Kazumasa Hayami is a prolific novelist in Japan, having had over 20 books published since his debut with 108 in 2008. The majority of his work has gone on to be adapted into TV, film or, in some cases, anime and manga. So, it’s surprising it has taken until now for any of his books to make it across to the English market. But finally we’ve been treated to the first (of many, I hope) – How Can My Manager Be So Stupid?
The story follows Kyoko Tanihara, a contract employee in her late 20s working for Musashino Bookstore. She’s loved books since she was a child, so spending every day surrounded by them and being able to <a href="https://comicvibe.com/help-ma-boab-oor-wullie-is-90/" title=”Help ma Boab! Oor Wullie is 90!”>help customers find new books to read brings her great joy. Or, it would if not for the fact that her wages are so poor she can barely even afford to live, let alone buy the books she loves so much. Or the fact the publishers won’t send the store much or any of the titles she spends hours requesting. And that her manager, Takeru Yamamoto, is absolutely infuriating. Yamamoto fills the morning staff meetings with “inspirational” speeches that no one cares for and recommendations for the self-help books he supposedly spends all his time reading, but Tanihara wishes he read anything else. How are you supposed to work out a bookshop if you aren’t well read, she constantly wonders?
Every day feels like she’s fighting a new battle, and each day she’s a step closer to handing in her resignation as she grows increasingly fed up with Yamamoto. Her only solace is her few co-workers that feel the same about him and the books she loves so much. But even her hobby is becoming painful for her, as popular authors put out works that are nothing like their stellar debut, and Tanihara finds her opinions on them differing greatly from those of her co-workers and friends. Maybe it really is time to leave this industry behind?
How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? is many things. It’s solace for those who have worked retail under annoying managers, offering plenty of humour and the sense that our struggles are heard. It’s also a love letter to books and those who love them so much. And perhaps, most importantly, it’s very cleverly written.
There are many times throughout this novel where we readers are faced with the fact that how Tanihara sees Yamamoto may not be an accurate representation of who he really is. Sure, he plays the fool and annoys everyone, but perhaps there’s some thought being put into this bravado of his? Certainly he seems unusually sharp at times.
And the same can be said for Tanihara, who is far more respected by her co-workers than she thinks she is. Understandably, she sees herself as undervalued but also unnecessary to Musashino. Anyone could do her job. But her friends and co-workers see differently; they see an industry that absolutely needs someone as sharp as Tanihara and who wholeheartedly loves stories the way she does. She never fakes her opinion, and her recommendations can be relied upon. It’s that dissonance between how the cast see themselves and others and how we readers see them that proves fascinating as the book goes on.
Another major theme of this work is that the right book will always find its way to you at the right moment. Stories like this about booksellers or bookworms often parrot this ideal, but it’s one that I truly believe in too. Right when you’re near a breaking point, the perfect tale will find its way to you. And actually,How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? was one of those fateful encounters for me, too. It’s interesting because a lot of the themes here are very similar to Kei Aono’sBookstore Girls, which debuted several years early in Japan (English release in 2025). This is perhaps more comedic on the whole, but there are a lot of similarities when it comes to the main character and the many other members of the cast we spend our time with. Not just at the bookshop, but from publishers, writers and so on.
I was familiar with Kazumasa Hayami’s work through the Netflix drama adaptation of his The Royal Family novel, which was similarly incredibly interesting but about horse racing rather than bookselling. If I had not known who the author was going in, I would have assumed it was a female writer, as quite a few of the cast make borderline misandric comments toward the men, in a way that’s unusual for a book with a male author, I find. That’s not really a complaint (or in fact a compliment), but it made the characters feel human, easy to understand and relate to. No one is perfect, least of all Tanihara, who tends to lash out at her manager or sometimes co-workers, but it’s their self-awareness of their problems that makes them likeable. And most of all, the tone of the book is relatively light-hearted, so you can read it while taking away its powerful sentiments and not get bogged down in the grim realities of working retail.
How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? has been released in the UK by MacLehose Press, which is an imprint of Quercus. It has been translated by the ever-dependable Haydn Trowell, who has done an excellent job here. This is available as a paperback, hardback, and eBook, as well as in audiobook form with Jacqui Bardelang as narrator. There’s a slightly smaller and cheaper paperback in the schedule for mid-next year as well if you’re willing to wait.
Over on the Japanese side there are two sequel volumes for this novel, which I hope will also make their way to the West in due time. But I’m also hoping this proves a breakthrough for Hayami’s work in general, I’d love English readers to be able to enjoy more of it.
Overall, How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? is a charming read that is sure to resonate with plenty of readers. Should our protagonist have quit her job months ago? Probably. But I think many of us can relate to her struggle to give up something she still finds enjoyment in, despite all the issues.
Demelza
When she’s not watching anime, reading manga or reviewing, Demelza can generally be found exploring some kind of fantasy world and chasing her dreams of being a hero.
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