Hitorijime My Hero, Vol. 3

ひとりじめマイヒーロー [Hitorijime My Hero] #3

by Memeco Arii

Das neue Schuljahr steht vor der Tür – und damit auch der Klassenwechsel! Da Kousuke nun aber nicht mehr in Masahiros Klasse unterrichtet, können die beiden weniger Zeit miteinander verbringen. In seinem Ärger darüber vergisst Masahiro jegliche Vorsicht – und küsst seinen Liebsten mitten in der Schule! Dabei bleibt er allerdings nicht unbeobachtet … Als Masahiros hitzköpfiger Freund Shige davon erfährt, kommt es zum großen Streit. Denn Shige ist mit der Beziehung der beiden überhaupt nicht einverstanden …

Genres: Manga, Romance, Yaoi, LGBT, Queer, Comics, Boys Love

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2014

About the author

Memeco Arii (Arii Memeko ありいめめこ) is a Japanese manga artist.

Other associated names:
有井メメコ
ARII Memeko

Reviews

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of jealousy going on in this volume. Hence, the cover color lol!

I like this volume better, they are gradually discussing the problems this series has. I really adore Ken's gang so much, they're so cute lol. They are so hilarious. And I love just how Asaya smugly cares. Chairman found out about Kousuke and Masahiro's relationship which caused Shige and Masahiro's friendship to fall out... only to stand stronger.

Also, I love how Ken stood up for the couple (I mean, lol, it's his brother and his best boy) and it was so wholesome how the boys were on Masa's side too. Shige was the only problem lol, but finally they are able to fix the misunderstanding. But still, note the homophobic slur in this volume!

By the way, I really love the character concept art so much—and the whole style in general! Asaya is such an eye candy, lol. And his eyelashes!! Shige's hairclip, and Yamabe's scarf! Hahaha so easy to get used to them.

[Kye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story and pacing are still problematic in that there's so many times I don't know who is speaking. I'm not sure if this is creative license or just the editor or what. It seems like it's getting better but if I hadn't seen the anime, pretty sure I'd be lost. But I am still enjoying the story. The age gap kinda hit me this volume as they start their SECOND year. So like ugh this boy is no where near 18 but in for a penny in for a pound. I'm committed now. Plus their interactions are hilarious.

[Gem (The Creepy Geek) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a bit difficult to read and follow but the storyline continues to be cute!

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Instagram | TikTok

Anyone else absolutely impressed with Masahiro in Volume 2 and how he literally put Kousuke in his place?! That was absolutely great progress for Masahiro and him finally voicing what he wants out of their relationship. Even if Kousuke is older and has more experience, he can't always be deciding their relationship for them. So I loved Masahiro stepping out of his shell and putting Kousuke in his place.

Which leads me to Volume 3 and how this series seems to be getting better and better. I am starting to have a better grasp of the characters (since there are so many of them) and getting a hint into each of their personalities. I absolutely love Kensuke (Kousuke's little brother) and Asaya's interesting relationship. I love the Chairman and his weird expressions (I am fairly certain he is paranoid!). There are so many great characters.

The art style is steadily becoming a favorite of mine. It has it's own flow to it and I quite enjoy it. While it's not as whimsical as Rei Toma's work, it does have it's own appeal.

I am grateful that the mangaka has started to let up on filling the panels with so much stuff. Yes they are still jam packed but it's not nearly as horrendous as the first volume where they stuffed everything into each panel. I get such a headache when mangaka's do that because I never know where to look first. This also goes with the speech bubbles as well! They are so much better now and you actually know who is talking.

And of course we have multiple themes that this author presents to us and in this one it definitely plays on the forbidden romance, no-one should know but people find out trope. There are definitely homophobic scenes within this volume. Or, more so hurtful words are said when they probably weren't meant but they should have never been said. I like how each volume plays with new issues and there is a push for a resolution.

After reading all the current volumes of Hitorijime, My Hero, I can not wait to start the anime! I heard it's better than the manga. So I want to see what the hype is about.

