What do you think?
Rate this book
Let's Go Karaoke!
Satomi, president of his school’s choir club, gets embroiled in a bizarre situation when he’s asked by Kyouji the yakuza to give him voice lessons. Surprisingly, Kyouji’s quite serious and diligent in his practice too! As the two spend time together, where will this odd friendship take them...?
162 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2020
13 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
May 15, 2022
I read it in one sitting in my library and what a fun lovely story it is. I had lots of fun. And it’s definitely gay ofc.
May 28, 2022
I loved "Captivated, By You", so I took a gamble with buying "Let's Go Karaoke!" and I loved this one too. I'm pretty sure Yama Wayama is now one of my auto-buy authors. Their stories are so random and kinda weird, but strangely charming and they stay with me long after I'm done reading.
With this one, I enjoyed the quirky plot so much. Yakuza asks a choir boy to teach him how to sing. It was dumb but funny. Made me laugh out loud at times. Had lots of cute and heartfelt moments too. Love the art style. So expressive and fluid.The characters were great too. Lovable. The yakuza Kyouji is a really cool guy, and the choir boy Satomi (loved his choir subplot) is pretty adorable. Their kinda-friendship was fun. Inappropriate because he's an intimidating grown yakuza man, but interesting. Super happy with this book and will be rereading it at some point 🥰
With this one, I enjoyed the quirky plot so much. Yakuza asks a choir boy to teach him how to sing. It was dumb but funny. Made me laugh out loud at times. Had lots of cute and heartfelt moments too. Love the art style. So expressive and fluid.The characters were great too. Lovable. The yakuza Kyouji is a really cool guy, and the choir boy Satomi (loved his choir subplot) is pretty adorable. Their kinda-friendship was fun. Inappropriate because he's an intimidating grown yakuza man, but interesting. Super happy with this book and will be rereading it at some point 🥰
December 1, 2025
What a good time! Very great concept and I loved the dynamic between Satomi and Narita, absolutely love the funny moments and just the overall vibe!! Definitely recommend!!
October 10, 2022
cũng tạm tạm, mình tưởng truyện hài, mà ngộ là nét vẽ giống truyện tranh kinh dị ghê, hồi đọc ngôi sao vườn nữ sinh cũng z
January 16, 2024
This was a banger and hilarious as all hell
May 31, 2022
you remember that one time you're watching an anime u love in ur living room then your sister who didn't have school that day watched along with you and totally also enjoyed the show, and after that day you adamantly made her watch but she didn't care anymore for some reason? this is that same kind of manga that made her laugh that one time.
i strongly approve of #YamaWayama's style. her characters are naturally funny, her comedic timing is solid. she's so good at that turn-of-the-page surprise LOL attack.
she kind of uses the same roster of personalities as in her first book i read #CaptivatedByYou, and i think the art there's a little better, but that's ok. my only disappointment is that this was too short. i misread the Contents thinking this is four stories instead of just one (the other "contents" were Extras and Afterword.)
i think people who can be funny on (literal) paper are the best. like how do you even do that? im a funny person irl but it never translates to what i write or post online except those few unexpected times.
anyway, about your sister, don't tell her to read this but keep it lying around hoping she'd nonchalantly pick it up and bring to her room herself.#LetsGoKaraoke #mangareview
i strongly approve of #YamaWayama's style. her characters are naturally funny, her comedic timing is solid. she's so good at that turn-of-the-page surprise LOL attack.
she kind of uses the same roster of personalities as in her first book i read #CaptivatedByYou, and i think the art there's a little better, but that's ok. my only disappointment is that this was too short. i misread the Contents thinking this is four stories instead of just one (the other "contents" were Extras and Afterword.)
i think people who can be funny on (literal) paper are the best. like how do you even do that? im a funny person irl but it never translates to what i write or post online except those few unexpected times.
anyway, about your sister, don't tell her to read this but keep it lying around hoping she'd nonchalantly pick it up and bring to her room herself.#LetsGoKaraoke #mangareview
September 29, 2023
La premisa de este tomo único es peculiar y rocambolesca cuanto menos, aunque su desarrollo para mí no ha sido tan loco y gracioso como me esperaba.
January 9, 2024
A yakuza member worried about his upcoming yakuza karaoke competition forcefully recruits a middle school choir boy to give him singing lessons at a karaoke bar so he won't lose and be forced to get a stick-and-poke from the head yakuza who is an amateur tattoo enthusiast.
