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Meet "the Killing Machine" Owaru the cold-blooded and strongest hitman of a massive underworld organization who has decided to retire out of the blue. His reason? To stan his favorite underground idol with his head held high! But old habits die hard, especially for a man whose hands are stained with blood. Can Owaru truly shed his identity to live the ultimate fan life of concerts, meet and greets, and picture lotteries—even when his past comes knocking?

Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2023

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Rintarou Ohshima

26 books1 follower

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5 stars
94 (35%)
4 stars
130 (48%)
3 stars
33 (12%)
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8 (3%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Nyx.
177 reviews6 followers
August 30, 2025
a very nice comedy-action manga about a hitman and his favorite idol.
i absolutely loved this - the art is great, the stories are short but make sense in a bigger picture, and our main character is just amazing.
Big points for the idols actually being friends and not faking it for the camera :))
Profile Image for Andrea.
2,219 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2024
Volume 1: (Ch. 1 - 5)

This manga is so freaking awkward, earnest, and hilarious!

We have our H who is a legendary assassin and emotionless killing machine...that is until he found the light of life- an underground idol! Endo Owal is the most powerful assassin in the Fujisan-kai, a huge black market organization, but one day he decides to retire. The reason for his decision was to live his life proudly with Kaorin of the underground idol group Ro~Xesia.

Can a man covered in blood and sorrow protect the light of life that he has finally obtained?! [x]
Profile Image for Kelli.
2,487 reviews33 followers
July 13, 2025
This is my favorite genre of manga.

I love stories that take a tough character—a yakuza, mafioso, gangster, etc.—and pair them with a cute interest or fixation. To me, it’s the pinnacle of what manga can be. It’s what manga is for—having a yakuza hitman be an idol stan.

So, I enjoyed this first volume VERY much.

I had so much fun reading it. Uniquely, this series has the idol (Kaori)—the object of interest—actually interact with the hitman (Endou) on a regular basis.

They actually have a relationship of sorts? They chat???

Usually, there’s far more distance between characters in this scenario. But, I appreciate this closer relationship. It opens up a lot of possibilities.

That said, the main issue a lot of readers have with series like this one is that the gimmick gets old after a while. Many of these stories are a one-trick pony.

I’m hoping that the slightly different approach to the central relationship may add enough novelty that it keeps that issue at bay for a while longer.

But, we’ll see.

Anyway.

If you are also a reader who enjoys this “tough but cute” genre of manga, I think you’d be delighted by this story. It has “Geek Ex-Hitman” and “The Yakuza’s Bias” vibes. So, if you liked those series, you would probably like this one~
Profile Image for Susanna.
Author 54 books105 followers
June 22, 2025
A fun start to a series. Owaru Endou is a legendary hitman in his early thirties, maybe. He’s been an emotionless killing machine for a long time, but lately things have changed. He’s found a girl group to idolise, particularly a member named Kaorin. To be worthy of her handshake, which he’s refused so far, he quits his job. Surprisingly, the crime boss he works for let’s him go.

Endou devotes his life to the idol group and Kaorin. They’re only started their career, so he has a fairly good access to Kaorin who knows him in return. He works several part time jobs, more or less successfully, to be able to buy tickets and merch with clean money. But no matter how much he tries, he gets pulled back to his old life.

This was a good combination of overly serious and silly. The age gap between Endou and Kaorin is wide, but he doesn’t seem to be romantically interested in her. I’m not sure about her. A more experienced otaku teaches Endou the ways of stanning and he makes friends, but he remains reserved. The peek to the next volume at the end hints that he won’t be able to keep his new life for long. Looking forward to reading more.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for XOX.
863 reviews26 followers
February 4, 2026
Stans is a hitman. He is fast and effective.
Then he quit. He has now become a super fan of an idol.
He wants to earn clean money to support his idol.

It has a lot of actions as Stans get into fights.
It got a little bit of idol culture. The fans. The merchandise.

It is about Stans who finally feel something, have feelings when he listen to the songs of his idol.

This feeling makes him wants to be a better person.

In the meantime, he works as a food delivery guy and met some bad people. Of course he is going to defend himself.

It is a humorous what if story. The illustration is good.

4 stars as it still lack complexity in plot.
Profile Image for ☽。⋆ Shells (jlreads_).
1,227 reviews85 followers
July 27, 2025
This manga reminds me of The Yakuza's Idol (not sure if the title is correct) and I believe I also gave it a 3⭐.

The manga story is funny yes, but most of the time I cringed from the panel, probably because it hasn't grown to me yet.

