Published by Kodansha and available May 7, 2024, I See Your Face, Turned Away is a shoujo high school story about teenagers being unable to express their feelings or even pinpoint what they feel. The dialog is a little choppy and I felt through much of it that I was just hearing parts of conversations rather than being privy to the characters’ thoughts and experiences. The art is serviceable realistic shoujo, but the two boys of the friend group look too similar suggesting that character design wasn’t a priority. There is some interesting commentary on beauty standards in the form of Hikari, the main point of view character, thinking she’d be more attractive with a double eyelid than a monolid, but this isn’t focused on for very long. Other than that brief nod to something deeper, this introductory volume didn’t grab me.

I haven't read anything by this author, but it is described for someone who enjoys A Sign of Affection & In the Clear Moonlit Dusk. I love A Sign of Affection and want to read In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, so I thought this would be a perfect series for me to get into. While it does seem to have some similarities and I think you might enjoy it if you like those, I found a couple of differences while reading that really took away from the enjoyment of the manga.

On a positive note the art is beautiful, I found myself entranced by some of the pages. When the characters have their side profile shown (like the title suggests) I just sat and looked and could see why the characters in the story would be mesmerized as well. There is a music element as well, I love music manga so I was pleasantly surprised that the FMC played the French horn in the story. The story line seems like it could be interesting, I'll make sure to give it more than one volume to try it out and see if I like the direction it's going in.

However, there were a couple issues for me. There are 2 guys mentioned in the story and they look kind of similar - it also takes place in a school setting so they are dressed similar as well. This made it difficult to figure out which one was which at times because they are also best friends and in panels together a lot. Along with this the relationships are a bit convoluted. The FMC likes the MCM who likes her best friend, but the best friend likes someone else. It was just a lot of take in, but hopefully as the story progresses the love polygon works itself out. It just all felt a bit overwhelming for a first volume - there was a lot of relationship details to pack into less than 200 pages.

Thanks to #netgalley for an e-copy of #ISeeYourFaceTurnedAway by Rumi Ichinohe to read and review.

I know this is a first volume, so it's very introductive; and it shows us 2 important point:
1. Hikari sees herself as average, and is ok with that (even though it seems more like she doesn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable if she stands out)
2. Ohtani has a crush on Mari, but doesn't have the same chemistry as with Hikari. But no one sees it.

I guess the next volumes will develope this 2 topics that I really enjoy in kdramas haha and its nice to read it in a manga.
Tha drawing was ok, but Ohtani and his best friend look SO alike, that sometimes I didn't recognized who was each one.

Ah... turns out I'm still weak for a well-done high school romance, contrary to what I believed in my head. This was 100% a cover request, but I was absolutely delighted by what was inside, especially because of the similarities between it and my second favorite shoujo series, Love Me, Love Me Not. If you're as big a fan of that one as I am, I would recommend reading this!

This shoujo follows four high schoolers: Hikari, Mari, Ohtani, and Asagiri. Hikari and Mari have been friends since elementary school, and Mari fits the perfect archetype of the romances Hikari likes to read: shy and sweet. Despite her beauty, Mari has always had a hard time even greeting people, and Hikari decides to help her by wingmanning Ohtani, the boy who sits in front of her that has shown his own interest in Mari. Asagiri often tags along when Ohtani comes to sit with them for lunch, and thus the quartet rounds out. It would be a simple set up, if only Hikari hadn't begun to realize her own interest in Ohtani.

I loved the art style in this one and the characterization was endearing. There were so many charming details, like the conversations about double eyelids, Hikari's french horn playing, and Mari's adorable face she makes whenever she's anxious. Of the four, I think Asagiri shines the least—he's only on the edges of Hikari's POV and is more a supportive friend in Ohtani's than his own character—but I have faith that he'll be more fleshed out in the following volumes, which I absolutely plan to read. I am liking the beginning of Mari's arc and I am very excited to see where this series goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this eArc to review.

This a sweet contemporary manga that focuses on four students and their crushes in school. There are no high stakes and it's a little slow but this isn't a bad thing as it fit the plot and helped build the characters.

The art is lovely but I wish there were more differences between the guys as sometimes I kept getting them mixed up.

