Punch↑

Punch Up #1

by Shiuko Kano, 鹿乃しうこ

エリート建築家・牧は、美形の男が大好物! 男が集まる建築現場は、彼にとって格好の狩場である★ しかし思わぬ同居人ができてしまった。型枠工の浩太は口の悪いガキンチョで、牧の趣味からはかけ離れ…!? 描き下ろし収録の「P.B.B.」サイドstoryv

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

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Associated names :
初田しうこ
鹿乃西子
UIDA Shiuko

Name (in native language) : 鹿乃しうこ

Birth date : March 4

Zodiac : Pisces

Blood type : O

She is the younger sister of Kazuna Uchida.

Reviews

[L Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread November 2022
This is the first volume of one of my all time favorite yaoi series. Written in the mid-2000s the art style is, admittedly, very dated but it does improve dramatically with each volume. It's hard to believe that it has been 16 years since this came out and they are just now releasing volume 7! 😦 I'm going to reread volumes 1-6 before I begin it. I enjoyed this just as much this time around. Even though Kouta maintains his feistiness throughout the series he does mellow out alot by volume 6. Also, with the changes in art style he looks like he's aging backwards. 😄

Original Review June 2021
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this (I knew nothing of the mangaka or the series) but I am so happy I gave it a shot because it's really good. Motoharu is the goofiest, most man-childish seme I've ever read about. Some of the things he says and the situations he finds himself in are so stupid I literally laugh out loud.

Kouta's character is interesting in that he is only 19 years old (12 years younger than Maki) but seems to have already gone through many failed, maybe even abusive, relationships. It's odd for someone to be so cynical about love at such a young age. Even as he was falling in love with Motoharu he didn't believe and even accepted that the relationship wouldn't go anywhere. He seemed to be waiting for Motoharu to get bored with him. He just accepted it as the way things always worked out for him.

I don't want to give away too much of the story because it's best to go in blind. Keep in mind that this is a spinoff of another series I've never heard of called Play Boy Blues but the mangaka gives enough background information for you to know how all the characters are connected and you don't really need any knowledge of that story to enjoy this one. It's meant to be funny and not meant to be taken seriously. If you're okay with this I think you'd enjoy this.

Oh, and I feel I should probably mention this; the story is pretty explicit. There really isn't much left to the imagination. I'm halfway through book 2 and it only gets worse (...or better?) I really don't mind it but I know everyone is different.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very hot and steamy novel. The jealousy and toxicity in this book, I’m eating it up. But it also has some heart. I liked it. I feel like 3.5 I know the art style is old but I really like it. My issue with it is all the character aren’t unique a few of them it’s hard to tell apart.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say more like 3.5 stars; giving book 2 a shot and will decide about reading the rest of the series.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not For the Faint of Heart - Punch Up! Vol 1 Review

It's time to take this on the road! We're in sunny Madison for the weekend and it just so happened that I took this book along with, and so thanks to some sake and plum wine here we are and it's go time! This is the second book from SubLime Publishing, which is the same that brought me Three Wolves Mountain, which has been one of my favorite yaoi mangas. Punch Up! takes a fairly more standard approach, though, ditching the more supernatural elements and showing a more traditional (read messed up) relationship. This serves to show a rather dramatic series of events, but leaves much to be desired in the whole these characters being decent people front.

The volume does a nice enough job setting things up, and while this is a spin-off of another series by the same author I didn't feel lost at all, didn't miss anything. These characters have other stories, but for most part the relationship between the two main characters stands on its own and is given enough space to grow and breath. This is not a healthy relationship, though. The architect characters is a jerk, very possessive and controlling, very concerned with his own appearance and not really as concerned with his construction worker "boyfriend." The construction worker, on the other hand, is the much more likeable character, showing a level of empathy, wanting to make people happy, caring about the cat in the story.

And I suppose that it bothers me, then, that the construction worker's job is basically to "save" the jerk character, to act as a maturing influence, to get him to care more about people and things aside from his own ego, but at the expense of his own happiness. I don't like that, and don't like that he is kind of dependent on the near-abuse that is heaped on him. It is a similar sentiment that exists in many yaoi manga, and one that (along with rape) I don't like. Of course, at least the sex in this volume is consensual, not coerced except through emotional manipulation. And that's something. I mean, i am interested in the relationship of these characters, but that relationship is the only "plot" of the series. I wish that these stories had more to their stories than just the relationship issues, but there you go.

There are aspects of this manga that I definitely liked, though, including the cat aspects. The cats are adorable and do act as a sort of character litmus test, and it is a way to see how the jerk character changes. However, it's not exactly like he's ever a good person, and so I guess I have to hope that things on that front improve in later volumes, and that the plot of the series actually involves some plot.

The love scenes in the volume are quite good, though, varied and passionate and almost everything one could want from a yaoi title. The art is excellent and the scenarios are interesting, the posing and the detail very good. Like with most yaoi, I would like to see the main characters switch it up a bit more, and that's not the case here. The jerk character seems very much like he wouldn't be into taking anything, and that's a shame that the "gender roles" are still inforced, but as that can be the case of things, so it goes.

