Ichiro, an agent with the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Security Bureau, receives orders to make contact with and closely surveil Shiro, a yakuza hotshot whose bed partners include a considerable amount of influential male politicians. The mission takes an unexpected turn when they realize they've both been pursuing the same cold the disappearance of Rion Nakaba, Ichiro's senior and Shiro's sister. Determined to uncover the truth, the two secretly team up under the guise of lovers to try and pick up her trail…
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Book 1 of Kei X Yaku: Bound by Law - The deets: A missing police officer last seen in a disturbing video, sleazy/pervy politicians, a yakuza crime family, and a potentially-corrupt police department...so the missing officer's partner and her brother swallow their differences and team up to find her!
My gawd yesssss to all of that!!!!
It's a story that's as old as time, but what a MEGA vibe it is!!
The art was pretty and the story was very intriguing! And though it's only just the beginning few chapters in this installment, this series promises to navigate some very seedy and dark viciousness before the boys find their missing Rion!
I'm hooked on this mystery, and I'm sure their romance will be slow and silly, but still pretty delightful! I enjoyed this, and I'm definitely excited to see where this series goes next!
Huge shoutout to my twinnie Ivana for this amazing rec and for knowing me so well. 👯♀️💕
«There’s no going back now, Shiro Hanabusa.»
Kei X Yaku: Bound By Law was so good I need more of these two immediately.
Not only do we have an intriguing mystery plot, some undercover fake dating, and a very subtle slow-building romance just simmering in the background, but to top it all off the art style was eye-catching and action-y and hilarious at the same time.
Can’t wait to see more of what Ichiro and Shiro get up to in the next installments.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
CW and tropes (spoilers): - Agent vs yakuza - Fake dating - Queer awakening? - On page violence
Filled with mystery, tension, and pershaps... just a little something more?
As far as first impression went, Kei x Yaku Volume 1 did a great job setting up the stage. Already, I'm heavily invested in the blooming partnership (?) between Shiro and Ichiro. I loved their stubborness, I admired their absolute refusal to give up on the chase, even sacrificing parts of themselves for it (just pet the shiba, Ichiro). The art style (Shiro's tattoos!!) is pretty neat, the humour helps balancing out the dark theme pretty well, and not to mention the chemistry and banters between our two MCS. (The chemistry is so good that I almost wanted to forgive Kaoruhara for making their relationship so muddled. Is this a BL? Who knows? Who cares? Me, I care, actually). Anyway, I can't wait to see what shennanigans these two will get themselves into next.
There are some non-con elements, depictions of violence and corruption in this. I imagine that proceeding volumes will not hold back on its punches so please be mindful of that!
Otherwise, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is ensnared by that cover.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the E-ARC!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC, it was such a pleasant discovery. I can’t express how much I was devastated when I’ve found out it was not yet available in my native language… It was a really good premise ; angsty, thrilling, hilarious, everything I love in an entertaining boys love story. So far the plot seems solid and promising, and I’m looking forward to see what happens next !
this was more fun than I thought it would be ! (surprised me a bit…I don’t have much hope for bls these days) so silly, and campy a bit at times (yum), and even though im not loving the art style that much, but it’s not bad (i think i might even end up liking it if I continue reading this series… im easy to please 😩)
Ichiro is an agent with the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Security Bureau and he is ordered to make contact and surveil Shiro, a yakuza hotshot. The mission takes an unexpected turn when they realize they are both trying to make sense of the disappearance of Rion Nakaba, Ichiro's senior and Shiro's sister.
I loved the Kei x Yaku tv series that is based on this manga and I was so excited to get the English ARC for it! Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics!
It's been a while since I saw the series, it aired in 2022 if I am not mistaken and I did watch it back then. So, in a way I re-fell in love with this series. I love the mystery and police x yakuza member setting but it is also really funny!
I also really love the title, in these years I have learned enough Japanese to understand the geniusness of it! Kei comes from 警察 (I am pretty sure that's the kanji but I also wouldn't bet my life on it) / けいさつ / keisatsu meaning police. And Yaku comes from yakuza. When they are put together you get 契約 / けいやく / keiyaku which means contract.
This is definitely not the kind of vocabulary I learned in class but I low-key want t try reading this in Japanese... But nonetheless, I am very excited to continue this series and how much it differs from the show!
This is a cute and funny story about a police officer, Ichiro, and yakuza lieutenant, Shiro, who team up to investigate the disappearance of a woman they both know, Rion. The art is nice and the characters are often silly, though they get serious when they need to be.
I’m intrigued by the mystery of Rion’s presumed murder, and the dynamic between Ichiro and Shiro is cute. I’ll definitely be checking out the second volume when it releases.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the opportunity to review this book.
Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the earc This was so entertaining, i really liked the characters & even if the topics were dark the atmosphere felt pretty light which is what i need to read right at this moment. The plot is so interesting, and i loved the inclusion of the snippets between chapter the last one made me laugh so much. I highly recommend & will continue reading the next volumes
This was so good! It had so many things I love it: yakuza x detective dynamic, fake dating, a murder mystery with cute light moments in between. I really love the dynamic between Ichiro and Shiro. I’m obsessed and looking forward to the next volume.
This is a pretty decent BL with a Yazuka boss x detective like I just think their relationship together was just so funny and you want to hear more of the story which unfortunately there's 11 chapters available online ;/
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for allowing me to read the ARC for this book!
This was a good start to a new series, an interesting plot premise. The art throughout is really well drawn, and i enjoyed the bits of humour throughout. I would like to continue with the rest of the series, and would recommend to anyone who enjoys mystery, and a touch of fake dating.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an arc of this manga!
This was pretty good! Not gonna lie I would be kinda scared to continue the series because I'm scared one of the main characters is gonna end up death... But I think I will give it a shot!
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this volume.
Ichiro is an undercover police investigator. He is really good at his job but one case he can't seem to crack is the disappearance/murder of his superior officer. His boss is about fed up with him trying to pick at the case still after all this time. He sends him on his next mission, to get close to a young yakuza that is getting familiar with some of the politicians in the area. An unexpected connection causes Ichiro to join forces with Shiro the yakuza to unearth some information.
I really like this story. It is a lot of fun with humor throughout. I can see myself continuing this series.
actually really liked this! the only criticism I have is that it was slightly more fast paced than I would’ve liked. but characters are interesting and it’s a cool story! might just continue.
I am super invested. The balance of comedy and suspense was perfect. I want to know more about both characters and can't wait to see their relationship develop as they work to find the missing person.
I am always amazed by the intricate detail of graphic novels. The pages are so carefully created and tell a beautiful story. This fast-paced forced proximity plot was thoroughly enjoyable to read and I really loved it! The one minor negative I found, was that it was tricky to follow right from the get-go but after a chapter or so it was okay! I really liked both main characters and I was really invested - I wanted to read the next section! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
I actually requested this manga because I watched some of the live action drama episodes. Kei X Yaku was serious but so funny at the same time. I really enjoyed the main characters banter and that the only reason they are dealing with each other is because they have the same goal. So no matter how much they don't like each other or how opposite their personalities are, they will deal with it enable to find someone who is important to both of them.
Kodansha Comics provided an early galley for review.
Branching out on my manga reading, I decided to give this one a shot.
While relatively short in length (three full chapters plus several one-page bonus comics), the story wastes no time diving into the scenario. These two opposites are thrown together into a violent mystery dripping with sexy tensions and political intrigue.
Kaoruhara does a wonderful job on the art as well. I appreciate how the fashions on the characters are changed up, adding styles and textures into the mix to keep the visuals interesting. Too often manga can fall into that "same outfits" motif - much like they are the costume that fit the model for the character. I like to see variety.
My attention was captured enough for me to seek out the next volume to see where the story goes.
I loved this. Ichiro and Shiro are both dynamic characters and I like their growing relationship. The pacing was fast and engaging, and something was always happening in the story, which kept me entertained. I'm excited to see where the two of them go and how their relationship forms because they are from two very different sides of the law and I want to see how the effects their growing relationship
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author and artist for the ARC I read. I’m really glad this is being translated and published in English because I really enjoyed this first volume. I personally love a romance manga that has something else going for it too, either some fantasy, sci-fi, or mystery plot because it keeps the story engaging and me addicted. This story specifically, has the mystery and crime aspect that has me very intrigued. We really only get the setup of the plot in this first volume and not many answers discovered yet which has me very desperate to read the next addition, because I need to know what happens! I’m also very curious about how the romance will develop, so far it seems a little slow-burn which I think will be quite nice with the plot. The art is also really good. I love how often the artist played with opposites in the two main characters both with their personality and jobs and the colors they wear. It was cute and aesthetically pleasing. Really promising start to a series that I think I may have to pick up the physical edition of.
Un primer volum que promet moltíssim!!! Es tracta de la història d'un yakuza i un detectiu de la policia que tots dos investiguen la mort d'una noia (germana per un, companya de feina per l'altre) i es veuen obligats a fer veure que col·laboren en un altre cas per poder arribar al fons de la qüestió. Fingeixen ser parella perquè el yakuza és amant d'homes influents, però el pobre policia és un verge molt seriós que sembla enamorat d'una amiga d'infància. Clarament espero que acabin junts ❤️ en la trama hi ha polítics i criminals involucrats i preveig importants girs de guió. Em recorda a 殺し愛 1 Koroshi Ai 1 , però amb un rerefons de personatges menys rebuscat. Amb ganes de més!!!
I was a little discouraged by the cover which I thought looked stiff and cliché but it seems the artist is way better at actual manga than covers. The art (when not chibified) is beautiful! How these two come to meet and decide to go along together needs you to ignore how bad of an excuse to build this story it is but hey, it gets better and as I finished I immediately wanted to read the next volume.