I read ‘Dick Fight Island’ by Reibun Ike so you don’t have to
This feels like it could become a series. It all started with ‘Ice Planet Barbarians’ by Ruby Dixon (which, I must make it known is being released in a special edition and the cover is amazing and yes I have it on pre-order), and usually it’s something questionable that TikTok makes me read.
And when I say ‘makes me’ I mean that in the lightest sense, because I am always down to read something a little bonkers with a lot of nudity in it. Spicy books? Yes. But spicy books that are probably terrible but also might be brilliant? Always.
So, here we are with ‘Dick Fight Island’ by Reibun Ike, and for once TikTok did not make me read this. This was a manga me and Sophie stumbled across and I knew IMMEDIATELY that I had to hit the buy button.
Here’s the summary:
Eight mighty island warriors battle to become king. The deciding factor? The one who comes last, of course!
Eight islands represented by their best warriors must battle it out in a tournament to decide their king. To win this battle of endurance, it’s not the last one standing but the last one coming that matters!
The tournament to choose the next king of the islands is about to begin. The rules are simple―whoever comes first loses! Participating warriors protect their mighty swords with armor that grows larger and more elaborate with each tournament. But one warrior has returned from studying abroad with a technique certain to force a pleasurable eruption! Is there a competitor alive able to withstand it? Or is this deft warrior destined to become king?!
Would you believe that I pre-ordered this madness? Well, I did. And it was supposed to be dropping onto my doorstep in MAY but it didn’t arrive until late-July. That’s a long wait for some hand-drawn ween.
I love manga, and genre-wise my go-to picks are usually shojo or yaoi.
SHOJO:
Shōjo manga (少女漫画), also romanized as shojo or shoujo, are Japanese comics aimed at a teen female target-demographic readership. The name romanizes the word 少女 (shōjo), literally meaning "young woman". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative styles, from historical drama to science fiction, often with a focus on romantic relationships or emotions. - Wikipedia
YAOI:
Yaoi (/ˈjaʊi/; Japanese: やおい [ja.o.i]), also known by the wasei-eigo construction boys' love (ボーイズ ラブ, bōizu rabu) and its abbreviation BL (ビーエル, bīeru), is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. Though it is typically created by women for women and is distinct from homoerotic media marketed to gay men, it does also attract a male audience and can be produced by male creators. - Wikipedia
If it comes wrapped in plastic then even better. (Shojo would never, but yaoi? Depends how explicit and intense it gets).
Here we are then. The review.
Should you read ‘Dick Fight Island’?
Umm.
If this kind of book is already in your wheelhouse then 100% I would recommend it. If you’re new to the genre or to this kind of explicit manga then maybe not. The thing is with manga, is a lot can either get lost in translation or you have to fill in the gaps yourself, and there is this certain way a lot of mangas have with conversation structure and syntax… If you haven’t read a lot of manga then it can be a little jarring.
I’m in no way trying to put you off, or gatekeep it though! If you really want to give it a go, then please be my guest. I would love to chat to you about it after. But it’s also important to manage your expectations.
What did I like about it?
The art style. This was exactly the kind of drawing style I love in manga. I can’t explain it, but basically ‘Fruits Basket’ by Natsuki Takaya is the control study for me, and everything else has to live up to that standard.
Character back stories. So, fair enough, the narrative isn’t that deep in ‘Dick Fight Island’. It is what it is. But I thought the main character had enough life experience and knowledge that his motivations made sense. Some of the secondary characters were a little flat, but then others were wildly interesting.
I’m intrigued to see where this manga series goes, and long of a run it will have. The plot is basic but entertaining enough, and the action is… eventful? I think that’s the safest way to describe it.
If you don’t like full frontal male nudity then do yourself a favour and steer clear. If yaoi is your jam then slap this book inside a sandwich and eat it up. It’s fun, it’s ridiculous, and it does try and inject a healthy dose of heart (a bit of a swing and miss sometimes, but points for trying).
I gave it 3 stars, and I’ll be picking up volume 2.
If you have any questionable reads you want me to content check, so you don’t have to, please drop the title in the comments!
Written by Sarah
