Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards
Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masamitsu Nigatsu. It has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from September 2022 to November 2024, with its chapters collected in twelve volumes. A live-action film 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 organization and destined to be its next leader after her father's death. 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
;Arakuni Ibuki;Honeko Akabane
;Sumihiko Somejima
;Nei Togeya
;Masachika Jingu
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Masamitsu Nigatsu, Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from September 21, 2022, to November 20, 2024. Kodansha collected its chapters in twelve volumes, released from January 17, 2023, to January 17, 2025.Kodansha has published the manga digitally in English through its K Manga digital service. In March 2024, Kodansha USA announced that they had licensed the manga for print release, with the first volume set to be published in January 2025.