This graphic novel was hilarious and well-drawn, definitely worth the money and the hype, and I hope will be successful!

Breath of Flowers was a great start and it was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

I went into this thinking it was something it's not, so I was disappointed. I thought one of the characters was trans, but it turns out they were just a tomboy. I'm not sure if I misunderstood the blurb or someone else mistakenly told me it was a trans story. I think if I'd gone into it knowing, I could have enjoyed it more than I did.

Manga Review

Look I decided it’s finally time to use this extra time to catch up on some outstanding reviews. We’ll start with the oldest first, which of course means it’s Breath of Flowers review time!

My initial experience with Breath of Flowers was one of disappointment. That was due to the fact the format of the file had the end at the start.
Problems with the format

I’m not silly, I know you read manga from end to start. But I’ve never had a digital copy formatted that way. Do you realise how wild that is to open and instantly scroll to the end? NetGalley has never done me dirty like this.

So I can only assume it was a TokyoPop formatting issue.

Due to this, I actually made it a good chunk into this manga. How did I make it so far without considering it was wrong? I just thought the translation was bad, and we’d instantly been dropped into a lesbian love story.

However, that wasn’t the case and I fixed my reading order to continue.
Volume 1 Review

As can be figured out from the synopsis, this is a yuri romance, with a slight twist. Azami doesn’t realise the boy she’s got a crush on is actually a girl. Gwyn doesn’t want to be a boy – at least it never explicitly states that* – but they do want to play basketball.

*I did read this 6 months ago so I could be wrong.

And at a school with no girls team, Gwyn does what they have to.

Honestly as a cis person I don’t have any kind of right to say whether identity was handled correctly or not. They do explore clothing styles a little more and Gwyn is able to have some freedom as a girl in a different school later on.

However, what I really liked about Breath of Flowers is how quickly Azami was okay with finding out her crush was female. Seeing the two’s relationship blossom whilst trying to exist in school was very lovely. Their romance was cute.

Azami is a very jealous character, though due to her age I can’t criticise her for being overly dramatic. That’s just how some people are, particularly at that age. With hindsight and time she would probably realise her actions were a bit much, and they should’ve had their big talk sooner.

Personally, I found Gwyn’s narrative the more interesting of the two. Perhaps as it’s mostly not her point of view it left me intrigued to find out more about her.

Volume 2 Review

As mentioned, Azami is very jealous. The reasoning of her jealousy spike is the introduction of Judith.

Judith gives Gwyn a lot of attention, and openly pushes Azami’s buttons. The introduction to this plot point at the end of volume 1 wasn’t encouraging. To see it continue here was a chore.

I just didn’t care for it. Eventually the girls all talk and solve their issues, but Judith still enjoys winding Azami up. Seeing Gwyn and Azami learn how important communication was made me happy. Especially as this is something that is often skipped over in young adult books.

The rest of the focal point for the story is Gwyn’s move to a new school. Here she doesn’t have to pretend to be a boy to join the team.

Whilst one problem is solved, no high school experience is complete without a multitude of problems. This time Gwyn has to face bullying within their new team. Specifically homophobic centered bullying.

I believe this section was handled really well. Particularly as it helped develop their relationship. Azami got a chance to be her best self.

Whilst I think Caly portrayed the age group well, I do believe there was room for further development of the characters.

Overall Caly’s art work was perfect for this storyline. The quality was kept throughout both volumes, and it was pretty nice to look at.

We shouldn’t be surprised at my rating or criticisms of this series. I’m no real romance reader. It was never going to blow me away. It achieves what it set out to be – a short soft wlw manga.

Chances are, if I stumbled across another manga by Caly I’d give it a try. Whilst Breath of Flowers wasn’t fully my cup of tea, I have no fault with the art.

i adored the cover art but the story lacked a little bit. i just wanted more sadly. overall it was an enjoyable read but also eh

Not that wild about it. It's a good story, but the over use of chibi/exaggerated expressions kills it for me. I wish it was a little bit more serious, since this is a serious/important story.

