"I See Your Face, Turned Away 1" di Rumi Ichinohe è un manga che esplora le complessità delle relazioni umane e il peso delle emozioni non dette. Con un titolo che suggerisce un senso di distanza e di incomunicabilità, questo primo volume stabilisce le fondamenta di una storia profonda e toccante.

La trama ruota attorno ai protagonisti, ognuno dei quali porta con sé un bagaglio di sentimenti e segreti. La narrazione si focalizza su momenti quotidiani che rivelano la fragilità e la bellezza delle interazioni umane. I personaggi sono ben sviluppati e realistici, con personalità sfaccettate che li rendono facilmente identificabili per i lettori. Le loro emozioni sono palpabili, e le loro storie personali si intrecciano in modo naturale e avvincente.

Le tematiche affrontate in questo manga sono universali e toccano corde sensibili: l'amore non corrisposto, la paura del rifiuto, il desiderio di connessione. Ichinohe esplora queste dinamiche con sensibilità, senza mai cadere nel melodrammatico. Ogni situazione è trattata con un realismo che fa riflettere e invita il lettore a empatizzare con i personaggi.

"I See Your Face, Turned Away 1" è un inizio promettente per una serie che promette di esplorare in profondità le emozioni umane e le loro complicazioni. Rumi Ichinohe ha creato un'opera che non solo intrattiene, ma invita anche alla riflessione. Consigliato a chi cerca una lettura emotivamente coinvolgente e artisticamente raffinata.

In definitiva, questo manga è un viaggio nelle emozioni che merita di essere seguito e apprezzato, una pagina alla volta.

My Thoughts:
I usually do a star system, but for this one, I am not. I like the premise. 4 stories of unrequited love, which makes each character see the other person and turn away. However, the first volume just was a little confusing for me. I could not really get a good grasp of any of the characters. Because it was supposed to be on 4 characters, I knew it would skip around a bit, however, I kept losing the thread and none of the characters was really memorable.

I think with volume 2, if the pace slows down and perhaps takes one character at a time, it may be easier for me to follow. For now, it was confusing enough that I wondered if I was reading it correctly.

I did enjoy the pun of the main male character, Ohtani and the Japanese/American baseball star. Shohei is hot this summer.

From the Publisher:
One might call Hikari extraordinarily ordinary. One day, she takes up a new hobby--imagining what a romance would be like between her pretty friend Mari and the cute guy in their class, Ohtani. It's all in harmless fun, until the roles start to get tangled in Hikari's mind. Does she really have to be just the best friend in this love story? And just who is on Ohtani's mind when his eyes drift away...?

Publication Information:
Author: Rumi Ichinohe

Publisher: Kodansha Comics (May 7, 2024)

Paperback: 192 pages

ISBN-13: 979-8888771600

Rumi Ichinohe's I See Your Face, Turned Away manga presents four stories of unrequited teenage love. This first volume contains the first four chapters of the manga and mainly focuses on Hikari and Ohtani.

Hikari plays matchmaker for her friend Mari with the boy she thinks would look good with her, Ohtani, and ends up falling in unrequited love with Ohtani after learning that he likes Mari.

The art is really nice, but the story and dialogue feel disjointed, so I could not enjoy it as much as I would have liked.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this manga , so personally I had a lot of issues with it , I don’t know whether it’s the translation but a lot of the conversations aren’t coherent , it just read like a bunch of random sentences put together and I also don’t understand what exactly the plot is , her friend is really shy and doesn’t really interact with people and the guy that sits in front of her in class likes her friend and she ships them together but she also likes him??? Which makes no sense because she hadn’t shown any interest in him until he started talking to her about her friend and like he gave her like bare minimum compliments so I’m confused?? And what’s with the whole obsession with mono lids and double eyelids???? Then she says she is fine with being average but still takes the first horn position in the contest they apparently have but she isn’t supposed to because she is a freshman so her senpai is pissed at her?? Just a lot of plot holes that need to be fixed but the art is amazing.

This was interesting, sweet and relatable at some parts. Can't wait to read the second volume and find out how everything progresses between the characters.

I thought the art style was super cute and easy to read. I did think the few semi nude scenes were unnecessary and a bit random but not super graphic at least. I love a high school romance and I’m interested to see how the story develops with the love triangle, particularly as they’re all pretty clueless. I always appreciate band kid representation and the mini political bubble it can sometimes form, I’m hoping the author will continue that storyline alongside the main romance in future volumes.

A cute little high school romance manga.

Cute characters, designs, and story.
The plot is a little slow, and the repetition doesn't need to be done as often as it is, but overall the manga is enjoyable.

I got this book for my honest review from NetGalley.

I See Your Face Turned Away, is a cute shojo manga. It won the 2024 Kodansha Manga Award for Shojo but I'll say that personally don't find it to be that great. Maybe I'm just on my high from Sign of Affection, but I found the manga to be confusing.

I understand that part of that could be my own not being super used to manga, but I also think the fact that there were four different storylines going on made the manga too busy.

Anyway, the manga tells the story of four high school students, specifically in the first volume Hikari and Ohtani. Hikari is an average girl who is focuses on imagining a romance like she sees in manga between her friend Mari and other classmate Ohtani, but as things progress she starts to wonder if she really wants the romance for Mari or for herself.

There are two chapters from her perspective and one from Ohtani's who doesn't seem to realize Hikari's interest. I'm sure it will be better later. But as someone who can't read super fast I have to be picky.

I want to thank NetGalley for the book and hope to read more manga from them in the future.

The plot pacing of this manga is very slow and just a bit awkward. I found myself getting bored because nothing was happening. I did find the storyline of Hikari slowly becoming more confident in her own abilities to be an interesting one, but it's a very small one and barely mentioned. This story is mostly mutual pining, but none of the main characters have any chemistry with each other. The art style was pretty cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5/5

I See Your Face, Turned Away starts with a very sweet yet simple concept. Mori has been friends with shy Mari since childhood, and has recently been using her imagination to ship her with their classmate Ohtani. But at some point Mori begins to see Ohtani in a different light. Sometimes being the friend of the main character isn’t enough.

The art style is your typical shoujo manga style. Very reliable but sweet. I love the emphasis on monolids and Rumi Ichinohe going through the effort to show even background characters having mono or double lids. The art of the French horn is beautiful, not gonna lie.

Volume 1 already has me hooked. And the last chapter definitely sealed the deal. The plot thickened so quickly. I can’t wait to continue reading this.

That was really cute! I wish there were more chapters/volumes published already, because I want to know how the story will continue from here. I suspect a little drama and heartbreak though! 🥺

All in all the story is nothing that reinvents the wheel, but it is cute, with the well known school setting, crushes, friendships and first love.
Our main character has insecurities, but is still strong and kind-hearted and friendly which makes her very likeable.

And the art style??? Absolutely G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.😍 The details are wonderful and all the characters are just so cute and beautiful. I love it! 🥰🥰

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! "I See Your Face, Turned Away 1" is a captivating manga that will resonate with readers of all ages. With its stunning artwork, well-crafted characters, and thought-provoking themes, this is a series that promises to leave a lasting impression. Highly recommended for fans of romance, drama, and manga that isn't afraid to delve into the complexities of the human heart.

I loved the manga's beautiful artwork. Ichinohe's illustrations are exquisitely detailed, capturing the nuances of expression and emotion with grace and sensitivity. Each panel is a work of art in its own right, drawing readers deeper into the story. The shojo itself feels comforting and nostalgic at times and heart-wrenching at others. (Spoilers) Overall, it is the story of unrequited loves, and the author so brilliantly makes you feel those emotions right alongside their characters.

It's so sweet! The love triangle is already heartbreaking but it's still really tender and sweet. Makes me want to read more!

A cute but melancholy story of teenage love.

I see your face turned away is the story of Hikari, a self-described average girl who's happy to be the supporting character in the story she creates out of her high school experience. Hikari is content to be the wingman to the "main character", her best friend, helping her classmate Ohtani win Mari over. However, things get complicated when Mari starts developing feelings for Ohtani herself, For the first time, Mari starts wondering what a story with her as the lead role would look like.

The tone of the manga is quite different from others in this genre, as it feels quite bittersweet and much slower, content to linger on the characters emotions and daily life rather than rushing from moment to moment. This level of care, coupled with the clear art style makes this a compelling read- however, I did find myself getting confused between the two male characters, and had to reread some sections to understand who Hikari was talking to. That aside, I'd strongly recommend this to anyone in the mood for a more introspective and realistic high school romance and look forward to reading the other volumes.

thank you to Netgalley for the volume !!

Interesting concept where the main character doesn't see herself as the main character. Great interaction between the four leads but the story can feel generic at times.

I *flew* through this one so fast! It has a great pace and the characters have a lot of facets to them, especially the “main character” who is set up in the plot as a secondary character, Hikari. I love that she treasures her friendship over love which can potentially bring in drama, but she also loves herself to a degree that allows her to say “Yeah, I like him” despite the circumstances.

Her best friend Mari is the most mysterious, I think. I hardly know what she’s thinking most of the time. Only Hikari does. The MMC is Ohtani, which I truly love! He’s a golden retriever that has a very high emotional intelligence. What a green flag!

I hope I get to ARC the next volume. I can’t wait to see what happens next after that cliffhanger!!

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC!

This story was really cute and I definitely want to see where it heads. The main character sees herself as average in all possible ways, despite her exceptional musical talent and her boldness. She sees herself as the side character in her conventionally beautiful best friend’s story, but through interactions with another character, we see her move ever so slightly into wanting to be the main character (lol) in life.

It’s a sweet story set in high school following a small group of students who are interacting during break times and after school. It’s very slice of life with a sweet romantic leaning plot line and if that’s your thing, I’d say there’s. Safe be you’ll like it as much as I do!

2.5 stars.
This was kinda interesting I guess. Probably won't read the next volume unless I get it from netgalley though.... It's not really my cup of tea personally.

I have mixed feelings. The pacing is slow and the translation is awkward. In addition, the characters are shallow. I also have trouble telling the male characters apart. As a result, the story is slightly hard to follow. Still, I want to keep reading just to see where it'll go.

4.5 stars
TW: Objectification (Minor action of a teenage girl from love interest friend of classmate)

Such a cute story about unrequited love. I love how to the story shown how both boys and girls handle it very differently.love the art style also. I do wished that It would have been longer and had more fleshed out parts as far as the friends.