Anyway, perfect premise, no notes. Has all the bizarreness and sincerity of a side mission from the Yakuza video games.
Love Wayama's art, it's got a very classic appeal. Feels reminiscent of Parasyte and the works of Ryoichi Ikegami.
Anyway, perfect premise, no notes. Has all the bizarreness and sincerity of a side mission from the Yakuza video games.
Love Wayama's art, it's got a very classic appeal. Feels reminiscent of Parasyte and the works of Ryoichi Ikegami.
Read
March 1, 2024I apologize to the manga fans but I genuinely, genuinely love the film adaption so much more T^T (if you would like to know why, feel free to read my letterboxd review!)
The concept of this story is very interesting and the relationship was quite captivating, especially given the vast difference between Satomi and Kyouji's personalities. The parallel between Kyouji's desire to not be awarded worst singer and Satomi going through puberty and losing his soprano position in the choir is amazing, and in some way their struggles mirror each other, making their bond even stronger and more believable. I think the absurdity of the entire situation is also what makes the story endearing, the juxtaposition of the intimidating yakuza image and the hilarious karaoke competition (with tattoos!?!); it's just such a funny thing to see!
However, I felt that there was something missing when I was reading the comic, and I bet it's because I'm not that well-acquainted with the Japanese music genre, so it wasn't easy imagining the songs as the characters were singing them. Even though I knew X Japan's Kurenai (because of the film lmao), I still thought that the climatic scene in the comic didn't hit as hard as the film did.
Also, here's a controversial thing. I physically cannot imagine myself interpreting their relationship as romantic?? Satomi is 14! My interpretation is a lot closer to the "unlabeled love" sort of trope, where two people you expect least to come together form a bond and it becoming deeper than anything. I just find romantic interpretations to be superficial and boring (and sometimes even a bit problematic and creepy) their situation might be romantic but their relationship def isn't
The concept of this story is very interesting and the relationship was quite captivating, especially given the vast difference between Satomi and Kyouji's personalities. The parallel between Kyouji's desire to not be awarded worst singer and Satomi going through puberty and losing his soprano position in the choir is amazing, and in some way their struggles mirror each other, making their bond even stronger and more believable. I think the absurdity of the entire situation is also what makes the story endearing, the juxtaposition of the intimidating yakuza image and the hilarious karaoke competition (with tattoos!?!); it's just such a funny thing to see!
However, I felt that there was something missing when I was reading the comic, and I bet it's because I'm not that well-acquainted with the Japanese music genre, so it wasn't easy imagining the songs as the characters were singing them. Even though I knew X Japan's Kurenai (because of the film lmao), I still thought that the climatic scene in the comic didn't hit as hard as the film did.
Also, here's a controversial thing. I physically cannot imagine myself interpreting their relationship as romantic?? Satomi is 14! My interpretation is a lot closer to the "unlabeled love" sort of trope, where two people you expect least to come together form a bond and it becoming deeper than anything. I just find romantic interpretations to be superficial and boring (and sometimes even a bit problematic and creepy) their situation might be romantic but their relationship def isn't
June 25, 2025
Vive les femmes dans l’humour
August 12, 2022
3.5 stars
I enjoyed it, I think they could have expanded more on Oka’s arc, but it was a pretty solid one-shot overall. Good art, good pacing, conflict and characters were well written and I enjoyed it for what it was. Worth the read imo, solid manga, but nothing exceptional
I enjoyed it, I think they could have expanded more on Oka’s arc, but it was a pretty solid one-shot overall. Good art, good pacing, conflict and characters were well written and I enjoyed it for what it was. Worth the read imo, solid manga, but nothing exceptional
May 8, 2023
Humor absurdo lleno de situaciones divertidas en un tomo en el que un estudiante, Satomi, que participa en el coro es abordado por un Yakuza, Koiji, con la invitación del título. Y a partir de ahí una serie de malentendido y de momentos muy absurdos hace de este tomo una delicia divertida.
