While at first glance, Honeko Akabane’s class may seem like any other, it couldn’t be any more special. Why? Besides her, every student has been specially trained since birth, to protect her. Though she is unaware, Honeko is the target of an elaborate assassination commission. The mission of everyone around her is to keep her alive. The mission that she was unknowingly given is to live a fulfilling life, unaware of the dangers that surround her.
To get to the point..:
Do I recommend this manga? Yes, if you like shounen action romance
Who do I recommend this manga to? Fans of yankee stories. Fans of fighting stories.
Who do I not recommend this manga to? Those who want to read a fluffy romance. Those who want to read something with a strong female lead.
Trigger warnings? Violence; we are shown the FL’s underwear unnecessarily.
Information About the Manga
Who wrote Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards?
This manga was written by Masamitsu Nigatsu. You can check out their X here.
How many volumes are out?
In Japanese, there are 12 volumes published.
In English, there are 3 volumes published so far. Volume 4 comes out July 29th!
Extra info
This manga also has a movie! You can check out the details on IMDB here.
First Impressions and thoughts
This series was one that has been on my radar since I first heard that it was getting an English release, but I never ended up pulling the trigger on making the purchase.
As I prefer to save my shelf space for my shoujo and horror manga, I am extra picky whenever I branch out to something different. I decided to pick this up from the library, and was very happy that I did! This is such a fun manga!
While I really don’t tend to read action manga all that much (I think Jujutsu Kaisen is probably the only one that I own…), I do really enjoy yankee stories! I found this to be a very fun story, and I found myself especially enjoying the male lead.
It was a little bit too goofy at times, there were two scenes that I really didn’t like, and I didn’t love how it depicted women at times, but overall I was able to enjoy this volume.
What’s it about?
Honeko Akabane is the secret daughter, and potential heir to a yakuza family. When she was born, her father put her up for adoption without telling anyone, so that she could have a chance at living a peaceful life.
In order to ensure her peace, he also ensured that she would always be protected. Going as far as hiring specially trained bodyguards to be her classmates. However, it seems like one of these bodyguards is a double agent, as they revealed Honeko’s existence to those that may be threatened by it.
As her father wants to do his best to ensure her survival, he hires her childhood friend, the delinquent Ibuki, to be her special bodyguard. On top of protecting her, his job is to figure out who the mole is.
On top of all this, Honeko herself has no awareness of her situation. She doesn’t know about her status as an heir, that her classmates are bodyguards, that her life is constantly in danger… none of it. And part of everyone’s mission is to keep it that way.
My Favourites
- How fun the story was – the author did a very good job of keeping the tone of this volume very fun and uplifting.
- All of the bodyguards – I really enjoyed learning about the various bodyguards that have been protecting Honeko for the past while now.
My Least-Favourites
- How Honeko’s sister was portrayed – I feel like they made her stupid just to make Ibuki seem stronger.
- Showing Honeko’s underwear when she was using a step stool – completely unnecessary, it added nothing to the story.
The main characters
Honeko Akabane
- High school student
- Aspires to be a lawyer
- Class president
Honeko is a very cheary, kind person, who is loved by just about everyone at her school. She’s very righteous, and stands up for people even when she knows she may end up hurt.
Arakuni Ibuki
- High school student
- Judged for his appearance by those around him (except by Honeko)
- Aspires to work in construction
Ibuki is a boy who, while looks rather rough on the outside, is actually a very sweet boy, He’s easily flustered, and very clearly has feelings for Honeko. When he’s offered the job of protecting her, he takes it without much of a second thought.
Maddies Manga 
Leave a comment