Thank you letting read this 🙏🏾.

This was okay I was expecting little more from some other main characters but I did enjoy this alot.

As a cis-gender woman, I don't always feel like the best person to talk about gender identity. But on the flip side, I have plenty of experience being told I'm insufficiently girly because I don't like to use makeup or shop, so it's clear that most if not all of us out there in the world have faced assumptions based on preconceived social ideas of gender and gender expression. This manga does its absolute best to give us a story about a group of people with varying gender identities and expressions, and that, I feel, is worth a lot.

The story follows a group of online sweets fans who decide to start meeting up IRL. Satoshi decides to come as Cocoa, a woman, for certain reasons, one of which seems to be the (patently ridiculous) idea that men don't like sweet foods. Cocoa has a crush on Opera, another girl in the group, but it turns out that Opera is Chiyoda, a young man who enjoys dressing as a woman and so is Lemon, a third group member. The fourth member, Kantentaro, is a woman, but AMAB, so there's some discussion of how that's different from the other three, who identify as male but enjoy presenting as female. In all honesty, I wish that had been delved into a little more, but seeing a trans woman unequivocally accepted as a woman more than makes up for it. And her being trans doesn't need to be a plot point; it's just who she is.

It was a good plan to publish this in a two-volume omnibus because it takes a bit to get into the meat of the story. It feels like the series starts with the idea of being a comedy before shifting over to a discussion of gender expression and identity with comedic elements. If this had been released in single volumes, readers might have gotten the wrong idea about the overall series, which settles down into an exploration of Opera and Cocoa and why they enjoy being those people. Cocoa's reasons feel much more tied to her self-esteem than Opera's; Opera appears comfortable no matter which gender is being presented. But Cocoa is far more comfortable than Satoshi; as Cocoa, she feels like she's got less to worry about in terms of public perception, and she feels less burdened by the gaze of others. A lot of this is tied up in what Satoshi does for work, and that's an interesting conversation about costumes making people feel like their real selves more than their “regular” everyday look.

This may not be the best LGBTQIA+ manga out there about the topic, but it's still a good one. It keeps the tone light without brushing the more serious elements under the rug. That allows room for the story beats to hit readers, giving everyone space to digest what the characters have to say on their own time.

11/04/2024 || I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup 1 by Kurano || #ICrossDressedfortheIRLMeetup #NetGalley


Thank you NetGalley, Kurano, and Kodansha Comics for making this e-ARC available!

Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

4.5 Stars

I want to start out by stating I am unsure if it was possibly a localization and/or translation issue, but some parts of this manga were very hard to follow and understand. I could follow the main bulk and enjoyed it very much, and even the parts I struggled with reading/comprehending were also really enjoyable. But the moments where the conversations in the main speech bubbles, the little "talking under their breath"/side comments, and thoughts didn't quite make sense really took me out of the reading experience unfortunately. Due to the amount of times this occurred I struggled to finish this manga in one sitting/in a normal amount of time I normally finish manga and at one point, near the middle, I put the manga down completely for a while.

Which is really unfortunate. I know that there are a lot of restrictions for the topics this manga covers, sexuality, gender, cross-dressing, trans identities, etc - I am just not sure what happened. The author, Kurano, has some lovely author's notes tucked away in this book talking about these topics, but with a lot more clarity than the story line of the manga itself had, so I wasn't understanding why the translation of the AN was clear but the story wasn't it?

Or was the story and dialogue supposed to be clunky and confusing because the characters are a bit clumsy and confused/learning themselves and their friends and their identities? If this was the case, I wish there was an A.N. at the start expressing this as I possibly could have had an easier time navigating those confusing moments. I really hope Kurano and the translating team could maybe get back together to better polish this manga up, or add additional notes to better explain some of the confusing bits.

Other that this above issue, I LOVED this manga. My favorite character was Cocoa, but all of her friends and nearly every character that showed up was so cute and interesting and very fleshed out. Not one single character suffered from being too similar to another- everyone was unique and had their own distinct voice, personality, and story. The story, while clunky in some parts, was really wholesome and heartfelt and I really loved the underlying message (and A.N.) that identities, sexuality, and gender are all fluid and one's own to do with as they like.

"I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup" is a manga series about a group of friends who meet up monthly for sweet treats... but they are not all women as at least one of them are men cross-dressing as women. The manga takes a wholesome turn as they all get to know each other and explore the concept of gender as well as learn about themselves. I've read manga about men crossdressing as women before (especially for romance), but this one takes the cake (haha, get it?) for going deeper into societal norms, gender-neutral restrooms, and more. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series!

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 🫶
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Date Released: September 17, 2024
Date Read and Reviewed: November 7, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️

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.

I love seeing what Japanese manga does with gender. 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.

I found this manga to be cute and funny. I liked how the characters bonded and formed friendships. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this manga. This was an unexpected story that if I told you more about it, it would be spoilers. I will say if you are uncomfortable with cross dressing and the LGTBQIA community, do not read this. I think though, it’s one that I will continue on slowly and surely. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

This is a cute Manga about building relationships and being open with yourself. It's funny and cute how the characters both cross-dress as the opposite genders and then discover that they did so! This is a quick read with adorable illustrations and a feel-good message. The characters build each other up and show each other that it is okay to be true to yourself and your identity.

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!

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!!

A brilliantly nuanced comedy about the complexity of identity. While the starting premise might have some things in common with myths regarding trans women, the book is quick to show empathy for the experience of trans, genderqueer and gender nonconforming people. Seeing humor empathetic to the queer experience is highly refreshing.

Rating: 3.88 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 2.5/5
-Story: 3/5
-Writing: 5/5
Genre: Slice of Life
-Slice of Life: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: For some

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

There were some funny times, some educational times, and some times that I just kind of felt annoyed by. This isn't a manga I would get lost in, but it was a fast read and maybe if you just want something to quickly pass the time this might be for you.

DNF. It was just too much. There is no need to include so many topics in a single chapter to make an inclusive story. Although it had a good start, after five chapters I was done with it because I couldn't see where the story was going with so many "reveals" and a pair of girls who seemed to be all the time where Cocoa's group was. It wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

I got about 50% into this before deciding to DNF. There's just not really any plot to this (at least in the first half of this volume) - more like a series of hijinks. It reads almost like a collection of comic strips instead of something with a coherent plot, and none of the characters really have any personality. The time line just keeps jumping constantly and switching between the main 4 characters, and random strangers just looking at them - like the mangaka just had a vague concept for this manga and started drawing pages without any real plan of what to do with it or where the story would go. It's kind of confusing and really did not hold my attention at all.

I was worried it'd be offensive, but it's not too bad. One character is a trans woman and another is bisexual, so I appreciate the different queer identities. The art style is cute.

This was really cute and funny. I enjoyed how each male felt they couldn’t be their authentic self and eat cake and other desserts unless they were cross dressing. I’m looking forward to seeing their character growth as the series progresses.

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!

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next book. I liked the community they created together and how they have begun to navigate themselves as queer or just as friends. My one pet peeve would be with one of the characters telling the others they were trans and yet was still referred to their assigned at birth sex. I get that the character who said such thing is probably learning and it's a mistake but it just gave me the ick. Regardless this was a very cute manga.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC of this manga.

Oh man I absolutely LOVED this!!! I love the LGBTQIA rep in this and the conversations about gender and gender identity. There’s so many great things brought up in this.

I will absolutely be getting a physical edition of this and keeping an eye out for the next volume!