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イブニング新人賞出身の新しき才能が『美醜』をテーマに描く衝撃作！！ 二目と見られぬ醜悪な容貌を持つ少女・累（かさね）。その醜さ故、過酷な道を歩む累に、母が残した一本の口紅。その口紅の力が、虐げられて生きてきた、累の全てを変えていく――。
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2013
About the author
Daruma Matsuura
30 books35 followersDaruma Matsuura (松浦だるま) is a Japanese mangaka.
She is the author of Kasane.
She is the author of Kasane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
March 18, 2023
This is SO strange. I picked this up on a whim, having never heard of it.
It's about a girl who's born horribly disfigured. She is constantly bullied for her appearance.
Her mother, who recently passed away, left her a lipstick that has the magical ability to transfer someone else's face onto you for a short amount of time.
The main character uses this to discover what life is like experienced by a 'beautiful' person.
While the concept and story are interesting and not poorly done, I felt like the first volume would never end. I'm not drawn to pick up the series and find myself immediately forgetting that I ever read it in the first place.
It's about a girl who's born horribly disfigured. She is constantly bullied for her appearance.
Her mother, who recently passed away, left her a lipstick that has the magical ability to transfer someone else's face onto you for a short amount of time.
The main character uses this to discover what life is like experienced by a 'beautiful' person.
While the concept and story are interesting and not poorly done, I felt like the first volume would never end. I'm not drawn to pick up the series and find myself immediately forgetting that I ever read it in the first place.
February 24, 2019
Fuchi-san may have inherited her dead mother’s acting talent but she unfortunately didn’t get her movie-star good looks. Except she has an ace up her sleeve: a magic lipstick that, when applied, allows her to temporarily have the face of the person she kisses! Ugly duckling Fuchi-san can finally experience what it’s like to be beautiful – but where will this power lead her…
Daruma Matsuura’s Kasane is a dark horror take on Cinderella that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Fuchi-san is sympathetic at first because she’s bullied so harshly by her peers for being ugly but then later on she does far worse to equally innocent girls! You’d also hope that she learns that beauty is on skin deep, character is more important, to accept and love who she is, etc. but she only becomes more obsessed with external beauty. She’s actually quite a despicable protagonist!
Which would be ok if the story weren’t so repetitive and one-note. She first steals one pretty actress’s face at a high school play… and then does it again. And it looks like she’ll keep doing this for at least one more book (because, as always with mangas, there’s a zillion other volumes to streeeetch out the story as long as possible – gah!). I don’t need to like the characters in a story but the story has to be entertaining and this one wasn’t.
I didn’t hate the writing or art but I was definitely bored most of the time. Kasane has a kinda interesting premise that isn’t realised very well.
Daruma Matsuura’s Kasane is a dark horror take on Cinderella that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Fuchi-san is sympathetic at first because she’s bullied so harshly by her peers for being ugly but then later on she does far worse to equally innocent girls! You’d also hope that she learns that beauty is on skin deep, character is more important, to accept and love who she is, etc. but she only becomes more obsessed with external beauty. She’s actually quite a despicable protagonist!
Which would be ok if the story weren’t so repetitive and one-note. She first steals one pretty actress’s face at a high school play… and then does it again. And it looks like she’ll keep doing this for at least one more book (because, as always with mangas, there’s a zillion other volumes to streeeetch out the story as long as possible – gah!). I don’t need to like the characters in a story but the story has to be entertaining and this one wasn’t.
I didn’t hate the writing or art but I was definitely bored most of the time. Kasane has a kinda interesting premise that isn’t realised very well.
October 18, 2019
This is a rating and review of the entire series.
Story: ☆☆
Art: ☆☆☆☆
Hey! Despite my rating, I still highly recommend you to read this. A far superior theatre-centric story than, say, Glass Mask , for instance. The mystery aspect alone is worth it. Where it failed for me is when it comes to messaging; how they tried to pull it off, how it just didn't sit well with me.
But we'll get to that.
To be veeery reductive about it, this is the story of Kasane and her magic lipstick--a gift left behind from her deceased mother--which grants its wearer the ability to switch faces with anyone she kisses.
Kasane, having been bullied her entire life, makes the obvious decision of stealing her bully's face, and . . . well, Kasane ends up accidentally killing her. To be clear, they were probably only about primary school-age at this point. This happens early on in the first volume, so I don't consider it a spoiler. But it does set the tone for the rest of the manga: dark, unapologetic, with an antihero as a main character. And remarkably sexist, yes, only because it reflects a sexist society.
As you can probably tell, Kasane starts off a really unsympathetic character, and I think remains somewhat unsympathetic throughout the rest of the series. The only thing that keeps you from really detesting her, is because you'd probably also detest the people around her.
But before I get carried away, first let's talk about the art.
It was beautiful, but not what I was hoping for. It both exaggerated "ugliness", and yet at the same time also somehow managed to refuse showcasing it in its entirety:
That is exactly how much of Kasane's true, "ugly", face you will ever see.
I get what they're trying to do here--that nothing on paper can come anywhere close to as hideous as what we conjure in our minds. That leaving the rest for our own imaginations to fill, can be more effective than anything the artist tries to pen. I get that, I truly do, and for some readers it'll totally work.
But not for me. I read manga exactly because I want the detailed visual representation of things. Especially considering the entire storyline and character growth/development hinges upon Kasane's ugliness. Everything that happens to her, and all the choices she makes thereafter, completely relies on how hideous she supposedly is--so hideous that people literally scream out loud when they see her; children cry, get sick, etc.
But when they are beautiful? They are fucking gorgeous. The contrast in tone and facial expressions between ugly-beautiful is very stark and evocative, I have to begrudgingly admit.
Another issue I have, though, is that there is no middle ground. There aren't any "average"-looking characters--everyone seems to be either gorgeous or hideous. Even secondary characters such as our stalker and Habuta the manager are portrayed as detestably ugly. Just not the kind of ugly that would make people puke on the streets, apparently; and what does that do? It makes me question Kasane's monstrosity of a face all the more so.
Cynical though I am, I cannot imagine any form of collective societal bullying to the extent of what Kasane's been through. Let's be honest. She wasn't born with a hunched back or poor posture. She doesn't have a congenital disease that prevents her from retaining body fat. In fact, her body itself is possibly the hottest thing since freshly baked lasagna.
You're telling me no guy would tap that?? Come on. Who are you kidding. You and I both know far too many men to believe that.
All the "hideousness" is in her face. Even allowing that someone could've been born with a monstrous facial deformity, I still don't believe that every single person that you meet, every single day of your life, would treat you with such open disgust. That you wouldn't meet at least a decent portion of society who'd treat you kindly and with respect, just because you have a cut on your face?
So I did most certainly expect to be shown exactly what Kasane looks like, in full, in order for me to determine how plausible this is. Since it was not shown, and since my (little though it may be) faith in humanity still outweighs my suspension of disbelief, I just didn't buy it.
Quite the opposite, in fact. It made me feel as though Kasane's problem is entirely internal. That with the right amount of confidence, personal hygiene, removing that annoying strand of hair from her face and perhaps a haircut, she'd just be a normal functioning human being.
And perhaps that was the point of this series. I was hoping for it to be, at least. You know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's what's inside that matters, yaddayaddah. Problem is, the whole thing just took too long, and the final message was not only buried under a ton of side-drama, but also incredibly rushed and not nearly given as much highlight as was the whole "My life's so shit cause I'm so ugly, GAH!" thing.
