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I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup #1-2
I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 1
“Cocoa” has made three best friends in her monthly meetup group, where girls get together every month to quell their sweet tooths by meeting up at the cutest and trendiest new dessert cafes. Cocoa is in it for the sweets-really!-but she's also harboring a few Not only does Cocoa have a crush on another one of the girls in the group, Opera, but she's actually a guy named Satoshi who's been cross-dressing in order to attend the all-girl group! During one meetup, things come to a head when Opera discovers that Cocoa is cross-dressing-and to Cocoa's surprise, Opera confesses that he is too! But Cocoa realizes that his attraction to Opera is more than clothing-deep, and as the two grow closer, they'll learn more about each other-and their own selves-than they could have ever imagined.
Combines volumes 1 and 2.
Combines volumes 1 and 2.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2020
5 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 13, 2024
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
A group of online women with an interest in sweets decide to meet in real life. Except one of them, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera. But Cocoa is a male dressing as a female. But so is Opera. But there’s even more to the story than that…
There have been a couple of cross-dressing manga I’ve read over the last little bit, typically involving guys dressing as women, but this one manages to boldly step forward as the best of them that I’ve read by a wide margin.
And you wouldn’t think it from the start, which promises two guys who are portraying themselves as women and misunderstandings ensue. This is the long, tedious, drawn-out pattern that Crossplay Love has been dutifully following.
Well, both these two have their genders revealed (at least to one another, not to their foursome of a group) early on and the question of just what constitutes attraction comes to the fore as they seem to be into each other, but they were women, but Opera is pretty outgoing and… so it goes.
Except there’s more to this than just that and I wouldn’t want to spoil this narrative, but it goes where you think it might (and I was dreading that moment until I saw where it lead)… and then goes farther and farther until everybody in that little group is so interesting and having such a good time that it’s infectious.
And the story will soon be touching on gender neutral bathrooms, bisexuality, transgender issues, and the various reasons why Opera and Cocoa do what they do. It’s entirely more than it appears.
Bundling the first two volumes of this together was a treat because I was engaged fully after a couple chapters and just devoured it. There’s a weird style of presentation here, with both regular chapters and short chapters, that I can’t explain, but works really well for the story.
I especially liked the woman that they keep bumping into in the shorter, omake-style bits. She’s mostly there for comic relief, but, like everything else in this volume, there are some surprising layers there.
We even get more of a nod to real-life issues with cross-dressing, like shaving concerns, makeup use, being discovered, etc etc. This still has typical manga female designs, but it at least acknowledges these things, which puts it way ahead of most of the others I’ve read.
It’s hard to say that there’s a lot of romance here; everybody is mighty confused and Cocoa is dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues, which are surprising (yet also not) as we learn more about their background.
Everybody here is interesting and I want so much more from literally everybody. Even if it just stayed this friendly it would be an incredibly worthwhile read, but I am hoping for more than a couple of these couples to be a little bit more besides.
The story can get silly, but ultimately treats its characters with respect and big props to the translation for including a thoughtful statement about how they chose the pronouns they used at any given moment. It’s a nice addition.
When I thanked Kodansha and Netgalley at the top, I mean it more than usual. I would have let this pass me buy, I have some busy weeks ahead for manga, and that would have been a mistake. If this sounds at all good, well, I assure you it’s better than that.
4.5 stars - there’s nothing here that screams ‘classic’ so I won’t round it up, but this was so inclusive and wholesome and delightful once it got going that I just loved it. A very pleasant surprise.
A group of online women with an interest in sweets decide to meet in real life. Except one of them, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera. But Cocoa is a male dressing as a female. But so is Opera. But there’s even more to the story than that…
There have been a couple of cross-dressing manga I’ve read over the last little bit, typically involving guys dressing as women, but this one manages to boldly step forward as the best of them that I’ve read by a wide margin.
And you wouldn’t think it from the start, which promises two guys who are portraying themselves as women and misunderstandings ensue. This is the long, tedious, drawn-out pattern that Crossplay Love has been dutifully following.
Well, both these two have their genders revealed (at least to one another, not to their foursome of a group) early on and the question of just what constitutes attraction comes to the fore as they seem to be into each other, but they were women, but Opera is pretty outgoing and… so it goes.
Except there’s more to this than just that and I wouldn’t want to spoil this narrative, but it goes where you think it might (and I was dreading that moment until I saw where it lead)… and then goes farther and farther until everybody in that little group is so interesting and having such a good time that it’s infectious.
And the story will soon be touching on gender neutral bathrooms, bisexuality, transgender issues, and the various reasons why Opera and Cocoa do what they do. It’s entirely more than it appears.
Bundling the first two volumes of this together was a treat because I was engaged fully after a couple chapters and just devoured it. There’s a weird style of presentation here, with both regular chapters and short chapters, that I can’t explain, but works really well for the story.
I especially liked the woman that they keep bumping into in the shorter, omake-style bits. She’s mostly there for comic relief, but, like everything else in this volume, there are some surprising layers there.
We even get more of a nod to real-life issues with cross-dressing, like shaving concerns, makeup use, being discovered, etc etc. This still has typical manga female designs, but it at least acknowledges these things, which puts it way ahead of most of the others I’ve read.
It’s hard to say that there’s a lot of romance here; everybody is mighty confused and Cocoa is dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues, which are surprising (yet also not) as we learn more about their background.
Everybody here is interesting and I want so much more from literally everybody. Even if it just stayed this friendly it would be an incredibly worthwhile read, but I am hoping for more than a couple of these couples to be a little bit more besides.
The story can get silly, but ultimately treats its characters with respect and big props to the translation for including a thoughtful statement about how they chose the pronouns they used at any given moment. It’s a nice addition.
When I thanked Kodansha and Netgalley at the top, I mean it more than usual. I would have let this pass me buy, I have some busy weeks ahead for manga, and that would have been a mistake. If this sounds at all good, well, I assure you it’s better than that.
4.5 stars - there’s nothing here that screams ‘classic’ so I won’t round it up, but this was so inclusive and wholesome and delightful once it got going that I just loved it. A very pleasant surprise.
September 11, 2024
I’m always a little nervous when a manga highlights cross-dressing (it’s often rather ick from a western perspective - sometimes super sexualized and otherwise predatory), HOWEVER this one was wholesome and had lots of really funny moments where the moral of the story is “you can never assume someone’s gender”. I was especially fond of random background character Sacchan who kept overhearing all of these beautiful women coming out as men and reacting hilariously.
Also mad props for Taro, the trans woman, for shutting down any insinuation of “we’re all guys here” but also letting herself be open and have good conversations with her friends.
I also really liked the message of like recreating yourself FOR yourself to inspire your confidence and to be more able to enjoy yourself. Definitely looking forward to Cocoa and Opera going on more adventures.
{Thank you Kodansha for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review}
Also mad props for Taro, the trans woman, for shutting down any insinuation of “we’re all guys here” but also letting herself be open and have good conversations with her friends.
I also really liked the message of like recreating yourself FOR yourself to inspire your confidence and to be more able to enjoy yourself. Definitely looking forward to Cocoa and Opera going on more adventures.
