Jan 4, 2026
Watashi no Arika is an interesting manga about idols, passion, lies, and the mysterious disappearance of the titular Arika, with the main character trying to enter the industry with Arika's former group and uncover hidden information about what happened in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to her disappearance, while also trying her best to navigate the industry and remain in the good graces of the various parties involved. It's a pretty interesting read, which approaches a slow-burning mystery plotline while intermingling it with character drama and commentary on the idol industry. If the plot summary and genres make you interested, I'd say it's
...
worth giving a read - at least trying the first volume or two.
I quite enjoyed this manga, and the fact that this review is "mixed feelings" confusingly comes along with a score of 8 stars. It's a good series, but I find it a bit hard to put my full weight behind it due to a few fumbles in the plot and some missed opportunities, especially regarding its ending.
[minor spoilers]
The core mystery and the way that the cast goes about unravelling it is interesting, to an extent, but the way the plot ends up playing out ends up undercutting it. This is a spoiler-light review, but what I'll say is that the ending doesn't really stick the landing. The series would have been better if it ended 20 chapters earlier, but the author seems to have decided to draw it out, and thus introduced a twist which convoluted the plot and made the resolution far less satisfying. The way this plays out ends up making much of the mystery-solving and conflict from the first 2/3 of the series comparatively unimportant, which is a shame because that's the best-written part.
[spoilers end]
At the end of the day, the journey is compelling, so I think this series is still worth giving a try, so long as you're willing to temper expectations for the ending.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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