Kino San

I honestly don't know lol, I just think Ichiro is a character that cares a lot about his job and the people he knows and cares about their welbeing before himself.

The manga hints a lot of what Ichiro is thinking, he really cares about Chika (he thinks about her a lot, in his childhood flashback he even calls out her name when he was looking after Shiro when he was sleeping) but the manga does'nt fully show that Ichiro is in love with Chika, just showing hints.

But then again in volume 5 when he stays over at Chika's place and Chika tries to ask Ichiro what he wants to do with her (like she's asking him what's he wants to do right now). Ichiro is thinking more about Shiro but mostly because he's worried that Shiro is going to get himself killed if he's not with him.

Ichiro and Shiro relationship is very hard to tell if these two like each other. It's clear that Shiro is in love with Ichiro but Ichiro I don't know. I think Ichiro knows but is just teasing Shiro at this rate lol. Don't even know if the drama will go this far in the relationship.

I feel like I am taking over the Kei X Yaku page lol. Well someone has to read the source materials.

Just wanted to say that the drama version of Kei X Yaku MIGHT remove the romance elements and keep it bromance only. I am not saying that it is certain but there is a chance it might. I am only saying this because Kei X Yaku is airing on a major Japanese channel and there's already changes on the 1st episode compared to the manga. (Ichiro is not going to seduce Shiro sadge)

Another recent example is The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window. The manga and anime version kept all of the BL tropes/relationship between the two main characters but the live action movie completely removed it making their relationship bromance only. But usally 99% Japan is always faithful to the source material when doing drama

I'll see you on the Kei X Yaku page!

1st of all after reading volume 1 AGAIN.I have to recorrect myself, Ichiro is NOT in love with his childhood Chika. He got teased by Shiro because he got a text from Chika that she will support him if he finds a lover. Shiro wanted to call other some girls to hang out with Ichiro. But Ichiro refused because he wanted his 1st time with his ture love, which Shiro reacts that Ichiro is very pure. Chika is single.

Ichiro: Ichiro's parents died when he was 8 years old in the bombing incident 20 years ago. Chika and their parents were there to support him. But he still has mental issues and tramua from him losing his parents at a young age.

I think Ichiro is asexual, he cares more about his work and the welbeing of the people he knows and cares about. He never really thinks about romance which is unsual because of the relationship he has with Rion and Chika.

Shiro: Shiro and Rion were abandoned by their parents at a young age, Rion bought up herself and Shiro alone. It's sad but the family love between the two is really beautiful.

It' s me again. I think I may of have said some facts that are inaccurate from my last posts. I would also like to give a bit more background into Ichiro and Shiro childhoods

I am pretty damn hyped for the mystery/crime Jdrama part of the story because it's really exicting and I want to see it in action.

As for the main two characters I don't really know as long as they show that relationship developing and their interactions I am happy enough. Like I said this series is a mystery/crime drama 1st and a BL-ish plot development between the two mains second. I don't think they will end up together because they still hav'nt in the manga as of now.

Argh there's still more plot points I wanted to cover. Funny that I wanted to know what happened with Rion so I bought all of the volumes

Rion's dispearance: Basically a cover up, Rion found out Osu Masashi is directly involved with Ron Atelov. She tells her senior Taguchi Akira, the senior knows that Rion might get targeted if she investigates as of now so they fake her death so that Rion can investigate with out worrying getting caught. Actually Rion did get captured by Nina but saved by Akira.

While investigating Akira picks up that Rion's brother Shiro is involved in the Yazuka so he might be in danger which Rion is worried about. This is why Taguchi Akira who is also Ichiro's senior asks Ichiro to track Shiro in hopes that he protects Shiro for Rion's stake.

I am going to try and figure out the investigation arc of this series. It's important and takes up 80% of the story (with 20% being Ichiro and Shiro relationship). The investigation is the bond that binds Ichiro and Shiro together. If the investigation was solved there would be no reason for the two to be around each other anymore. That's why the investigation arc is the bread and butter of the story.

It's complicated with at least 10 people or more involved it's enough to form a corkboard lol. Hopefully the drama can explain it better then me.

The investigation begins when Ichiro and Shiro finds Rion's hidden book on her "grave". Inside is details of 4 big heads that she is investigating:

Sawagichi Mikihiko
Morikawashi Jouta (may of spelled his name wrong)
Azuma Takashige (Head of a hopistal)
Osu Kimiaki (The most important person in this list)

There is ALSO 4 other people who are related to these 4 big heads that get involved in the story later. All these 4 people all know each other because they went to the same university together. They also seem to be related to an incident 20 years old when a building blew up. They are the "4 university friends" gang:

Osu Masashi (Osu Kimiaki son)
Azuma Yukiko (Azuma Takashige daughter)
Morikawa Daiki (IT head lead related to Morikawashi Jouta)
Sawaguchi Minoru (A doctor might have connections with Azuma Takashige)

Ok so the investigation starts off when Shiro and Ichiro go under cover to find out more about Azuma Takashige and his daughter Azuma Yukiko, but they almost get busted so they had to leave.

The investigation really triggers and fires off is when we find out that Shiro and Osu Kimiaki knew each other 1 year ago (I assume the two has had sex before). Osu Kimiaki and Shiro meet up and have sex, Shiro knows that he is doing this because he needs to investigate him. A sly move Shiro does is that before Osu Kimiaki leaves after sex Shiro seduces Osu Kimiaki him to kiss him and distracts him from his phone enough for Shiro to take a peak on his phone. I don't think Shiro finds anything important on it but it starts the series of events that directly effects Shiro and Ichiro.

Osu Masashi now knows that Shiro is getting involved with his dad, this is where we are introduced to the "4 university friends" and they are directly involved with 3 killers/assassins that they know:

Ron Atelov (mysterous man involved with 20 year building blow up)
Nina (Ron assistant pretty much trying to murder Ichiro and Shiro)
Yamada Satoru (not introduced until volume 6. Yukiko knows him)

Nina sees that Shiro is getting involved with Osu Kimiaki which she kidnaps Shiro and almost kills him trying to find out why, but Ichiro and Rion save Shiro. Many chases and fights involve Nina, shiro, Ichiro and Rion. Nina also murders Sawaguchi Minoru by pushing him in front of a train (so RIP him). She does finally get caught in volume 6. Sadly Ron Atelov has not been caught and is ordered to target Ichiro's childhood friend Chika but good thing Ichiro and Shiro know (as of now he has'nt done anything to her)

Going back to Osu Kimiaki (I said he was important) he was involved in the 20 years old when a building blew up as he was the one who ordered to happened but asked Ron Atelov to do it (not accurate I might be wrong it might of been son who wanted to happen for some
reason). For some reason he does'nt get arrested and is trying to run away with his son.

So currently in the investigation arc as of volume 6 Shiro asked Nakuhara to investigate futher but Nakuhara gets murdered by Ron Atelov and his body is buried by Yamada Satoru. Ichiro and the gang find out that Azuma Yukiko both knows Ron Atelov and Yamada Satoru and they think Yukiko is in danger and ask Azuma Takashige (who does'nt know what his daughter is doing) to help them out.

I don't really know where this investigation arc is leading us to but I assume Ron Atelov is the big baddie of this series. Then again there's two other guys not involved in the story as of yet.

Take this as some sort of rough guide but the drama may just cutout or change a lot from this investigation arc because it's still ongoing and long as heck. I wonder how the drama will solve this current investigation arc.

Hello it's your fellow spoiler!

In preperation for a ride we are going to witness from this series. I wanted to put aside the relationship or Ichiro and Shiro and try to understand more about the investigation that bind Ichiro and Shiro together.

It's really interesting with like 10 people or more involved, I honestly don't know how the drama is going to resolve this investigation arc because it's still ongoing in the manga.

So after reading volume 1 and 2 I had the same thoughts as you "It's not BL but it may develop futher" I though Kei X Yaku is about the crime/mystery/investigation arc frist and the relationship between Ichiro and Shiro second.

Those thoughts quickly changed when I read volume 3 to 6 it's turned to "Shiro is in love with Ichiro but Ichiro still sees Shiro as a friend" but the investigation arc has kicked into high gear and the relationship is put into the backburner. I can assume that the mangaka is going to drag out the invesitgation arc and develop Shiro and Ichiro relationship at a snail's pace. Maybe in the final volume, the investigation can finish and the two can admit their attraction to each other lol.

Lol someone stop me from posting here, I blame the manga

Anyway there's seems to a special program of Kei X Yaku that was shown in Japan showing some of the scenes in episode 1 and IT'S ALREADY different to the manga lol. Shiro dares Ichiro to take part in a fist fight (what that's NOT IN THE MANGA AT ALL LOL). But Shiro has his Yakuza tattoo on his back and he's sleeping around!

Oops I posted the spoilers twice so don't pay any attention. So I answered the question to any BL fans if this series is a BL and the answer is yes! It's just a slow burner type with a lot of investigation/crime/mystery/action parts

These scene are actually really good, it is like I am reading a action police story with some BL elements mixed in.

MORE spoilers from the manga who don't care and want to know what will happen ahead. Kinda loose summaries of each volume.

Volume 3 is like the BIG BOMB as in the relationship between Ichiro and Shiro begins to change A LOT. Basically volume 1 and 2 was Ichiro and Shiro being buddies and queerbaiting and doing the investigation into Rion dispearance. Volume 3 basically says "jokes on you Rion is'nt dead she's alive and was undercover!" also Shiro gets into near death (again) and it is at that moment he thinks of Ichiro and the time he spent with him thinking that it felt like he was "in a family" like being with his sister. That's big development between the two and I thought that was pretty gay.

Volume 4 the plot changes a lot snice Rion is alive but the investigation she was doing on the 4 men continues with Ichiro and Shiro helping out (forgot to mention that Rion was investigating 4 men when she vanished). This is pretty action packed with Ichiro and Shiro going undercover and missions to find killers trying to kill them. It's kinda complicated trying to explain/figure it out but one of the 4 men they are investigating want Ichiro and Shiro dead. There's a crazy women trying to kill Ichiro, Shiro and Rion. There's an omake that Shiro has taken a lot of pictures of Ichiro (that's so gay lol)

Volume 5 IS BIG. Basically there a lot of people are want to harm Ichiro and Shiro. Ichiro's childhood friend get targeted and Shiro promises Ichiro he will protect her and get to the problem, before he leave. SHIRO KISSES ICHIRO (it was at that moment I made a mistake thinking the series was a bromance but it felt like a farewell kiss like no.6) and leaves. Shiro gets himself into trouble and Ichiro come in to save him. There relationship after is still friends that they are teasing each other more now.

Volume 6: acutally it's just more investigation and it's gotten really messy. But they capture the crazy women murder too bad there's another crazy murderer on the loose. Ichiro and Shiro's relationship is put on the backburner but it's still going strong I think.

MORE spoilers from the manga who don't care and want to know what will happen ahead. Kinda loose summaries of each volume.

Volume 3 is like the BIG BOMB as in the relationship between Ichiro and Shiro begins to change A LOT. Basically volume 1 and 2 was Ichiro and Shiro being buddies and queerbaiting and doing the investigation into Rion dispearance. Volume 3 basically says "jokes on you Rion is'nt dead she's alive and was undercover!" also Shiro gets into near death (again) and it is at that moment he thinks of Ichiro and the time he spent with him thinking that it felt like he was "in a family" like being with his sister. That's big development between the two and I thought that was pretty gay.

Volume 4 the plot changes a lot snice Rion is alive but the investigation she was doing on the 4 men continues with Ichiro and Shiro helping out (forgot to mention that Rion was investigating 4 men when she vanished). This is pretty action packed with Ichiro and Shiro going undercover and missions to find killers trying to kill them. It's kinda complicated trying to explain/figure it out but one of the 4 men they are investigating want Ichiro and Shiro dead. There's a crazy women trying to kill Ichiro, Shiro and Rion. There's an omake that Shiro has taken a lot of pictures of Ichiro (that's so gay lol)

Volume 5 IS BIG. Basically there a lot of people are want to harm Ichiro and Shiro. Ichiro's childhood friend get targeted and Shiro promises Ichiro he will protect her and get to the problem, before he leave. SHIRO KISSES ICHIRO (it was at that moment I made a mistake thinking the series was a bromance but it felt like a farewell kiss like no.6) and leaves. Shiro gets himself into trouble and Ichiro come in to save him. There relationship after is still friends that they are teasing each other more now.

Volume 6: acutally it's just more investigation and it's gotten really messy. But they capture the crazy women murder too bad there's another crazy murderer on the loose. Ichiro and Shiro's relationship is put on the backburner but it's still going strong I think.

You know what I take back my words after reading volume 5 the mangaka did a 180 and turned a bromance into a BL! So you are right! I should never conclude from reading 2 volumes of manga out of 6 I am so ashamed that I want to delete this whole thread..

Hey it's me guess who caved in to buy the rest of the volumes yup me! Haha I've had horrible day so I am going to waste my money.

Yea I bought volumes 3 to 6 and never asume things from reading 2 volumes.

I don't know how the mangaka did but the mangaka did SO I can CONFIRM that this is a BL series LOL. I got tricked! From reading the 1st 2 volumes I thought was pretty much bromance and it was going to stay that way but then I read volume 3 to 5 and it got gayer. Anyway more spoilers below

Thanks. I just wanted to find a way to read the manga and I really like the manga so I might just end up buying all of the volumes because I want to know what happens next. Volume 3 looks so action packed so no wonder they got a director who directed action/crime dramas to direct this drama series.

I just wanted to give any interested viewers an insight to what to expect from the drama. I mean maybe in the future the mangaka can decide if the two main characters should become a real couple because it does seem like the two are getting more closer and comfortable with each other and the volumes increase so who knows I just like these two characters interacting with each other.

Wanted to talk more about my thoughts/expectations for the drama based on what I read of the manga

Shiro sexual orienatation: So I think Shiro likes men (but women I do not know about which is why I think he might be a bisexual). Shiro is like a male prostitute so he has sex with older men like it's a part of his job. Maybe because that is his upbringing or he did it because he wanted to rise in the ranks. In 2 volumes alone Shiro has had sex with 3 older guys (as in 50-60 years old so if that creeps you out you may not want to watch this series).

