Sun-Ken Rock (Perfect Edition) Vol. 1

by Boichi .

Ken Kitano has lost everything. He's lost his family, his dreams, and even his first crush, Yumin, who suddenly left for Korea to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. He spends his days getting into one meaningless fight after another, but one day, after learning Yumin actually managed to make her dream come true, he decides to follow in her footsteps and head to Seoul. Only, instead of becoming a cop, he ends up catching the attention of a street gang and becoming their boss! Suddenly, his strength, values, and beliefs are put to the test as he navigates a new life that he's determined to keep a secret from Yumin, a cop to her very core. Sun-Ken Rock is a gritty and raw action-drama by Boichi, the renowned artist behind Dr. STONE! This cult classic combines explosive artwork with powerful storytelling and makes its English debut in a must-have edition.

Genres: Manga

404 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2026

Reviews

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I have enjoyed this volume. My first exposure to Boichi was through Origin and since then have always enjoyed his art style which is similar in this story. The story itself is in ways childish, serious, comical, and at times very dark. At times I see hints of YuYu Hakusho in the zanier aspects of the story as well as the drive of Ken for what he believes is right. The fact that we are dealing with gangsters is also meaning we are dealing with that dark underworld they live in. The fights and brutality, sexual assault, as well as torture. If you ain't up to it don't bother reading. Even though it is all over the place the context is there for it to be there. We are slowly teasing out history for each of the members of the gang and there is definitely something dark behind everything that will slowly come to light as we go on so I am definitely here for the ride.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy manga, and some can contain the most randomly vulgar scenes and scenarios imaginable which are completely abrasive and disturbing.

This was a good example of that vulgarity and unfortunate excessive crudeness.


Why put a scene where some girl is saved from brutal r**3 and shes wants to give a blowy as a thank you?!
Do people really think like this?

Like wtaf is wrong with you? Who hurt you, poor child-minded person

2.9💫

[Nathaniel R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

While Boichi shows an ability to handle art in a manga (coming from a manwha background), the narrative is lacking and the sexual violence towards women is gratuitous.

Overall, I don't think you are missing much in passing on this book. If you want something Edgy with good art, I think Alice in Borderland is a solid recommendation.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

66%

Gets pretty damn graphic, and the story isn’t super consistent quality-wise imo - but I kinda enjoyed my read, for the most part. Boichi’s art is cool, and the action scenes are also pretty great.

Despite its shortcomings (mainly the writing), I’m interested to see where this goes next.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This does not balance its elements well. It's zany and then all of a sudden women are being sexually assaulted? No thank you.

CW: sexual assault

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read

[Briar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not well paced. Goes from serious to an attempt at goofy. Some SA and abuse with no warning or build up. I can tell there is something to this but it cannot pick a direction.

[Omar Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.

The story itself is a little bit outlandish, but that is to be expected from a writer like Boichi who embraces craziness and mixes comedy with dark humor. While there is fanservice in this story, for some characters it is a feature of their personality rather than the gratuitousness of someof Boichi's other works. In that this is a story about the criminal underworld, there are female characters being sexually assaulted, which may be too intense for some readers. In keeping with Japanese decency laws, nothing is explicit on the page, but it is extremely clear what has happened.

Boichi's particular art style leans heavily on dark exterior lines, hyper-realistic, photo quality close ups, and lots of cinematic paneling. In backmatter, Boichi discusses his process of gathering reference photos around South Korea and having staff and martial arts experts pose for particular moments. The attention to detail comes through in the finished artwork, aside from a few artistic poses that I don't think are humanly possible.

Overall, this volume is a wild ride with a lot of entertaining action, some fantastic artwork, and a few gratuitous scenes that may not be for every reader.

This review was made possible with a copy from the publisher.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Adult

[Kate C · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Investment: Time could have been spent elsewhere
Format: Manga ebook (Hoopla)

Thoughts:I liked the story idea, but the rollercoaster drawing style was a turn off for me. I finished volume 1, but I won't continue.