tamon; she pays tithes to the Church of Tamon; she breathes Tamon. Tamon is her reason for living.

… Okay, maybe she’s not normal.

When one of her coworkers winds up in the hospital for appendicitis, Utage is asked to step in and take over some of her clients. Utage readily agrees (because more work equals more money to support her Tamon addiction) and heads over to the apartment of someone who happens to share the same name as her favorite idol. But that’s just a coincidence, right?

Inside the apartment, Utage finds a boy curled up in a corner, dark circles under his eyes, skin as pale as a ghost, with severe imposter syndrome. Even though this Tamon and her idol Tamon’s personalities are polar opposites, Utage isn’t fooled. This Tamon and her Tamon are one in the same.

Utage knows there’s a conflict of interest working as Tamon’s housekeeper, but when he starts talking about dropping out of F/ACE, Utage takes this opportunity to spur Tamon on and boost his confidence. After all, if Tamon is no longer an idol, what does Utage have to live for?

The Good

Tamon’s B-Side has all of the fast-paced, laugh-out-loud, quirky comedy that Yuki Shiwasu has come to be known for. I was giggling throughout the entire volume while staring at some of the most hilarious faces I’ve ever seen.

The art is beautiful and portrays unique characters throughout the volume. Though it definitely has a more modern tone to it, there are bits of ‘80’s and ‘90’s shoujo touches sprinkled throughout that gives the series a sort of retro or nostalgic vibe.

Utage is a great main character. I love how she’s eccentric about her idol yet has composure when it comes to more serious things. My biggest worry with this manga was that it would be really cringy to read, especially from Utage’s point of view, but somehow Shiwasu guided the story expertly to elicit massive amounts of comedy.

Even though Utage is great, it’s Tamon that steals the show. The clash between his dual personalities (Hottiehara and Gloomyhara) is an absolute riot. One minute he’s got mushrooms growing from his head, and the next he’s a heartthrob spouting lines I’ve only read in otome games. The back-and-forth between the two personalities is fun to watch, and I love the way Utage reacts when Hottiehara suddenly appears when she’s been dealing with Gloomyhara all day.

The Bad

Though the story is rated T for teen, there are some pieces of content that may not sit well with everyone. Throughout the volume, there are comedic scenes depicting blood (similar to getting a bloody nose in shounen manga) and jokes about suicide. In one panel, a character is holding a noose when talking about killing themself. While layered heavily with comedy and clearly not to be taken seriously, readers that are sensitive to these topics should consider whether or not this manga is right for them.

Verdict

Tamon’s B-Side is written by Yuki Shiwasu, who also wrote one of my favorite series, Takane and Hana. After devouring all 18 volumes of Takane and Hana, it was a no-brainer for me to pick up her newest series. Just like its predecessor, it hooked me early into volume 1. I absolutely love this hilarious manga, and I can’t recommend it enough.

If you liked Tamon’s B-Side, you may like…

• Takane and Hana
• No Longer Heroine
• Star ⇄ Crossed

Credits

Story and Art by Yuki Shiwasu
English Translation and Adaptation by Amanda Haley
Touch-Up Art and Lettering by Joanna Estep
Design by Shawn Carrico
Editor Amy Yu
Published in English by VIZ Media, LLC