Funnily enough, it dawned on me when I started reading Wave, Listen to Me manga – when was the last time I was listening to the radio?

Do people still listen to the radio in the age of Spotify?

If you always listen to the radio, then you already know the answer to the second question.

Yes, people still listen to the radio in this day and age for various reasons.

It can be because it’s still the only free way for many people to listen to their favorite songs.

But it can also be because you enjoy this specific radio segment. And you always tune in to this segment without miss.

Or it can also be that you enjoy listening to the specific radio host talking about something random during the airtime.

I bet you have one or two radio hosts you enjoy listening to every time you turn on the radio.

Whatever the reason is, the fact remains that people still listen to the radio in this day and age.

So, a story like Wave, Listen to Me doesn’t seem so out of place after all even in the age of Spotify and podcasts.

What Wave, Listen to Me is all about

Here’s the book description that I got from Bookwalker.

The stage is Sapporo, Hokkaido. One night, our heroine，Minare Koda，spills her heartbroken woes to a radio station worker she meets while out drinking one night. The next day，she hears a recording of her pitiful grumbling being played live over the air. Minare storms into the station in a rage，only to then be duped by the station director into doing an impromptu talk show explaining her harsh dialogue. With just one recording，the many eccentric facets of Minare’s life begin to pull every which direction as she falls ever deeper into the world of radio. Wave，listen to me!

What got me to read the manga

Well, I already watched the anime before.

So, I know what to expect when I pick the manga.

Another reason that got me to give this manga a try is that I got the manga for free during the Bookwalker’s summer promotion.

Will I still give this manga a try even if I’ve never watched the anime before and didn’t get the manga for free?

The answer is yes since I do find the story fascinating despite I don’t listen to the radio that much.

What makes Wave, Listen to Me manga worth reading

Imagine starting a career you’re not familiar with right after getting fired from your previous job.

That seems to be the case with Minare who gets an offer to become a radio host right after getting fired from her job as a waitress.

While many of us won’t jump into becoming a radio host as a second career, I can bet that some of us who begin the second career can relate to what Minare is experiencing.

Things like self-doubt where you’re unsure if you have what it takes to make this second career work.

That seems to be the case with Minare where she has no idea what Mato sees in her and if being a radio host is something she can pull off.

Despite her doubt, she’s willing to give it a try.

And let’s not forget the risk associated with switching to a different career you don’t know much about.

What if the career you hope to rely on doesn’t pan out in the end? Do you have something that you can fall back into when things go south?

This is something that Minare has to go through when her friend tells her to consider her decision to take Mato’s offer.

For all they know, the offer turns out to be a fluke and Minare ends up jobless again.

Even if you’re not in the same position as Minare, this manga is still an interesting read if you’re curious about the inner workings of radio.

And I can bet you’ll be blown away by how little you know about the medium like radio in general.

What I didn’t expect when I read the manga

According to the manga’s afterword, the premise for the manga was supposed to be about romance and radio.

Think of it like the Korean drama, Radio Romance, where the story is about the radio show that sparks the love between this particular male celebrity and the female radio writer.

But in the end, the story in Wave, Listen to Me, is nothing like the one in Radio Romance at all.

What we get instead is a story that mainly focuses on the radio side of things with barely any romance in it.

To be honest, I’m fine with this type of premise considering that I prefer a story that explores the radio world more than the romantic side of things.

If you want something similar with a romance in it, then consider giving the Tokyo Tarareba Girls manga a try instead.

Yes, the story isn’t so much to do with the radio world per se.

But it sure is a good read if you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of relationships and careers.

Who should read the manga?

If you’re curious about the inner workings of the radio career and enjoy reading the story about someone starting a second career, then this one is for you.

Keep in mind the manga does contain many pop culture references and features many Japanese artists in between.

It can be hard for you to grasp the conversation if you’re not familiar with the pop culture references and the Japanese artists mentioned in this manga.

But it sure is a treat for you if you’re familiar with the Japanese artists and also a fan of the said artists.

Where to buy Wave, Listen to Me manga

As always, you can get the manga in digital format and print on Amazon. You can get the manga in whichever format you prefer right here:

Buy Wave, Listen to Me Vol.1 manga on Amazon

Can’t buy the manga on Amazon? You can buy the manga on Bookwalker as well. This is where I got mine from, in case you’re wondering.

You can buy the manga right here if you’d like:

Buy Wave, Listen to Me Vol.1 manga on Bookwalker

Prefer to read manga in Japanese? You can get the print version of the manga right here on CDJapan:

Buy Wave, Listen to Me Vol.1 manga on CDJapan

Over to you

What do you think about the Wave, Listen to Me manga? Are you interested in reading the manga after reading about it on my blog?

Let me know in the comments.

P.S. I admit that none of the stories I write revolve around radio, let alone romance. But if you’re in the mood to read a light novel with a dark theme, consider giving my Trigger Locked series a try.

You can take a look at the first book of the series on my Payhip store. Use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG to get 25% off on your purchase:

Trigger Locked Book 1: The Mind Control Assassins