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When I heard about this manga I was surprised, because I heard that it was about an aroace woman and a gay man. I have seen aroace representation in manga once before, and I thought that was the only piece I would get. I am so happy that there seems to be more aroace characters being created, and the sexuality is beginning to be understood!
The artstyle is nice, and the characters are great so far (although I have only found 3 chapters translated.) Obviously since I haven't read much, the plot hasn't picked up yet, but the characters have so far fleshed out personalities and ... there has been a glimpse into the aroace characters backstory, and her struggle with her lack of sexual attraction, but how she still enjoys romance, when it isn't about her.
Since I knew that the plot was about an aroace woman and a gay mans pretend marriage to fit in with society, I was worried they were going to gain romantic feelings for each other, but luckily it doesn't seem to be going in that direction.
I am excited for the future of this manga!

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is about baseball playing assassins (one who is a crossdresser) and ramen. It covers the characters want for revenge and has a large cast of side characters who’s stories are explored as well as the main characters. Banba and Lin make a great duo and the way their relationship progresses throughout the novel is clear to see, as Lin becomes more trusting of him and finds family in the people around him, after confronting his past. Banba is clouded with mystery at first and when his character is revealed it is done amazingly, his past coming to light as well as the ... reader (and Lin) seeing weakness in him for the first time. The way the characters are written is really amazing, they are full of personality and have fleshed out character traits. The way Lin and his crossdressing is written is something I’ve never seen before, he isn’t belittled into a weak, over feminised character but rather a strong and capable one. He can still be masculine in a skirt or dress, and he fights in HEELS. The reason for Lin’s crossdressing at the start is so he could feel closer to his sister, but as the story progresses he does it because he likes it. From the beginning Lin expresses how he doesn’t understand why men should wear certain clothing and why women should wear other certain clothing, his character is an amazing break through gender stereotypes. As well as this, the novel has LGBTQ+ characters and they are written very well, and it isn’t the focus of their characters at all! The story is full of comedy but can write sad themes and traumatic backstories just as well. Lin and Banba’s relationship and dynamic is so good, they are such a good pair and watching them interact is always enjoyable. As Lin comes to trust Banba more throughout the story you really see how Lin begins to heal from the betrayal in his past. Honestly I couldn’t name any flaws while writing this, I never lost interest while reading Hakata and I believe it deserves so much more recognition (so that their can be an official English translation and a season 2!) This novel is a great read and if you are looking for an ongoing novel to follow then I would 100% recommend!

A shame to be honest.
I loved this anime. The characters were fun and the story was interesting, even if some parts were really cliche lol, at the beginning the art was great. But as the series progressed, the art got worse and worse. I love it, but the bad mix of CGI and 2D animation was just terrible. But this anime was really great, character and story-wise. If only it had received the same animation level as Tiger & Bunny :( I wonder why it didn’t, even after being made so many years afterwards.
As I said, I love the characters, they were great. If only ... the anime wasn’t 13 episodes, we might have been able to see the characters backstories in a more in-depth way.
The comedy was great, and the anime was a great watch. It’s sad about the animation… it could’ve been so much better! :(