A review by hazelwood
Boys Run the Riot 4 by Keito Gaku

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I wasn't expecting this manga to like... change me but I think it did?? One of the major themes is the idea that nobody will understand you unless you tell them who you are. It seems obvious but like... it's so hard to come out that I often avoid it altogether and just hope that people figure it out? And then they end up saying something insensitive and I'm disappointed even though I never expressed how they should treat me so how were they supposed to know? So I'm actually feeling way more confident in coming out because of that. And the main character Ryo is so cool because he decides to unapologetically be himself every time, even when it seems like the hardest thing in the world. He doesn't accept intolerance and will keep trying to express his true self until someone gives in and treats him how he wants to be treated. All because one guy who didn't care what anyone thought decided that they should make clothes together.

The one thing I was a bit disappointed about was that we didn't get to see if Ryo's parents ended up accepting him as a boy or not. I also would have appreciated learning more about the other characters or having the manga be longer in general. But overall I really enjoyed it!!! 

Note: Rating and content warnings are for the series as a whole. 

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