Oh I loved this!! A heartwarming story focusing on a trans teen who finds an escape from their anxieties in street fashion. A joyous slice of life.

Thanks Netgalley and Kondansha Comics for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I just love this precious manga. Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku is an own voices, coming-of-age story about a young transgender boy. This novel succeeded in positively representing LGBTQ+ people.

The story followed Ryuu. Not fitting in, always being misunderstood, and having confusing feelings, Ryuu was already familiar with these things. The only comfort he had was when he was wearing his favorite clothes. In a way, he felt he could express himself through them. One day while out shopping, he happened to pick up a shirt at the same time with Jin, the new transfer who looked nothing but a bully. Jin offered Ryuu to develop a clothing brand that helped people express themselves. Ryuu was hesitant at first, but slowly, he found a partner, a friend while also embracing his identity and dreams.

The plot was absolutely well-written. Not only it explored and took a close look to what LGBTQ+ people struggles with, but it also tackled family relationship, friends, and school life in a very authentic way. The emotions represented were raw and powerful that I couldn't help but shed tears while reading this. The characters were all fleshed out, and I knew readers could find pieces of themselves with the characters.

The interview with the author at the end provided such a helpful insight. I really appreciated it. The message that this book wanted to conveyed was loud and clear.

Overall, Boys Run the Riot was an absolute read. I was very grateful to have an early access of this empowering manga. I am very looking forward to the next volume.

5/5 stars!

CW: transphobia/LGBTQ+ hate and bullying

Boys Run the Riot is the story of a young transgender boy, who's living in secret, not able to let anyone around him know that he's different, as he's scared of what people might think and do. An unexpected confession of this deepest secrets lets him feel like he can be a little bit more free. And that's how the fun begins.
The story tackles the difficulties of being "not normal" and the stigma that many LGBTQ+ people struggle with. The author himself is FTM and the story really shows an in-depth look at the inner life of the struggles of young LGBTQ+ person.
I recommend this not only for people who have the same of similar struggles themselves, but also everyone else, as this story can help you be much more empathetic.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

First of all, I really really enjoyed this! I think ‘own voices’ works are so important for authentic storytelling and that the world needs a lot lot more positive trans representation. Positive rep achieved!

Ryo was a very likeable and relatable protagonist. His identity as trans boy is a large part of the character and is explored in quite a complex way, moving beyond just the physical to show how being closeted impacts almost every aspect of daily life (even the bits some cisgender perhaps don’t even consider). But there is more to the character than this. He has ambitions unrelated to being transgender and we get to take the journey with him as he finds his place in the world. For this kind of story I am very grateful. I don’t see nearly enough trans rep where the character is a fully realised person.

Some of the supporting characters are also very fun, especially Jin. His dynamic with Ryo is very interesting and I can’t wait to see more of it.

The story also has lots of potential, while the art itself is very clear and so nice to look at.

For me though the highlight is definitely the characters and the way that this centres a story about being transgender in a way that so many works before have failed. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of this series as it comes!

If you love manga and LGBTQ+ stories then this is a definite recommend.

The only the first installment and I'm hooked. Having a transgender main character discover himself and banding together with other kids who are unfairly judged to create an awesome project designing and selling clothes was heartwarming to see. The only thing I didn't enjoy was how short it was because I'm excited to read more of their story.

This was so much fun!
I adore how the cast of characters worked together, how they’re able to be who they are with each other and without judgments, to do what they truly love.
It’s only the beginning of their business/friendships and I’m sure they have a lot to learn from one another and that their determination will allow them to achieve big things.
I don’t know what to expect from the ending and I’m definitely intrigued.
So excited to read the following instalments!

A new favourite for me!

This book will touch the heart of any reader. I cried and felt like I needed the words that were written here. Seeing Ryo and Jin chase their dreams with such conviction (and while having fun!) was like a breath of fresh air. They really motivated me to keep pursuing the things that I love. I am looking forward to finding out more about them and about other characters like Chika and Tsubasa.

Also, the art style is amazing, you really get the vibe and personality of the characters looking at them. The author put a lot of care not just in the plot but also in the way he depicted the characters, and it shows. There are no stereotypical images here, and it feels authentic and cool.

