Ryuu is a transgender boy who is fighting to find his place in life, to not feel alone and to maybe find people who can understand him. This was such a heartwarming and refreshing story! Never read a manga that discussed this theme and seeing Ryuu forming a friendship with te new guy from his class and later on with another one that also feels completely alone...ah that was everything I needed on a rainy day. The found family feeling this gave me was so great.

An own voices manga dealing with identity, both personal and gender, with a fashion design focus as well? Sign me up!!t.
This is a great start to a series and honestly, I am excited to read the next volumes as they come out. Ryo is a great lead and his journey I can tell will be an interesting one and I want to see his friendship with Jin grow and develop. I will be honest I am usually one to focus on possible romance and this first volume plants seeds of maybe having some later on but it is the friendships Ryo is finding that really piques my interest.
I can see myself caring for these characters very deeply and will be on the edge of my seat until the next volume comes out!

My Rating: 4.5

This was a first for me, seeing the LGBTQ+ community represented well and actually tackling nowadays issues in a manga.

We follow Wakari that was born a girl but in the inside he knows that he's a boy. Wakari has difficulty to come out and explain what he feels to his friends and family so he tries to hide this from them.
Suddenly a new student arrives at school and he befriends Wakari and proposes him to start a business together, a fashion business. In a burst of anger Wakari confesses to Jin that he's actually a boy not a girl (and my heart just melted with happiness when Jin accepted this like it was no big deal). He keeps on referring to Wakari with the right pronouns (he/him) and is never once disrespectful to him.
It was also interesting to see how they came up with ideas for their business and their logo t-shirt was perfect, in my opinion.

I honestly can't wait for the release of the next volumes and I'm so happy to see representation in a manga.

I enjoyed this manga about a trans boy who feels out of place at school, where no-one knows he's trans and he has to wear a mask over his true self. I felt it ended a bit abruptly but I liked the characters and their characterisation. A lot of potential here.

This is the first volume in a new series following a transgender teen who feels like he can't show the world who he is and with help from a new classmate, learns to express himself through helping create a clothing brand.

I really loved the characters in this. Not only do we get to know Ryuu and his emotions, especially in relation to having to present as female in school, but we're getting to know his friendships with Jin and another student introduced near the end of the volume.

I love how real everyone feels, which is probably helped by this being an own voices story from the author. I also loved that there was an interview included in the back.

I can't wait to read more of this story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first LGBTQIA+ manga I've read, I've read LGBTQIA+ novels and I really enjoy them and reading the manga was a new and great experience. Boys Run The Riot is going to be one of those mangas I'll be looking forward to read in future.
It is about Ryo, a trans, who is fed up of people telling her to act more "lady-like" which pisses her more often, but she doesn't peak much about it. She likes to wear boys clothes and that is the way she feel normal. She tries not to attract too much attention to herself and stays in the grey.
Then come Jin, a repeater, he is like this jolly fun guy with a muscular build and with hairstyle and sunglasses, to sum up, he's like the bulb in a dark room, drawing all the attention. IF I were to say, then he's a little thick in the head about think-before-you-speak. But he is honest and isn't afraid to do what he believes in. Which makes him..."COOL".
Now the story is like, Jin finds Ryo in a clothing store (Boys Clothes) and he is happy to find out that Ryo and Jin has same taste in clothing. He offers her to partner with him to start a clothing brand of their own.With some ifs and buts and yes and nos, they finally start it. Ryo opens up to Jin about her sexuality which, surprisingly for Ryo, Jin takes in with respect. Their friendship grows and both of them acts like a unit.
I loved the plot of first volumes, good buildup, and comic and social awareness makes it a smartly written manga. The artwork is amazing, loved it. It is kinda bold and expressing which fits the story so good.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

One of the things that was so refreshing to see was the accurate portrayal of being trans in a manga. There's not a lot of positive trans rep in manga so having this was a huge bonus. I loved how real it felt; Ryo's struggles hit really close to home for me.
In addition, the character dynamics were stunningly portrayed. We got to see unlikely and often times comedic friendship, a character deal with letting go of a toxic friend and realising the consequences of their actions and much more.
The art style is really beautiful as well and it just adds a lot to the story. I hope everyone enjoys this manga as much as I did.

