Girl Crush, Vol. 1

Girl Crush (ガールクラッシュ) #1

by Midori Tayama

Tenka est la fille la plus populaire de son école. Quoi qu'elle entreprenne, le succès est toujours au rendez-vous. Sa rencontre avec Erian et le monde de la K-Pop va changer sa vie. Jalouse de la candeur d'Erian, Tenka va apprendre grâce à elle, qu'être parfaite ne suffit pas pour atteindre le bonheur.

Genres: Manga, Young Adult, Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Josei

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2021

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Thanks to VIZ and Edelweiss for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]

I’m of an era that’s more K-Tel than k-pop, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like a good idol story. Especially one that seems heavily dance focused as this one looks to be. Wandance is one of my favourite series for a reason.

The basic story here is that Tenka is a perfectionist who has driven herself to imitate the best people at a high level, no matter the situation. This stems from a desire to impress her childhood friend, Harumi, plus an unfortunate falling out with her mother.

Her pedestal is rattled when she bumps up against the very average Erian, who dreams of becoming a k-pop idol. However, for all her plain features, Erian knows how to capture an audience with minimal effort. Including Harumi.

Sparks start flying, but only as many as Tenka initiates, since Erian is all positivity and no clues. Tenka, jealous of how Harumi notices Erian, begins to attempt to make her rival look bad, only to have it all blow up on her. And pretty soon, Tenka finds herself drawn along by all Erian’s dreams herself.

Make no mistake, Tenka’s no saint, and she’s quite petty at times towards Erian, not to mention downright rude. Except they quickly become entangled in one another’s lives and head to Korea to try their luck in a cutthroat industry.

And I am here for it. Oh, these two make a fun pair. The title refers to Erian’s admiration of Tenka, so I doubt that I’ll be getting any yuri content (although this would make a great yuri, based on this volume). Still, they are a dynamic duo whose relationship fuels the volume.

Erian is not as good as Tenka. Tenka is amazing at everything and has worked herself hard to achieve it. So Erian storming onto the scene and captivating people just through her sheer enthusiasm is grating to Tenka, but she simply can’t deny that Erian has something.

I liked the dancing portions, though not as slick as Wandance, the art’s really nicely done, and even if I think they’re insane to chase the dream they’re after, well, it hardly dresses the idol industry up as some sort of paradise, let’s put it that way.

It moves pretty fast - we may never know what happened to Harumi, and Tenka’s father seems pretty strict and old-fashioned to just let his daughter take off to Korea. They could have taken the whole volume with the school drama and Erian’s drive to earn her way to Korea, but it clearly wants to get there faster than that.

And we’ll see what happens from there. I like these two a lot; there’s definitely a lot that both of them need to learn that the other could teach and I’m hoping that will come to the fore as we go. It’s not quite Kageki Shojo for k-pop, but I could see it having a similar vibe.

3.5 stars - rounded up because I had a lot of fun with this and it was nice to have a bit of a harder-edged lead character for a change. A good entry into the genre.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I seriously respect people who really work at something. I think there's a level of satisfaction you can't experience until you go all out with something."

This was just as amazing as the first time I read it!

When people first told me this reads like a sports manga despite it being about two girls becoming k-pop idols, I was very skeptical. However, just like when I read it the first time, I really do feel those same people are right! You can really feel the movement and the passionate singing despite hearing nothing in your ears. I loved the reading experience so much because I felt myself holding my breath in seeing what Tenka and Sato would do!

One thing I found very interesting about this series is that our female lead is the "mean girl" in this story. I remember when I tried reading the series a long time ago and felt very turned off by Tenka's overall vibe. Despite that, it seemed she didn't have the best home life, she didn't have the best attitude either, even though she was gorgeous and seemed to be perfect in every way.

But I think it's that very thing that DOES make the series interesting. Tenka is not your happy, upbeat heroine who uplifts everyone around her. It's Sato, her rival, who is the "heroine," making her Tenka's rival. Funny thing is, though, that Sato doesn't even realize it! Granted, I don't blame her because Tenka keeps helping her in small and big ways to "even the playing field," so I can see why Sato thinks it's Tenka being kind.

The contrast in these two girls' attitudes and their mindsets is so night and day, yet they push each other to strive harder in their goals, making this a story hard to put down. I feel things amp up when Tenka, in her rivalry against Sato, even adopts Sato's dream to be a k-pop idol just so she won't "lose"! That's incredible!

I will briefly mention that the art is really really good and never had any issues with following the dancing and how everyone is moving. I enjoyed it deeply and subconsciously was putting music to their movements because I was so into the story!

