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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!

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…

316 pages, ebook

First published September 14, 2021

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Nmura

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5 stars
529 (37%)
4 stars
565 (39%)
3 stars
263 (18%)
2 stars
55 (3%)
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15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
Profile Image for Brooke.
456 reviews260 followers
May 21, 2024
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

This was a sweet and short manga, with a cutesy and fun art style and equally cute characters.
Hashimoto has to be the most oblivious and dense character I’ve ever encountered, and all the misunderstandings were both extremely silly and really funny.
It read a little YA, but it was still pretty fun.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Yaoi manga
- Boss vs employee
- Online relationship
- Hidden identity
- No spice
Profile Image for L Ann.
630 reviews137 followers
June 21, 2024
OMG, Hashimoto has got to be the most oblivious BL character I've ever read about. How has he not been taken advantage of at least a thousand different ways? 😮‍💨 And honestly, how can I even blame him when he's dealing with Shirase? That man literally does not know how to express any emotions other than contentment, mild discomfort, and confusion.

This entire story was built on everyone - this includes Kumada, another gamer - misunderstanding everyone else. It wasn't as frustrating as it could have been, but I really don't like stories that are based on that. I also prefer a lot more awareness and passion in my BL characters. Of course Hashimoto felt like they were just best friends! Shirase might as well have been hanging out with an old college buddy, the way he was acting. He was supposedly giving Hashimoto time to work out his feelings, but damn he could've helped him out a little. Perhaps some flirting? A little touching? Maybe even a kiss?!! Something other than eating out and gaming?! 😤😤

*Deep breath* I'm interested enough in the story to read the next volume when it comes out, but this will most likely not be a new favorite. I can see why people compare this to Cherry Magic!, but Cherry Magic! actually felt like a romance, whereas this felt more like a silly comedy. 3.25 stars
Profile Image for Ben Howard.
1,304 reviews166 followers
July 8, 2024
The title, Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! 1 describes the premise perfectly. This was such a fun read. Hashimoto is truly oblivious and I love it. I really enjoyed his relationship with Shirase, demon boss and unknowingly online friend.

The art-style for the in-game sections was super cute!

Can't wait for volume 2!!
Profile Image for Lastblossom.
203 reviews4 followers
Read
May 27, 2024
tl;dr
A very sweet read for anyone who likes their romcoms with an endearing lead and a ton of misunderstandings.

Thoughts
I've never been a fan of miscommunication in romance, but I sure do love it in comedy. Thankfully, this romantic comedy leans more towards comedy with the misunderstandings (which are numerous), making this a very silly read for anyone looking for something light. Hashimoto's an average salaryman, chipping away his days doing basically okay work at his office job, and straining under the pressure of his strict (and unfairly attractive) boss. But at least he can relax online playing MMOs with his friend Uma, who is always a supportive listening ear. They eventually decide to meet up IRL after discovering they live nearby, and Hashimoto is devastated to discover that his best friend online Uma is none other than his demanding boss. The boss Shirase is less devastated, possibly because he might already be developing feelings. Too bad Hashimoto hasn't quite caught on. What follows is a series of sweet interactions, a heap of misunderstandings, and a romance triangle with a third player as our leads attempt to navigate their interactions and their feelings. The jokes land pretty well - there's one panel in particular of Hashimoto and Shirase sitting next to each other that made me laugh out loud. No spice, but the interactions are undeniably romantic, which makes this a very pleasant read with attractive artwork, and more that one relatable entanglement.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Profile Image for Danny_reads.
395 reviews244 followers
September 18, 2024
3.5⭐

Hashimoto is your average office worker - a corporate slave who gets pushed around by his demon boss, Shirase. His only solace is an online game where he can finally relax (and share his woes) with his online friends. This sanctuary is threatened, however, when he agrees to meet up with his closest online friend, only to discover him to be the demon boss he's constantly complaining about.

I had so much fun with this manga. At any given point, I was either chuckling as I watched the miscommunication unfold, or cringing from second-hand embarrassment. I then had a smile on my face as I watched this awkward friendship bloom into an adorable BL romance.

The art style of this manga was also really well done.

I had a great time with this, and was surprised by how much story this singular manga contained.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this manga in exchange for my honest review!<
Profile Image for Preslee Lynn.
95 reviews3 followers
July 16, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for this ARC!! IM so happy I got approved for this!!

