Choking on Love, Vol. 2

むせるくらいの愛をあげる [Museru Kurai no Ai wo Ageru] #2

by Keiko Iwashita

COLOR MY WORLD

In the short time Hibari has spent with Gaku, she’s done everything she can to keep from being swept off her feet by the uninhibited young musician. But all that goes out the window after she plants a drunken kiss on Gaku that he is determined to not let her forget! Between receiving special attention from him during his band’s live shows and Gaku casually setting her heart aflutter in their everyday interactions, Hibari isn’t sure she can slow things down...or if she even wants to!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Music, Contemporary, Japanese Literature, Graphic Novels Comics Manga

184 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Keiko Iwashita (岩下慶子) is a Japanese manga author.

Reviews

[kia (uni era) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manga
6 stars

- I love this couple
- great communication between them
- can the other male character just go
- why does one of the band members remind me of Gekko from valorant?

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But I wanna be true to myself and what I like. I don't wanna question myself just because someone said something."

THIS SECOND VOLUME WAS SO GOOD!!!!

I was squealing and kicking my feet at my kitchen table when eating lunch because the romance was amping up and I was here for it!!

However it's not just the romance, but the music too! I really love how the music and graphic design parts of this story are not disappearing after originally establishing the "base" of this story. I know that might not sound like THAT big of an issue, but these were reasons why I was super excited about the series in the first place, so seeing them continue to be prevalent has made me really happy. Plus, I never tire of seeing Gaku perform, though hopefully, he won't greet Hibrari as extremely as he did in this one. *nervous laughter*

Seriously though, the romance had me swooning!! I know a lot of people miss slow burn manga being as prevalent as it was years ago, but I am thriving reading this series! I love seeing Hibari steadily grow bolder and take daring first steps in showing her feelings. She continues to be a great and relatable character!

The art is so fun and I LOVED a lot of the smol angry panels because everyone looks so funny!

Volume two definitely lived up to the hype of volume one and can't wait to read more!!

[pears ✧ ☽ ☼ ଳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hibari and Gaku are super cute😭 I do wish they had time to develop their feelings for each other/ their relationship before they got together though. What happened to yearning??😔

[AC's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, no joking: he's a weirdo, but a hottie, but the way I LOATHE the fact that it was only available in my native language gives me the ick

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Hibari is a cute protagonist and Gaku is a really fun love interest, but that's as far as it goes up to this point.

The bone I have to pick with this story is that I haven't gotten the chance to know these characters deeply before they start developing feelings for each other. I understand that we are discovering them throughout their relationship but I wanted to see them get fleshed out more in these first volumes outside of their love relationship.

I'm also probably not into the insta love thing. I guess I can only justify this in the first two volumes if the setting told me they were childhood friends or something of the sort (making Rihito the more logical choice for me, but Gaku is just too fun. Which reminds me: I really don't like this love triangle lol).

Don't get me wrong, I'm having fun and want to keep reading, but I guess I wanted -or expected- something more mature.

2.75/5

[Natalie A · Rating 3 out of 5]

was giggling and kicking my feet like a teen girl
3.5

[Recensionidelloracolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disegni continuano a rimanere molto belli, ma purtroppo la trama sta cadendo un po' troppo nel banale.
La novità del primo volume si trovava nel fatto che i due protagonisti frequentassero l'accademia delle belle arti, ma questa volta quell'ambiente è stato lasciato fuori e quelli che sembravano sentimenti "ben esplicitati" tra i due in verità erano solo una farsa...
Infatti tra i protagonisti è iniziato il solito tira e molla senza senso, in particolare la protagonista, già cotta dal primo volume, incomincia a contraddirsi ogni due per tre...finendo il volume con entrambi che si confessano i sentimenti, ma dove lei non vuole mettersi insieme a lui...
La parte più bassa del manga è stata quella in cui la protagonista non si è resa conto che il suo amico d'infanzia era diventato un cantante famoso...te prego...
Ahimé questa storia inizia già da ora a essere in bilico per me, darò un giudizio più netto con il prossimo volume...

