Boys on the Run

It's not a happy happy feelgood manga. If you thought the plot of Ressentiment kept kicking the "protagonist" in the nads too much, don't even consider this one.

It's not the silly kind of shounen "oh noes my clan was killed by some random great demon king" (or whatever) blows, this deals more in things that could actually happen to your own loser self, if you were unlucky enough. I don't want to spoil, but chapters 27-28 are probably the worst of the lot.

That's not to say it lacks for funny spots, or even romantic spots. But the overall impression is: harsh

... Last updated 14 years ago

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a story for the loser in all of us

by mbghost
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

I mean, wow. The main character starts out so lame that every masculine bone in my body is screaming for him to win. It goes to the very root of what what makes a man want to be something more than what they are. I mean, for someone who has a great life there's not much there, but even though most of us have ever sunk as low as our hero, most of us have been punked down pretty hard at some point in our lives. Some more than others. And this is quite possibly as much of an underdog as you can get. All I can do is keep reading and hope that the hero can rise from his state of pure mediocrity, find his pride (which he has already begun to do), and kick some ass.

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I love it

by cecropiamoth
11 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

As a guy who was always timid, I totally identify with the MC, and so I follow the story with a combination of chagrin and uneasy hope on his behalf. It's really the ultimate "the worm turns" story, with the MC being the lowest-down creature you can imagine at the start. Given what he is at the beginning, I've never been troubled that he's taking so long to change. You would expect his rise to Manhood to take years. Plus all the two greatest good things I look for in manga are here: realistic behavior and talk such as actual humans might do and say, AND great, careful drawing.

It's back! (January 2018) At least it is where I read it. This is the SECOND case in the new year where I found one of my long-beloved but quiescent manga being scanlated again in the new year!

... Last updated 7 years ago

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Depressing

by dieend
13 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

If you want a depressing story where it's quench your heart and then feels like destroying your room, try this. I almost broke my keyboard.

But it's good. It made you can hate the character like it's so real in your life. Ha.

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Dark and depressing

by svines85
2 years ago

Rating: 6.0 / 10.0

Just a difficult story to read. Practically every character is not just flawed but deeply flawed.........can't really like the MC, frankly can't like anyone in the entire manga. I mean there is no "silver lining" of any sort anywhere to be found in this story, it's just misfortune after misfortune. A shame but just not a lot of fun to read.

But in all fairness, I suppose it might have been (at least to some degree) been meant to be taken satirically.....I mean, oh my goodness, that much bad stuff happening to a character (and I mean even his "happily ever after" was a true kick in the nuts), well, yeah, just kinda hard to take.

... Last updated 2 years ago

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So...

by Akiradesu
12 years ago

Rating: N/A

Oh the humour... It's sad, it's painful, it's awkward... That is if you have some God damned issues, maaaan/wooo-maaaan!
Anyway, funny as hell story about a guy going through some serious stuff. Most of the 'stuff' could have been avoided if he had some damn balls, but I guess this story is about him growing a pair... But who am I to judge? 😀

Best red while drinking condensed milk and crying while mumbling to yourself that you are fat.

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yeahh very harsh

by Valentins
12 years ago

Rating: N/A

This is my first comment even if i read manga for much time now. I wanna say something about that brunette woman protagonist

she is a curva , whore !!!

This manga express the worst situation you can get. Anyway is only my opinion
The main guy is a loser who he can't f .. express himself. He is a weirdo from my standards. Anyway i am only on the chapter 31 .. and maybe this manga will change.

chapter 49 confirmed it ! she is a damn slut.... but this is the best chapter so far , and yes weird in manny ways but very cool moment

... Last updated 12 years ago

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Dumbass mc

by MLGSwag
3 years ago

Rating: 4.0 / 10.0

Literally thinks with his dick, and because of that, he loses everyjting in his life that made him whole

I hate chapter 63, the fucker appears and all of a sudden he is unable to fight mc because of his fucking condition, if i was mc, i would start railing in the guy right then and there, fuck that dude, fuck him for playing with the feelings of my friends, fuck him for not be responsible for his actions. Sure, god given u punishment by making your face bloated. But that is not enough, you still have you fucking job, you still earn your money, you still have a life no matter how you look at it. Whereas the people he has interacted with are forced to leave town and never to return for their own mental health. Fuck that guy

Chapter 65 and 66 are nice

Okay so from what i read so far, and the other comments, gomting has it pretty accurate. This manga is somewhat of a dumpster fire, but you cannot help but just read it.

This manga was so bad, there is barely any boxing in this manga, and the mc is such a spineless twat who doesnt give any effort for explaining the situations that he gets in. This manga is best to be skipped

... Last updated 3 years ago

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Potential

by Verix
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

Okay, mixed feelings about this. Description: "about how and why a guy goes from a worker at a dead-end job to becoming a boxer". So far, he hasn't even started boxing yet. The story up 'till now in is one of the most depressing manga plots I ever read. Not to say that it's well drawn and well written, it's still severely depressing. Probably things will start to work out soon, but if you start reading this now up to the latest translated chapters, be prepared to be wrecked. Not for the fainthearted out there (March 2012).

... Last updated 13 years ago

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Depressing

by merlockmagus
7 years ago

Rating: 6.0 / 10.0

I'm not sure how to review this. The art is amazing, but the characters in it are hard to take seriously... You think Tanishi would have some redeeming points but he continues to mess up time and time again. He's short sighted, driven by his emotions, selfish, jealous, unhappy, and listless, yet somehow still draws people to him. But his indecision and poor choices push people away, sometimes even ruining the lives of others.

It's really hard to sympathize with him. I can't imagine someone in real life like that. That said... I'm sure they exist. This manga feels like a character study of a terrible person. Something akin to Walter White from Breaking Bad, who had the opportunity to make good choices but opted not to. Or perhaps about a person trying to imitate a manga shonen character... except it never working out in real life. I want to root for him but he keeps digging himself into worse situations than before. It makes me think of the phrase, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Boys on the Run is both fun and terrible to read at the same time. I can't help but cringe, but I also can't turn away. Hanazawa Kengo has made something really remarkable, in the way a trainwreck or a natural disaster is a hard scene to pry your eyes away from. I'm a little unsatisfied with the ending, but it does end on a small positive note.

... Last updated 7 years ago

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