Tune In to the Midnight Heart Vol 1 Review
/By Ashley Williams
Manga Review – Tune In to the Midnight Heart
Written by: Masakuni Igarashi
Publisher: Kodansha (via K MANGA)
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Drama / Slice of Life
At the end of a difficult day, the haughty but purehearted rich kid Arisu found his only solace in the voice of another girl his age, who hosted a livestream under the pseudonym "Apollo." Then, one day, the broadcasts stopped. Arisu has dedicated the years since then to finding Apollo's true identity, and he's narrowed it down to one particular high school. He transfers in as a student and figures it'll be a cinch--but then discovers it could be any of the girls in the broadcasting club! And the real Apollo isn't talking for reasons of her own! These four girls have no use for Arisu's personality, but they each harbor dreams of using their voices to build a career, and they sure could use his money... Can the blunt and blustering Arisu buy his way into the club's good graces and find the real girl attached to his dream voice?
Tune In to the Midnight Heart might be the most emotionally sincere manga to emerge from the romantic comedy scene in recent years. Masakuni Igarashi, best known for her work in Senryu Girl, brings a familiar gentleness to this new series but amplifies it with a more layered narrative and a heartfelt mystery that pulls you in quietly, like a radio signal only a few can hear.
The story centers on Arisu, a quiet but emotionally perceptive high schooler, whose life once pivoted around the soothing voice of a late-night radio host called “Apollo.” That voice helped him through a dark time, and now, years later he finds himself in the broadcasting club at his new-school searching not just for Apollo, but perhaps for who he is when no one’s listening. Arisu’s journey is surrounded by four vibrant young women- Shinobu, Iko, Rikka, and Nene, drawn not just as potential love interests, but as complex individuals pursuing careers in voice acting, narration, and audio drama. While the manga flirts with familiar harem tropes, it never gives in to the fanservice. Instead, thankfully, it humanizes each character, giving them insecurities, ambitions, and voices literal and emotional which added richness to the story’s slow-burning romantic tension.
What truly elevates this manga is its emotional tone. There’s a bittersweet elegance to how memory, longing and communication thread through each chapter. The mystery of Apollo’s identity serves more as a symbol of connection than a twist to be unraveled. By the time readers learn what the characters already know-or feel-you realize the story isn’t about surprise, but recognition.
Igarashi’s art remains understated but effective. The characters are expressive, and their body language often says more than dialogue does. There’s a softness to the linework that mirrors the late-night ambiance distant voices, and unspoken thoughts inspire the manga.
Final Rating: B+/ Read It!