[Maharet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I disegni mi incantano, la storia inizia a far sempre più luce sulle emozioni, le fragilità dei personaggi, non mancano momenti romanticissimi
"Diventa mia Hibari. Perché io voglio diventare tuo."

[Omnya Ali (Free Palestine) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a pretty art style, but, unfortunately a bad written story and characters 😤💔

[hina ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

they're so cute fr ‹𝟹

[angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

cam, when I catch you cam. --really like this silly very not realistic romance going although pls explain not breaking your leg after jumping off the third floor? --

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amo este manga, es precioso. Ojalá algún día pueda ser animado porque lo merece. El arte es precioso, me encanta la atención a los detalles y la pareja principal es muy linda. Yo también quiero un novio que sea un guitarrista sexy y tierno a la vez 🤭❤️

[Kaitlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cuteness... I simply cannot...

Excuse me sir childhood friend who Gaku thinks is beautiful... WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A BOX THAT LOOKS LIKE IT HOLDS A RING?!?!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is growing on me at rapid speed, I have to say. Not that it started poorly, but this is some really well-done romance with a couple that genuinely feel like they belong together.

So far, most of this has been Hibari being anxious and slowly warming up to Gaku, then sort of taking on more impulsive ideas in her own life as a consequence. I can see how she’s got potential to be a strong influence on him, but the current focus is on how she’s coming out of her shell.

And, boy, does she ever. After Gaku manages to do something stupid, which is kind of his modus operandi given that he doesn’t care to think things through very often, she comes to his rescue in the most Gaku-like fashion. The boy has a talent for defenestration as well.

Their interactions and Hibari learning to just be in the moment and not overthink are what make this a really good read. I’m okay with characters who do dumb things or make the wrong choices if they own those choices or try to make things better. The speed of honesty in this volume is a welcome change.

Between that and the band antics, you have a wholly entertaining volume that works pretty much top to bottom. Minus the whole rival thing, although not quite in the usual way. Well, sort of.

Look, rival guy doesn’t need to exist. Gaku and Hibari seem very cemented by the end of this volume (the forthrightness of this series is also utterly refreshing). Our rival is actually pretty effective: there’s nothing wrong with musical rivals; honestly, it’s a little more fun than sports stuff for me.

But, again, he doesn’t need to be here at all. It’s a genre staple and I’m sure he’ll attempt to cause trouble, but he just could pop off somewhere else and be happier. That he’s a rather large tool because of his jealousy doesn’t give him the best look either.

Still, small price to pay for what we do get. There are a ton of dang romantic moments in this, enough that it feels like the reader is rather spoiled compared to slower series. I’m excited to see where this is headed because it has built up a rather strong head of steam(y).

4 stars - first volume really good, this one just runs a touch better. If you liked the first one, don’t worry, you won’t be let down in the slightest. Just read and enjoy.

[MAG Scrittrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma lui che si butta dal secondo piano per raggiungere lei e ne esce solo con una storta alla caviglia? O lui che con una PENNA riesce a fare un buco PERFETTO in un plettro, invece di distruggere entrambe le cose?
A parte queste cose troppo ingenue, è stato un volume carino. Mi piace molto la genuinità di lui. Di lei capisco l'insicurezza, ma non perché non vuole mettersi con lui quando è ovvio che le piace.

[theotakuwoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great volume! Gaku is a treasure and one of my favorite manga men. In this volume, feelings are finally realized and confronted. And it turns out her childhood friend is really [bleep out for spoilers 😯].

[Jessica ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
“I decided yesterday. Be mine. And I’ll be yours. “ ydyfyvigitt t are b u fry m hm ouzo ily fy it srucivitsrjvjlgyi

Screaming, giggling, blushing. Ahhhh I love Gaku so much. He is so open and free with himself and his feelings and I love him. 😍

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est vraiment bien c’est juste dommage qu’on aille pas plus dans les détails et puis même si beaucoup de choses se passent très très vite (j’ai envie de dire qu’ils se connaissent depuis 1 semaine et qu’il a déjà déclaré plus ou moins sa flamme) ça passe quand même 🙂‍↕️

[eleanore mary ♡︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis toujours aussi fan de ce manga. L’histoire entre Gaku et Hibari est juste wow. Oui, peut-être qu’elle va un peu vite mais c’est ce qui représente en quelques sortes la personnalité de Gaku. Ce mec est génial, pas que pour son talent mais aussi pour sa personnalité. Il est spontané, franc, enthousiaste et clairement fidèle à un point inimaginable. Il aime Hibari et ça se ressent dans sa façon d’être. Ils sont beaucoup trop beau et trop chou !!

[Ami 乁⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠o⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠ㄏ (written by Jane Austen) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starting to like the story more but I still find the mmc a bit forceful about his affections.

[Haede-San · Rating 4 out of 5]

questo secondo volume è stato più interessante del primo, vediamo come andrà

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’adooore vrmnt fan ça va clairement devenir un favori

[Jazzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

uh now I gotta wait for the next volume 😭😭

[Rukky Shonubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. So, so cute.

[SheaOlayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hehehehhehehe, crazy reveal, harsh critique, cozy and cute :)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich muss sagen, Gaku ist schon ein spezieller Kerl. Lieb, aber auch einfach in seiner Art etwas weird. Dieser Band schien mir mehr so ein Aufbauband gewesen zu sein. Immer noch gut, man hat die Figuren etwas besser kennengelernt und es gab auch Entwicklungen und Neues. Jedoch wurde der erste wirkliche Konflikt nun angeteasert, und auch wenn ich kein Fan von Love Triangles bin, bin ich doch gespannt, wie sich Rihito verhält. Finde es ein wenig Schade, dass das Design/Kunst-Setting ein wenig untergegangen ist, hoffe aber, dass es wieder mehr Platz findet. Freue mich durchaus auf Band 3 :)

[squish ˳ ׄ ⟡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

GAKU THE MAN YOU ARE?????

the guitar pick UGHHHH. that’s my standard guys. i believe that guitar picks are the equivalent to a heart, so basically he gave her his heart.

UGHHHH THE MAN GAKU IS. I’M SORRY???????

how does he even survive from the height of THREE floors???? i mean get you girl, gaku!!!

[Mariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Volume 2 of Choking on Love—but this time, it’s not quite getting 5 stars from me.

First things first, the art is gorgeous, as always with Keiko Iwashita. I already fell in love with her dreamy, expressive style in Living-Room Matsunaga-san, and it’s just as magical here. Sometimes her drawings feel like they’re pulled straight out of an anime—soft, fluid, emotional—and other times the character expressions are so comically exaggerated they elevate the humor of the moment perfectly. That duality is such a strength.

As for the story, it continues to be cute and engaging. I genuinely like both main characters. That said… Hibari really needs to learn how to communicate. She's sweet, but her inability to express herself is becoming a bit frustrating. At her age, I’d expect a little more emotional clarity—but I also get that insecurity comes in many forms. I’m hoping the story delves deeper into why she is the way she is. Right now, she’s portrayed as someone with a stable background—good student, loving family, solid friendships—yet she’s paralyzed by self-doubt. It’s not impossible, but I’d love to see more layers or a compelling reason behind it.

Now... Gaku. Oh, Gaku. I love his straightforwardness. He’s a breath of fresh air—until he jumps from a third-floor. I get that he’s supposed to be a bit unhinged (in a charming, romantic manga kind of way), but at some point, I started wondering if he’s secretly training as a stuntman. I mean, jumping out a balcony and not breaking anything? Okay, he was in pain afterward, but still... it stretched believability a bit too far for me. His intensity is endearing, but I hope it doesn’t completely replace logic.