What really reduced my rating for this series is its conclusion. I rarely do this. Normally, I'm very lenient when it comes to storyline. I figure, life doesn't turn out the way we want it to--why should we deduct stars from a book when its storyline doesn't go exactly where we want?
Like I said above, it was more about the messaging.
At the end, Kasane kinda learns to live with her own face, but she doesn't grow to love it or embrace it or even develop a fuck society and its shallow prejudices attitude--she just, like, deals with it, and mainly because her lipstick got broken or something (I forget the deets, okaaay?) and doesn't have any other option.
People are still shallow, her ugliness is still a thing--it's still the driving force that makes her excel at what she does (acting); her professional career is still heavily reliant on her looks (when she was pretty, she got leading-lady-roles; now that she's ugly, she gets leading-badie-roles)--and it's just so stereotypical and, although yes, reflective of society, I just did not want to end on a defeatist message after reading fourteen installments!
I suppose, when it comes to realism, this is as real and indicative of the world's problems as it gets. It's refreshing to see in manga, to be fair, and I did get into this series knowing that it's a dark one; so it's by no fault of the artist/writer that I was just depressively disappointed in its conclusion.
Story: ☆☆
Art: ☆☆☆☆
Hey! Despite my rating, I still highly recommend you to read this. A far superior theatre-centric story than, say, Glass Mask , for instance. The mystery aspect alone is worth it. Where it failed for me is when it comes to messaging; how they tried to pull it off, how it just didn't sit well with me.
But we'll get to that.
To be veeery reductive about it, this is the story of Kasane and her magic lipstick--a gift left behind from her deceased mother--which grants its wearer the ability to switch faces with anyone she kisses.
Kasane, having been bullied her entire life, makes the obvious decision of stealing her bully's face, and . . . well, Kasane ends up accidentally killing her. To be clear, they were probably only about primary school-age at this point. This happens early on in the first volume, so I don't consider it a spoiler. But it does set the tone for the rest of the manga: dark, unapologetic, with an antihero as a main character. And remarkably sexist, yes, only because it reflects a sexist society.
As you can probably tell, Kasane starts off a really unsympathetic character, and I think remains somewhat unsympathetic throughout the rest of the series. The only thing that keeps you from really detesting her, is because you'd probably also detest the people around her.
But before I get carried away, first let's talk about the art.
It was beautiful, but not what I was hoping for. It both exaggerated "ugliness", and yet at the same time also somehow managed to refuse showcasing it in its entirety:
That is exactly how much of Kasane's true, "ugly", face you will ever see.
I get what they're trying to do here--that nothing on paper can come anywhere close to as hideous as what we conjure in our minds. That leaving the rest for our own imaginations to fill, can be more effective than anything the artist tries to pen. I get that, I truly do, and for some readers it'll totally work.
But not for me. I read manga exactly because I want the detailed visual representation of things. Especially considering the entire storyline and character growth/development hinges upon Kasane's ugliness. Everything that happens to her, and all the choices she makes thereafter, completely relies on how hideous she supposedly is--so hideous that people literally scream out loud when they see her; children cry, get sick, etc.
But when they are beautiful? They are fucking gorgeous. The contrast in tone and facial expressions between ugly-beautiful is very stark and evocative, I have to begrudgingly admit.
Another issue I have, though, is that there is no middle ground. There aren't any "average"-looking characters--everyone seems to be either gorgeous or hideous. Even secondary characters such as our stalker and Habuta the manager are portrayed as detestably ugly. Just not the kind of ugly that would make people puke on the streets, apparently; and what does that do? It makes me question Kasane's monstrosity of a face all the more so.
Cynical though I am, I cannot imagine any form of collective societal bullying to the extent of what Kasane's been through. Let's be honest. She wasn't born with a hunched back or poor posture. She doesn't have a congenital disease that prevents her from retaining body fat. In fact, her body itself is possibly the hottest thing since freshly baked lasagna.
You're telling me no guy would tap that?? Come on. Who are you kidding. You and I both know far too many men to believe that.
All the "hideousness" is in her face. Even allowing that someone could've been born with a monstrous facial deformity, I still don't believe that every single person that you meet, every single day of your life, would treat you with such open disgust. That you wouldn't meet at least a decent portion of society who'd treat you kindly and with respect, just because you have a cut on your face?
So I did most certainly expect to be shown exactly what Kasane looks like, in full, in order for me to determine how plausible this is. Since it was not shown, and since my (little though it may be) faith in humanity still outweighs my suspension of disbelief, I just didn't buy it.
Quite the opposite, in fact. It made me feel as though Kasane's problem is entirely internal. That with the right amount of confidence, personal hygiene, removing that annoying strand of hair from her face and perhaps a haircut, she'd just be a normal functioning human being.
And perhaps that was the point of this series. I was hoping for it to be, at least. You know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's what's inside that matters, yaddayaddah. Problem is, the whole thing just took too long, and the final message was not only buried under a ton of side-drama, but also incredibly rushed and not nearly given as much highlight as was the whole "My life's so shit cause I'm so ugly, GAH!" thing.
What really reduced my rating for this series is its conclusion. I rarely do this. Normally, I'm very lenient when it comes to storyline. I figure, life doesn't turn out the way we want it to--why should we deduct stars from a book when its storyline doesn't go exactly where we want?
Like I said above, it was more about the messaging.
At the end, Kasane kinda learns to live with her own face, but she doesn't grow to love it or embrace it or even develop a fuck society and its shallow prejudices attitude--she just, like, deals with it, and mainly because her lipstick got broken or something (I forget the deets, okaaay?) and doesn't have any other option.
People are still shallow, her ugliness is still a thing--it's still the driving force that makes her excel at what she does (acting); her professional career is still heavily reliant on her looks (when she was pretty, she got leading-lady-roles; now that she's ugly, she gets leading-badie-roles)--and it's just so stereotypical and, although yes, reflective of society, I just did not want to end on a defeatist message after reading fourteen installments!
I suppose, when it comes to realism, this is as real and indicative of the world's problems as it gets. It's refreshing to see in manga, to be fair, and I did get into this series knowing that it's a dark one; so it's by no fault of the artist/writer that I was just depressively disappointed in its conclusion.
February 6, 2020
(review untuk keseluruhan serinya, yang sudah tamat di volume 14)
"Padahal hanya beda di wajah... padahal kalau kulit ini dikupas.... baik kamu maupun aku, kita adalah onggokan darah yang sama, daging yang sama, dan jiwa kotor yang sama."
Ini kisah seorang gadis buruk rupa.
Kasane punya bakat dan minat besar dalam teater. Sayang, parasnya yang mengerikan membuatnya jadi bulan-bulanan sejak kecil dan menghalanginya menggapai impian. Namun, berkat lipstik misterius peninggalan ibunya yang mantan bintang panggung terkenal, ia mendapat kekuatan untuk bertukar wajah sementara dengan siapa pun yang diciumnya. Sebuah berkah… atau kutukan?
……oke, mungkin kedengarannya bak salah satu cerita di Doraemon (*tenot… tenot….* “Lipstik Tukeran Muka….!” *twewewew*) Tapi sebenarnya, kekuatan lipstik ajaib itu hanyalah alat pengantar menuju sebuah drama psikologis seorang Kasane, konflik batin tanpa henti dalam dirinya, dan katarsis yang hanya bisa ia rasakan di atas panggung teater… dengan wajah dan identitas orang lain.