I would highly recommend Girl Crush to anyone who enjoys sports manga, dancing, and non-romantic stories, but even more so than maybe all that is if you want a series that I think is going to be a rivalry turned friendship in time. I eagerly look forward to reading more physically and seeing what will happen next in Tenka and Sato's journey!

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After some childhood trauma, Tenka decides to mold herself into the most perfect person she can possibly be so that no one will ever abandon her ever again. In high school, she has perfect grades, is beautiful, good at sports, leads her high school dance club, gets high scores in karaoke. But she doesn't have any particular passions, other than a crush on a childhood friend who was kind to her when she needed it most. Then she encounters Erian- cute, bubbly, sincere, and with a steely determination to go to South Korea and train as a kpop idol. Tenka is frustrated and jealous of Erian's open nature, but she is pulled into the girl's orbit and finds herself helping out Erian whenever she can. Then she decides that competing with Erian is her new project, so she also flies to South Korea to audition. The mix of friendship and one-sided rivalry between them proves a strong fuel. This is a short, breezy first volume of a promising series. I like the lose expressive line art which captures dance well. Finished book 1 and immediately started book 2!

[Faeryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so interesting and fun immediately! I ordered volume 2 and 3, can't wait! 😊

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely exceeded my expectations. It's filled with cute art that expresses movement simply, but effectively. Tenka may not always be likeable, but she's still a character I like. She has layers, and her quest for acceptance is a sympathetic one. I'm eager to see her grow.

[marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being super into kpop, I don't like idol stories because I'm too in the know to fully immerse. I picked this up only because I saw it at the library. So far, I don't like either of the characters. Tenka is hard to like and her motivation for becoming an idol leaves much to be desired. Considering how brutal the industry is, she's gonna need something stronger to keep her going. On the other hand, Erian is too gullible. I spent this entire volume more interested in figuring out the real-life inspirations for these fictional groups and companies than anything else.

[TheCrazyFanvergent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Io
Io ero semplicemente andata nella sezione manga per vedere le novità
Mi sono ritrovata per caso davanti alla copertina (edizione limitata) fighissima di questo manga
E ho detto
"Ma perché no
Proviamo"




Mi ha rovinato la vita

[Cee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this has a lot of potential for character growth. It really is a good first volume, just maybe not my taste.

[Abigail Hoekstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you VIZ Media and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always enjoyed idol mangas and animes so this was hit a for me. The characters are intriguing, the art style is gorgeous and I love the tie in to K-pop. Super excited to check out the rest of the series!

#IndigoEmployee

[Michelle Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media for the ARC.

An idol manga starting from the ground up, from audition to... success? I like that we see that its not a given right away, despite how "perfect" Tenka seems. The characters swing from intriguing to unlikable, but I think its partly because they're such strong personalities. The art is good for the most part, though the dancing doesn't come through the best, at times a little confusing to piece together from static images.

[˙⋆✮ Anny ✮⋆˙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the art and story of this one, and how quick of a read it was! The main character Tenka is noone I'd want anything to do with in real life, but she's interesting to read about in a way. I'm also not that big of a kpop fan, yet the mix of singing, dancing and cool outfits in this manga just worked for me. And I admire Erian, she's a sweetheart and has so much confidence! I think this was a great first volume!

[Irene ➰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Carino e leggero, una lettura che non richiede troppa concentrazione ma che resta comunque piacevole.

Nulla di nuovo nè con chissà che trama al momento, ma vedremo come si evolverà il tutto.

[Danielle Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting start to a new series! This first volume packed a lot of info and background, but still made me care about the characters and their journey. I already want to read volume two!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of these “Tales from Inside the K-Pop Idol Industry” stories. I’ve never read one from the perspective of a Japanese trainee (multiple because Tenka is going along with Erian) and I’m excited to learn more.

I feel like Tenka might get some hate because of her personality, but I see her as someone who’s hurt and masking that hurt by becoming as perfect and stoic as possible.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the more interesting first volumes I’ve read in a while.

Ostensibly, this story is about two girls pursuing the same goal—to become a K-pop idol—but for vastly different reasons.

Erian Sato is a plain but ambitious girl who is super passionate about K-pop and has had a long-term dream to become an idol.

Meanwhile, Tenka Momose is a popular, cool girl used to being perfect at everything—until she meets Erian, whose pure hearted passion has captured the attention of Momose’s crush more than anything she has ever aced. It irks Momose and compels her to pursue being an idol as well—if for no better reason than to prove she can (and possibly better than Erian).

