Fun and cute manga Arc from Netgalley that I decided to take a shot on. I am quite picky with manga but I like trying the first volume just cause they're pretty short and quick to read. I think this is worth giving a shot.

This is such a lovely and warm story about budding friendships, emotional growth, and introspection. I adored this! There were parts of this story where I just felt so seen and parts I wish I could have seen when I was their age. I loved the characters so much and it was amazing seeing them evolve throughout the story. I also thought the art was super cute and loved the facial expressions. Everyone was so silly and I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know the cast! Very excited to see what comes next!!

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for the ARC!

So, while this was an interesting manga about neuro-spicy characters, I didn't particularly connect with any of them. Though there was a scene towards the end where Kobayashi helped Uno interact with Mikawa that I thought was particularly endearing. Not sure I will continue reading, but it was well written and nicely illustrated.

I appreciate this book for what it is trying to accomplish. The art style isn't my favorite, but I like how it conveys the panic attacks the one boy struggles with. It is refreshing to read a story about young boys being friends and supporting each other, overcoming arguments and trying to get along. Their honestly and vulnerability with each other was very touching and they've already grown a lot, even just in one volume. The symbolism of the safety tether notebook was touching and apt.
That being said, I like that this story exists, but I probably won't follow the series. I just found the art too jarring for my tastes. They all have crazy eyes, and I couldn't always tell what was happening until it was past and I saw the aftermath of the previous panels. I wish the characters all the best.

I love how Spacewalking With You draws a quiet but powerful comparison between life and space. Life, like space, is vast, unpredictable, and often disorienting—especially when you’re adrift without a tether. The metaphor is not just poetic, it’s deeply grounding: without something—or someone—to hold onto, you risk floating endlessly.

I liked the unusual pairing of a deliquent and I think an autistic person? It's not been specified but you can figure it out. It's heartwarming to see kobauayashi learn to get a hang of his life, using Uno's unusual methods.

Kobauayashi is a very relatable character. He tends to forget stuff and doesn't understand everything in one go. He had really given up on part time jobs and school in general until he met Uno who writes everything even the smallest of routines and has a fail safe for every situation written down in his tiny beaten down notebook, his tether in space.

What’s truly heartwarming is Kobayashi’s growth. He doesn't just passively accept Uno, he actively tries to understand him, to make others understand him, and to communicate in a way that makes Uno feel safe and seen. He even joins the astronomy club.

He's not just a dot in sky, but a whole planet ready to be discovered.

This is a touching story that will teach you a thing or two about life. It's okay to be different and it's okay to have your own methods that help you live a normal life. It's your life.

A honest, funny and overall wonderful story about friendship. I was captivated by the art, having a very unique style. This story gave me hope when it comes to friendship, and I really want this one to be a sign for someone to dare to take that step and talk to someone that makes you curious. I loved this one, even if it ended a bit too quickly (lets go for book 2!). Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me give my honest feedback.

I did not expect to cry.

I picked up Spacewalking With You expecting a lighthearted high school manga, and instead got something that quietly cracked me open. It’s tender, funny, and surprisingly emotional—in the best way.

The story follows Kobayashi, a quiet student who struggles to focus and is constantly being told he’s on the road to failure. Enter Uno: a strange, sunny transfer student with his head in the clouds and a habit of saying exactly what’s on his mind. When Kobayashi saves Uno from being scammed, their friendship begins—awkwardly, messily, and full of heart.

This manga hit hard. I wish I’d read it in high school. I read it now, as an adult diagnosed with ADHD, and still felt so seen. It’s the first manga I’ve come across that talks about neurodiversity in such an open, compassionate way. I saw myself in so many of the little moments—trying to keep up, not understanding why you’re not “getting it” like everyone else, and the quiet relief of someone finally meeting you where you are.

I didn’t love the art style—but honestly? I didn’t care. The story is that good. And if the style puts anyone off, I really encourage you to give it a chance anyway. It’s worth it.

Read this if you’ve ever struggled in school. Read it if you’ve felt like you’re falling behind. Read it if you want to understand someone who does. It’s full of heart, empathy, and hope. We need more stories like this.

