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After the tumultuous reception of One-Punch Man Season 3, J.C. Staff found itself in a challenging position. However, salvation came in the form of an unexpected gem: a romantic comedy anime centered around the idol industry. Tamon’s B-Side emerged as a standout, embodying everything a shojo rom-com should offer. This fresh anime boasts sharp wit, stunning animation, and a unique twist on the classic love story. While the female lead initially falls head over heels, it’s the titular character, Tamon, who is set to fall even harder.
Tamon’s B-Side introduces viewers to Tamon Fukuhara and Utage Kinoshita, delving into the contrast between an idol’s public persona and their private reality. As Utage takes on the role of housekeeper to support the idol group F/ACE, she discovers that Tamon, contrary to his confident facade, grapples with insecurities behind the scenes.
Differentiating itself from previous romantic comedy anime, Tamon’s B-Side seamlessly weaves its idol-centric storyline with delightful shojo elements. For fans of K-Pop Demon Hunters, this anime serves as the perfect exploration of the idol industry, complete with a captivating soundtrack performed by F/ACE that’s sure to resonate with viewers.
Tamon’s B-Side Proves J.C. Staff Still Knows How to Deliver Quality Animation
Tamon’s B-Side distinguishes itself from romantic comedy anime of the past by blending its idol premise with pure shojo silliness. Tamon’s B-Side is also the perfect anime for fans of K-Pop Demon Hunters who might want another title to explore the idol industry — it even has a soundtrack performed by F/ACE that’s just as catchy.
J.C. Staff’s animation shines during moments of exaggerated expressions, like when Utage’s head literally explodes into a pink burst of blood with a bunch of hearts and then her neck is shown with pixels over it. The choice of vibrant colors mixed with goofy music in the background also highlights the difference between “idol-mode” Tamon versus how he really is.
When Tamon is alone in his apartment, away from the public eye, he’s not nearly as confident as the image he portrays of himself. He’s tired, often sporting an oversized hoodie, and catastrophizing about how his career might end. He didn’t even maintain a proper diet until Utage came along, and it seems like his manager doesn’t care about Tamon beyond the image of the perfect idol.
This version of Tamon is characterized by eyebags and sprouting mushrooms from his head to show how depressed he truly is. Utage usually steps in during these moments of negative self-talk to aggressively yell at Tamon that he is a god and that she won’t let any “antis” slander her idol — even if it’s the guy himself.
In the age of romantic comedy anime like Hana-Kimi sorely lacking gag comedy and other seasonal romances that take themselves too seriously, Tamon’s B-Side feels like a breath of fresh air. It criticizes idol culture and how often these celebrities are overworked while building one of the genre’s most heartfelt love stories.
From just the first two episodes of Tamon’s B-Side, it’s already clear that Utage has had a powerful impact on Tamon’s life. He even looks for her in the crowd — a trope calling back to Wattpad fanfictions of days’ past. When Utage couldn’t make it to a fanmeet that she and Tamon were practicing for, he was clearly upset and disappointed. He goes on autopilot for the rest of his fans, but Utage is different because she sees Tamon for who he really is and remains devoted to his idol persona.
Tamon’s B-Side Proves the Shojo Renaissance Era Is in Full Swing
Tamon’s B-Side feels like a return to the fundamentals of shojo without all the problematic tropes of the genre’s past. Instead of idealizing the male lead from Utage’s perspective, Tamon’s flaws are believable and even rise to the forefront of Tamon’s B-Side. It’s an honest look at the difference between someone’s life when they’re a constant public spectacle versus what goes on behind closed doors.
Tamon’s B-Side is also setting itself up to be a great slowburning romance. Once Utage works through her perspective of Tamon as an idol and stops making grandiose statements like, “Tamon is a god!,” their love story can really take off from there. Part of what makesTamon’s B-Side so refreshing is that the leads are aged appropriately for each other. Too many shojo anime of the past have relied on age gaps for a sense of mystery and drama, but Tamon is 18 while Utage is 16.
This also adds another layer to the narrative, both for each character autonomously and their love story going forward. Utage is a teenager with a part-time job that just so happened to make her cross paths with her beloved idol. Tamon has been in the idol industry since he was an early teenager, so he’s never had a sense of normal teenage life. His life has literally revolved around his work during his formative years, resulting in the shut-in, anxiety-ridden mess sprouting mushrooms out of his head that Utage and the audience meet.
Tamon coming out of this idol complex and learning to get his manager’s voice out of his head while learning how to take care of himself better, all the while getting closer to Utage, creates a compelling narrative from which fans cannot look away. The idea of fangirls having a parasocial relationship with their favorite singers and idols isn’t unheard of, but Tamon’s B-Side feels like a Wattpad story brought to life.
Tamon’s B-Side has everything from a coincidental meet-cute in the form of Utage’s new job and moments like when Tamon spots Utage in a crowd full of people because of her cheering. He even pulled her into a backroom in the venue after that moment just to talk to her — a trope that’s become both expected and heavily memed in fanfiction communities, but it really works for Tamon’s B-Side. The anime doesn’t just play into these clichés, it reinvents them because Tamon’s B-Side is self-aware instead of self-serious.
Tamon’s B-Side is streaming on Crunchyroll.