Along the way towards achieving this shared goal, these two girls develop an odd friendship.

It’s such a peculiar premise—that shouldn’t work?

I mean, typically, Momose’s character would be cast in a super negative light. She’s kind of mean. But, readers see through the storytelling here that her desire for perfection is like an armor—and Erian pierces that armor with her sincerity.

To me, it seems that this story is going to show Momose what she’s missing by always trying to be perfect. Maybe not. But, I’m hoping for that sweet, coming of age storyline.

Anyway.

Definitely interested in reading more. I’m curious to see where this series goes~

[Valérie Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai lu les cinq premiers tomes de Girl Crush, publié par un nouvel éditeur dans le monde des mangas, Shiba Éditions (qui a d'intéressantes séries, j'aime beaucoup Comme une famille et Riverend Café). J'ai débuté l'exploration des séries sur le showbizzness avec l'excellent Oshi no Ko, j'ai poursuivi avec Girl Crush, qui s'est avéré très prenant.

Si les arrières-plans sont plutôt simples, les styles vestimentaires et les maquillages sont bien travaillés. Et même les positions corporelles transmettent la force, le dynamisme ou la souplesse des différents personnages. C'est certainement un point fort de Girl Crush.

La narration est également bien organisée: Tenka reste la personnage principale d'un bout à l'autre de l'histoire, malgré la rencontre d'autres personnages qui viendront la faire réfléchir et grandement modifier ses aspirations. Après cinq tomes, Tenka se cherche encore une particularité qui la rendrait "unique" au milieu d'aspirantes idols, toutes extraordinaires (mais avec leurs propres failles). Ça pourrait être un défaut de l'histoire, mais c'est au contraire cette recherche constante et cette détermination qui rendent Tenka si intéressante: elle est solide, elle apprend et évolue, ce qui la rend fascinante à suivre.

L'histoire se déroule principalement en Corée, près des idols K-pop, on voit à quel point on est compétitif envers celles qui y aspirent, on ne dépeint pas un monde idéalisé. C'est un récit centré sur ce petit monde fermé qui fonctionne avec ses propres règles. Mais on montre aussi pourquoi les artistes continuent de s'y investir, même si on exige énormément d'eux.

Si cet univers vous intrigue, c'est un excellent manga à explorer en écoutant une liste de musiques K-Pop, tiens! ;)

[Niche · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title, "Girl Crush" refers to girls Stanning (passionate platonic fangirling/faving) a female idol/character/actress/etc (usually of the cool character variety).

The best way to describe the story is: The average (but actually cute and still somewhat talented) shojo heroine wants to be a k-pop idol. The queen bee of the school doesn't like that the guy she likes is paying attention to the girl and becomes a rival character to try to discourage her. The story is told from the perspective of the queen bee rival.

The protagonist gets a crush on a boy and decides to remake herself into a perfect, hyper-capable, super-woman to be "worthy" of him. Despite this series focusing on a rivalry between two female characters, don't expect it to pass the Bechdel Test. 90+% of the heroine's motivation is about looking good in front of the boy she likes or trying to put down the girl she views as a romantic rival. I think I would have liked it better if the MC was a capable genius/perfectionist annoyed by the happy and passionate try-hard, sort of like the Teppu manga series, but the boy crush motivation in Girl Crush was just annoying filler to me.

Maybe the romance will become less prevalent in future volumes as it focuses more on being an idol, but as a first volume, this wasn't for me.

[Swissy Cheesey · Rating 3 out of 5]

not enough yuri to be called girl crush smh

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

It was hard to like this tale of an emotionless robot and a super genki over emotional girl working to become Korean idols. Neither was very interesting and certainly our POV protagonist was very unpleasant through this whole first volume.

Story: Tenka has prided herself on being perfect - best grades, best dance moves, and prettiest girl in the school. But when her crush shows interest in another girl, Tenka's jealousy kick into overdrive. Erian's one passion is to be a Korean idol - so Tenka is going to show her how it is done. But when they arrive in South Korea for auditions, things aren't nearly as easy as Tenka thought.

We have a story of opposites who each bring something to the table - Tenka's perfection but emotionlessness and Erian's absolute passion but sloppiness. Tenka wants to surpass Erian in everything but realizes that perfection is the enemy of progress. Erian, meanwhile, just cluelessly moves through life, sure in her dream.

