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Punch Up #2
Punch↑ 2
These construction workers like to play with their tools.
High-flying architect Maki Motoharu loves looking at hot guys, and where better to find a lot of good-looking, well-toned hotties than a construction site? But after one visit, Motoharu winds up with an unexpected commitment. Ironworker Ohki Kouta is young, foul-mouthed, and not at all Motoharu's type!
Architect Maki Motoharu is thoroughly enjoying life with his new roommate, ironworker Ohki Kouta. Although he’s young, Kouta is responsible and sees to the chores Motoharu tends to forget. Their nightlife together is full of new, wonderful discoveries, too! Things seems perfect for the new couple until Kouta's old crush shows up and Motoharu finds himself grappling with feelings of jealousy for the first time in his life. Includes bonus comic strips, along with the side story "Honeymoon."
High-flying architect Maki Motoharu loves looking at hot guys, and where better to find a lot of good-looking, well-toned hotties than a construction site? But after one visit, Motoharu winds up with an unexpected commitment. Ironworker Ohki Kouta is young, foul-mouthed, and not at all Motoharu's type!
Architect Maki Motoharu is thoroughly enjoying life with his new roommate, ironworker Ohki Kouta. Although he’s young, Kouta is responsible and sees to the chores Motoharu tends to forget. Their nightlife together is full of new, wonderful discoveries, too! Things seems perfect for the new couple until Kouta's old crush shows up and Motoharu finds himself grappling with feelings of jealousy for the first time in his life. Includes bonus comic strips, along with the side story "Honeymoon."
Paperback
First published February 10, 2009
6 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Shiuko Kano
62 books41 followersAssociated 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.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 2, 2022
Original Review July 2021
This book was just as funny as the first one. It turns out that Motoharu isn't the only one with a huge sex drive; he might have even met his match with Kouta... though Motoharu is still the freakier of the two. I'm not even going to get into his cringy obsession with cotton swabs. I'll just let you read that one for yourself.
Each act was written (and edited) perfectly, showing more and more how deeply these two are falling in love with each other. Yes, Motoharu is still an enormous goofball but he's at least trying to do right by Kouta and Kouta, for his part, is allowing himself to be more vulnerable around Motoharu and let his guard down.
In the last story, after act 6, we got to meet his incredibly handsome first love, a former Yakuza gang member who, at the time of their meeting was dating his older brother. After he lost his virginity to the guy, he ended up walking out of both his and his brother's life. This wasn't really a bad thing because Kouta was only 15 and the guy didn't have anything going for himself but it was still very heartbreaking. It kinda killed the humorous vibe of the volume but it was still good.
Reread December 2022
I forgot how emotionally charged these chapters could be. Kouta is such a sensitive person and felt everything 10x stronger than everyone else. I love his character and am so happy he found Motoharu.
This book was just as funny as the first one. It turns out that Motoharu isn't the only one with a huge sex drive; he might have even met his match with Kouta... though Motoharu is still the freakier of the two. I'm not even going to get into his cringy obsession with cotton swabs. I'll just let you read that one for yourself.
Each act was written (and edited) perfectly, showing more and more how deeply these two are falling in love with each other. Yes, Motoharu is still an enormous goofball but he's at least trying to do right by Kouta and Kouta, for his part, is allowing himself to be more vulnerable around Motoharu and let his guard down.
In the last story, after act 6, we got to meet his incredibly handsome first love, a former Yakuza gang member who, at the time of their meeting was dating his older brother. After he lost his virginity to the guy, he ended up walking out of both his and his brother's life. This wasn't really a bad thing because Kouta was only 15 and the guy didn't have anything going for himself but it was still very heartbreaking. It kinda killed the humorous vibe of the volume but it was still good.
Reread December 2022
I forgot how emotionally charged these chapters could be. Kouta is such a sensitive person and felt everything 10x stronger than everyone else. I love his character and am so happy he found Motoharu.
October 6, 2023
I hate the main character now. At first I thought, "Wow, a BL that talks about transgendered people! Awesome!" Nope, the main character calls his m-f transgendered sister, his brother and multiple times says she's a he. "He's still a man, just dresses like a girl." That's not how it works. I know this is just a BL, and in Japan being gay isn't accepted there. But in a genre where the men all sleep with other men, you'd think the writer would TRY to write accurate LGBT+ characters. RAWR!! So mad!
Hopefully in the future, BL will get better. More accepting. Smarter. I'm still waiting for it to.
Hopefully in the future, BL will get better. More accepting. Smarter. I'm still waiting for it to.