{Thank you Kodansha for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review}
November 4, 2024
I don’t know why I expected depth and feelings from this manga. It could have definitely been great, but it doesn’t have any plot. The characters have endless conversations about this and that, but nothing ever happens. We don’t learn why the characters crossdress or what their lives are like. What they do when they’re bored. I wasn’t invested in the story whatsoever. And keep in mind that this edition includes two volumes and not one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to the ARC. All my opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to the ARC. All my opinions are my own.
September 14, 2024
This is a fun queer manga that explores the fluidity of gender expression and identity and how it can be different for different people. Four women come together for a regular meetup to eat sweets, only for it to turn out that three of them are cross dressing (and the fourth is a lesbian trans woman). The plot explores their relationships and some of the realities of their experiences, including how people can make the wrong assumptions about each other even when they have similarities. It does well to explore different identities, not just the two main crossdressing characters, but also the other two characters who are a trans woman and a femboy respectively, and it's interesting to see how this is impacted by Japanese culture and gendered expectations, such as Valentine's Day and White Day. I'll look forward to reading more of this when it is translated.
September 12, 2024
[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]
A group of online women with an interest in sweets decide to meet in real life. Except one of them, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera. But Cocoa is a male dressing as a female. But so is Opera. But there’s even more to the story than that…
There have been a couple of cross-dressing manga I’ve read over the last little bit, typically involving guys dressing as women, but this one manages to boldly step forward as the best of them that I’ve read by a wide margin.
And you wouldn’t think it from the start, which promises two guys who are portraying themselves as women and misunderstandings ensue. This is the long, tedious, drawn-out pattern that Crossplay Love has been dutifully following.
Well, both these two have their genders revealed (at least to one another, not to their foursome of a group) early on and the question of just what constitutes attraction comes to the fore as they seem to be into each other, but they were women, but Opera is pretty outgoing and… so it goes.
Except there’s more to this than just that and I wouldn’t want to spoil this narrative, but it goes where you think it might (and I was dreading that moment until I saw where it lead)… and then goes farther and farther until everybody in that little group is so interesting and having such a good time that it’s infectious.
And the story will soon be touching on gender neutral bathrooms, bisexuality, transgender issues, and the various reasons why Opera and Cocoa do what they do. It’s entirely more than it appears.
Bundling the first two volumes of this together was a treat because I was engaged fully after a couple chapters and just devoured it. There’s a weird style of presentation here, with both regular chapters and short chapters, that I can’t explain, but works really well for the story.
I especially liked the woman that they keep bumping into in the shorter, omake-style bits. She’s mostly there for comedy relief, but, like everything else in this volume, there are some surprising layers there.
We even get more of a nod to real-life issues with cross-dressing, like shaving concerns, makeup use, being discovered, etc etc. This still has typical manga female designs, but it at least acknowledges these things, which puts it way ahead of most of the others I’ve read.
It’s hard to say that there’s a lot of romance here; everybody is mighty confused and Cocoa is dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues, which are surprising (yet also not) as we learn more about their background.
Everybody here is interesting and I want so much more from literally everybody. Even if it just stayed this friendly it would be an incredibly worthwhile read, but I am hoping for more than a couple of these couples to be a little bit more besides.
The story can get silly, but ultimately treats its characters with respect and big props to the translation for including a thoughtful statement about how they chose the pronouns they used at any given moment. It’s a nice addition.
When I thanked Kodansha and Netgalley at the top, I mean it more than usual. I would have let this pass me buy, I have some busy weeks ahead for manga, and that would have been a mistake. If this sounds at all good, well, I assure you it’s better than that.
4.5 stars - there’s nothing here that screams ‘classic’ so I won’t round it up, but this was so inclusive and wholesome and delightful once it got going that I just loved it. A very pleasant surprise.
A group of online women with an interest in sweets decide to meet in real life. Except one of them, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera. But Cocoa is a male dressing as a female. But so is Opera. But there’s even more to the story than that…
There have been a couple of cross-dressing manga I’ve read over the last little bit, typically involving guys dressing as women, but this one manages to boldly step forward as the best of them that I’ve read by a wide margin.
And you wouldn’t think it from the start, which promises two guys who are portraying themselves as women and misunderstandings ensue. This is the long, tedious, drawn-out pattern that Crossplay Love has been dutifully following.
Well, both these two have their genders revealed (at least to one another, not to their foursome of a group) early on and the question of just what constitutes attraction comes to the fore as they seem to be into each other, but they were women, but Opera is pretty outgoing and… so it goes.
Except there’s more to this than just that and I wouldn’t want to spoil this narrative, but it goes where you think it might (and I was dreading that moment until I saw where it lead)… and then goes farther and farther until everybody in that little group is so interesting and having such a good time that it’s infectious.
And the story will soon be touching on gender neutral bathrooms, bisexuality, transgender issues, and the various reasons why Opera and Cocoa do what they do. It’s entirely more than it appears.
Bundling the first two volumes of this together was a treat because I was engaged fully after a couple chapters and just devoured it. There’s a weird style of presentation here, with both regular chapters and short chapters, that I can’t explain, but works really well for the story.
I especially liked the woman that they keep bumping into in the shorter, omake-style bits. She’s mostly there for comedy relief, but, like everything else in this volume, there are some surprising layers there.
We even get more of a nod to real-life issues with cross-dressing, like shaving concerns, makeup use, being discovered, etc etc. This still has typical manga female designs, but it at least acknowledges these things, which puts it way ahead of most of the others I’ve read.
It’s hard to say that there’s a lot of romance here; everybody is mighty confused and Cocoa is dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues, which are surprising (yet also not) as we learn more about their background.
Everybody here is interesting and I want so much more from literally everybody. Even if it just stayed this friendly it would be an incredibly worthwhile read, but I am hoping for more than a couple of these couples to be a little bit more besides.
The story can get silly, but ultimately treats its characters with respect and big props to the translation for including a thoughtful statement about how they chose the pronouns they used at any given moment. It’s a nice addition.
When I thanked Kodansha and Netgalley at the top, I mean it more than usual. I would have let this pass me buy, I have some busy weeks ahead for manga, and that would have been a mistake. If this sounds at all good, well, I assure you it’s better than that.
4.5 stars - there’s nothing here that screams ‘classic’ so I won’t round it up, but this was so inclusive and wholesome and delightful once it got going that I just loved it. A very pleasant surprise.
November 6, 2024
A fun and cute read 🫶.
It's my first reading something like this, and it's really a fresh breath of air.
I think the highlight of this story was the characters and the whole cross-dressing plot that is meticulously laid out, giving us an insightful take or perspective of the actions.
Other than that, I really like how it didn't shy in showing the main characters in their most vulnerable state— specifically on the identity part or where Cocoa-san is struggling on their identity and confidence.
The rest of the characters were also a delight, especially Opera-san, I really enjoyed their characters as well.
Overall, this was a good read. I really enjoyed the content of the manga 🫶
Thank you, Kodansha Comic, for the e-arc copy 🫶
-----
Date Released: September 17, 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: November 7, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️
It's my first reading something like this, and it's really a fresh breath of air.
I think the highlight of this story was the characters and the whole cross-dressing plot that is meticulously laid out, giving us an insightful take or perspective of the actions.
