The Girl Without a Face

by tearontaron

Her boyfriend thinks she's the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read...

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga

194 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2019

Reviews

[jo lemahieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

FREAKING ADORABLE! A cute concept with even cuter characters, it would've been cool if there were brief descriptions of the different yokai as they appeared but thats just extra. No complaints :)

*Read this like three years and TBH I just really a simple wholesome book. This is 100% that.

[Mileena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Without a Face
5/5 stars

All of the stars. The second I saw the cover to this book, I knew that I wanted to get a tattoo of a panel from this. It is absolutely precious and very reminiscent of the Katana comics that depict the endearing everyday lives of a couple in love, this is no different. Except that the main protagonist lives in a realm of youkai and his girlfriend does not have a face.

This was such a cute metaphor that explored reading your partner's emotions when you dont necessarily know what's wrong. They both care for each other so much. And I squealed audibly when I saw that we get two of these little stories in her point of view and see that shes just as enamored with him as he is with her. And she appreciates so much the amount of effort he puts into learning her feelings and catering to her needs. It all just feels like a metaphor to dating someone who has mental illness and I'm here for it.

Also I love this world and need so many more volumes in it. The residents of this town were all awesomely designed and all cared for the main girlfriend so much. I just loved this, it was the soft weird fluff I needed in my life at this point.

[Nimnim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5*

Sooooooo damn cute. This book really changed my perspective about the “flaws” of people, including those of mine. The differences that we have with people are what makes it unique, challenging, but fun at the same time. It’s what makes us us and our relationship special. Really heartwarming book, definitely recommend! :)

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was ridiculously sweet. It's a collection that all re-introduce us to the premise about how this guy's amazing girlfriend also happens not to have a face, which can cause misunderstandings... but all is well. A light read, but a bit boring. I just wanted to know how this girl ate!!

[the.library.of.alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much 🥺🥺
The girl had no face or voice but I didn’t take it literally most of the time. To me, this was a girl who struggled to verbalize what she was feeling or thinking but her partner tried so hard to understand her and did so lovingly.
And the friendship between the girl and her BFF is so 😍
Y’all see if y’all can find this at a library or something. It’s so cute.

[The Local Spooky Hermit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable and cute. Feel good story about monsters just living a normal slice of life.

[sar!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMER READING EXISTS!!!!

This beginning paragraph is gonna be the start of pretty much every review I write, so bear with me.

So yeah I’m trying to get back into reading a ton this summer so here begins my journey through the “TEEN SCENE ROOM” at the library down the street from me—and possibly the one near my grandma’s house since I have cards for both and that one has a larger manga selection.

Anyhow,
Library Book Haul of June 15th consisted of *drumroll pleaaaaaseeee* SEVENTEEN BOOKS—Robbie still has one of his books from Monday checked out and so do I, but we don’t talk about that.

But here’s my current list (the one the review is about will be bolded and italicized because I’m feeling nice):

Oh yeah, disclaimer: I still have the light novel from Monday out, so that’s only one actual book out of the lot.

~ The Girl Without a Face by tearontaron
~ Spy x Family (Volume 1) by Tatsuya Endo
~ Fairy Tale Battle Royale (Volume 1) by Soraho Ina
~ Fairy Tale Battle Royale (Volume 2) by Soraho Ina
~ Fairy Tale Battle Royale (Volume 3) by Soraho Ina
~ Fairy Tale Battle Royale (Volume 4) by Soraho Ina
~ The Complete Chi’s Sweet Home (Part 1) by Konami Kanata
~ Bloom by Kevin Panetta
~ Fangirl by Sam Maggs
~ Demon Slayer (Volume 3) by Koyoharu Gotouge
~ This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
~ Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
~ Astra Lost in Space (Volume 1) by Kenta Shinohara
~ Astra Lost in Space (Volume 2) by Kenta Shinohara
~ Astra Lost in Space (Volume 3) by Kenta Shinohara
~ Astra Lost in Space (Volume 4) by Kenta Shinohara
~ Astra Lost in Space (Volume 5) by Kenta Shinohara

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SO TO THE ACTUAL REVIEW

The Girl Without a Face by tearontaron

I wasn’t sure what to think of this manga when I grabbed it off the ‘New Books’ shelf, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a collection of short comics about a guy and his girlfriend who is a youkai. Youkai are a class of Japanese supernatural beings; the word can be translated as “ghosts”, “demons”, or “monsters”. In Noppeko’s case, she doesn’t have a face and therefore cannot speak or eat, though she does have vision of some sort. I really enjoyed this manga because, while we didn’t get a ton of background on the characters, it was really cute and a fun read.

------------------------

TL;DR

I really like graphic novels and manga, not actual books, and got a lot of them at the library.