Dunia teater menjadi pelengkap sekaligus penguat tema sentral Kasane tentang “seni berpura-pura jadi orang lain”. Pertunjukan-pertunjukan yang ditampilkan di komik ini antara lain: The Seagulls (Anton Chekhov), Night on the Galactic Railroad (Kenji Miyazaki), Macbeth (William Shakespeare), dan tentunya, The Daybreak Princess, kisah orisinil tentang dua gadis bernama 'Fajar' dan 'Senja' yang juga menggambarkan konflik sentral di komik ini. Hebatnya, cerita-dalam-cerita tersebut tak hanya berdiri sendiri, tapi juga mengandung paralel terhadap perkembangan hubungan dan interaksi para karakter di plot utama.
Selain dari adegan-adegan di atas panggung, unsur teatrikal juga kental dari adegan-adegan di luar panggung saat para karakternya saling berkonfrontasi atau mengungkapkan isi batin mereka. Hal ini diperkuat oleh gaya gambar yang punya ciri khas kuat dari desain karakter, ekspresi, maupun pose tubuh, serta dialog yang senantiasa mengalir dengan indah nan tajam menusuk (acungan jempol juga untuk tim alih bahasa m&c! yang sudah menerjemahkan dan menggunakan pilihan kata yang menurut saya amat baik).
Konsep cerita ‘tukar identitas’ sudah jamak ditemukan di ranah fiksi. Biasanya, cerita semacam ini akan berujung ke pesan-pesan sebangsa ‘bersyukurlah dengan yang diberikan Tuhan padamu’, ‘yang penting itu kecantikan dalam hati’, ‘sayangilah diri sendiri’, dll.
Kasane tidak seperti itu.
Ini bukan cerita penyemangat, melainkan refleksi apa adanya dari jiwa sang tokoh utama yang getir dan suram, sejalan dengan atmosfer ceritanya yang gelap pekat. Kasane bukan tokoh sejenis ‘malaikat berwajah setan’, dia gadis yang selamanya dipenuhi prasangka buruk dan rasa benci terhadap dirinya sendiri serta dunia yang memperlakukannya dengan semena-mena.
Namun, begitu bagusnya Daruma Matsuura menampilkan ruang batin Kasane, sehingga pembaca mau tidak mau jadi berempati dengan dirinya. Saya pun tergugah oleh aksi Kasane di atas panggung maupun simbiosis beracunnya dengan tokoh-tokoh seperti Habuta, sutradara bergigi hamster yang menjadi satu-satunya orang yang mengetahui rahasia Kasane dan lipstiknya; Nina, aktris jelita yang punya segalanya yang dimiliki Kasane, tapi juga punya kelemahan fatal; dan Nogiku, benang penghubung antara Kasane dan masa lalu ibunya yang muncul secara tak terduga.
Seiring cerita makin jauh berjalan, semakin banyak kepalsuan, dusta, dan dosa yang ditumpuk Kasane. Semakin banyak perbuatan buruk yang tak dapat ditarik kembali, tetapi sulit sekali untuk tidak merasa semakin memihak Kasane dan mengharapkan akhir yang bahagia untuk tokoh ini.
Pengalaman membaca Kasane tidak selalu berjalan mulus nan sempurna buat saya. Di pertengahan seri, ceritanya sempat terasa agak ‘jalan di tempat’, dan saya .
Saya yakin kalau saya akan susah, atau bahkan tidak akan pernah lagi, menemukan komik yang seperti ini. Lima bintang untuk sosok anti-heroine yang tak akan terlupakan.
"Padahal hanya beda di wajah... padahal kalau kulit ini dikupas.... baik kamu maupun aku, kita adalah onggokan darah yang sama, daging yang sama, dan jiwa kotor yang sama."
Ini kisah seorang gadis buruk rupa.
Kasane punya bakat dan minat besar dalam teater. Sayang, parasnya yang mengerikan membuatnya jadi bulan-bulanan sejak kecil dan menghalanginya menggapai impian. Namun, berkat lipstik misterius peninggalan ibunya yang mantan bintang panggung terkenal, ia mendapat kekuatan untuk bertukar wajah sementara dengan siapa pun yang diciumnya. Sebuah berkah… atau kutukan?
……oke, mungkin kedengarannya bak salah satu cerita di Doraemon (*tenot… tenot….* “Lipstik Tukeran Muka….!” *twewewew*) Tapi sebenarnya, kekuatan lipstik ajaib itu hanyalah alat pengantar menuju sebuah drama psikologis seorang Kasane, konflik batin tanpa henti dalam dirinya, dan katarsis yang hanya bisa ia rasakan di atas panggung teater… dengan wajah dan identitas orang lain.
Dunia teater menjadi pelengkap sekaligus penguat tema sentral Kasane tentang “seni berpura-pura jadi orang lain”. Pertunjukan-pertunjukan yang ditampilkan di komik ini antara lain: The Seagulls (Anton Chekhov), Night on the Galactic Railroad (Kenji Miyazaki), Macbeth (William Shakespeare), dan tentunya, The Daybreak Princess, kisah orisinil tentang dua gadis bernama 'Fajar' dan 'Senja' yang juga menggambarkan konflik sentral di komik ini. Hebatnya, cerita-dalam-cerita tersebut tak hanya berdiri sendiri, tapi juga mengandung paralel terhadap perkembangan hubungan dan interaksi para karakter di plot utama.
Selain dari adegan-adegan di atas panggung, unsur teatrikal juga kental dari adegan-adegan di luar panggung saat para karakternya saling berkonfrontasi atau mengungkapkan isi batin mereka. Hal ini diperkuat oleh gaya gambar yang punya ciri khas kuat dari desain karakter, ekspresi, maupun pose tubuh, serta dialog yang senantiasa mengalir dengan indah nan tajam menusuk (acungan jempol juga untuk tim alih bahasa m&c! yang sudah menerjemahkan dan menggunakan pilihan kata yang menurut saya amat baik).
Konsep cerita ‘tukar identitas’ sudah jamak ditemukan di ranah fiksi. Biasanya, cerita semacam ini akan berujung ke pesan-pesan sebangsa ‘bersyukurlah dengan yang diberikan Tuhan padamu’, ‘yang penting itu kecantikan dalam hati’, ‘sayangilah diri sendiri’, dll.
Kasane tidak seperti itu.
Ini bukan cerita penyemangat, melainkan refleksi apa adanya dari jiwa sang tokoh utama yang getir dan suram, sejalan dengan atmosfer ceritanya yang gelap pekat. Kasane bukan tokoh sejenis ‘malaikat berwajah setan’, dia gadis yang selamanya dipenuhi prasangka buruk dan rasa benci terhadap dirinya sendiri serta dunia yang memperlakukannya dengan semena-mena.
Namun, begitu bagusnya Daruma Matsuura menampilkan ruang batin Kasane, sehingga pembaca mau tidak mau jadi berempati dengan dirinya. Saya pun tergugah oleh aksi Kasane di atas panggung maupun simbiosis beracunnya dengan tokoh-tokoh seperti Habuta, sutradara bergigi hamster yang menjadi satu-satunya orang yang mengetahui rahasia Kasane dan lipstiknya; Nina, aktris jelita yang punya segalanya yang dimiliki Kasane, tapi juga punya kelemahan fatal; dan Nogiku, benang penghubung antara Kasane dan masa lalu ibunya yang muncul secara tak terduga.
