Title: President of the Anime Club
Author: Stephanie Evangelista Fukuda
Publisher: First Second
Publication date: September 1, 2026
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Summary
It’s Cherie’s first day of high school and she is incredibly nervous about fitting in. She’s never been able to make friends easily, and everyone else already seems to know where they fit. Everything changes when she meets Naomi, who is a fan of the same anime as Cherie: Orange High School Bakery Club. Their duo becomes a trio when they also befriend Miro, a boy interested in learning more about anime.
When the president of the anime club, Jenny, invites them to join, drama ensues. As the three of them navigate complicated feelings, will their friendship survive?
Review: President of the Anime Club
Thanks to NetGalley and First Second for an advanced copy of President of the Anime Club by Stephanie Evangelista Fukuda to review! You can see the manga inspiration throughout the story, and I think that will really draw a lot of teens to this book. That, and the content is so relatable for a teen just starting high school.
The illustrations in this really are beautifully done. They fit the subject matter really well, and make it feel like you are reading manga. Cherie and Naomi were cute together; both in becoming friends and in the potential of (maybe?) becoming more in the future. There are a lot of great friendships in this; they show that finding friends in high school is mostly about finding other people interested in the same things you are.
My only complaint is that I wish it could have been a little longer. Some of the conflicts felt like they were resolved relatively quickly, and I wanted to see how Naomi and Cherie’s relationship was to evolve.
All in all, an adorable graphic novel to read for back to school time.
4/5 stars