Pretty Face

Pretty Face was the very first manga I ever picked up, and it left an unforgettable mark on me. The memory of my first read is still vivid; I laughed so hard through the night that I nearly strained my stomach muscles! Just recalling those moments now brings a smile to my face. The artwork is fantastic, the plot is nothing short of epic, and the protagonist, Randou Masashi, is absolutely HILARIOUS! This manga comes highly recommended for anyone over the age of 14, primarily due to its inclusion of some ecchi elements. It deserves 15 OUT OF 10 STARS! WOOOOO PRETTY FACE!!!!

Story
"Pretty Face" follows the tradition of absurd manga storylines, similar to 'Tuxedo Gin' and 'A.I. Love You,' which have never been adapted into anime. Nonetheless, these quirky romantic comedies, including "Pretty Face," significantly contribute to the genre known as anime. Thanks to Yasuhiro Kano, the author, we now fear bus accidents for reasons beyond just death; could a mishap really transform us into a member of the opposite gender? Kano-sensei's answer is a resounding "YES!"

Art
The drawing quality in this series is good but not extraordinary. Many character designs seem generic; one could argue that they all share the same face with different hairstyles—not just the twins. Despite this, many characters are very cute. Additionally, fight scenes are executed well; whenever Randou/Yuna defeats someone, you truly feel the impact. He/she is incredibly strong...

Character
The characters sometimes follow typical manga formulas but overall are great. Randou is intriguing because he must become a woman in more ways than he'd prefer. The transformation from fumbling over bra hooks to reminding himself he has a penis is quite the journey. Rina represents a more generic character—a typical girl who obsesses over those she cares about more than herself (think Aoi-chan from 'Ai Yori Aoshi'). It gets annoying at times, but she has her charms. The real appeal lies in her relationship with her supposed sister, Yuna, who is actually Randou. It's fascinating to see how intended sisterly love can be misinterpreted. Poor Randou...

Overall
"Pretty Face" is a fantastic series for casual reading. It's composed mainly of short stories that simultaneously warm your heart and tickle your funny bone [and another bone if you catch my drift ;)]. I believe anyone who enjoys the genre would appreciate it. It's also an excellent way to introduce younger readers to manga.

Summary: Masashi Randou was living an ordinary delinquent school life until a car accident disfigured his face. To save his life, he was transferred to a private doctor, Manabe, who restored his face but not as it was before; instead, it resembled the girl he loved. There's more to the story, but I'll leave it there to avoid spoiling it and to let you enjoy the series as much as I did.

Story (9): Honestly, I wasn't fond of this manga's summary, so I kept putting off reading it. Only recently did I decide to give it a try by reading one chapter, which quickly turned into all 53 chapters within two days. Usually, I'm not keen on gender-bender stories because I struggle to see the main character as the opposite gender, and it often feels like a yaoi plot in disguise. However, "Pretty Face" handles the concept of a boy in a girl's body uniquely, making it relatable, comedic, and heartwarming. I recommend everyone read this manga at least once, as it's a shame it has a score lower than 8 on MAL. One thing worth noting is that the ending seemed rushed due to the series getting canceled, which is disappointing since I wanted to read more.

Art (7): The art is decent, nothing more, nothing less.

Characters (8): The characters could have used more depth, but the manga ended abruptly just as they were about to develop further. As it stands, they're good enough, and I didn't find any bad characters.

Enjoyment (9): I regret skipping this manga for so long and wish it had continued beyond 53 chapters. I don't agree with its current rating around 7.7; in my opinion, it deserves an 8 or even a 9. Of course, that's just my take. I hope you give this manga a chance and enjoy it as much as I did.

Mini Rant: Darn the publisher who canceled this series! It could have been a fantastic 90-chapter run! ~ Shaney @ 69th Street

This is the best gender-bender manga I've ever read, with outstanding art and an entertaining storyline. Although the story primarily revolves around Randou-kun, the main protagonist, it touches on all the other characters as well. It's pretty funny and interesting to read. A high school boy's face is changed by a plastic surgeon into the girl he likes, and he finds himself in situations where he has to act as her sister. Thanks to his bright character and cute girl face, both guys and girls chase after him, making him very popular. The perverted doctor who performs the surgery provides plenty of laughs. The art in this manga is incredibly cute, and Kano Yasuhiro perfectly captures the emotions, feelings, and situations of each character. I find no fault with the art. This manga features several turning points that make the story even more engaging. I highly recommend reading it.

