It is amazing just how long it took for this to be officially translated, but FINALLY! It is very cliche in nearly every way, but it executes itself so well that you have to give it a pass. A classroom army of awesome assassins, a bickering tsundere couple, epic fight scenes--and all done in such an expressive art style that gives it so much life in every single way. It is an absolute fun read, and I hope it does stick its landing despite what Internet naysayers have commented, heheh.

Only points deducted for not keeping the possible gay. LAME.

This was a quick paced funny as hell read! I loved that from page one there was action. I never felt that things were stalling. I also really enjoyed seeing a little bit of teenage angst.

Honeko and Ibuki were hilarious together. It was funny seeing Ibuki trying to remain discreet while protecting her & Honeko perceiving it as something else.

I’m curious to see how things will unfold in future volumes!

This was amusing and a good 35 min read, but it didn’t come across as ground breaking or original. Light comedy, standard art style, and a goofy premise. It’s manga 101, and while that’s not a bad hand at all, I have been reading manga for over 30 years at this point. I would have liked more originality.

Translation didn’t feel clunky, so that’s a plus.

2.5

Honeko Akabane is the daughter of a top yakuza boss, only he had her adopted by a normal family in hopes that she could have a normal life. Word has gotten out that he is planning to retire and people are worried that he is going to chose his unknown daughter as his successor. Natural people want to kill her. So what does her old man do? Hires a huge amount of bodyguards to protect his child, without her knowing it.

Arakuni is hired as well. Son of a former member of the gang, and childhood friend to the daughter, he is chosen to help keep her safe by staying close to her. While his classmates are professionals, they don’t know Akabane so they don’t anticipate her ability to get herself into trouble just by trying to be a fair class president. But Arakuni does, so he can anticipate her moves and this helps him be, possibly, her best bodyguard. And, he’s the only one trusted to know there is a mole in their presence.

A fun manga series for anyone who likes the idea of an over the top protection team taking out bad guy assassins while trying to stay completely undercover around their asset. Arakuni can de away with it cause Akabane has known him as a brash person since they were kids. But everyone else has to pretend to be normal around her.

I found this super entertaining. The art style is quite bold, which really suits the style of story they are trying to convey. There's lots of action for anyone who likes battle scenes.

I enjoyed it! Super fun and totally addictive! Packed with hilarious action, lovable characters, and just the right amount of romantic tension, Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards is a must-read for fans of school-action romcoms. The art is stylish, the pacing is sharp, and every chapter leaves you wanting more.

It is a good art style and the concept of the series is one I could see other people liking but I found the dialogue pretty early on to be off-putting and awkward (in how it is written, not in what was actually being said).

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards, Vol. 1 by Masamitsu Nigatsu was a hilarious and heartfelt manga volume about a delinquent's childhood friend, the secret child of a gang leader, who has assassins sent after her. It is up to her friend and the whole rest of her class of 22 trained bodyguards to watch her back and protect her without her ever knowing a thing. This was great and so different from anything else I've read. Several scenes took me by surprise and charmed me completely. Definitely one of the best new series I've read this year.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for showing me this manga.

It feels like your typical highschooler romance manga with yazukas going after the FL and ML being her bodyguard because of it. Really love the art tho!

Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards has a lot more going for it than the blurb indicates. At its core, it's a bodyguard plot with a yakuza premise, but our characters are in high school. Without giving away any spoilers (story points not covered by the blurb), the main thing you have to prepare yourself for is that the world in which the story exists is some weird alternate universe where yakuza can get away with an awful lot while staying incognito. Somewhere in this world, there's a possible romance that might happen, or who knows, it might just be the suspension bridge effect at work. I'm a bit skeptical about how the huge number of characters will actually work for the story, but this first volume does end at a good enough note that I would be interested in reading the second volume.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

I really liked the blend of action and humor in this manga. I also enjoyed how over the top everything was. I'm also interested in seeing how the relationship between Arakuni and Akabane progresses in the next volume.

I zoomed through this manga volume--it was really fun overall! While there were various tropes and plot twists, I still enjoyed myself while reading and can't wait to continue the series! I'm rooting for everyone and am curious on what will happen next.