Seiring cerita makin jauh berjalan, semakin banyak kepalsuan, dusta, dan dosa yang ditumpuk Kasane. Semakin banyak perbuatan buruk yang tak dapat ditarik kembali, tetapi sulit sekali untuk tidak merasa semakin memihak Kasane dan mengharapkan akhir yang bahagia untuk tokoh ini.
Pengalaman membaca Kasane tidak selalu berjalan mulus nan sempurna buat saya. Di pertengahan seri, ceritanya sempat terasa agak ‘jalan di tempat’, dan saya .
Saya yakin kalau saya akan susah, atau bahkan tidak akan pernah lagi, menemukan komik yang seperti ini. Lima bintang untuk sosok anti-heroine yang tak akan terlupakan.
May 21, 2015
This was a sick and disturbing manga and I am not going to read this one further.
Kasane is a highly disturbing young girl, and while I can imagine that she became this way because of people and how they react to her looks, I still think this is a bit too far to go for someone. I was truly getting sick in my stomach while reading this manga. Kasane will do anything to get what she wants. Stealing someone's face? Drugging them to do so? Threatening them with a knife? Seriously, wth. It was just disturbing.
The first parts I didn't feel much sadness for her victim (might sound cruel, but really, that bully was just horrendous), but I felt super sad during the second part with the second victim. The poor girl just tried her best to be friends with Kasane and this is her reward? This is what Kasane does? She doesn't care about friendship or caring about people? I just wanted to smack Kasane on the head for doing all this to someone who truly cares about her and doesn't care about her looks.
I also feel that the way Kasane was drawn was too far, too much and too silly. I can imagine that one would make her slightly ugly, as otherwise why would she use the lipstick? But, this much? No, sorry. I didn't like it.
I have no clue if Kasane was ever nice, or if she always had this personality. Again, I can imagine that she broke and got evil. Bullying is a bad thing and it will break the victims, but I feel Kasane would have been evil even without that.
I didn't like Kasane's mom. It is one reason why I don't want to read it further, I just don't want to know what Kasane's mom really was. There are enough hints and they hint to things I don't want to see drawn out.
The art was so-so. It is not really a style I like, it reminded me a lot of the old shoujo manga.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this manga. The covers are delightful and pretty, but that is really it.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Kasane is a highly disturbing young girl, and while I can imagine that she became this way because of people and how they react to her looks, I still think this is a bit too far to go for someone. I was truly getting sick in my stomach while reading this manga. Kasane will do anything to get what she wants. Stealing someone's face? Drugging them to do so? Threatening them with a knife? Seriously, wth. It was just disturbing.
The first parts I didn't feel much sadness for her victim (might sound cruel, but really, that bully was just horrendous), but I felt super sad during the second part with the second victim. The poor girl just tried her best to be friends with Kasane and this is her reward? This is what Kasane does? She doesn't care about friendship or caring about people? I just wanted to smack Kasane on the head for doing all this to someone who truly cares about her and doesn't care about her looks.
I also feel that the way Kasane was drawn was too far, too much and too silly. I can imagine that one would make her slightly ugly, as otherwise why would she use the lipstick? But, this much? No, sorry. I didn't like it.
I have no clue if Kasane was ever nice, or if she always had this personality. Again, I can imagine that she broke and got evil. Bullying is a bad thing and it will break the victims, but I feel Kasane would have been evil even without that.
I didn't like Kasane's mom. It is one reason why I don't want to read it further, I just don't want to know what Kasane's mom really was. There are enough hints and they hint to things I don't want to see drawn out.
The art was so-so. It is not really a style I like, it reminded me a lot of the old shoujo manga.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this manga. The covers are delightful and pretty, but that is really it.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 27, 2018
Rating: 4.0/5.0
This was an interesting start. The story is about Kasane who has a very low self-esteem due to her looks. In school, she gets bullied all the time by others. One day she discovers a lipstick her deceased mother (a very famous and beautiful actress) left her. This lipstick has a magical effect, if she puts it on and kisses that person their faces get exchanged! How will Kasane use this powerful tool for her own benefit?
Kasane's character somehow reminds one of Carrie from Stephen King's novel Carrie. This was an entertaining first volume. The art style of this manga is beautiful as well.
This was an interesting start. The story is about Kasane who has a very low self-esteem due to her looks. In school, she gets bullied all the time by others. One day she discovers a lipstick her deceased mother (a very famous and beautiful actress) left her. This lipstick has a magical effect, if she puts it on and kisses that person their faces get exchanged! How will Kasane use this powerful tool for her own benefit?
Kasane's character somehow reminds one of Carrie from Stephen King's novel Carrie. This was an entertaining first volume. The art style of this manga is beautiful as well.
December 5, 2022
Nie sądziłam, że aż tak mi się spodoba.
July 12, 2019
This was some pretty weird manga (although in many cases I suppose that goes without saying.) A young girl is deformed but has great acting talent, inherited from her mother, who was a beautiful movie star. Then we find out maybe she wasn't so beautiful after all, but instead was using magical lipstick in order to steal the faces of more attractive women. So Kasane inherits the lipstick, and begins to do the same, although it wasn't something she set out to do as at first she had no idea this would happen.
It's very angsty and dark. The art isn't bad, but it's pretty typical Manga style art. If you like really weird, dark manga, this one is for you, but be warned it's pretty dismal.
It's very angsty and dark. The art isn't bad, but it's pretty typical Manga style art. If you like really weird, dark manga, this one is for you, but be warned it's pretty dismal.
July 30, 2017
Really enjoyed this. The main character's plight is told so well that it becomes a bit uncomfortable at times. Having read the next few volumes I can say that the plot develops into a very promising and interesting scenario.
October 9, 2020
2020 Read #638
I have trouble with manga like this. Empathy-wise, I get the premise and the main character’s plight. But even so I just can’t get on board with the way the characters act. Sure, the story is intriguing, but I feel this moral dilemma tugging at me as I read, as weird as that sounds.
I have trouble with manga like this. Empathy-wise, I get the premise and the main character’s plight. But even so I just can’t get on board with the way the characters act. Sure, the story is intriguing, but I feel this moral dilemma tugging at me as I read, as weird as that sounds.
February 18, 2024
Tak dobrze mi się czytało że jak usiadłem w legowisku psa to aż nie mogłem z niego wyjść bo jest to naprawdę bardzo dobra lektura którą się z przyjemnością czyta.
October 8, 2025
C'est rare que j'abandonne un livre. Encore plus un manga, car c'est le premier que je n'arrive pas à finir même si je n'aime pas. J'ai trouvé l'histoire peu intéressante, et je ne savais pas où ça allait mener. Et l'héroïne, Kasane, est tout bonnement détestable. Je me suis même pas attachée à elle, ce qui fait que j'ai vite lâché ma lecture.
Ce n'était vraiment pas pour moi. Tant pis, au moins j'ai essayé.
Ce n'était vraiment pas pour moi. Tant pis, au moins j'ai essayé.
May 15, 2024
[3.9]
May 15, 2024
Mega dziwne
Read
January 25, 2016Kasane est une jeune fille solitaire. Moquée et subissant les brimades de ses camarades à cause de son visage déformé, la jeune fille se renferme et pense régulièrement à sa mère. Cette dernière lui a légué un rouge à lèvre avant de mourir, qui aurait une bien étrange particularité. Si Kasane l'applique sur ses lèvres, puis embrasse une autre personne, alors elle prendra son visage et pourra dire au revoir à sa laideur. Mais les choses ne vont pas être si simples et l'amènera à se remettre en question...
