The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All

There’s very little I adore more than when artists wear their inspiration as a badge when creating their own art. I find it to be one of the ultimate forms of love and connection to the art they’re inspired by, the artist who made it, and those who also love the art. Seeing artists create love letters to what came before them gives my heart a warm blanket to find comfort under. 

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai, also known as The Green Yuri, has been the most heartwarming thing I’ve experienced since My Dress-Up Darling and Kotaro Lives Alone. I can feel the passion flowing out of the art through every single page of this manga as it breaks every norm I’ve experienced with the medium so far. It’s actually insane how each chapter is able to have its own self contained moment that feels impactful with a mere four pages. This manga is brimming with youthful spirit, bursting art, and loveable fashion. I’ve completely fallen in love with the aesthetic of The Green Yuri.

For those unfamiliar, The Green Yuri is a black, white, and green manga that releases a chapter semi-weekly(the schedule is a bit informal to my knowledge). Each chapter is four pages long and follows the story of Aya Oosawa, the typical “perfect high school girl” that loves western rock music unlike everyone else around her, and Mitsuki Koga, a record store cashier that acts completely different out of school than when in. Aya is a frequent visitor to the record store Mitsuki works at since she loves the music there and has a massive crush on the cashier. However, she doesn’t know that Mitsuki, the same girl who sits by her in class everyday, is that cashier. Will she ever find out Mitsuki’s true identity? Does Mitsuki have a crush on her as well? What’ll happen if she finds out? These are all questions that can only be found out by those who dare to open up this potential love story. 

The initial premise of this girl-love manga was already enough to get my foot in the door, but it was much more than just the premise that made me binge 123 chapters in a 24 hour period. To hit a baseline, the art of this manga might be the prettiest art I’ve seen put to a page. It is heavily stylized from the character designs, to the panel work, to the coloring, and so on. Not falling in love with the tiny world presented and its characters is nearly impossible. Everything about this manga is so eye-catching and inspiring. Just seeing the art makes me want to pick up a pencil and draw because I can feel the love that’s put into every line. 

As stated previously, each chapter is only four pages of story. This means each page needs to be jam packed with as much content as possible without being convoluted in visuals, dialogue, and/or plot. Chapters are usually loosely tied together to the ones previous, but follow a consistent plot/timeline. Within these four pages we get to spend time with our main cast, their relationships, and the conflicts that occur within their story. Four pages a chapter may not sound like enough space to give each character and plot line room to be expressed to its fullest, but I wouldn’t be as ecstatic about this series if that was the case. 

  I think one of the most difficult things you can do as a writer is “say a lot with a little”. There’s usually no need for overly complicated writing methods, hyperrealistic art, or obtuse methods used to create the art you want to deliver. In this case, The Green Yuri may be told differently compared to other stories in its medium, but its simplicity in art/storytelling allow it to be as effective as it is. I’d say this is one of the most “raw” manga series I’ve ever read due to how barebones it feels, but do not confuse that with an absence of meat to chew on. 

Everything about this series screams high quality and is made with love. There’s an attention to detail to just about every expression on the characters faces to the specific songs chosen to capture the feeling of what’s occurring in the moment. As I read The Green Yuri, I hear the music that inspired it, the music Arai loves, the music the characters love, and even some of the music I love. It’s as if  those sounds are being integrated into every part of the story by Arai in the most fashionable way possible, and I think my favorite form of this is through the literal usage of the color green. 

The usage of color in manga is something I’ve rarely seen throughout my experience with the medium. Normally, it’s used in covers or special artworks made by the creators, but never do I see it within the actual stories. However, The Green Yuri uses color as another method for emotional expression in one of the coolest ways possible. The neon green coloring can be used for a variety of purposes like helping readers understand how characters feel, making the music be played in scenes come to life, or controlling how the readers feel while a plot is unfolding. 

It’s brilliant to use color this way in a medium that is regularly done in black in white. When the green is present it’s explosive, fun, and brings any and all positive feelings to me. Inversely, when the green is absent it’s consuming, bleak, and makes the viewer feel bad for the characters and the moment at hand. This application of color might be easy to notice, but it doesn’t make it any less fun to experience. Passive readers may never even notice that green is being used for more reasons than plain old fun while active readers can find the fun in watching how the green is being used. 