July 27, 2024
It stayed good and I’m mad about it. 😂
June 21, 2012
If you were to compare books to food, "Punch Up" has about the same nutritional value as a glass of Nutella. Except of course it doesn't make you fat. It's just that - reading "Punch Up" is neither good or bad (okay, so the comparison to Nutella really falls flat, sorry about that) - it's slightly kinky pointless fun using cardboard cutouts instead of characters and just about every BL cliché you can imagine. It's the kind of book I like to read in the morning when I have a day off. That's why it gets three stars rather than just two. It's entertaining, but in a really empty way. But it doesn't pretend to be anything else, and I can respect that.
Also, it has cats. And cats in manga are always worth an additional star.
Also, it has cats. And cats in manga are always worth an additional star.
October 16, 2020
So I found the first volume pretty lack luster, but I really enjoyed this volume. I like the added love interest and I find the main romance very different from the normal yaoi romance which is very refreshing. I highly recommend reading on.
October 5, 2023
At best this was boring. At worst this was…well, see below.
Warning: misgendering of off-screen trans character.
Look, if you’re 31 and dating a 19 year old, you can’t get all jealous and possessive. You’re the actual adult in the relationship and the 19 year old is just barely not a child. It’s not cute. Also, making the 19 year old feel bad for not being a virgin when you met is just super gross.
Also, Kouta’s sister’s boyfriend who was 25 at the time having sex with Kouta as a 15 year old is NOT a first “relationship.” A 15 year old is a child. Don’t @ me with “age of consent.” Creeping on your girlfriend’s 15 year old brother is disgusting.
kouta’s sister kicked the boyfriend out when she found out. She didn’t blame her kid brother because he’s a CHILD. Honestly she seems better than the rest of these jerks. Also, f*** all these transphobes.
Warning: misgendering of off-screen trans character.
Look, if you’re 31 and dating a 19 year old, you can’t get all jealous and possessive. You’re the actual adult in the relationship and the 19 year old is just barely not a child. It’s not cute. Also, making the 19 year old feel bad for not being a virgin when you met is just super gross.
Also, Kouta’s sister’s boyfriend who was 25 at the time having sex with Kouta as a 15 year old is NOT a first “relationship.” A 15 year old is a child. Don’t @ me with “age of consent.” Creeping on your girlfriend’s 15 year old brother is disgusting.
kouta’s sister kicked the boyfriend out when she found out. She didn’t blame her kid brother because he’s a CHILD. Honestly she seems better than the rest of these jerks. Also, f*** all these transphobes.
December 11, 2018
Mark the day, the first time I've ever said that a plotline was *improved* by introducing a love triangle. Just a heads-up, there is a trans character introduced and everyone who talks about her is, uh, pretty shitty about her identity, although I'm not sure how much of that is the translation not adequately explaining the difference between "okama" and the Western concept of transgender. The art is improving, although this book has so many sex scenes that even I was too embarrassed to read it on the train.
April 18, 2021
I... Why did I bought this?! Why did I bought even more volumes in the series😳. Seriously being a completist is dumb.
So many things I don't like or avoid. I'm an idiot. I'm just sitting here and shaking my head because I already know I won't get rid of this series because it's complete now. Worse, the prequel series isn't available in physical English copies. This isn't even one of my favourite mangaka.
Why did I buy this?! I'm just so frustrated with Past-Me.
So many things I don't like or avoid. I'm an idiot. I'm just sitting here and shaking my head because I already know I won't get rid of this series because it's complete now. Worse, the prequel series isn't available in physical English copies. This isn't even one of my favourite mangaka.
Why did I buy this?! I'm just so frustrated with Past-Me.
April 4, 2018
Cute
It's a cute story....um however....There are some things that even make me blush. I like the way the author writes...it makes you want to read more. I laughed so hard about the q-tip fetish.
It's a cute story....um however....There are some things that even make me blush. I like the way the author writes...it makes you want to read more. I laughed so hard about the q-tip fetish.
March 22, 2025
The art is a little better I didn’t have any issues knowing who was who. Other man drama, toxic relationship continues, and horny old man. If you liked the first you probably like this one. I’m knocking it down a star cause of the stuff with his sister. But that kid is a victim.
March 4, 2020
Such an improvement on the first volume, in story and art. Hilarious as well! :3
April 14, 2013
Not For the Faint of Heart - Punch Up! Vol 2 Review
Well it's a little early in the day for drinking but with some coconut tea spiked with some spiced rum I think I am ready to give my thoughts on the second volume of this romance between construction worker Kouta and architect Maki. It continues to be a rather fun read, though the character are not exactly the greatest for each other, not in what one would call a healthy relationship. With that said, it does get a little better, and there is a sense that Kouta isn't quite being taken advantage of as much as in the first book. Indeed, there are some signs that this is a couple that has more going for them than originally thought. They still aren't great together, but it does seem like maybe they are good for each other.