On commence ce manga par la toute première utilisation du rouge à lèvre par la jeune fille : les moqueries et insultes sont déjà là - les enfants sont horribles entre eux - et ses camarades ont l'idée de l'humilier lors d'une représentation de Cendrillon en lui offrant le premier rôle. Mais il se trouve que Kasane s'en sort plutôt bien sur scène. Alors que l'instigatrice de ce qui devait être une humiliation éloigne Kasane pour pouvoir finir la pièce à sa place, elle ne s'attendait surement pas à se faire voler son visage. Cet épisode se terminant dramatiquement, la voleuse se jure de ne plus jamais réessayer le rouge à lèvre de sa mère.
Et on avance dans le temps, on passe directement au moment où tout va basculer pour Kasane, qui va se retrouver à briser sa promesse. La voleuse est aujourd'hui plus âgée, et commence à réfléchir à la portée de ses actes : peut-elle voler le visage d'une fille qui lui tendait la main ? Est-ce que derrière le visage d'une autre reste-t-elle une bonne comédienne ? Ou sa laideur prend le dessus de tout ? Elle se rend compte qu'elle aime cette confiance en soi qu'elle n'a pas avec son vrai visage, que tout lui semble plus facile... J'ai particulièrement aimé le cheminement psychologique de Kasane. C'est également le début des questions sur sa mère, avait-elle toujours cette beauté, ou a-t-elle volé un visage - une vie - pour vivre ses rêves sur les planches ? J'ai hâte de voir comment tout cela évoluera par la suite !
Les graphismes jouent beaucoup sur l'histoire. J'adore ces dessins old-school, la beauté est assez bien représentée, avec des traits très fins, tandis que la laideur n'est jamais totalement montrée, toujours cachée derrière un masque ou les cheveux de Kasane. Cela joue énormément sur l'imaginaire du lecteur qui va essayer de composer un visage à la jeune fille, suivant comment nous percevons nous même la laideur, car après tout, cela reste subjectif. En tout cas, c'est un sans faute, les proportions sont parfaites, les personnages sont tous très bien travaillés et sont facilement reconnaissables malgré leurs ressemblances sur certains plans.
En bref, Kasane - La voleuse de visage est un manga basé sur la beauté, évoluant pour ce premier tome dans un lycée, sur des petites scènes de théâtres scolaires. Il y a fort à parier que le décor change par la suite. Le harcèlement scolaire joue un très grand rôle dans l'histoire de Kasane, car si elle ne vivait pas ces violences, elle ne serait pas obligée de voler le visage des autres pour pouvoir vivre normalement, aller jusqu'au bout de ce qu'elle entreprend. Les graphismes sont ici très important et ne manqueront pas de ravir ceux qui attendaient avec impatience la publication française de cette série. Pour ma part, je suivrais cette série avec une grande attention !
On commence ce manga par la toute première utilisation du rouge à lèvre par la jeune fille : les moqueries et insultes sont déjà là - les enfants sont horribles entre eux - et ses camarades ont l'idée de l'humilier lors d'une représentation de Cendrillon en lui offrant le premier rôle. Mais il se trouve que Kasane s'en sort plutôt bien sur scène. Alors que l'instigatrice de ce qui devait être une humiliation éloigne Kasane pour pouvoir finir la pièce à sa place, elle ne s'attendait surement pas à se faire voler son visage. Cet épisode se terminant dramatiquement, la voleuse se jure de ne plus jamais réessayer le rouge à lèvre de sa mère.
Et on avance dans le temps, on passe directement au moment où tout va basculer pour Kasane, qui va se retrouver à briser sa promesse. La voleuse est aujourd'hui plus âgée, et commence à réfléchir à la portée de ses actes : peut-elle voler le visage d'une fille qui lui tendait la main ? Est-ce que derrière le visage d'une autre reste-t-elle une bonne comédienne ? Ou sa laideur prend le dessus de tout ? Elle se rend compte qu'elle aime cette confiance en soi qu'elle n'a pas avec son vrai visage, que tout lui semble plus facile... J'ai particulièrement aimé le cheminement psychologique de Kasane. C'est également le début des questions sur sa mère, avait-elle toujours cette beauté, ou a-t-elle volé un visage - une vie - pour vivre ses rêves sur les planches ? J'ai hâte de voir comment tout cela évoluera par la suite !
Les graphismes jouent beaucoup sur l'histoire. J'adore ces dessins old-school, la beauté est assez bien représentée, avec des traits très fins, tandis que la laideur n'est jamais totalement montrée, toujours cachée derrière un masque ou les cheveux de Kasane. Cela joue énormément sur l'imaginaire du lecteur qui va essayer de composer un visage à la jeune fille, suivant comment nous percevons nous même la laideur, car après tout, cela reste subjectif. En tout cas, c'est un sans faute, les proportions sont parfaites, les personnages sont tous très bien travaillés et sont facilement reconnaissables malgré leurs ressemblances sur certains plans.
En bref, Kasane - La voleuse de visage est un manga basé sur la beauté, évoluant pour ce premier tome dans un lycée, sur des petites scènes de théâtres scolaires. Il y a fort à parier que le décor change par la suite. Le harcèlement scolaire joue un très grand rôle dans l'histoire de Kasane, car si elle ne vivait pas ces violences, elle ne serait pas obligée de voler le visage des autres pour pouvoir vivre normalement, aller jusqu'au bout de ce qu'elle entreprend. Les graphismes sont ici très important et ne manqueront pas de ravir ceux qui attendaient avec impatience la publication française de cette série. Pour ma part, je suivrais cette série avec une grande attention !
January 3, 2026
₊⊹♡ 3 stars ⋆˙⟡
idk how to feel abt this honestly, it wasn’t bad but it’s definitely not a light read (￣-￣)
idk how to feel abt this honestly, it wasn’t bad but it’s definitely not a light read (￣-￣)
September 14, 2020
Wuola!
Debo admitir que este manga lo compre más por impulso que por quererlo leer. No tenía muy claro de que iba, pero siendo de la editorial Mily Way ya tenía mi atención.
La historia nos habla de Kasane una chica cuyo rostros es horrible y sufre acoso y humillaciones a lo largo de toda su vida, hasta que se pinta los labios con un pintalabios que le dejó su madre antes de morir: "Pintate los labios, acercate a lo que deseas y.... ¡Besalo!".
Okey, la premisa ya me sonaba jodidamente rara cuando la vi, pero conforme lo vas leyendo empiezas a ver y a entender determinadas cosas de la trama y sin embargo todo sigue siendo un extraño misterio. El poder del pintalabios, cambiar tu rostro por el de la persona que beses, me parece extraño pero ne la historia muy bien llevado. Un thrille psicológico con tintes de body horror y cuyo piedra angular parece ser la belleza superficial frente a todo lo demas. Veremos que nos depara Kasane en los próximos tomos
Debo admitir que este manga lo compre más por impulso que por quererlo leer. No tenía muy claro de que iba, pero siendo de la editorial Mily Way ya tenía mi atención.
