Spacewalking With You

Spacewalking With You (Kimi to Uchū o Aruku Tame ni) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Inuhiko Doronoda. Serialization began on Kodansha's &Sofa digital platform in June 2023, and the first compiled volume was published under the Afternoon KC imprint on November 22, 2023. The story centers on two high school students, Shun and Miki. Shun is a quiet, introspective boy who feels adrift in his daily life, while Miki is a determined girl with an improbable dream: to build a real rocket. Frustrated by a lack of support, Miki recruits Shun as her assistant. Despite having no engineering background, Shun is drawn to her fierce passion. Together, they embark on the steep learning curve of amateur rocketry, balancing school, personal insecurities, and the skepticism of those around them. The narrative prioritizes the emotional and relational journey over technical spectacle, making the rocket-building a powerful metaphor for personal growth.

Doronoda's art style is clean and expressive, using subtle character expressions and body language to convey deep emotions. The author previously created Houkago no Tetsugaku (After-School Philosophy), which shares a similar introspective tone. Critics have praised the series for its realistic portrayal of teenage anxiety and the slow, rewarding process of learning. Anime News Network called it "a masterclass in quiet storytelling," and Manga Mogura described it as "one of the most heartfelt and inspiring manga debuts of 2023." Doronoda consulted actual rocket engineers to ensure technical accuracy while keeping the narrative accessible. The manga has been compared to Space Brothers but distinguishes itself by focusing more on internal and relational struggles rather than the mechanics of space travel.

The series won the 17th Manga Taisho Award in 2024, a major industry honor decided by bookstore employees, critics, and creators. It also appeared in the top rankings of Kono Manga ga Sugoi! for male readers. Following the award, sales surged past 500,000 copies in print and digital combined in Japan by mid-2024, and the series regularly appeared on Oricon's weekly charts. An English-language edition is licensed by Kodansha USA, with the first volume released in February 2025. No film or television adaptations have been announced, though industry speculation points to a likely anime adaptation. The manga has been credited with revitalizing interest in the "science slice-of-life" subgenre and has been used in educational contexts to discuss goal-setting and STEM careers.[edit]