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Tamon’s B-Side offered us a look at a fun dynamic between a J-pop idol and an employee that showed how the close dynamic between the two allowed for a more interesting relationship and peek into the other side of the lives of the rich and famous. In short, it’s a great shojo manga and anime. Yen Press’ latest pick-up Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri feels like a fantastic follow-up manga series with a situation that isn’t all that dissimilar, but a different sort of approach to the off-duty personality of the lead. While Banri Narita himself comes across as antagonistic, it allows for some more comedic takes on the concept due to Nanase Akashi’s reactions and response. The first volume sets the stage and feels like a perfect situation where if you enjoy one, you will probably appreciate the other.
Editor’s Note: There will be no spoilers for volume 1 of the Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri manga below.
Mangaka Chitose Kaido doesn’t hesitate when it comes to exposing the truth behind Nanase and Banri’s relationship in this shojo manga. Her older sister Mitsuba is the Infinity Pro CEO of Talent and during her college summer vacation tapped her to act as manager for both work experience and another important reason… Banri is a real jerk to work with behind the scenes. In front of other actors, directors, producers, people on set, and fans, he goes above and beyond to be a delight, accommodating, considerate, and congenial. In private, he’s a terror who tasks managers with unreasonable tasks outside of their actual job descriptions and insults. Nobody else will work with him, so Mitsuba roped Nanase into the role.
Kaido’s choice to show Banri as a terrible person from the start in Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri is a risky move! What helps is that Nanase is shown to be just as capable of whipping her own barbs back at him and not taking his abuse. She still does her job professionally, doesn’t let any of it show in front of other people, and makes sure the animosity stays behind closed doors. And because she can dish it out as well as she can take it, we get to see her as a strong, likable, and hilarious heroine. It takes the actual bite out of situations, even when he is being mean.
Which means it also helps that Chitose Kaido doesn’t keep the irredeemable element up for long. Of course, that’s also because the series started as a one-shot that only became a full series after. Once you realize that about Chapter 0, it makes the pacing make much more sense. However, it also makes this shojo manga even more impressive since it does pack such a punch right away and establishes a pacing, back-and-forth, and dynamic that continues into later chapters. For example, in the first proper chapter, we see her working as his manager part-time again. Supposedly, for the last time and only because people at Infinity Pro got food poisoning. She’s assisting as he does an interview session for a movie. While the two trade jabs, he points out she’s completely memorized his schedule for the entire time and we also see she’s captivated by his “on-duty persona” during the promotional event. At the same time, when a scandal does come up in a gossip rag about them and they snipe at each other, he’s actually kind to her and ruffles her hair as he tells her not to worry about it. So even though we keep being presented with prickly, nagging, and antagonistic situations, the fact that it’s balanced with humor and moments when they show consideration for each other levels it out.
(By the way, that point also has an awesome breaking-the-fourth wall section that cements how clever and funny Taking Care of Our Boy Banri can be.)
Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri ends up feeling like another solid comedic shojo manga about a celebrity and someone working with them. Like Tamon’s B-Side, it explores the behind-the-scenes element of show business. It also highlights unexpected real-life personalities for famous individuals. Humor comes up as a result, especially when the more ordinary Nanase gives as good as she gets. I’d love to see it become as popular as the other shojo manga series.
Volume 1 of Thank You for Taking Care of Our Boy Banri is available now, and Yen Press hasn’t set a release date for volume 2 yet.