I’d be an idiot to not at least briefly mention how beautiful the color is while still on the subject. The neon green is striking like no other and absolutely pops off of the page. It’s a color that feels alive, especially as it contrasts with the black and white. Neon green isn’t something you see in most art as well, so I think it’s really recognizable/unique here. I don’t use the word “pretty” lightly, but I’m glad to say that the coloring, and art in general, in The Green Yuri is as pretty as I could ever wish for. 

My main praises for the series are for its art, but I do have to briefly discuss how lovely the actual writing is. I’m unsure if I’ve ever read a manga or anime that makes the romance feel like a teenage love story more than this one. The characters feel real and they feel youthful. Their love for their hobbies, relationships, and lives feel the same. As chapters go by we see them grow as individuals and as lovers, even through the issues and stumbles along the way. There’s nothing overly complex going on in The Green Yuri’s writing, but it’s done in a way that feels authentic to the creator.

One of the best decisions I think Arai has chosen was to have a small main cast. I’d say 4-5 characters are main cast members with one of those being introduced much later in the series. Each of them has their own style, hyperfixation, character flaws, and traits to love. Mitsuki and Aya are fun protagonists that are completely opposite on the personality spectrum. This makes every situation they end up in approached in ways where one can shine and the other can react. It’s a simple formula for duo character dynamics, but it’s effective. 

Meanwhile, the rest of our crew consist of Mitsuki’s uncle Joe, his former lover Kanna, and our main girls’ classmate Narita. I may not be a huge fan of Narita, but I can’t ignore how crucial he is for giving our main couple opportunities to focus on themselves. He has a couple of bits that make me laugh and that’s good enough to be satisfied with. 

Unlike my opinion on Narita, I adore Joe and Kanna as individuals, as an ex-couple, and as a potential future couple. They both have a matured edge to them and you can feel their history together based off of their actions. Admittedly their character work is done off screen or in the background, but I think it plays well since they’re the only older characters in the series. They both have an edge to them that could only be explained by the things they likely experienced during their teenage years. Recently we’ve gotten more chapters focused on them and their desires as people which has been insightful. They’re a perfect duo to compliment the main girls and give the series a refreshing splash of another love story. 

The other characters we see on occasion are Mao and Chizuru, two of Aya’s closest friends. They’re silly, but they get their own shine sometimes. Chizuru even got her own mini-plot at some point and it was satisfactory. I’d love to get some more of them even if they’re only in the background. They’re really typical popular high school girls, but I think they could get used as a strong contrast to our super characterized main cast. 

In regards to the writing of the plots/story, The Green Yuri sticks pretty close to the basic tropes of manga romance series. We’ve seen all these arc types before in other series, but this time they get the aesthetic and alternative seasoning that Arai brings to the kitchen. Never once did I feel bored or uninterested with the story, and I think that’s due to the chapter format(as well as the art and characters). All of these arcs are confined to be told through four page chapters. This makes even the most basic plotlines feel impactful since we wouldn’t be wasting pages on stories or moments that aren’t engaging or meaningful to the characters/series. 

Just like everything else in The Green Yuri, the story writing is concise, done with precision, and made with love for itself. There’s not much need to go into detail about the story and I’d hate to spoil any of the fun going on in it to anyone who’s interested in reading it for themselves. It’s safe to say that if the premise sounds interesting to you, you should totally give The Green Yuri the chance it deserves. 

Out of all the new series I’ve begun reading this year there may not be one that I’ve had more fun with than The Green Yuri. I’m ecstatic to follow this series until its eventual end as it has made me smile more than any piece of media I’ve experienced in quite a while. It’s also made me want to read more romance series since my experience with the genre in manga is limited. I don’t think there was a better time this could’ve come into my life and I’m happy to embrace it with open arms. When I eventually create my own art I’m certain that this series will play a part in inspiring its style. I’ve loved my time with The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai and I will continue to love it for as long as I can imagine.