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There’s No Way A Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right? #1
There's no way a side character like me could be popular, right? Volume 1
“I just love you sooooooo much, Senpai!”
My name is Tomoki Yuuji, a second-year student in high school. I’d say I’m a fairly normal student, save for the fact that everyone avoids me like the plague because I apparently look like I’m out for blood. Ike Haruma is the only one that doesn’t steer clear of me. He’s your typical ‘perfect guy’ in every sense; the protagonist with no real flaws that you see in any given story.
Life at school was going on as usual… until one day Haruma’s super popular little sister confesses to me out of the blue?! Though she later clarifies that her feelings toward me are anything but romantic and that she has an ulterior motive, I end up accepting my new role as ‘fake boyfriend’ as a favor to Haruma.
Believe it or not, the moment I start going out with her, Haruma’s idol-tier childhood friend and my super hot teacher get involved with me too!
Wait a minute, this can’t be a dream rom-com scenario setting itself up for me, can it?! I mean, there’s no way a side character like me could be popular, right?
My name is Tomoki Yuuji, a second-year student in high school. I’d say I’m a fairly normal student, save for the fact that everyone avoids me like the plague because I apparently look like I’m out for blood. Ike Haruma is the only one that doesn’t steer clear of me. He’s your typical ‘perfect guy’ in every sense; the protagonist with no real flaws that you see in any given story.
Life at school was going on as usual… until one day Haruma’s super popular little sister confesses to me out of the blue?! Though she later clarifies that her feelings toward me are anything but romantic and that she has an ulterior motive, I end up accepting my new role as ‘fake boyfriend’ as a favor to Haruma.
Believe it or not, the moment I start going out with her, Haruma’s idol-tier childhood friend and my super hot teacher get involved with me too!
Wait a minute, this can’t be a dream rom-com scenario setting itself up for me, can it?! I mean, there’s no way a side character like me could be popular, right?
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2019
45 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 28, 2023
A new light novel publisher, you don't know what to expect for their first release, but I gotta say, this was a surprisingly good read for me, and I really liked it. I especially ended up loving the relationship between the two main characters. I thought it was refreshing, fun and sweet. Even if it's only a "fake" relationship at this point, I appreciated that they were together right at the beginning instead of the usual taking volumes for a relationship to develop. I may have had an issue with one particularly delusional side character but it didn't detract enough from the story to ruin it for me. I hope some of the other side characters get developed in future volumes too. For those like me who've been dying for more rom-com light novels, I definitely recommend giving this one a read. It's a good addition to our currently small yet hopefully growing catalog of the genre. I look forward to the next volume.
September 1, 2021
Tomoki has a resting thug face that scares all the other students. He ends up agreeing to a fake dating arrangement with Touka, who also happens to be the little sister of his best friend. And, before this story can sink under the weight of all these tropes, it actually ends up going somewhere.
I don’t know why I ended up deciding to grab this book in particular off my reading pile, I really don’t. But I can painfully admit that even with a premise that looks like the love child of several books I’ve previously read, I kind of really came around on these characters.
Tomoki is our titular side character and they do a few things with him that work to varying levels of success. I absolutely loved how hard they steer into the ‘gruff visage that looks nothing of the sort’ (which is a straight grab from Toradora!) - he often clears entire rooms and there’s a great scene where he diverts the gazes of tons of people staring from inside the school while he’s outside.
It’s a little crazy, but it at least makes that ridiculous notion fun and it’s a good recurring gag. His lack of face time has meant he’s been mostly alone his whole life, which does go a little ways to explaining how ridiculously dense he is.
See, Tomoki’s best friend is the person most would consider the main character of a manga - Haruma is school council president, popular with all the girls, and commands respect while scoring the highest grades. So Tomoki winning over everybody by being a decent guy makes no sense to him while Haruma is right there.
This part doesn’t work quite as well - Tomoki is incredibly thick at some points, but I do like that they tried. At times he’s so oblivious that it plays like many, many other stories before it. Also, it might be a subtle bit of wry commentary, but Haruma is absolutely dull as dishwater by virtue of his own perfection.
