Yoshie Kaoruhara's "Kei x Yaku: Bound by Law" is a riveting blend of crime drama, mystery, and unexpected romance that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The narrative follows Ichiro, a diligent agent of the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Security Bureau, who is tasked with the precarious mission of surveilling Shiro, a charismatic yakuza leader entwined with powerful politicians.

The plot takes an intriguing turn when Ichiro and Shiro discover a shared objective: the investigation into the disappearance of Rion Nakaba, a case that is both personal and professional. Ichiro's connection to the case comes from his deep respect and bond with Rion as his senior, while Shiro’s drive is rooted in a more intimate tie—Rion is his sister.

The investigation serves as the backbone of the story, with Kaoruhara deftly weaving in clues and red herrings that keep readers guessing. The blend of Ichiro’s law enforcement perspective and Shiro’s underworld insights creates a multifaceted approach to the mystery, highlighting the stark contrasts and surprising similarities between their worlds.

This manga is a captivating read that seamlessly blends action, intrigue, and emotion. Not only was it action packed it was also surprisingly funny. Overall I had a fun time reading this! Fans of crime dramas and character-driven stories will find much to appreciate in this compelling manga.

This was pretty good!
Not gonna lie I would be kinda scared to continue the series because I'm scared one of the main characters is gonna end up death... But I think I will give it a shot!

I loved this volume so much!
It got the perfect balance between heavy moment and relief one.
The couple is so delightful and I can't wait to know more about them and their stories!

There is a couple dynamic that intrigues me a lot, that I like a lot, but I see authors rarely using it: law enforcement officer x criminal. Hence, I was very happy when I discovered that this manga featured this couple.
I liked the story because it combines other tropes that I enjoy (enemies to unlikely allies, enemies to lovers, forced cohabitation, fake dating) with beautiful artwork.
Some could argue that some situations were a bit exaggerated, but they fit well within the context of the manga.
Additionally, I really appreciated that both characters were well aware of each other’s roles: for instance, the police officer did not criticize the criminal for behaving as… well, a criminal: solid foundation for the couple.
I'm very curious to see where the story goes next.

Overall really enjoyable , I’m very sad I have to wait for the next volume . The story went very smooth and I loved the development. However, a few concerns I had was the beginning was very fast with little to no background. This made it a little confusing at first. Also sometimes the sentences didn’t feel like they lined up. Other than those minor concerns this manga was really enjoyable and I can’t wait to continue reading .
Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this ARC of bound by law series .

I really liked this a lot! I feel like this is a really strong start to the series and I definitely want to read the next volume. Thank you for the early read!

This was more fun than I expected. There are a few violent scenes, and there are hints at sexual stuff but nothing too explicit, so I'm good with it. Actually the characters and their dynamic together is really funny, and the mystery they're trying to solve is intriguing enough that I would want to continue the series

I mostly only wanted to read this for the cover and the description since it mentioned it being like banana fish. It wasn’t bad I feel like for the beginning of a story the author set it up very nicely. It made me want to see how they’re going to discover what happened to Shiros sister and see how Shiro and Ichiros relationship will develop. I would recommend this to those who enjoy some action and mystery (sort of) and also fake dating!

His mentor is absent, and he is forbidden to investigate the situation, instead given another unrelated case, but to his luck, the man he is supposed to be looking into knows his mentor personally and is adamant about investigating; they team up secretly to work on the case. It’s intense but has some comedic elements to lessen the tension. I am intrigued to continue this series and find out more. I am already invested in the story.

This was such a fun and unique take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. The characters were engaging from the beginning and I devoured it!

This manga has a bunch of my favorite things. A mystery with an undercover cop meets yakuza that might turn into a romance (I hope, Kodansha lists it as a BL!) and basic but well done art.
These characters had instant chemistry and I think the story has a lot of potential. I'm intrigued not only by their relationship but also the mystery. I'm really looking forward to more of this series. I'm definitely going ty by it physically.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for this ARC copy.

