Oshi ga Kounin Stalker ni Narimashita (推しが公認ストーカーになりました) is a romantic comedy manga series written and illustrated by Seo Miinosuke. It ran from 2019 to 2023 and consists of six volumes in total. I finished it a few months ago.

The story follows Sora Amano, a young idol otaku who passionately supports his favorite superstar idol Moco Nanami. Recently, Sora has been growing uneasy because his personal belongings keep disappearing. Disturbed by the pattern, he decides to investigate the matter himself.

Eventually he spots a suspicious figure and, after a frantic chase, discovers the truth. The culprit is none other than Moco Nanami, his beloved idol, who has somehow become his personal stalker. She is even being enabled by her manager because this strange obsession apparently helps her perform better at work.

It is a completely absurd premise, yet it works surprisingly well. There is an almost symbiotic relationship between Sora, who idolizes the perfect version of Moco that he sees on stage, and the real Moco, who desperately wants to deepen her connection with the person she has been stalking.

The story is, as I said before, a romantic comedy, so Moco’s stalking is never portrayed in a dark or threatening way. Her actions stay within comedic boundaries and most of her interactions with Sora lean toward humor or sweet awkwardness rather than anything disturbing.

Other characters are introduced throughout the series, and they all orbit around the main duo. Friends, fellow idols, rivals and even other stalker-like personalities appear to shake things up and add variety to the comedy scenes.

I particularly enjoyed the development of Mahiro, another idol rival of Moco, who slowly sheds her artificial stage persona and becomes more genuine in front of her fans. She probably ended up being my favorite character from the entire cast by the end of the series.

The manga also gives a light but interesting look at typical idol events and activities. There are appearances on TV programs, cooking segments, promotional work and small bits of drama that spice things up without ever breaking the overall cheerful and humorous tone set from the beginning.

I recommend this series if the premise catches your attention even a little. Just be aware that if you dislike idol-focused stories, this one might not be your cup of tea.