Instead of doing hw, I read volume 1 of No. 6 and it didn't disappoint! I was getting wary of just plain old romance stories and No. 6 is a scifi seemingly utopia-actually dystopia that has a sprinkle of gay.

The story follows Shion, a young idealist living in the utopic city of No. 6, going to the most elite school and granted special privileges for his intelligence. That all changes one night when a criminal breaks into his house, bleeding, and Shion just... helps him. Years later, Nezumi (he is called Rat in the English version but I refuse) reappears around the time Shion discovers a dead body: having been severely punished for aiding and abetting a criminal, he's been reassigned to be a glorified trashman. Realizing he is somehow involved in the conspiracy and for some reason the Powers That Be have targeted him, Shion escapes the city he grew up in, leaving his childhood behind.

I liked this manga a lot and I can't wait to keep reading. So far it's pretty typical in the genre of "in a world where seemingly everything is perfect be suspicious" but so far it has a lot of potential. I'm intrigued by the mystery, I like where the relationship is going, and I really like Shion's character. He was never the completely oblivious naïve character, as a child he had questions about the system, and willingly embraced the consequences from helping Nezumi—knowing he would lose his privileged status. But he also is naïve in that he has always lived in No 6, and doesn't know about life for anyone else.

The only weird part is his friend. Shion had one friend who didn't shun him when he fell from grace, a girl named Safu who is in love with him. At one point she propositions him by asking for his sperm??? Idk if it was a translation issue but it felt really out of left field and didn't quite make sense to me. Not her crush but like the way she said it. (it makes me think the story was written by a man)

Overall looking forward to the next volume.

4/5 dystopic stars