What do you think?
Rate this book
No. 6: The Manga #1
No. 6: The Manga, Volume 01
A PERFECT LIFE, IN A PERFECT CITY
For Shion, an elite student in the technologically sophisticated city No. 6, life is carefully choreographed. School, study, and the occasional visit with his friend and classmate Safu. One fateful day, however, he takes a misstep, sheltering an injured boy his age from a typhoon. Known only as Rat, this boy is a VC – a fugitive living outside the computerized tapestry of city control – and helping him will throw Shion’s life into chaos and start him down a path to discovering the appalling secrets behind the superficial perfection of No. 6.
For Shion, an elite student in the technologically sophisticated city No. 6, life is carefully choreographed. School, study, and the occasional visit with his friend and classmate Safu. One fateful day, however, he takes a misstep, sheltering an injured boy his age from a typhoon. Known only as Rat, this boy is a VC – a fugitive living outside the computerized tapestry of city control – and helping him will throw Shion’s life into chaos and start him down a path to discovering the appalling secrets behind the superficial perfection of No. 6.
176 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2011
115 people are currently reading
2684 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
January 30, 2022
I've never read a dystopian/sci-fi esque manga before, but No.6 definitely makes me want to change that! I loved Shion and Rat so much, so I'm really excited to see where their journey goes!
~★~ What is this manga about? ~★~
Shion lives in the seemingly perfect city of No. 6.
Walled-off from the rest of the world, it’s people live in ignorance of the ruinous conditions outside. When Shion opens his door during a typhoon to experience a few moments of turmoil, he gets more than he bargained for. A fugitive who goes by the name Rat gets in, changing his life forever. Together, the two escape to uncover the mysteries and secrets behind the facade of city No 6.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
This manga is so many good things at once; wholesome, hilarious, mysterious and adventurous! The dynamic established between Shion and Rat is already so amazing, I can’t wait to see how it progresses throughout the series.
The art style is great! While the character art is definitely my favourite, the backgrounds are wonderful too (and those maintenance bots are so cute!!) While the story is just getting started, I’m definitely intrigued for what’s next! An amazing series introduction!
~★~ What is this manga about? ~★~
Shion lives in the seemingly perfect city of No. 6.
Walled-off from the rest of the world, it’s people live in ignorance of the ruinous conditions outside. When Shion opens his door during a typhoon to experience a few moments of turmoil, he gets more than he bargained for. A fugitive who goes by the name Rat gets in, changing his life forever. Together, the two escape to uncover the mysteries and secrets behind the facade of city No 6.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
This manga is so many good things at once; wholesome, hilarious, mysterious and adventurous! The dynamic established between Shion and Rat is already so amazing, I can’t wait to see how it progresses throughout the series.
The art style is great! While the character art is definitely my favourite, the backgrounds are wonderful too (and those maintenance bots are so cute!!) While the story is just getting started, I’m definitely intrigued for what’s next! An amazing series introduction!
August 30, 2013
Not going to lie, my main motivation to get the manga was the art. I just really love the toi8 designs (and some of the designs leaked into the novel covers as well later on, so I suspect that's not just me. Seriously, Nezumi (oh, sorry, Rat) with novel-canonical short hair is hard to picture at this point).
I won't really go into depth about the story here, since I'm currently also re-reading the novels and I fully plan on catching up with those before the manga does. My final review of the entire series will be at the final volume of each adaptation respectively, I suspect. (It helps my case that the first volume of the manga only covers about the first half of the first novel, so I can read pretty slowly.)
I was a bit weary of the translation at first, as I know nothing about Kodansha's translations other than snippets from the new release of Sailor Moon, which was... well, less than stellar. However, No. 6 is good, nothing that pulled me out of the story and though my brain automatically replaces every instance of Rat with Nezumi, that has more to do with me being used to read his name as Nezumi than anything else.
The story is just getting started in the first volume, and I'm definitely planning on getting the rest of the manga in English as well now, considering the translation quality for this volume.
(On a side note, it's good to see Shion can't shut up about how pretty Rat's grey eyes are in the manga, too. That's how we know you, Shion. About as subtle as the house of Dorothy Gale.)
I won't really go into depth about the story here, since I'm currently also re-reading the novels and I fully plan on catching up with those before the manga does. My final review of the entire series will be at the final volume of each adaptation respectively, I suspect. (It helps my case that the first volume of the manga only covers about the first half of the first novel, so I can read pretty slowly.)
I was a bit weary of the translation at first, as I know nothing about Kodansha's translations other than snippets from the new release of Sailor Moon, which was... well, less than stellar. However, No. 6 is good, nothing that pulled me out of the story and though my brain automatically replaces every instance of Rat with Nezumi, that has more to do with me being used to read his name as Nezumi than anything else.
The story is just getting started in the first volume, and I'm definitely planning on getting the rest of the manga in English as well now, considering the translation quality for this volume.
(On a side note, it's good to see Shion can't shut up about how pretty Rat's grey eyes are in the manga, too. That's how we know you, Shion. About as subtle as the house of Dorothy Gale.)
October 14, 2017
--
I took a gamble in buying the first volume of this series without really knowing anything about it. I ended up really enjoying this first volume. At first, I thought it might be meant for a younger audience, but it actually ended up being a lot more mature than that. It kind of gave me a Hunger Games/The Giver vibe. I'd really like to continue with this series!
Want to read
February 12, 2018Non-yaoi manga with gay relationships that is canon... sign me in.
I already watched the anime and let me tell you, Nezumi and Shion— they’re too precious. And since I’ve heard the manga is better I can’t wait to read it now!
I already watched the anime and let me tell you, Nezumi and Shion— they’re too precious. And since I’ve heard the manga is better I can’t wait to read it now!
