Spacewalking With You Volume 2 Review

It’s fair to say that Spacewalking With You was my favourite debut of 2025. The series has been met with considerable acclaim in Japan since its inception, and it was easy to see why, given the way it respectfully and realistically depicted two characters who are neurodivergent. But can it keep it up in Volume 2? Let’s find out.

Uno and Kobayashi joined the Astronomy Club together in Volume 1, and although there have been some ups and downs already (mostly through meeting their fellow clubmates), the club is finally embarking on their first activity! To kick off Volume 2, the group and their teacher go stargazing together for the first time, and Kobayashi finds himself enthralled with the vastness of outer space. With the summer holidays approaching, he’s looking forward to taking part in a lot more activities alongside Uno, but unfortunately, he’s first going to have to pass his final exams…

This poses a significant problem for Kobayashi, who has always struggled with concentration and sleeping through his classes. Uno offers to help Kobayashi study, but while that does offer Kobayashi some salvation, he still finds it difficult to focus. Presented with so many words in a textbook, his eyes glaze over until he can no longer pick out what’s important. Thankfully, one of his co-workers, Naoki, comes to the rescue and teaches Kobayashi different ways to study. He points out that he may learn better in other ways, such as through art and pictures (or reading manga).

Naoki was once a teacher, but struggled with troublesome students, such as Kobayashi, who had bleached hair, and this led him to quit the profession. But his interactions with Kobayashi at work and during the study session show him that he should be open-minded without making assumptions based on appearances or if someone struggles in traditional schooling settings.

And while Kobayashi is desperately struggling, Uno has his own problems to contend with. He’s been going out with Kobayashi after school to help him study, but in reality, Uno gets very tired from social interactions, so between that and studying for exams, he’s getting burnt out. His sister worries he’s going through a rebellious phase since he won’t talk to her, but really, Uno is just frustrated with his inability to be social without wearing himself out and doesn’t want to admit to his sister that her concerns are valid.

If there’s one main theme in this second volume, it’s that both Kobayashi and Uno are envious of one another’s strengths. Kobayashi wishes he could knuckle down and focus like Uno, whereas Uno wishes he had the social battery of his friend. But in reality, they both have difficulties that counteract the benefits of these traits. And as Kobayashi points out, it’s not necessarily that he has more energy than Uno, it’s that he spends his days differently (such as sleeping through classes…).

Just like in Volume 1, mangaka Inuhiko Doronoda is doing a splendid job of gently highlighting the difficulties that come with being someone who struggles with what society considers normal. For example, the fact that everyone has a very different ‘social battery’ and the amount of time they can spend hanging out with friends before they get tired. But this isn’t often considered by the population at large, which gives the impression that if you struggle with it the way Uno does, then that’s a problem. When the reality is that everyone is and should be treated as an individual. And thankfully, that is the prevailing point that Doronoda is making through Uno and Kobayashi’s story.

This volume is heavier on the drama side than #1, which balanced it out with more comedy, but I don’t think that’s any real issue. There are enough lighthearted scenes that we’re not losing what made this series special in the first place. I’m certainly curious to see how the author continues to balance the presentation going forward, though!

As mentioned, Spacewalking With You Volume 2 comes to the West thanks to Kodansha and continues to be translated by Joshua Hardy with lettering by Evan Hayden (George Bao credited for digital). As previously, the book reads well and includes translation notes at the end. No colour pages this time around, sadly!

The series is still ongoing with five volumes currently available in Japan. At the time of writing, there’s an ‘unavailable to purchase’ listing of Volume 3 in English for November 2026, which I hope is just inaccurate and will be moved to earlier in the year later on. It’s such a shame for a promising manga like this to have such big gaps between releases!

Overall, Spacewalking With You Volume 2 is another fantastic read as it portrays difficult subjects thoughtfully, while following the chaotic daily lives of these two high school boys. Just like the first volume, this remains a series that deserves to be in everyone’s collection.

Our review copy from Kodansha was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.