I didn't like any of the characters. Erian was like a puppy - brainless and cute, bouncing around everywhere without a thought in her head. Tenka is cold, calculating and mean. It made it hard to want to root for either girl to succeed. I get the point of the opposites but at least give us something to really like in each of them.

The art feels very modern - at times I thought I was reading a WINX redux comic due to the stylization of the manga. Certainly, this title could contend with Ai Yazawa in terms of fashion sense.

In all, not a fun comic to read - it either needed to be more grounded or more stylized to really succeed. As it stands, it treads a middle ground that is meh. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A edição da Mpeg está muito bonita, com card e marca páginas como brinde.
A história, nesse começo, gira em torno da Tenka Momose (capa).
A garota ficou marcada pelo fato de sua mãe ter sumido de casa e ser encontrada depois traindo o marido. Isso mudou drasticamente a forma de Tenka se comunicar com os outros, passando a ser mais fechada emocionalmente e até se chamada de esquisita pelos coleguinhas da escola. Porém, um deles, o Narumi, insiste em ser seu amigo, pois acredita que o fato de ela se diferente de todos é que a torna interessante.
Então, para se tornar alguém popular como seu primeiro amor, ele decide mudar de atitude e de aparência e ser a melhor em tudo em que se propuser a fazer.
Porém, já no ensino médio, ela não declarou seu amor pelo rapaz, mas como é narcisista e se acha superior a todos, acredita que poderá conquistá-lo, até o ver com Erian, uma menina que Tenka julga ser mediana, mas que possui o grande sonho de ir pra Coréia do Sul se tornar uma ídol de K-pop. Mas Erian vê Tenka como sua Girl crush (uma garota a quem admira muito).
Tenka tenta desvalorizar e desestabilizar a garota de algumas maneiras, mas percebe que Narumi passou a admirar muito o esforço de Erian (e a própria garota). Sentindo que está perdendo espaço pra sua atual rival, ela decide que vai entrar nessa batalha (hein?) e se tornar uma K-pop idol melhor que Erian. Assim, elas embarcam pra Coréia do Sul (separadas) e vão fazer o teste para a Arc, uma das top 3 agências do país.
A espontaneidade, resiliência e persistência de Erian vai começar a se chocar com as barreiras que Tenka criou para se proteger.
Mas elas vão encontrar outra menina que tem muito potencial e deixa as duas no chinelo, atualmente.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga inevitably invites comparisons to Wandance, the only other dance-centric manga I can recall reading. It has big shoes to try to fill, and doesn't quite get there. Still, it has its own thing going, in addition to its seemingly similar arc of the MCs developing their own styles and gaining expertise beyond "Tenka the skilled rote mimic, and Erian the charismatic improvisor."

The romantic rivalry between the girls was the least interesting part of it, so it's just as well Harumi will be at telephone communications distance while Tenka and Erian are in South Korea. I did like how Tenka had to do some soul-searching after she advises Erian to dance as though she were trying to please someone in particular, and finds herself at sea when she realizes Harumi hasn't ever asked anything of her.

We're barely into the setup phase where our MCs will likely join the less-respected umbrella group after failing the tryouts for the "better" one, so we'll have to see where things develop from here. Some new characters for the girls to bounce off of--and who aren't the off-putting owner of LJH entertainment, ideally--would be welcome, as would more beautiful dance sequences. Idol culture has some serious problems that I hope will also come to light for the girls as they go along their journey to grimly ephemeral stardom.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to start this review by saying that I’m really not a fan of idols in general. Outside of manga, be it Kpop or Jpop, I’ve just never been able to get into it. Within manga as well, though I’ve tried, I just have not been able to enjoy manga with idol culture as a big plot point.

That being said, I did really enjoy this volume! I appreciated the focus being more-so on the characters trying to be the best, rather than the entertainment industry. I found Tenka to be a very complex character, and I really enjoyed getting to know her in this volume. Her backstory really made me feel for her, and it helped me to understand where she’s coming from, and I found myself rooting for her the whole volume.

When Erian was introduced, I found myself subconsciously taking Tenka’s side, and though to myself that she was a little bit annoying. I’m really not a fan of the male love interest, especially the triangle aspect of it. Fingers crossed it dies out come the next volume, though it really wasn’t all that prevalent in this volume.

Read my full review of this volume on my blog here!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tenka was a shy outsider as a child until Harumi brought her out of her shell. Determined to make herself worthy of Harumi, she focused all of her energy on being the best at everything. In high school, Harumi befriends a new girl named Erian who has dreams of becoming a K-pop idol. Jealous that Harumi's attention has been drawn away from her, Tenka decides she will audition to become an idol as well, kicking off their relationship as friends and rivals.

This was a cute little story and I can definitely see that it's heading somewhere interesting. This first volume definitely felt like an introduction to the larger story, as we didn't really get to know any of the characters very well. The artwork was really cute and fit the tone of the story and I'm interested to see where it's heading. This will be a great one for fans of idol culture or stories about friendly rivals.

Thanks to VIZ Media and NetGalley for the review copy.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenka was an outcast as a child, until she was befriended by a boy named Harumi. She instantly fell in love with his sweet and friendly attitude and decided to become *PERFECT* to get his attention and he'll fall in love with her.

Then she meets Erian, a girl obsessed with becoming a K-Pop star, and a very serious rival for Harumi's attention. So Tenka makes it her (secret) mission to beat Erian in everything, including becoming a K-Pop star.

I was a little skeptical about this (I don't tend to read Yuri or Shojo-Ai series, not really my thing) but the art is really good, not a super traditional style, but very pleasant to look at, and I can follow the action really well (which you need if you're going to watch choreography). Plus the story pulls you in naturally with very little drama and you want to see these girls succeed (or fail). A very strong start, and I'll be surprised if this doesn't have an anime in the next year or so.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad start for a series, though it moves very fast. Tenka started out as loner, then transforms herself into the “perfect” girl by high school…of course, for love. Not that she actually confesses to the guy she likes 🤦🏻‍♀️ the next thing I know, she’s auditioning in South Korea.

It seems like this might be more focused on female friends and coming of age than on romance. Tenka is quickly exposed to a wider world, one where her brand of perfection may not be good enough. It’s mentioned a few times that people working hard and following their dreams are dazzling.

Tenka is sort of trying to discourage the other girl, whom she sees as a rival, but at heart she’s a rather nice person and actually helps her out. I find it kinda weird that she ends up deciding for k-idol just to compete with her, considering that it would mean dropping out of school.

Overall I liked it, but would like the paving to slow a bit.

[Kait W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun concept of two girls who are supportive rivals becoming new friends while chasing the opportunity to become Kpop idols. We have one girl who is perfectly perfect in every way, she works hard to be good at anything she tries and is always put together because she's so dedicated and polished, and the other is cute but a bit silly and klutzy with major passion and innate charisma. I'm fascinated by their relationship, and while the major catalyst for this plot is the crush one of them has on a boy, I think the most interesting part of this series is going to be the friendship between the girls. I recommend this for anyone who liked Skip Beat! or Full Moon o Sagashite for their focus on people breaking into the idol scene.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and Viz Media for the DRC.

I think this is my first manga about becoming an idol? I have reservations about the aspirations of our FMC, but I'm happy that she's not a total bitch to the other girl. She acknowledged her hard work and it was satisfying to see both of them not proceed to the next round. That just means there's more room for practice.

Although they did get an offer from another talent agency so I wonder if they'll switch there and pass? Vol 1 didn't blow me away since I have no idol aspirations but I'm genuinely curious to see how the story progresses. Please let them become actual friends and not enemies.

[♡ zuly ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character for this isn't necessarily super likable, but I find that's what I like the most about her. She's complex, and is a great driving force for the second female lead. Her motivation to "get the guy" is immature, but they're high school characters, so it makes sense. Honestly, I find the male love interesting to be the least interesting character, maybe there's more to his story but so far he just seems like some random friendly guy. This was an interesting starting volume, but it felt a bit repetitive at times. I'm interested in continuing the story, though!
Thank you to Viz and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

K-pop continues to make waves everywhere so this inspired manga series about going to Korea to audition for a spot in the training camps to hopefully make it big on the scene. The girls all have their interests, quirks, and talents but obviously singing, dancing, and mere stage presence is what's needed in addition to a look and fashion sense.

It's a visual graphic novel with plenty of pretty girls trying to make it big. It had entertainment value and was a fun look behind the scenes at preparing and the nerve-wracking auditions with cutthroat competition. I'd definitely read a second volume.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One girl upon hitting a hardship in elementary school with her family makes the acquaintance of a young boy who wants to be friends with everyone. He changes her perspective to be the best that she can be. Now in high school another young interesting girl comes along. This girl wants to be an idol. And our first girl has secretly been wanting that as well. But will she take the affections of our young man? One cannot allow the other to be better than her. I felt like I have read this graphic novel before, I don’t know why. Maybe it’s another similar title, but it feels very very familiar. The art or and the story are cute. I do want to read the next volume, so that’s a favor.