Series ✦ Penny’s Take
How Can My Manager Be So Stupid?
Kazumasa Hayami · 2026
70/100
👍 Worth It
A charming Japanese workplace comedy that moved 500,000 copies in Japan on the strength of its relatable premise — a book-loving clerk navigating an oblivious boss — and Kirkus praised its wit ahead of its English debut. Kirkus does flag that the ending may divide readers, which is a real structural note worth tracking. Light, warm, and genuinely likable; a reasonable pick for anyone who enjoys Japanese slice-of-life fiction.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety86
Substance / usefulness68
Craft & writing72
Originality65
Evidence & accuracy70
Hype vs delivers64
Age-fit76
👁 Human-eye gut-check71
Penny’s verdict70
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