Other than that, I really like how it didn't shy in showing the main characters in their most vulnerable state— specifically on the identity part or where Cocoa-san is struggling on their identity and confidence.
The rest of the characters were also a delight, especially Opera-san, I really enjoyed their characters as well.
Overall, this was a good read. I really enjoyed the content of the manga 🫶
Thank you, Kodansha Comic, for the e-arc copy 🫶
-----
Date Released: September 17, 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: November 7, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️
September 18, 2024
Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
A cross-dressing manga that focuses on expression while being respectful. Honestly speaking the cover of this manga caught my eye first and then, when I read the summary I thought I’d give it a chance.
The first volume sets the bar high. This volume uses cross-dressing as a medium to discuss expressions. How one feels, how they’re comfortable and what makes them who they are. I like how this volume uses it as a safe place without any judgements or misunderstandings. It feels natural, accepting and gives a heartwarming vibe throughout.
The plot in this volume surrounds who the members of the monthly girl meetup are. It’s conveyed somewhat comedically with a touch of seriousness to keep the story light-hearted. The volume reveals everyone’s real genders and a bit of background information. While journeying through this we see topics such as insecurity, self confidence, acceptance, bisexuality, transgender and many more. It was intriguing how this volume was able to touch on each topic with grace.
The manga consists of many little stories combined to make a sequential story of events. They are related and build on each other but ultimately each serves its own purpose. There are also little omake inserts with a recurring character.
There are four main characters in this series. Given the focus of this volume is mainly on Opera and Cocoa, I’m interested to see their relationship grow. I like their dynamics and how supportive they are of each other in their cross-dressing without being too personal.
The artwork is absolutely stunning. It’s cute and expressive both using facial expressions and iconography. I love the character designs and enjoy their fashion sense. The pastries were also deliciously depicted, making me crave a slice of cake right after I finished reading it.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and one that discusses many important topics that our society needs to discuss. I liked how this volume approaches it and look forward to reading volume two hoping to see more development! This is definitely a great read and one I recommend to everyone.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
A cross-dressing manga that focuses on expression while being respectful. Honestly speaking the cover of this manga caught my eye first and then, when I read the summary I thought I’d give it a chance.
The first volume sets the bar high. This volume uses cross-dressing as a medium to discuss expressions. How one feels, how they’re comfortable and what makes them who they are. I like how this volume uses it as a safe place without any judgements or misunderstandings. It feels natural, accepting and gives a heartwarming vibe throughout.
The plot in this volume surrounds who the members of the monthly girl meetup are. It’s conveyed somewhat comedically with a touch of seriousness to keep the story light-hearted. The volume reveals everyone’s real genders and a bit of background information. While journeying through this we see topics such as insecurity, self confidence, acceptance, bisexuality, transgender and many more. It was intriguing how this volume was able to touch on each topic with grace.
The manga consists of many little stories combined to make a sequential story of events. They are related and build on each other but ultimately each serves its own purpose. There are also little omake inserts with a recurring character.
There are four main characters in this series. Given the focus of this volume is mainly on Opera and Cocoa, I’m interested to see their relationship grow. I like their dynamics and how supportive they are of each other in their cross-dressing without being too personal.
The artwork is absolutely stunning. It’s cute and expressive both using facial expressions and iconography. I love the character designs and enjoy their fashion sense. The pastries were also deliciously depicted, making me crave a slice of cake right after I finished reading it.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and one that discusses many important topics that our society needs to discuss. I liked how this volume approaches it and look forward to reading volume two hoping to see more development! This is definitely a great read and one I recommend to everyone.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
June 7, 2025
I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
This one caught my eye when I saw it on Netgalley, it sounded fun and I was trying to read more graphic novels so I requested it. When I started reading it I quickly realized this book wasn't at all like what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. It's a fun queer story about gender expression and the various reasons why people cross-dress. It's very cute and fun to read about these four characters who meet up and eat sweets together.
I have to admit it took me some time to get into this book. It took some time to get used to the plot as it wasn't what I had expected, but I ended up really liking the plot. And I had the hardest time remembering who was who. And with the black and white artwork their hair colors looked the same and I couldn't tell them apart at first. This got easier as the story progressed. There are also a few weird transitions or a flashback without it being clear from the start that's what it was, so there was some sight confusion at times.
I liked reading about these characters and getting to know them more as the story progressed. I liked getting to read about the reasons for cross-dressing and it addresses some interesting topics around gender expression and being yourself. There is a bit of romance as well, actually two possible romances and I liked the set ups for these and am curious to see how they progress. This book combines the first two volumes and it was nice to have so much story to read. I plan to continue this series.
To summarize: This one was quite the surprise. The story was quite different than what I had expected, but I really liked it. It's a queer story about cross-dressing, gender expression and being yourself. It touches upon some interesting topics, but it's also a cute and sweet story about four characters eating sweets. I thought that mix of lightheartedness with some deeper undercurrents and topics worked well. There is a bit of romance as well, which I am curious to see how it progresses and I plan to continue this series.
This one caught my eye when I saw it on Netgalley, it sounded fun and I was trying to read more graphic novels so I requested it. When I started reading it I quickly realized this book wasn't at all like what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. It's a fun queer story about gender expression and the various reasons why people cross-dress. It's very cute and fun to read about these four characters who meet up and eat sweets together.
I have to admit it took me some time to get into this book. It took some time to get used to the plot as it wasn't what I had expected, but I ended up really liking the plot. And I had the hardest time remembering who was who. And with the black and white artwork their hair colors looked the same and I couldn't tell them apart at first. This got easier as the story progressed. There are also a few weird transitions or a flashback without it being clear from the start that's what it was, so there was some sight confusion at times.
I liked reading about these characters and getting to know them more as the story progressed. I liked getting to read about the reasons for cross-dressing and it addresses some interesting topics around gender expression and being yourself. There is a bit of romance as well, actually two possible romances and I liked the set ups for these and am curious to see how they progress. This book combines the first two volumes and it was nice to have so much story to read. I plan to continue this series.
To summarize: This one was quite the surprise. The story was quite different than what I had expected, but I really liked it. It's a queer story about cross-dressing, gender expression and being yourself. It touches upon some interesting topics, but it's also a cute and sweet story about four characters eating sweets. I thought that mix of lightheartedness with some deeper undercurrents and topics worked well. There is a bit of romance as well, which I am curious to see how it progresses and I plan to continue this series.
September 18, 2024
This was a bit different than the description gave to understand. It’s not a comedic romance between two boys who dress up as girls to go to an all-girl meeting. It’s a rather complicated study of gender identity and how to be yourself.
Satoshi Morinaga is an actor who has self-confidence issues. He dresses up as a woman on a whim to attend an IRL meeting with likeminded people who like to eat cakes. It’s an all-girl group—or so he thinks. One by one, it turns out three of the four members are guys and one is a transgender woman.
Satoshi, going as Cocoa in the group, strikes a friendship with Opera, a college student whose real name is Kosuke Chiyoda. He’s dressed as a girl since school where his friends made him attend a beauty pageant, and does it for fun. Cocoa admires Opera, especially her make-up skills, but the two meet occasionally as their real selves too. In fairly short chapters, the two learn to know one another, and their own selves as well. No romance in the first volume.
