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

I didn’t get the title at first, but after reading this first volume, it makes so much sense and it’s like GAH. I get it.

Anyway. The story centers on Mori Hikari, who is quite average while her friend Mari is one of the cutest girls in class. Hikari sits behind Ohtani, who one day tells Hikari he likes her friend. Hikari decides to help him get close to Mari, but as she does, she develops feelings for Ohtani.

This was only the first volume so it was only the initial set up and development of feelings, but I see the seeds for drama planted already. The art is cute and the story is charming, and Hikari is mostly level-headed so far, kind of cool but gentle like a spring breeze, so she seems like a good heroine to follow. So far no one seems theatrically evil, so it feels realistic and like slice-of-life, the kind where you can’t truly hate anyone if things go wrong.

The only thing I’ll complain about is Ohtani and his friend Asagiri. I have so much trouble telling them apart. Also I did kind of question how fast Hikari came to the conclusion that she likes Ohtani.

Stories about unrequited love aren't ones I typically reach for but with how popular this title is and after reading the premise I decided to give it a chance. The first character we follow is Hikari, the self proclaimed average high school girl, and we see her feelings for Ohtani grow as she attempts to bring him closer to his own crush Mari - who is Hikari's best friend. What I didn't like about this storyline was the fact that Mari is so extremely shy she can barely say hello to fellow classmates yet Hikari is all too happy to thrust Ohtani at her without even seeing if Mari is interested in him romantically. Hikari doesn't seem to view Mari as a person but more a typical shojo romance heroine and puts her on a pedestal and writes her into a love story while disregarding the fact Mari has her own thoughts and feelings. Also by putting Mari on a pedestal she's putting herself down in the process - Hikari is quite self deprecating about her abilities and her looks.
Ohtani is a lovable goof archetype and while he was fun to read sometimes I got confused about the jokes he was making and they way he acts around Hikari at times would have made me assume it was her he had feelings for it if I hadn't been told otherwise. Based on the ending of volume 1, I assume Mari's unrequited love is her teacher and while that is a trope I don't love I feel as the storyline could be a good one if handled with care. I did like that the characters felt and acted like teenagers.

As to whether I'd read volume 2 I could honestly take it or leave it.

This manga was pretty cute! I could have done without the nudity as it was unnecessary, especially given these are high school students… That said, I enjoyed following the characters and am really quite interested in knowing what happens next!

Going to the store tonight to buy this one! This is the shojo that has ME written alllll over it. Girl helps guy she likes to get with her best friend. Said best friend is SEEMINGLY IN LOVE WITH A TEACHER?! GIVE ME MORE! I love the art style, I love the story and I cannot wait to read more. The main girl is endearing as is her friend so it's going to be tough to see which one gets their heartbroken but I am here for this journey! I also love that one of the main guys' last name is Ohtani and the author shouts out her own manga haha.

If you like tropey high school shoujo this ones for you!

This contemporary slice-of-life high school romcom (?) was neither boring nor interesting. I will not continue it. The two male characters looked identical to me, which was confusing. The one female character is supposed to be some great beauty, but she was constantly drawn with comedically buggy eyes. The only plot was the daily life of high school kids, going to class and participating in extracurricular activities (band, sports), and developing unrequited crushes. And MAYBE the music teacher is a pedophile? Time will tell, but this just isn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy to review.

Oh my god the art style for this is SO cute, I fell instantly in love. Only started it today, but wolfed it down almost instantly. Some of the facial expressions were also absolutely priceless (example: giant round eyes with tiny white pupils). A bit hard to follow, at times, but will definitely be recommending. Won't be your cup of tea tho if you do not enjoy very cute manga stories.

"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!