I also really appreciated having the interview with the author (although I did feel some of the questions were rather invasive of his privacy)! I'd love for every manga to have an interview with the author. I really hope they release this series in ebook format, I want to keep reading!!

This was provided to me by Netgalley for an honest review

Wow, just wow. This was brilliant. As a big reader of LGBTQ books, Ive yet to find a great manga that deals with the topic well. Until now. Boys Run The Riot was a fun, heartwarming yet emotional and powerful look at life as a trans male in Japan, dealing with the life in and out of the closet in a japanese highschool. Ryuu is a fantastic lead character who I totally captivated by from early on in the story and found poignancy in his journey. His friendship with Rin (the bad boy) which allowed him to be more open about himself while hes still discovering himself was fantastic.
The art in this manga was absolutely stunning, I was honestly taken aback by the whole thing.
This was utterly brilliant and I honestly can't wait to read more, one of the best manga I've read in a long long time

I absolutely adored this book, and I'm super glad to see that it's plot revolved around Gender Dysphoria and 'Not judging a book by it's cover'.

Ryo(ko), assigned female at birth, doesn't feel comfortable in their skin or 'feminine' clothes; especially their school uniform. Whenever they get a chance, they'll swap into their P.E. clothes, and ditch their skirt. While in the classroom, they meet Jin, an older student who was held back a year; Jin seems less interested in school, and more interested in doing his own thing.

When Ryo goes out shopping for more 'masculine' clothing, they meet Jin, reaching for the same shirt. Eventually they begin talking and start becoming friends; Ryo letting Jin into their world and telling them their deepest secret, while Jin lets Ryo into his dream of wanting to start a clothing brand. They both eventually pair up to start the brand, and work on making their dreams real.

I really enjoyed this manga!

It is a great way how to explain sex dysphoria, there is nothing bad in being different, it's important to stay yourself and feel good about yourself.

I like the friendship that's been created over this story, and how it's difficult to understand another person unless they speak up!

Loved reading a manga by and about a trans person. I find a lot of manga queer-baity so this was refreshing. Felt like all the traditional manga tropes and styles were clearly used (in a good way) I just found a lot of it fast paced and wish there had been more early development of character relationships, some things didn’t make a lot of sense so I wish it was just a bit clearer in places but I think it’s a good and different story, I love the idea of artistic clothing design as the overarching plot.

The manga community needed some transgender representation, especially FTM, and this definitely provided. I genuinely adored the main characters in this, and although the plot of fashion designing and indie businesses isn't exactly my go to, it was so unique and well done that I ended up loving it. This volume just felt so honest and homely. I'm really looking forward to reading future releases

Boys Run the Riot is a refreshing manga that looks into being transgender in Japan. The pacing felt a little wonky at times, but I generally enjoyed the conversations and insight on being a transgender youth in Japan. The relationships and friendships that blossom throughout this first volume were well constructed and heart warming. Exploring the idea of how much our clothes define us was a fun concept to chew upon.

If you like LGBT themes and social complexities in your manga, pick up this one!

I must admit that I don’t read a lot of manga and it took me a few pages to get settled into this, but once I started I couldn’t stop.

It follows Ryo and Jin as they start their own fashion brand. It explores identity and friendship and is wonderfully done. The artwork is also beautiful!

Ryo identifies as male and I’m sure that we will get more of their story in future volumes.

This book is a well thought-out own voices story about understanding your transness through the lens of a contemporary Japanese society. A young boy is finding himself through fashion and male friendships while juggling the decision to live authentically and stand-out or hide in the shadows and conform to the traditional femininity that the world is trying to impose on him. There is a lovely little dash of romance in this first volume but the vast majority of the book takes on these big ideas that are the concept of the story and running with that. This coming-of-age manga is sure to continue highlighting the complexities of teenage life and rebellion and showcasing beautiful artwork.