The story, such that it is, revolves very heavily around Kouta's back story, his history, both with the arrival of an overprotective friend that questions Maki's intentions in the relationship, and in the arrival of Kouta's first lover, who just happens to be around and who Kouta has mixed feelings toward. It makes this volume a bit more dramatic, a bit more tense, because Kouta is definitely a complicated character, raised from a fairly young age by his...brother, as the book says. His brother is transgender, though, born a male and now living as a female, but still referred to as brother. It makes things a bit more confusing, but it also gives him some depth (oh no, pun!) that he was lacking in the last book and helps to explain why he is the way he is.
We are also shown the flashback sequence of the time with his first love, who had been his brother's boyfriend first and was also a former yakuza. It is strange, and a bit questionable given that Kouta is fifteen here. It puts his problems with his own feelings and sexuality into context, though, and while not the sexiest thing to think about, does make for some interesting drama. It is nice, after all, that the series is making these characters complex, fleshed out (why, pun, why?). It makes for an interesting story, something that manages to hold the attention while also showing the maturing relationship between the two men. They continue to be cute, and I'm still liking the cats.
The artwork also continues to shine, and for fans for the more graphic depictions, it's all here, all rendered with care and creativity. There are quite a few scenes in this volume, and they all help to give us a feel for the personalities of the characters. Again, I like stories like this, that don't yada yada sex or sexuality, because for these characters it is very important to their relationship, and it's also just well drawn and written here. This might not be setting the world on fire with it's plot, but it is a good story, and entertaining despite the lingering conflict I feel in regards to Kouta. Still, it is fun, and I'll still give it a 7.5/10.
Well it's a little early in the day for drinking but with some coconut tea spiked with some spiced rum I think I am ready to give my thoughts on the second volume of this romance between construction worker Kouta and architect Maki. It continues to be a rather fun read, though the character are not exactly the greatest for each other, not in what one would call a healthy relationship. With that said, it does get a little better, and there is a sense that Kouta isn't quite being taken advantage of as much as in the first book. Indeed, there are some signs that this is a couple that has more going for them than originally thought. They still aren't great together, but it does seem like maybe they are good for each other.
The story, such that it is, revolves very heavily around Kouta's back story, his history, both with the arrival of an overprotective friend that questions Maki's intentions in the relationship, and in the arrival of Kouta's first lover, who just happens to be around and who Kouta has mixed feelings toward. It makes this volume a bit more dramatic, a bit more tense, because Kouta is definitely a complicated character, raised from a fairly young age by his...brother, as the book says. His brother is transgender, though, born a male and now living as a female, but still referred to as brother. It makes things a bit more confusing, but it also gives him some depth (oh no, pun!) that he was lacking in the last book and helps to explain why he is the way he is.
We are also shown the flashback sequence of the time with his first love, who had been his brother's boyfriend first and was also a former yakuza. It is strange, and a bit questionable given that Kouta is fifteen here. It puts his problems with his own feelings and sexuality into context, though, and while not the sexiest thing to think about, does make for some interesting drama. It is nice, after all, that the series is making these characters complex, fleshed out (why, pun, why?). It makes for an interesting story, something that manages to hold the attention while also showing the maturing relationship between the two men. They continue to be cute, and I'm still liking the cats.
The artwork also continues to shine, and for fans for the more graphic depictions, it's all here, all rendered with care and creativity. There are quite a few scenes in this volume, and they all help to give us a feel for the personalities of the characters. Again, I like stories like this, that don't yada yada sex or sexuality, because for these characters it is very important to their relationship, and it's also just well drawn and written here. This might not be setting the world on fire with it's plot, but it is a good story, and entertaining despite the lingering conflict I feel in regards to Kouta. Still, it is fun, and I'll still give it a 7.5/10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2016
Die Beziehung der zwei Hauptcharaktere entwickelt sich; wir haben neue Kinks die sie ausprobieren, und wir lernen die Vergangenheit von Kotas ersten mal mit 15 kennen, weil er seinen damaligen Liebhaber wieder trifft. Und da er erst 19 (!) ist, hat das doch ziemliche Auswirkungen auf ihn. Wir bekommen gezeigt, wie er zu dem Menschen wurde, der er heute ist.
February 5, 2013
Good manga. Recommend.
September 12, 2016
My new favorite series. I really like this one!
January 1, 2015
1st read : 4 May 2014
2nd read : 1 Jan 2015
2nd read : 1 Jan 2015
January 25, 2024
Too funny! I’ll never look at a q-tip the same after this book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews