What’s it about? High schooler Utage Kinoshita is a part-time housekeeper dedicated to one thing and one thing only: Tamon, the face and iconic member of boy idol group F/ACE. When it turns out she’s assigned to clean his house, it feels like heaven on earth. But is the boy she encounter her angel…or her pink-haired devil?
Happy New Year, and a joyful premiere season! I have the honor of kicking off the season with a true romp of a premiere that’s got a grip on my soul, just from its premise. And let me tell you, after watching Tamon’s B-side twice—once for the review and a second time just because—I’m here to tell you that 2026 is off to a bang, not a whimper, with some very good animation!
As we all know, I’m an idol fan, which is 100% why I snapped up this premiere when we did out behind-the-scenes thang here at Anime Feminist. But is my passion for those synchronized moves, joyful harmonies, and the simple thrill of stanning a musician you really like enough to convince you this is a must watch, or will Tamon’s B-side break my heart?
You already know what you’ve got to do!
Episode 1 starts off with F/ACE serving up a delightful pop performance sure to woo any viewer with the utterly charming delight of Tamon, the pink haired center for the group. Well…at least he wows Utage, our sixteen-year-old female protagonist, who likens his presence to looking upon the face of god. And it’s easy to see why: Tamon is easy on the eyes, a pink haired cool boy worthy of a massive in-home shrine. So naturally when she’s assigned to clean his house, it’s a dream come true!
Well…no.. Utage’s beloved oshi is serving face for F/ACE: his real nature is a pink-haired hot mess shut-in that has more anxiety than a body should hold, setting up the premise for Tamon’s worst nightmare and Utage’s unexpected daydream gone sour. But for a dedicated fangirl, that means nothing: Tamon is Utage’s god and she shall stan, stan, STAN until the sun burns out!
Sometimes, I feel like I link up to the collective like Sybil from Psycho-Pass and they create an anime so tailor made for a lifelong idol like me. This year, they’ve chosen to adapt ongoing manga Tamon’s B-side into a genuinely hilarious offering of fangirl-meets-idol that results in such an oddball couple (god, I hope this turns into a romance) that really digs into what it means to present a face to public versus being who you are.
In Tamon’s case, his agency decided that he would be the hot boy center: outgoing, charming, and so incredibly confident that he frequently feels like a phony playing at being a cool guy. He was told to never let who he actually is show, especially with his meteoric rise to public fame. As a result, it’s left him with something of a complex, which, naturally, provides a specific kind of personality gap between his onstage persona and who he actually is.
I’ve no clue is the show will dig deeper into the “sexy and wild” Tamon’s place in the industry, but I have a good gut instinct it will–the gap between his actual self and the pressure the industry places on him is right there in the premise. At least I certainly hope it does, because I find this look at the dichotomy of an intense fangirl who suddenly gets to work for her idol by proximity to be really fascinating. While yes, it’s obvious that Utage is as hardcore a fan as there is, she’s also just a teen who working a part-time job. That allows for space to see the pressure Tamon’s under as someone who’s at the tail-end of childhood (he’s 18) but is still very much so a kid who’s not quite an adult and is just trying to figure it all out.
What results is a compelling premiere that makes me feel refreshed. In a sea of shows, both new, returning, and even sequels in making, Tamon’s B-Side dares to be so utterly genuine, and as a result, incredibly hilarious. And that’s what I’m here for: shows that are so good that I want to immediately scoop up all the manga for them because I just can’t help but love them.
Tamon’s B-side is absolutely that show.
This is absolutely my jam, my jelly, my entire shit. It’s so charming from jump that I can’t imagine not loving Tamon’s B-side. I really like the dynamic already being established by Utage and Tamon, not simply as fan and idol but as two individual teenagers finding their way through the world. At sixteen, Utage exudes an enticing confidence that makes her a compelling lead which plays well against Tamon as a nervous wreck who, while dedicated to his work as an idol, is so genuinely and relatably at odds with his place in the world as he faces adulthood in the industry.
Safe to say that all this combined makes for a fantastic fun premiere that will have you waving penlights in your soul set to a sakura pink as you cheer on Tamon and Utage’s growth as individuals and, for now, acquaintances who have each other’s metaphorical and physical backs. Consider me sat and satisfied with the first premiere of 2026 (that came right at the tail-end of 2025!) and eager to see what else this anime season will bring.
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