Review: 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟's
-》Review《-
The two main characters are Hashimoto and Shirase! The title is exactly what you'd expect. This manga was super cute and had all the tropes wrapped up in it! I absolutely love a clueless mc and gamer-to-real life tropes! I can't wait for the next volume(s)!!! The art was cute and the storyline was adorable!!
Profile Image for Kelly.
498 reviews37 followers
September 29, 2024
Hashimoto has a demon for a boss, but luckily for him, he has an amazing friend online that allows him to get to rant every night about how horrible his boss is. One evening, they decide to meet in real life, and Hashimoto's worst fear comes true; his best friend online is actually his demon boss in real life!

If you are going to do a miscommunication trope, this is how you do it; have one character be adorably clueless. Hashimoto is just so innocent that you should simply not be annoyed by the miscommunication thing. Nmura really has done an excellent job of making him believable. Shirase's patience is a testament to his dedication.

What really makes this stand out, though, is that they are simply better together. And part of that comes from the fact that Hashimoto was able to spend so much time griping about Shirase without either one of them knowing, but instead of Shirase getting upset or Hashimoto being so embarrassed he simply stops talking to him (a route that this definitely could have taken) they actually use this as a foundation for their relationship. The relationship starts supportive, and that's amazing. I mean, it's just a healthy relationship, and that's really wonderful to see.

Overall, and Im gonna say it because I always do this was absolutely freaking adorable and I can't wait until I can read the second volume, and I vote for this to be made into an anime immediately!

As always, thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eArc!

You can check out all of my reviews at my Blog! Kelly's Book Nook
Profile Image for Pflanzis.
323 reviews3 followers
May 30, 2022
Das Pairing ist cute!
Die Missverständnisse sind witzig.
Salted Salmon trägt großartig zur Story und zur Dynamik bei.
Niedliche Vanilla Love Story.
Profile Image for Daniel.
854 reviews69 followers
September 20, 2024
This was very cute. Total G-rated romance. The one kiss in the book is obscured by a streetlight.

Salaryman Hashimoto is too nervous to go to the meetup for the MMO he spends all his free time playing. But he agrees to meet up privately with one of the players he hangs out with in the game, only for things to turn very awkward when that player turns out to be his (hot) mean boss, Shirase.

I won't detail how the relationship develops from there, but Hashimoto comes off incredibly dense as Shirase and another younger player they know, Kumada, who they ran into by coincidence, each try to signal their interest in something more than friendship. The idea seems to be that the miscommunication is more an issue of Hashimoto's self-esteem than his intelligence, but Shirase is incredibly patient with him.

And I do feel bad for Kumada, the would be homewrecker. I don't know why it is the sort of behavior he displays can come off cute in manga, when in real life it would almost certainly just be creepy and unhealthy. I hope Nmura gives him his own love interest in a future volume. Looks like #2 will be out at the end of the month. :)
Profile Image for BlaireReadsTheThings.
414 reviews17 followers
May 24, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this volume.

Hashimoto hates his boss. But in his free time, he loves playing an online game with friends. It just so happens that his best online friend is the boss that he hates. After a meet and greet from Hell, the two men forge a friendship and improve their work relationship as well. Pretty soon, things take a turn again when they realize that they can be so much more.

I don't normally go for BL manga, but this was quite good. I love the characters and the art. It was funny and sweet. Just so good. I may actually continue this series.
Profile Image for Hag ✞.
16 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2023
A funny, silly, goofy story.

This 19-chapter manga is, well, somewhere just below mediocre. It was fun, light-hearted, and funny. (Pos) My complaints are the actual romance. It's weird because this could have been an amazing romance with all of its light-heartedness, but it doesn't pull through.

6/10
Profile Image for Els. ⭑.
10 reviews8 followers
September 1, 2024
Despite the fact that I’m not really a fan of romcoms, it had me captivated, and I literally couldn’t put it down. It's an interesting and funny concept, and I’m content with how it was executed. the art style is also very adorable and atmospheric. I would definitely recommend this one, especially for readers who want to get into BL!
Profile Image for Holly | Raise Your Words.
123 reviews41 followers
September 5, 2024
-- 2/5 Stars -- ★★☆☆☆

Trigger Warnings for Turns out my Online Friend is my Real-Life Boss 1:

Turns out my Online Friend is my Real-Life Boss 1​ is the first volume in the series by Nmura. In this volume we follow Hashimoto and his boss, Shirase. Based only from the title, it's pretty safe to say that Shirase ends up being Hashimoto's online friend for almost a year.

First let me say, Nmura is an absolutely fantastic artist. The design of each of the characters in this manga are stunning. That being said, the story has been hashed again and again in other novels and relies so heavily on a completely unaware protagonist. Hashimoto was so sweet, but it was such a stretch to believe that he was that unaware of both Shirase and Kumataros' feelings.

