The friends face the next challenge in their streetwear brand journey: actually conducting business.But running a business takes money, which means all the boys need to get part-time jobs to get their fledgeling company off the ground. But being trans makes this even more complicated for Ryo. When an opportunity to get featured by a popular influencer arises, will that be their first door opening to success—or is it just too good to be true?
From the Publisher
Ryo and Jin have started their own fashion brand, Boys Run the Riot. Now they just have to get the word out there! But the world of fashion is a cutthroat business of patronizing adults, and the boys will have to get creative—and save some cash—if they want to get their brand off the ground and be taken seriously. Working part-time is hard enough, but for Ryo, being transgender makes it even harder. In work, friendship, and romance, he struggles to decide whether to come out as his true self. However, when he befriends his cool coworker Mizuki, the closet door begins to open…
In the first volume of this contemporary manga series, closeted trans boy Ryo and transfer student Jin became friends and started their own street fashion company, Boys Run the Riot. But deciding to start a company is easier said than done. Where are Ryo, Jin, and their friends headed next?
After rereading the first volume in this series for our July book club earlier this year, I finally made a purchase of the rest of the series. This was my third time reading Volume 1, and so my first time reading Volume 2 felt a little strange, like picking up the sequel to a book you never thought really needed one.
That being said, there were a lot of things in this volume that were really relatable to my own past experiences, despite an ocean between Ryo’s life experiences and mine. I’ve definitely experienced unwanted romantic attention from a coworker, for example, and Ryo and Jin’s experiences being dismissed because of their age also felt familiar while I was reading.
Keito Gaku’s gift for writing contemporary manga is a blessing for all of us who read it. While I’m no stranger to slice of life stories, Gaku’s knack for conveying the coexistence of pain and hope really shines throughout the series. In this volume, that coexistence is tenuous, since Ryo is only beginning to find people to accept him for himself, but the sensation of youth as an ongoing struggle feels so incredibly real.
Volume 2 concludes with a cliffhanger that may leave readers with one of two reactions. While some readers may finish the volume ready to pick up another, some queer readers may have a strong negative reaction to Ryo’s experience at the end of the volume. A full-spoiler content warning for Boys Run the Riot, Volume 2 will be listed at the end of this review.
The art of Volume 2 is very much like the art of Volume 1, with a lot of care and attention taken on the clothing the characters wear. Particular attention is paid to Ryo’s clothing, both in terms of the items themselves and the way the clothes fit him—this is an important part of Ryo’s personal journey and very relevant to his gender dysphoria. Volume 2 does lack some of the more stunning imagery found in the first volume, with far less graffiti being depicted in this volume.
Overall, Volume 2 is a strong followup to the first volume, expanding on the themes and questions that Volume 1 asks. Boys Run the Riot is a great read for manga readers interested in contemporary drama.
Boys Run the Riot, Volume 2 by Keito Gaku is available now from Kodansha Comics.
Review Source: Purchased by reviewer
This review contains affiliate links. Girls in Capes receives revenue from purchases made at affiliate links, but reviews are not paid, and all reviews contain the staff writers’ honest opinions of the work.
Content Warnings
Transphobia, high profile outing, ageism
