Seven months after its release, KPop Demon Hunters still dominates the Netflix charts, but if you’re growing even the slightest bit tired of Huntr/x and their addictive music, there’s a new anime show seemingly created just for you. This new anime has already outranked Jujutsu Kaisen, according to one fan poll, meaning now is the perfect time to get onboard.
Based on the manga by Yuki Shiwasu and animated by Japanese studio J.C. Staff, Tamon’s B-Side shares some of the best elements from Kpop Demon Hunters — the will-they-won’t-they romance, the big physical comedy, and the peek behind idol fandom — and flips them on their head, swapping demon-slaying spectacle for a surprisingly sweet, self-aware rom-com about what happens when the idol needs just as much saving as the fan. And if you’re missing the Saja Boys, F/ACE might just fill that void with their catchy tunes and distinct looks, but what really keeps you watching is the inverse relationship between a member of the group and his most devoted fan.
Bringing smiles to fans is what being an idol is all about, but Tamon’s B-Side subverts that idea by focusing on what pop stars need in order to smile themselves. The series follows Utage Kinoshita, a devoted high school fangirl who takes a part-time job as a housekeeper and is shocked to discover she’s been assigned to the home of her beloved Tamon Fukuhara, a member of the in-universe boy band F/ACE. Offstage, Tamon is nothing like his confident, larger-than-life persona. Instead, he reveals himself to be a gloomy, introverted boy riddled with self-doubt. As Utage helps him maintain his public image while quietly supporting him behind the scenes, the show becomes a rom-com about identity and emotional labor.
Tamon’s B Side places Utage in a role reminiscent of Bobby from KPop Demon Hunters. She’s an obsessive superfan who gains rare, behind-the-scenes access to her idol and helps protect his public image. What separates Utage from Bobby, though, is her overwhelming, hopeless love for Tamon: she melts at every glance, every expression, every tiny gesture. And while Tamon’s real personality doesn’t fully match the polished idol she adores, he’s uniquely capable of slipping between versions of himself depending on the moment, oscillating from gloomy and withdrawn (aka, his “B side”) to full-on performer.
Tamon encompasses Rumi’s feelings of inadequacy and her need to hide her true self in Kpop Demon Hunters. But instead of the internal fight of being a half-demon who hunts demons like Rumi, Tamon desperately worries that someone will find out he isn’t the man he presents himself as, and that his mission to spread smiles and love through his music with F/ACE will be ruined. While helping Tamon maintain his image, Utage emotionally supports him, assuring him that he’s more than enough and a god, at least in her fan-girl eyes, worth worshiping. He wants to spread smiles, not harvest fan energy like Huntr/x, but he still needs his personal housekeeper-fangirl to make him smile. Tamon’s manager, who has difficulty controlling Tamon’s personality, entrusts Utage with the heavy lifting.
While the series lacks the action of KPop Demon Hunters, it retains much of the same humor and features a few catchy tunes. Nearly every time Utage reacts to the peculiar situation she finds herself in — especially when she and Tamon get a little too close — she dies in some fashion. Sometimes, audiences are transported to her grave. Other times, she explodes or turns to dust. If she hears someone badmouthing Tamon, or even Tamon badmouthing himself, her hair stands up like a delinquent or Super Saiyan as she intensely and aggressively launches into praising him. Although the faces aren’t as expressive or as ripe for meme fodder, the physical, over-the-top humor is still there.
Pair that with a couple of catchy tunes, including “Supernova,” which is built on the familiar electronic sound of Robin S’ “Show Me Love,” and another track at the end of episode 1 titled “Sweet Magic,” and the comparisons are easy to make — even though J-pop and K-pop have completely different sounds. Tamon is the wild one of the group, but the rest of F/ACE rounds out with a younger, princely member, a mature leader, a cutesy type, and a mysterious member — echoing the vibes of Jinu, Abby, Mystery, Romance, and Baby Saja from KPop Demon Hunters.
At its best, Tamon’s B-Side is a fun, affectionate take on idol culture that gets at both the fantasy and the emotional messiness underneath it. By focusing on an insecure idol and the fan quietly holding him together, the series delivers big laughs, genuine heart, and a nice twist on familiar genre beats. If you’re coming off KPop Demon Hunters and want something lighter, sweeter, and a bit more self-aware, Tamon’s B-Side is an easy add to your watchlist.
Tamon’s B-Side is available to stream on Crunchyroll, with new episodes debuting on Saturdays.
