I've read this manga in several languages, licensed and scanlated. The rating here doesn't lie. My review is intended for SuBLime's version but you NEED to read this one way or a other.
Move over, Dog Style. The best delinquent BL manga is finally licensed in English! If you like plot-based gay stories like Banana Fish, Dog Style or Canis, buy this manga! If you like BL that actually cares about its LGBT characters, buy this manga! If you like BL with dark themes and a lot of heart, like Shinjuku Lucky Hole or God is Probably Left-Handed, buy this manga! If you like yankee/delinquent manga and aren't sure if BL is your thing... Volumes 2 and 3 will be right up your alley, so give this a try and trust me that things will get more exciting.
SHOOWA and Hiromasa Okujima don't need much of an introduction. They are both legendary. SHOOWA is mainly known for the quality of her gripping plots and highly skilled storytelling (she's a master of show-don't-tell.) She's probably one of the best BL writers out there. Okujima is a genuine delinquent mangaka whose bad-boy comic Akira no.2 was even made into a movie. He's also a massive fudanshi. Now that's a pedigree!
Almost everything about this manga works. It's genre-bending and incredibly gripping. It's a romance, yes, but it's also a crime thriller, a slice-of-life comedy AND a fantastic character drama. The main characters, Aisuke Akamatsu and Seven Kanzaki, are not stock characters by any means. SHOOWA's writing has constructed two interesting and well-rounded people, and Okujima's art has breathed life into them. They feel like lads you could meet in real life, guys you want to root for as they come to terms with their pasts together.
The licensed translation by SuBLime is charming. Having read it in its original language as well as several translations, I do think Volume 1 feels a bit more "sweet" than the original, and a couple of the jokes have been lost in translation. Also, I must point out that the blurb about SHOOWA in the book is incorrect. This is not her first work published in English by a long shot. It is, however, Okujima's first!
Despite my quibbles with the translation, I wouldn't dissuade anyone from buying the licensed version by SuBLime. The rough-edged sincerity of the original mostly carries through. The lettering is quite nice too. All in all, serviceable work. Buy it if you can.
CONTENT WARNING: This manga contains some dark themes like the effects of human trafficking and the social pressure to pass as straight in a homophobic society. These things are discussed with a care I've rarely if ever seen in BL, but you should probably avoid this one if you can't deal with those topics. There is no sadism or exploitation between the romantic leads, these are topics are part of their lives but not their sweet relationship.
Look, why are you still reading this review? If you've gotten this far, you should just read the manga already. Seriously, do yourself a favour. I'm sure you'll fall in love with Akamatsu, Seven, and the people who support them just as I did.