It Takes More than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love: Manga Review

What happens when a school decides that thirst traps are the key to higher enrollment? In this manga, that’s not a joke. 

The Story

Kanato is a beautiful model and influencer who’s at risk of being expelled from high school for chronic absenteeism. However, the administration offers him a bizarre deal: they’ll let him pass if he uses his star power and good looks to get 100,000 followers on the school’s social media account because the school is at risk of closure due to lack of enrollment. Kanato enlists Sana, who is a classmate obsessed with his pretty face, to help him take photos and grow his social media presence.

Let’s be honest; it’s a ridiculous premise that could make for a hilarious comedy if written well. At first you might be thinking, “Hey, that’s actually a clever move by the administration.” Schools do that all the time; highlight their best students in all their promotional photos, campaigns, and newsletters. But, that’s not what’s happening in this manga. They’re not making promotional material about the school at all. In this story, Kanato and Sana just take flirty photos skipping class under the stairwell and post it to the school’s social media. And to no one’s surprise, this flawed strategy actually works. 

It’s easy enough to imagine a more compelling version of the premise. Kanato could become the photogenic face of the school’s actual academic programs, accidentally get involved with clubs and activities, slowly open up to his peers, and undergo real character development. That version could be fun and even meaningful.

But that’s not what happens.

Kanato’s Character

Kanato is a deeply apathetic character. He openly admits that his looks are the only thing he has going for him. Early on, he tells Sana about how it’s frustrating being pretty because people put him on a pedestal, but as the story continues we see that there really isn’t much more to him than meets the eye. He has the personality of a wet blanket, having no interests, hobbies, or skills.  The important thing to know is that he self isolates and is disinterested in others. And yet, somehow becomes romantically involved with Sana.

It’s never made clear why these two characters like each other, other than Sana being truly obsessed with what he looks like. His aggressive and frankly out-of-nowhere advances toward her make even less sense, especially given his loner personality and supposed indifference to others. The chemistry is nowhere in sight.

It reads like a wish-fulfillment story relying heavily on tropes with little substance behind them. And that’s not inherently a bad thing. I mean who doesn’t love a silly read from time to time? But there’s just very little to be impressed by in this case; as if the story is just going through the motions. Its premise is bonkers. And unfortunately, it’s not funny enough to be a comedy, and isn’t caring enough with its themes to be taken seriously as drama. So it’s caught in this odd place. 

It doesn’t appear to have any interest in exploring its characters or their flaws. It has the opportunity to tackle issues like the pitfalls of being shallow, the loneliness of being idolized, corruption in academia, or pressures of social media. However, all that potential goes untapped. 

In the end, the guy has a pretty face, and that’s all you need to know.

The Art

The character designs are attractive, panel layouts are solid, and the backgrounds do enough to establish setting. But somehow, the artwork still feels merely serviceable. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the artwork, however, it isn’t quite memorable either. 

I’d compare it to the art you would see in A Sign of Affection, A Condition Called Love, or anything by Io Sakisaka, but unfortunately it just doesn’t spark as much visual interest in the way that the former do. The artwork is certainly not bad by any means, but there is some magic missing. Perhaps it’s due to it being a romance manga with a total lack of chemistry between the leads. You can mash the characters together as much as you want, but it takes more than pretty art to fall in love. 

The Deets:

It Takes More than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love is an ongoing series. With 14 Japanese volumes released so far and a live-action film that debuted earlier this year. English readers can pick up a physical copy of it from Seven Seas Entertainment or read it digitally through Comikey. Volume 3 of the English print will be out August 19th, 2025.