"The Unwomanly Face of War" is a manga adaptation of Svetlana Alexievich's oral history book of the same name, which chronicles the experiences of Soviet women during World War II. The narrative is structured as a collection of personal testimonies, offering a mosaic of perspectives from women who served in various capacities during the war, including soldiers, nurses, partisans, and factory workers. The manga captures the raw, unfiltered voices of these women, presenting their stories with emotional depth and historical authenticity.

The plot unfolds through a series of interconnected vignettes, each focusing on a different woman's account of her wartime experiences. These accounts range from the harrowing realities of combat to the quieter, often overlooked struggles of life on the home front. The women recount their motivations for joining the war effort, the challenges they faced in male-dominated environments, and the physical and psychological toll of their service. Themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the often-invisible contributions of women to the war effort are central to the narrative.

Key characters include a diverse array of women, each representing a different facet of the war experience. Among them are a young sniper who grapples with the moral complexities of killing, a nurse who witnesses the horrors of battlefield medicine, and a factory worker who endures grueling labor to support the war effort. Their stories are interwoven with historical context, providing a comprehensive view of the Soviet Union's wartime struggles and the societal expectations placed on women.

The manga maintains a neutral tone, allowing the women's voices to take center stage without embellishment or dramatization. The artwork complements the narrative, with detailed depictions of wartime settings and expressive character designs that convey the emotional weight of the testimonies. By focusing on the personal and often overlooked aspects of war, "The Unwomanly Face of War" offers a poignant and historically significant exploration of women's roles in one of the most devastating conflicts in human history.