Wow! This manga felt so real and honest. It's an own voice manga about a teen who is not comfortable with how they present to the world. It's an engaging story about finding ways to express yourself and staying true to who you are.

I loved seeing different characters explore who they are, and also how to relate to each other. I really look forward to seeing how each character grows and develops.

I look forward to more people reading this manga and the conversations that emerge from it.

This book was everything I wanted and more, it focuses on Ryo and his journey as a transgender teen. He struggles with feeling like himself and feels very alone in the world as he doesn’t think people will understand who he is and wants to be. Then he meets Jin and they start a fashion brand together, this way Ryo is able to convey his struggles through fashion. This book truly warmed my heart and seeing Ryo struggles was really educational as someone who identifies as a CIA female. To understand how hard it is and how harmful it is for Ryo not to be able to be his true self was something I have never experienced but I got to understand it more through this manga which is something I’m very grateful for. Jin being there and supporting Ryo as a friend and a business partner was so heartwarming as him being there for Ryo was exactly what Ryo needed, to be seen as himself.

I really liked watching them set up their business together and I can’t wait to be able to how it progresses throughout the next volumes. Thank you so much for writing this book as there needs to be more books/mangas out there that people can see themselves in and the struggles they face so they can see themselves represented and know that they are never alone. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I received an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of NetGalley and Kodansha Comics

I’ve been reading manga for years, and the amount of trans characters let alone trans main characters found in them is virtually non-existent. The fact that both the author and main character of Boys Run the Riot are trans is amazing and makes the story seem so much more heartfelt and authentic. Also props to the all trans US localization team, I’m just so in awe that this book was able to bring so many transgender people together.

As a trans man myself, I related so much to Ryo, our struggles in life were very similar. I was a tomboy during my youth and primarily had male friends which made me the target for teasing, although my experiences have never been to the degree that Ryo faces at school.

I love that this book centers about fashion, specifically men’s fashion. It feels like men’s fashion is often left out in media such as movies and Tv shows that depict fashion designers. What I wear is very important to me and most trans people I know.

This book is monumental and I can’t wait to see what other gender identities are explored in volume 2.

This is brimming with great characters, incredible (fashion) art, and some serious heart.


I struggle to put into words how much I loved reading this manga.
It starts the story of a transgender boy as he starts a fashion brand and that's really all you need to know - you should experience the rest yourself. The feelings of uncertainty and his fear of discovery are evident in every single page without feeling voyeuristic.
The routine is shaken up when new student Jin joins his class who has his own aspirations and a persuasive personality since he strongarms Ryo into his new business venture.
I can already tell this will turn into a beautiful friendship. It is clear there is plenty more to explore and more backstory to uncover. We just started to get an insight into who Ryo might be when he doesn't have to conform to a gendered fashion style. And as we are introduced to more characters, and the brand starts to take more shape, I was already in love with these characters. I cannot wait for the next volume.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by both the art and the story. Definitely worth reading.

A manga about being trans by a trans mangaka? YES PLEASE!

I LOVED everything about this book from the gorgeous art style to the fleshed out characters to the plot. The book is centered around a very serious thing, but while there are some dark moments, it's otherwise rather lighthearted. The story is honest, heart-felt, evocative, emotional, and powerful. As a transman myself, the immediate acceptance and affirmation of Ryo's transgender identity by his new classmate, Jin, brought me to tears.

The themes of self-worth and self-discovery are so important in this book because they really reflect the struggles that transgender people face when coming to terms with their identity, coming out, transitioning, and simply existing in a cis-normative world. The book also touches on gender dysphoria, binders, and mental health. There's a delightful found-family aspect as well (which will always be my jam)

This isn't a fast-paced book; instead, it has a steady flow, allowing for the careful explanation and exploration of Ryo's mindset, his feelings, and his own exploration of his identity. Each chapter ends on a highly impactful moment. It was impossible to put this book aside.