Wowww! I never related to an MC so much. Mori san (Hikari) is just so relatable. Her feelings, her thoughts, her actions. She's a sweetheart that deserves the world. I always have a soft spot for MC's dealing with unrequitable love and Mori is so cool, kind and selfless that I feel for her. The feeling of being average. The feeling of being okay with stuff but at the same time wanting more. Wanting to reach your possible potential , this book delves into it subtly but the impact is great, especially with the art.

Ohtani is also really cute and I get why Hikari develops feelings for him. But c'mon I see more chemistry between Ohtani and Hikari (Pi-chan/Mori san) than Takahashi (MARI the shy friend) and Ohtani. Can't wait to find out how everything plays out. But I really hope at the end Mori san is happy. Truly Happy.
While her friend Takahashi (or Mari) is shy and adorable I am worried where her feelings will lead to. I trust the adults to handle it well. As for Asagiri san I wish he would keep his thoughts to himself lol. But I am curious about him and his involvement in this love triangle. I get the feeling he'll like Mori san. But will Mori san like him back?

Overall this Manga was a rollercoaster of heart touching emotions and fans of unrequited love trope must give this a read!

I really loved this! This is the sort of contemporary story that isn't really a romance but you have multiple characters experiencing crushes within their friend group and trying to get to know each other better. It's very cute, but also really heartfelt.

In the story, Mori has this view of "being okay" with just being the friend (or side character) and not the main heroine that she sees her best friend to be. It's a role that she secretly wants for herself, but isn't ready to acknowledge.

Mori is also dealing with unrequited feelings for the guy she likes, who, she finds out early on, has a crush on her shy, pretty, double-eyelided best friend. She must grapple with the scary feeling of truly chasing after what she wants, whether it's her crush or a school-related activity, and it was interesting to see how her mind becomes occupied with all of this emotional turmoil. It's something I found to be quite relatable, both the feelings she has and how she deals with them.

A lot of my thoughts center around my anticipation for volume 2. Since we only get four chapters in this first volume, it's hard to see any big changes within the characters' arcs, but I loved that we got to see different perspectives within the friend group and how certain details about one friend can easily go unnoticed. I'm hoping for the moment where Mori realizes that maybe she doesn't know who her best friend is on the inside, or rather learns something new about her that changes the image she has of her. Sometimes, it's difficult to remove those tinted glasses and really see a person outside of that image, especially if you're constantly envisioning them next to someone else. But, I think, their friendship could grow to a deeper level with more open communication.

I've really enjoyed what has already been developed in terms of the friendships within the group of four and look forward to this author's future work.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this and will be picking up a copy as soon it releases. 💕
It was well written and I really enjoyed my time reading it.

Rating 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I liked the plot of this manga, there were instances where I struggled to juggle the side stories for the characters as the story progressed. This manga centers around Hikari who is merely in the shadow of her friend Mari who is admired by a guy in their class named Ohtani. This slice-of-life manga highlights how Hikari's perspective gradually shifts as she develops feelings for Ohtani, leaving her conflicted about her presence in social settings. I am curious about what will unfold in the next volume since Hikari's character development progressed toward the end of volume 1.

I enjoyed this comic book, it was a long time I read a manga and I loved every bit of it. I’m curious to know on how the story will develop further so looking forward to the next release!!!

I really liked this. The artwork was gentle, the story and characters were likable and low drama, though you could see it was growing with the feelings being caught by one side and not the other. I definitely enjoyed this one, though I do hope that the center of everyone's desires gets to actually have her own needs heard, seen, understood and respected. She doesn't seem to have much agency according to the other characters. I would like to see her spread her winds and grow.

4, gentle sweet and interesting, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this to read and review.

I really enjoyed this manga. I thought the plot seemed fun and I'm excited to read the next in the series! The translation was great and I always appreciate the translation notes at the end of the manga. Basically the story is about an average high school girl who starts falling for the guy she's trying to hook her friend up with. Since this is only the first volume, not too much happened in the plot, it was more introducing characters. At first I got two of the characters confused but was able to resolve that! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This is an interesting romance manga when it comes to the characters. However, I do not see why it won any awards except for its art. I am though curious to see what happens next. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3 out of 5 stars.

Four students, who become friends, where feelings intertwine and yet, they are looking the other way.

