I Wanna Be Your Girl Vol. 2

Umi Takase, Umi Takase

$19.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Penguin Books Ltd
20 January 2026

Graphic novels: Manga; Romance & relationships stories (Children's&YA); School stories (Children's&YA); Comic strip fiction & graphic novels (Children's&YA)

The second volume in a sweet slice-of-life manga series that thoughtfully explores the complications of friendship, first loves and what it truly means to be an ally. Perfect for fans of HEARTSTOPPER (1.28m TCM), WONDER (765k TCM) and SASAKI AND MIYANO (9.6k)

Being in love with your best friend is hard, but being a good friend is even harder.

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 . . . ?

This manga adaptation of the hit Japanese webcomic series is a joyous celebration of acceptance - both by others and oneself. Tackling universal teen themes of identity, relationships and friendship in a gentle, clean story filled with thoughtful (though imperfect) characters, this series is brilliantly inclusive and has clear crossover appeal.

By: Umi Takase
Illustrated by: Umi Takase
Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 181mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 200g
ISBN: 9780241786680
ISBN 10: 0241786681
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 20 January 2026
Recommended Age: From 12 to 16 years
Audience: Young adult , General/trade , Children/juvenile , Preschool (0-5) , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Umi Takase (Author, Illustrator) Umi Takase was born and is still living in the Toyama Prefecture of Japan. In 2016, she won an honorable mention at the 78th Shogakukan Newcomer Comic Awards where she debuted with her standalone short story 'Ethnic Mirror' in the special issue of Flowers.