Maybe not quite five stars, but close!!! So I didn’t take long to read this, but I took several breaks because of how dense the characters were being!!! You know how it is though, when you’re in high school it’s hard to deal with such complex and deep feelings!!! Which is partially why I love this one so much!!!

This was not an easy road to, oh wow, we should be together. Life is messy and I love it when a book can more accurately explain the intense hectic-ness that is life. I do get tired of reading about insta-love, so it’s nice to see the craziness that often comes along with real relationships.

Omg tho, the art!!! It was sooooo good!!!! I really liked all the illustrations and how each character is portrayed. The girls are fun too, just not as cute as the boys are in this one. I’d love for this to have at least a mini series of more books. Not sure where it would go from here, but I’m down for it!!!

I recommend this to those who love manga, especially with lgbtqia+ characters who fall in love. Sooo sweet!!!!

Thanks so much to Independent Publishers Group, Tokyopop, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!

Will post on Amazon shortly.

Thank you to both Netgalley and ToykoPop for the free PDF version of this manga in exchange for a honest review!

I picked this book on Netgalley a bit on a whim. Saw that it was BL and it sounded cute and I’ve enjoyed numerous other ToykoPop releases before so I figured ‘why not’.

This manga deals with the problem of crushing on your best friend. What do you do in that situation? Do you risk it all for possible bliss? Or do you stay silent to keep the friendship that you cherish?

Tanaka and Nakata are childhood friends by happenstance. A mistake with their names in elementary school links them together for the rest of their lives, or at least while they’re in school together. Their whole identity are based off the idea that they are very similar together.

Except that all changes when Tanaka gets girlfriend.

And Nakata doesn’t.

Add in some character growth (okay, a lot of character growth) and some angst and you have a great BL manga.

Personally, I would’ve loved if this what a short series rather than a one volume story. I would’ve loved it being more of a slow burn. There are 3 time skips through out the story but I feel like there could’ve been so much more to this. Maybe I just love angst and wanted more of it!

I would’ve also loved more of an ending. The ending is a bit of a ‘blink and its gone’.

Needless to say, I love this story. That’s why I wanted more. The art is beautiful and so are the characters. The way the author, Gorou Kanbe, wrote the emotions of the characters so well.

Overall, I highly suggest this manga. It’s published on June 8th, 2021!

I adored this cutie, and I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on it.

Tanaka and Nakata first meet when they're accidentally given each other's papers during class. Then, they found out that they have similar body styles, taste in fashion, sport capabilities, hobbies, and the list continues. Deciding to embrace their mutual tastes, they befriend each other and learn more about one another.

Eventually the two begin speaking to another classmate, Tanigaki, who begins to show her interest in Tanaka; separating the bond that the two boys shared. What will Nakata do, and does Tanaka miss Nakata's closeness?

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

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Two Peas in a Pod, by Gorou Kanbe
★★★★★
208 Pages
Themes: friends-to-boyfriends, self-discovery, best friends, first love


Ugh, this was an unexpectedly sad, sweet story that completely sucked me in from page one.

I've been a fan of Kanbe since I read Don't Call Me Dirty (and the sequel/prequel Don't Call Me Daddy) but this one surpassed my expectations. A sweet YA story between two high school students, who are the same in almost everything – height, preferences, likes, luck, dress sense, personality. Until they're not.

When one of them starts dating, the cracks begin to show and the other boy realises they're not the same in one fundamental, heartbreaking way. The art is, as expected, stunning. I actually see a lot of growth in the art style from the previous books (presumably by the author? Or same artist)

The storyline was simple, sweet and lovely. It had ups and downs, real heartbreaking moments where I almost cried, and some funny parts. There was a lot of teen antics that kept it upbeat in the midst of the sad stuff, while it never forgot to mention/show the similarities between the two characters.

The ending was kind of perfect for the characters, though it wasn't your typical HEA. I'd love to see more from these characters later, with the relationship growing on-page, as it ended quite shortly after they confessed their feelings and I feel like it possibly could have added a little more. But, what was there was lovely and made a great YA romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tokyopop, and Gorou Kanbe for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tanaka and Nakata are extremely similar. When they both miswrite their own names on a paper, they meet each other and learn they might have quite a bit in common. They are the same height, speed, listen to the same music, and even find themselves wearing the same outfit. Coincidence? They become close friends, but then Tanaka gets a girlfriend, Nakata isn't so sure about their similarities anymore. In fact, he begins to notice just how different they are. As time progresses, their relationship changes, and Nakata learns who he might just have feelings for, which may complicate things.

A nice stand-alone manga, though I was hoping for a stronger feel of dramatic tension throughout. There wasn't really much of that tension, though the reader can easily pick up on Nakata's crush. I was hoping for more early-on romance, but even though I didn't quite get what I expected from this manga, is was quite wholesome and still told a wonderful story about friendship and high school romance.

I thought this manga was cute, light, and very easy to read. I quite enjoyed it. I would love to see more about Tanaka and Nakata, and see how their relationship evolves.

Stories and manga like this are the only thing that make my heart flutter!

Like Two Peas in a Pod is a sweet, shonen ai story that perfectly captures the ache and wonderful feeling of falling in love for the first time. The story followed Tanaka and Nakata who became closer after mistakenly given each other's school papers. However, when Tanaka got a girl friend, they slowly drifted apart. This was also the time when Nakata realized his feelings for his best friend, and he make a friend which bothered Tanaka.

