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となりの筋肉女子
A boy-meets-ripped-girl love story!Daria is a college student with a body-image complex as swole as he is skinny. His cool exterior is a shield to protect his soft heart, even though he has a lot of love to give—and he’d love to give it to his crush, Ruby, his gentle giant neighbor. After encouragement from a friend, he might finally get closer to Ruby by…working out with her?! Can Daria find the strength of heart to tell Ruby how he feels?
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First published October 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 21, 2022
Ah, what a cute and wholesome read!
I think the only bummer is that this is a one-shot and not a short series because seeing these two interact was so wonderful to read on page! Daria comes across as this super "tsundere" guy, but really he is just incredibly super shy and insecure about the way he looks. I DEEPLY loved his internal dialogue and had to laugh when he would get frustrated at his own blunt replies when inside he's like "Why did I just say that?!" SO relatable!
Ruby is awesome!! I mean from the first page you honestly can't be impressed by her! (Goodness, that might just start with the cover alone! LOL!) However, I love how kind she is and how she IS "girly" when she shares things about her. I really liked the representation that buff girls can like girly things too as minor as it seems to be in this story!
While majority of these are sporadic-chapters, I really enjoyed once Daria's friend gets involved/comes on page because it felt more of an ongoing story as we see Daria and Ruby "grow closer." Those chapters were some of my favorites because Daria was able to hold more of a conversation with Ruby and was just absolutely adorable on page!
Overall, this was a great fun story! The ending was good, but man did I want more of these two! Definitely recommend!!
I think the only bummer is that this is a one-shot and not a short series because seeing these two interact was so wonderful to read on page! Daria comes across as this super "tsundere" guy, but really he is just incredibly super shy and insecure about the way he looks. I DEEPLY loved his internal dialogue and had to laugh when he would get frustrated at his own blunt replies when inside he's like "Why did I just say that?!" SO relatable!
Ruby is awesome!! I mean from the first page you honestly can't be impressed by her! (Goodness, that might just start with the cover alone! LOL!) However, I love how kind she is and how she IS "girly" when she shares things about her. I really liked the representation that buff girls can like girly things too as minor as it seems to be in this story!
While majority of these are sporadic-chapters, I really enjoyed once Daria's friend gets involved/comes on page because it felt more of an ongoing story as we see Daria and Ruby "grow closer." Those chapters were some of my favorites because Daria was able to hold more of a conversation with Ruby and was just absolutely adorable on page!
Overall, this was a great fun story! The ending was good, but man did I want more of these two! Definitely recommend!!
June 30, 2022
Daria is a scrawny university student who lives next door to Ruby, a super ripped body builder. Daria likes Ruby an awful lot and is working hard to get her to notice him. Will he get through to her or are we in for a lot of narrative reps?
Yes, but no. The short story here is that this isn’t actually a very good book. There’s no good way to say it, but it’s not drawn especially well and it isn’t that interesting. Which is a shame because it’s not a terrible premise and having a guy with body image issues (hi!) is a great, underused, concept.
What lets this down is the storytelling - this is functionally a series of short chapters that show Daria swooning over his statuesque neighbour in various levels of appropriateness, but the short page count per chapter doesn’t lend itself to the story the author wants to tell. Many of these end with very little snap - the perils of a print version of something that was born online.
The core premise about being loved for yourself (I assume; it’s still early) is fine, not that you can’t find a dozen other manga about it. And there’s some brief lip service given to Daria being so scrawny because of the awful expectations heaped on him by his parents.
Where things begin to go wrong is with Daria (im)proper. The mangaka seems to have this bizarre idea that having a cool and aloof persona means being a snippy prick. So Daria is a real pain to spend 90% of this story with. Watching him shut down his classmates asking for help and then having them ‘squeee’ about it is some fantasy world nonsense (you could argue that this is his fantasy version of things, but it doesn’t feel like it quite enough to sell that).
He’s also very ‘cart before the horse’ where Ruby is concerned, going way overboard with his interpretations and attempts to show affection in a way that sidesteps comedy and heads right into creepy, picking out honeymoon spots before they’ve even dated. There’s probably a Dateline NBC that starts just like that.
On the positive side, the story treats Ruby herself very well and celebrates her dedication and physique way more than it objectifies it and she clearly knows her stuff when it comes to working out. Big plus for having a competent female lead.
Once the two of them are spending time together by the ending things dramatically improve - Daria actually apologizes for the way he can be an idiot sometimes, Ruby sees and figures out how vulnerable he is from his parents’ criticism too.