May 24, 2021
奇怪最後面怎麼有點（只有一點嗎）浪漫
不知道為什麼看到狂兒跟聰實的年齡差覺得⋯⋯很萌（欸）
好像完全可以不必發生的相遇，憂心於即將變聲的國中合唱團男生和擔心身上留下醜刺青的黑道份子在小包廂裡面，配著各式KTV食物度過一個又一個小時，這種微妙浪費時間的日常感怎麼說呢⋯⋯就萌（又來）
是說現在看日本的卡拉OK包廂只覺得是一個群聚現場 （「不要拿麥克風到處督」）
不知道為什麼看到狂兒跟聰實的年齡差覺得⋯⋯很萌（欸）
好像完全可以不必發生的相遇，憂心於即將變聲的國中合唱團男生和擔心身上留下醜刺青的黑道份子在小包廂裡面，配著各式KTV食物度過一個又一個小時，這種微妙浪費時間的日常感怎麼說呢⋯⋯就萌（又來）
是說現在看日本的卡拉OK包廂只覺得是一個群聚現場 （「不要拿麥克風到處督」）
November 26, 2023
Another one for the "questionably wholesome" pile. Not as good as Captivated By You but I'll read anything Wayama puts out.
January 19, 2025
And you telling me this is not gay???
January 20, 2025
Normalmente los 2.5 no los redondeo hacia arriba, pero tiene una primicia diferente. Debo decir que aunque me enganchó, esperaba más(?) No sé muy bien qué es lo que exactamente quería cuando tenemos una age gap tan grande entre los personajes... Like okay, se nota que hay gay vibes pero ajá
Lo leí porque alguien lo hypeo bastante y, en el fondo, sólo deseaba que me gustara más :(
Lo leí porque alguien lo hypeo bastante y, en el fondo, sólo deseaba que me gustara más :(
September 3, 2025
Very interesting premise and funny as hell. Excited to see where the sequel takes us with this time skip~~~
October 17, 2025
such a fun entertaining read. giggled all the way through.
August 18, 2025
idc if it’s a 20 year age gap.also wow i really do have a thing for pathetic boys in glasses
June 7, 2025
Satomi Oka, head of his middle school choir class facing his final performance before moving on to high school. Kyouji Narita, a well dressed yakuza member with his shady job and crowd being the normal part of his life. How on earth can these two worlds possibly come together? Well, Kyouji's boss is a karaoke nut and forces his men to compete in a singing competition. The worst singer gets tattooed by the boss, who is an amateur tattoo artist, who also gets a sick joy of tattooing the worst spot with the worst subject. Thus, Kyouji picked up Satomi after a performance to make him his unwitting singing tutor.
Let's Go Karaoke! is a quick one-and-done manga that must come with a quick note to preface this: this is a Shonen ai/Boy Love/BL meaning that there is no explicit gay scenes, actually there isn't any kissing, confessions, so fourth in here. So don't immediately flip, there are no teenagers making out with gangsters. But I will dive deeper into it through the review.
The Great:
- The premise is a lot of fun and the story is as long as it needs to be. Not too long to over stay its welcome or get messy, not too short to not get invested in the characters, but enough to leave you wishing for more. Which is always how it should be for any good book.
- The story is framed as a memory from Satomi which adds on to the charm and works well with the framing as a Shonen ai manga that doesn't contain much that would be considered "romantic."
- The climax is just a wonderful culmination of the two stories coming together beautifully.
The Good:
- Wayama is a great artist and every character is drawn in a way that is easily readable from the first panel on. There are a few slips where the linework is wonky, but nothing that takes away from the art or story.
- It's oddly wholesome in it's own messed up, weird way. Or at least played as such.
The Eh:
- No matter how you look at this story, romantic or not it is pretty messed up for a random Yakuza member to stake out school choir competitions and "convince" a student to teach him. And depending on how seriously you take that premise will determine how funny you will see Satomi's ever consistent mood of internal screaming/panic. I pretty much took it as I would any stupid comedy premise and went along for the ride.
The Romance:
As I had mentioned early into the review, this is a Shonen ai manga. But before we can throw things as to this being a story that promotes or celebrates the relationship between a teenager and a man well into his 30s, we have to understand that the majority of the story, we discover, is written through Satomi's perspective. Especially after a second read, It's very much implied that this is a one-sided romance, with Satomi developing a crush on Kyouji through the course of the story. It explains why the cover and link: this image looks way more romantic than anything and everything else in the actual story.
Kyouji, himself, would carry himself with a more carefree, relaxed manner rather than anything that would be considered romantic. Kyouji wanted a singing teacher so he didn't have to deal with getting horribly tattooed, nothing more, nothing less.
