MANGA REVIEW | "Girl Crush" - Volume One
A confession: I’m not into K-POP. It’s not for the lack of trying, but because I’ve dived so deep into the J-POP scene, I’ve told myself that I need another me in order to give the same amount of attention to what the Korean music scene has to offer. With that being said, I get that there’s a lot that goes into Korean music, ranging from the songwriting and the choreography to even how an artist looks. I appreciate seeing all of this on display in Midori Tayama’s Girl Crush, a story that showcases everything a person has to do to make it in the scene.
But right off the bat, there’s a problem with Girl Crush: its choice in protagonist. We begin with Tenka, whose childhood is rocked when her mother has an affair with another man. She becomes cold and distant, with all of the classmates keeping away from her. That is, until the popular boy Harumi drags her into a game of dodgeball. At that point, Tenka aims to stand out in class, excelling at school, sports, and dancing, all so she can be worthy of Harumi.
Enter Erian, a fellow lover of K-POP. She aims to one day move to Korea and become a pop idol there. However, she’s also grabbed the attention of Harumi, something that Tenka doesn’t quite like. Yet despite this inner hatred, Tenka can’t help but assist Erian with things like dancing, singing, and makeup. In fact, it’s thanks to the level of confidence Erian has for herself that Tenka decides to join her in the quest for K-POP stardom.
It’s the motivation of Tenka that makes me question my feelings for Girl Crush. On one hand, it’s fun seeing a playful rivalry between Tenka and Erian, as they both aim to be big pop stars. However, within her mind are thoughts that are — to put it bluntly — terrible. Her exterior makes it seem like she’s a cool and kindhearted person, but within her is someone who aims to be the best for selfish reasons.
Is it because of what happened with her mother? Maybe. It really doesn’t go too deep into how she changed mentally when her mother took off with another man. It would’ve garnered more sympathy if we saw any sort of mental anguish she went through such a tough situation. But instead, we see a woman filled with spite, aiming for the top and looking to step on anyone to get there.
Honestly, I don’t enjoy characters like this. They never are the type that I can root for. Instead, I often find myself cringing whenever I see Tenka doing things she does. Yes, it seems nice that she’s helping Erian find her true self, but she’s really just doing this to try to take her down a peg. As such, having to follow a character like her makes me want to stop reading it.
Erian, on the other hand, is a wonderful character, and should be the real protagonist of Girl Crush. She’s positive, hard-working, and downright cute. She’s everything that Tenka isn’t, and that’s a great thing. Whenever you watch her sing or dance, it looks and feels like magic, something the author does a great job with showcasing. If there’s one girl to cheer loudly for, it’s Erian.
Author Tayama also does a splendid job showing just how hard it is to make it into the idol scene in Korea. It’s not just about the looks, the voice, and the moves; it’s also about the personality. Tenka is always on “perfect mode”, but she learns quickly that perfection is not a personality trait. Erian, however, brims with personality when she sings and dances, in ways that not even Tenka can fully comprehend. It makes her a top pick for becoming an idol…if it weren’t for someone else coming along to steal the spot from her.
If I was more into K-POP, then maybe Girl Crush would resonate more with me. Sadly, that’s not the case. I do respect Tayama and their way of showcasing the challenges wannabe K-POP stars go through, but it doesn’t help when the main lead is so unlikable. My advice: push that spotlight away from Tenka, and give it to Erian instead. Do that, and I think Girl Crush would be a much better story.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