I'd still probably continue this and see how it goes.

As always, thank you Yen Press for the arc copy.
Profile Image for Annalise.
621 reviews9 followers
August 27, 2025
I love a good, goofy manga like this😂😭 the juxtaposition of this Hitman participating in idol-culture is so freaking funny and I’m definitely reading the next volume🙂‍↕️
Profile Image for Brenna.
105 reviews
April 24, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the adventures of Endou-san.

Books like this remind me of how fun and interesting it is to dive deep into the things you care about and how sharing those things with others can even turn your life around.

There's plenty of heartwarming moments, lots of cuteness from Endou-san, and lots of action too. Can't wait for the next book.

Received a DRC on Edelweiss
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.6k reviews462 followers
March 12, 2026
Say hello to an ex-hitman named Endou. He really loves an idol and is very determined to become the biggest fan.


So earlier this year (2025) I read The Geek Ex-Hitman which was about a guy named Marco who was a top assassin/hitman before he discovered anime/idols. So when I saw this one pop up on ComicsPlus I just had to give it a shot. Was it the same? Was it different? Was it just as fun? I mean, I can always use more manga like this in my life!

Well, I can tell you, it was a HOOT. I laughed so much (sorry to the peeps in the metro with me). At first we see how Endou is as a hitman. Killing people without a cent of emotion (then again given the bits of flashbacks we get I understand why he became so robotic). He is the best guy you can hire. He is the top of the top. But he has something that he loves a whole lot. Something he stans. Her name is Kaorin and she is part of an idol group. He tries to be there for each of her concerts. But there is a problem. He wants to do more for her but he doesn’t want to shake her hands with his dirty hands (which made me laugh as she thought he just had actual dirty hands) nor spend his dirty money on her. So what do you do as a guy who stans a cute idol? You just quit at your hitman job. Yup. Unlike The Geek Ex-Hitman Endou is allowed to leave without a hitch and is allowed to live his live working honestly and earning white money and spending it all on his idol. Unlike The Geek Ex-Hitman there are no assassins or weird people following Endou. Don’t worry, we still get action scenes a plenty because Endou is still a highly trained hitman and that is just something you don’t get out of him. Plus, it doesn’t help that his idol girl is also the daughter of the prime minister which led to a whole thing that had me in stitches and actually feeling bad for the bad guys, oh you fucked with the wrong guy. XD

I had so much fun seeing Endou go full out for Kaorin to the point that he just became a whole crowd (don’t ask, just read) and he even has a storage unit somewhere with stuff. He is dedicated and I love it. I also love seeing him meet other fans and otaku.

I also adore that we get to see Kaorin’s POV at times, that just gave that extra bit of oompfh to the story and made me very happy. She is an interesting girl, though at times quite oblivious. I love how sweet she is towards her biggest fan. How she is always looking forward to seeing him in the crowd and hear him cheer.

And yes, I may just be shipping them a little.

The art was so much fun. Great action scenes, great idol parts, and fun character designs.

All in all, I will be reading the next volume soon, I am currently writing this one early December so by the time this review pops up I hope to have read it! I would highly recommend this hilarious manga to all. Idols x hitman x humour = perfection.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Profile Image for Zephorah Dove.
527 reviews5 followers
August 1, 2025
I loved this! Some older otaku's get a bad rep for being pervy, but it seems like for Endo-san, that is the farthest thing from his mind.
The picture taking scene was hilarious but the backstory behind it was gutwrenching.

I'm really excited to see where this series will go and if Endo-san can maintain his freedom. (also shoutout to him for quitting and immediately finding a new gig).