In contrast to some other readers, I don’t mind the romance developing early on. Teenagers do fall in love quickly, and sometimes those relationships grow deeper over time. Not every couple has to follow the “friends first, lovers later” formula. I enjoy stories where we get to watch characters learn about each other after getting together. As long as it’s mutual and sincere—go for it! Be young, be brave, love with all your heart.

The side characters are still a mixed bag. A couple show real promise and intrigue, but others feel like background noise so far. Iwashita did such a great job developing her side cast in Living-Room Matsunaga-san that I’m hopeful this story will follow suit. We’re only on Volume 2, after all.

Also... is it just me, or does Kyo-san feel like a distant cousin of Matsunaga-san? He gets so explosively angry over things that are only somewhat valid. I get that he’s a grumpy brother type, but I do hope he mellows out a bit.

Lastly—and this is a minor but weirdly specific gripe—what is happening with the hands? Some of the character hands suddenly look like they were sketched during an Egon Schiele phase. I swear I saw fingers with what looked like four joints. I love Schiele too, but I’m not sure how I feel about seeing his influence pop up here of all places. :P

All in all, this is still a charming, emotionally sincere series with stunning artwork and lots of potential. Even with its quirks and unevenness, I remain a big fan of Iwashita-sensei’s storytelling. I’m excited to see where Volume 3 takes us!

[Tachan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keiko Iwashita, après Mon coloc d'enfer, a le chic pour allier fraîcheur et naïveté avec l'entrain de ces jeunes étudiants bouffeurs de vie. Ça marche très bien sur moi !

Alors certes, elle va un peu vite et certains raccords ne fonctionnent pas. Dans ce tome, il y a notamment des va-et-vient incessants entre les héros qui ne sonnent pas très juste, voire qui narrativement ne fonctionnent pas trop. Mais c'est toujours compensé par leur enthousiasme à toute épreuve et ici Hibari et Gaku en font énormément preuve.

Après leur rapprochement à la fin du tome précédent, on pouvait croire que c'était plié. C'était sans compter l'autrice qui aime faire durer le plaisir. Alors entre les appréhensions et les craintes d'Hibari et l'enthousiasme tout fou fou de Gaku, le lecteur s'amuse bien. Ça se poursuit, ça se retrouve des veilles de concert, ça saute du 2e étage, ça se fait de grandes déclarations. C'est amusant tout plein. Gaku est plein d'un enthousiasme juvénile qui semble rendre tout plus facile. Hibari résiste mais pas beaucoup. On la voit craquer de plus en plus, céder de plus en plus.

La manière dont le couple se forme, car oui, on n'a pas trop à attendre, est mignon tout plein. C'est drôle et frais à la fois, sous le regard complice de leurs amis qui les connaissent bien. D'ailleurs, j'adore la place du groupe de Gaku, son amitié avec les autres garçons et Jo en particulier. La copine d'Hibari m'amuse bien aussi avec son obsession des beaux gosses. Tout cela crée une ambiance joviale et chaleureuse dans laquelle on se sent bien. On aime suivre leur douce folie. On aime sentir la ferveur de leurs concerts.

Mais petit regret, je trouve qu'on oublie bien vite la passion d'Hibari, son boulot à la fac, ce qu'elle souhaite faire plus tard. Tout ne tourne plus qu'autour de Gaku et son groupe, et ça ne va pas s'arranger avec la révélation sur l'ami d'enfance d'Hibari en fin de tome...

Sympathique série qui fait suite en quelque sorte aux romances lycéennes auxquelles on est habitué. Il y a la même candeur, la même fraîcheur et l'enthousiasme fou fou de Gaku en plus. C'est amusant et le couple avance plutôt rapidement mais avec une jovialité qui me plaît. Je les trouve diablement sympathique. Je voudrais juste que l'héroïne ne s'efface pas derrière la passion du héros.