This was an interesting story. I don’t personally have experience with gender issues depicted here, so I don’t know how accurate this is, or if it’s done in a respectful way. Everyone’s very accepting though, and those crossing the line are put to their place.
Art was fairly good, but the characters looked too much alike in many panels so that I had no idea who was who a lot of time. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Satoshi Morinaga is an actor who has self-confidence issues. He dresses up as a woman on a whim to attend an IRL meeting with likeminded people who like to eat cakes. It’s an all-girl group—or so he thinks. One by one, it turns out three of the four members are guys and one is a transgender woman.
Satoshi, going as Cocoa in the group, strikes a friendship with Opera, a college student whose real name is Kosuke Chiyoda. He’s dressed as a girl since school where his friends made him attend a beauty pageant, and does it for fun. Cocoa admires Opera, especially her make-up skills, but the two meet occasionally as their real selves too. In fairly short chapters, the two learn to know one another, and their own selves as well. No romance in the first volume.
This was an interesting story. I don’t personally have experience with gender issues depicted here, so I don’t know how accurate this is, or if it’s done in a respectful way. Everyone’s very accepting though, and those crossing the line are put to their place.
Art was fairly good, but the characters looked too much alike in many panels so that I had no idea who was who a lot of time. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2024
It was cute ! I think that it is the first time that I read something about cross-dressing . Especially as a main topic.
It is a first volume in a series so it is still introductive and was introducing every characters.
We are following a group of women that met online in a forum like site for people with an interest in sweets. They meet up once a month to eat tone of sweets and But one of them is not here for the same reasons, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera.
Cocoa is actually a female cross-dresser (male dressed as a female) and go to those meeting hiding his identity.
The representation of cross-dressing is really cute in it.
They are not portrayed as gross men wanting to lured people .
They are men that want to feel cute and/or need to feel like a totally different person for a couples of hours.
There is also some hint toward different romantic relationship but so far no more than blushing and confusion .
It also touch some interesting topic such as bisexuality, gender identity, transgender issue and neutral bathroom. Those issues have been brought up and merely talked about and it is good . It was not a long monologue about being trans or bi . It was simple and direct to the point.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It is a first volume in a series so it is still introductive and was introducing every characters.
We are following a group of women that met online in a forum like site for people with an interest in sweets. They meet up once a month to eat tone of sweets and But one of them is not here for the same reasons, Cocoa, is only going because they’re interested in Opera.
Cocoa is actually a female cross-dresser (male dressed as a female) and go to those meeting hiding his identity.
The representation of cross-dressing is really cute in it.
They are not portrayed as gross men wanting to lured people .
They are men that want to feel cute and/or need to feel like a totally different person for a couples of hours.
There is also some hint toward different romantic relationship but so far no more than blushing and confusion .
It also touch some interesting topic such as bisexuality, gender identity, transgender issue and neutral bathroom. Those issues have been brought up and merely talked about and it is good . It was not a long monologue about being trans or bi . It was simple and direct to the point.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2024
3.5 stars
Not really my cup of tea. (I know I like to go into things without preconceived notions, but sometimes I feel like I should have read the blurb more completely.)
The art was decent, but I did have problems differentiating the characters for more than half the book. (All of volume 1 basically.)
There wasn't much in the way of plot. I like character growth to happen within a story rather than the growth being the story.
Not really my cup of tea. (I know I like to go into things without preconceived notions, but sometimes I feel like I should have read the blurb more completely.)
The art was decent, but I did have problems differentiating the characters for more than half the book. (All of volume 1 basically.)
There wasn't much in the way of plot. I like character growth to happen within a story rather than the growth being the story.
September 17, 2024
Arc via NetGalley. This was a really interesting read! It’s obviously not meant to be a didactic text on gender in Japan but it’s cool to have a little window into a different world — but not THAT different considering that I also love dessert! A very sweet (no pun intended) story about friendship-or-maybe-more.
September 26, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.
This was such a cute manga! I wasn’t sure what to expect with the title, but I’m glad this ended up being good. I really loved how this manga focused on gender identity. I’m interested in reading more of this series.
This was such a cute manga! I wasn’t sure what to expect with the title, but I’m glad this ended up being good. I really loved how this manga focused on gender identity. I’m interested in reading more of this series.
June 26, 2025
I don’t know why I expected depth and feelings from this manga. It could have definitely been great, but it doesn’t have any plot. The characters have endless conversations about this and that, but nothing ever happens. We don’t learn why the characters crossdress or what their lives are like. What they do when they’re bored. I wasn’t invested in the story whatsoever. And keep in mind that this edition includes two volumes and not one.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this book.
December 5, 2024
Cute gender exploration story! Some text bubbles were a bit confusing tho, and since this isn’t a linear story it made it even more confusing sometimes
Read
June 12, 2025DNF
October 12, 2025
3.5 rounded UP ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This had a cute idea and appealing characters. Unfortunately, there were just too many of them initially and trying to keep track of who was who, especially with all the gender-swapping, got confusing. I kept having to flip back a few pages to remember what was going on.
I think we need more backstory on all the characters. I really liked the little bonus story “Hidden Feelings” about Cocoa/Morinaga and how they came to be portrayed as someone who hates sweets when of course, the opposite is true. The difficulty of authentic communication comes through loud and clear.
I will likely read the next volume in the hope of more stories like the last one.
This had a cute idea and appealing characters. Unfortunately, there were just too many of them initially and trying to keep track of who was who, especially with all the gender-swapping, got confusing. I kept having to flip back a few pages to remember what was going on.
I think we need more backstory on all the characters. I really liked the little bonus story “Hidden Feelings” about Cocoa/Morinaga and how they came to be portrayed as someone who hates sweets when of course, the opposite is true. The difficulty of authentic communication comes through loud and clear.
I will likely read the next volume in the hope of more stories like the last one.
November 4, 2024
I love seeing what Japanese manga does with gender. Ada Palmer’s essay on anime and manga has some of the historical context for it, but you don’t need a history lesson to enjoy this fun volume. I particularly liked the seamless inclusion of a trans girl alongside the cross-dressing boys, highlighting the differences and similarities among the two, and the lack of moral panic surrounding cross-dressing and gender in general. When their identities get revealed, it’s not seen as betrayal or deception, but a shared way to bond. Makes me realize how ingrained our expectation is for that betrayal part of the story—why? It’s not necessary. Imagine that, a world where gender isn’t so feared, policed, and politicized. How refreshing. It was great.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2024
This was a lovely, charming read that balanced humor and friendship with reflection and some depth on the topics. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to future volumes.
*the English release for vol 1 combined vol 1-2 of the original Japanese manga, which was a great choice to allow us more time to get to know the characters and cultural elements in touching on topics like gender presentation and how different characters may have different reasons to enjoy trying on clothes typically perceived as for women, and that they don’t all identify the same way in terms of gender or sexuality.
