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The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, aka Green Yuri, is this perfectly paced manga about heroines Aya Osawa and Mitsuki Koga as they gradually grow closer to each other and fall in love due to a shared appreciation for the same sorts of music. While the first involves them getting to know each other and the second deals with the reveal Mitsuki is Aya’s classmate, the third volume is especially interesting due to the new relationship elements it broaches. Because while we’ve seen how the relationship is already changing Aya and Mitsuki for the better, now we’re seeing how outside influences are affecting the pair. Sumiko Arai gets that even if things are going well, issues with communications and getting settled can leave people feeling temporarily out of sorts and in need of reassurance.
Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for volume 3 of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All manga below.
There’s so much going on in the third volume of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, and in each case we’re seeing different relationship dynamics revolving around insecurities and anxieties in relationships in Green Yuri. While this is primarily happening between Aya and Mitsuki, we’re also getting shades of it with Joe and Kanna as well. Which is fantastic too, since we see this is a universal thing. You don’t just outgrow feeling inadequate or awkward. It happens, and the fact that it does makes it easier to accept and understand.
Things start with Mitsuki’s injury after the performance at the end of the second volume, as it means her and Aya are getting to spend even more time together. Aya’s basically assisting her with everything while at school, since she’s having trouble moving around due to the crutches. (Aya even has a moment where she’s like, “it’s like I’m her girlfriend,” and it is very adorable.) But this leads to two examples of the two being awkward as they get closer to becoming an actual couple. One is that Aya is insecure about how much she’s doing for Mitsuki, as though she’s getting in the way. The other is a slip of the tongue has Aya mention the “CD shop guy” in front of Mitsuki again, leaving her wondering if she is who Aya really wants. So we get this moment where even though things are going well, Sumiko Arai shows how critical it is to pay attention to the person who matters to you.
But even bigger is the fact that because of Aya, Mitsuki is able to experience a major breakthrough. During that initial conflict, we get a flashback to when Mitsuki was being bullied and felt out of place. Like she couldn’t fit in with anyone, anywhere, and it’s only through her new relationship with Aya that it is being remedied. Another one of those moments comes up. Because of Aya seeing what happened and being Mitsuki’s voice when she couldn’t, she gets the chance to be who she is all the time. She’s not afraid anymore.
But that leads to another issue for the two. Because now it isn’t just Aya who sees how amazing Mitsuki is. Everyone gets the opportunity. That sudden interest throws a wrench in the gears. Because while we see their friends understand that yes, this is due to their connection and they’re okay, both are feeling disconnected and left out. It sets up a conflict that carries over to an amazing cliffhanger moment.
Even better is the fact that we’re seeing the two adults in the story go through a similar situation in Green Yuri. When the group heads to a music festival, Mitsuki’s Uncle Joe and his ex-girlfriend-but-still-family-friend Kanna essentially acts as the other responsible adult and chaperone. Things seem good between them on the trip! But later in the volume, we see that they’re experiencing the same sort of communication issues as Aya and Mitsuki are. They aren’t connecting in the way they should, even though there is this shared affection between them. It lends a nice sense of contrast, and also offers a chance for Mitsuki and Joe to have it out.
The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All continues to be both one of the best relationship manga series and yuri romance stories with its third volume. Sumiko Arai doesn’t shy away from the fact that it won’t always be perfect. These are teenagers and this is basically their first love. They’re getting accustomed to each other. They’re growing as individuals. They’re learning about the kinds of communications and connections needed to keep things working well between the two of them. I just wish the wait wouldn’t be so long to get the pay-off from the end of this latest arc.
Volumes 1-3 of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All are available via Yen Press now, and there’s no release window for the fourth volume of the Green Yuri manga yet. An anime adaptation is in development.