All in all, this is a fairly standard yaoi manga, good and quite detailed, but lacking a whole lot of deep (teehee) characterization. It shows a rather disfunctional relationship but doesn't offer much in the way of story but that has its cute elements and the like. And that's fine. There is no rape and the characters are entertaining at the very least, and it's something that I can escape into and enjoy on a more superficial level. Good for what it is, this volume earns itself a 6.75/10.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really liked this story. It's about an architech that falls in love with a construction worker. They are connected by a stray cat that one of them finds and gets evicted for. So, they decide to live together with the cat, and their relationship flourishes from there. It was very good. I'll have to pick up the next volume soon.

[☽｡⋆ Naidah ₊˚ෆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

One thing about older BL is that the art style is similar to each other, which I don’t mind, I loved it either way. Very aesthetic. This story, however, was lost on me. I didn’t even know what was happening majority of the time. So 1.5/5 ⭐️

[Debbra Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Yaoi not Tolstoy

There were some really cute and funny parts...but like most bl manga it's about the sex and then sex again

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

While it does not break any new ground in the genre nor is it extraordinarily titillating, this first volume in the series gets a few extra points for the following:

1. Having a couple that is comprised of actually gay men (that this need be stated is a bit problematic but what can you do...)
2. Having lead protagonists who are goofy and weird. I like that Maki (the seme) is such a weirdo, wears his heart on his sleeve, and tries so hard to be a good boyfriend. Another nice change of pace.
3. Exploring the problem of starting a relationship with sex and trying to make it work after that.

All that said, this volume mostly used the situations to get the characters to getting it on, which is fine, but there are better examples of both erotica and plot driven romances in the genre (see others that I have read and reviewed here). Overall, it's just fine with a couple of aspects making it slightly better than fine.

P.S. I totally don't buy that Maki's ex in this volume is straight; he's, at the very least, bisexual but I'm not sure I buy that either. Doesn't help that he has a "fiance" who never makes an appearance. Just food for thought.

[Beaumont · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. It’s an old manga, but the style isn’t bad. It’s kind of weird that a 30 year old man (Maki) would want to date a 19 year old (Kouta). The cat was cute. I think Shinobu and Aki seem more interesting from the little I’ve seen, but I’ll try more of the series and see. My library lent me 5 volumes so we’ll see if I read them all or not. They’re pretty quick to read. They’re OK as far as entertainment, I guess.

However, I enormously appreciate that most of the characters actually acknowledge they’re queer. Most times, especially in older manga, the character are like “I’m totally straight completely no question except I'm more attracted to someone of the same sex than anyone ever” and it’s like…you’re queer. That’s fine. lots of bi/pan people mostly like one gender or whatever.

Anyway, nice to have actual queer people.

[Mórocz Amelita · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating after reading 7 volumes

I brought 7 volumes at once. Haven’t rated them one by one, only after finishing them, as I couldn’t form a proper opinion. This 1st volume was a mess. No real story, nothing made sense, the characters were flat with no real personalities. I thought it was a bad choice to purchase. But! Heads up! From the next volume the storyline becomes good. After finally the characters get a personality it will be a quite good story with memorable and hilarious happenings. :)

[Miguel Vega · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5. This graphic novel was pretty good and entertaining. It was pretty difficult at times to be able to tell who was speaking because it wasn't all that clear. The characters themselves were good, but I was also partly confused by some of the premise because this is spinoff series to an already concluded series (I cannot find the previous series for sale online). All in all, it was fun and entertaining and very sexual.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of sex scenes but the characterization is wobbly and honestly the relationship isn't terribly compelling. The cover and back copy sell this as a romance where the conflict will be class difference but honestly almost all the conflict comes from the two protagonists being unbelievably immature and never telling each other how they feel. Also, I wanted the cat to be more prominent than it was. :( All in all, kind of a disappointment, although there were some fun moments.

[Reuben Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 but I’ll be generous. I was going for a smutty one tonight and it mostly delivered although that element could have been better. I’m weirdly quite invested in the cat plot though and while I can kinda take or leave the main ship I am getting quite attached to Kouta. I’ll read volume two but I’m actually kinda hoping it goes downhill so I don’t have too much fomo when I can’t get my hands on the rest of the series. 😅

[Mira · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just awful. The protagonist is a manipulative 30-year-old man who dates a teenager, mistreats his cat and threatens to rape his ex. The said teenager in turn is very violent and beats a couple of persons in this volume. They have zero chemistry and the plot is not interesting at all. Every single character in this one is disgusting. Honestly, the worst manga I have read.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wauw was I not in the mood for smut today. Also it irks me that Play Boy Blues (prequel series) isn't fully translated into English, only German 😑

[Nisarga B V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outrageous.Atrocious.hilarious. Three words which describe this series perfectly. I didn't think that I would enjoy this book this much but Maki's outrageousness and absolute shamelessness makes this a fun read.