Then there’s Touka, Haruma’s equally ‘perfect’ sister, who initially comes on way too strong (she blackmails Tomoki into their arrangement in the nastiest way possible, even if he cuts it off before it happens), is foul-mouthed, and a self-proclaimed rude bitch.
And I love her character, so so much. She’s almost a tsundere trope, but she’s got a lot more depth than that and she knows exactly what she’s truly like - her pleasant side is the disguise rather than the opposite, an inspired notion. Her reasons for what she’s doing are deeper than they first appear and she and Tomoki not only have good chemistry but have a real heart to heart that I appreciated.
Touka is, not surprisingly, living in the shadow of a vastly more popular brother, but the way this has affected her entire life and defined her to other people has left her as an utterly miserable person. It’s the perfect chance for a fake relationship to start going another way.
This is a slight read in all senses of the word, but I really enjoyed it. Tomoki definitely isn’t weak and he lives up to his rep a couple times. The side cast is various shades of okay, mostly tainted by Tomoki’s misreading of every situation, and they get the job done.
I was worried the young teacher was going in one direction, but she seems way more interested in any chance of BL breaking out between the male cast. Haruma’s childhood friend couldn’t be more obvious if she tried and a potential antagonist ends up loving Tomoki possibly more than Touka does.
My thing about tropes is that you can use them, but you need to do something with them and this does enough for me. It has some really good emotional beats (again, Touka and Tomoki have a wonderful scene on the roof), but the comedy is playful enough too.
Besides the fact that literally the entire cast seems to be falling in love with our “side character”, there are also a whopping six bonus stories that ended up being pretty good and making a lot of fun of romance staples in ways that make for a good little snack on your way out the door.
3.5 stars, I can’t say no to strong emotional scenes I really liked, but I don’t think it’s a package quite good enough to round it up. Still, for something I didn’t expect to go anywhere when I started it, it really kinda did and, well, my reading history will speak for itself, honestly.
I don’t know why I ended up deciding to grab this book in particular off my reading pile, I really don’t. But I can painfully admit that even with a premise that looks like the love child of several books I’ve previously read, I kind of really came around on these characters.
Tomoki is our titular side character and they do a few things with him that work to varying levels of success. I absolutely loved how hard they steer into the ‘gruff visage that looks nothing of the sort’ (which is a straight grab from Toradora!) - he often clears entire rooms and there’s a great scene where he diverts the gazes of tons of people staring from inside the school while he’s outside.
It’s a little crazy, but it at least makes that ridiculous notion fun and it’s a good recurring gag. His lack of face time has meant he’s been mostly alone his whole life, which does go a little ways to explaining how ridiculously dense he is.
See, Tomoki’s best friend is the person most would consider the main character of a manga - Haruma is school council president, popular with all the girls, and commands respect while scoring the highest grades. So Tomoki winning over everybody by being a decent guy makes no sense to him while Haruma is right there.
This part doesn’t work quite as well - Tomoki is incredibly thick at some points, but I do like that they tried. At times he’s so oblivious that it plays like many, many other stories before it. Also, it might be a subtle bit of wry commentary, but Haruma is absolutely dull as dishwater by virtue of his own perfection.
Then there’s Touka, Haruma’s equally ‘perfect’ sister, who initially comes on way too strong (she blackmails Tomoki into their arrangement in the nastiest way possible, even if he cuts it off before it happens), is foul-mouthed, and a self-proclaimed rude bitch.
And I love her character, so so much. She’s almost a tsundere trope, but she’s got a lot more depth than that and she knows exactly what she’s truly like - her pleasant side is the disguise rather than the opposite, an inspired notion. Her reasons for what she’s doing are deeper than they first appear and she and Tomoki not only have good chemistry but have a real heart to heart that I appreciated.
Touka is, not surprisingly, living in the shadow of a vastly more popular brother, but the way this has affected her entire life and defined her to other people has left her as an utterly miserable person. It’s the perfect chance for a fake relationship to start going another way.
This is a slight read in all senses of the word, but I really enjoyed it. Tomoki definitely isn’t weak and he lives up to his rep a couple times. The side cast is various shades of okay, mostly tainted by Tomoki’s misreading of every situation, and they get the job done.