Hikari is a self proclaimed ordinary person. She fantasizes her friend Mari, with a cute boy, Ohtani, in their class. Coincidentally, Ohtani has feelings for Mari and has been trying to get closer with the help of his friend, Asagiri. However, while playing matchmaker Hikari slowly starts realizing her feelings for Ohtani..

This story has so many emotions but it’s clear it’ll be focusing on the four friends alternatively. Volume one is primarily told from Hikari’s perspective and changes to Ohtani’s perspective near the end. The story is fast paced and although set up like a typical shoujo romance, it quickly evades the common troupes. There is only selflessness and innocence behind each character. However, this creates a lack of drama and intrigue because everyone is so understanding, which causes the story to feel like a gentle summer breeze passing by.

These four friends are all different. Each has their own personality and it’s clearly depicted in both the artwork and their dialogues. Personally, I could relate with Hikari the most, although I consider myself below average. However, I also play an instrument and I did at one time like pairing my friends together in my mind. I found the way Hikari reacted was similar to how I would, which was surprising and a bit unsettling.

The artwork is beautiful. It’s soft and lyrical, similar to the words. Prioritizing the depiction of emotions and relationships, the manga makes it easy to understand what the characters are feeling. There are goofy facial expressions from time to time adding a little comedic relief and scenes of censored nudity. The character designs are pretty, although I sometimes couldn’t tell Asagi and Ohtani apart. The manga uses descriptive sceneries and iconography occasionally, placing an emphasis on the characters themself.

Overall I enjoyed the volume but I feel it lacks an overall intrigue to keep me interested. The cliffhanger at the end had me curious but also worried the story might go downhill for me. I think the story is somewhat beautiful but also a bit unrealistic. Nevertheless, I will continue this series as I think it’s only fair to hear the rest of Ohtani’s perspective as well as Mari and Asagi’s.

Hikari and her shy best friend Mari navigate love and self-perception in this manga. Hikari takes charge of Mari’s romantic life, but feelings don’t always follow the script. The art is familiar and sometimes quirky, and while the story has its ups and downs, it’s setting up for an intriguing journey ahead.

The first thing I read by Rumi Ichinohe and I really like it. I feel like the story may have several plot twists that will make me dive deeper into the manga.

At the moment it begins as a youthful romance story where a young woman, Hikari, would be helping Ohtani, who sits in front of her, to start a relationship with her great friend, Mari. But... well it seems that Hikari is starting to have feelings for the boy.

Within this story we have Hikari's growth with music, Ohtani's friend who I think will have great importance later on and an ending that leaves you wanting more. WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?

Thank you Kodansha Comics for the ARC I read on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 Hmm. This manga could not keep my attention. I was drawn in originally by the cover, title, and blurb...but I found the story to be overall dull. I usually like slice-of-life style manga, however this was just too bland. I See Your Face, Turned Away, Vol 1 followed a high school friend group of four and their four stories of unrequited love. It was just mundane and not really for me. I did like the pov switches and the art, though the two boys look awfully similar to one another and that made it confusing. I could never really get into the characters either, though I think there is potential with Hikari.

I received an e-galley of I See Your Face, Turned Away by Rumi Ichinohe from Kodansha Comics via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to only read romance manga- ones in which you know that a happy ending will be somewhere down the line (after many, many, many volumes) but I was intrigued by I See Your Face, Turned Away precisely because it seems to be setting readers up for heartbreak as it's a story of unrequited love. I like that it's deviating from what I usually would prefer to read; though it has all the elements to set up for a romance. But told from the point of one who is watching their crush fall for someone else. One volume in, and I'm truly desperate for the next volume.

I flew through this volume wholly invested in the characters and the complicated romantic dynamics that exist in this story. I love the blossoming relationships of romance alongside the steadfast relationships of friendship we see with our 4 main characters. I found myself quickly changing the page as we uncovered more and more of Hikari's true feelings towards her classmate Ohtani and wondered how this would change the group dynamic. I felt a strong bittersweet feeling as I want everyone to be happy but I know this is a story where heartbreak is imminent but I can't look away. I need to know how this series ends.

A story of unrequited love among high school students, with compelling storytelling and outstanding psychological portrayal. The bittersweet aftertaste of youth and first love.