Thanks so much to Yen Press for the DRC!
Profile Image for Brian.
105 reviews
March 11, 2026
I don't normally laugh out loud at a book, but this one is the exception. I think this is what I wanted Sakamoto Days to feel like, but it never quite got there for me. I will definitely be picking up volume 2.
Profile Image for leilu.
48 reviews
June 1, 2024
the idea of mixing oshi culture with the yakuza makes for pure comedic gold
Profile Image for lauras_garden_of_books.
445 reviews17 followers
November 11, 2025
Durch die Reihe „Shimazaki in the Land of Piece“ (ebenfalls aus dem Panini-Verlag) habe ich ein Herz für Geschichten mit ehemaligen Auftragskillern entwickelt und war daher recht gespannt auf „The Hitmans Fave“; jedoch wird hier ein völlig anderer Weg gewählt, der durchaus seinen Reiz hat, der meinen Geschmack aber leider nicht so ganz treffen konnte. Für mich war das Ganze leider zu oberflächlich und auch zu repetitiv.
Owaru Endou hat sein Leben als Profikiller aufgegeben und dies nun vollends an sein Idol Kaorin verschrieben. Mit Nebenjobs hält er sich über Wasser, um auf Konzerte und Meet & Greets zu gehen, Foto-Cards zu sammeln, und was man halt als Idol-Fan noch so alles macht - sein komplettes Leben richtet sich danach aus. Das ist auf der einen Seite unterhaltsam, grade weil Endou seine Killermentailtät schwer ablegen kann, Welten aufeinander prallen und dies für allerlei skurrile Situationen sorgt. Auf der anderen Seite nutzt sich das in meinen Augen aber auch recht schnell ab, vor allem weil es so oberflächlich bleibt und sich viel wiederholt, wodurch die Geschichte leider zunehmend mein Interesse verloren hat.
Die amüsanteste Szene war die, als Endou ein Foto mit seinem Idol machen will; Ihm wurde aber durch seinen Job anerzogen, sich nie ablichten zu lassen, damit seine Spuren verwischt bleiben. Dieser Instinkt sorgt somit für ein amüsantes Fotostrecken-Desaster, das zeichnerisch sehr unterhaltsam umgesetzt ist. Dennoch konnte mich der Band insgesamt nicht neugierig genug machen, um die Reihe weiterlesen zu wollen.
Profile Image for Ery.
80 reviews2 followers
October 12, 2025
Vielleicht erinnert sich jemand an den englischen Manga „The Geek Ex-Hitman“. Im Grunde sind sich die beiden Geschichten sehr ähnlich. Der Unterschied ist auf den ersten Blick wohl der, dass der Protagonist in „The Geek Ex-Hitman“ sehr auf Animefiguren und 2D-Frauen steht, während in „The Hitman’s Fave“ ein Idol im Vordergrund steht.

Auf jeden Fall habe ich es bei „The Geek Ex-Hitman“ nie über den ersten Band hinausgeschafft. Auch wenn ich das Konzept eigentlich spannend fand, hat es bei mir nie so richtig geklickt.

Dann habe ich „The Hitman’s Fave“ gelesen. Es hatte den gleichen Vibe und ich habe den Manga dann bereits abgeschrieben.

ABER: Tatsächlich konnte mich der Manga ab der zweiten Hälfte überraschen und mit Witz überzeugen. Spannend finde ich auch, dass das Idol eine doch ziemlich zentrale Rolle spielt und Endou eigentlich nie wirklich creepy rüberkommt. Außer vielleicht, dass er im Anzug zum Konzert geht. Aber er ist einfach ein leidenschaftlicher Fan, und das auf keinerlei sexuelle Weise. Gerade bei der Stelle, wo die Fotos getauscht werden, habe ich das einfach so gefühlt. Ich denke, jeder, der Pocas von Manhwas oder Idols sammelt, kennt den Schmerz, ein Set zu vervollständigen.

Auch das Idol Kaorin ist mir bislang sehr sympathisch, und ich denke, dass sie alles andere als eine „Damsel in Distress” ist.

Ich freue mich daher schon sehr auf den zweiten Band.
Profile Image for Sol.
828 reviews22 followers
August 27, 2025
The moment I laid eyes on this, I knew I had to read it ASAP! But my library and other county libraries didn't have it yet, so I went ahead and bought it from Amazon, which is always a risk.

... and let me tell you, the moment I finished this volume, I pre-ordered volume 2 INSTANTLY!

God, this made me smile and giggle so much. It like, genuinely lightened my mood and made my heart warm. I think I'm biased because I also engage in oshikatsu culture (which this book translates as stanning), so I really saw myself in the main character. Wanting to support your idol so much, having them be your reason for working hard at your job... but also wanting to be "good" for them, to be the kind of person that "deserves" idolizing them... I just really get that!!

I thought the art was gorgeous and the character dynamics between Endou and Kaorin were just precious. Kaorin genuinely seems like a good, sweet girl. Seeing Endou happy, too, made me happy. I'm happy that he's found something that makes him so happy even though he's clearly had such a difficult upbringing.

I'm adding this book to my favorites shelf right away. It instantly captured my heart and I'm so glad I took a chance on buying it ASAP. I CANNOT wait for volume 2!
1,427 reviews
December 10, 2025
3.5

Not my usual jam and I will give this a couple of more volumes from the library... It is not inherently bad.... it's comedy, something I rarely read as the main genre or how to put it as I am not that into comedy in any format for the most part. My gripe with this is not as much the humour, but more the fact I personally think this will be a gimmick/joke I'll grow tired off after just a couple of volumes. It might prove me wrong, but right now I have a hard time picturing how this series can remain interesting and non repetitive after more than a handful of volumes.
Profile Image for Regalia Lenzi.
807 reviews3 followers
October 5, 2025
To trochę tak, jakby złapać Schimpachi'ego, wyszkolić go na zabójcę, a potem dać mu wolną rękę przy wielbieniu swojej idolki — tutaj Kaorin (a w Gintamie, wiadomo, Tsuu-chan). No i nawet wyszło fajnie i chcę więcej.

Jest to bardziej komedia niż kryminał, chociaż pierwszy rozdział i drugi zwiastują wątki tego typu (kto czytał, ten ojca zna). Spodziewam się powtórki z Costnerem i Whitney, ale na szczęście, nic takiego nie dostałam; no, może oprócz ratunku. Na razie to jest szukanie nowej pracy, chodzenie na koncerty i poznawanie tajników łączenia Kill Billa z Twoja twarz brzmi znajomo.

Obśmiałam się i miałam niezły ubaw, także pierwszy tom dostaje u mnie ładną ocenę i zapowiedź kupna tomu drugiego. Bo najbardziej obawiałam się, że pójdą w jednorozdziałowce, prawie wcale ze sobą niepowiązane. Ale jakoś te pięć rozdziałów trzyma kupę i nie puszcza, nawet jakąś główną fabułę ma.
Profile Image for Sandra.
872 reviews12 followers
November 13, 2025
Eine weitere Serie im Yakuza-Comedy-Bereich :D und dieser trifft das Thema auf ganzer Linie. Endou und sein Idol-Fan-Sein sind so super witzig, vorallem weil zwischendrin immer noch die Sachen mit dem Profkiller durchkommen, wenn es z.B. um Fotos von ihm machen geht und er sich nicht fotografieren lassen will.
Generell ist der Manga sehr ähnlich zu Yakuza goes Hausmann, nur dass es eben im Idolbereich ist. Ich hab jedenfalls mehrfach ziemlich gelacht :D es ist wirklich spaßig.
Profile Image for Helena Jackson.
295 reviews
April 3, 2026
I can definitely see this joke getting stale the longer the series goes on but at least in this volume I find it very silly and cute. I am sort of hoping for an emotional core of some kind (we got a little bit of that, maybe?) and I do kind of wish the beginning was drawn out a bit more, but that does mean we get room to explore backstories in subsequent volumes. I had a blast reading this, though.
Profile Image for Amanda.
22 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2026
Fun and Hilarious Manga to read! 😂❤️

Story is kinda like if you imagine John Wick becoming a fan of a girl that's in a all girl music group and him being very protective of her!
There were parts that made me laugh out loud in the book store.

SPOILERS:

My favorite part was Endou and Kaori taking the pictures and him dodging to not show his face. 😂❤️

Excited to read more in this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sarah Tyson.
117 reviews
April 27, 2025
Rating based on a Digital ARC

I loved this, it is so funny, so clever, so sweet, but with a strong dose of "Good Wholesome Violence". I have a feeling this is going to be a very popular series. I'm already hooked!

Profile Image for Kat.
1,721 reviews16 followers
July 7, 2025
this was hilarious!! reminds me of the yakuza's bias and sakamoto days, in terms of humor and plot. I love endou so far, favorite chapter was the photography one for sure...and hopefully we get more backstory, because what we've seen so far of his past is actually quite dark!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anthony Wendel.
Author 3 books20 followers
September 9, 2025
This was first installment was genuinely funny. If your looking for something in the vein of Sakamoto Days or Way of The Househusband you have found your new series. The over the top action mixed with comedy hits hard and really leaves you smiling. I will be continuing with the next volume.
Profile Image for Katie.
194 reviews
November 26, 2025
Really loved this one! There’s definitely darker moments but mostly we just have funny/cute stuff going on. I like all the characters a lot and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the second volume
Profile Image for ☽ Jess ☕️.
860 reviews8 followers
May 16, 2026
Merci aux éditions Kurokawa pour la découverte de ce titre vers lequel je ne serai pas allée sans ça.

J'avais du mal avec le dessin au début mais l'histoire est tellement drôle finalement que je suis passée au dessus. J'ai bien aimé le côté fan d'idol aussi.
À voir ce que donne la suite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews