Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! 1 | ARC BL Manga Review

Pub: May 28th, 2024

Preorder: Amazon | Bookshop.org

I am loaded up on BL ARCs for the rest of this month. This one was in my May BL Releases in Paperback, and when I saw it on NetGalley, I snagged it right away because I was already considering buying a copy.

Hashimoto spends all day at his job redoing work for his boss–who’s never happy! His only refuge is an online game, where his buddy “Uma” gives him a sympathetic ear. What he doesn’t realize is…his demon boss and Uma are one and the same!

A nerdy workplace BL dramedy manga perfect for fans of Cherry Magic!, Candy Color Paradox, and Yagi the Bookshop Goat, from the creator of The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait. Over 300 pages of manga in one volume!

Hashimoto is a perfectly average salaryman, working a repetitive office job, made all the worse by his stylish, strait-laced boss, who insists everything be done by the book. Whatever he does for this perfectionist, it’s just not good enough! Thankfully, Hashimoto can go home to his favorite online video game, where he can unload on the forgiving shoulders of his best friend, whom he knows only by the name “Uma.” The duo make plans to meet in person, but when they do, Hashimoto is horrified by a revelation that will change his entire life…

I really liked the art for this one it was really digital manga? Idk how to describe it but it just matched the story really well.

I found the beginning to be quite funny, especially how they are both flirty with each other online but hate each other in person. Hashimoto figures out fairly quickly that he’s actually talking to his boss, so that element of the plot doesn’t drag on for too long. The miscommunication trope is used quite a bit, but not in a way that would normally frustrate me and make me want to pull my hair out.

There is kind of a ‘love triangle,’ but I think it’s clear that neither Hashimoto nor Shirase takes him seriously since he is, after all, a high schooler. It ends up feeling more like they adopted him, which is quite amusing.

I also realized that fist bumps give me the ick lol

The pacing is good, though it does slow down a little in the middle, but nothing major. I do wish we got to know more about the characters outside of work and gaming.

There is no spice in this at all; it is truly a lighthearted and wholesome read. It’s definitely not a ‘must-read’ and doesn’t bring anything exceptional to the table, but it was a pleasant read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the E-ARC.

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