La historia nos habla de Kasane una chica cuyo rostros es horrible y sufre acoso y humillaciones a lo largo de toda su vida, hasta que se pinta los labios con un pintalabios que le dejó su madre antes de morir: "Pintate los labios, acercate a lo que deseas y.... ¡Besalo!".
Okey, la premisa ya me sonaba jodidamente rara cuando la vi, pero conforme lo vas leyendo empiezas a ver y a entender determinadas cosas de la trama y sin embargo todo sigue siendo un extraño misterio. El poder del pintalabios, cambiar tu rostro por el de la persona que beses, me parece extraño pero ne la historia muy bien llevado. Un thrille psicológico con tintes de body horror y cuyo piedra angular parece ser la belleza superficial frente a todo lo demas. Veremos que nos depara Kasane en los próximos tomos
February 2, 2020
This volume contains ch 1 to 8
Such a dark and creepy interpretation of Cinderella.
Kasane is a ugly girl and gets bullied by her classmates. Moreover, since her mother was a renowned actress, she wants to be one too. So she's always drawn towards all things related to theater. But if she can not get a role with her face, she can just steal faces of other people.
Her mother left her a lipstick that allows her to steal faces for some time before she reverts to her original look. Cinderella indeed!
It is rather interesting but the main character is a bit too dark to be relatable. Let's see if the mangaka does anything about it.
Such a dark and creepy interpretation of Cinderella.
Kasane is a ugly girl and gets bullied by her classmates. Moreover, since her mother was a renowned actress, she wants to be one too. So she's always drawn towards all things related to theater. But if she can not get a role with her face, she can just steal faces of other people.
Her mother left her a lipstick that allows her to steal faces for some time before she reverts to her original look. Cinderella indeed!
It is rather interesting but the main character is a bit too dark to be relatable. Let's see if the mangaka does anything about it.
June 22, 2024
Parental advisory:
Violence,non-consensual kissing,bullying and drugging.
2 and a half stars.
Read:
Saturday June 22,2024
Beauty is idolized throughout the world in the world of Kasane.
Kasane aspires to be an actress like her mother but because of her disfigured appearance,Kasane is bullied and ostracized by her violent classmates at school.
This makes her dream seemingly impossible to achieve,where good looks are assets in the acting industry.
Before Kasane's mother died she told her about magic red lipstick that will allow her to switch to faces whoever she kisses while wearing the lipstick.
Now she is given a chance to pursue her ambitions.
I wondered what lengths will use her new abilities.
From what I've read in the so far this story is a thriller and horror series and not a slice of life so I'm curious to how this story will unfold.
Usually stories involving the magic makeup and acting industry in manga (usually shojo manga) are romantic comedy or slice of life series but this one so far is different.
However the story so far is disappointing.
The writer wrote this volume as if it's a essay they want to quickly finish and move on from.
The pacing is terrible and Kasane is a bit annoying.
Her character is so ridiculously obsessed with beauty and being friends with people who bullied her.
I thought Kasane and the other characters were going to be at least in their teens but for whatever reason the writer wrote them as elementary school students.🤦
It makes certain scenes such as Kasane kissing Nishizawa Ichika and Iku or Kasane harming herself very awkward.
*Edit:
Also after Kasane causes a girl from her class to brutally fall to her death the next day no one mentions the girl dying or that Ksane was the last girl to be seen with her.
Also the security doesn't roll back the cameras to see how she died.
The next day Kasane is suddenly a middle school student despite being a elementary school student a few panels earlier.- end of edit.*
Also Kasane forcibly kissed Ichika for her face is it's strange that Kasane is shown seductively kissing a girl on the cover.
Violence,non-consensual kissing,bullying and drugging.
2 and a half stars.
Read:
Saturday June 22,2024
Beauty is idolized throughout the world in the world of Kasane.
Kasane aspires to be an actress like her mother but because of her disfigured appearance,Kasane is bullied and ostracized by her violent classmates at school.
This makes her dream seemingly impossible to achieve,where good looks are assets in the acting industry.
Before Kasane's mother died she told her about magic red lipstick that will allow her to switch to faces whoever she kisses while wearing the lipstick.
Now she is given a chance to pursue her ambitions.
I wondered what lengths will use her new abilities.
From what I've read in the so far this story is a thriller and horror series and not a slice of life so I'm curious to how this story will unfold.
Usually stories involving the magic makeup and acting industry in manga (usually shojo manga) are romantic comedy or slice of life series but this one so far is different.
However the story so far is disappointing.
The writer wrote this volume as if it's a essay they want to quickly finish and move on from.
The pacing is terrible and Kasane is a bit annoying.
Her character is so ridiculously obsessed with beauty and being friends with people who bullied her.
I thought Kasane and the other characters were going to be at least in their teens but for whatever reason the writer wrote them as elementary school students.🤦
It makes certain scenes such as Kasane kissing Nishizawa Ichika and Iku or Kasane harming herself very awkward.
*Edit:
Also after Kasane causes a girl from her class to brutally fall to her death the next day no one mentions the girl dying or that Ksane was the last girl to be seen with her.
Also the security doesn't roll back the cameras to see how she died.
The next day Kasane is suddenly a middle school student despite being a elementary school student a few panels earlier.- end of edit.*
Also Kasane forcibly kissed Ichika for her face is it's strange that Kasane is shown seductively kissing a girl on the cover.
August 7, 2020
Recensione su Chibiistheway
Le premesse di questo manga sono molto interessanti quanto cupe. Kasane è una bambina non proprio carina, tutti la prendono sempre di mira per il suo aspetto e questo la porta a crescere più in fretta e a farsi domande molto profonde su se stessa e il mondo che la circonda. È triste vedere come certe persone siano così attaccate all’estetica, come l’aspetto esteriore porti a un giudizio affrettato e crudele, soprattutto fra bambini. Anche crescendo Kasane deve sopportare continuamente gli insulti dei coetanei ed è vittima di bullismo. Ci sono dei momenti duri da mandar giù ma che rispecchiano una faccia della società. Detto questo, non sono sicura di aver apprezzato totalmente questo fumetto, dovrei leggere almeno il secondo volume per farmi un’opinione più chiara. Mi piacciono le storie dure e crude ma devo capire che direzione si prenderà e come si cercherà di affrontare l’”ostacolo” dell’aspetto fisico di Kasane che per ora le preclude ogni tipo di rapporto e non la fa ben sperare per il suo futuro.
Le premesse di questo manga sono molto interessanti quanto cupe. Kasane è una bambina non proprio carina, tutti la prendono sempre di mira per il suo aspetto e questo la porta a crescere più in fretta e a farsi domande molto profonde su se stessa e il mondo che la circonda. È triste vedere come certe persone siano così attaccate all’estetica, come l’aspetto esteriore porti a un giudizio affrettato e crudele, soprattutto fra bambini. Anche crescendo Kasane deve sopportare continuamente gli insulti dei coetanei ed è vittima di bullismo. Ci sono dei momenti duri da mandar giù ma che rispecchiano una faccia della società. Detto questo, non sono sicura di aver apprezzato totalmente questo fumetto, dovrei leggere almeno il secondo volume per farmi un’opinione più chiara. Mi piacciono le storie dure e crude ma devo capire che direzione si prenderà e come si cercherà di affrontare l’”ostacolo” dell’aspetto fisico di Kasane che per ora le preclude ogni tipo di rapporto e non la fa ben sperare per il suo futuro.
January 8, 2023
4.5
Bardzo ciekawa fabuła!
Cieszę się że motyw ze szminką nie był przewidywalny, sądziłam że pomaluje nią usta i stanie się piękna jak można było przewidzieć, ale tutaj autorka dała nam coś więcej dzięki czemu przeczytałam dużo szybciej niz planowałam 😊 mam nadzieję że kupno następnych tomów nie będzie błędem i liczę że akcja stanie się straszniejsza i trzymająca w napięciu ale nie jestem pewna czy to ten rodzaj mang.
Jedynym za co nie dałam 5 jest to, że w opisie Kasane jest opisana jako dziewczyna o "nieprzeciętnej brzydocie" więc fajnie by było gdyby była narysowana jako naprawdę ktoś odrażający a nie tylko zasłaniać jej twarz włosami, nad tym trochę ubolewam. Niby ma duże usta ale nie nazwałbym ją chodźby brzydką :')
Bardzo ciekawa fabuła!
Cieszę się że motyw ze szminką nie był przewidywalny, sądziłam że pomaluje nią usta i stanie się piękna jak można było przewidzieć, ale tutaj autorka dała nam coś więcej dzięki czemu przeczytałam dużo szybciej niz planowałam 😊 mam nadzieję że kupno następnych tomów nie będzie błędem i liczę że akcja stanie się straszniejsza i trzymająca w napięciu ale nie jestem pewna czy to ten rodzaj mang.
Jedynym za co nie dałam 5 jest to, że w opisie Kasane jest opisana jako dziewczyna o "nieprzeciętnej brzydocie" więc fajnie by było gdyby była narysowana jako naprawdę ktoś odrażający a nie tylko zasłaniać jej twarz włosami, nad tym trochę ubolewam. Niby ma duże usta ale nie nazwałbym ją chodźby brzydką :')
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2025
una trama molto intrigante, una ragazza dal volto deforme bullizzata, complessata, scopre che grazie a un rossetto lasciatele dalla madre può prendere l'aspetto di un altra persona con un bacio....ma basta davvero l'aspetto esteriore per sentirsi pienamente felici? una storia avvincente che incuriosisce anche perché diventa molto dark e ci scappa anche il morto, sono curiosa di leggere il seguito
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2024
Strange ending but a good series with a lot of emotional depth and nuance. Like most manga writing for whatever reason, it changes tones and characters 20 times over the run. I’m all for character development but people completely change from one volume to the next.
I think the main idea of personal beauty is hard for me to crack but I can a appreciate it
I think the main idea of personal beauty is hard for me to crack but I can a appreciate it
November 3, 2019
A girl with unusual looks is left a lipstick with magical powers after her mother dies and that lipstick can transform her into the person she kisses, after being bullied for her looks she decides to use it
July 25, 2017
Un manga dont j'entends parler depuis longtemps et qui me fait penser à la bd "Beauté"... Je conseille les deux ;-)
January 13, 2022
can’t wait to read next volume
January 30, 2026
Quality of Writing - 4
Pacing - 5
Setting - 3
Plot Development - 5
Characters - 5
Logic / Relationships - 5
Enjoyability - 5
Ease of Reading - 5
Ending - 4
Artwork - 5
Overall Personal Rating - 4.6 or 92%
Characters
Kasane - the daughter of a now deceased very famous actress. Her mother was incredibly beautiful and talented, but she is very homely. Her classmates actually tend to bully her, not only about being homely, but also about the fact that she behaves in kind of a creepy way, and it's just that very Japanese brand of bullying where she doesn't fit in therefore she must be abused. This has created a lot of issues for her and that she doesn't actually seem to be able to get around. The one thing that she believes has the potential to change her lot in life is that when her mother died, she left her lipstick. She tells her that if she wants something, to put on the lipstick and kiss it and she will have it. Her self loathing is such that she cannot see herself as having any value or any skill or talent that has any merit without her also being beautiful, and the lipstick gives her the ability to steal someone else's face, although it's not clear how long. It is worth noting that when she does steal someone’s face, she gives them her face. Its very disturbing. I also keep wondering if her face is as hideous as everyone acts or if its just a sort of creative license to illustrate that she’s not pretty.
Commentary / Summary
There are several characters that her interactions with are very important throughout this story. I don't believe that the first two are gonna come back again. The first one is her bully, who also happens to be very pretty. She convinces the rest of the class to make her the star of the show Cinderella that they're putting on. It's all a big plan though to humiliate her and steal the show halfway through. Kisane figure out what's going on, and that she can steal the girls face by kissing her, which she does so she performs in the play and it is very well received. When she goes to talk to the girl whose face she's stolen, she plans to get her face back, but the girl tries to stab her, and her face gets cut, and the girl falls off the roof and dies. We see you later, that the girls face was returned to her when she died, but the injury remained on kisane's face, making her even uglier. This story takes place when she's in middle school. The next story it takes place when she's in high school. She gets involved with the theater group and basically does lighting because she's sort of learned she's not gonna get any roles. She still really likes to act though, so she still learns the lines and everything for The lead role and everything and one night when she's supposed to be working on the lighting, she's by herself in the theater and is performing the lead characters lines. The actress who is one of her classmates and has the role sees her performing and is totally blown away by her talent. She also learned that kisane being bullied, and because she herself was bullied in middle school, immediately wants to take her under her wing and protect her from the bullies. at first, she and kisane seem to be developing a nice little friendship. However, one of the girls that used to bully her in middle school, tells kisane that the reason her friend was bullied in middle school was not because she was ugly, but because the other girls were jealous, how pretty she was and that the two of them are nothing alike. Rather than having faith in her friend, kisane drugs her and steals her face to take her place in the performance. It is a stand out excellent performance, and she returns her friends face, and when her friend confesses that she doesn't remember the performance and asks if she did something, kisane is actually really creepy and threatening, and tells them that they are not friends. She is so consumed by her jealousy and her resentment that she might have talent, but not beauty that she can't even conceive of the idea that someone might legitimately like her because of her positive traits and she's allowed that resentment and darkness to twist her until she is sort of consumed by her jealousy and her obsession with her appearance. I do pity her, but this feels like the beginning of a villain arc rather than a learning yourself arc. This is kind of drilled Home when we get to the third story. In the story, we learned that Kissane has now turned 18 and that she has been living with her aunt who essentially is taking the money that her mother left her and only giving her small amounts. There is a memorial for her mother and everyone is kind of dicks and tells her that she should go upstairs because her face is so ugly that it's spoils the alcohol. it's been that she needs a strange man who calls himself the director. He actually is just kind of in her house. He tells her that he was the one who helped her mother achieve her beauty and fame through the lipstick and that he can help her do the same in fact that he promised her mother that he would. He also gives her tickets to see a legitimate live theater performance for the first time. she is struck by the actors and how talented they are. She is particularly fascinated by the fact that there is a secondary actress who is far more beautiful than the lead actress, and despite the fact that she's not as good of an actor, she sort of steals the spotlight. It's revealed that that woman is kind of a dick whenever kisane bumps into her after the show and she treats her really rudely. I'm guessing that's the face that our girl is gonna steal. I think I thought this book was gonna be a little more sensual and inward looking and I'm finding that it's a bit more of a horror novel/graphic novel/manga. I'm OK with this to be clear. It just was not the vibe that I thought I was about to read. I definitely plan to keep reading the series as far as I can before. So far, the story is unsettling and eerie with a lot of body/self image issues examined. I definitely think I’m going to keep reading this, especially since the main character has reached adulthood by the end of the book, which makes me think this is going to be a dark and mature story.
