Manga Monday: Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1

Author/Artist: Keito Gaku
Translator: Leo McDonagh
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: May 25, 2021
Received: NetGalley

Summary:

Ryo has known for most of his life that he’s transgender. However, life can be challenging when you have nobody you can talk to, especially about such an integral part of who you are. This is made all the more challenging by his crush on his best friend.

Really, the only solace Ryo can find in life is dressing up in his favorite clothes. When he finds that the new transfer student enjoys the same clothing as him, he finally finds the connection he’s been desperately searching for.

Review:

Oh wow. Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1 is an emotional and powerful read. There are many parts of Ryo’s story that people will be able to relate to, regardless of how similar their life is to it all. We’ve all felt isolated and alone.

While it doesn’t take long for us to understand the foundation of this story, it does take a bit longer for everything to kick off. That’s pretty common for character-driven stories and slice-of-life tales, so there are no complaints here! It gives readers plenty of time to learn about Ryo, his crush, and Jin (the transfer student).

This is the perfect series if you’re looking for a slice-of-life story that breaks the mold and portrays a different protagonist. By that, I mean a transgender lead, as you don’t see that too often (which is such a shame).

Highlights:

• Transgender main characters
• Slice of Life
  

Trigger Warnings:

• Bullying
• Homomisia
• Transmisia
• Misgendering
• Misogyny

Thanks to Kodansha Comics and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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