This interestingly enough works well with the theme of self-altering change going on in Satomi's story. Everything around Satomi is shifting and moving in ways that he doesn't know how to deal with. With him growing into his puberty, the last months of middle school, going from a confident singer to one uncertain how his voice is going to come out on the other side, NOW ADD becoming aware that you're attracted to another guy AND your first real crush is some random yakuza member? There's a reason as to why Satomi is perpetually internally screaming through out the story.
The romance isn't deep, it's not supposed to be deep. It's coming from the perspective of this confused teen with all of the insanity of his world going around him. We're reminded as such
when Satomi can't pull out too many things as to explain to himself why he's into Kyouji when the moment arises other than Kyouji being nice to him.
Though it does pose something interesting when the two are reunited years later after Satomi is in the process of heading off to collage at the end of the story. So it gives the audience a wink and a nod to feel free to approach the relationship in a...less messy context or toleave it as it was: a one-sided crush and the crazy story of how it came about. Which I prefer going with the latter rather than the former, but eh, for those wanting fanfic fuel the former is there for you too.
UPDATE THAT I JUST REALIZED AFTER A LITTLE LOOKING INTO:
THERE IS A SEQUEL SERIES!
Apparently it follows the two moving to Tokyo and their misadventures and...more?? Welp, this is an exciting development since it's not often that these types of one-shots get explored deeper.
The premise even more intriguing since it brings in all those questions that you're only able to mull over. What would develop between these two now that they've reunited under different circumstances? What on earth is Satomi whole headspace going to be with this His first crush/"love" is back in his life? He apparently still carries some feelings from seeing Kyouji pop up again. Will he still think so highly of Kyouji after getting away from romanticizing of the past because of some warped puppy-dog love, will he carry it around regardless and choose to pay attention to what fits that old image? This crush was profoundly important to Satomi that he held onto it for over 3 years after, and wrote an entire essay about it for his graduation class the last bit of the page that we saw reading:
That moment[...]my mind was clogged[...]of happiness, anger, and impatience. The fact that I was actually hearing Kyouji's voice brought tears to my eyes.
How many times had he made me cry anyway? Whenever I cried, he always laughed.
What was wrong with him, always laughing [like] that?
That was the last time I ever saw Kyouji. It's been three years, and he hasn't contacted me once in all that time.
I wonder what he's doing now.
Satomi has been going through it and has a lot of pent up mess to work through as a result of this experience. Will he get that backbone to chew Kyouji out like every fiber of his being wants to? Or maybe realize that it was better that Kyouji fazed himself out when he did, cuz geez, did Kyouji realize that Satomi was getting a crush on him towards the end and go like "whoops, that's not a landmine that anyone wants to step on. Gotta cut this one off" (Which yes, good, please do that).
What of Kyouji? We'll get an opportunity to actually know him beyond Satomi's perspective. Was he a creep the whole time or that chill gangster we've been introduced to is an accurate depiction? There's a hint of conflicting information if you consider what Satomi last wrote about him that does indicate some cruelness (...well...he is part of the yakuza...so...). Does he think anything of the new situation? Is he into men as well as women? And they're incredibly different, in massively different points in their lives, with a weird history, with a substantial age gap. Is there even the slightest potential for this type of relationship working out in any functional way? Or will this be an intriguing character exploration of "toxic/messy first loves are going to be and end toxic and/or messy." Or "it's better to leave those relationships in the past, rather than pursue them because you were pursuing a fantasy anyways rather than an actual person."
Long story short, I'm highly interested in watching how this insanity continues. Fingers crossed that it gets released in the west.
UPDATE UPDATE:
I caught up with the current chapters.
I hate this. Thought I got a fun little one-shot, that I could enjoy than leave it at that. Now I'm trapped and going to be thinking about these two and what may become of them for the rest of my life until their story is officially done. If the constant return and updating of this review isn't proof enough
I'm excited for the anime coming out though, hopefully with the added interest, the sequel will be coming to the west.
Higher 4.5/5
5/5
Let's Go Karaoke! is a quick one-and-done manga that must come with a quick note to preface this: this is a Shonen ai/Boy Love/BL meaning that there is no explicit gay scenes, actually there isn't any kissing, confessions, so fourth in here. So don't immediately flip, there are no teenagers making out with gangsters. But I will dive deeper into it through the review.
