This little manga was better than I thought it would be. While there are some problematic events, they are called out in the story. I appreciated the nuanced take on the varying reasons that people might choose to cross dress. I had hoped there would be a little more featuring the trans woman, but this was a decent start.

This was surprisingly super cute. Each of the four characters introduced in the friend group has an interesting backstory that get's lightly teased in the first volume. Enough that you get to like them a bit and want to know more by continuing the series. I'm interested to continue and think there's a lot of promise here!

Thank you for the ARC and giving me a chance to read this first volume!

I was... taken aback, to say the least, when I finished the first chapter. Characters playing the "guess what's in others' pants" made me really uncomfortable, especially since the summary gave off an inclusive and respectful impression. I'm glad I continued reading though, it immediately gets better from there!

3.5

This was a cute read! This manga is clearly meant to be a comedy, but the act of cross-dressing is never the thing that's the "joke". Most of the characters just happen to be people who enjoy presenting femme, though one character is actually a trans woman. The story is mostly told episodically, but near the end of the volume, it appears that the story wants to try and establish a longer plot line. There's some potential for drama in this comedy, and I'm honestly interested to see what direction this story might take.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

*Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I was super hesitant going into this manga because, like others have pointed out, there is a history of topics involving gender and sexuality to go downhill very fast. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that these sensitive topics were handled rather well and I'm glad that this seems to be the case across the manga genre. I love seeing things get absorbed into media once they start to become more accepted.

That being said, I do have to say that these characters just weren't really for me. I wasn't particularly invested in any of their lives or stories, though I did think their growing bonds were heartwarming. 3/5 Stars

This was a cute but somewhat light story about 4 people who met online and enjoy getting sweets together monthly. I say people because it turns out they are three cross-dressers and a trans woman. At first they are all shocked to learn each other's secrets, but after getting to know each other they become closer.

I was initially hesitant reading this, but it navigated the topic of gender fairly well. My only dislike is that the story is a little too light for my personal tastes. We learn a little bit about some of the characters backgrounds, but there's always a silliness to each portion of the book. Overall it was a lighthearted and fun read.

Whenever I come across a book/manga that tackles a sensitive topic such as gender expression and gender identity, I am always nervous about how things will go. I personally found the pronoun usage natural, and each character self-identifies before anybody hazards to slap a label that might not be correct.

Most of the main characters cross-dress and there is one character who is trans. Yes (in case you didn't know), these are two different forms of expression - and I absolutely love that the manga explores it!

Each character seems to have different reasons why they express/identify the way they do. They don't owe their explanations to anybody, but they do become close enough friends that we learn the reasoning. (Note: reasoning for cross-dressing. I appreciate that the trans character felt zero obligation to explain herself and none of the others felt compelled to ask why. They simply accepted that she was a woman.)

Gender aside, I love the two main characters! Everyone seems to try to lift each other up. And while their group began as a sweets-loving group, they now have something more to connect over.

I'm curious how the two main characters will continue to grow and bond with one another. Will there be a relationship in their future?

Absolutely adorable and authentically hilarious! This book is such a sweet and well-written story about college students exploring romance and what gender and sexuality mean to them. I was rooting for these characters the entire time as they tried to discover who they are and how to be confident in their own skin. This also had me cracking up. Some of the conversations between the characters had me laughing out loud. A cute and comedic story about desserts, romance, and other sweet things. I am waiting very impatiently for the next volume!

This was so much fun?

Do not get me wrong, I love Manga and i do know that often the feminist part of myself has
to hide under a blanket..
But not here.

This was entertaining and thouhtfull and over all just a good time.

I'm looking forward to get to know all the characters even more!

This read was a very pleasant surprise!

I really wasn't sure what to make of this - I was a bit worried that I would be going to find some of it a bit problematic, but instead it really surprised me.

This story explores gender identity in a really good way, and exploring the concepts of cross-dressing (or dressing as a different gender) and being transgender separately.

I really liked how our main characters each had their own reasons for cross-dressing and it explained it in a way that really made you understand their point of view and sympathise with them.

There were no jokes at the expense of our main characters' choices and identities, which I found really refreshing. The editor's note at the end explaining the use of pronouns was really interesting to read, and it was clear that care was put into not only this story but the translation to ensure it is representative.

I did find it a little confusing at first, since three of the main characters seemed very similar in appearance, so kept getting them confused, but once I got to understand their characters a bit more, it was easier to tell them apart.

I actually really loved reading this, and I'm actually really excited to continue the story and keep reading!

This is a really pleasant read, with some lovable characters that taught me a little bit about gender expression. A really sweet read.

Rated 4.75 (rounded up to 5)

This was a very interesting and different read for me. Cross-dressing is a concept that I have seen a few other times as side details in other manga but I've never actually read a manga where it was the focal point of the story, and it was really cool to see that take center stage. It definitely started off a bit rocky but a little bit in it really found its groove and I was having a good time. We got to cover a lot of territory with these characters in this opening volume (maybe combined first 2 volumes I wasn't really sure how it was being packaged) we go all the way from them being nearly online friends who decided to start meeting up all the way to close friends who share about their lives and are maybe interested in deepening that connection. Which is another thing I really liked about this story, it is so intrinsically and explicitly queer. There is a canon explicitly stated trans character and all cross-dressers ( yes multiple) are very fluid in their gender presentations and it is just chill. I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

This is a really cute and wholesome story about a group of online friends who meet up to eat and enjoy sweets together, but each has their own unusual relationship with their identity and gender presentation. It takes place in modern-day Japan, but involves a group of young adults that have been raised with certain societal views and misconceptions about queer identities and culture that occasionally show in the way they talk about each other (most notably, there are a few flippant remarks/jokes regarding the transgender woman in their group that would be regarded as transphobic but are not directly called out in the text). There is an acknowledgement of this towards the END of the text, but there is no warning at the beginning that I feel would be prudent to include.

