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The cover of the manga Boys Run the Riot, displayed in the centre of the image, with two images displayed on either side of it, four in total. The cover shows the Japanese trans boy protagonist smiling, wearing a girl's school uniform on one side of his body, and male clothing on the other side of his body. In the background, a man is standing facing in the other direction, with a partly-shaved hairstyle. The other, smaller images show excerpts from the manga; the protagonist reading the definitions of "transgender" and "gender dysphoria" in a dictionary; the protagonist standing in front of a mirror, wearing bandages to bind his torso; the protagonist yelling, "And no matter how I present myself, or how hard I try, nobody sees me as a guy," and the protagonist saying, "I get pissed off and depressed when I'm treated like a girl".

ボーイズ・ラン・ザ・ライオット (Boys Run the Riot)

Manga
2020
Japan
Ryo Watari, a teenage trans boy, struggles with gender dysphoria and a lack of acceptance, but befriends a teenage cis boy through their shared fashion sense. Written and illustrated by Japanese trans man Keito Gaku.

Read.


Available Summary:

High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo “dresses like a boy.” He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to—and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.

-Google Play.


Note from Jack:

The protagonist is shown binding with bandages early in the first volume of this series. I haven't read much further, so I don't know whether the dangers of bandage binding are eventually addressed.

Entry last updated:

16 Mar 2026

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