Pretty Face (manga) 5/6/6/6/6

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry, which can be found through my profile.

✦Story✦

Let's get this straight—it's not a gender bender just because you slap a girl's face on a boy. That doesn't make it one.

This manga is a romantic gag story that shouldn't be taken seriously, even with its drama. It felt like a standard romcom with a lazy attempt at the "gender bending" element. Sure, there were some cute moments and decent fanservice, along with some drama, but overall it was bland, average, and lackluster for various reasons. The story progression, weakly presented drama, and disappointing conclusions didn't impress me much.

✦Art✦

The art was good enough, with nice panty shots. There's nothing else to add.

✦Character✦

We have a delinquent main character and a kind girl as the love interest, surrounded by a set of stereotypical side characters. I neither disliked nor liked the characters; mostly, I was indifferent or thought they were okay. I wish I could say the characters had solid development, outcomes, and relationships, but everything felt bland and dull. The humor and drama simply weren't my cup of tea.

✦Enjoyment & Overall✦

I have no idea why I added it to my reading list or when, but it was there for some reason. Ultimately, it's essentially a gag romcom with lazy drama and a loosely defined gender-bending storyline. In the end, it was just a little cute vanilla love story that was mostly dull.

I was searching for some manga to read and stumbled upon this one. After reading it, here are my thoughts.

Story: 9/10
The story offers a fresh twist as Rando takes on the appearance of Rina's sister, whom he has a crush on. When she finds him, she mistakes him for her long-lost sister, forcing him to assume her identity and search for the real sibling. It's hilariously funny, with well-crafted jokes that work perfectly within the shonen boy stereotype. Although most chapters contain filler content, they contribute positively to the storyline. If I had any criticism, it would be about the ending, which provided some closure but felt incomplete. Overall, the story is highly entertaining.

Art: 9/10
The art style is typical of shonen manga, but I particularly enjoyed the characters' facial expressions, which add a lot of humor. For some reason, the eyes reminded me of moe-style eyes, although this observation doesn't affect the score. The character designs show clear effort from the artist, making the visuals enjoyable. In summary, the art is excellent.

Characters: 10/10
Rando stands out as the best character. Despite being the typical "mean guy" protagonist, his challenge of pretending to be a girl adds depth to his character. The rest of the cast is equally likable and fun in their own ways. The perverted surgeon provides plenty of laughs with his attempts to transform Rando into a girl for his twisted fantasies. Rina also shines, showing genuine care for her sister and maintaining a good relationship with her. All in all, the characters form a delightful ensemble.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I'm glad I discovered this manga and recommend it to anyone who enjoys gender-bender, ecchi, or shonen-style stories.

Overall: 10/10
Everyone should give this manga a read.

Imagine being a guy who gets into a horrific traffic accident. You wake up from a year-long coma, only to find everyone thinks you're dead. But the worst part? You now have a girl's face.

This is the basic premise of this hilarious gender-bender romantic comedy. The story of Pretty Face started off incredibly well, and most guys can relate to how Randou (the male protagonist) feels in this forced situation. After the initial setup, the story becomes a series of random events where Randou tries to keep his true identity hidden. This task is particularly challenging due to certain anatomical features, leading to some absurd comedic moments.

The characters in the story are your typical bunch found in certain shounen romance manga, but the one that stands out the most is Randou (Yuna). As a guy reading this, I could definitely empathize with Randou's predicament and the situations he finds himself in.

With a great story, great comedy, and great characters, this manga was somewhat let down by its mediocre artwork. When not much action was happening, the art was okay, but during intense scenes, it became hard to visualize what was going on.

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 gets, it always manages to make things seem convincing, like how only Randou's face is feminine while the rest of his body remains unchanged. Solely as a comedy, this manga is a must-read, but like many other rom-coms, the romance barely plays any part in the story.

^_^

Fun, silly, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Since comedy is subjective, if you don't find the jokes amusing, then this manga might not be for you. However, if you do, you're in for a treat. This was the manga that kickstarted my interest in gender-bender stories, although I haven't come across another one that quite matches the goofy vibe of Pretty Face. The humor stems from the main character being body-swapped into the twin sister of his crush, leading to uproarious situations due to the sheer absurdity of it all. It's clear from the start that this manga shouldn't be taken seriously—a point that seems to be the primary gripe among some negative reviewers.