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

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

~

Spacewalking With You 1, by Inuhiko Doronoda

★★★★★


Spacewalking With You is a gorgeous, lovely story about friendship and finding yourself in the most unexpected places, about finding someone you can trust and rely on, and about fitting in.

The art wasn't my favourite style, but it was simple, clean and easy to understand the actions and movements and expressions of all the characters. Each character was easily identifiable.

The story was beautiful and empowering for kids/teens, hopeful and sweet. It shows how we're all different as people, that we should support and embrace those differences and that being there for someone while they're struggling is far better and easier than laying blame.

This can easily be read as a standalone story, as it has a nice Happy-For-Now ending, but I'm really looking forward to the next volume.

The first and possibly only manga I’ve read that honestly portrays neurodivergence! There really is a spectrum and Kobayashi and Uno exist at different points on that spectrum. Both characters are handled with care and are not reduced to simply being “quirky” the way that so many other series would. I hope this series gains traction here because it really deserves it. Only nitpick is the art style. It’s a little out of my wheelhouse as I tend to gravitate towards the sugar sweet shojo style. Regardless, this was a hit for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for putting this one out there!

Thank you Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for allowing me to read this cute manga. This is one of the sweetest, most adorable manga I've ever read. I loved both characters so much! I'm looking forward to read the next book (book #2). I give this book a 4 stars. Those two main character are amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced copy.

This was adorable. I need more friendship stories and this hit. We are introduced to Kobayashi and Uno and Uno is new to Kobayashi's school. Kobayashi is what some would term "a delinquent." He doesn't pay attention in class, has a hard time maintaining his part-time jobs, and seems to be a general slacker. Uno, in addition to being the new kid in class, seems to be kind of..."weird," in the words of some of his classmates. We see him struggle with knowing what to do in social situations, having difficulty in expressing his emotions and needs, and also having a laser-focused interest in space and astronomy. Kobayashi has a lot more in common with Uno than he thinks at first, and Kobayashi commits to being Uno's friend, helping him navigate the high school experience, while also learning more about himself and how he wants to move through the world.

I cannot wait for more volumes of this one and I hope it maintains this trajectory of personal growth and deepening friendship.

Spacewalking with You is a slice of life graphic novel following “slacker,” cool-kid Kobayashi and socially awkward Uno they navigate high school together. Both boys struggle in their own ways - neither feeling grounded to the world around them. Kobayashi keeps losing his after school jobs and he can’t even remember when he stopped paying attention in school. Uno gets overwhelmed easily in pubic and keeps a notebook to help him stay tethered to the world. Together they learn to ask for support and gain confidence.

I love these awkward, wholesome boys. They’re both just trying their best and that’s all I could ever want for them. If you like high school coming of age stories packed with friendship and lovable characters, check out this great read!

I’m stumbling my way into the graphic novel space after about ten years and this was such a delight to come across. I felt so seen as a neurodivergent person. There are a lot of painful struggles that come with the start of accepting that title. This graphic novel tackles that with warmth and acceptance that felt so comforting.

Thank you Kodansha Comics, Inuhiko Doronoda, and NetGalley for my advanced review copy!

Spacewalking With You is out now!

Kobayashi can't focus on anything. He's been told so many times that he's a worthless idiot that he's starting to believe it. Until the strange new kid in class, Uno, shows him that it's all about having a tether to help you ground yourself as you spacewalk through life.

I love Kobayashi and the amazing changes that befriending Uno bring to his life, but I have to confess that I found Uno a little unsettling. I have a very good idea of why he is the way he is, beyond the obvious autism, and it's a little heartbreaking, but he's still an off-putting character to me. That said, I'm actually looking forward to seeing how he changes and grows right along with Kobayashi as the series progresses, because we keep meeting other interesting characters that open up both Kobayashi's and Uno's worlds.

The art is different from what I'm used to with most mainstream manga, but it fits the story to a T. The way that Doronoda makes Uno's attacks feel visceral is impressive, and every character is easily distinguished, which many manga don't manage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to read this!

As someone who loves space and manga… this was perfect! I loved how each character is so distinctively their own and even in just one volume there’s already so much character growth. I’m excited to read the second volume where they do more astronomy activities.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

Space walking with you by Inuhiko Doronoda was EXACTLY up my alley; stepping out of yourself, accepting your faults, changing and making friends, freeing yourself and others from loneliness, I absolutely adored this, those seeking books about friendship and the beautiful understanding and grace it can make you extend to yourself and the world, please check this one out!