The Great:
- The premise is a lot of fun and the story is as long as it needs to be. Not too long to over stay its welcome or get messy, not too short to not get invested in the characters, but enough to leave you wishing for more. Which is always how it should be for any good book.
- The story is framed as a memory from Satomi which adds on to the charm and works well with the framing as a Shonen ai manga that doesn't contain much that would be considered "romantic."
- The climax is just a wonderful culmination of the two stories coming together beautifully.
The Good:
- Wayama is a great artist and every character is drawn in a way that is easily readable from the first panel on. There are a few slips where the linework is wonky, but nothing that takes away from the art or story.
- It's oddly wholesome in it's own messed up, weird way. Or at least played as such.
The Eh:
- No matter how you look at this story, romantic or not it is pretty messed up for a random Yakuza member to stake out school choir competitions and "convince" a student to teach him. And depending on how seriously you take that premise will determine how funny you will see Satomi's ever consistent mood of internal screaming/panic. I pretty much took it as I would any stupid comedy premise and went along for the ride.
The Romance:
As I had mentioned early into the review, this is a Shonen ai manga. But before we can throw things as to this being a story that promotes or celebrates the relationship between a teenager and a man well into his 30s, we have to understand that the majority of the story, we discover, is written through Satomi's perspective. Especially after a second read, It's very much implied that this is a one-sided romance, with Satomi developing a crush on Kyouji through the course of the story. It explains why the cover and link: this image looks way more romantic than anything and everything else in the actual story.
Kyouji, himself, would carry himself with a more carefree, relaxed manner rather than anything that would be considered romantic. Kyouji wanted a singing teacher so he didn't have to deal with getting horribly tattooed, nothing more, nothing less.
This interestingly enough works well with the theme of self-altering change going on in Satomi's story. Everything around Satomi is shifting and moving in ways that he doesn't know how to deal with. With him growing into his puberty, the last months of middle school, going from a confident singer to one uncertain how his voice is going to come out on the other side, NOW ADD becoming aware that you're attracted to another guy AND your first real crush is some random yakuza member? There's a reason as to why Satomi is perpetually internally screaming through out the story.
The romance isn't deep, it's not supposed to be deep. It's coming from the perspective of this confused teen with all of the insanity of his world going around him. We're reminded as such
when Satomi can't pull out too many things as to explain to himself why he's into Kyouji when the moment arises other than Kyouji being nice to him.
Though it does pose something interesting when the two are reunited years later after Satomi is in the process of heading off to collage at the end of the story. So it gives the audience a wink and a nod to feel free to approach the relationship in a...less messy context or to
UPDATE THAT I JUST REALIZED AFTER A LITTLE LOOKING INTO:
THERE IS A SEQUEL SERIES!
Apparently it follows the two moving to Tokyo and their misadventures and...more?? Welp, this is an exciting development since it's not often that these types of one-shots get explored deeper.
The premise even more intriguing since it brings in all those questions that you're only able to mull over. What would develop between these two now that they've reunited under different circumstances? What on earth is Satomi whole headspace going to be with this His first crush/"love" is back in his life? He apparently still carries some feelings from seeing Kyouji pop up again. Will he still think so highly of Kyouji after getting away from romanticizing of the past because of some warped puppy-dog love, will he carry it around regardless and choose to pay attention to what fits that old image? This crush was profoundly important to Satomi that he held onto it for over 3 years after, and wrote an entire essay about it for his graduation class the last bit of the page that we saw reading:
That moment[...]my mind was clogged[...]of happiness, anger, and impatience. The fact that I was actually hearing Kyouji's voice brought tears to my eyes.
How many times had he made me cry anyway? Whenever I cried, he always laughed.
What was wrong with him, always laughing [like] that?
That was the last time I ever saw Kyouji. It's been three years, and he hasn't contacted me once in all that time.
I wonder what he's doing now.
Satomi has been going through it and has a lot of pent up mess to work through as a result of this experience. Will he get that backbone to chew Kyouji out like every fiber of his being wants to? Or maybe realize that it was better that Kyouji fazed himself out when he did, cuz geez, did Kyouji realize that Satomi was getting a crush on him towards the end and go like "whoops, that's not a landmine that anyone wants to step on. Gotta cut this one off" (Which yes, good, please do that).