I also liked that Ruby is no idiot about Daria’s feelings either. By no means is this a good manga, but the last portion definitely gives the vibe that it just might be one with the next volume. I’ll at least check out the preview pages and make a call then…
Except there isn’t any more and this is a one-shot that just sort of ends when it’s getting good. In that instance, it’s hard to recommend this one with any enthusiasm.
2.5 stars - minus that uptick at the end, this is a bit of a chore that aims for excessive mediocrity and can barely manage to achieve that for the briefest moments. But it has the glimmer of potential that might have amounted to something good had it continued.
Yes, but no. The short story here is that this isn’t actually a very good book. There’s no good way to say it, but it’s not drawn especially well and it isn’t that interesting. Which is a shame because it’s not a terrible premise and having a guy with body image issues (hi!) is a great, underused, concept.
What lets this down is the storytelling - this is functionally a series of short chapters that show Daria swooning over his statuesque neighbour in various levels of appropriateness, but the short page count per chapter doesn’t lend itself to the story the author wants to tell. Many of these end with very little snap - the perils of a print version of something that was born online.
The core premise about being loved for yourself (I assume; it’s still early) is fine, not that you can’t find a dozen other manga about it. And there’s some brief lip service given to Daria being so scrawny because of the awful expectations heaped on him by his parents.
Where things begin to go wrong is with Daria (im)proper. The mangaka seems to have this bizarre idea that having a cool and aloof persona means being a snippy prick. So Daria is a real pain to spend 90% of this story with. Watching him shut down his classmates asking for help and then having them ‘squeee’ about it is some fantasy world nonsense (you could argue that this is his fantasy version of things, but it doesn’t feel like it quite enough to sell that).
He’s also very ‘cart before the horse’ where Ruby is concerned, going way overboard with his interpretations and attempts to show affection in a way that sidesteps comedy and heads right into creepy, picking out honeymoon spots before they’ve even dated. There’s probably a Dateline NBC that starts just like that.
On the positive side, the story treats Ruby herself very well and celebrates her dedication and physique way more than it objectifies it and she clearly knows her stuff when it comes to working out. Big plus for having a competent female lead.
Once the two of them are spending time together by the ending things dramatically improve - Daria actually apologizes for the way he can be an idiot sometimes, Ruby sees and figures out how vulnerable he is from his parents’ criticism too.
I also liked that Ruby is no idiot about Daria’s feelings either. By no means is this a good manga, but the last portion definitely gives the vibe that it just might be one with the next volume. I’ll at least check out the preview pages and make a call then…
Except there isn’t any more and this is a one-shot that just sort of ends when it’s getting good. In that instance, it’s hard to recommend this one with any enthusiasm.
2.5 stars - minus that uptick at the end, this is a bit of a chore that aims for excessive mediocrity and can barely manage to achieve that for the briefest moments. But it has the glimmer of potential that might have amounted to something good had it continued.
June 17, 2022
THIS MANGA IS TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!!
The dynamic between Ruby and Daria is so sweet, it will give you a toothache and diabetes! Daria has always been self conscious, because he has a very slim build, and was sick a lot when he was younger. He has a huge crush on the beautiful, muscular Ruby, who happens to be his neighbor. This is a sweet story with lots of adorable blushing and shenanigans. The only reason I am giving this 4 instead of 5 stars, is because it feels like a cliffhanger ending, and it says that it's complete, which makes me SO SAD!!! I WANTED SO MUCH MORE!!!
The dynamic between Ruby and Daria is so sweet, it will give you a toothache and diabetes! Daria has always been self conscious, because he has a very slim build, and was sick a lot when he was younger. He has a huge crush on the beautiful, muscular Ruby, who happens to be his neighbor. This is a sweet story with lots of adorable blushing and shenanigans. The only reason I am giving this 4 instead of 5 stars, is because it feels like a cliffhanger ending, and it says that it's complete, which makes me SO SAD!!! I WANTED SO MUCH MORE!!!
July 30, 2023
CUUUUUUTE and just a delightful read. Love love love this art and yeah, who wouldn’t fall in love with their hottie muscle lady next door
October 18, 2023
Wish I was the protagonist
August 20, 2022
An aggressively mediocre opposites-attract romance about a scrawny guy falling for the bodybuilder next door. Too much time was spent on angst over the crush and too little time on the best friend who turns out to be an ace wingman. The last chapter feels abrupt, like the series suffered a last-second cancellation.