I did not know I needed this in my life until now. It's wonderful. The drawing style is absolutely beautiful and the story is gentle, touching and very respectful. I can't wait for the second one! Both main characters were wonderful and sweet and I enjoyed how well they portrayed queer character in the manga.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this! Whenever I see positive representation of LGBTQ+ characters that acknowledges their identity, its importance, and the struggles that come along with it without making it the sole focal point of the story, it makes me so happy. In this manga, it was great to see Ryo find a friend who was so accepting and supportive of his identity as a trans man, and I loved seeing how Ryo grew confident in himself, to the point that he became an inspiration to other students who also felt that they were struggling under the weight of societal expectations.

Boys Run the Riot is both fun and touching, a love letter to anyone who has felt like an outcast or a weirdo. I truly enjoyed Volume 1, and look forward to reading more!

This manga is EVERYTHING. I love it!!!

I saw Boys Run the Riot while scrolling NetGalley and hit the request button immediately after reading the description.

And let me tell you, it was the best decision in my life.

Boys Run the Riot was so relatable, I wanted to cry. Feeling like you don't belong in your own body is the worst thing you can experience (talking from experience) and the only thing that can make that even more painful is people not respecting your feelings and wishes.

I'm glad (even a little jealous) Ryuu found a friend like Jin. A friend who wants to know, understands, and respect you is something really rare in today's world, if you find one you are lucky. Jin is all of that, he helped Ryuu to be more secure in himself and his opinions, as he should be.

(That scene where Jin and his pals show up wearing those T-shirts is so epic by the way)

I also liked Itsuka very much, he realized who his true friends are and that they support his love for photography, I was so proud of him for standing for himself and I can't wait to read more about Tsubasa, seems like a great character!

Did I mention that the art style is stunning?
It's ✨stunning✨. There.

All in all, this is a great story, I can't wait to read the next volume and find out what happens with their brand!

* fingers crossed for Boys Run the Riot becoming an anime, I would watch it every day *

Such a good read with a good story behind it. Enjoyed reading it and read in one sitting! Shows that people are understanding and have an open mind. Really liked this and looking forward to the next one.

He doesn't fit in but he can't talk about it or explain how he feels to anyone. He is a trans teen and although he was born female he knows he is male. He has a lonely life at school because the other students don't understand him either.

He misses the company of the boys he grew up with but they just think he is a weird girl and the other girls in the school think he is a girl who just likes chasing after boys. Excluded and misunderstood by those around him, Ryuu exists on the margins, tries to stay unseen and finds self expression in his clothes which allow him to be male, except for once a month when the school demands students wear school uniform.

Everything changes when he bumps into Jin at a local clothing store. Jin is a rebel. He is not a good student, doesn't belong to any clubs, is repeating the school year and he is not at all bothered about what people think about him. The only thing he is bothered about is the desire he has to develop his own fashion label. When he bumps into Ryuu at the clothing store he convinces Ryuu to work with him to develop their own clothing brand.

Ryuu is wary about this but eventually confides in Jin and finds acceptance and a willingness to understand. To the amazement of other students and teachers, Jin and Ryuu form a team as they work to make their dream of a fashion brand a reality.

But the road ahead isn't easy and as they pursue their dream, they make both new friends and foes, and they both discover more about who they really are.

I really enjoyed this. The story will be told in four books which I am going to order because this first book was both gripping and engaging. I really loved the way the book explores what it is to be a trans teen, but not only that, the book explores family, friends, school life, hopes and fears and it does this in a realistic way. It explores the issues of gender and identity in a way that is honest and empowering, and it also explores life in general as well, and why we find it so easy to ignore, exclude and categorise people instead of allowing people to be who they truly are. At the end of the book there is a helpful discussion with the author.

I think this is a must for manga fans who enjoy books about schoolife and issues about self, identity, friendships and relationships. The artwork is excellent and the pace of the story is good. The characters are alive and engaging, and draw the reader into the story quite quickly. I was drawn into this story and revelled in it. I think this will be a great hit with manga fans of the Heartstopper series. This author definitely has the gift of storytelling.

This is definitely going on my 2021 list of exquisite reads and I am looking forward to getting a paperback copy when the book is finally published.

Many thanks to Kodansha Comics for giving me this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.