I'm really excited for book 2 which I already pre-ordered!

"Boys Run the Riot Volume 1" was an ARC I got from NetGalley and I am so glad that I did.

Though I wasn't sure what it was about, beyond have a trans male teen as the protagonist, being a trans man myself I was already on board based on that alone.

I want to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, so I won't go into too much depth on the story itself.

This story is something that resonates with me because I went to an all girls' school from age 11-14, and though I didn't know anything about gender identity back then, I understand what it's like to feel so wrong in the clothes that you're wearing. I also know what it's like to try and fit into this version of yourself that others are expecting of you but that's just not who you are.

Ryo is an incredibly relatable character for both trans folks and really any person who has felt out of place in their lives. Ryo's budding friendship with Jin is also relatable, as is the slowly finding of a 'squad' that accepts you the way that you are and supports you and lifts you up.

I absolutely loved this first instalment of the story and honestly cannot wait for the second book!

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Boys Run the Riot, by Keito Gaku (Translated by Leo McDonagh)
★★★★★
246 Pages


WOW!
This story is incredibly smart, real, honest, and quietly powerful. A manga about a transgender teen, FTM, written by a transgender #ownvoice writer? I knew the instant I read the blurb and saw that STUNNING cover that I had to read it. The way Ryuu was drawn half in uniform, half in street clothes, and how Jin was quietly in the background, made it an incredibly powerful cover from the start.

Ryuu begins the story as very inwardly self-expressive, but outwardly suppressed by societal norms. Leaving the house in his school uniform – a girl's uniform, that makes me instantly feel uncomfortable – he secretly changes on his way to school and makes excuses for the tracksuit he wears all day.
Then Jin arrives at school. A senior who has been held back, Jin is everything NO-ONE in this story wants to be. An outlier. Different. Yet, he's also everything they WANT to be: confident, self-expressive, unafraid and openly himself.

As the story progresses, Jin quietly pushes his way into Ryuu's life through friendship and sharing experiences. They become friends, and Ryuu begins to open up. Learning not to be afraid of himself. Learning how to fight back against a world that doesn't accept him for who he is. Jin is the first person in the whole world who doesn't judge Ryuu, who doesn't force him to be the girl he was born as, and who accepts him for who he really is. Like any friends who don't know much about each other, they fight. But that fight is BEAUTIFUL! And, no, I'm not crazy. Because it's that first fight that has Ryuu screaming his truth and Jin quietly accepting it.

For me, that moment between Ryuu and Jin was perhaps the most powerful of the entire book. With Ryuu standing up and speaking his truth, loud and clear. Jin accepting it, admitting he doesn't understand and probably never will, but that he *wants* to understand.

There is also a really, really stunning piece of graffiti Ryuu leaves, in that scene, but I won't share it because of copyright etc. However, the art is simply MIND-BLOWING! The image of a man breaking free, unzipping himself from the girl he lives within. And that's exactly what I mean by quietly powerful. Because, though Ryuu's story is about both becoming confident, coming out as trans, and accepting himself, while becoming a designer for this new brand that is so risky...the story is also about self-acceptance in general. It's about friendship. Love, and not the romantic kind. Supporting others and being supported. Telling your truth, and having people accept it, listen, and not judge you for it.

The story touches upon some sensitive themes – gender dysphoria, coming out, acceptance, self-worth, self-discovery, the use of binders, as well as touching upon bullying and depression – but it does so with quiet confidence, understanding and sympathy. It never pushes an agenda, or a theme, with force. It just lets them sit quietly in this life of Ryuu and Jin, so that you FEEL and EXPERIENCE those struggles in their daily life, as they come together as friends and business partners.

For me, how the story was constructed and allowed to breathe is one of the reasons it was such a success for me. As well as the stunning, mature art style that let the characters be individuals and show their personalities freely.

I'll be waiting for Volume 2.

~

FAVOURITE QUOTE
“It's okay if the only one who knows the real me...is me.”

