Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

by Kyohei Ishiguro, Kevin Gifford (Translator)

Cherry struggles with communicating―even more than the average teenager. He keeps his noise canceling headphones on to avoid conversation and has trouble putting his thoughts into words. Writing haiku seems to be the only way he can express his emotions. It’s the final summer vacation of his high school years, and it’s passing by fairly uneventfully as he packs to move out of town and works part-time at a senior care center. But one day, he encounters Smile, a live streamer who’s self conscious about her buckteeth and braces. Days with her are more exciting, and as they help one of the seniors track down an old record he lost long ago, Cherry suddenly finds himself more inspired and invested than ever before. Fans of the hit anime movie will fall in love alongside Cherry and Smile in this detailed look from the characters’ perspectives!

Genres: Light Novel, Romance

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2023

Reviews

[Sarah Nealy]

I love this story! I first fell in love with the movie and looked to see if there was a book or manga version, and there are both! I chose to read the light novel which is pretty much the movie word for word give or take a few minor details. I love both the main characters! They both struggle with low self confidence and Cherry especially struggles with having a hard time expressing himself, but through this Haiku and meeting Smile he's able to finally find his voice! Very healing and coming of age story!

[Jack]

A great Light Novel and Manga series.

This is a deceptively, on the surface, simple slice-of-life story as we witness Yui, “Cherry”, and Yuki, “Smile”, develop feelings for each other and, in the process, learn more about themselves. Below this is a much more rich interplay between making precious memories and the loss of precious memories.

I find Mr. Fujiyama’s story compelling. The respectful interchanges between the young protagonists and Mr. Fujiyama, his family and his lost memories build a surprisingly complex and realistic slice of life experience that is relatable on many levels and for different readers.

The May 2025 group read choice for the GR Japanese Light Novel book club:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[~Noel~]

This is 100% on my favorite books.I absolutely loved the movie and reading this book was amazing!I also read the manga renditions, which were amazing too.If you love heartfelt stories, this book is absolutely the one for you.Its such a heartwarming story and made my day feel way better!

[Vala L'abricot]

Une trilogie mignonne mais sans plus. L'histoire secondaire est vachement plus touchante que l'histoire principale, je trouve ?