Overall though, I greatly enjoy the way each of these people explore and think about gender, gender presentation, sexuality, and queerness through these casual conversations that happen in a safe environment where they can all be honest and comfortable while still retaining a lighthearted tone and their shared connection of loving sweets. I will definitely read future volumes!

This new offering from Kurano has romance manga elements, but I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup covers a lot more ground than just relationships. The central character is “Cocoa,” a regular attendee of all-girl meetups at dessert cafés. But Cocoa has a secret: she’s a man—and an up-and-coming actor, at that! He adopts his Cocoa persona so he can escape from his public-facing professional side. As he contemplates telling the truth to “Opera,” a girl from the meet-up he has a crush on, he finds out that she’s also cross-dressing! From there, the group of four friends open up about their respective gender identities, confronting their complicated feelings for each other and how they wish to be viewed by the world around them.

As explained in the translator’s note, I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup is not a bastion of perfection when it comes to discussions of gender identity. However, exploring these issues (or in fact any issue) in depth and honestly will not be tidy and academic. Cocoa, Opera, and their friends confront the messiness of who we are, who we love, and how we express ourselves, and sometimes that involves making mistakes and assumptions. The imperfections are a feature, not a bug, and make for a story that’s equally funny and thought-provoking.

I Crossed-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 
-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.

As a reader you know that 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 LBGTQ+ manga that includes cross-dressing, trans, and self-declared femboy characters. I usually stick to the gay and lesbian love stories (My love mix up for example), and this was an interesting read for more than just the story. As crass as it sounds it can be broken down to 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, but I don't think it does the book justice for all the relevant issues it casually addresses.

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 as well..

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!

Just to get this out of the way, I found an Editor's Note at the end of my ARC of "I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup" which indicates that the publisher's editorial team is taking the subject matter seriously. This manga is light-hearted but does not use cross-dressing as a gag or a punchline, showing that the author is also respectfully portraying cross-dressing in their work. The titular IRL meetup group became friends after meeting online and visiting dessert shops together. They've tried other similar meetup groups, but this is the only one wherein they really got along well with the others. The cross-dressing happens for multiple reasons that they do get into, but overall I see this premise as a critique of gender expectations and how sweets/desserts have been considered a "feminine" thing in Japan (case in point: Men's Pocky). I had fun reading this but now I want desserts and have "Boys & Girls" by Blur stuck in my head.

"Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A group of online friends share a fondness for sweet treats and start meeting up once a month at various cafes and places that sell cake. Initially, they all present as women, but it is quickly revealed that two are men who cross-dress, for various reasons, one is a femme boy who likes wearing women’s clothing, and one is a trans woman.

This 2-volumes-in-1 story addresses gender identity and gender expression, in a cute little story that contains lots of cake! Throughout, you find out the reasons why the various characters choose to present themselves in the ways that they do, and I quickly grew fond of all of them. I definitely would love the opportunity to read more of their story, as I feel like there could definitely be at least one romantic relationship brewing in the group! "

I went into this manga with low expectations because of how Japanese media tends to treat transgender people, and it ended up being SUCH a pleasant surprise. It treats gender identity and gender presentation that strays from the norm with respect, and the characters and scenarios are so lovable and fun. Light-hearted and fun stories about exploring gender and transness are so scarce in the anime and manga world, and this one was just a delight. I have already recommended this manga to a couple people, and will continue to do so.

When I first started reading I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup I wasn't sure how tactfully queer identities where going to be addressed, if they were addressed at all. Luckily, I need not have worried, as this manga showcases a wide range of experiences and identities and does so in a delicate manner. The stories fall into a vignette style and are very slice-of-life, however there is character growth and progression throughout. I did struggle to tell the four main characters apart, however by the end I started to get the hang of it. A very cute comedy series that fits in well with other cross-dressing/gender-queer manga.

**reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley

shonen romantic comedy manga (volume 1 includes the first two issues of the series). I found this very confusing at first (I would have trouble keeping track of 4 new names/hairstyles IRL, and even more so in a manga where characters also have alternate identities and all the pretty faces have the same aesthetic), but when there were only two characters outside of the group meetups it got easier, and once it gets going it's cute! Plus there are some helpful refresher cues sprinkled throughout to help readers keep track of who is who and who knows what.
Cocoa-San becomes fast friends (and maybe more than friends?) with the cute girl he's had his eye on, Opera-San. Their shared love for sweet desserts provide a basis for meeting up together outside the group and there are plenty of embarrassing (and super cute) moments that follow.

The characters are sweet and the set up provides a welcome gender-bending escape--I was unable to find much info about the author/artist Kurano so can't vouch for queer representation, but there is a helpful editor's note at the end about gender presentations and the gender spectrum, and the content is enjoyable nonetheless.