I am sucker for unrequited love trope, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed this. I liked how realistic the story, as well as how the characters felt. Most of the time my heart ached for Nakata's situation. He knew that it was impossible that his feelings would be not reciprocated, that was why he decided being friends with Tanaka was the best choice. The angst on this manga just hit me right in the feels. The ending was also so satisfying. I liked how the two were still in the process of understanding their own feelings for one another.

Lastly, the art was absoultely beautiful. I wasn't sure if there would be a sequel because I would definitely be looking forward for it.

5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tokyopop for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Had a difficult time reading this because of the file format and missed the bottom panels on nearly every page**

Despite that, I enjoyed this! Tanaka and Nakata are mistakenly given each other's school papers and it ends up being a fateful meeting because seemingly they are too similar for it to be a coincidence. The two quickly become friends, but Tanaka gets a girlfriend and it puts a strain between their relationship. It was cute seeing the two figure out how to continue their friendship despite this. But, inevitably, Nakata and Tanaka drift apart. Nakata joins the library club and befriends Futaba, a girl who notices his stomaches and what might be causing them. Without spoiling to much, this is a cute "first love" story and I would recommend it to even those who don't typically pick up BL titles. It is completely wholesome and sweet. I'm not sure if this is a one shot or if it will be a series, but it would be interesting to see Tanaka and Nakata navigating the unknown waters they've entered, together.

This is a slice-of-life manga about two boys who are very similar and their relationship with each other over the course of one year. The art was cute, but I kept getting confused with the characters, certain plot points were really unrealistic, and the dialogue was trite. So little actually happens! I liked the casual gay/mlm representation, but there wasn’t much else to it for me.

Like Two Peas in a Pod is a sweet shounen ai that makes your heart flutter. Tanaka and Nakata are classmates and it seems they are very similar in everything and that makes them closer. Tanaka ends up getting a girlfriend and this is a revelation to Nakata, since he understands that he too is in love with Tanaka. Nakata makes a friend that's a girl and this kind of bothers Tanaka. It's a long road to find feelings and still they not be the exact same. The best part of this manga is that girls actually play a major role and the characters talk a lot and in the end there's hardly any romance as such. This is very realistic and normal and in the end the feelings aren't fully the same, but need time to get there. Such a refreshing manga! Kanbe is good at doing manga like this, not conventional and still thoughtful.

The art works well and the facial expressions are great. Like Two Peas in a Pod is lively and full of meaning and slow burn in every way. I wish there was more boys' love like this, small and wonderful with a lot of feeling. I'm very happy this has been translated into English!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this!

Ahh, I absolutely loved this I want the second one right now. It was so wholesome, definitely a cute little read that messes with your emotions.

5 out of 5 stars!

This was so sweet and angsty. *rubs it all over my body*

The story was so simple. Two guys: Tanaka and Nataka are given each other's papers and they start to realize that they have ALOT in common which leads to them hanging out. And then one Tanaka gets a girlfriend and the other starts to realize he has feelings for him.

Thus follows some angst, oblivious object of affection says stupid stuff and upsets the other, and just cute moments that made me feel so bad for poor Nataka. I could read this fifty times and not get tired of it. And the lack of anything other than kisses didn't bother me. The story itself was just so great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tokyopop for giving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty cute, low-key manga. The art is really cute and I enjoyed the friendship between Tanaka and Nakata. I didn't feel like the romance was super developed, but for a one-shot it was still rather adorable. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the two of them navigating and understanding their feelings for one another.

This manga deserves an anime. Its such a realistic presentation of love in general, let alone gay love. All the characters were great and not flat. I hope there's more to their story since we barely got into their relationship.

Posted on Instagram from @catforthereads: “Like Two Peas in a Pod” is a will they won’t they get together book mainly focused from one of the main characters. I just wanted shove them in a broom closet and make them kiss, in the I want what’s best for the both of you kind of way. All the characters felt real and avoided love Manga drama cliches. Every character is great. It might be too early to say, but I want an anime made from this with plenty of side snippets from the other side characters. 🌈 Check this book out starting 6/7/21!

Posted on goodreads: 4/5 stars: Aww this book was so sweet. No spoilers but most of the book I wanted to swish their faces together and just kiss already. Throughout the book is the sensation of bittersweet happiness through one of the main character's perspectives. The other...they're lucky they have a good face. Haha. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tokyopop for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very sweet story with a very sweet ending.

Tanaka and Nakata are two high school boys with many similarities. It even seems that they might even like the same girl. But when Tanaka starts dating her, it becomes even more apparent where Nakata's true feelings lie.

The plot falls together neatly, and somewhat predictably, but never drags. I was always excited to read on, and I was satisfied with the ending. The characters behaved realistically, and I was happy that everyone communicated well, so when conflict arose, it wasn't just because someone didn't want to talk honestly about their feelings.

I'm excited for more comics from this author, and I will definitely check out Kanbe's previous work as well.

This was a nice read! I enjoyed the characters, especially Futaba, and I was engaged throughout. I do wish that we saw more of Tanaka's feelings towards Nakata, as for most of the story we only saw Nakata's. I'm not sure if this will be series, or if it's just a one shot, but there definitely could have been more development for the protagonists!

3.5/5 stars
This was a great introduction to the story! I'm loving the characters (especially the side characters, Futaba is my absolute favourite hahah).
The bickering and banter between the main characters is excellent, the friendship between Futaba and Nakata is so sweet and warms my heart).
Overall, a very cute, very comical first volume, can't wait to continue on with this series.