Collecting the mini comics of Tearontaron, “Girl Without a Face” follows the daily exploits of a young couple from two different worlds, human and Yokai (Japanese folkloric monsters). “Her boyfriend thinks she's the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read…Despite the miscommunications, there's one thing that always comes across—their love for each other.” (Yen Press)
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Presented less like a traditional manga and more a collection of strips, “The Girl Without a Face” contains a couple dozen stories set up and executed in a similar matter. Starting with the line “Not, to brag but i've got a girlfriend. Thing is… She's got no face” each segment presents the boyfriend with a challenge in trying to figure out what his partner is trying to express. Consequently, each story carries a comedic charm ending with a cute revelation further cementing the peculiar romance.
Those familiar with Yokai will recognize the girlfriend as a Noppera-bo, the faceless human monster. The placement of the couple in the world of Yokai does add needed character to the repetitive nature of the work, as many familiar creatures appear in backdrop and are interwoven into the series. A nice touch for the monster enthusiasts, spotting and naming the lovable creatures helps give the book a sense of identity beyond the couple.
Tearontaron's artistic approach for this series is rather simplistic, with a focus on setting up humorous interactions. To this degree, the mangaka succeeds at creating a playful aesthetic for his subjects and the various townsfolk. Undeniably, the series lacks that visual impact to make the work anything other than serviceable, but with the episodic nature and focus of the series, it is not a deterrent.
The short episodic nature of this series will be divisive among manga fans. One on hand, the mangaka is able to capture both humour and romance with a playful grace. However, the flow of the book and each story becomes apparent after the first couple entries, resulting in a predictable outing. Feeling more akin to American comic strips in structure, the series may hold limited appeal with its format.
Available through Yen Press, the release itself has some nice touches, notably coming in a slightly larger format to help the comedic stings of Tearontaorn to have space. In addition, the bonus comic “She and Her Gift” is a longer story that allows the denizens of the mysterious town to take on their own mystery surrounding the couple. Overall, the series is competently handled to best present the work.
“The Girl Without a Face” is a simplistic series that puts everything into endearing the reader to the young couple. If that connection is not met, there is little else to entice(beyond those who love anything with Yokai). Personally, I struggled with this release a bit and found it was easier to pick up and read a bit here and there so that it did not capture the redundancy that I found slightly tedious.
However, the biggest positive takeaway rests in its ‘shareability' among couples who love to embrace ‘kawaii' reflections that can mimic their own relationships. Ultimately, “Girl Without a Face” limited appeal to the majority will be a true treasure for the minority.
