This is an edgy, punk-rock approach to telling a high school, slice of life story-and I’m so here for it!ĭefinitely recommend to readers who enjoy darker, edgier tales but who also appreciate a solid sense of humor. But, truly no more than your average shonen presents. I was never bored.ĭo I think the premise has some flaws? A few. I immensely enjoyed everything about the characters in this one-from how impassioned they are to how truly absurd and bizarre they can be. I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for delinquents with hearts of gold and this is a whole series about those characters.

Up front, I want to say this is just such a FUN manga! Sometimes, you have to defend your passions with your fists! Tattoo artists are, after all, supposed to be heroes. But, one that will also intervene when needed. Slowly, Jimmy begins to settle into his own gang-one that revolves around tattooing.

His delinquent cohort tends to drag him into all kinds of skirmishes. Jimmy’s a kind person at heart but, often, because of his tattoos and the company his passion attracts, he ends up in spots of trouble. A tattoo artist saved his life and, since, he’s been not only grateful but inspired to share tattooing with others. He’s been obsessed with tattoos since he was a kid. His passion doesn’t lie in drawing, necessarily, but it tattooing. Okay no, mostly just gang fights.Katsuya Oonishi-aka Jimmy, is an art student at a local academy. This manga is not the typical highschool-slice-of-life story it's got a rougher edge! This manga depicts some high school delinquents trying to get through high school life and gang fights. Despite the delinquent exterior, Banko is actually really smart and has broad general knowledge.Īs the story progresses, Jimmy and Banko meet new people and they form a gang of their own along the way they bump heads with other gangs from other schools/districts. Banko, his partner-in-crime, is a shrewd kid he sells information on the popular girls (phone numbers, likes and dislikes, etc) in the area. Jimmy's a decent person by nature, but because of the people he hangs out with, he's considered a delinquent. From that day, Jimmy vowed to become a tattoo artist (because tattoos signify 'a hero' to him). When he was little, he almost drowned, but was saved by a tattoo artist. The lead character, Jimmy (Katsuya Oonishi) is an art student at Bara-Gaku ('Bara Juuji Gakuin' Rose-Cross Academy).

Gang King 1 by Daiju Yanauchi