Our main character and online friends that are all fans of sweets have presented or been assumed to be women from their online interactions, and all attend the meetup presenting as women. The MC and another member almost immediately discover that they are both men/assigned male at birth and agree to keep it a secret. Over the course of the volume we learn all of the characters were Assigned Male at Birth; one is a trans woman, one is a bisexual femboy that is openly a guy that enjoys women’s clothing, and our main character is in the process of exploring why he seeks out and enjoys trying on the clothes he does.
It ends up being a sweet and supportive club of friends exploring their likes and experiences around fashion and gender presentation, while ostensibly getting together to enjoy pastries that was the original purpose of the club.
I liked all the characters and appreciated the variety of personalities and experiences in it. I’m looking forward to reading the rest; the remaining volumes are set to come out in English in 2025!
A very belated ARC Review; I checked my NetGalley and saw I hadn’t submitted this yet, though I read it in September! Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC! I am sharing an honest review.
*the English release for vol 1 combined vol 1-2 of the original Japanese manga, which was a great choice to allow us more time to get to know the characters and cultural elements in touching on topics like gender presentation and how different characters may have different reasons to enjoy trying on clothes typically perceived as for women, and that they don’t all identify the same way in terms of gender or sexuality.
Our main character and online friends that are all fans of sweets have presented or been assumed to be women from their online interactions, and all attend the meetup presenting as women. The MC and another member almost immediately discover that they are both men/assigned male at birth and agree to keep it a secret. Over the course of the volume we learn all of the characters were Assigned Male at Birth; one is a trans woman, one is a bisexual femboy that is openly a guy that enjoys women’s clothing, and our main character is in the process of exploring why he seeks out and enjoys trying on the clothes he does.
It ends up being a sweet and supportive club of friends exploring their likes and experiences around fashion and gender presentation, while ostensibly getting together to enjoy pastries that was the original purpose of the club.
I liked all the characters and appreciated the variety of personalities and experiences in it. I’m looking forward to reading the rest; the remaining volumes are set to come out in English in 2025!
A very belated ARC Review; I checked my NetGalley and saw I hadn’t submitted this yet, though I read it in September! Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the ARC! I am sharing an honest review.
November 18, 2024
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
A fun meeting over sweets with four girls ends up with a lot more surprises than anyone had expected. This was a lot of fun to read (and made me laugh more than once) and I love seeing them all still meet up even when the secrets were all out. I am kinda happy that there is no romance (at least not yet) between Cocoa and Opera, I don’t know, I just don’t see the click. I am hoping for romance between Lemon and Kan because I just love those two together and I do see a click between them.
I loved that we didn’t just get to see Cocoa and Opera as their cross-dressed personas, but also see them outside of that. Find out more about their personalities, and how they got into cross-dressing + how they got so good at it. Plus, see them explore more things about cross-dressing, getting even better at make-up (I wish I was that good, haha, and with me many other characters in the manga), wigs, and more.
I love that we get to see things from various POVs. The main focus is of course Cocoa and Opera, but we also see Lemon/Kan, which made me smile.
Plus, I hope to see more of that girl that coincidentally was there each time something happened. Which just made me laugh so much, how does that happen. XD
I also enjoyed the art a lot! It was so much fun.
All in all, this one made me laugh SO much, it was chaotic but not in a bad way, and I definitely want to read the next volumes in the series~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
A fun meeting over sweets with four girls ends up with a lot more surprises than anyone had expected. This was a lot of fun to read (and made me laugh more than once) and I love seeing them all still meet up even when the secrets were all out. I am kinda happy that there is no romance (at least not yet) between Cocoa and Opera, I don’t know, I just don’t see the click. I am hoping for romance between Lemon and Kan because I just love those two together and I do see a click between them.
I loved that we didn’t just get to see Cocoa and Opera as their cross-dressed personas, but also see them outside of that. Find out more about their personalities, and how they got into cross-dressing + how they got so good at it. Plus, see them explore more things about cross-dressing, getting even better at make-up (I wish I was that good, haha, and with me many other characters in the manga), wigs, and more.
I love that we get to see things from various POVs. The main focus is of course Cocoa and Opera, but we also see Lemon/Kan, which made me smile.
Plus, I hope to see more of that girl that coincidentally was there each time something happened. Which just made me laugh so much, how does that happen. XD
I also enjoyed the art a lot! It was so much fun.
All in all, this one made me laugh SO much, it was chaotic but not in a bad way, and I definitely want to read the next volumes in the series~
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 1, 2024
I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha!
Well this was a bit different from what I was expecting, but still quite cute.
As a reader you know the Cocoa isn't what 'she' seems to be. Cocoa is the alter-ego of a man when he dresses up as a woman, and he's quite good at it. Cocoa originally starts going to the café meets for the desserts, but it quickly evolves to her going in hopes of seeing Opera, another member of the group of four sweets lovers. But Opera isn't what she seems either. Opera is also a man.
So this is my first official cross-dressing, LBGTQ+ manga and it was interesting. As crass as it sounds it's basically a two cross dressers, one trans woman and a self described femboy for to a café for sweet treats, hopes for developing further relationships occur.
Cocoa hopes to get to know Opera better and even goes so far as to ask her to teach her how to be more feminine. Opera is amazingly good at make up, finding flattering clothing, and keeping up appearances. Cocoa wants her to teach her how to be just as good (aka, little things like not leaving the toilet seat up in a gender neutral washroom). But the manga doesn't just cover their adventures, it also covers a bit of the other two, Lemon and...Kan? I am so sorry, I am not sure that is their name!
The book dives into the why of it for Opera and Cocoa. Cocoa is actually a decently famous male stage actor. In his normal day life, Satoshi (aka Cocoa), is viewed as extremely attractive and 'masculine,' meaning he doesn't love sweets, etc. He also can't float through a crowd unnoticed very well. After dressing as a woman at work, he starts playing with the idea of going out as a woman in order to feel more comfortable. Opera started cross dressing while still in school. His friends begged him (they went to an all male school) and Opera decided to give it a go, only to find his friends liked it and so did he.
The manga itself feels very episodic, with each chapter covering some different point in time. While it's mostly day to day occurrences for the 4 it covers some interesting things that most of us may not always think about. For example, gender neutral washrooms. They only go to places with gender neutral bathrooms so they don't have to make decisions like whether or not to go into the men's washroom dressed as a woman. Other things like facial hair, fake breasts, being outed in public, transgender issues, pronoun use, and bisexuality are touched upon throughout the book.
But it can't all be heavy, so the author applies a bit of comic relief to keeps things light occasionally.
Conclusion?
Educational for anyone not overly familiar with these types of things. Again, goes over things like washrooms, facial hair, pronoun use, etc. The art is pretty with a more classic manga style feel to it. The characters are interesting and I did find myself wondering how things will turn out for these people. Can't wait to read the next one!
Well this was a bit different from what I was expecting, but still quite cute.
As a reader you know the Cocoa isn't what 'she' seems to be. Cocoa is the alter-ego of a man when he dresses up as a woman, and he's quite good at it. Cocoa originally starts going to the café meets for the desserts, but it quickly evolves to her going in hopes of seeing Opera, another member of the group of four sweets lovers. But Opera isn't what she seems either. Opera is also a man.
