Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 1

Have you ever gotten uncomfortable about the portrayals of gender expression, gender queerness, and/or trans folk in anime and manga? WELLHAVE I GOT THE BEST NEWS FOR YOU

Boys Run the Riot is flawlessly uplifting and endearingly rebellious, and it has AN ACTUAL TRANS PROTAGONIST!! IT IS WRITTEN BY A TRANS MAN!!!! IT IS PERFECT AND I CRIED!!!!!!

Ryo just wants to be seen as a boy and uses fashion to feel comfortable in his own skin. Jin enjoys creating and wearing fashion and loves expressing himself through his clothes as well. Together, the duo create a clothing brand of their own. But starting off the brand may need an extra set of hands.

I've been waiting for this book for such a long time! I asked for a purchase at my library and had to wait (for what felt like forever due to shipping delays and such) to get my hands on my copy. I'm so glad I finally was able to read it!

I just loved this so so much!! I love Ryo and Jin's relationship and how, even after the first hesitation on Ryo's part, they fell into a great friendship. It did take me a few pages to get into the story, show more but once I did, all I wanted to do was continue reading it!

Besides the fact that the main character is a trans boy and it's written and illustrated by a transgender author - Keito Gaku writes Ryo's experience in a way that is easy to understand for people who have never read anything with a trans character yet. It's not overly simplified though, which is nice since no two people are the same.

The storyline isn't really only about Ryo's struggle, though it is a main plot point, but it's also about living your truth and doing what makes you happy, even if that makes you stand out from those around you.

The art of the novel is so grand and the design of the characters really makes them pop off the page. The graffiti art is also something I really liked, especially Ryo's full page design that is shown at one point.

I'm so so so excited to continue reading this series! show less

Just finished volume 1 of this superb manga about a trio of high school outsiders who try to live their authentic truths by starting a streetwear Brand. There's Ryo, a trans boy, trying to hide in plain sight. Jin, a pierced academic underachiever, who is fed up with the status quo. Finally, there's the meek photographer Itsuka who has more in common with Ryo than anyone expects. Boys Run the Riot is a gripping, heartfelt story about breaking societal norms.and I can't wait for volume 2.

Ryo is usually able to slip under the radar and get away with wearing sportswear instead of his high school uniform, but mandatory days come around every so often and he finds himself putting on the skirt he hates so much. Acceptance of his gender identity from an unexpected source sets Ryo on the road to expressing his truth and releasing his creativity.

Engaging characters with big dreams and lots of obstacles to overcome make for a promising start to this young adult fiction series by a Japanese transgender man. I have the second volume on hand and am eager to dive in.

This first volume was largely an introduction to a bigger story. I could feel the energy growing as Ryo started to gain more confidence and push past the shame he has around letting people see his passions or anything about him that’s outside the mould. But Ryo and Jin were just getting things started. There wasn’t a whole lot about the street culture scene since Ryo was closed off, keeping this part of himself hidden and only indulging it in isolation, and I was interested in that, so I hope to see more in later volumes.

teen manga (translated into English, queer interest) -

manga starring a trans boy, written by a trans author--includes a note about binding responsibly, and interview with the author. These characters are so cool! I could easily read this whole series, and heartily recommend them to kids.

It's really good and really cute, I'm excited to see more content like this in English