[ℂ ✧ · Rating 1 out of 5]

SOS SOS SOS!!! La manera com es fa broma sobre el fet que el profe pugui ser detingut per estar sortint (i follant, parlem clar) amb un estudiant menor is a big NO-NO!!! Ö És que no hi ha cap adult amb una mica de seny??? A l'anime com a mínim no s'intuïa que mantinguessin relacions sexuals, és que cada cop em costa més de llegir ehh representa que l'anime adapta fins tot aquest volum, però s'omet certa informació (com ara el canvi de curs que implica la separació de les dues parelles). Aquí hi trobem el conflicte del petó a l'escola, però es fa més èmfasi en el fet que el Masahiro vol demostrar-li al profe que estan sortint perquè ell ho vol també, que hi ha consentiment... bufff, és que no costava res fer-los estudiants d'últim curs o el profe de pràctiques, 12 anys són una burrada i més quan s'ignora d'una manera tan evident :( En realitat tinc curiositat per veure com continua la història després de l'anime, amb argument 100% nou, però no sé si ho podré aguantar...

[Alicia Aringdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and heartwarming installment. I like that the relationship between Kousuke and Masahiro was revealed and they showed some of the consequences both good and bad. I thought the conflict and resolution within the friend group was very satisfying. While I still have my issues with teacher/ student relationships I think it is clear that they both really care for each other. As always I think the art is stunning in this manga and I enjoy all the details sensei puts on the pages.

[Wendy! · Rating 2 out of 5]

WHY DO THE TEACHERS FRIENDS KNOW AND NO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?? TELL HIM TO END IT??? One of the students friends found out and said it was disgusting and instead of people recognizing that yes it is EVERYONE GOT MAD AT HIM? WHY WAS HE THE BAD GUY?? WHY IS IT OBVIOUS THAT THEYRE TOGETHER THIS MANGA IS SO…

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how shy Masahiro is! And how happy he is to finally have people to call friends! He has this hard punk exterior but he is the softest cinnamon roll there is. And his love for Kosuke-san is so pure!

[Rainy-Night-Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

....so cute! 🖤

[Balerion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this volume a lot more than the last two, mostly cause this volume dealt with a main conflict. But it was still hard to follow at times, seems like I’m not the only one who feels this way about this series based on other peoples reviews. While I did like this volume more I still think that I won’t be continuing the series anytime soon due to how hard it was to follow the story in the first two volumes. It’s a shame cause I was looking forward to diving into a long BL series.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series

[TerryAnn Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rereading the manga currently. I am reviewing the story from book 1-3 which was also where the anime ended back in 2017.

"Hitorijime My Hero" is a BL manga created by Memeco Arii. The first English paperback was licensed from Kodansha Comics on January 22, 2019. It started serialization back in February 2012 and is still ongoing. Right now, there are 16 volumes in total, and 15 of them are available in English.

I discovered this story on HiDive in November 2018 when the anime first debuted. After watching all 12 episodes, I hoped for another season, but it wasn't possible since the manga was still in the early stages of production. I still hold out hope that the anime will be remastered and completed once the manga concludes.

Over the past decade, I've delved into countless anime and manga featuring boylove stories. Among them, Kou and Masa's deep bond captivates me, while the chemistry between Kenny and Asaya is stinking adorable to me. Their tales of passion and connection resonate with me.

Did you know that Kenny and Asaya were the ones who kickstarted this whole project? The original manga is titled "Hitorijime My Boyfriend," which follows the characters Ken and Asa. When the anime for "HMH" was in production, they didn't have enough story material yet, so they integrated elements from this manga into the storyline. Although the manga was originally published in 2010, it wasn't released in English until 2021, eleven long years later.

My Summary so far:
Masahiro "Masa" or "Settie" Setagawa has lost faith in heroes, believing they don't genuinely exist. His skepticism stems from the trouble he has faced, particularly due to his difficult home life. Coerced into joining a gang, he often experiences bullying and is used as a gopher.

Not long after becoming the gang's errand boy a notorious vigilante named Kousuke "Kou" Ooshiba, or the "Bear Killer" inadvertently saves him. Kou happens to be the older brother of his best friend Kenny. When Kenny and Masa first met Kou takes Masahiro under his wing as his "underling or sidekick" and promises to protect him which in turn leads Masa to believe in heroes once again.

Kousuke has always been the kind of guy who can solve any problem, but Masa was different. After leaving town for a bit to go to uni and kickstart his career, Kou comes back as a well-respected math teacher. Now, he's Masa and Kenny's homeroom and math teacher. Being around each other again makes Kou and Masa realize there's something more between them, turning their usual teacher-student vibe into a deeper, forbidden romance. This gets complicated with their 12-year age gap and the power dynamics at play. The story dives into their struggles with identity, tough family situations, and the messy realities of their changing relationship.

Kensuke "Kenny" Ohshiba is just a fun-loving, upbeat high school guy. He’s super adorable and always looking out for his family, whether they’re related by blood or not. He’s been buddies with Asaya Hasekura since childhood, but he has no clue that Asaya has a crush on him. Asaya, on the other hand, is a laid-back and good-looking teen who’s been into Kenny for ages. After moving away for a while, he comes back and starts trying to win Kenny’s heart. Plus, Asaya’s sister Ayaka and her husband Tsunehito are close friends with his brother Kou from way back in high school. Their story gets real when it deals with a childhood promise they couldn’t keep and the jealousy that comes up, but eventually, they both spill their feelings and start dating.

Still, to this day, it’s tied with Super Lovers as my top favorite in boylove. I get the criticism about the age gap and the whole teacher-student thing, but I can’t help but love it. A lot of the people who complain, in my opinion, are mainly anime watchers. They really need to realize that the anime only covers the first three volumes of the manga. There’s way more to dive into!

For me, what really pushed it to the top of my faves was the anime—mainly because I love the English dub cast. After that, when I went back and read the manga, I could totally hear their voices in my head, which made everything so much better for me.

In my view, it’s a hidden treasure among manga and anime, a captivating gem that often goes unnoticed. The storytelling intricacies and vibrant artwork weave together an unforgettable experience, making it a true delight for those who take the time to explore its depths.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anime moved stuff around to close out on what felt like a romantic final note, so in the manga we're looping back to some important bits, like Kousuke's and Setagawa's friends finding out about their relationship.

This all happens pretty much the same way as in the anime - although Houjou is even more over-the-top ridiculous. In the manga, I don't entirely get what it is that Ayaka sees in him, so hopefully there's more of their backstory later on. I really liked, though, how happy Setagawa was about spending time with Kousuke's friends, and how naturally he folds into that side of his life.

It's a little bit harder for Kousuke to do the same in turn; while he gets along okay with his brother and Hasekura, the other guys see him as an old fart teacher whom they don't really want to hang out with when they're goofing off and doing regular dumb guy things like playing video games and talking about girls. This leads to some prickliness from Shige, in particular, who looks up to Setagawa and is annoyed at how much of his time Kousuke is sucking away.

The relationship discovery, the "that's disgusting!" and the fight and make up were all perfectly handled in both the anime and the manga. I like all the different types of friendships being developed, and the continued emphasis on how you can be close to all types of different people in different ways.

Of course, that does lead to some jealousy still from both sides: Kousuke gets jealous of Shige, who can hang out with Setagawa in ways he can't, and while Setagawa 100% knows that Kousuke and Ayaka are solely platonic friends, it still bothers him that they regularly spend all night drinking together.

They do talk about it, though, and while we don't get a ton of deep, heartfelt conversations, I like their communication and how clear it is that Setagawa really does speak up for himself all the time. He's shy about some things, but he's exactly as cool as Shige thinks he is.

The one part that bothers me is that there's no explanation whatsoever about the dog showing up. One of the guys even says "when did you get a dog?" and that's a great question! Why wasn't it shown? That was another super cute scene in the anime.

[Shaun Trinh · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is definetly my favorite Hitorijime My Hero book thus far. I feel like the story made more of an effort to delve into Masahiro and Kouske's relationship without trying to hard to push a story arch. I like that it focused more on developing Masahiro's character and letting Kosuke guide him into being more assertive. Reading this book felt less like a complete superficial read (which I am okay with and enjoy) and gave it the right amount of substance for this series.

I also really liked how Shige developed, while I didn't like him calling a gay relationship disgusting, I did like how the story made him a reflection of how Masahiro see's Kouske. I thought it was a nice touch to let Masahiro see himself and I hope they expand on this further in future installments.

This may have just been me, but I also like the eerie vibes about how Kouske has treated his relationships and how his friends view him. I kinda get the feeling that while the book has us rooting for him, it's also giving subtle hints to him not being as great as we see him through Masahiro's eyes. So i'm definetly hoping that gets expanded on as well.

Side note: I'm actually pretty appreciative of how Masahiro and Asaya's frenemie relationship is going along. They don't have that much page time together but I like the small details of Asaya sticking up for and listening to Masahiro.

Great installment and I can't wait to read the next one.

[IM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Empieza un nuevo año escolar y los protagonistas tendrán que enfrentarse a nuevos desafíos...

La verdad es que me sigue impresionando que ningún personaje en esta historia cuestione la relación de Kosuke y Masahiro apelando a la diferencia de edades y jerarquía 🤔

En fin, la trama de este tomo se resume en que tanto los amigos de Kosuke como los de Masahiro se enteran de la relación entre ambos. El único que rechaza a la pareja es Fukushige, no me había quedado muy claro si eso era porque Masahiro no le había confiado el secreto o si era porque no consideraba a Kosuke como una pareja apropiada. Al final decidí spoilearme y ⚠️⚠️⚠️
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.
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Al parecer Fukushige si tiene sentimientos hacia Masahiro. La verdad es que me gustaría que Shige y Yamabe fueran pareja (ya que son el dúo de comedia) y me puso feliz que Yamabe se sintiera algo traicionado por la revelación.
.
.
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Después de algunos capítulos de Shige ignorando al grupo se produce el encuentro entre el muchacho y Masahiro. La cosa es que hablan y quedan en buenos términos, Shige también de disculpa con el resto del grupo.

Los chicos van de paseo a un parque de diversiones, el problema es que Kosuke se siente celoso de que Mashiro pase tiempo con Shige a la vez que Masahiro se siente celoso de la amistad entre Kosuke y Ayaka. Al término del paseo la pareja se encuentra y quedan como 🤡🤡 por sus celos.

[R E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've thought a lot about this series, and have come to no conclusions. First, to be clear, the first 3 volumes are very entertaining. Arii has brought together a cast of characters which, metaphorically, keep the pleasure ball in the air - there’s always something interesting, funny, or dramatic happening. The artwork and its style fully support and enhance the creator’s narrative.
​​
​​But this idea of a teacher dating a student who is 12 years younger? First, it's manga and not real, obviously. Nor can a creator be held responsible for someone being influenced by their work, e.g. such that a teen somewhere might be more open to a relationship with an adult. So maybe it's just my hang-up. And there is always the possibility that portraying such a relationship, far from encouraging a teen somewhere to put themselves at risk, allows young people to process their feelings, ideas and values in a safe way precisely because there are titles that push legal and social boundaries; by portraying what is normally unthinkable, a young person can become more confident in their ability to navigate a world where the unthinkable seems to happen more and more.
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​​Ugh. If nothing else, Hitorijime My Hero disturbs my complacency and makes me think.
​​

[Marianna Rainolter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo un salto indietro nel tempo dove vediamo Masahiro conoscere gli amici di Sousuke, tra cui la sorella di Hasekura e il suo strambo marito, adesso Masahiro, Ken, Hasekura e gli altri amici sono al secondo anno di liceo. Però niente è facile ancora di più dopo che Yoshida, il rappresentante di classe, ha visto Masahiro baciarsi con Sousuke scatenando una reazione molto violenta da parte di Shige. Questo creerà tensione nel gruppo di amici spensierati con Masahiro molto in dubbio su come comportarsi e trovare il modo di fare pace con l’amico... L’inizio del volume è un po’ confusionario con dei flashback e momenti che sono un po’ difficili da collocare nella storia raccontata finora. Poi la parte centrale con Shinge è bella anche se intervallata da alcuni momenti un po’ così. Il bello è la parte dove Masahiro e Shinge si confrontano e si aprono a vicenda e uno dei punti di forza di questa serie è mandare con semplicità dei messaggi molto belli che forse dovrebbero essere più presenti ed espressi in altre opere letterarie, ma soprattutto essere messe in pratica nella vita vera.

[Brooke Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, these two! I cannot stress how much I love Masahiro and Kousuke’s relationship! Just so SO DAMN ADORABLE! And getting a little spicy too! But tastefully spicy - going to stop there because that sounds dirty lol

I like the exploration of Shige’s relationship with Masahiro and the group. It addresses complex feelings but also a negative response to a guy-on-guy relationship. Shige’s not a bad dude, though I wasn’t crazy about his response (which is exactly the point). Glad he said what he was feeling though! Masahiro’s too kind not to forgive him!

Knowing that the anime doesn’t cover a lot of the stuff in this volume - and future volumes - is strange. The anime was my first introduction into this story but I’m so glad the manga continues it because the anime just wasn’t enough! I wanted more and to see how Masahiro and Kousuke’s relationship continued! Unfortunately, volumes 2 and 3 that I was able to read were lent to me and I don’t have 4 or any of the others so I might have to wait to read more!

Love love LOVE this series so much!

[Dashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star

I absolutely adore the art work but this volume felt even more unruly. It even had a character list but didn't have all their names on it. The plot has twist and turns but not in a good way. Theres a lot of sitting in the present talking about the past from last week. It could have just shown last week in real time. I wanted to give this a higher rating. But with the way the plot moves around it's very hard to keep up.

I do love the main characters though. They have a lot secrets still left to share. But their concern about being caught, didn't seem to be a big of an issue anymore, after being done so. There's just too many plot holes and jumping around but underneath it has a great story and a lot of heart warming love.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly better. The pacing and story continuity seem to have improved with this volume. We didn't bounce around as much here and there weren't any random one-shot stories randomly thrown into the middle of emotionally heavy story arcs. I still can't understand why any of the characters are dating each other though. I want to love manga Masahiro and Kousuke together, but I'm getting the vibe that they really only seem to be dating each other for the sex since they seem to argue or massively miscommunicate during all of their other interactions. And Kensuke and Asaya are a couple, but I wouldn't know it from the way they interact with each other. Ugh, why the anime have to be so amazing??

[Sequoia Cron · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Masahiro's friends sees him kissing Kousuke at school and tells their friend group of what he saw. Shige doesn't take it well, calling Masahiro and Kousuke disgusting, and a rift is made between Shige and Masahiro, Kensouke, and the rest of the group.

I like that Masahiro and Shige do make up towards the end. There are a lot of people who would react the same way, so it felt realistic.

I do wonder how bad it's going to get when or if Masahiro's relationship with Kousuke is found out by other people outside of the friend group.

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the student and teacher are kissing at school now.

I have a difficult time following this Japanese Mange about a high school romance. Some bubbles don't say who is saying them. Some of the characters look alike and it all gets confusing.

There was a lot of jealousy in this volume. Nothing is going on, but they spent time with other people.

I can't say I'm really enjoying this. I'm still hoping it gets better. Supposedly, a popular anime is based on this. That should mean it's good, right? I'll give it a few more.

[Aleja Uribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es mi favorito hasta el momento. Siento que Masahiro creció un poquito más como personaje y que su relación con Kouske también creció más. Además que también nos presentan otros temas como los celos entre amigos y que las cosas se solucionan hablándolas. En general no me parece que sea el típico yaoi donde hay relaciones tóxicas sino que las cosas son más bien saludables (a pesar de la diferencia de edad). Espero poder leer los otros volúmenes próximamente.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!
At the beginning I found difficult to follow the storyline, it wasn't always easy understand who was talking to whom. Now that I'm much more in to it, it's getting easier understand all the balloons and the interaction between the mains characters.
Sometimes I forget the age gap between the two of them and it's weird when I'm thinking one is still underage. But all considered they are really cute.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite series. This volume includes the fall out between Setagawa and Shige which you can see if the Hitorijime my Hero anime. Suggested to read the manga as the dialog in the anime is still very Japanese, and since it is truncated to fit a smaller time frame, I think you miss a bit. MA's art makes me laugh so much. Seriously, what's up with the "Bad Pudding" banner? Lol'd so hard.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really good. They face some problems in this volume, which makes it even better, but the issues quickly get resolved which makes everything even cuter. I am really into the series, so what can I say? They become second years and a hint of jealousy develops between Masahiro and Kousuke, but that just makes the manga extra entertaining. 11/10

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*More of a 3.5*

I'm slowly starting to like this more and more as I read on. This is silly and entertaining and the author's note was so chaotic, I want to support and like this series, just because Arii seems like fun lol.

The bartender seems like he's got something. I watched the anime, but I hardly remember anything anymore.

[Random.ness · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
Hard to follow. I want to love this series but it’s just messy and it’s like if you don’t have a good sense of the characters you’re just confused. I still can’t put a finger on why it’s hard to read but it just is.

[Caitlan Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this one was just okay. Nothing to fun happened but nothing boring happened either. Felt like a bunch of filler there for a bit. I did enjoy the goofed up doodles of the youngest brother that pretty Mitch happened throughout this whole volume lol.

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The added characterization of the adults was the highlight, Natsuo is truly a legend. The volume as a whole was light on romance, although 2.5 added at the beginning and the extra story at the end made up for that.