What of Kyouji? We'll get an opportunity to actually know him beyond Satomi's perspective. Was he a creep the whole time or that chill gangster we've been introduced to is an accurate depiction? There's a hint of conflicting information if you consider what Satomi last wrote about him that does indicate some cruelness (...well...he is part of the yakuza...so...). Does he think anything of the new situation? Is he into men as well as women? And they're incredibly different, in massively different points in their lives, with a weird history, with a substantial age gap. Is there even the slightest potential for this type of relationship working out in any functional way? Or will this be an intriguing character exploration of "toxic/messy first loves are going to be and end toxic and/or messy." Or "it's better to leave those relationships in the past, rather than pursue them because you were pursuing a fantasy anyways rather than an actual person."
Long story short, I'm highly interested in watching how this insanity continues. Fingers crossed that it gets released in the west.
UPDATE UPDATE:
I caught up with the current chapters.
I hate this. Thought I got a fun little one-shot, that I could enjoy than leave it at that. Now I'm trapped and going to be thinking about these two and what may become of them for the rest of my life until their story is officially done.
5/5
October 15, 2025
initially I wanted to give it jail, but I'll let it slide this time, it was pretty funny (now I get the hype for this one, it deserves it!)
January 13, 2024
a cute purchase, a friend rec me this last year and i finally managed to read it. odd friendship between a pretty guy who's a yakuza and a midschooler who teaches him to sing. the overall story is fun and lovely and the mangaka did a very good job at depicting every single interaction between the two. the the art is also so nice.
January 2, 2024
i love this author so much she never misses
August 17, 2025
I absolutely loved the anime, and I'm pleased to see that it was a very faithful adaptation of the manga, with a few small additions/rearrangements to make the story a bit fuller. For example, there was an anime scene that showed Kyouji with the rest of his yakuza family, with their non-terrible tattoos on display. That was a nice extra touch.
The anime also swapped Kyouji's backstory - which closes out this book - to instead let the final scenes be of his reunion with Satomi at the airport, when Satomi's headed off to college in Tokyo. Both versions are effective - the manga concludes on a funny note, with Kyouji realizing the karaoke battles he fears so much had been spurred from a random comment he'd made years before - while the anime ends with a much more emotional focus on the relationship between Satomi and Kyouji.
This is really such a fascinating story. It's hard to pinpoint the genre, although for the most part I'd say it's a coming of age story. We find out near the end that the whole thing is a fleshed-out narration of Satomi's high school graduation essay, where he's reflecting on a formative period of his life from three years earlier. It's...an odd thing to share with the entire student body, honestly, because a lot of it feels intensely private. Like the way he'd cried at just being able to hear Kyouji's voice again, and how it drove him crazy that Kyouji always laughed at him when he cried (but he didn't hate Kyouji at all).
Kyouji, a yakuza lieutenant, popped up in Satomi's life during a major transitional period for him, where he was really struggling with the changes that come with puberty and, essentially, becoming a man. He hid this from everyone - his family, his friends (did he have any of those back then?), his choir instructor, and Kyouji. The only people who seemed to notice his difficulties with his changing voice were his choir instructor and Wada, the choir underclassman who was assigned to be his understudy "in case something happened."
Of course, this was just a gentle way to set up a backup plan in case Satomi's voice dropped before the final performance, leaving him unable to hit the high notes in his soprano solo. It would've been kinder to never assign that final solo to him to begin with, since it was pretty obvious he was straining his voice and panicking over it. Wada's the only person who repeatedly approaches Satomi about it...but I ended up hating him as a character, because so much of his attitude seemed self-serving and judgmental. (He shows up in the sequel, I saw from skimming online, but I'm not sure if he's a better character then or not.)
I don't know if choir is Satomi's full identity at that point in his life - we don't actually get to know that much about him, because he's pretty private and very quiet. But you can think of it like a sports star, the captain of a team, having a life-changing injury that leaves him unable to perform for his team in the final game. He's letting other people down, and he's also losing something that had been an extremely formative part of his youth. He can still sing, in a different range, but it won't be the same, and it's hard to tell if that's something he wants to keep doing.
In the midst of all this, we get Kyouji, an extremely strange member of the yakuza who shows up at Satomi's final choir competition - where they place second, which Satomi thinks is his fault - and drags him into being his karaoke coach.
Does it make any sense? No. Satomi points out repeatedly that there are a lot of much more rational and effective ways to train your voice. But Kyouji latched onto him and genuinely enjoys spending time with him, outside of the karaoke trainings.