This was a manga volume that I flew through!
It's a bit cliche but it did what it had to do!

It was entertaining and enough to pass the time!

I'm not sure if I will continue with the series in the nearby future but that was pretty fun!

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC.

It is a light and entertaining read, perfect for when you want something undemanding. The vibrant artwork complements the fast-paced action scenes nicely, enhancing the overall experience. While it did not blow me away, I am curious enough to know where the story goes, so I will definitely check out the next volume.

This was a cute easy to read manga chocked full of tropes that are as familiar as they are enjoyable

There is potential here for a series that has side characters were everybody is somebody’s favorite.

Our leads are down bad for each-other in a way that’s endearing rather than infuriating

There is fan service though. I did not love getting jumpscared by an upskirt of a minor and hope that’s not indicative of of the rest of the series. I’d give the next one a shot but I’m weary

[Thanks to Kodansha and NetGalley for an ARC of this manga in exchange for an unbiased review.]

This was one of those manga that I nearly skipped past and at one point I just tossed my hands up, said ‘eh, why not?’ and, boy, I’m very glad that I did. It’s a ton of fun, all things considered.

Oh, it starts off pretty basic. Akabane is the strait-laced student council president and her childhood friend, Ibuki, is a delinquent. She’s hostile to his antics, yet receptive to his advances, if he made any, and I just described dozens of manga, many from decades earlier.

Yet this embraces the past while it does something with it. In another not so surprising move, Akabane is the secret daughter of a mob boss and assassins are constantly after her. Ibuki must protect her without her learning the truth of her lineage so she has the proverbial normal life.

And if it was just that, this would be an okay, if pedestrian, story with slightly exaggerated art that I don’t love, but gets the job done. Generic would about describe it. Except it really doesn’t.

If this sounds at all interesting, I wouldn’t read a lick of any other descriptions about this story. The reason this works in the end, even amidst a couple missteps, is because it escalates wonderfully.

Now, I have no expectations that this can possibly maintain the freight train of its narrative for much longer than it just did, but it’s a hell of an effective first volume that kept me engaged the whole way through.

Just as you get one reveal that seems like you’ll have another six volumes of material, there’s another reveal, then another. And it goes after them with wild abandon. I wouldn’t say my jaw dropped, exactly, but it did manage a pretty good descent. And did I cheer at parts of this manga? Yes, yes, I did.

Ibuki and Akabane are nothing new, but I like them. Ibuki has his moments when he’s an idiot, but can also be very clever when he needs to be. When he outfoxes a mob boss in the library it’s a good laugh and very clever (although I absolutely wish they’d kept it as gay as it seemed).

Akabane is quick to fume over Ibuki’s antics or if he somehow manages to miss her occasional advances, vintage <i>Love Hina</i> right there, and the two of them could stand a little more nuance, but they’re not totally cardboard.

This absolutely manages to overcome its sometimes slight characterization by going after its plotting full throttle. And, frankly, this is one time where I feel that actually pays off.

If you aren’t already interested in these stories at all, I don’t know that it’ll change your mind. My interest is admittedly very minimal, however, and I had a great time. So, it has merit.

4 stars - certainly not perfect, for all the reasons I listed, and maybe a couple more, but it’s a really good time that knows just how to keep upping itself to make it all work. Recommended for the target audience, for sure.

Oh wow — now that was a ride! A brilliant mix of action, romance, and genuinely solid humor — the perfect feel-good read if you're looking for something to lift your spirits. I picked this manga purely because of the cover design, and now I cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume! 😊

When a yakuza boss personally reaches out to Arakuni Ibuki and drops to his knees in front of him, there’s not much Ibuki can do but accept the man’s request: protect his secret illegitimate daughter, Honeko Akabane. Rumors are spreading about the boss stepping down, and assassins are swarming in to eliminate any potential heir. Ibuki’s mission is to keep his childhood friend and classmate Honeko alive.