Thanks to #Netgalley and Kodansha comics for making this beautiful book available to me.

At the start of this book, we are introduced to our main character Ryuu. Ryuu is a high school student who has always fiercely tried to live as a boy in a world in which he is boxed as a girl. Ryuu is a transgender teen who has never been able to confide in anyone about his dilemma not that anyone around him would actually understand. Ryuu has always taken comfort and expressed himself with the clothes he wears. Once he is out of school and walking the streets he feels more human and genuinely happier.

Then in comes Jin Sato a student who had been away from school for a while and was placed in her class. At first sight, she immediately boxes him based on his appearance (which I have to say was quite hypocritical of him, but we all live to learn). An encounter between them pulls them closer and Ryuu begins to open up to Jin. Jin is accepting and understanding. They both decide to start a fashion brand (let named, Boys Run The Riot), a brand that is accepting and open to all. Once they are set in their idea, other characters begin to join in. Itsuka Todo joins their group as a photographer. Itsuka has always been bullied by people he called friends. When he saw Jin and Ryuu talk about their plans he began to hope with them.

This book was very interesting to read. The artwork was simply fantastic. Ryuu has a character that is so multidimensional and you can tell that he is a character that has been well thought about, well researched or simply built from one's experience. I cannot wait to see how their journey plays out!

I have read a few queer mangas, but I do not think I have read a trans male story, so this was a first for me. The manga's art style was good, but I especially loved the graffiti art that Ryo did; it stood out and looked completely different from the rest of the art in the manga. I like the group of friends Ryo, Jin, and Isuka came together to start working on their fashion brand. This was a quick read, and I cannot wait to read the rest of it as each chapter kept me hooked on reading it.
An arc was provided to me for an honest review through NetGalley

Very uplifting and energetic story! Ryo has always preferred men's fashion but has become rather ostracized since his classmates see him as a female (his gender at birth). When Jin, who by all appearances looks like a delinquent, joins the class Ryo finally finds an ally. With their passion for men's fashion they decide to make their own clothing label and Jin doesn't care what gender Ryo presents himself as, as long they can do it in style together.

I’m not the biggest fan of graphic novels, comics, and manga, but I regularly find myself pulled toward them. There have been a handful I have really enjoyed, and I keep hoping to find more. Boys Run the Riot was one that left me with hope.

I’ll be honest and say this one had me somewhat conflicted. It was a quick and enjoyable story, one I happily devoured in a single sitting. Although I enjoyed it and would like to see where things go, I never quite felt the connection to the characters that I had hoped to experience. I think the main reason for this is that a lot of aspects were introduced with this one, yet most of them did not receive the level of attention I would have liked. I would have liked more depth and fewer things to have been looked at.

Although it didn’t quite have the depth I prefer, it was an enjoyable quick read that certainly has me curious what else happens.

An OwnVoices manga following Ryo, a transgender high-schooler as he navigates the difficulties of his peers at school not knowing his true identity. Ryo tries to keep to himself, until new student Jin convinces him to help start a fashion brand.

Jin is confident and doesn't seem to care what others say about him; Ryo doesn't know how he does it. Starting the fashion brand, the two strike up a friendship. Jin accepting Ryo's true gender identity. For Ryo and Jin, fashion is a way to express themselves and they hope to show that through their brand.

Looking foreward to seeing how things develope in the next volume.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanna thank Netgalley and the author for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Boys run the riot is a manga about three young boys that want to make their dream come true by being themselves and showing the world that they are capable of anything if they follow their dreams.

I don’t really have much to say here, this was cool, and I love it, especially one of the main characters being Trans, and telling us what he feels makes everything very interesting, also this manga is full of drama so I love it a lot and enjoyed my time reading it, even though I am a little busy I took some hours to read it and it was so pretty and I loved it, I loved the graphics and the story, I would totally read the second volume when it comes out.


I don’t really have a lot to say, this was a very fast reading and fascinating, and I will give it some 4.5 stars if it’s possible, and this was such great hours.

I want to remind everyone that this is my own opinion, and that everyone could think differently about anything.