I received an ARC of Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss!, volume 1 by Nmura published by Kodansha from NetGalley and Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.
When I sat down to read Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! on my lunch break, I did so intending to read only the first chapter. Next thing I knew, I looked at the time and my break was over and so was the book. Distraught doesn’t even begin to cover my feelings. The first volume isn’t available in print yet and I already need the second volume like yesterday.
I’m not surprised that this manga hooked me in the way it did. It contains many of my favorite elements: the acquainted in real-life trope, video games, and workplace romance. Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! by Nmura and published by Kodansha, is a story of an office worker Hashimoto who can’t stand his boss Shirase. He escapes from his annoying work life by playing an online game and chatting it up with one of the other players. Little does he know, the other player is his real-life boss.
Off the bat, this reminded me of another series that include online gaming and the acquainted in real-life trope: Recovery of an MMO Junkie. Except in this manga, it’s a BL and the discovery of each other’s real identities happens quickly. Which, as a person who hates long drawn-out mishaps, I heavily appreciated. But that is not to say there aren’t other mishaps and a myriad of misunderstandings.
On top of being funny, this manga also feels fresh and timely. With the rising popularity of games and communities centered around gaming, this story could almost be taken out of someone’s daily life. It’s also a fun fantasy to indulge in: your seemingly hardass boss is your favorite partner in a game. As a result of the game, you get closer in real life too. It’s a win-win!
Aside from the gaming aspects and the adorable meet cute of it all, Turns Out also has some tender moments between Hashimoto and Shirase as boss-employee. (This is before the ethically questionable romantic relationship develops.) Hashimoto complains about his boss a lot, but he just feels insecure and a bit jealous of Shirase. Shirase as a boss sees Hashimoto as someone who has potential but is not quite there yet. This gaming mishap led to them crossing over this bridge.
Volume one does a great job of getting Hashimoto and Shirase from online friends to a couple in the chapters it contains. I am excited for the next volume and to watch the relationship between these two progress. I also would love to see them attend more gaming events or try other games together. Overall, I wound up loving this story and I can’t wait for the next volume.
Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss!, Vol 1
Mangaka: Nmura
Publisher: Kodansha
Digital is available now
Print releases May 28 and is available for preorder
Ooo, this sounds really good! Yes, this sounds a lot like Recovery of an MMO Junkie. That was a really good series, so a BL version sounds awesome!