Shout-out to one of the best manga debuts this year! Keito Gaku’s manga comes at such a time. Boys Run The Riot comes at such a time. . . Street fashion becomes the escape that trans teen Ryo uses to escape the pressures, expectations, disappointments of his everyday life. This manga has strong coming of age vibes and those who love series set in high school (a la’ school life) will appreciate the narrative of Ryo coming into his own. Just as a trans person living in a body, going to a school, living in a home where he can’t fully be himself. . . The mangka never loses focus on Ryo and his struggles and pulls them into this beautifully heart wrenching and hopeful story about finding your true self and the unexpected ally you may find along the way. There are spots of comedic hilarity. There’s tears and frustrations. There’s profound moments. There’s thought provoking commentary on what it feels like to be an outsider--a sentiment that everyone in their teen years has felt at least once. . . . It is 2021 and we’re seeing more and more stories with and about trans, nonbinary and genderqueer characters getting their due and not in the background. The other characters like a quiet, non-confrontation classmate who loves taking photos and the young man who ends up being Ryo’s partner in crime, so to speak--both start to go down paths of being more courageous and doing more. . . . I’ve really enjoyed the art style that Gaku brings to the table: I love the attention to detail to the street wear the teens make, the graffiti, the intensity of the expressions especially when in the emotional scenes. Boys Run The Riot comes at such a time. Easily one of my favorite manga debuts this year, Kodansha has taken care and really paid attention to handling this incredible story: I had picked up from Twitter that the English translator (Leo McDonald) is trans but the entire team behind the English-language release is all trans. Wow! I know in reviews and publishing, we talk about representation so often yet being able to hold a book like this in my hands is really the dream. #boysruntheriot #mangaofinstagram #keitogaku #kodansha #shelfie #manga https://www.instagram.com/p/CQY4kkxsv8_/?utm_medium=tumblr