Likes - Super creepy vibes, very emotive artwork, interesting self-destructive, main character, who still some how manages to be fascinating.
Dislikes - I would say the only thing I dislike is the fact that it's pretty obvious that her perception of the world around her is a little skewed by the fact that she seems to mostly encounter unkind people. I don't know that I necessarily dislike this in the sense that I think it doesn't belong in the story, but I find it unsettling and I think that's the point so I guess my dislike is more just a commentary on the story structure/story elements and that they do effectively make me feel the way that they were intended to make the reader feel .
Pacing - 5
Setting - 3
Plot Development - 5
Characters - 5
Logic / Relationships - 5
Enjoyability - 5
Ease of Reading - 5
Ending - 4
Artwork - 5
Overall Personal Rating - 4.6 or 92%
Characters
Kasane - the daughter of a now deceased very famous actress. Her mother was incredibly beautiful and talented, but she is very homely. Her classmates actually tend to bully her, not only about being homely, but also about the fact that she behaves in kind of a creepy way, and it's just that very Japanese brand of bullying where she doesn't fit in therefore she must be abused. This has created a lot of issues for her and that she doesn't actually seem to be able to get around. The one thing that she believes has the potential to change her lot in life is that when her mother died, she left her lipstick. She tells her that if she wants something, to put on the lipstick and kiss it and she will have it. Her self loathing is such that she cannot see herself as having any value or any skill or talent that has any merit without her also being beautiful, and the lipstick gives her the ability to steal someone else's face, although it's not clear how long. It is worth noting that when she does steal someone’s face, she gives them her face. Its very disturbing. I also keep wondering if her face is as hideous as everyone acts or if its just a sort of creative license to illustrate that she’s not pretty.
Commentary / Summary
There are several characters that her interactions with are very important throughout this story. I don't believe that the first two are gonna come back again. The first one is her bully, who also happens to be very pretty. She convinces the rest of the class to make her the star of the show Cinderella that they're putting on. It's all a big plan though to humiliate her and steal the show halfway through. Kisane figure out what's going on, and that she can steal the girls face by kissing her, which she does so she performs in the play and it is very well received. When she goes to talk to the girl whose face she's stolen, she plans to get her face back, but the girl tries to stab her, and her face gets cut, and the girl falls off the roof and dies. We see you later, that the girls face was returned to her when she died, but the injury remained on kisane's face, making her even uglier. This story takes place when she's in middle school. The next story it takes place when she's in high school. She gets involved with the theater group and basically does lighting because she's sort of learned she's not gonna get any roles. She still really likes to act though, so she still learns the lines and everything for The lead role and everything and one night when she's supposed to be working on the lighting, she's by herself in the theater and is performing the lead characters lines. The actress who is one of her classmates and has the role sees her performing and is totally blown away by her talent. She also learned that kisane being bullied, and because she herself was bullied in middle school, immediately wants to take her under her wing and protect her from the bullies. at first, she and kisane seem to be developing a nice little friendship. However, one of the girls that used to bully her in middle school, tells kisane that the reason her friend was bullied in middle school was not because she was ugly, but because the other girls were jealous, how pretty she was and that the two of them are nothing alike. Rather than having faith in her friend, kisane drugs her and steals her face to take her place in the performance. It is a stand out excellent performance, and she returns her friends face, and when her friend confesses that she doesn't remember the performance and asks if she did something, kisane is actually really creepy and threatening, and tells them that they are not friends. She is so consumed by her jealousy and her resentment that she might have talent, but not beauty that she can't even conceive of the idea that someone might legitimately like her because of her positive traits and she's allowed that resentment and darkness to twist her until she is sort of consumed by her jealousy and her obsession with her appearance. I do pity her, but this feels like the beginning of a villain arc rather than a learning yourself arc. This is kind of drilled Home when we get to the third story. In the story, we learned that Kissane has now turned 18 and that she has been living with her aunt who essentially is taking the money that her mother left her and only giving her small amounts. There is a memorial for her mother and everyone is kind of dicks and tells her that she should go upstairs because her face is so ugly that it's spoils the alcohol. it's been that she needs a strange man who calls himself the director. He actually is just kind of in her house. He tells her that he was the one who helped her mother achieve her beauty and fame through the lipstick and that he can help her do the same in fact that he promised her mother that he would. He also gives her tickets to see a legitimate live theater performance for the first time. she is struck by the actors and how talented they are. She is particularly fascinated by the fact that there is a secondary actress who is far more beautiful than the lead actress, and despite the fact that she's not as good of an actor, she sort of steals the spotlight. It's revealed that that woman is kind of a dick whenever kisane bumps into her after the show and she treats her really rudely. I'm guessing that's the face that our girl is gonna steal. I think I thought this book was gonna be a little more sensual and inward looking and I'm finding that it's a bit more of a horror novel/graphic novel/manga. I'm OK with this to be clear. It just was not the vibe that I thought I was about to read. I definitely plan to keep reading the series as far as I can before. So far, the story is unsettling and eerie with a lot of body/self image issues examined. I definitely think I’m going to keep reading this, especially since the main character has reached adulthood by the end of the book, which makes me think this is going to be a dark and mature story.
Likes - Super creepy vibes, very emotive artwork, interesting self-destructive, main character, who still some how manages to be fascinating.
Dislikes - I would say the only thing I dislike is the fact that it's pretty obvious that her perception of the world around her is a little skewed by the fact that she seems to mostly encounter unkind people. I don't know that I necessarily dislike this in the sense that I think it doesn't belong in the story, but I find it unsettling and I think that's the point so I guess my dislike is more just a commentary on the story structure/story elements and that they do effectively make me feel the way that they were intended to make the reader feel .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2023
Art: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Calling all Junji Ito fans, I think you’d enjoy this one.
Although this book has arguably less horror than Junji Ito’s works it fulfills that terrifying feeling in almost a more realistic feeling way.
Kasane is born “ugly” and suffers bullying because of her looks. She discovers that her disseased mother’s lipstick gives her the ability to steal another person’s face for the day, leaving the person with Kasane’s face temporarily.
I don’t understand why there are so many bad reviews, I feel like the story did well at showing Kasane’s inner turmoil over feeling inferior and struggling with the morals of taking someone’s face. It balances horror and moral questions really well.
The only thing I found really bad about this was probably the way the chapters were built and how long and unnecessary some were. I also feel like we could’ve ended this volume at the second to last chapter and started the with the last chapter in the next volume, changing the way some of this was built and paced.
Happy reading :)
Calling all Junji Ito fans, I think you’d enjoy this one.
Although this book has arguably less horror than Junji Ito’s works it fulfills that terrifying feeling in almost a more realistic feeling way.
Kasane is born “ugly” and suffers bullying because of her looks. She discovers that her disseased mother’s lipstick gives her the ability to steal another person’s face for the day, leaving the person with Kasane’s face temporarily.
I don’t understand why there are so many bad reviews, I feel like the story did well at showing Kasane’s inner turmoil over feeling inferior and struggling with the morals of taking someone’s face. It balances horror and moral questions really well.
The only thing I found really bad about this was probably the way the chapters were built and how long and unnecessary some were. I also feel like we could’ve ended this volume at the second to last chapter and started the with the last chapter in the next volume, changing the way some of this was built and paced.
Happy reading :)
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