Arai. Volume 1 Cover, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, Yen Press.
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All – Information
Author of Story: Sumiko Arai
Chapter Count: 3 volumes in English (9 chapters) + more content via mangaka’s social media
Status: Ongoing
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All Yen Press page
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below, only the literary work itself.
- Bullying
- Mature content
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
I’m so happy to finally review the iconic “green yuri” manga series that so many people know and love—and even better, just in time for Pride month!╰(´︶`)╯♡
Although so many people call it the green yuri, the full title is The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, which is often shortened to TGSWIIWAGAA by the community.
I’ve been a fan of this series for a while and even mentioned it a while back in my Short and One-Shot Romance Recommendations post; although at the time of that post (February 2024), the series didn’t have a physical English publication yet.
Actually, before any physical copies existed, the mangaka started this series on Twitter in short four-part pieces. It eventually moved to Pixiv Comic, and thanks to its popularity, now has multiple physical volumes and even an anime announcement!
Although there are physical volumes being released, the author still has all the 4-page subchapters posted on her social media in Japanese; so you are able to enjoy pretty much all of the story that way—while supporting the official releases, too, if you have the ability to! (๑❛ᴗ❛๑)
Arai. Volume 1 Cover Art, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, Yen Press.
The popularity of TGSWIIWAGAA is well deserved, as the story is super cute and features such lovable characters; on top of that, the mangaka has a very unique art style that skillfully captures the character’s emotions.
And of course, it features that brilliant pop of yellow-green that makes the art practically leap out of the page. It captures your attention with ease and delivers such an energetic and playful feel!
Okay, I think I’ve raved enough here… let’s jump into the plot summary!
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All – Plot Summary
TGSWIIWAGAA first introduces Aya Osawa, a high school student and gyaru who has a crush on the clerk at a CD store she likes to frequent.
Aya thinks this person is a super cool guy with a good taste in music—but in reality, it’s her classmate, Mitsuki Koga (a girl). This fun story follows these two as Mitsuki’s hidden identity is eventually revealed, a friendship is formed, and a romance ensues.
If you’re a big fan of music (particularly rock music) you’ll really enjoy this series, as the plot really integrates all aspects of music into the story.
The manga often references a lot of alternative rock bands and songs, even warranting an official playlist (link grabbed from the official website).
Music also plays a strong role in the relationship between Mitsuki and Aya, so if you’re a music lover, don’t miss out on this fantastic manga!
Why You Should Read The “Green Yuri”
Plot:
The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All might have an arguably simple plot, but it works well for the style of the story and the amount of emotion found within.
The manga explores the difficulties of being true to yourself and finding confidence in your own self-expression. It also nicely captures a blooming relationship and explores a lot of themes of music—all of these elements really nicely intersect, as romance, music, and the experience of growing into your true self can all be quite the emotional journey!
As someone who listens to all kinds of different music, including many of the bands mentioned in this series, I really liked the musical theme throughout TGSWIIWAGAA. I could often recall the emotion and power behind so many of the songs referenced, which made me so happy and even more immersed while reading!
However, even if you aren’t a fan of rock music, the story is still really good and easy to enjoy!
For example, I really adored the romance in this series. I’ve said this before in multiple reviews, but I like romances that take their time and let the characters grow close before things happen. I wouldn’t necessarily call this story a true slow burn, though.
Arai. Volume 2 Cover Art, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, Yen Press.
Although the title of this manga may suggest otherwise, there wasn’t a ton of focus on the fact that the relationship is between two girls. While I always appreciate stories that portray the LGBTQIA+ experience, it’s also nice for it to simply be a matter of fact, like in TGSWIIWAGAA.
There’s no dramatic revelation, no shock from other characters, not even any push back from haters. They’re simply another normal couple, and I really liked this natural, hassle-free normalization. It really lets you enjoy the characters, their personal growth, and their relationship to the fullest!
And their relationship is absolutely adorable. This manga is a coming-of-age story, so it’s full of emotion, showcasing the ups and downs of growing up and falling in love. While it starts out with their silly, awkward teen years, we do eventually see Aya and Mitsuki post-graduation, too.
To truly put the cherry on top in terms of positives I have for this series, it often features some classic romance tropes that were honestly completely unexpected for this manga. I absolutely love cheesy romance, and so many parts of this manga were of major interest to me!
Warning: Major spoilers ahead… We see an opposites-attract romance, the act of writing a phone number on someone’s hand, dramatic musical performances, and even prom—which was perhaps the most unexpected of all!
Lastly, I’ll quickly mention that TGSWIIWAGAA has a great level of humor! It often stems from the girls being nervous about their feelings, Mitsuki being unintentionally smooth, or from side characters who often have fun involvements in the story!
Characters:
The characters in The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All are tons of fun; they all have solid designs, personalities, and involvement in the story. But of course, we’re all here primarily for Aya and Mitsuki, so let’s talk about these two awesome ladies below…
I really like the set-up of their character tropes: we meet the gyaru who listens to her music alone because the genre isn’t something her fellow flashy friends enjoy—but once she meets the introverted rock music lover Mitsuki, they immediately bond over their shared passion!
Mitsuki Koga feels like a classic type of manga protagonist who doesn’t want to stand out in school, but still enjoys her hobbies to the fullest at home. She’s actually much more nervous than her cool at-home persona lets on, and oftentimes her “smooth moves” aren’t even intentional (lol).
I really love her character, as I find it so silly to have the hottie actually be a nervous wreck.
Despite it being used as a little bit of a joke throughout the series, Mitsuki’s reserved attitude and hidden persona are things that she sort of has eventually to grow out of.
She really struggles with being who she really is around others (a true cool girl with a love for music), but luckily Aya’s outgoing personality helps Mitsuki bloom.
Aya Osawa is sort of Mitsuki’s opposite—she’s outgoing and has flashy friends who she talks to in class. However, despite her outgoing nature, she considers music as something she can only enjoy on her lonesome, since her friends don’t seem interested in her favorite genre all.
Despite Aya’s flashy design and outgoing demeanor, she has a rather earnest personality and honest love for rock music. She’s a bit of an open-book fangirl who has her own share of nervousness and struggles.
Both of these two girls are written to be more complex than what their outward trope gives at first impression—in other words, they aren’t reduced to just a gyaru and an introvert. They have really lovable personalities that are explored deeper as the series progresses.
Lastly, I wanted to give a special mentioning here for all the side characters who support these two girls; I really loved all their super cool designs and fun personalities!
Art:
As you may have noticed before, I can’t praise the art style of this manga series enough. Everything about The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All is just so fun and unique!
I typically prefer black-and-white manga panels over colored series or comics, but TGSWIIWAGAA takes a fresh approach by adding just a single pop of color that surprisingly adds so much to the overall feel of the series.
I’m no expert in art or anything, but I feel like the green helps the darker tones or backgrounds really stand out on each page. It works very well with the bold linework, the shading, and the overall strong contrast between black and white elements throughout each page.
Arai. Volume 3 Cover Art, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, Yen Press.
In addition to the recognizable bright green, the art style itself feels so intentional and creative; almost like you can feel the passion flowing throughout each page. I imagine that the artist really loves her characters and put a lot of care into their designs and personalities.
The fashion found throughout the series is something you absolutely cannot miss, either! These characters really express themselves with a variety of really great outfits. This helps elevate the super cool rock theme in the series, too.
Overall, I think the character designs, outfit creation, and style of the art itself really come together to form something that feels very fresh, unique, and incredibly creative!
Any Cons?
Because of the entire TGSWIIWAGAA manga being published through four-page short stories (which, for the physical volumes, are like subchapters that are compiled under numbered chapters) you may notice the flow of the story feels a bit different from typical mangas, as it tells the story in bite-sized pieces.
Each chapter or subchapter may not be directly connected, but the story does still have an overall progression in terms of character development and their relationships. I think if you know to expect these subchapters going in, it’ll be less strange for you at the start.
However, due to this formatting, I’ve seen many mixed opinions about the pacing and flow of the story—I personally didn’t have an issue while reading this series, so this may just be something you’ll discover for yourself.
Similarly, I’ve seen many readers complain about the slow progression in terms of the romance.
I think both of these complaints must come from readers who had to wait for every 4-part chapter week by week. At this point in time, with how much content is available, the romance feels very natural and well-paced in my opinion… especially if you read each volume or all the subchapters in succession.
Personally, I enjoyed the story through-and-through, and really don’t have any complaints about it—but these are some complaints I’ve heard, just as a warning for new readers!
Final Thoughts
If you haven’t jumped into The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, now could be a great time to start! There’s plenty of content, the romance is starting to really kick into gear, and there are some really awesome physical volumes available to collect.
If you’re a fan of unique art styles, cool fashion, GL romances, or rock music, the green yuri is something you can’t miss!
Disclaimer: Any volume covers or official promotional images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Arai, Sumiko. The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, Yen Press, 2024.