August 27, 2025
the idea and the cover spelled a lot of potential, a potential that fails to materialize. so the gender expectations about weight are reversed. okay. and? and that is all.
there is no story here. and no character arc. there are some weird snapshots that could happen in any order.
the woman is a man, with tits. she is a woman to excuse the homophobia of the audience.
overall the volume is very confusing. daria? that is feminine of darius. something got lost in the translation. and the author is painfully self-conscious about his departure from the strict and moronic traditional values. hence, the two characters are japanese in actions and mentality, yet they are western in body and location. i went through about half of the volume till i got that the woman is named ruby and not daria. also, while on the cover the two are easy to tell apart, the writer's drawing skills are comparable with their writing skills, so it's hard to tell apart the two.
as for opposites attract, he could have long hair and she could wear a crew cut. that would have been a far better choice, it would have made zero difference to the episodes, and the two would have been easier to differentiate.
it is also annoying when the writer has no idea what to put next, so they paste unrelated material from the net. in the case of this volume, the parts about nutrition and exercise are just more wasted pages.
and because i am not japanese, i fail to enjoy the depth of the character's anger fits, and i just find him a disgusting prick. and that doubles as he has no obvious character quality. is blonde hair a character quality for the japanese?
there is no story here. and no character arc. there are some weird snapshots that could happen in any order.
the woman is a man, with tits. she is a woman to excuse the homophobia of the audience.
overall the volume is very confusing. daria? that is feminine of darius. something got lost in the translation. and the author is painfully self-conscious about his departure from the strict and moronic traditional values. hence, the two characters are japanese in actions and mentality, yet they are western in body and location. i went through about half of the volume till i got that the woman is named ruby and not daria. also, while on the cover the two are easy to tell apart, the writer's drawing skills are comparable with their writing skills, so it's hard to tell apart the two.
as for opposites attract, he could have long hair and she could wear a crew cut. that would have been a far better choice, it would have made zero difference to the episodes, and the two would have been easier to differentiate.
it is also annoying when the writer has no idea what to put next, so they paste unrelated material from the net. in the case of this volume, the parts about nutrition and exercise are just more wasted pages.
and because i am not japanese, i fail to enjoy the depth of the character's anger fits, and i just find him a disgusting prick. and that doubles as he has no obvious character quality. is blonde hair a character quality for the japanese?
July 3, 2022
This was so much fun to read!
The Muscle Girl Next Door was mostly silly and not too deep, but I definitely related to Daria. I, too, would be absolutely whipped if a buff girl was into me. No doubt about that.
However, I won't deny that Daria was a bit of an asshole at first, but eventually he got over that, and that is all I care about. It also must be said that he was so head over heels that he often imagined things were more serious with Ruby than they were in reality, but at least he never really made things creepy. It was just his internal monologue.
I hope there will be a sequel to this since we never really got to see the characters dating, but it was still nice to watch the build-up to Daria and Ruby spending more time together.
All in all, I would highly recommend this for anyone who--like me--is totally down to read about a buff girl and a skinny guy getting together.
The Muscle Girl Next Door was mostly silly and not too deep, but I definitely related to Daria. I, too, would be absolutely whipped if a buff girl was into me. No doubt about that.
However, I won't deny that Daria was a bit of an asshole at first, but eventually he got over that, and that is all I care about. It also must be said that he was so head over heels that he often imagined things were more serious with Ruby than they were in reality, but at least he never really made things creepy. It was just his internal monologue.
I hope there will be a sequel to this since we never really got to see the characters dating, but it was still nice to watch the build-up to Daria and Ruby spending more time together.
All in all, I would highly recommend this for anyone who--like me--is totally down to read about a buff girl and a skinny guy getting together.
September 15, 2024
This one is not so subtle in its execution as I would have hoped, and the protagonist is maybe a little TOO passive, but that is also what this story is about.
Beside the horny side to this story, what you get a cute and intimate look into fragile masculinity and accepting the image of the modern feminine man (or if there is a better word for it). The roles have to some degree been reversed here and it is super interesting to see how I characters handles this in a modern setting.
All the while being extremely cute at the same time!
Beside the horny side to this story, what you get a cute and intimate look into fragile masculinity and accepting the image of the modern feminine man (or if there is a better word for it). The roles have to some degree been reversed here and it is super interesting to see how I characters handles this in a modern setting.