Overall, Turns out my Online Friend is my Real-Life Boss 1 is a very pretty manga. The story just wasn't there for me. Special thanks to NetGalley, Nmura, and Kodansha Comics for access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Profile Image for marcia.
869 reviews31 followers
June 11, 2024
The story could've been so fun if the mangaka leans into the ridiculousness of the situation. As it is now, it's middling and unmemorable. Despite how short the chapters are, I started losing interest pretty quickly. I can't stand how oblivious the MC is and the miscommunication just gets tiring by the end of the volume. On top of that, there's no romantic spark between him and any of the love interests. Couldn't enjoy this as either a slice-of-life or BL.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a free review copy.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
1,027 reviews38 followers
January 6, 2024
This is adorable. Hashimoto is oblivious to the whole romance arc for 99% of the book, which is fine because the other guy is oblivious for 80%.
Not sure this would work for someone who isn't at least passingly familiar with MMORPGs though.
Profile Image for Azbaqiyah.
880 reviews54 followers
September 18, 2024
Plot - 4 ⭐
Character - 3 ⭐
Writing Style - 3 ⭐
World Building - 3 ⭐
Art - 4 ⭐
Cover - 4 ⭐

Overall - 3.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
June 12, 2024
In the real world, Hashimoto is an average office worker who feels beaten down by his boss, Shirase, who only ever has critical things to say about his work. In his favorite online game, he goes by Aaaaa. He's been playing for 2.5 years and is friends with U.M.A. (playing for 8 months), who he once helped out in the game. He's also friends with Salted Salmon, an enthusiastic younger player who's part of a different guild.

Aaaaa and U.M.A. arrange to have an IRL meetup. Due to a mix-up caused by a simultaneous guild IRL meetup, Hashimoto accidentally mistakes someone else for U.M.A. That's quickly cleared up, but then Hashimoto realizes that the real person behind U.M.A. is actually his boss, which fills him with horror considering all the times he vented to U.M.A. about his boss. Then a third person, Kumataro, the one Hishimoto originally mistook for U.M.A., invites himself to their incredibly awkward meetup...and doesn't immediately clarify that he's the person behind Salted Salmon.

Misunderstandings abound, eventually resulting in a weird accidental love triangle.

Gah. Because I knew it was coming, my horror at Hashimoto's situation started with his venting sessions, a couple of which we got to see on-page. Honestly, his reaction when he finally met U.M.A. in real-life could have been stronger - if it were me, I'd probably have spent that time in the bathroom trying not to throw up from anxiety.

Luckily for Hashimoto, Shirase didn't react badly, and in fact these new revelations led to them having a better work relationship. Shirase's treatment of Hashimoto didn't really change in-game, although Hashimoto understandably felt awkward enough to adjust his own behavior. That didn't stop them from deciding to start their own guild.

Meanwhile, Kumataro is on the sidelines, vastly misunderstanding Hashimoto and Shirase's relationship, which prompts him to become more open and proactive about his own feelings - he happens to have a huge crush on Hashimoto. Hashimoto is completely oblivious to this - his feelings toward Kumataro, a high schooler, are more in the realm of "affectionate older brother." A side effect of Kumataro's reactions, though: Shirase starts to become more aware of his own feelings for Hashimoto.

I've read series before where these sorts of misunderstandings were carried over multiple volumes, so it was both a surprise and a relief that this didn't happen here, although by the end of the volume I couldn't help but think that, no matter what their actual ages were, Hashimoto felt like the youngest and most naive of the bunch.

So far, I'm intrigued and reassured at the way nmura has handled things. I don't feel like I really know Shirase very well yet, and I'm a bit iffy about Hashimoto, but I do really like Kumataro. I'm willing to see where things go from here.

Extras:

One full-color illustration, a brief note from the author, and a bonus four-panel comic.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Profile Image for Lola.
1,756 reviews268 followers
August 1, 2024
I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

After reading some good graphic novels/ mangas earlier this year I decided to get a few more from Netgalley and this was one that caught my eye. I liked the premise and the way online gaming was part of it. It was a cute sweet read with some funny moments, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

There is a big misunderstanding that's part of the plot and the main character is super oblivious, which was kinda funny at times and other times it just felt a bit much. It takes a long time for the romance or plot points to develop. And while I usually enjoyed it while reading, I just didn't really have a strong urge to pick it up again.

I liked the art well enough, especially the character designs, although the art for the in-game scenes wasn't my favorite. I also would've liked to see a bit more of the game, but mostly there are some in-game conversations, not much about how the game actually works. The romance was sweet and there are some cute scenes between them, but I just didn't fully feel the romance. Probably also because the main character doesn't really think of romance and what it entails until they start dating, which is toward the very end.

