Manga Review: I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me, Vol. 1

⚠ This article contains NSFW content, including suggestive imagery. Proceed with caution!

I must admit, I have an obsession with manga featuring gal (gyaru) characters. There’s something about the gal archetype that I adore. Is it the cool girl personality? The bold fashion? The loose socks?! Regardless of the reason, I’m weak. So when I saw I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me on Yen Press’s release schedule, I knew I had to check it out.

Like a lot of modern manga, I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me (ギャルゲーマーに褒められたい) started as an online doujinshi. In 2020, illustrator Geshumaro posted a short manga on Twitter about a shy high school guy and a gal gamer. Thousands of likes and retweets later, Geshumaro’s doujinshi became a full-fledged manga series, with Comic Newtype picking it up for online serialization in 2021. A tankoubon edition by Kadokawa followed in 2022.

The Story and Art

The first volume of I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me begins like the doujinshi. High school student Raito Sasaki hasn’t attended class for a while. Instead, he’s hidden away at home playing online first-person shooter (FPS) games. Problem is, he’s not very good. Using what little money he has, Raito hires a pro gamer to coach him, not knowing the beautiful and buxom gal Rion Suzuki would show up.

As a globally ranking player, Rion is certainly qualified to teach Raito how to master the game. But Raito has a hard time concentrating with Rion in his personal space. Her coaching approach is very hands-on, so to speak. For instance, Rion thinks Raito might learn better if she also holds the controller while he plays.

Despite his discomfort, Raito perseveres through the coaching session. After watching in awe as Rion becomes the champion of a few matches, Raito tries again. Thanks to Rion’s pointers and her cheerful encouragement, he finally wins a match! The rest of volume one follows Raito and Rion’s budding friendship, with Rion convincing Raito to attend school again because it would make her happy.

The Twitter origins of I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me are evident in its structure. Each chapter is about four to six pages long and usually follows a general formula: Raito and Rion are in a situation, there’s a funny or heartwarming moment, and everything ends with a huge illustration of Rion that emphasizes her face, her chest, or both. 

And honestly, I think this unabashed fanservice is what’s going to divide readers. Keep in mind, this manga is rated Older Teen, so don’t expect anything too wild. But we’ve got service cuts galore, with upskirt shots, feet close-ups, and even a classic thigh pillow scene making an appearance. 

All of these illustrations are pleasing to look at, and not just in a sexual way. Geshumaro has a talent for intricate shading and screentone use that add depth to their art. The characters have a wide range of cute and comedic facial expressions to keep things fresh. Proportionally, Rion’s physical attributes are unrealistic, but this is a thinly-veiled ecchi manga, so are we really expecting anything different?

Some readers will take issue with the blatant objectification of Rion, especially because she’s an underage character. And that’s totally valid. But I’m not here to police what people read. If too much fanservice isn’t your thing, then I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me isn’t the best pick for you. But if you go in knowing exactly what’s going on here, then you’ll probably appreciate the suggestive content.

The Characters

Lighthearted story and spicy artwork aside, the biggest strength of I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me are its characters. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really expecting strong character development in this type of rom-com manga, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Raito could easily be passed off as just another self-insert male lead, but I think there’s more depth to him than that. Too often we get the “boohoo woe is me” type of guys in comparable series, and yes, Raito does feel bad about himself. However, instead of dwelling on it, he actually makes an effort to change for the better. And when things don’t go the way he wants, i.e. losing a match, he doesn’t go back to self-loathing. He tries again. And again. And again.

And he seems to have admirable values, too. After a winning match, Rion gets a DM saying she only won because she’s a girl. She tries to play it off as no big deal, just something that comes with the territory. But Raito is having none of that, saying it’s not right for people to get used to being hurt.

Then we have Rion. At first glance, she’s the fantasy gamer girlfriend embodied. (She kinda has to be, considering the manga’s title.) But like one of the manga’s core themes, we can’t judge Rion based on appearances alone. Underneath her glamorous looks is a wonderful personality to match.

While we don’t know why Rion decided to be a gaming coach yet, it’s clear that she’s the right person for the job. Rion isn’t just magically good at the FPS game; she tells Raito that she spent hundreds of hours practicing to get where she is. That’s why she doesn’t expect perfection from Raito, just that he tries his best. It’s that type of genuine support that convinces Raito to keep trying. When he finally wins a match thanks to her advice, Rion is moved to tears knowing she made such a positive impact.

Is It Worth Reading?

When I look at the big picture, I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking in terms of plot for me, but that’s okay. There are still intriguing main characters and impressive art to keep things interesting. About two-thirds of the way through volume one, I initially thought this was a manga that I’d want to keep tabs on.

HOWEVER.

Towards the end, Geshumaro introduced a third character—with a panty shot, no less. I don’t really want to get too much into this character’s backstory and everything, but to me, it seems like we’re headed towards a love triangle situation.

And fellas, I am so tired of that lol. It’s so overdone. I’d much rather see how Raito and Rion’s relationship develops without unnecessary drama. Maybe this new character is just there for more eye candy. Maybe they won’t have much of an impact on the plot. I’m not optimistic. But because I like Rion and Raito so much, I’m willing to see what happens next.

Right now, there are only three volumes published in Japan, so getting into this series won’t be a huge investment. I’d say if you’re like me and you love gals, have an interest in gaming culture, and don’t mind an abundance of cleavage, then give I Want a Gal Gamer to Praise Me a try. Otherwise, pick another new release.