I was worried the young teacher was going in one direction, but she seems way more interested in any chance of BL breaking out between the male cast. Haruma’s childhood friend couldn’t be more obvious if she tried and a potential antagonist ends up loving Tomoki possibly more than Touka does.
My thing about tropes is that you can use them, but you need to do something with them and this does enough for me. It has some really good emotional beats (again, Touka and Tomoki have a wonderful scene on the roof), but the comedy is playful enough too.
Besides the fact that literally the entire cast seems to be falling in love with our “side character”, there are also a whopping six bonus stories that ended up being pretty good and making a lot of fun of romance staples in ways that make for a good little snack on your way out the door.
3.5 stars, I can’t say no to strong emotional scenes I really liked, but I don’t think it’s a package quite good enough to round it up. Still, for something I didn’t expect to go anywhere when I started it, it really kinda did and, well, my reading history will speak for itself, honestly.
February 6, 2021
Tomoki Yuuji vive a la sombra de su mejor amigo Ike Haruma, ya que es perfecto en sus resultados académicos y en los deportes, constantemente aclamado y seguido en el colegio. En cambio, él no es bueno en nada y para colmo tiene una cicatriz en la cara que asusta mucho a quien quiera que se cruza con él, sintiéndose un personaje del todo secundario en la vida. Cuando Ike Touka, la hermana pequeña de su amigo, le pide salir con él, parece que ya no es tan secundario, pero no deja de preguntarse por qué le ocurre a él algo que en apariencia no debería ni merecer.
Se trata de una light novel, una novela con algunas ilustraciones. Es una comedia romántica bastante inocente, como suelen serlo las del género japonés. Una relación tímida donde los personajes piensan introspectivamente mucho más de lo que se atreven a decir. No faltan los inevitables tópicos: la amiga enamorada del protagonista o los malos de turno, por no hablar de la preparación del festival del colegio. Aunque hay que reconocerle a la novela que tiene ciertos toques de originalidad, ya que el planteamiento de partida es novedoso y sorprende con una revelación por parte de Touka hacia el final que deja un buen sabor de final de novela.
Las ilustraciones tienen una fuerza increíble y refuerzan muy bien a los personajes, como que calan profundo en la idea que te haces de ellos. Se agradece el humor, que en ocasiones es muy bueno y hace un tono ameno, a pesar de que hay muchas secuencias predecibles y otras que podrían sobrar. Eso sí, el peor apartado cae sin duda en la traducción (hablo por la versión e-book, pero creo que la física es igual). No es solo que sea mala y confusa, sino que hasta tiene algunos fallos de ortografía. Eso dificulta la lectura y hace un tormento el hecho de seguir los diálogos, creo que es algo que se tendría que hacer mirar. Realmente no sabría decir ahora mismo si seguiría leyéndolo.
Se trata de una light novel, una novela con algunas ilustraciones. Es una comedia romántica bastante inocente, como suelen serlo las del género japonés. Una relación tímida donde los personajes piensan introspectivamente mucho más de lo que se atreven a decir. No faltan los inevitables tópicos: la amiga enamorada del protagonista o los malos de turno, por no hablar de la preparación del festival del colegio. Aunque hay que reconocerle a la novela que tiene ciertos toques de originalidad, ya que el planteamiento de partida es novedoso y sorprende con una revelación por parte de Touka hacia el final que deja un buen sabor de final de novela.
Las ilustraciones tienen una fuerza increíble y refuerzan muy bien a los personajes, como que calan profundo en la idea que te haces de ellos. Se agradece el humor, que en ocasiones es muy bueno y hace un tono ameno, a pesar de que hay muchas secuencias predecibles y otras que podrían sobrar. Eso sí, el peor apartado cae sin duda en la traducción (hablo por la versión e-book, pero creo que la física es igual). No es solo que sea mala y confusa, sino que hasta tiene algunos fallos de ortografía. Eso dificulta la lectura y hace un tormento el hecho de seguir los diálogos, creo que es algo que se tendría que hacer mirar. Realmente no sabría decir ahora mismo si seguiría leyéndolo.
