is a Japanese

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

series written and illustrated by Masamitsu Nigatsu. It has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''

Weekly Shōnen Magazine is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male hig ...

'' since September 2022. A

live-action film Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video g ...

adaptation premiered in Japanese theaters in August 2024.

Plot

Honeko Akabane and Ibuki Arakuni have been childhood friends since they were kids. Ibuki harbors feelings for Honeko and is fiercely protective of her, often leading to fights. Honeko always scolds him for his recklessness but is deeply grateful for his presence, as she feels safe around him. Ibuki's unwavering determination to protect Honeko stems from his knowledge of her true heritage. She is the daughter of a powerful

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...

organization and destined to be its next leader after her father's passing. Due to this, rival organizations are plotting to eliminate her, even hiring professional assassins. To keep Honeko safe, she was adopted by a lawyer's family, concealing her Yakuza connections. Ibuki became her bodyguard for a year, although he is not alone; all their friends and classmates were also assigned as Honeko's bodyguards. The story follows the daily lives of Class 3–4 as they protect Honeko without her knowledge, while also exploring the budding romance between Honeko and Ibuki.

Characters

; : ; : ; : ; : ; :

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Masamitsu Nigatsu, ''Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards'' started in Kodansha's manga magazine ''

'' on September 21, 2022. The manga is set to enter its final

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...

on August 21, 2024. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual volumes, with the first one released on January 17, 2023. As of July 17, 2024, nine volumes have been released. Kodansha has published the manga digitally in English through their K Manga digital service. In March 2024,

Kodansha USA Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, USA, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and manga ...

announced that they had licensed the manga for print release, with the first volume set to be published in January 2025.

Volumes

Chapters not yet in ''tankōbon'' format

*77. *78. *79. *80. *81. *82. *83. *84. *85. *86. *87. *88. *89. *90.

Live-action film

In February 2024, it was announced that the series would receive a

adaptation. The film stars

Raul Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

as Arakuni Ibuki and is directed by Junichi Ishikawa, with scripts written by Hiroyuki Yatsu. It premiered in Japanese theaters on August 2, 2024.

Reception

The series was nominated for the

Next Manga Award The is an annual award for manga series presented by Kadokawa Corporation's '' Da Vinci'' magazine and Niconico streaming website. It is divided into two categories: one for print manga, and one for web manga. Overview The award was originally ...

in the print category in 2023.

References

External links

* * {{Weekly Shōnen Magazine - 2020–2029 Action anime and manga Anime and manga set in schools Kodansha manga Manga adapted into films Romantic comedy anime and manga Shōnen manga