Queerbaiting: There so much of it, Ichiro and Shiro do a lot of "about to kiss" but then don't do it and joke about it. There's a lot of skinship between the two so they do hug and touch each other a lot but beyond that it's for the cover/investigation. One moment was in the onsen where Ichiro and Shiro get spoted by someone and this forces Ichiro to get on top of shiro and try to kiss him to force the people to leave but Ichiro faints before he can do anything to Shiro.

My expectations: I don't know if the drama can fully cover the manga, I know I can expect the crime/mystery/investigation and I am hyped for it. The bromance and queerbaiting I know will be there and that may frustrate a lot of BL fans. I am really concerned if they will show Shiro having sex /in bed with older men (like 50-70 years old, old enough to be his grandfather). There's one scene where Shiro is captured by one of the guy he's sleeping with and almost gets killed. It's going to be a challenging role for Inukai as Shiro but I really want to see it in a sick way.

So I am going talk about some spoilers from the manga, which I bought on the bookwalker store. It's in Japanese only but snice this is a manga so it should be easy for English translation and release by a publishing company

Basic story: Ichiro is a cop and is asked by his senior to spy on Shiro a Yazuka member, Ichiro tries to seduce Shiro but fails, he managed to put a GPS on Shiro to track him. But Ichiro tracking finds Shiro to the grave of his ex partner/senior Rion who 3 years dispeared and "died" but no one knows what happens to her. Ichiro and Shiro have a fight because the two don't know that the two have a connection to Rion. Shiro is Rion's younger brother and also wants to find out what happened to Rion. Because it's odd for a police man and a Yakuza to team up they form a "fake lover contract" as a cover up so they can investigate together.

Ichiro (Suzuki): The main character and "cop" of the title. He's a VERY serious worker but lacks some common sense. He's the one that suggests the "fake lover contract" to futher investigate the mystery of Rion dispearance. He's so serious that he goes along with the fake dating and even forms a lover certificate and dating form lol. He's acutally straight as Shiro points out, later on we meet Ichiro childhood friend Chihiro who Ichiro was in love with (but I think Chihiro is married).

Shiro (Inukai): A Yazuka who is gay/bisexual. The reason I say the story has gay elements is because Shiro sleeps around with a lot of older men (as in they are 50-60 years old, makes me wonder if Inukai can acutally do this but I am keen to see this). He acutally has common sense then Ichiro but is very harsh/violent when he beating up people. He's the more casual and less serious then Ichiro.

Relationship: As I said bromance, nothing romantic develops between the two. But the two have funny interactions with each other because Ichiro moves into Shiro's appartment as part of the lovers contract. They act like collagues slowly turned into friends. Maybe like the closest gay moment between the two is when the two go to a onsen together they share a bed together (non gay way long to explain). Ichiro sees Shiro's yakuza tattoo back (I hope we get to see it on Inukai) and says it beautiful in which Shiro sees it as a joke/does'nt take seriously.

After reading the manga I am SO HYPED for this drama!

So I caved in and read the 1st 2 volumes of the manga, volume 1 is actually currently free to download on the bookwalker japan store (I use bookwalker to read some Japansese enovels on my phone) I bought volume 2 and want to buy the rest of the volumes lol.

In summary: This series is NOT BL BUT there's is a bromance/buddy crime partner relationship WITH A LOT of queerbaiting/BL baiting, if you don't like that then you might not like this series because there's a lot of queerbaiting. There is gay elements in this series but not what you think it is. The two main characters so far don't develop romantic feelings for each other and the story is more centred on the crime/mystery with parts of bromance/queerbating

I'll talk more about the manga in the spoiler post below

Ok so now on to novel spoilers, please note that I have ONLY read the Japanese version of the novel and there is no offical English translation. Please stop asking me where I read the novel because I bought my own phyiscal copy.

Overall the novel is certainly more wordy and lengthy then the drama series, the drama series really did condense all of the important plot points from the novel. The novel really extended a lot of scenes I thought .

There were things that were still the same in the novel that the drama showed like the final confession scene (which in the novel happened in Hira's house compared to the classroom in the drama).

Two things I like to mention is that in the drama showed Hira putting kiyoi's change from doing the errands in a glass flask but he never showed it to Kiyoi. But in the novel Hira shows Kiyoi the flask and explains why he did it in which Kiyoi reacts like "This guy is weird but whatever he's my lover"

There's also an additional short story in the novel at the end of the novel where Hira gets approached by a random girl while waiting for Kiyoi and Kiyoi sees it. It causes Kiyoi to be super jealous and mad at Hira lolol (but after they have sex after so yeah). I wonder if they could adapt that short story one day.