The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy At All

This anime is based on a hit manga by Sumiko Arai. In English it is called The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All. It began in 2021 as a short comic that Arai posted on Twitter. It grew into a full series on Pixiv Comic, and Kadokawa started printing it as books in 2023. Yen Press brought it to English readers in October 2024. The first book sold 150,000 copies in its first week, and by August 2026 more than 2.25 million copies were in print. The series also won the web manga prize at the 2023 Next Manga Awards.

The story is a yuri romance, which means a love story between two girls. It is also a gentle slice-of-life story about school, work, and rock songs. Aya Osawa is a cheerful, popular high school girl. She is a gyaru, a word for girls who follow bright, trendy fashion and makeup. At a small record store near her school, she meets a young clerk who wears a face mask. The clerk is quiet, dresses well, and knows a lot about old rock bands. Aya likes this person right away and calls the clerk Onii-san, a polite way to speak to a young man.

The twist is that the clerk is not a young man. It is Mitsuki Koga, a shy girl who sits right beside Aya in class. Mitsuki works at the shop with her uncle Joe, who also looks after her. She knows exactly who Aya is and how Aya feels about the masked clerk. She cannot bring herself to tell the truth. So she lives a double life: a silent girl at school, and the cool clerk at the store.

Rock songs are what bring the two girls together. Aya falls in love with rock after hearing Pink Floyd's famous album The Dark Side of the Moon. Mitsuki shares records with her, and later Mitsuki learns guitar and starts writing her own songs. Their friendship slowly grows into something deeper. Other people add to the story too. A classmate, Megumu Narita, figures out Mitsuki's secret. Aya's friends Chizuru and Mao, and Joe's own past love story, also play a part.

The main ideas of the series are simple and warm. Music can help very different people understand each other. Friendship can turn into love. And it matters to be honest about who you are. Arai has said she wanted to show girls from different backgrounds finding a real connection. Critics have praised the art, the characters, and the calm, kind mood of the story.

The TV anime is made by CloverWorks and directed by Masashi Ishihama. Rino Yamasaki is in charge of the series script, and Kanna Hirayama designs the characters. Akari Kito voices Aya and Mariya Ise voices Mitsuki. The show is set to start on January 8, 2027, on Nippon TV's Friday Anime Night block, and Crunchyroll will stream it. In a fun choice that fits the story, the opening song is Breed by the American rock band Nirvana.