It’s a little over-the-top and absolutely extra at times — but that’s exactly what makes it so incredibly fun. I loved every second of it! The artwork is expressive, detailed, and no one is left in the background. As it turns out, Ibuki isn’t Honeko’s only bodyguard — their entire class 3-4 at Sosoji High School has been secretly trained for the mission. The only ones left out? Honeko (who has no idea) and Ibuki (who missed the training). The other 22 classmates? Elite-level specialists in everything from martial arts and firearms to hacking and knife-throwing. They were trained to act as one unit — and when they do, their enemies don’t stand a chance.

Oh, how I loved these characters! Sure, things felt a bit rushed and tidy at first, but the story quickly hit its rhythm and became pure joy to read. My favorite scenes? Definitely the ones with the whole class in action — especially the library ambush, when Honeko and Ibuki show up to study (which Honeko thinks is a date). Meanwhile, their classmates are silently taking down attackers between the bookshelves — in total silence, of course, because it's still a library and no one wants Honeko to notice a thing. The poses, the expressions… perfection! Ibuki is quietly freaking out — which honestly, who wouldn't in his shoes — and the whole thing plays out like an action movie in my head. Just chef’s kiss.

I honestly can’t recommend this manga enough. Maybe it was just the perfect thing at the perfect time, but I had an absolute blast reading it. Big thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this incredible experience — I’m all in for volume two! 😊

I loved this! It was the perfect blend of serious and silly to keep me hooked. I can't wait or the next volume!

I love ibuki! He's a great character, honourable, fierce and cute. At first you think he's stuck in a one sided love with his childhood friend but as the story goes on you realise she has feelings for him. It is action packed and didn't see the whole class plot coming. Or the sibling rivalry. Really enjoyed it and look forward to volume 2

High school comedy romance with a twist. Honeko Akabane, daughter of lawyers and a do-good high school president, is the secret daughter of a yakuza boss. Fight over his successor has put a target on Akabane’s head too, but her bio-father is determined to protect her.

He enlists her school mate, childhood friend and school delinquent, Arakuni Ibuki, as her bodyguard. He must keep her safe without her knowing or learning that her life is threatened. Easier said than done when a wave after another of assassins come after her. To make matters worse, she’s determined to reform him and make him a decent person, so she’s constantly stopping him from fighting.

The job might be too much for Ibuki, but luckily he’s not alone. The entire class consists of highly trained bodyguards, there to protect Akabane. Unfortunately, they don’t trust him and consider him a liability. That doesn’t stop them from putting him in the frontline of protecting Akabane. He doesn’t mind. Because he might have a slight crush on Akabane—which he won’t admit to. He definitely has a secret mission given to him by Akabane’s father: unearth the mole among her classmates.

This was a fun, action-packed start to a series. A lot happened, all of it involving assassins. Their boss won’t give up, and after Ibuki managed to enrange them, he now has a target on him too. And it’s personal.

Art was good and slightly old-fashined in style, as if this was from the 90s, even though the original is only a couple of years old. I liked the story, even if it lacked depth in the middle of all the action, and would like to read more.

Unbeknownst to her Akabane Honeko is the illegitimate child of the head of the Jingu Gangs boss and with him retiring his beloved daughter whom he has only ever wanted to have a normal life has a target on her head. So he does the most natural thing ever, enlists the help of her childhood friend Ibuki to keep her alive. Easier said than done when assassins could be lurking everywhere, even in her own class.

I've never been a huge of yakuza inspired manga, anime, and games but I gotta admit there's been a few that have come out over the last few years that have really caught my eye and this is definitely one of them. When the synopsis says it's a Assassination Classroom meets your white knight trope that pretty much nails it. Akabane's entire class is made up of elite assassins trained since childhood to protect her and like Assassination Classroom each of them have their own thing and their own quirky little personalities that either are the exact opposite of their specialty or are no brainers. Ibuki, of course, doesn't want to admit to anyone that (especially himself) that he's head over heels for Akabane although when push comes to shove and his emotions run high (which is actually all of the time) he'll admit it. And then, of course, say something stupid to Akabane. The art is great as well, and with this twist on the White Knight Trope, this becomes an adorable romance manga with an action twist. I'll be continuing this one for sure!