4 stars

Azami has a crush on a cute boy on the basketball team at school. One day, she goes to the dressing room and finds out that Gwen is a girl. At first, Azami is upset and doesn't want anything to do with Gwen.
But she and Gwen talk, and decide that they want to find out what could be between them. Just when they start finding their way in a new relationship, another girl comes in and threatens what they have.
The story was cute and sweet, and I liked that there wasn't really a big deal made about the fact that they were both girls. My issue with this was that the pictures didn't really enhance the story. I would have actually rather just read it.

*<i>I received a copy through Netgalley for review<i>*

Breath of Flowers is a "breath of fresh air" in the world of Shoujo Manga! At its heart, a story of finding love in unexpected places, this is truly a coming of age story. The main characters, Gwyn and Azami are simply trying to navigate the rough waters of high school love and insecurities, while trying to figure out their self-identities. Is it okay to wear boy clothes? Is it okay if I fall in love with a girl? Will a teenage relationship last a long summer apart? Some of these questions are answered, while others are left for future installments to delve deeper upon.

I enjoyed the way the illustrations went back and forth between detailed and polished to vague and simple when the characters were expressing strong emotions. I also loved the way girlish norms were challenged. For example, at one point a character has to deal with watery eyes and allergies while trying to enjoy a romantic picnic afternoon.

When thinking about the possibility of future volumes, I defer to the words of Azami, "I have a feeling that this is going to be epic!"

I was fortunate to receive a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. The above thoughts, insights, or recommendations are my own meek musings.

What I liked: sweet story, awkward first love, cute and likeable (mostly) main characters, growing up and trying to adapt to the changes discussed without being overdramatic about it.
What I didn't like: Azami is super homophobic at the beginning of the story, as in she doesn't believe gay people actually exist and doesn't see how anyone could possibly be attracted to someone of the same sex. When she accidentally finds out Gwyn, the boy she has a crush on, is actually a girl, she does a complete about-face in a short amount of time and tells Gwyn she's still in love with her. This seemed unrealistic- at best, it should've taken more time, and should've been a more gradual thing. Also, I know the girl mistaken for/pretending to be a boy is a popular trope, but it seems odd in this case- Gwyn is a tomboy and joins the basketball team at her high school (the coach allows it because they're short of players), the boys on the team assume she's a boy, and no one thinks to correct this? The coach didn't introduce her as a girl, or tell the boys once he realizes the mistake? Gwyn, who is not trans, just goes with it, even though she likes being a girl? I mean, maybe? But I really doubt it.
Having said all that, the story gets really sweet after the girls confess to each other. Gwyn doesn't want to be a boy, but she feels stuck in the role, especially since she wants to be what she thinks Azami wants her to be. Azami figures out she doesn't love Gwyn just because she thought Gwyn was a boy; she loves Gwyn because of who Gwyn is, regardless of gender. She just wants Gwyn to be happy. Awkwardness ensues, as misunderstandings happen, a rival for Gwyn's affections shows up, and Gwyn transferring to a different school in the next year looms. The young love and light angst is palpable, and the artwork shines with warm glowy feeling.

#BreathOfFlowersVolume1 #NetGalley

Hmm, I'm a bit disappointed with this one. I was drawn in by a fun and contemporary idea for this story. However, the execution was sloppy and confusing. Maybe it's something which is common for manga and the more you read the more you get used to it. As someone who read maybe one manga in her life, I did not get what I hoped for.

My Rating : 3.5🌟

Omg!! This book was such a refresher from all the crazy angst and drama! The storyline is very very simple and it makes you want to relate and the artwork is just amazing !. The characters are very unique in their own way and gives you the High school musical cliche vibes, but with a twist! I know I don't make any sense, but this book had so many realistic plot points that I forgot I was reading fiction for a while. Not to mention the f/f romance that's like the cherry on top! My complain is just that it was too similar to everyday high school plot that it lacked to hold my attention all the time.

I picked this book up hoping to read something cute and fluffy and because I saw that it was f/f but it turned out to be very confusing. I felt like the layout and format of the manga was hard to follow and I have read plenty of manga in my lifetime.

Breath of Flowers is a quick and fun read that I’d recommend to anyone looking for an f/f manga.

