Kodansha Comics provided a galley for review.

The cover of this manga volume really got my attention. The contrasting black and white with the red all work well together to create an eye-catching visual.

The interior art has a very classic manga style to it. The line work is varied in its weights, thin to show off details while also heavy for emphasis. The faces and body language are all very expressive. It reminds me in so many ways of the manga I discovered back in the mid-1990's (which is a very good thing).

Is the story full of classic elements and tropes? Most definitely. However, that's part of its charm. It is not looking to reinvent the wheel. It is just trying to deliver a tale of action and romance in a known form. And for that, it does deliver. There are also a number of twists that send the story down an interesting path. I will be looking for the next collection of chapters.

The premise sounded fairly interesting but I can't say I particularly enjoyed this first volume.
The art is gorgeous but the story is pretty generic which could have been a fine thing is I liked the characters.
It's funny and action packed but nothing special.

I was intrigued by the concept of this manga and was left happily satisfied. The story follows the illegitimate daughter of a yakuza boss who is being hunted by lethal assassins trying to eliminate her as a potential heir. The premise is gripping, and I believe that the execution delivers.

Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards 1 has fantastic artwork that paints an easy to follow picture. Each scene's intensity has obviously been well thought out, with great attention to the emotions and expressions of each character. My favourite part was the hint of romance, or better put, the childhood friends/enemies-to-lovers vibe. The relationship between Akabane and Ibuki clearly runs deeper than typical schoolyard bickering, and their flashback interactions added an emotional depth I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and was left very eager to read the next volume.

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.
#HonekoAkabane #NetGalley

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. The initial concept seemed cute and intrigued me but the execution leaves much to be desired. I don't mind characters and events being goofy and overexaggerated, especially when this is a comedy, but it was to the extent that most felt like a caricature. People who are supposed to be competent and intelligent can start acting like complete nonsensical idiots in the next scene, which you can see with some of Class 3-4, but it's especially egregious with Masachika and pretty much all of the assassins. Neither Akabane nor Ibuki are very compelling characters, and I see no real reason to be invested in their romance. There was also nothing particularly interesting about the dialogue or developments, a lot of it was extremely cliche and not paced very well. Much of the dialogue was very on-the-nose and/or info-dumpy; there's absolutely not a hint of nuance to be found. Additionally, there's a lot of repetition of information in several scenes, and some things just plain didn't make sense for the circumstances (like the people of 3-4 having to be low-key yet yelling into their earpieces in a library or being able to watch Ibuki's 50-minute fight despite Masachika destroying all of the cameras). I will also say, finally, that the panty shot was unnecessary and just kind of out of place for the tone of the story. I'm giving 2 stars because there were a couple moments that I found funny and some of the side characters seem like they have the potential to be interesting, but I don't think I'll be continuing.

I felt like this was a really entertaining read, the premise is really interesting and the pacing is well done. I do find myself asking the question of why Honeko is such a target and the suspension of disbelief is a bit tricky at times (such as having a full on battle Royale in a library), but I think that is what makes the manga so entertaining. I'm also curious if the series will continue with a romantic storyline, as the art style and scenes lead me to believe the assassinations will be the main focus of the manga. I'd be happy to see either, as I think it has a pretty funny plot and interesting characters!