All the while being extremely cute at the same time!
December 27, 2024
Needs a sequel 😭❤️
December 4, 2022
simple cute read i enjoyed!
April 23, 2020
These two totally stole my heart. Hooray for muscular women! (At first I thought I'd have no patience for Daria's "tsundere" ways, but I think that's a bit of a misnomer - he's really just shy, not mean or even particularly cold). I'm so happy something that started out as an online comic got an official book release from Kodansha no less! The world really is a good place sometimes.
May 30, 2024
The heart is a muscle too!
3.5* stars.
Daria may seem aloof, but his outward attitude is how he protects his soft heart and his body image insecurities. But the one thing he can't protect his heart from is the muscle-bound, next door neighbor, Ruby. The two barely talk at first but after Daria's friend intervenes on his behalf, they start to grow closer as she teaches him how to bulk up and build muscle. But will Daria build up the courage to tell Ruby how he truly feels?
The premise of this was really cute, a shy and scrawny college student, in love with his kind and beefy next door neighbor, and while the delivery was well paced, hilarious, and at times very sweet, there was nothing notably exceptional with this series.
The art was nice. But at times it lacked definition, particularly with Ruby. It felt like her face never changed, even when she smiled. Except for blushing or comedic moments, it was hard to tell what the characters were feeling just by their face. Thankfully, the atmospheric flourishes, (sparkles, shadows, ect,) in the panels helped with that.
I liked it, if there was ever a second volume, I would pick it up, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
Check out my bookstagram! @Witchy.Otaku
3.5* stars.
Daria may seem aloof, but his outward attitude is how he protects his soft heart and his body image insecurities. But the one thing he can't protect his heart from is the muscle-bound, next door neighbor, Ruby. The two barely talk at first but after Daria's friend intervenes on his behalf, they start to grow closer as she teaches him how to bulk up and build muscle. But will Daria build up the courage to tell Ruby how he truly feels?
The premise of this was really cute, a shy and scrawny college student, in love with his kind and beefy next door neighbor, and while the delivery was well paced, hilarious, and at times very sweet, there was nothing notably exceptional with this series.
The art was nice. But at times it lacked definition, particularly with Ruby. It felt like her face never changed, even when she smiled. Except for blushing or comedic moments, it was hard to tell what the characters were feeling just by their face. Thankfully, the atmospheric flourishes, (sparkles, shadows, ect,) in the panels helped with that.
I liked it, if there was ever a second volume, I would pick it up, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
Check out my bookstagram! @Witchy.Otaku
July 18, 2022
Oh, so this was written for me, specifically? Thank you!
I mean, the only thing I would have loved better would be if this was F/F, but I will take well-drawn, buff women wherever I can get them. And in manga, having a buff woman who is not only not a joke or somehow villainized, but is also a love interest, is amazing. I long for a Rubi to be my coach, taking me shopping for protein powder and spotting me at the weights.
Rubi isn't just "naturally" like that. Her physique is something she works for, and I really appreciate that. She's not judged as vain for putting effort into fitness, and her skill is portrayed as valuable. It's how she makes a living!
Daria, our love interest, is a good stand-in, because I, too, would be a melting mess if Rubi said she enjoyed my cooking. Wife me up, please.
If buff women are your thing, this is just absolutely perfect. A cute story, mouth-watering detail to the musculature, and a pure respect for a skilled athlete. Yum!
I mean, the only thing I would have loved better would be if this was F/F, but I will take well-drawn, buff women wherever I can get them. And in manga, having a buff woman who is not only not a joke or somehow villainized, but is also a love interest, is amazing. I long for a Rubi to be my coach, taking me shopping for protein powder and spotting me at the weights.
Rubi isn't just "naturally" like that. Her physique is something she works for, and I really appreciate that. She's not judged as vain for putting effort into fitness, and her skill is portrayed as valuable. It's how she makes a living!
Daria, our love interest, is a good stand-in, because I, too, would be a melting mess if Rubi said she enjoyed my cooking. Wife me up, please.
If buff women are your thing, this is just absolutely perfect. A cute story, mouth-watering detail to the musculature, and a pure respect for a skilled athlete. Yum!