I would’ve liked to see the development of friends to lovers more within the story although I did enjoy Azami and Gwyn being cute gfs a lot. The art fit so well with the story and Gwyn is literally the cutest and I’m not surprised that all of her teammates lover her and she has Azami and Judith practically in love with her. I’d be very interested to see where the next volume takes this love triangle.

I really liked the the premise of Azami falling in love with a ‘boy’ and then realising they’re actually a girl, although this did turn out to be rather undermined by the exploration of Gwyn’s own gender-identity. I did find Gwyn’s self-exploration slightly confusing and it would’ve been really interesting if the book did consider Gwyn being trans or non-binary.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got an ARC of this book.

So a manga about two girls that fall in love that sounds like it won't be predatory or full of sexual assault? Sign me up! At least that's what I normally say. This book wasn't all that engaging. The plot in the description literally is maybe the first twenty pages. It made things sound like there would be tension or at least a decent plot.

The big secret that Gwyn is a girl is found out by like everyone. It isn't this huge secret that could expose her and ruin her life. Instead people would just be upset that she lied. There was NO REASON for her deception. She is not trans (not that being trans is a deception), she is not on a boys only team, she is not under pressure from a foreign government. There is absolutely no reason for her to be doing this. So that just made her character unlikable and weird in a bad way.

Azami is terribly homophobic and within a few pages of finding out this big secret (how the hell did she manage to figure it out unless Gwyn was changing in the girls locker room AHA!) is like "I still love you". There is some angst, but like two panels. For someone as openly homophobic to the point of being hostile, that was a big change. Then she tells her parents by the end of the first volume and it was no big deal. I am so confused at how this plot was thought to be a good one. It is so full of holes and it fell so flat. 

Their romance also has no passion or cuteness at all. There is random jealousy which is annoying and unhealthy. Yet it is the ONLY sign that they are actually into each other. I didn't ship them at all. I ship everything. I once shipped a goose with a tree (long story, but both were at least mildly sentient and it could work). So it doesn't take all that much for me to get behind a love story.

This was the cutest thing I EVER read! The romance was so pure and simple, so many good quotes and the art style! Amazing!

TW: homophobia, transphobia, eating disorder

This was surprisingly really cute and not as bad as I was expecting!! Azami was pretty homophobic and kind of transphobic in the beginning, but she grows and changes as a person. Gwyn pretends to be a boy so she can play basketball, and when pretending gets to be too much for her she transfers schools. It's not the best with rep and the execution is a bit messy but it was super cute and I can't wait to read the next volume!

Advance Reader Copy provided by Netgalley.

The cover of this manga is adorable and it looks like a super sweet LGBTQ romance. In fact, it is shockingly homophobic and vaguely transphobic. The description says that Azami is only attracted to boys, which would be fine. Azami is actually convinced that love is only possible between boys and girls and that people in queer relationships are just killing time until a more appropriate partner shows up. This would also be fine if she showed any sense of growth or self-awareness, or if other characters pointed out that these beliefs are problematic. This does not happen. She simply accepts that she's fallen in love with a girl without ever acknowledging her previous homophobic beliefs.

The description also seems to imply that Gwyn is trans. She is not. She was somehow mistaken for a boy after joining the boys' basketball team and didn't correct the assumption, and has felt stuck pretending to be a boy ever since.

I would not recommend this book to any reader. Its unexamined homophobia has too much potential to cause harm

Unable to download. There seems to be errors on the file as now it has been removed by the publisher.

ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3 stars.
I really liked this manga. The illustrations were cute and well-drawn and they complimented the story prettily.

I will admit, this was a bit confusing at times. The characters got a bit confusing and the plot points were sometimes lost into the story.

I enjoyed this manga, I would definitely pick up volume 2.

I enjoyed Breath of Flowers, and I intend to buy it for my library's collection, but something about the main romance felt a little off to me. It felt a little disingenuous for a character to all of a sudden be fine with loving a girl when she was so adamantly against it minutes before. I totally understand the idea of loving a person for who they are and not their gender, which I think is supposed to be the point here, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.