A review by kyumgi
Boys Run the Riot, Volume 1 by Keito Gaku

funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I was really excited by the premise of the manga... a trans character exploring his gender identity and expression through street fashion... but the actual story disappointed. The main characters aren't well developed, and the author does a lot more telling than showing. The manga has about 4 well written moments
(the initial bathroom changing scene, the kids in the classroom talking about their favorite TV show characters, the Jin advertising scene, and the Kashiwabara ending scene).
Other than that, the plot felt badly paced, and I didn't care about either of the main characters much. The best, most consistent or developed characters are probably Chika (who Ryo is meant to have a crush on, but doesn't seem like it) and Itsuka, whose story is a bit cheesy. The manga feels more appropriate for an audience of 13-15 year olds, since it falls into the normal structure and tropes of a coming-of-age slice-of-life story.
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