So this is my first official cross-dressing, LBGTQ+ manga and it was interesting. As crass as it sounds it's basically a two cross dressers, one trans woman and a self described femboy for to a café for sweet treats, hopes for developing further relationships occur.
Cocoa hopes to get to know Opera better and even goes so far as to ask her to teach her how to be more feminine. Opera is amazingly good at make up, finding flattering clothing, and keeping up appearances. Cocoa wants her to teach her how to be just as good (aka, little things like not leaving the toilet seat up in a gender neutral washroom). But the manga doesn't just cover their adventures, it also covers a bit of the other two, Lemon and...Kan? I am so sorry, I am not sure that is their name!
The book dives into the why of it for Opera and Cocoa. Cocoa is actually a decently famous male stage actor. In his normal day life, Satoshi (aka Cocoa), is viewed as extremely attractive and 'masculine,' meaning he doesn't love sweets, etc. He also can't float through a crowd unnoticed very well. After dressing as a woman at work, he starts playing with the idea of going out as a woman in order to feel more comfortable. Opera started cross dressing while still in school. His friends begged him (they went to an all male school) and Opera decided to give it a go, only to find his friends liked it and so did he.
The manga itself feels very episodic, with each chapter covering some different point in time. While it's mostly day to day occurrences for the 4 it covers some interesting things that most of us may not always think about. For example, gender neutral washrooms. They only go to places with gender neutral bathrooms so they don't have to make decisions like whether or not to go into the men's washroom dressed as a woman. Other things like facial hair, fake breasts, being outed in public, transgender issues, pronoun use, and bisexuality are touched upon throughout the book.
But it can't all be heavy, so the author applies a bit of comic relief to keeps things light occasionally.
Conclusion?
Educational for anyone not overly familiar with these types of things. Again, goes over things like washrooms, facial hair, pronoun use, etc. The art is pretty with a more classic manga style feel to it. The characters are interesting and I did find myself wondering how things will turn out for these people. Can't wait to read the next one!
October 18, 2024
I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup (1) seems to be both volumes 1 and 2 of this serious about four people who we find out are varied in gender presentation/sexuality who get together at first as "women" to enjoy sweets without the social stigma of being men going out to eat cute things. At the end of volume 1 we get a little recap of everyone's deals (one is a transwoman, one is a bi boy who likes dressing femme sometimes, et cetera), and a really nice note from the English publisher in the back that explains that some characters may say things that are ignorant or sound -phobic but that they as translators tried to take care (especially with pronouns as often in Japanese they're omitted entirely where in English.. that's much harder).
As a queer person I was a little understandably unsure when I picked this up about how cross-dressing (at minimum) would be handled in this book as media, and in this case Japanese comics, have not had the greatest history of care and sensitivity toward gender non-conforming folks but I actually quite enjoyed this! The main four are pretty different in how they feel about presenting as female and all pretty understanding of each others' circumstances once they get through the initial shock of "what do you mean it's ALL of our group? (No wonder we felt so comfortable...)"
(As a note, even with the transwoman character, because this is manga and she's earlier on in her journey it's wayyyy more common in Japan to be like "has the heart of a woman" or "used to be/is a man" which is a little jarring to the Western ears/eyes but extremely normal there as they have a heavy emphasis on surgeries being the end all end goal which fortunately is juuuust beginning to shift in real life.)
I think I'll keep up with this series, I loved that they were all adults meeting up to chat and talk openly about social stigmas and maybe even educate some readers!
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!
As a queer person I was a little understandably unsure when I picked this up about how cross-dressing (at minimum) would be handled in this book as media, and in this case Japanese comics, have not had the greatest history of care and sensitivity toward gender non-conforming folks but I actually quite enjoyed this! The main four are pretty different in how they feel about presenting as female and all pretty understanding of each others' circumstances once they get through the initial shock of "what do you mean it's ALL of our group? (No wonder we felt so comfortable...)"
(As a note, even with the transwoman character, because this is manga and she's earlier on in her journey it's wayyyy more common in Japan to be like "has the heart of a woman" or "used to be/is a man" which is a little jarring to the Western ears/eyes but extremely normal there as they have a heavy emphasis on surgeries being the end all end goal which fortunately is juuuust beginning to shift in real life.)
I think I'll keep up with this series, I loved that they were all adults meeting up to chat and talk openly about social stigmas and maybe even educate some readers!
Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!
November 18, 2024
Summary:
Cocoa recently joined a group that meets up every month. This group lets the girls meet up and share treats, all while chatting about the things they love. There’s just one catch - Cocoa isn’t a girl. Her real name is Satoshi.
Fun fact! Satoshi isn’t the only one keeping secrets in this friend group. Nor is his secret all that different from at least one another. This begs the question - what secrets do the other two have?
Review:
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I dove into I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 1. It had the potential to be really cute and sweet or go in the entirely opposite direction and get a bit too gross for my liking.
Thankfully, this manga stays wholly in the cute and sweet realm. Our characters are attached to one another and admittedly could have been better at communication, which is how they ended up in this situation.
There’s more to the story than I’ve described, but I don’t want to spoil everything. It delicately handles many of the elements teased in the title (such as shaving concerns, makeup, etc.), which was a pleasant surprise. Likewise, it was never the butt of a joke, or at least that’s how it felt to me.
Highlights:
Cute Romantic Story
LGBTQ+
Will I continue the series? Nah
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Cocoa recently joined a group that meets up every month. This group lets the girls meet up and share treats, all while chatting about the things they love. There’s just one catch - Cocoa isn’t a girl. Her real name is Satoshi.
Fun fact! Satoshi isn’t the only one keeping secrets in this friend group. Nor is his secret all that different from at least one another. This begs the question - what secrets do the other two have?
Review:
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I dove into I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 1. It had the potential to be really cute and sweet or go in the entirely opposite direction and get a bit too gross for my liking.
Thankfully, this manga stays wholly in the cute and sweet realm. Our characters are attached to one another and admittedly could have been better at communication, which is how they ended up in this situation.
There’s more to the story than I’ve described, but I don’t want to spoil everything. It delicately handles many of the elements teased in the title (such as shaving concerns, makeup, etc.), which was a pleasant surprise. Likewise, it was never the butt of a joke, or at least that’s how it felt to me.
Highlights:
Cute Romantic Story
LGBTQ+
Will I continue the series? Nah
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
October 26, 2024
This title immediately caught my attention, since I am generally interested in queer media. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for letting me review this manga!
Cocoa is part of an online group that talks abou desserts and pastries. When they decide to meet up in real life, Cocoa attends dressed as a woman - because, in truth, Cocoa is a shy boy. When her secret crush Opera finds out about her identity, another secret is revealed: Opera is also cross-dressing!
This manga is mostly a comedy with absurd conincidences and fun circumstances. The reader's expecations are always broken up, which leads to plenty of humorous situations. The subject of gender is central, of course, but never the butt of the joke. The story deals less in trying to find labels and more in the characters finding out what they like.
The aforementioned romantic aspects barely make an appearance in this volume. For me, it fit the theme very well, since Cocoa and Opera only now start to really get to know each other and their hidden sides. They both end up as layered characters who have different reasons for their gender presentations.
