Umi Takase – författare

Being in love with your best friend is hard, but being a good friend is even harder. The first volume of the hit manga series about the complications of friendship, first loves and what it truly means to be an ally.Hime has had a secret crush on Akira for as long as she can remember. Childhood best friends, Hime was the first to know that Akira identified as a girl, and she's made it her mission to protect Akira from the world.So, when Akira decides to begin secondary school as her true self, Hime is thrilled. But as Akira attracts all kinds of attention at school, Hime’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Not wanting Akira to be singled out, Hime decides that her only option is to put herself in Akira’s shoes and dress like a boy . . . Too bad her plan backfires on them both!A joyous celebration of acceptance in all its forms, this clean manga series is filled with funny, thoughtful friends tackling identity, relationships and friendships in secondary school. Perfect for readers aged 12+

Being in love with your best friend is hard, but being a good friend is even harder. The second volume of the hit manga series about the complications of friendship, first loves and what it truly means to be an ally.Hime and Akira have been best friends since childhood, and Hime has always protected Akira. But since Akira began openly identifying as a girl, Hime's constant need to speak out on her behalf is becoming a problem.When Akira becomes a manager of the school’s football team – and crushing on an older boy – Hime feels the rift with her friend growing wider. She’s desperate to save her relationship with Akira, but whatever Hime tries just seems to make things worse.Akira’s making so much progress, so why does Hime feel like she’s only falling behind . . . ?A joyous celebration of acceptance in all its forms, this clean manga series is filled with funny, thoughtful friends tackling identity, relationships and friendships in secondary school. Perfect for readers aged 12+

Being in love with your best friend is hard, but being a good friend is even harder. The third volume of the hit manga series about the complications of friendship, first loves and what it truly means to be an ally.Hime and Akira have been best friends since childhood. But they haven’t spoken in weeks – not since their argument over Akira’s crush, who’s too distracted by Hime to notice Akira! The girls want to make up, but this rift runs deeper than a simple crush. All Akira wants is to be seen as a girl, and Hime is upset that people see her as nothing but a girl. Before they can repair their relationship, they’ll need to work through some big questions.Can they learn to accept each other and themselves before they drift apart forever?A joyous celebration of acceptance in all its forms, this clean manga series is filled with funny, thoughtful friends tackling identity, relationships and friendships in secondary school. Perfect for readers aged 12+

Being in love with your best friend is hard, but being a good friend is even harder. The final volume of the hit manga series about the complications of friendship, first loves and what it truly means to be an ally.Childhood best friends Hime and Akira are finally ready to make up. After a big fight about a boy, and about what ‘being a girl’ means to them both, Hime and Akira have done the work to accept themselves and each other. But Hime has a secret. She has a huge crush on Akira! Hime know it's time to tell the truth ... But how will Akira react, and what will it mean for their friendship? Is Hime really ready to share her true feelings? The emotional rollercoaster of a series comes to a heartwarming and hopeful conclusion!A joyous celebration of acceptance in all its forms, this clean manga series is filled with funny, thoughtful friends tackling identity, relationships and friendships in secondary school. Perfect for readers aged 12+

Being in love with your childhood best friend can be complicated, especially when, right before high school, she transitions to living as a girl. Printed for the first time in English, this manga series thoughtfully explores a story about the complications of first loves, friendship, and what it truly means to be an ally.Hime has secretly been in love with her childhood best friend Akira for as long as she can remember. She was the first person who knew that Akira identified as a girl, and she made it her mission to be her Akira’s protector against the world. Hime is thrilled that Akira has finally decided to live as her true self now that they are starting high school.However, as Akira starts to attract all types of attention, Hime takes it upon herself to aggressively stick up for Akira whenever necessary. Not wanting her to be singled out or bullied, Hime decides that her only option is to put herself in Akira's shoes. Hime dresses like a boy in support of the friend she loves...too bad her plan only backfires on them both.