This manga is super cute and all the little short comics are great, if you like simple romance mangas with some supernatural aspects, then this manga is definitely for you.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a one volume manga that shows the day to day slice of life of a boy and his youkai girlfriend. Their relationship is quite wholesome and this was originally a Japanese web comic. Yes this is a webcomic format, but what made me rather frustrated was how much repetition every story began with either the boyfriend or girlfriend introducing themselves and how their lives are mysterious as the girlfriend has no face. Also many of the characters were introduced very late or had limited experience and probably would have benefited with being more fleshed out. The girlfriend had a good friend who was introduced just as the book was nearly ending and she had a male friend with her, was this her boyfriend etc.? This story probably continued in Japanese, but alas only one book of this youkai inspired book.

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
🌕🌕🌕

🧠 My thoughts
As the manga used to be in the webcomic form, I understood the reason why each chapter was repetitive. The story was very nice and sweet, the artwork was also pretty. I liked the fact that the author made this relationship very pure and sincere.

However, I was a bit weirded out by the way the girl acted sometimes. She was nice but she was very clingy, sometimes, she was also embarrassed too much which made me feel uneasy. There were also many stereotypical Asian things as well.

👍 What I like
- Nice artwork
- Pure and sincere storyline
- The ending is very heart-warming

👎 What I don't like
- Stereotypical
- Exaggerated behaviors of the characters

[Gabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is written like a bunch of one off comics so they all start with 'not to brag, but ive got a girlfriend.' its pretty cute! im not crazy about the art but its very expressive and fun to see how the author draws the eponymous girl without a face express herself. i also like how little background details are never really brought into question by the protagonist. its like youre getting small glimpses into this crazy fantasy world but the story is focused entirely on this slice of their world. its sweet without being overly sentimental and saccharine, just a very cute and light story of an unconventional pair.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about a human boy and his youkai girlfriend. She is a faceless youkai so it isn't the easiest to see what she wants/what she is expressing. Which lead to some misunderstandings, most of them easily solved and no big problem. I found it really cute and I loved seeing how much he tried to understand her. I also loved seeing other youkai and see how much they love this girl. Oh, and I liked that we at times saw the POV of the girl. This was just adorable with a super cute ending~

But she cannot eat, but she can see? I tried looking up things, but no one was clear about it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was REALLY cute. I picked it up on a whim at a recent trip to Barnes and Noble...had no idea what it was but liked the cover and the blurb on the back. Super sweet. It's about a boy and his girlfriend without a face...but also the town they live in and the other monsters/creatures that live there. Very sweet collection of 5 page shorts that give a little glimpse into their lives. I loved it...highly recommend for something sweet and quirky.

[briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this was a very cute and lighthearted read about the relationship of a human and one who doesn’t have a face. I was very excited to read this manga when I saw it in the story! It gave cute stories about their love and miscommunication and I love that they included a few stories from the girlfriends perspective as well. I will say, it was kind of boring. I did expect the book to be slightly more deeper than it was but an overall cute and quick read!

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just too cute for words. The art effectively communicates both main characters' personalities. Their relationship is heartwarming - unrealistic, but honestly I think that makes it better. The designs of the yokai in Zabo town are also very charming and strike a balance between creepy and cute.

[Zian B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 star rating;
This manga had a more chapters than I was anticipating but overall, it was extremely cute to read. I love how devoted the main couple was to each other and how the boyfriend was always quick to reassure his partner. I also really enjoyed how despite her shyness, the girlfriend was very affectionate to her partner. The last chapter was also extremely adorable.

[Moriah Venable · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER AND I WISH THERE WAS MORE!

[Noell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting manga- funny, light hearted, and sweet. Delves into Japanese folklore with a sweet meet cute twist.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Since it was originally a webcomic the beginning of each story was a little repetitive, but overall it was a super cute concept and I enjoyed reading it.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really wonderful book of shorts on the same couple. It's a quick read, but well worth it

[M.H. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story with fantastic art. I was charmed the whole way through!!

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really sweet!

[Riley Skains · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half felt a little repetitive at points, but the second half was excellent. The ending and bonus chapter made me teary-eyed.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive to the point of boring. Good thing it's just one volume. I can't imagine anyone wanting to read more.

[Tasnim]

In a nutshell, it's cute as hell!

[Kaelatx · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an extremely cute story. Little mini stories about a couple in a one shot. It was frustrating though because I wish with all my heart that they could communicate verbally 😖

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not my favorite art style, it's been a while since I've read anything this genuinely romantic and wholesome ☺️🥰

[Michael Lieto · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO adorable! The art is fantastic also. The perfect cute, cozy romance with a little surrealism.

[salma · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute but omggggg the repetitiveness of the beginning n end of each chapter was too much it was literally infuriating me ffs. i like the idea tho it's v wholesome