Milk & Mocha: Our Little Happiness - Melani Sie - ★★★★

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AUTHOR: Melani Sie
GENRE: Graphic Novel Comic
RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: Adorable, especially for fans of these characters, though it has universal appeal.


I had seen these two bears many times in GIFs, but because of my not being an avid webtoons reader, I never knew that they are quite popular characters named Milk and Mocha from the webcomic @milkmochabear by Indonesian comic creator Melani Sie. When I saw this title on NetGalley, I requested it only because I loved the GIFs. Knowing them through this work has been fun!

This is a collection of some cute little comics and mini-stories featuring Mocha – a brown bear who is somewhat introverted and reserved, Milk – a white bear who is hyperactive and bubbly all the time, and their pet dino Matcha, who has a strong personality that is inversely proportional to his size.

Milk and Mocha are opposite in nature, though they share a love for the movies, food and sleep. Milk is akin to a loveable puppy, while Mocha is more like a silent cat. I was reading this comic with my younger one for company, so we had a fun time discussing who was more like Milk and who was like Mocha. (Apparently, I am grumpy Mocha’s twin. Oh well! I do love to read as much as Mocha does, so I will accept this comparison graciously.)

Most of the comics in this book depict the strong bond the two bears have with each other, even when they don’t agree on something. A couple of the themes felt repetitive, but overall, this was a heartwarming comic collection.

The backstory of how Milk and Mocha met is also present in the book, albeit right at the end of the book. I would have preferred this to be somewhere towards the start as it explains why Mocha never spoke. Until then, I couldn’t figure out why he communicated only through his tablet.

The relationship between the two bears is not openly specified, except for the fact that they are in love. Their gender is also not clarified. This leaves their relationship wonderfully open to interpretation.

The illustrations are as adorable as you can see from the cover. All the three characters are sketched with a kawaii quality that renders them so sweetly enchanting.

My little one and I enjoyed this delightful comic. We smiled, we laughed, we even went “Awww!” a couple of times. If you want a charming graphic novel comic to relax with, this is a lovely option. The physical copy even has stickers included.

My thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Milk & Mocha: Our Little Happiness”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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