The first volume of Kei x Yaku: Bound by Law was an funny yet tense set up for a story with so much potential! Two men on opposing sides of the law team together under the guise of lovers to solve the mystery of what happened to a person which was close to both of them!
There was a great balance between action and plot building, and a sprinkle of darker elements which I look forward to exploring more in depth in later volumes. I'm not sure if a romance will develop but it seems to be veering more in the bromance direction.
Only time will tell! Cannot wait for the next volumes 🙌

This was such a great manga, with really interesting characters. I loved the way we see someone who has climbed to the top of the mob/mafia having to find alternative routes for information that can be quite degrading. There's nothing more interesting than a person who will do whatever it takes to get information. And the two of them finding out they have a link around the same person was very exciting! It joins them in a way that makes it impossible for them not to become allies. I'm very sus the police force have something to do with her disappearance as they seem to be VERY silent on the matter!
I hope things heat up and become a bit more tense for them in the next book. While I'm loving their back and forth, I'd love to see something with a bit of tension between them! Fingers crossed!

oh ho ho! well! what a delight!

Kei X Yaku is about a law enforcement agent (cop warning, if you are not down to read about that) named Ichiro and Shiro, a yakuza (someone involved in organized crime). Ichiro is assigned to get close with Shiro in order to keep tabs on him, but the two men end up working together, under the guise of a romantic relationship, in order to solve a crime that haunts them both.

This volume is an excellent introduction to these characters and the plot! There is so much left to be untangled. Fake flirting, real bickering, and high stakes kept me turning the pages. There is some violence and some violence related to sex which should be noted before reading.

There are tons of bonus scenes tucked in which give us peeks into smaller interactions between the characters which are so so cute and endearing!

Overall, I giggled, gasped, and kicked my feet while reading, so I can do nothing but recommend it. At this point it is unclear whether it is a BL or a bromance, and my further research hasn't answered that question either, so keep that in mind while reading!!

(Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

⚖️ Kei X Yaku: Bound by Law
💘 Comedy Mystery (Has BL Romance Potential?) (Adults)
📚 Ongoing - Vol 2/3 coming out this fall
📺 No Anime but there’s a Live Action Drama 👀
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The first volume was so fast-paced and entertaining it was hard for me to put down (I didn’t).
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I love the two male leads - their chemistry is so cheeky! This was listed as a romance, but I can’t tell if they have a teasing relationship (bromance) or if they’ll legitimately fall for each other 😭
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Ichiro loves his job as a detective, but three years after his senpai mysteriously disappears, the detective organization they work for still doesn’t have answers…
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Ichiro gets assigned a new mark, but there’s something special about this guy, and now Ichiro doesn’t know who to trust.
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What secrets did his senpai keep, and will his unexpected 😏partner😏 be able to solve the mystery of what happened to her all those years ago?
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Read if you wished Spy Family was a BL or if you liked Buddy Daddies.
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Thanks to #netgalley for the chance to read #KeiXYaku for free.

I really enjoyed the style of this manga. The two mmcs had such a nice chemistry, this is a slow burn, with lots of flirtations, them having one solid end goal which is finding a person who meant a lot to them, and in order to do so getting dirty. I loved the grumpy X Sunshine, along with fake dating aspect of this, and much appreciation them not being highschoolers. I love reading manga but it is nice to have characters closer to my age to enjoy. This was such a good, easy read, and the details were nice.

A secret agent and a member of the Yakuza begin working together for a common goal. This is a story which includes the fake dating trope *chef kiss*. What I can only assume is going to turn into a BL manga started off incredibly strong - dark and mysterious, this is a mature manga which contains scenes I wouldn't recommend for younger audiences, though we haven't really had smut per se! Just adult themes. The storyline is strong, the characters are unique and each has their own motivations and the art is amazing. I really enjoyed this and will absolutely be continuing this to see where the story heads!

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this volume by Kodansha via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily</i>.

This was pretty good! I really liked the MCs chemistry and I look forward to seeing more of that. I liked the art style it really matched the story well. The story is both dark and funny and has a lot of tension! Can't wait to see what happens next

Kei X Yaku has plenty of promise. The central concept is great and there were some very fun moments. I also really liked the art style.

Unfortunately I felt that this manga didn't quite live up to its potential. The plot was enjoyable at the time but wasn't very memorable. I also didn't feel that I had a real grasp of the personalities of either of the main characters, which made it hard to really care about them.

This is only volume one and so I'm hopeful that future books in the series will improve on this one, and I do recommend giving this a go.

A good, quick read. Was funnier them expected with some laugh out loud moments. Has a fast start. Was a good read with some mystery. Will continue the series. But did notice a couple spelling mistakes.