They are not alone in that. The side characters, mostly the other two girls in their group, all have their own complex circumstances. I loved the moment when one of them came out as a lesbian trans woman on the page. This moment was acknowledged and respected, as far as I can tell, Other than that, there are no specific definitions that the manga tries to apply, which is entirely fitting with its theme of characters searching for their identity.
As a cis woman myself, I cannot entirely judge how sensitive the manga handles the queer topics. I did have a very positive feeling, though! I would certainly reccomend it to anyone who likes reading light-hearted, chaotic queer comedies!
Cocoa is part of an online group that talks abou desserts and pastries. When they decide to meet up in real life, Cocoa attends dressed as a woman - because, in truth, Cocoa is a shy boy. When her secret crush Opera finds out about her identity, another secret is revealed: Opera is also cross-dressing!
This manga is mostly a comedy with absurd conincidences and fun circumstances. The reader's expecations are always broken up, which leads to plenty of humorous situations. The subject of gender is central, of course, but never the butt of the joke. The story deals less in trying to find labels and more in the characters finding out what they like.
The aforementioned romantic aspects barely make an appearance in this volume. For me, it fit the theme very well, since Cocoa and Opera only now start to really get to know each other and their hidden sides. They both end up as layered characters who have different reasons for their gender presentations.
They are not alone in that. The side characters, mostly the other two girls in their group, all have their own complex circumstances. I loved the moment when one of them came out as a lesbian trans woman on the page. This moment was acknowledged and respected, as far as I can tell, Other than that, there are no specific definitions that the manga tries to apply, which is entirely fitting with its theme of characters searching for their identity.
As a cis woman myself, I cannot entirely judge how sensitive the manga handles the queer topics. I did have a very positive feeling, though! I would certainly reccomend it to anyone who likes reading light-hearted, chaotic queer comedies!
April 23, 2025
This is one of those series that reminds me that every country, culture, etc. is having their own discussions about gender identity and queerness. What I find appropriate or not is probably going to differ from someone in Japan—and that’s okay. We are all growing and learning—which is the important thing.
Reading these first two volumes, I tried to keep that in mind.
This is a series following the daily lives of two men who enjoy cross-dressing for different reasons. As the two grow closer, they develop romantic feelings for each other—that transcend gender identity. Readers follow their relationship as it grows and navigates new concerns.
Along this journey, readers also meet other cross-dressers as well as people who have other gender identities, including one trans-woman who becomes a regular in the cast of characters.
So, do I think that this story is always the most apt or sensitive at exploring queerness? No—definitely not.
But, is the author is trying to be considerate as they craft this “coming of age”—adjacent tale? Yes, I do.
Look—queer people still make unfortunately rare appearances in manga at all. If they aren’t being used for comic relief or being cast as villains, they basically don’t exist in most mainstream manga.
This is gradually changing—but VERY gradually.
So, I want to support series like this one trying to bring awareness to queerness and to encouraging the exploration of gender identity and expression. Only allowing perfect depictions of these topics will leave the genre with nothing. Which, isn’t an ideal alternative.
Anyway.
I think this first volume is a bit “shaky”—but it finds its stride as it goes along. I’m looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me~
Reading these first two volumes, I tried to keep that in mind.
This is a series following the daily lives of two men who enjoy cross-dressing for different reasons. As the two grow closer, they develop romantic feelings for each other—that transcend gender identity. Readers follow their relationship as it grows and navigates new concerns.
Along this journey, readers also meet other cross-dressers as well as people who have other gender identities, including one trans-woman who becomes a regular in the cast of characters.
So, do I think that this story is always the most apt or sensitive at exploring queerness? No—definitely not.
But, is the author is trying to be considerate as they craft this “coming of age”—adjacent tale? Yes, I do.
Look—queer people still make unfortunately rare appearances in manga at all. If they aren’t being used for comic relief or being cast as villains, they basically don’t exist in most mainstream manga.
This is gradually changing—but VERY gradually.
So, I want to support series like this one trying to bring awareness to queerness and to encouraging the exploration of gender identity and expression. Only allowing perfect depictions of these topics will leave the genre with nothing. Which, isn’t an ideal alternative.
Anyway.
I think this first volume is a bit “shaky”—but it finds its stride as it goes along. I’m looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me~
October 26, 2024
I am so excited about all the new LGBTQIA+ - esque manga and anime that have been coming out lately.
When I read the description of this, I immediately had to request it and was so excited that I got approved. Not only is the art phenomenal, but the story is so sweet and heartwarming. I love all of the characters, but I think my favorites have to be Cocoa and Opera.
Stories about gender expression are very close to my heart as I am going on my own journey, and Cocoa’s striving for perfection in their crossdressing is something I understand all too well. I haven’t found my own style yet, but it’s kind of heartening to see that even people who seem to have the perfect style and everything together still have the same sorts of anxieties. We’re always the hardest on ourselves, and it serves as a good reminder.
I always like to speak on the art in graphic novels and manga, and this art is so beautiful. I love all of the character designs. The characters are all very expressive and the shading and angles during the emotional moments really bring out their feelings. There was one scene where Cocoa is feeling anxious about their appearance in the restroom and it is just them sitting on the closed toilet lid with their head in their hands with the toilet seemingly floating in a sea of shadows and it really stood out to me. I think all of us have experienced that once or twice in our lives- a good cry in the bathroom.
I can’t wait to read more! This is just another to add to the list of books I’m going to request for my library to purchase! Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for the DRC in exchange for my review!!
When I read the description of this, I immediately had to request it and was so excited that I got approved. Not only is the art phenomenal, but the story is so sweet and heartwarming. I love all of the characters, but I think my favorites have to be Cocoa and Opera.
Stories about gender expression are very close to my heart as I am going on my own journey, and Cocoa’s striving for perfection in their crossdressing is something I understand all too well. I haven’t found my own style yet, but it’s kind of heartening to see that even people who seem to have the perfect style and everything together still have the same sorts of anxieties. We’re always the hardest on ourselves, and it serves as a good reminder.
I always like to speak on the art in graphic novels and manga, and this art is so beautiful. I love all of the character designs. The characters are all very expressive and the shading and angles during the emotional moments really bring out their feelings. There was one scene where Cocoa is feeling anxious about their appearance in the restroom and it is just them sitting on the closed toilet lid with their head in their hands with the toilet seemingly floating in a sea of shadows and it really stood out to me. I think all of us have experienced that once or twice in our lives- a good cry in the bathroom.
I can’t wait to read more! This is just another to add to the list of books I’m going to request for my library to purchase! Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for the DRC in exchange for my review!!
October 13, 2024
The story follows a group of friends who bond over their love for desserts, though some have other reasons, like romantic interest in someone in the group. But things aren’t quite what they seem. The main characters, Cocoa and Opera, quickly find out that they’re both crossdressers, and that’s where the story really kicks off.
At first, I thought it would focus on romance, but I was happy to see it dive deeper in the topic of crossdressing. The manga also touches on self-esteem and includes a bisexual character and a trans woman who’s into other women. I loved how they handled the conversations about gender and attraction and how they show the process of becoming a whole new person when crossdressing.