To summarize: This one had a fun premise and was a cute read, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I enjoyed it while reading, but didn't really have the urge to pick it up. I didn't fully feel the romance and because the main character is very oblivious it takes a long time to progress. There is also some misunderstanding a big part of the plot, which could be kinda annoying as it dragged on pretty long. I also would've liked a bit more about the game as that was part of the premise that caught my eye.
Profile Image for Heather.
911 reviews56 followers
June 19, 2024
This was my perfect manga. The art is great, the plot is fun, the dialogue is hilarious and so very clever, and these are the kinds of characters you desperately wish could be your real-life friends. Gamer nerds will find this story incredibly relatable. I recently read "The Yearning Fox Lies in Wait" by this author and found it very lacking in characterization and relationship-building, but this manga is the exact opposite. In fact, it took the entirety of the first volume for the main characters to realize they're in some kind of relationship, which was adorable and hysterically funny at times. If this doesn't get an anime, I will riot. It's subtle but sexy. Your heart will pound one second, then the main character does something idiotic again and you just end up laughing along. I got this as a "read now" title from NetGalley for free, but I'm going to buy it right now and preorder the next volume. Absolutely my new favorite. I can't wait for more!
Profile Image for Mello.
225 reviews22 followers
June 24, 2024
**Thank you, NetGalley, for sending an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Another great opportunity unlocked🔓!! This time, it's my first ARC review of a BL manga. Once again, I hope this will be the first one out of many 😂.

The translation and the quality of the art were amazing! I truly enjoyed reading this title. The general feeling of the story was quite light, with funny misunderstandings and sweet couple moments 💞.

We have a cute and oblivious MC, who loves gaming and hates his boss (at least that's what he says 😗, we all know from the title that things are not what they look like). He made a friend online and one day they decided to meet in real life. What could go wrong? Well, said friend turned out to be his boss (it's important to add that he's always complaining about his work when they play together). This caused a few awkward conversations and some misunderstandings, but their friendship survived and they got even closer.

The boss it's the first one to notice his feelings, and also the first to confess (he went for it without fear, it was really unexpected). They get together at the end, and everything went smoothly from the beginning. However, there's a third character that has a crush on MC. They play together online, and he's a highschool student. He confessed and MC didn't realize, it was hilarious but I felt a little sad for him. He never had a chance but his attempts were adorable 🥰. A lot of things could have gone wrong with the addition of this character, but the author knew what they were doing. I'm actually hoping for a side couple or a spin-off story for him 🥹!!

PS: This is a great manga to start reading BL, so why not give it a try? 👀
Profile Image for Nicole.
112 reviews3 followers
July 17, 2024
I LOVED THIS!!! Online relationships turning into real life ones is one of my favorite tropes to read, and this one was such a banger. The characters, story, and dialogue flowed and mixed so well together. Hashimoto is as dense as cement, and Shirase being charmed by it makes the reader be charmed in turn. Kumada's misunderstanding coupled with Hashimoto's mental gymnastics leading to an even bigger misunderstanding was hilarious. Hashimoto and Shirase are so cute together, and the progression of their relationship felt really organic. The art style is gorgeous, so that is always a plus. I've already pre-ordered the next volume and can't wait to get it!
Profile Image for Alexx (obscure.pages).
364 reviews66 followers
August 21, 2024
STOP this was just so cute and silly and also wholesome?? I saw this on NetGalley Read Now section and decided to pick it up even thought I don't know much about it. I just wanted a cute, short BL manga. And that's exactly what I got 😂

This was simple and funny. I usually don't like miscommunication but this one had levels of miscommunication reminiscent of Modern Family and I was just cracking up 😂 The romance is just so cute, and while it's minimal, I still felt "kilig" 🥹 Like I was giggling and kicking my feet kind of moment 😂 The romance also reminded me of the Japanese BL My Love Mix-Up and that was just so cute, I swear. I also thought this would be poly?! Lmao, there was a moment when I thought that was the endgame lol

The art is gorgeous, although some dialogue/narrative seemed confusing at times? And it's hard to discern that a scene was actually a flashback. Other than that, this was good and entertaining!


Exact rating: 3.5

CW:

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Marking this book as part of my reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2024.
Profile Image for Rachel.
324 reviews36 followers
February 9, 2023
I often downrate similar books for being assortedly problematic, so I feel a bit bad not boosting this one’s rating because it’s NOT. The story isn’t the greatest, but it’s very cute, and RESPECTFUL? In this genre?! Just nice slightly silly boys falling for each other, nothing more and nothing less. Lovely.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews

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