Ranked #653

Pretty Face (Manga)

Imagine being a guy that is involved in a horrific traffic accident. You wake up from a year long coma and everyone thinks your dead but what’s worse is that you have a girl's face.

That’s the basic setting for this hilarious Gender Bender, Romantic, Comedy. The stupid story for Pretty Face started incredibly well, as most of the guys reading this will be able to understand how Randou (male protagonist) feels to be forced into this situation. After the initial beginning, the story just becomes a bunch of random events about Randou trying to keep his true identity hidden. This can be pretty difficult when there’s a worrisome thing between his legs and it leads to some absurd comedy.

The characters involved in the story are your typical batch that are found in certain shounen, romance manga but the one the stands out the most has to be Randou (Yuna). As a guy reading this, I could definitely understand how Randou must feel, being in these kinds of situations.

With a great story, great comedy and great characters this manga was somewhat let down by its mediocre artwork. When not much was happening it was okay however when there’s a lot of action, on a page, it can be a challenge to visualize the scene.

Overall Pretty Face proved to be a very enjoyable manga and is probably one of the best in the Gender Bender genre. No matter how unbelievable the story can get, it always does a good job making these seem convincing, like how only Randou’s face is a girl but the rest of the body is his. Well solely as a comedy this manga is a must read but like many other Rom/Coms, but the romance barely plays any part in the story.

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Story
"Pretty Face" follows a tradition of absurd manga storylines, such as 'Tuxedo Gin and A.I. Love You," that have never been adapted as an anime. Regardless, these absurd romantic comedies, "Pretty Face" included contribute greatly to the genre of comics known as anime. Thanks to Yasuhiro Kano, the author, do we now fear bus accidents for more reason than just death, could we really become a member of the opposite gender because of such an event? Kano-sensei says, "YES!"

Art
Drawing quality in this series is good but not extrodinary. Many character designs seem generic, in fact i could argue that they all have the same face with different hair pieces, and I'm not just talking about the twins. Despite this, many of the characters are very cute. Also, fight scenes are done very well, whenever Randou/Yuna creams someone I really feel the pain. He/she is very strong...

Character
The characters themselves do at times follow typical manga formulas but overall are great. Randou is interesting because he has to become a woman, in more aspects than he'd like. The transformation from fumbling over bra hooks to having to remind himself he has a penis is a real journey. Rina is a better example of a generic character. She is your typical girl who obsesses over those she cares about more than herself (See Aoi-chan/ Ai Yori Aoshi). it does get to the point where it is a bit annoying but she has her little charms. the real appeal behind Rina is her relationship with her, or at least who she think is her sister, Yuna, who is actually Randou. it's great to see how intended sisterly love can be misinterpreted. poor Randou...

Overall
"Pretty Face" is a great series to read casually. It's mostly composed of short little stories that at the same time warm your heart and tickle your funny bone [and another bone if you catch my drift ;)]. I definitely think anyone could enjoy it if they are a fan of the genre. it's also a great way to introduce younger people to manga. read more