I've heard of "Golden Kamuy", one of the mangaka's other works, so I was excited to give this new series a read. It did not disappoint! Even in the first match in the volume, it showcased the aspects of sports manga that made me want to stand up and cheer for the players as well. There was a segment that made me laugh out loud and I really enjoyed this manga overall.

I am a figure skating fan, and I only know the bare minimum about hockey. That said, Dogsred is an insanely fun title that is actually making me excited to learn more about hockey. The first volume plays out like a total fish out of water story, with all the excitement of seeing figure skating elements get applied to hockey just because Rou is absolutely clueless in his begrudgingly newfound sport. The chapters that make up the first volume actually make for a nice self-contained story, but I am very much looking forward to the next volume. I have a feeling Rou has not seen the last of the youngest Genma brother yet. The added bonus while reading Dogsred is seeing familiar character designs from Golden Kamuy, Noda's previous work.

This was a great graphic novel and I don’t usually read manga but this was fun. I loved the figure skating elements and while I didn’t know what was happening when the hockey was being played it was interesting to read. I can’t wait to read the next one and see what happens with the team since this was their last game with their school before they closed.

Thanks to Viz Media and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Published by Viz Media and available March 18, 2025, Dogsred Vol. 1 is the first volume of a new series by the author of Golden Kamuy. This series follows Rou, an ice skater looking for a second chance playing hockey. So yes, it is a sports manga. If that makes you think it's a story only for sports fans, you must never have read a sports manga. These are more often than not actually really exciting and full of emotion. Dogsred looks like it'll be no exception. The art is fantastic and conveys the speed and action of skating and I was immediately invested in Rou's story as he comes off tragedy and a breakdown to try to rebuild his life. I've never skated on ice but now I want to try it. This series will appeal to fans of action manga and stories about redemption, and maybe even the readers of all those hockey romances (assuming they actually like hockey).

Dogsred is a really fun new ice hockey manga by Satoru Noda, the mangaka best known for Golden Kamui. Dogsred features a figure skating protagonist named Rou who gets caught up in the world of ice hockey after being banned from figure skating. This was a fun sporty read that explained the rules of hockey so that anyone can enjoy the action on the ice and learn along with Rou, but also has appeal for people already familiar with the sport.

Solid first volume. There was a good hook for future entries in the series towards the end. I did think the hockey scenes were a little too slow-paced and got a bit bogged down in being instructional, but it was solid overall.

An amusing look at the game of hockey, for dusters and beauticians alike! The MC's skills as a figure skater are put to the test when he becomes involved in a hometown competition on the hockey rink. I could see this manga transitioning into a fun action-packed anime. Unfortunately, at times the fast paced action on the ice was difficult to follow in the manga format. That didn't stop me from enjoying the ride. A fun addition to the "Sports Manga" genre.

It’s an interesting-ish premise. Basically a figure skater, Rou, gets kicked out of the sport after a family tragedy makes him go berserk is the kiss and cry. He moves to Hokkaido and while skating on a pond gets into a fight with a hockey player, Keiichi. In order to pay for a lost net Rou agrees to be a sub for a local middle school hockey team. However, he has no idea how to play or what the rules are. Also, the team they are playing against is Keiichi’s. Honestly, there’s not a lot of depth to the story so far. We don’t know what caused Rou to lose it in the kiss and cry. The dialog is a little weird, at least for Rou. This mostly felt like a volume that’s main point it to teach the reader how hockey works. I did appreciate the Sidney Crosby name drop though. There was also a moment during Rou and Keiichi’s fight the felt BL-ish and even though I know that is no where near where the story is going it still made me happy. I’ll probably stick around to see where the next volume goes.