I’m going to recommend this one everywhere to everyone.

Solid 4.5 simply addorable !

I really enjoyed this first volume of Spacewalking with You, I thought the characters were engaging and the storyline was compeling. Personally I am not a huge fan of the art style and prefer more of a shojo but I wanted to give this a try because the cover is so cute. The style is more like a traditional comic book mixed with manga its intresting.

I really liked the friendship between Uno and Kobayashi the way it develops and the seperate struggles they both go through is endearing.

Uno behaves strangely from his other classmates and as a result he gets teased and almost bullied for being what his classmates call being "slow" . In reality Uno is a complex and nuanced character who is going through alot of things and sees the worlds differently.. On the other hand Kobayashi looks like the typical bully/ highschool drop out, he feels like he is failing at everything and nothing really maters. The two collide and form a sort of odd friendship bond, its very heartwarming.

<blockquote>"Sometimes people need a little something extra so they can live like everyone else."</blockquote>
I really loved this quote, I have a wheelchair and I related to Uno in the sense that I also have to navigate the world differently but that I still want to live like everyone else. I really would recomend checking this one out if you enjoy slice of life manga with more of a emotional undertone.


Thankyou so much to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely incredible!!!!!! Really, if you pick up just one manga series this year - please, make it this one.

It's a heartwarming coming-of-age story of two neurodivergent boys learning how to communicate, dealing with what life throws at them and discovering a whole new world (of friendship, of astronomy, of their own inner world) in the process, and doing all of those things together.

The art is wonderful - so expressive that it actually made me tear up a little in a couple of places (Uno's eyes are so full of emotion). And the story is not just fantastic, but feels like it should be part of school curriculum - I think most of us would benefit from reading stories that might open our eyes to our own struggles and the stuggles of others as well.

Cannot recommend this enough! And really looking forward to the next one!

Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the sweetest, most adorable manga I've ever read. I loved both characters so much!

It's never stated outright in the book but Uno is definitely autistic-coded and I related so much to his experience and personality! His character is so well-portrayed and I love that even though the story is told through Kobayashi's perspective, we get to know Uno outside of that perspective a lot.

Kobayashi is also super sweet, I love how his character is portrayed to defy society's assumptions about teenagers like him and how he's committed to being a good friend to Uno without it feeling like it's more saviorism than genuine kindness.

I really liked how the characters work together to navigate through life — or spacewalk, as they call it. This manga does so well in showing that accommodations for disabled people can benefit everyone. I loved to see how from the moment Kobayashi understood what Uno's notebook meant to him, he tried to learn more and more about how he could be of better support to him. I think it's so important to see these kinds of friendships portrayed because for me, it's heartwarming to see that there are people out there willing to accomodate to their friends' support needs.

I'll pick up the next volumes of this, in hopes that we get to have a full-on Uno perspective at some point? I highly recommend giving it a try!

Thank you so much to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

A Heartfelt Exploration of Friendship and Neurodivergence

Spacewalking With You 1 by Inuhiko Doronoda is a poignant and uplifting manga that delves into the unlikely friendship between two high school boys navigating their personal challenges. The story centers on Kobayashi, a student struggling with focus and societal expectations, and Uno, an energetic and socially awkward new transfer student. Their evolving bond offers a refreshing take on male friendship, highlighting themes of acceptance, understanding, and personal growth.

Doronoda's storytelling is both humorous and touching, capturing the nuances of their relationship with sincerity. The art style complements the narrative, effectively conveying the characters' emotions and the subtle complexities of their interactions. The portrayal of Uno's neurodivergence is handled with care, providing readers with insight into his experiences without resorting to stereotypes.

While the manga excels in character development and emotional depth, some readers may find the pacing slow, especially in the early chapters. However, this deliberate pacing allows for a more intimate exploration of the characters' inner worlds and their gradual journey toward mutual understanding.

In summary, Spacewalking With You 1 is a compelling read that offers a heartfelt exploration of friendship and neurodivergence. It's a must-read for fans of character-driven stories that celebrate the beauty of human connection.