And Satomi...well, Satomi goes from being understandably terrified of a strange yakuza man to trusting and caring about and needing him. He still jolts in a panic when Kyouji reaches out to pat his head, but when it comes down to it, he feels completely safe with Kyouji - who does protect him at several points, from other yakuza or ex-yakuza who could genuinely harm him. Beyond that, he just likes being around him, and seeks him out when he's stressed and needs someone to calm him down and make him feel more grounded.
Part of Satomi's growing up, too, is changing from a guy who's terrified of being in a karaoke room with a bunch of Kyouji's yakuza buddies, to someone who can barge into a bigger venue with the entire yakuza family and its boss, telling them they can all go to hell for not caring about Kyouji dying.
It's a pretty epic scene, and Wada with his nonsense about Satomi being a "coward" can suck it. This, too, was fantastic to have in anime form, because it's always nice to actually be able to hear the music that plays such a pivotal role in stories. Satomi singing Kyouji's karaoke song with his voice cracking around the words and tears streaming down his face...pouring his heart into the song so Kyouji doesn't get tattooed down in Hell either...perfection.
And then...Kyouji - who wasn't dead after all - disappears from Satomi's life, essentially to protect the rest of his youth. After the second time Satomi ignores his instructions about the unsafe places to never go in the city, Kyouji realizes that staying in the picture will only harm him and perhaps derail his future in the way his own was. "You shouldn't have gone with him," Satomi says when Kyouji relates the story about how he got recruited into the yakuza to begin with, as a young man who didn't have much going on in his life. But when you're in that situation, it's pretty hard to say no or to picture a different future for yourself.
Satomi wasn't on a path to join the yakuza, but he was getting more and more attached to Kyouji, to the point of skipping his final choir performance, while repeatedly seeking out Kyouji and getting himself into dangerous situations. So Kyouji removed himself from the picture, and Satomi grew up, into a much more settled and confident version of himself.
And when they met again at the airport years later, and Kyouji showed Satomi the tattoo he'd gotten of Satomi's name, after finally losing one of the karaoke battles...
I just love it. I badly want the rest of the story. But this does stand well on its own, as a really fascinating snapshot of extremely different people meeting and forming an unusual bond.
The anime also swapped Kyouji's backstory - which closes out this book - to instead let the final scenes be of his reunion with Satomi at the airport, when Satomi's headed off to college in Tokyo. Both versions are effective - the manga concludes on a funny note, with Kyouji realizing the karaoke battles he fears so much had been spurred from a random comment he'd made years before - while the anime ends with a much more emotional focus on the relationship between Satomi and Kyouji.
This is really such a fascinating story. It's hard to pinpoint the genre, although for the most part I'd say it's a coming of age story. We find out near the end that the whole thing is a fleshed-out narration of Satomi's high school graduation essay, where he's reflecting on a formative period of his life from three years earlier. It's...an odd thing to share with the entire student body, honestly, because a lot of it feels intensely private. Like the way he'd cried at just being able to hear Kyouji's voice again, and how it drove him crazy that Kyouji always laughed at him when he cried (but he didn't hate Kyouji at all).
Kyouji, a yakuza lieutenant, popped up in Satomi's life during a major transitional period for him, where he was really struggling with the changes that come with puberty and, essentially, becoming a man. He hid this from everyone - his family, his friends (did he have any of those back then?), his choir instructor, and Kyouji. The only people who seemed to notice his difficulties with his changing voice were his choir instructor and Wada, the choir underclassman who was assigned to be his understudy "in case something happened."
Of course, this was just a gentle way to set up a backup plan in case Satomi's voice dropped before the final performance, leaving him unable to hit the high notes in his soprano solo. It would've been kinder to never assign that final solo to him to begin with, since it was pretty obvious he was straining his voice and panicking over it. Wada's the only person who repeatedly approaches Satomi about it...but I ended up hating him as a character, because so much of his attitude seemed self-serving and judgmental. (He shows up in the sequel, I saw from skimming online, but I'm not sure if he's a better character then or not.)
I don't know if choir is Satomi's full identity at that point in his life - we don't actually get to know that much about him, because he's pretty private and very quiet. But you can think of it like a sports star, the captain of a team, having a life-changing injury that leaves him unable to perform for his team in the final game. He's letting other people down, and he's also losing something that had been an extremely formative part of his youth. He can still sing, in a different range, but it won't be the same, and it's hard to tell if that's something he wants to keep doing.