June 26, 2022
this was freaking adorable. the art was not my favorite, and daria was a bit too much of a jerk in the beginning, but overall I LOVED the representation (literally never seen a super buff lady as the main love interest in romance manga before). daria's pining was cute and their interactions were charmingly awkward, especially in the final conclusion chapters. the most hilarious scene was when daria was gushing about how sexy ruby is to his friends, picturing her in all her muscley glory, while they were picturing a busty, sultry temptress. I wish this was longer, so we could get more of their backstory!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2023
This was so cute and tropey in the best ways. Daria is a bit shy and standoffish but is super wholesome on the inside. I love how he adores Ruby and isn’t intimidated by her strength. I also think for a super buff character Rubys character design was really well done. She had a super healthy approach to fitness and body image that I really appreciated.
For something that was told basically in a series of short stories in a light hearted and fluffy way, this volume really surprised me with the depth that it still managed to convey with its characters. I desperately hope there’ll be another volume.
For something that was told basically in a series of short stories in a light hearted and fluffy way, this volume really surprised me with the depth that it still managed to convey with its characters. I desperately hope there’ll be another volume.
July 6, 2022
'The Muscle Girl Next Door' is a cute one-shot romance about a scrawny guy and the buff neighbor he has a huge crush on. I really adore that his thought process is 'I have to learn to cook for her... I mean, so that I can build my own muscles," and how immediately she's decided that he's cute and that she's into him when they run into each other on the street. Plus, good supportive friends. A nice feel-good story.
November 18, 2022
This was so much cuter than I thought it was going to be. Based on the title and premise, I thought it was going to be more silly and funny. It did have plenty of funny moments, of course, but Daria's crush on Ruby was just so cute and sweet. I really hope there's a sequel!
May 3, 2025
It was kinda cute, but there just wasn't much to sink my teeth into. The characters don't really have time to develop into interesting people, and nothing much happens in terms of plot. I wouldn't say this one-shot is anything particularly special, sadly, but I did think the leads had nice designs, and the art was cute.
This is a good read if you want something fast and sweet that you don't have to think too hard about.
This is a good read if you want something fast and sweet that you don't have to think too hard about.
June 29, 2022
I’d have to say this book really wasn’t my cup of tea the artwork was nice though I did like how they switched the normal character roles where I was the woman who was buff and in shape and the guy was scrawny and had body issues about it it was a cute read though not exactly what I was looking for I do think there will be an audience for though I’m just not one of them.
April 8, 2024
Found this by coincidence at a bookstore and liked the idea of gender dynamic being switched. While the story is charming and I liked the dynamic of the two leads; the reason for the rating was that this seems to be a one shot and it is a shame because there are character dynamics I would have liked to see explored more.
January 4, 2023
I want muscles
This is adorable. Shy guy and buff lady. Le sigh my heart melts from their interactions and just her willingness to be encouraging with taking it easy. A nice read for romance
This is adorable. Shy guy and buff lady. Le sigh my heart melts from their interactions and just her willingness to be encouraging with taking it easy. A nice read for romance
March 12, 2023
Super cute and fun manga about a tsundere boy, his best wingman, and the beautiful muscle girl next door. <3 Loved every second of it and wish there was more just because I enjoyed wallowing in the fluff.
April 8, 2023
I loved this. "You're still straight even if you're scrawny and like to cook while the girl you like is a bodybuilder and you're too shy to make the first move."
I'm glad to see media like this cuz when I was growing up gender norms and sexual orientation were so conflated.
I'm glad to see media like this cuz when I was growing up gender norms and sexual orientation were so conflated.
January 5, 2024
It’s a really cute book, my friend made me get it because I too am a muscular girl. It’s pretty short and to the point and ends happy, I just wish the story was longer, with more volumes, and explored the characters more. It’s pretty surface level yet cute and funny.
March 5, 2024
Cute and funny series of short stories. I wish it was a two-shot, so we get to see how Daria and Ruby’s interactions progress.
Art style has a sketchy quality that matches the tone of the story. Daria’s internal monologue is funny.
Art style has a sketchy quality that matches the tone of the story. Daria’s internal monologue is funny.
July 2, 2024
Had picked this up on a whim, wanting to expand my manga collection, however small. I was not expecting how simple and yet cute this was. Daria is a shy, insecure guy in love with his tall bulky neighbour Ruby.
And that ending! I wasn't hoping for a standalone or a series, but why end at that?!
And that ending! I wasn't hoping for a standalone or a series, but why end at that?!
June 22, 2022
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I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
June 25, 2022
Absolutely read! Adorable and completely lovable!
August 2, 2022
Some good depictions of how nervous and shy can look like angry and rude. Also fitness tips!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews