Hot off the heels of its debut, in 2023, the critically acclaimed manga, The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, by Sumiko Arai, has been approved for an anime adaptation. The announcement came with the release of the third volume, in Japan, but no details on staff, cast, or release date have been disclosed.
About The Guy She Was Interested In
It can be hard to find people who share your niche interests. Aya Oosawa, a typical outgoing, flashy, high schooler, has a hard time talking with her friends about her real passion, rock music. One day, she walks into a vintage CD shop. It’s the perfect place to explore her secret interest. While she’s browsing, she finds something else that piques her curiosity, the cool and mysterious shop clerk with great taste in music. She instantly develops a crush on him and tries to see him as often as she can. As it turns out, “he” is a “she,” and her name is Mitsuki Koga. Not only that, they’re classmates and they sit right next to each other. Mitsuki desperately tries to keep her identity a secret, but music has a strange way of connecting people.
This yuri slice-of-life comedy, fully encapsulates the feelings of friendship becoming more. Also, it seamlessly weaves the rock aesthetic into themes of isolation and rebellion. The story has a nice pace thanks to the short chapters, and the artwork invites readers to dissect every little detail. The manga doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but rather, it refines it, to offer a smooth and satisfying ride.
Publications and Community Reception
The Guy She Was Interested In, began as a short story on Sumiko Arai’s X(Twitter) page in 2021. In 2022, it started its current weekly release schedule and was serialized on Pixiv Comic, a Japanese online artist community, in 2023. Kadokawa Shoten, is publishing the series and has released 3 tankobon volumes so far. Critics and audiences have praised the detailed artwork (particularly the use of color) and the natural story progression. The manga won the 2023 “Next Manga Award” in the web manga category. It has received similar accolades from Da Vinci, Kadoakwa’s monthly book magazine, and Takarajimasha, Inc, a publishing company in Japan. Apple and Spotify released an official music playlist featuring songs that Aya and Mitsuki listen to throughout the first volume. It features artists like Nirvana, Turnstile, Royal Blood and many of the greats!
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All is available for purchase in english from Yen Press.
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