[Blak Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Punch Up, story and art by Shiuko Kano, is a yaoi manga series. Here’s a quick synopsis: Basically, an architect by the name of Maki Motoharu is at a construction site sizing up an attractive construction worker (because he’s a lecherous old man) when his cat Shinobu happens to turn up. He discovers an ironworker, Ohki Kouta, had been caring for Shinobu, and Ohki lost his home because of the cat. Maki feels responsible and takes Ohki in, allowing him to live at his place. Maki is a pervert with a wandering eye, and Ohki has a foul mouth and bad temper. They like each other, but have a long ways to go in the relationship department, which expands and develops further along in the series. Each has to make a number of sacrifices and learn to curb their bad habits. It takes Maki time to admit he loves the young man.

I purchased the entire series and read it in several hours. Initially, I’ve got to say Maki irked me; his sleazy personality, going for every guy and his sexual perversions in the beginning, were a real turn-off. I couldn’t tell if his feelings for Ohki were genuine or not, or if he was just an old dog trying to learn a new trick. Not to mention, I didn’t find him to be the most attractive seme. I mean Asami (Viewfinder) is drop-dead gorgeous, the iconic seme: ruthless and stoic, but has a soft spot for his prey. Another is Kei (Kizuna) a tough, no non-sense cutie with a wicked sense of humour, and then there’s Takano (Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi), a laid-back, mature sexy with brains. Those are the kinds of semes I come to almost expect, even though I realize some aren’t always that attractive, for instance: Sougetsu from Midare Somenishi; the guy was an abusive creep with a capital C. So, I’ve concluded it’s Maki’s personality that I didn’t care for, but grew to accept later. Ohki did tame the dirty letch and made him his own. But, unfortunately, the bliss didn’t last. Without spoiling the story, I will say something incredibly sad happens, which puts a serious kink in their relationship, and Maki’s love to the test. After the “sad incident” the entire dynamic changed between these two men, and that’s when I really began to appreciate Maki and see him in a new light. He had guts to stick it out. The only other thing I found irritating in this series was Maki’s nose; I won’t explain, but you’ll understand if you read it.

There is a ton of explicit sex in this yaoi, and an array of supporting characters, some with their own side stories. I can’t say that Punch Up will be added to my favourite list, but it’s definitely worth reading if you’re into yaoi. 4 Stars!

To read post: http://www.blakrayneblog.com/2015/01/...

[Rici · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3,5 Sterne]
Ich habe diesen Manga vor langer Zeit gelesen und wollte ihn mal wieder lesen. Es ist lustig, weil es zum einen typisch Yaoi ist, mit fehlender Kommunikation, weil die beiden Kerle trotzdem noch nicht gelernt haben eine gute Beziehung zu führen. Trotzdem entstehen die meisten Konflikte durch die Erfahrungen die sie gemacht haben und ihre unterschiedlichen Charaktere. Nur nervig das die ganzen anderen Charaktere in einer anderen Serie vorkommen und behandelt werden als würden wir sie alle kennen.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shiuko Kano is one of my favorite mangakas. She usually writes in a comedic tone. Her books can be very explicit to very tame. She seems to love to write/draw scenes that center around construction sites. There are two main couples in this book. I found the first volume interesting and funny. There are a lot of explicit sex scenes (with some censorship)so I wasn't disapointed. I recommend it for any reader who likes explicit manga.

[DeeNeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spin off from Play Boy Blues series. Even cold hearted bad boys can fall in love. Maki Motoharu egotistical Architect and Ohki Kouta construction worker come together all due a fight over the love of a cat. I loved the tension between these too. This series may even be better than PBB. Of course Aki and Shinobu have parts to play in this story, and the bonus story is all about just Aki and Shinobu on vacation.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was entertaining, if a bit (okay, that's an understatement) stupid. But then again, if you approach most BL manga (or manga in general, or any kind of comic, I guess) with the expectation that it will make much sense you're going to be disappointed. So basically I just went with the flow and had fun. It's rated 18+ and there is a fair amount of straightforward smut.

[Myka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually confused multiple times while reading this. Sometimes people called Maki Maki, other times Motoharu, and since I don't remember anything from the other series related to this. I was lost in the who were friends, ex-lovers, etc. Also Maki is not a very likeable character. I just did not care about him.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rating is for the series as a whole - it starts out light and fun, but gets rather emotional and surprisingly involving later on. I honestly wasn't too keen on it in the beginning, but after I finished all of it, I was surprised by how much I liked it.

[Anna C · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read : 4 May 2014
2nd read : 1 Jan 2015

Renewing my memory about Kouta and Motoharu's relationship now that I finally have the paperback edition in my hand. :)

[Illy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do like this series, it just isn’t my favorite. I find the relationship interesting and the cats ARE TO CUTE!

[Nina Sato · Rating 5 out of 5]

fucking HOT

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - one of which is for the art. I've liked other stuff by this artist/writer, but this was pretty crappy. The characterization was terrible. Maki is an ice cold sociopath living in an apartment full of garbage one minute and a squeeing little girl the next. He seems to hit on anything with a pulse, but what the hell Ohki is supposed to see in him is beyond me. The other characters are a little more coherent than Maki, but this is pretty much just random dreck. The random behaviour and incomprehensible relationship kept me from enjoying this much at all.