June 12, 2020
A new light novel slice of life challenger appears. Is it worth your time? The answer to me is: maybe, especially if you want more slice of life titles stateside as Tentai is a new publisher on the scene.
One of the positives of the title is the chemistry between the leads after they start dating. Their first date in particular could go really horribly, and yet it doesn't because of Yuuji's intrinsic ability to say and do the right thing. The pair also frequently have similar mindsets on things (both asking rival romantic interest Kana to apologise to the other spouse as amends for a slight) and seem to be very compatible (Touka hates being around large groups of people, and Yuuji has no choice in the matter but his presence lowers group sizes + he has to know how to have fun alone). Both of them are willing to help one another selflessly (Touka with some crying and moaning along the way, but no quit). So there are definitely things to like here in terms of their actual relationship dynamic. If it didn't have the rough start it did, it's altogether fairly healthy and positive.
Characters are always at the heart of romantic comedy titles, not plot or politics or what have you that can carry a fantasy work beyond any potential tepid characterization and tired harem antics. So you hope here the characters are strong and... I'd say some of them are. But I wouldn't say any of them are too multi-dimensional or layered. A lot of the characters keep a true aspect of their background hidden. For instance, Touka our bright / personable underclassmen is secretly angst ridden and bitter at her treatment as the "cute, date worthy younger sister of Haruma Ike". Our main character, Yuuji is thought to secretly be a gangster or at least a delinquent, but it's just that he looks intimidating. Then you have characters like Ike Haruma and Makiri sensei that are almost too altruistic, and at least in Makiri's case, you get the sense there's a bit more history with her student (as she looks downtrodden when he praises her for her efforts in getting him to fit in more in school / gain a better reputation / friends). It makes me think she has a connection to Yuuji's secret past, which is an incident involving a group of ruffians and he that never truly gets fully explained in this volume.
The two lead heroines in this story both lead to some negative vibes, and I'd say that drags down my mood a bit on this one. You've got Touka Ike, who I've already talked about has a bitter personality. She's also playfully vulgar, and quick to tease her Senpai when he refers to her as "cute" (and when her Senpai responds in earnest to her teasings, it actually makes her blush). But the initial incident in this story I think will turn many off of Touka early, as she is in a position to need Yuuji and so she uses her power... to scream bloody murder on the rooftop about him trying to assault her or something. Yup, it's yet another "false assault accusation as a tool" setup to start a story. Our hero isn't having any of that as he calls her out on how bad this plan would work when he's already on the outs of society cause of rumors. One more rumor won't get him kicked out of school, especially when it's unsubstantiated and his best friend, who happens to be the would be false victim's brother, would stick up for him.
The second heroine barely appears this volume, but when she does, Kana Hasaka is presented as your typical shy girl with a one-sided affection but too cowardice to confess. The comedy gag with her is that she can't look Yuuji in the face, Yuuji thinking he scares her, she of course being embarrassed because of her affection for him. I feel like I shouldn't jump on the Kana train, cause unless this ends full harem, no way she's winning. She missed her chance. And it sucks cause she didn't originally have nefarious intentions or motives, so you'd kind of like to root for that sort of "pure" love over someone like Touka who is invading the scene + a less than stellar personality. But at the end of the day, she's not much better than Touka sadly as she tries to force the pair to kiss to prove their love and is incessantly annoying with her constant "pull Yuuji to the side with Haruma to interrogate him on whether he's being used or no" technique. I did like that she gains a bit of courage late, and hopefully that resolve leads to good development next time... But I doubt it.
Comedy in this one is mainly back and forth banter focused. Again, some of this banter is good humored, some of it is ice breakers, some of it is low hanging fruit, and some of it is just a tad bit harsh (it even has the two leads calling the other a pr$ck or a bi€¥h iirc, so yeah, rather harsh). There are some gags that are sure to be repeated as well. Off hand, I can recall the times Kana gets flustered because of how Yuuji defends his relationship with Touka and she just runs off after screaming her catchphrase "Haruma, you baka!" (Makes me wonder how Ike is inviting her to talk with Yuuji; did he promise he'd help her with her one-sided affections or something?). Touka is pretty vulgar as well, so most of the comedy is not safe for work. None of the comedy had me laughing out loud overall though, nothing too memorable.
The story seems like it's going to be grander than it is at the start when you're trying to figure out Touka's actual motivations for the fake relationship, and that intrigue was honestly what kept me going early. The actual answer was probably even more pedestrian than what Yuuji imagined (he imagined that she was trying to catch her brother's attention / make him jealous / repair their relationship). The answer to "what's the deal with Yuuji / why does everyone fear him" gets sort of answered too, and it's not too enticing either. Now I hear this gets a bit more crazy in volume 2, so I'm holding out hope for more there. And I think Haruma is enough of a blank slate character that we could get more from him as well. There's places this could go, but there's not that much direct, obvious plotting afoot after one volume (outside of Sensei's whole deal, which they clearly have to explore more; oh, and Touka's threat if Yuuji ever tells anyone else the truth of their relationship, which is bound to happen someday). We'll just have to wait and see what the next volume brings
One of the positives of the title is the chemistry between the leads after they start dating. Their first date in particular could go really horribly, and yet it doesn't because of Yuuji's intrinsic ability to say and do the right thing. The pair also frequently have similar mindsets on things (both asking rival romantic interest Kana to apologise to the other spouse as amends for a slight) and seem to be very compatible (Touka hates being around large groups of people, and Yuuji has no choice in the matter but his presence lowers group sizes + he has to know how to have fun alone). Both of them are willing to help one another selflessly (Touka with some crying and moaning along the way, but no quit). So there are definitely things to like here in terms of their actual relationship dynamic. If it didn't have the rough start it did, it's altogether fairly healthy and positive.
Characters are always at the heart of romantic comedy titles, not plot or politics or what have you that can carry a fantasy work beyond any potential tepid characterization and tired harem antics. So you hope here the characters are strong and... I'd say some of them are. But I wouldn't say any of them are too multi-dimensional or layered. A lot of the characters keep a true aspect of their background hidden. For instance, Touka our bright / personable underclassmen is secretly angst ridden and bitter at her treatment as the "cute, date worthy younger sister of Haruma Ike". Our main character, Yuuji is thought to secretly be a gangster or at least a delinquent, but it's just that he looks intimidating. Then you have characters like Ike Haruma and Makiri sensei that are almost too altruistic, and at least in Makiri's case, you get the sense there's a bit more history with her student (as she looks downtrodden when he praises her for her efforts in getting him to fit in more in school / gain a better reputation / friends). It makes me think she has a connection to Yuuji's secret past, which is an incident involving a group of ruffians and he that never truly gets fully explained in this volume.
The two lead heroines in this story both lead to some negative vibes, and I'd say that drags down my mood a bit on this one. You've got Touka Ike, who I've already talked about has a bitter personality. She's also playfully vulgar, and quick to tease her Senpai when he refers to her as "cute" (and when her Senpai responds in earnest to her teasings, it actually makes her blush). But the initial incident in this story I think will turn many off of Touka early, as she is in a position to need Yuuji and so she uses her power... to scream bloody murder on the rooftop about him trying to assault her or something. Yup, it's yet another "false assault accusation as a tool" setup to start a story. Our hero isn't having any of that as he calls her out on how bad this plan would work when he's already on the outs of society cause of rumors. One more rumor won't get him kicked out of school, especially when it's unsubstantiated and his best friend, who happens to be the would be false victim's brother, would stick up for him.
The second heroine barely appears this volume, but when she does, Kana Hasaka is presented as your typical shy girl with a one-sided affection but too cowardice to confess. The comedy gag with her is that she can't look Yuuji in the face, Yuuji thinking he scares her, she of course being embarrassed because of her affection for him. I feel like I shouldn't jump on the Kana train, cause unless this ends full harem, no way she's winning. She missed her chance. And it sucks cause she didn't originally have nefarious intentions or motives, so you'd kind of like to root for that sort of "pure" love over someone like Touka who is invading the scene + a less than stellar personality. But at the end of the day, she's not much better than Touka sadly as she tries to force the pair to kiss to prove their love and is incessantly annoying with her constant "pull Yuuji to the side with Haruma to interrogate him on whether he's being used or no" technique. I did like that she gains a bit of courage late, and hopefully that resolve leads to good development next time... But I doubt it.
Comedy in this one is mainly back and forth banter focused. Again, some of this banter is good humored, some of it is ice breakers, some of it is low hanging fruit, and some of it is just a tad bit harsh (it even has the two leads calling the other a pr$ck or a bi€¥h iirc, so yeah, rather harsh). There are some gags that are sure to be repeated as well. Off hand, I can recall the times Kana gets flustered because of how Yuuji defends his relationship with Touka and she just runs off after screaming her catchphrase "Haruma, you baka!" (Makes me wonder how Ike is inviting her to talk with Yuuji; did he promise he'd help her with her one-sided affections or something?). Touka is pretty vulgar as well, so most of the comedy is not safe for work. None of the comedy had me laughing out loud overall though, nothing too memorable.
The story seems like it's going to be grander than it is at the start when you're trying to figure out Touka's actual motivations for the fake relationship, and that intrigue was honestly what kept me going early. The actual answer was probably even more pedestrian than what Yuuji imagined (he imagined that she was trying to catch her brother's attention / make him jealous / repair their relationship). The answer to "what's the deal with Yuuji / why does everyone fear him" gets sort of answered too, and it's not too enticing either. Now I hear this gets a bit more crazy in volume 2, so I'm holding out hope for more there. And I think Haruma is enough of a blank slate character that we could get more from him as well. There's places this could go, but there's not that much direct, obvious plotting afoot after one volume (outside of Sensei's whole deal, which they clearly have to explore more; oh, and Touka's threat if Yuuji ever tells anyone else the truth of their relationship, which is bound to happen someday). We'll just have to wait and see what the next volume brings
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
Well done
This was a really well put together story that didn't disappoint. The summary was apt as it was about a guy who was a scary looking dude with a kind heart. His best friend is the would be classic protag in any story. His friends cute younger sister confesses to our MC that sets things in motion for our favorite side character, some secrets are held and many misunderstandings will ensue. If this story seems even sightly interesting to you I reccomend you get it, you won't be disappointed.
This was a really well put together story that didn't disappoint. The summary was apt as it was about a guy who was a scary looking dude with a kind heart. His best friend is the would be classic protag in any story. His friends cute younger sister confesses to our MC that sets things in motion for our favorite side character, some secrets are held and many misunderstandings will ensue. If this story seems even sightly interesting to you I reccomend you get it, you won't be disappointed.
October 25, 2020
Loved it. 9/10. 5 stars since it's closer to a 9.5. Only question I had was what's up with the shy girl who was friends with Touka and hated her relationship with Tomoki. It would have been great to know exactly what her problems were with the relationship. Otherwise nice little story about a budding fake relationship.
October 30, 2020
a very fun read
September 1, 2021
It’s one of those ‘everyone is a mildly unlikeable idiot’. Not my style really.
September 7, 2022
"Em yêu anh nhiềuuuuuu lắm, Senpai!"
Trờiiiii ơi ~ cuối cùng nữ chính cũng nói ra rồi bây giờ chờ nói với nam chính thôi aaaaa tuyệt vời
Trờiiiii ơi ~ cuối cùng nữ chính cũng nói ra rồi bây giờ chờ nói với nam chính thôi aaaaa tuyệt vời
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2020
I'm always happy to support a new publisher of translated media. This was an easy read, perfect for practicing Spanish, but not very strong as a novel. It's the classic "stoic main character with arbitrary feature of supposed repelling nature has a woman (usually women) gradually discover his good sides" concept we've seen in hundreds of comics and light novels by this point. It's certainly on par with other releases but, much like its main character, has no special characteristics of its own.
September 21, 2020
Basically the same plot as Hagani,(“ I don’t have many friends”) but not nearly as funny. The perfect slice of life/ romance for my tween daughter.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews