Boys Run the Riot, Vol. 3

ボーイズ・ラン・ザ・ライオット [Boys Run the Riot] #3

by Keito Gaku, Leo McDonagh (Translator)

TO BE MY TRUE SELF

Sales for Boys Run the Riot skyrocket when the famous LGBTQ YouTuber WING introduces the brand to their fans…but in the process, also outs Ryo as transgender to the whole world! With his secret now out in the open, Ryo is left to face the confusion of his classmates—most of all from his best friend and crush, Chika—and finds that the regret of staying silent is sometimes worse than the silence itself. Meanwhile, WING has a secret of their own that will soon come back to bite them and stir up an internet mob…

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Queer, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Comics, Contemporary

210 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2020

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): 学慶人

Keito Gaku is a manga artist and transgender man living in Japan. Gaku is winner of the 77th Tetsuya Chiba Prize for his debut work, Boys Run the Riot.

Reviews

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There are some idiots out there who will mess with you and hurt you. But most people don't hate you. They just don't understand…Like I didn't. . . . I think people want to learn."

Wow! What a volume!

I feel embarrassed to admit that when I first started this series, I came in with the hope of learning more about those who are transgender (specifically a friend I knew in high school). I felt that this series probably was on that the LGBTQ community would feel "seen" and be encouraged as a result.

Yet after reading this volume I personally feel incredibly seen.

Not because I feel my sexuality has changed, but because that opening quote reflects why I picked up this manga. I WANT to learn about my friends who may be transgender or gay. I want them to feel comfortable with me and feel they can be their true self.

So, in hindsight, I feel it was incredibly rude for me to ever think that this series is only marketed to the LGBTQ community when this series really makes ALL readers reflective, whether they identify as a member of the LGBTQ community or not.

I will say that this volume took quite a turn and was very good! I felt myself reading this volume a lot faster than the previous two and really was proud of these three young men and how they handled a situation that deeply affected them.

I would say out the volumes so far, this has been the most eye-opening. I feel it captures so many feelings that have made me reflective.

Hoping this final volume ends strong!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tsubasa’s video jumpstarts sales for Boys Run the Riot, but the cost to Ryo is huge. Outed as transgender against his will, there are a lot of repercussions to face, both privately and professionally. And Tsubasa might just find those two aspects of their life on a collision course too…

In case I never said it before, I think I am absolutely the last person whose review on these books you should be reading. I wager there are some great trans reviewers out there who have a much better perspective on this.

That all said, phew, what a volume. We kind of knew this would be a dumpster fire and it does not disappoint. I love how the guys are business savvy to a degree, but they’re still teenagers - they waste more than enough time trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle after Roy’s been outed.

Naturally this blows up at school, which has a nice mix of support and dumb teenagers being dumb. That one guy in their class - you will know who I mean - is an absolute waste of precious oxygen. I don’t like to condone physical violence, but it can be really satisfying sometimes.

There’s also a lot going on with Chika, Ryo’s crush and best friend, who is really hurt. Not because of the revelation, but because of the fact that Ryo never told her any of this and that is kind of a best friend thing. It doesn’t help when she sees Ryo and Mizuki, his gyaru coworker, sharing one of the best scenes this volume.

Those two have some pretty raw dialogue about all this and I like how the author doesn’t pretend there are easy answers. This all leads to a really awkward speech, which the book sells as properly hellish, in which Ryo confronts his class and his past. The reveal in this one is a bit shock value, but I’ll allow it since Ryo earned that one.

The rest of the volume is centred on the business side, where the boys decide to cut ties with Tsubasa and start over, gingerly shooting themselves in the foot. Oh to be young and have ideals…

Tsubasa, however, has their own secret that causes its own scandal and lets the book dive into non-binary designations. Despite support from some, they soon learn what it’s like to experience what Ryo did being outed against their will.

Which leads to the boys tanking their business again, but for even better reasons than last time. The shot of them watching their follower count tank and laughing is really great. I’m still waiting to see a design from Ryo that is even half the equal of that mural from the first volume, but as a piece of expression the design they release works.

This series is pretty great - it walks a fine line between reality and fiction (I mean, it seems very balanced in terms of enemies and allies and I am making a bit of an assumption there…). It’s talking about things we rarely see dealt with and in interesting ways. What more can you ask for?

5 stars - this book had a lot to deal with and it handled a lot of sensitive subjects with some straight talk that I appreciated. Of any fictional LGBT+ manga I have read it feels the most true (to me, at least) and it has a great story to boot.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tsubasa reacts to the video they were outed in..and gets stronger.
While the YouTuber who did the outing has their own crisis.
Some interesting view points expressed in this volume..

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nooooooo. The one thing you NEVER do is out someone else. When someone comes out is 100% up to them. It's an extremely personal choice and one that should never be taken away. And that choice was taken away from Ryo.

Volume 3 finds Ryo struggling with the aftermath of being outed by YouTuber WING when the boys decide to collaborate to get more publicity. This works and the boys see a rise in their sales but this begs the question, was it worth the cost with Ryo?

I absolutely loved how Ryo's friends all stood up for him here. Even Chika - Ryo's best friend and crush - who felt betrayed that Ryo never told her the truth but she still stands firm in her loyalty to Ryo. I felt so bad for Ryo here as he tried to come to terms with himself and also deal with the reactions from his classmates. And the fact that he still doesn't know how to tell his parents just breaks my heart. But on the other side of that, being out, we get to see Ryo begin to really own his sexuality and who he is. Love how this story is unravelling.

[Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta la resiliencia y valor que demuestran los personajes por mostrarse como son, sin máscaras. El compañerismo por encima de todo tratando de no juzgar al otro aunque a veces no entiendan las decisiones o los pasos que han tomado. Me gusta la fuerza que se le da a la ropa y lo identitaria que puede ser.

[DeannaReadsandSleeps · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can think what you like I…just want to be here as my true self.“

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryo as transgender is out. But this story is fluid and complicated. This is the best volume so far in this series. Classmates are quite cool about this (mostly), and their desire is to understand and know more.

This is a very readable series with twists I won't give out. I like the fast pace.

Onward to v4

[Fany Herondale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Te quiero primo de Tsubasa

[Tib · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: nonconsensual very public outing, transphobia, discussions of gender dysphoria, misgendering

Wow. After the cliffhanger of that outing in volume 2, I wasn't sure how I was going to like this volume. I was so mad at WING for doing what they did to Ryo, like so much I was fuming for hours and threw the library book. But, I like how the aftermath was handled and I loved the solidarity the boys had for WING as they navigated what they did and how they were going to move forward. I'm so ready for volume 4

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vraiment une très bonne série !

Mention spéciale pour les notes de la traductrice à la fin qui mettent en valeur les thématiques abordées et rappellent ici combien le fait d'outer une personne lgbt+ est grave et surtout interdit en France !

[atlas ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga never disappoints.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

another fantastic instalment.

TW: transphobia, misgendering, online harassment

[Szuwarek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dalej nie przekonałem się co do kreski ale przynajmniej Wing się zrehabilitował po ostatnim tomie. Uważam że przemowa Ryo w klasie też była spoko napisana. Wkurzyli mnie tylko ci jego koledzy którzy mówią że wszystkie jego problemy wynikają z tego że Ryo wstydzi się samego siebie. No jasne bo jak przyznam się ludziom że jestem trans to będzie tylko tęcza i kwiatuszki. Wrócił ten też optymistyczny motyw buntu poprzez modę.

Ale mega spoko że tłumacz wyjaśnił co dokładnie oznaczają użyte słowa z japońskiego queerowego slangu bo mogłybym niewłaściwe interpretować niektóre wypowiedzi i niepotrzebnie się wściekać.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still liking the story despite some storytelling stumbles: a couple major characters going unnamed in the entire book, an annoying secondary character outing and then stealing attention from the main character, awkward dialogue here and there throughout. Still coming back for more though.

[✧desiree✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5☆ Review:

𝑵𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔

Ryo has been publicly outed as trans by Tsubasa, also known as “WING” on YouTube. This causes a lot of problems at school for Ryo and he has to decide what he’s going to do now.

At the same time, Tsubasa is also discovering themselves more along the way.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ciuchy mnie ograniczają, sprawiają że cierpię, ale pozwalają mi też wyrazić prawdziwego siebie"
"Tworzę ubrania żeby móc żyć jako mężczyzna"

"To jakiej płci jest Tsubasa nie jest moją sprawą. Mam gdzieś czy jest mężczyzną, kobieta, czy kimkolwiek innym. Tsubasa to Tsubasa i tyle"
"U większości ludzi problemem nie jest "nienawiść" tylko "niewiedza""

Jak narazie chyba najbardziej podobał mi się ten tom. Ryo wychodzi z szafy, a Tsubasa odkuwa się po poprzednim tomie. Jestem ciekawa co będzie dalej

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect so much of this volume to be about Tsubasa! They had a pretty unwelcome introduction in volume 2, and the reveal that they had outed Ryo without his consent made me justifiably angry. But as Ryo deals with that shock and starts to take ownership of the narrative surrounding his identity, we start to shift towards Tsubasa exploring their own identity. Who they are, what led them to becoming a LGBTQ+ Youtuber, and how they've changed over the years in ways that might not fit the 'image' their online persona is trying to represent. It's great to see a series tackle something outside the male/female binary genders, with some heartfelt and complex characterization that makes Tsubasa's story a knockout.

[Kara Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof, that was a heavy volume

[Juice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay non-binary rep! It lacks perhaps something that could have helped everyone: gender is not sexual orientation folk, and bisexual people are valid.

[dobbs the dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: all the transphobia, outing

I thought this volume was better than the second volume. There wasn’t much about the clothing line, but SO much about the MC and them coming to terms with their transness. I mentioned ‘outing’ in the CWs, and though the actual outing happens at the end of volume 2, there’s a lot about it in this volume.

I’m really enjoying this manga; I like the story and I actually really like that there’s no romance or superheroes/superpowers, which is fairly standard in manga. It’s just about a group of friends, one of whom is trans, and they’re creating a clothing line.

[Alexis Hubsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character 4| Plot 3.5| Setting 3| Art 4| Enjoyability 4

Overall Rating: 3.7

It's been a while since I read Vol. 2, but I defintely remember it. Outings always bother me and give me big mad. I usually have no respect for the character that does it. I think the last big one I read was in Simon V homosapien agenda. Hated that so much. Coming out should be reserved for the person that does it and taking that away sucks.

Anywho, we deal with Ryo getting outed by Tsubasa who should have been an ally.

I love what Ryo did by facing his peers and showing that design. I can tell trouble is brewing for them and want only the best for him.

[Luke Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

More great work from Gaku in this volume! While I do wish side characters got more development outside of short storylines, especially since that's most of when we hear from them, Gaku knows the importance of characterizing queer people and the messiness they face in the modern world. From outing due to differences in identity expression and openness, to monopolizing queer talent for profit, and how becoming who you are takes different times for different people, not to mention with how you see yourself and how others see you, this series has great stuff.

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some serious conversations in this volume about gender and sexual identity and the way we perceive that for famous people. These conversations have been happening a lot online lately too, with the popularity of shows like Heartstopper. People don't owe you those aspects of their lives, and they are allowed to change!

But anyway, I digress. I love Ryo being able to come into his own and I can't wait to see where he goes in the next volume.

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars: ‘Boys Run the Riot’ (Vol.3 of ‘Boys Run the Riot’) by Keito Gaku.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: LGBT+, Contemporary Fiction.
→ Book Type: Manga.

Favourite Quote: ‘There are some idiots out there who will mess with you and hurt you. But most people don’t hate you. They just don’t understand, like I didn’t. I think people want to learn.’

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★★
→ Setting: ★★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★

General Comments: It walks a fine line between reality and fiction. It discusses the repercussions of being outed as a Transgender individual, against one’s will, both privately and professionally. It introduces raw dialogues, of which answers to these questions are not easy. At times, perspectives from the side characters could have enhanced the story. The Author knows the importance and the messiness of characterising Queer people in Modern Society - from monopolising Queer talent for profile and how becoming who you are takes time for different people.

Time Read: One Day.
→ Audiobook: No.
→ Audiobook Narrator: -

Re-Read: No.
→ -:
→ -:

Trigger Warnings:
→ Non-Consensual Outing (Public).
→ Transphobia.
→ Gender Dysphoria.

[Arizona Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: Don’t read this if you’re already crying. You’re just going to end up sobbing your eyes out even more. This is one of the most beautiful and realistic stories out there, and I highly recommend it. At first, I thought I was going to be mad at this character, but I wasn't in the end. This book teaches us that sexuality and gender isn't something solid. It can grow and change.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a lot better than volume 2. I liked how the author tackled the whole outing situation and added more information of some of the other side characters. I look forward to the last volume.

[❝ rachel ❞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the best volume in the series so far. there were some really powerful conversations about identity and the responsibility we have for our own happiness to a degree.

tsubasa’s storyline here was so unexpected and i DID burst into tears.

[Raphaël · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is so much heavier, but my god do I love it
The brand is finally growing, the talks about what they want to represent with their clothes was such a key moment, I was so happy!!

The coworker is still my fav, I hope she'll be in the next one too

[Larakaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really grows into one of the best manga about being trans more and more

[Celia Burn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5