Get ready to rock! Sumiko Arai's hit short manga, "The Guy I'm Interested In Isn't a Guy" (気になってる人が男じゃなかった), which first dropped on Twitter (now X) in 2022, is officially getting an anime adaptation! The big news was spilled early on the obi strip of the upcoming third manga volume, making it a surprise reveal straight from the source.
"The Guy I'm Interested In Isn't a Guy" is a fresh school-life manga that perfectly blends classic Western rock with GL (Girls' Love) yuri vibes. The story follows Oosawa Aya, a high schooler obsessed with Western rock. She develops a crush on a "seemingly" male clerk at her favorite CD shop, only to discover that this mysterious person is actually her classmate, Koga Mitsuki – who shares her passion for rock music! As their story unfolds, the two forge a deep bond through their shared love for tunes, and their relationship blossoms amidst a soundtrack of rock anthems.
This manga isn't just a fan favorite; it's critically acclaimed too! It snagged first place in the web manga category at the "Next Manga Award 2023" and second place in the female readers' category for "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2024." Plus, the second volume, released in February 2024, came bundled with a drama CD featuring a stellar cast including Akari Kito, Mariya Ise, Kenjiro Tsuda, and Tasuku Hatanaka.
Adding to the hype, Universal Music Japan even teamed up with the official team to release a playlist of in-story songs from "The Guy I'm Interested In Isn't a Guy." This epic tracklist features bangers like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Foo Fighters' "The Pretender," Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'N Roll," Blondie's "One Way Or Another," Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name," and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine," among others.
However, details on how these iconic song copyrights will be handled for the anime, and how they'll be featured in the show, haven't been revealed yet. The production staff and full voice cast are also still under wraps.