Even though the story is light and funny, it doesn’t shy away from exploring how each character expresses their identity. The translators did an amazing job. Despite the challenges, it can be tricky to translate pronouns across languages, especially in the Japanese language, where terms to describe sexuality can be so different.
I think combining the first two volumes for the English release was a great call. It’s a fast read and pulls you in from the start. I’m definitely going to keep reading, both to see if any romance develops and to keep reading about their friendship.
I’d definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a quick, fun read. I got hooked right away and finished it in one day.
There are a few brief mentions of things like transphobia and harassment, but they’re super short and not the main focus.
I received the arc from netgalley ♡
At first, I thought it would focus on romance, but I was happy to see it dive deeper in the topic of crossdressing. The manga also touches on self-esteem and includes a bisexual character and a trans woman who’s into other women. I loved how they handled the conversations about gender and attraction and how they show the process of becoming a whole new person when crossdressing.
Even though the story is light and funny, it doesn’t shy away from exploring how each character expresses their identity. The translators did an amazing job. Despite the challenges, it can be tricky to translate pronouns across languages, especially in the Japanese language, where terms to describe sexuality can be so different.
I think combining the first two volumes for the English release was a great call. It’s a fast read and pulls you in from the start. I’m definitely going to keep reading, both to see if any romance develops and to keep reading about their friendship.
I’d definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a quick, fun read. I got hooked right away and finished it in one day.
There are a few brief mentions of things like transphobia and harassment, but they’re super short and not the main focus.
I received the arc from netgalley ♡
October 19, 2024
Another read thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha.
-Volume 2 tentative release Nov 19
-Volume 3 tentative release end of January
I really had fun reading this series to the point I could not put it down until I was finished. It’s a fun read where you can’t help but love all four characters of the group. They all are handling their own type of obstacle and even though all their secrets get revealed the individuals don’t turn their back on each other and continue to enjoy their meet-ups. Two of the individuals actually go to the same school, which makes it so one doesn't reveal their true identity, but I think as the series progresses that will change. The characters also vary in age, which I think is a good detail especially with this type of group where they met online.
Volume 1 is a bit longer as it contains the Japanese volumes 1 and 2. So far I have only found release dates for the next two volumes, but I am looking forward to continuing it.
The main character is Cocoa, is an actor who lacks self confidence, who likes to crossdress and joins a monthly meet up with others who also love sweets. One of the individuals he gains interest in, Opera; however, one day his secret is revealed. Afterwards the group slowly learns about each other's secrets. Even after this though, they continue to meet to enjoy sweets, learn more about each other, and basically support each other in some way.
-Volume 2 tentative release Nov 19
-Volume 3 tentative release end of January
I really had fun reading this series to the point I could not put it down until I was finished. It’s a fun read where you can’t help but love all four characters of the group. They all are handling their own type of obstacle and even though all their secrets get revealed the individuals don’t turn their back on each other and continue to enjoy their meet-ups. Two of the individuals actually go to the same school, which makes it so one doesn't reveal their true identity, but I think as the series progresses that will change. The characters also vary in age, which I think is a good detail especially with this type of group where they met online.
Volume 1 is a bit longer as it contains the Japanese volumes 1 and 2. So far I have only found release dates for the next two volumes, but I am looking forward to continuing it.
The main character is Cocoa, is an actor who lacks self confidence, who likes to crossdress and joins a monthly meet up with others who also love sweets. One of the individuals he gains interest in, Opera; however, one day his secret is revealed. Afterwards the group slowly learns about each other's secrets. Even after this though, they continue to meet to enjoy sweets, learn more about each other, and basically support each other in some way.
September 20, 2024
actual rating: 3.5 stars
I’m always pretty iffy with cross-dressing manga because I’ve not had good experiences in the past. However, I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup was a really pleasant surprise! Like the editor’s note at the end of the manga explains, some of the comments of the characters are ignorant, homophobic, and transphobic, but they are challenged and don’t come from a place of malice and/or willful ignorance. The characters are open and willing to change, even cis-side characters, and it’s refreshing to read. There’s even a great scene where Taro-san (a trans woman) corrects Cocao-san when she states that it was funny they all turned out to be guys by saying “Well, not ALL of us.” - affirming that Taro-san has been and always will be a woman. And we love her for it.
The art is clean and straightforward and the humour is a hit. The only thing, part of my personal taste, was that I didn’t enjoy the shorter chapters, they felt pasted together and I prefer a more even flow of story rather than a jumping from different scene/short story to different scene/short story. But that’s my own preference.
I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup has its rough edges, but I think it’s a great step in the direction that I want to see crossdressing manga to grow in.
*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
I’m always pretty iffy with cross-dressing manga because I’ve not had good experiences in the past. However, I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup was a really pleasant surprise! Like the editor’s note at the end of the manga explains, some of the comments of the characters are ignorant, homophobic, and transphobic, but they are challenged and don’t come from a place of malice and/or willful ignorance. The characters are open and willing to change, even cis-side characters, and it’s refreshing to read. There’s even a great scene where Taro-san (a trans woman) corrects Cocao-san when she states that it was funny they all turned out to be guys by saying “Well, not ALL of us.” - affirming that Taro-san has been and always will be a woman. And we love her for it.
The art is clean and straightforward and the humour is a hit. The only thing, part of my personal taste, was that I didn’t enjoy the shorter chapters, they felt pasted together and I prefer a more even flow of story rather than a jumping from different scene/short story to different scene/short story. But that’s my own preference.
I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup has its rough edges, but I think it’s a great step in the direction that I want to see crossdressing manga to grow in.
*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
September 16, 2024
ACKKK— THIS IS SO WHOLESOMEE!! 😍 I was a bit hesitant to pick up this manga because of the title. Crossdressing isn't always portrayed in a good way in media, so I was cautiously optimistic when I started reading it. Thankfully, this manga did not disappoint!
𝘐 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘓 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘱 is about four people who met online because of their shared love for sweets who all decided to meet each other in person. Every character in this manga was so pure and endearing. I absolutely adore all of them, including the side characters!! They are very different personalities but all of them are comfortable in the way they present themselves. I also liked that this manga's exploration of gender identity, gender presentation, and self-expression is both thoughtful and insightful. It delves into the complexities of gender and how it can be fluid and varied. I appreciate this book for challenges stereotypes and promoting acceptance and understanding.💗 Overall, this manga is a delightful and heartwarming read that celebrates individuality and self-acceptance. If you're looking for a lighthearted and fun manga, I definitely recommend checking this out!
[Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an eARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review.]
𝘐 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘓 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘱 is about four people who met online because of their shared love for sweets who all decided to meet each other in person. Every character in this manga was so pure and endearing. I absolutely adore all of them, including the side characters!! They are very different personalities but all of them are comfortable in the way they present themselves. I also liked that this manga's exploration of gender identity, gender presentation, and self-expression is both thoughtful and insightful. It delves into the complexities of gender and how it can be fluid and varied. I appreciate this book for challenges stereotypes and promoting acceptance and understanding.💗 Overall, this manga is a delightful and heartwarming read that celebrates individuality and self-acceptance. If you're looking for a lighthearted and fun manga, I definitely recommend checking this out!
[Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an eARC of this manga in exchange for an honest review.]
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