BoYs run the riot vol 2 by Keito Gaku

Jin makes a bold move to try and get the Boys shirts in a trendy store, but it fails miserably. This means the young entrepreneurs have to get part-time jobs to support their supply budgets. This is especially daunting for Ryo who is looking for a place to fit in within a very binary Japanese society, a society that wants him to wear girls’ uniforms to work or perform tasks around the workplace that girls are “better” suited for. After several hurtful job interviews, Ryo decides to go into the next one as a girl, but he finds a workplace where every employee dresses the same, and everyone is expected to do the same basic workload. His co-workers seem to accept him for who he really is, or they at least don’t ask questions or box him into the wrong gender. That is until they decide to go out together for a Welcome celebration, and one of the male workers hits on Ryo. While still recovering and figuring out who he’s attracted to, a popular YouTuber gets involved in the Boys line and wants to promote their brand online. With a new and improved website design, the stage is set, but the video may turn out to do more harm than good for Ryo.

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Ryo's new coworker Mizuki is a wonderful addition to a cast that was lacking in some common sense and wisdom. She helps Ryo feel comfortable in his skin (and clothes), and challenges him to start thinking about who he might be attracted to. In volumes one and two, Ryo was mostly focused on being seen as a boy and not necessarily what his life would be like after that. Mizuki is another artist as well, and her calm confidence helps Ryo feel like his skills are worth something. Jin and the third boy from volume one are almost entirely absent from this volume, so Jin fans might be upset. The cliffhanger for this volume is absolutely brutal and might need to come with a trigger warning for some readers (forced outing), so the fallout from this volume is sure to be brutal in volume three.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1

Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Date: July 27, 2021​
ISBN: 9781646511174 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, LGBTQ+, School Life, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Kodansha