Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss!

オンラインゲーム仲間とサシオフしたら職場の鬼上司が来た / Online Game Nakama to Sashi Off shitara Shokuba no Onijoushi ga Kita. #1

by Nmura

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…

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Comics, Contemporary, Queer, Yaoi

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 14, 2021

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

But there is always so much distance, can't help but feel it somehow / But you have never ever felt it like you feel it right now / I'm closin' off inside and, oh, it's only just started / And you can't be close enough unless I'm feeling your heartbeat (All of Your Love – Hellogoodbye).

You know, language is a funny thing, isn’t it? Just the right combination of words holds the secret to unlocking passage into the upper echelon of picture perfect writing. “Passing Time” by Maya Angelou; “Your skin like dawn, mine like musk. One paints the beginning, of a certain end. The other, the end of a sure beginning.” Then there’s “What you won’t do, you’ll do for love” given to us so gracefully by Bobby Caldwell, and we can’t forget the ever unforgettable “Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard. When we drink we do it right, gettin' slizard” from The Far East Movement, now can we? And I’m sure that nobody will argue that there’s a new sheriff in town now that we’ve been blessed to see a manga titled Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss!” by Nmura! Seriously though, that title is a work of beauty, second only to “I Got My Ass Ate By My Barber After He Found Out He Won Free Tickets to Mr. Beast Land!?!?😳🫣" (not a real title by the way, trust me, I've looked). Yeah, sorry for the Beautiful Mind ass intro, but this manga was actually disappointingly stale considering how playful the title is, so I had to make my own fun somehow. Speaking of which, have you ever read something so mid that it shocks you into brevity? Because that’s where I’m at right now. I don’t know why, but I figured that Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! (last time I’m writing that out in its entirety) would be like a Pretty Little Liars kind of deal except for online game cat-fishers, and I very quickly found out that this manga falls into all the usual trappings of a Yaoi manga. The “uwu too cute” main character who's so dense love confessions ping off him like he's The Silver Surfer, the super-hot and emotionally stunted love-interest who pines harder than a tree, and then the third-act introduction of a love-triangle that gets resolved in the most narratively unsatisfying way possible; with time-skips. Yay, it’s all here! I think the addition of the anonymous online gaming angle could have added a dash of a fun mystery element similar to how Love, Simon has you guessing who Blue is for most of the novel, but because we know the identity of every player from the jump (and the fact that they’re all generically sexy… even though they’re gamers), there’s no real reason to get invested in the overall story. I mean, unless you just can’t get enough of the same regurgitated gay manga romance, that is. Also… what game are they even playing? It kind of looks like World of Warcraft (ew), but they spend all their time just chatting to each other? Well, that’s what I used to do with my main friend group in Halo back in the day, but there was (unfortunately) nothing remotely homoerotic about those lobbies, no matter how much Charlie Brooker tries to claim otherwise. Anyway, this was alright. It’s an easy read that doesn’t require much brain power, and sometimes that’s all you need.

What are you doin’ now? / And are you going out? Or has your life shut down? / Are you there? This string keeps cutting out / I feel like freaking out, but we keep reaching out.

[not my high · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chichotałam przez cały czas

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS IS SO SILLY i've been giggling because of that demon boss who has a stoic face but keeps on using cute emoticons.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 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

[L Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Danny_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!<

[Lastblossom]

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!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. :)

[Ben Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[Preslee Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[Pflanzis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Pairing ist cute!
Die Missverständnisse sind witzig.
Salted Salmon trägt großartig zur Story und zur Dynamik bei.
Niedliche Vanilla Love Story.

[Leila ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmm... not that good.

2 out of 5 stars.

[julia]

ale to było pocieszne

[BlaireReadsTheThings · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Hag ✞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Els. ⭑ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Mingshi♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG! Jego kumpel z gry online okazał się jego potwornym szefem!!!

Ale w sumie poza tym to straszne nudny, nawet żadnej chemii pomiędzy nimi nie było😔

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to come

[Holly | Raise Your Words · Rating 2 out of 5]

​-- 2/5 Stars -- ★★☆☆☆

Trigger Warnings for Turns out my Online Friend is my Real-Life Boss 1: Quid Pro Quo, age gap

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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[emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐

it was cute, but nothing more

[marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot - 4 ⭐
Character - 3 ⭐
Writing Style - 3 ⭐
World Building - 3 ⭐
Art - 4 ⭐
Cover - 4 ⭐

Overall - 3.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐

[Alicja Przydryga · Rating 1 out of 5]

Z pozdrowieniami dla Juli:*

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.)

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

**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? 👀

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Alexx (obscure.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.