I went into Tune In to the Midnight Heart intrigued by its premise - mystery, livestreaming, and the search for a long-lost voice? Sounds promising! Unfortunately, the execution left me feeling more frustrated than entertained.
The story follows Arisu, a arrogant high school student whose only comfort in life once came from the soothing voice of an online streamer known as “Apollo.” But one day, Apollo’s broadcasts abruptly stopped, leaving Arisu desperate for answers. Years later, he’s determined to track down the girl behind the voice, convinced that she must be a student at a particular high school. His plan? Transfer in, infiltrate the broadcasting club, and uncover Apollo’s true identity. Simple enough: except Apollo refuses to reveal herself, and Arisu is left with four possible candidates, none of whom have any patience for his pushy and entitled attitude.
Now, here’s where things fell apart for me. From the start, Arisu is an incredibly unlikable protagonist. He’s obsessive, self-centered, and completely tone-deaf to how unsettling his actions are. Changing schools just to hunt down a stranger? Forcing every girl in the club to say “I love you” so he can analyze their voices? Stalking tendencies dialed up to eleven? Yeah... not exactly the charming, determined lead I was hoping for. His wealth and arrogance only add to the problem, as he believes he can buy his way into the club’s good graces without considering their feelings or ambitions.
The pacing and storytelling didn’t help either. The narrative felt scattered and hard to follow, jumping between moments without clear direction or buildup. While the concept had potential, the execution left me more confused than invested. It was difficult to connect with the characters when the plot seemed to lack cohesion, and at times, I wasn’t even sure what the main focus was supposed to be - was it really a mystery? A slice-of-life drama? A character-driven story? It never fully committed to any of them.
That said, there were a couple of elements I did appreciate. The end-of-volume explanations about Japanese words, phrases, and cultural nuances were a nice touch, adding helpful context that might otherwise be lost in translation. It’s always great when a manga provides deeper insight into language and culture, and I genuinely appreciated that effort. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to redeem the overall reading experience for me.
At the end of the day, "Tune In to the Midnight Heart" had an interesting premise but was ultimately a frustrating read. Between an off-putting main character and a messy, unfocused narrative, I just couldn’t find enough to enjoy. I can’t see myself continuing with this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read this volume.