What every delinquent story needs is less fighting and more kissing, am I right??
About Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!!
Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!! is a manga series by Aki Yukura, published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. The Seven Seas edition is a two-volume omnibus containing the complete series. In the town of Karasugaoka there are two rival “gangs” who protect its citizens – VOICE and Crow’s Nest. Crow’s Nest is run by Shinba Tetsuji, and has been around longer. VOICE is lead by Izuhara Sou, and they’re essentially the new kids on the block. Shinba and Sou might as well be mortal enemies, for every time they meet, they are biting each other’s heads off. But one of them is harboring a secret crush that could make or break their turbulent relationship.
My Thoughts
If you’ve ever watched Wind Breaker or Tokyo Revengers and wanted them to KISS, this is the manga for you! Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!! is the kind of BL manga that doesn’t take itself too seriously and as a result is laugh out loud funny. I love the entire premise of Sou starting his own vigilante gang just because he admired Shinba and wanted a way to get closer to him. Were there other ways he could have attempted to get closer to Shinba? Absolutely. Is this way better and 100 times funnier? YES!
One of my favorite parts of this story is each guys dynamic with their respective gang. Sou’s crew knows how much he wishes to get close to Shinba. After Sou and Shinba’s encounters go south and they inevitable end up bickering, they always comfort Sou and promise that next time will be better. It’s so cute and adds another level of charm to the story. When Sou and Shinba finally go on a date, both gangs are in the shadows to make sure things don’t go awry. A big reason I love gang and sport manga and anime is because of the friendship group dynamics, and that’s included here in a great way.
Something else I love in Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!! is Sou and Shinba’s relationship progression. In book one, we follow them get closer throughout different “cases” and struggle to figure out what exactly it is they feel for each other. In book two, things have been made official, so it’s smooth sailing, right? Of course not! There’s so much more in a relationship than just having mutual feelings and we get to see Sou and Shinba discover that in real time. They both grow to care for each other so much and it’s adorable getting both of their POV’s as they fall deeper in love. If you’re looking for a funny and low stakes love story, this is the perfect one.
Where to Buy Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!!
Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!!
Story and Art: Aki Yukura
Translation: Jacqueline Fung
Lettering: Rebecca Sze
Editor: K. McDonald
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Crow Hill: Don’t Be Shy!! is available for preorder now and releases on October 20.
Thank you, Seven Seas Entertainment, for the ARC.