In the midst of all this, we get Kyouji, an extremely strange member of the yakuza who shows up at Satomi's final choir competition - where they place second, which Satomi thinks is his fault - and drags him into being his karaoke coach.
Does it make any sense? No. Satomi points out repeatedly that there are a lot of much more rational and effective ways to train your voice. But Kyouji latched onto him and genuinely enjoys spending time with him, outside of the karaoke trainings.
And Satomi...well, Satomi goes from being understandably terrified of a strange yakuza man to trusting and caring about and needing him. He still jolts in a panic when Kyouji reaches out to pat his head, but when it comes down to it, he feels completely safe with Kyouji - who does protect him at several points, from other yakuza or ex-yakuza who could genuinely harm him. Beyond that, he just likes being around him, and seeks him out when he's stressed and needs someone to calm him down and make him feel more grounded.
Part of Satomi's growing up, too, is changing from a guy who's terrified of being in a karaoke room with a bunch of Kyouji's yakuza buddies, to someone who can barge into a bigger venue with the entire yakuza family and its boss, telling them they can all go to hell for not caring about Kyouji dying.
It's a pretty epic scene, and Wada with his nonsense about Satomi being a "coward" can suck it. This, too, was fantastic to have in anime form, because it's always nice to actually be able to hear the music that plays such a pivotal role in stories. Satomi singing Kyouji's karaoke song with his voice cracking around the words and tears streaming down his face...pouring his heart into the song so Kyouji doesn't get tattooed down in Hell either...perfection.
And then...Kyouji - who wasn't dead after all - disappears from Satomi's life, essentially to protect the rest of his youth. After the second time Satomi ignores his instructions about the unsafe places to never go in the city, Kyouji realizes that staying in the picture will only harm him and perhaps derail his future in the way his own was. "You shouldn't have gone with him," Satomi says when Kyouji relates the story about how he got recruited into the yakuza to begin with, as a young man who didn't have much going on in his life. But when you're in that situation, it's pretty hard to say no or to picture a different future for yourself.
Satomi wasn't on a path to join the yakuza, but he was getting more and more attached to Kyouji, to the point of skipping his final choir performance, while repeatedly seeking out Kyouji and getting himself into dangerous situations. So Kyouji removed himself from the picture, and Satomi grew up, into a much more settled and confident version of himself.
And when they met again at the airport years later, and Kyouji showed Satomi the tattoo he'd gotten of Satomi's name, after finally losing one of the karaoke battles...
I just love it. I badly want the rest of the story. But this does stand well on its own, as a really fascinating snapshot of extremely different people meeting and forming an unusual bond.
December 24, 2023
好甜！在聖誕夜看這本真是太好了。
June 6, 2023
I think I mostly agree with Isabelle Ryan's review on SOLRAD; this is a smart, silly story with some playfully sus undertones. As a former choir kid and tweenage loner, Let's Go Karaoke! really hits on the isolation, uncertainty, and pressure of being a "talented kid"; having to teach a 40 year old gangster how to sing on top of all of that somehow manages to be cathartic comedic gold. Let's Go Karaoke! is a story about the unexpected relationships formed in adolescence that change your life, but maybe shouldn't have happened in the first place. It's a funny story grounded in the serious danger and unclear motivations coming from said relationship. One of these days I've gotta read this and Shonen Note back to back.
May 24, 2022
One of my favorite comics read this year. Wayama has a knack for comedic timing and capturing emotions. The story has such a wacky premise but manages to stay consistently delightful from start to finish. Even though this is an oneshot, I was surprisingly invested in the characters and really enjoyed their interactions with one another.
June 1, 2022
This was a fun and unexpected title. I really enjoyed the bonkers concept, and the fact that both of them ended up benefiting from their arrangement together. I don't want to say too much about this particular one, so I will leave it there. Just want you to know that I was very hesitant to go into this series, but ended up thoroughly enjoying myself.
November 28, 2023
A short manga about an unconventional relationship that develops between a teenage boy who is the head of his school choir and a yakuza desperate for singing lessons so he can make it out on top at a quarterly karaoke competition. Ultimately not a plot to write home about but the BL undertones were intriguing, whether they were intentional or not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews