𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

This manga is definitely something that I haven’t come across with. I rarely see any transgender representation whenever I read LGBT mangas, especially FTM. This manga is about a trans-guy who becomes friend with a rebel looking guy as they shared the same passion and love for fashion; and because of it, they started their own brand. I honestly love this manga, especially the art style! I rarely see an art style that entice me, but this manga, delivered it to me! I just adore Ryo and it hurts me that he struggles so much because he felt trapped and in his clothes and own body.

This manga speaks volume, especially the nuances of how our society expects us to be what they wants us to be, and the restrictions on our right to choose how we express ourselves.

I really recommend this to everyone and I’d like to read the next volume of this manga.

I appreciate why a manga by an Own Voices trans author about a trans teen is so important and valuable. Unfortunately I just really struggled with an awkwardness that I feel probably mostly comes down to a lot of cultural context and language flow getting lost in translation. The characters speak in a halting, self conscious way that doesn't feel natural. Their interactions often feel a bit strange, with large reactions abrupt and sudden.

I found it a bit odd that literally the first thing Jin says to Ryo is "let's start a brand". There's no build up of friendship or interaction first, so it just seems weird to me? Then the whole idea that starting a small online brand would be so controversial just... doesn't really translate so well for me.

How did they manage to make a whole website without thinking of a name for the brand?? What's the web address then? That makes no sense. Also, the word "riot" is given two definitions and neither of them are correct for the English word "riot" so that's a bit confusing.

Also, given the story is about a trans character, there were a couple of instances of gender stereotyping language that really bothered me. Saying a boy was "a waste of a pair of balls", and that his "balls finally dropped" to indicate he gained some courage leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Both of those raise having male genitalia up as being superior and I'm uncomfortable with that. It felt very out of place here.

I see that a lot of other people have enjoyed this and I understand why it's important. But to me the flow just wasn't there and the putting of "balls" on a pedestal annoyed me. I'm unsure how much of this was a translation issue, but I can only review what I experienced, and that was the English version as it stands.

This is the first graphic novel I have tried, and at this point I’m not sure if I like them or not, but I will try others before I make that decision.
I found the story interesting as I enjoy stories based around people who live in the margins of society because they are either not accepted or the don’t feel that they fit in.
The two lead characters are well developed and easy to engage with too.
Overall this was an enjoyable story to read and I would recommend it to fans of graphic novels.

Boys Run the Riot is a breath of fresh air compared to the manga/graphic novels I've been reading lately, while still having substance. Our protagonist is trying to be his true self but is well aware of the limits of society, particularly with the Japanese saying "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down" that frames Ryo's struggle and Jin's business idea. This first volume sets up the story very nicely, especially with the line "Living freely also comes with sacrifices." The art is also excellent, featuring street art and street fashion, with the featured art properly credited at the end of the volume. I'm looking forward to the next volumes.

Wow! This manga is so incredibly powerful! Though I am not an own voices reviewer for this particular story, I can truly see the power behind the story being told here.

If you would like my more in depth feelings about this title, please check out this review vlog! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6vAlr5I5CE

Trans main character-we love to see it! This was a great start to what I'm sure is going to be an amazing story. I really loved all of the characters and how they try to understand each other. It was so nice to see an trans main character in a manga, I wish we would have more rep like that, it would help so many people.. I very much look forward to reading the rest of the volumes.

There is a full length review forthcoming on my site, MangaLibrarian.com and on my YouTube Channel! I go in depth on my analysis there.

I decided to give this manga a try because I had never read one with a trans character.

And although the story does not focus so much on that, I think that is what I liked the most as his first friend who decides to tell it takes it so naturally and focuses on other things to make the protagonist see that it is normal to be like he is.

I am anxious for the other volumes to come out cause I want to know if they achieve their goal

Boys Run the Riot 1 is a fantastic start to this #OwnVoices, coming-of-age series! It is such a rarity to find a manga about transgender people, particularly trans-males as the author mentioned. It is also rare to find a story about a transgender character written by an author who is also transgender. It is refreshing to have a story like this!

I really enjoyed the friendship that Ryo, our main character who is a transgender male, and Jin, a third-year who was held back from missing too many days so he is now in Ryo’s class. I was so happy that Ryo felt comfortable in guy’s clothes but he was limited to feeling comfortable in spaces where he could remain anonymous. When he meets Jin and Jin accepts him and wants to understand, he starts to become more confident in himself. Whereas he usually holds his thoughts back with classmates, he begins to build up the courage to stick up for himself and his new friends. I was so excited to see fashion and art being used as a vehicle for self-expression. I would definitely buy the t-shirt that Ryo designed!! I hope we get to see more of Tsubasa, Kashiwabara’s cousin who is genderqueer, in the upcoming volumes!

I am grateful that many of the Kodansha Comics releases I've read have translation notes at the end. In the early pages of the manga, Ryo is looking at a book about the LGBTQ+ community and one of the definitions on the page is for gender dysphoria and underneath it says "see also: gender identity disorder." The latter is an outdated term in the United States but it is still used in Japan. I appreciate that being cleared up.

The author's interview at the end of the story is wonderful. This is the type of story where you want to know more about the background! I am really looking forward to the next volume(s)!

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an e-ARC!

Such a gorgeous, tender coming of age story. Keito Gaku does a wonderful job at using fashion as a framework through which he can explore gender perfomance and self expression. BOYS RUN THE RIOT is at once a story about finding yourself and finding your people. I could not put it down.

I LOVE THIS

I can't really say much about the rep, but story-wise, it feels very engaging and I am already so heavily invested in the story when it's only the first volume. For only one volume, the mangaka did great in characterizing the 2 main characters and building their relationship. Bonus point is the art is great and very neat.

Overall, I really loved it and will definitely check out the 2nd volume.

Rainbows and Sunshine
April 18, 2021

I love this manga so much! It's about Ryo, a trans teen who never fits in and has lots of confused feelings and the beginnings of a friendship between an unlikely trio. The other MCs are Jin, my favourite because he is so self aware and open and Itsuka, who adores photography.

The manga hooks you in from the start and is beautiful and heartbreaking at once. The idea is of using clothes to express themselves is stellar and I'm really looking forward to the future volumes, especially to see growth of their friendship.

The plot is engaging and well written and the art style is so cool! The interview at the end was very insightful and I highly recommend this manga to everyone! I cannot stress this enough, you need this manga in your life!

Damn, I need the next volume so badly!!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

CW: misgendering, dysphoria, transphobia, bullying

Trans MC meets a friend and they start a fashion brand together. This was so refreshing, fun, and full of hope!! The author is also trans, and honestly this is a fantastic start to the series. I like all the characters and we also meet some that join their group. I haven’t read a manga series with trans rep and I am so happy to see this!!

I like that the author shows some struggles the other characters go through, and I found the high school pretty realistic. Some people were mean, some are understanding, and some surprise the MC and others. I am interested in how their brand progresses and also in their relationships with each other and who else becomes a part of their group. This series is definitely on my purchase list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.

This may sound odd, but I absolutely loved how normal and everyday this protagonist was portrayed. In Manga, we can get into fetishism very easily, but this Manga never once moved towards that. Boys Run the Riot is set in highschool, where Ryo, a transgender man, struggles with fitting into his identity while also maintaining expectations from his school, his friends, and his family. His one solace is in clothing - they allow him to hide the body he doesn’t fit with and express his true self.

When Ryo bumps into Jin, a new rough-looking student, at a clothing store while presenting male, this sets off a chain of events that brings Jin and Ryo together as business partners to set up their own clothing company. I loved their growing friendship: with Ryo being hesitant to trust and Jin’s blunt honesty. Ultimately both guys show that they truly do care for and respect each other and I am here for it! Jin is a chaotic badass and I so excited to see what witnessing the kind of self-expression he does will do to Ryo in the next volumes!

My final comment is that I loved that they made the choice to change the cover art of this translated edition. I think it speaks to and respects Ryo’s character so much more.

CW: Transphobia and internalized transphobia.

*Thank you Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the ARC*

*DISCLAIMER* I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. I only accept books I think I’d like because life is too short to waste on bad books. That said if I don’t like a book, I’ll say so, free or not. With that out of the way, onto the review:


Ryu is seen as the “weird one”. Constantly showing up to school in gym clothes instead of a uniform. Ryu is constantly making excuses for his behavior because he’s trans and he’s not fully out, so most people still see him as a female, and weird one that.

Jin is the new guy at school who likes Ryu’s style choices and is also one of the only people to truly see who Ryu is.

They also seem to be up to something because they are up to something. They’re starting a clothing brand.

Itsuka is the school’s only photography club member and the perfect person to help them showcase their clothing on social media.

Other characters are mostly in the background and also mostly confused about how the three because so close. They get into trouble, fight bullies, and learn to accept themselves for who they are.

The artwork is beautiful.

I’ll definitely be on the look out for the next volume.

I volunteered to read this manga through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This manga is well written and the characters are described well. It has LGBTQIA representation. The artwork is great. I enjoyed the friendships in this book. You are apart of this manga from the first page you read. It is enjoyable and entertaining. It will be in stores May 25, 2021 for $12.99 (USD).

"Boys Run the Riot" is about a group of boys who want to defy social norms and express themselves, so they start a fashion brand. I love this manga so much already!!! I love that the main character is trans, it's so refreshing to read about a trans character!

We need more manga that deals with the issues that trans men and women go through. There have been only a few that have included trans characters in a sympathetic and/ or realistic way. Even fewer have been localized and brought out in English. The team at Kodansha have done a wonderful job in bringing this work, Boys Run the Riot Vol 1, by a trans man Keito Gaku, to English-speaking readers. The characters are all engaging and likable, and the high school setting lends a real feeling of 'seishun' (youth in Japanese) to the overall theme of 'chasing dreams'. We know as a reader that this is the story of a trans boy's journey to self-actualisation but his story is supported by the scafold of an equally engaging story, High schoolers trying to create a clothing brand. I cannot wait for volume 2 to find out how these hope-inspiring boys get on.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I truly loved this story from beginning to end and can't wait to read the second volume of Boys Run The Riot! It was the first time that I got to read a manga with a transgender MC and still even in books, there are few options like this. I think the fact that Ryo has to go through all the struggles of being trapped in his own body and clothes. I think Jin is the friend that everyone coming out hopes for. Someone that will support you no matter what and see as you identify as no prejudice or questions asked. I think there's. a lot of potential for the brand they created. A must-read!

I think this was quite a good first volume. First of all, I want to point out the fact that this manga is an ownvoice transgender story. I think the manga community is quite open when it comes to sexual orientation but less for different identities as this is the first one I read with a man transgender main character. Hence, I am very happy this manga is being published.
The story is nice but it still requires some development. It kind of made me think of Bakuman: two young boys starting a business together and facing obstacles together. I hope the next volume expand on this project because for the moment it is a little idealistic. Then there is the identity side of this manga which I think starts quite well. I like following Ryo and his thoughts and doubts. I can’t wait to see how Ryo is going to open up to more people. Moreover, the art is really pretty.
I recommend this manga.
3.5/5