May 17, 2024
My favorite anime is now a manga! Man, I was so excited when I came across it in Amazon UK's shop! I love the setting, the adventures of Shion and Rat, the blossoming love between them. As I have said many times in the past, Shion and Rat remind me of X-Men's Charles and Erik, respectively. Shion is a child of privilege but so kind-hearted and willing to help anyone, he would give the shirt off his back to a person in need. Rat is a child of oppression, full of hate, disillusioned and determined to tear the world down, and yet he has a soft spot for Shion... Wonderful. Truly wonderful.
January 13, 2018
4/5stars
this was SUPER action packed and gripping right from the start! I think I'll definitely be picking up the others!
this was SUPER action packed and gripping right from the start! I think I'll definitely be picking up the others!
comics
May 15, 2024I just binge-finished the anime
so naturally, I came looking for more (& while it was coming across the Manga here that encouraged me to watch the anime- my first BL anime, I was looking for one with sci-fi or fantasy theme)
Nezumi & Shion are sooooooooo precious! I love them.
-
the art is so prettyyyy!
so naturally, I came looking for more (& while it was coming across the Manga here that encouraged me to watch the anime- my first BL anime, I was looking for one with sci-fi or fantasy theme)
Nezumi & Shion are sooooooooo precious! I love them.
-
the art is so prettyyyy!
February 14, 2014
I don't know why, but this book just didn't work for me. I have no real problems with the writing, or the setting, or the characters. The pace is pretty good in this volume, and there's quite a bit that happens. I can understand getting sucked into the ongoing questions about what's going on in No. 6. Even the art is good, polished and consistent. I have nothing concrete to complain about, but I just didn't connect with it.
March 19, 2016
The best manga I've ever read; the story is thrilling, the characters are well designed, the art style is stunning. This deserves a 5 star rating without even blinking.
June 22, 2020
This was different! I don't think I've ever read a dystopian manga before so that's cool. I'm intrigued.
January 11, 2023
I really hope people don’t actually ask people for their sperm as a way to ask them out on a date.
July 16, 2025
beautiful, fast-paced, i’m intrigued. nezumi is very interesting individual, wanna know more.
April 15, 2021
Un principio súper interesante, con personajes que me cayeron bien y una dinámica que promete. Me gusta ver esta mezcla de sci-fi con romance en un manga, así deberían ser más historias LGBT+. Sobre todo porque se nota que vamos a tener un slow burn de aquellossss *cackles maniacally*
Me declaro intrigada.
Me declaro intrigada.
February 12, 2018
Surprisingly, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I enjoyed the first episode of the anime, but I think this was largely due to the fact that I already knew what was going to happen. The anime portrays the events with more dynamism and pace, but I still loved this first volume and will be picking up volume 2 immediately.
April 5, 2023
4.5 🌟
Zapowiada się świetna mangowa seria!
Zapowiada się świetna mangowa seria!
January 7, 2025
For my first manga book, it was pretty good. There was definitely a learning curve of how to read the book. The plot was confusing at times and I feel like nothing was resolved. Unsure if I will continue with the series. I certainly don’t like being left on a cliff hanger.
January 17, 2023
i finished the show and now i need closure
April 2, 2020
Gah. Cliff hanger.
If I didn't already know what was happening, that would really drive me up a wall.
Actually, if you've seen the anime, there's not much to gain by reading the manga just yet. I assume there will be more info we didn't get in the anime eventually, but so far it's pretty much the same.
Also, "Nezumi" sounds much better as a name than just "Rat" (the translation). Just my personal opinion there.
Anyway, this is the story of Shion, a member of the elite class of geniuses, and how he fell from grace by helping a wanted criminal, "Rat." He then witnesses two mysterious deaths and is on the run from city officials with the help of the boy (now all grown up) that he saved back then.
It's a dystopian series that pushes the boundary of what we (meaning Westerners) have come to expect from YA dystopia fiction and from shoujo. It's definitely worth a read if you like sci fi, especially the dystopian genre.
If I didn't already know what was happening, that would really drive me up a wall.
Actually, if you've seen the anime, there's not much to gain by reading the manga just yet. I assume there will be more info we didn't get in the anime eventually, but so far it's pretty much the same.
Also, "Nezumi" sounds much better as a name than just "Rat" (the translation). Just my personal opinion there.
Anyway, this is the story of Shion, a member of the elite class of geniuses, and how he fell from grace by helping a wanted criminal, "Rat." He then witnesses two mysterious deaths and is on the run from city officials with the help of the boy (now all grown up) that he saved back then.
It's a dystopian series that pushes the boundary of what we (meaning Westerners) have come to expect from YA dystopia fiction and from shoujo. It's definitely worth a read if you like sci fi, especially the dystopian genre.
January 26, 2022
I actually only read this recently despite watching the anime adaptation on release in 2011. Though I had my personal gripes about the execution of the storyline in the anime, I found the overall concept enjoyable and the characters very fun.
I am delighted to say that the manga does so much more than the anime did, expanding on plot holes and confusing plot points, as well as fleshing out already established and interesting characters into people that were wholly more enjoyable and whom a felt a genuine connection to!
Though I wish the series was a bit longer (with only 35 chapters) and I do believe it could have had more development, it doesn't change the fact that I found this incredibly enjoyable.
Also the art is stunning
I am delighted to say that the manga does so much more than the anime did, expanding on plot holes and confusing plot points, as well as fleshing out already established and interesting characters into people that were wholly more enjoyable and whom a felt a genuine connection to!
Though I wish the series was a bit longer (with only 35 chapters) and I do believe it could have had more development, it doesn't change the fact that I found this incredibly enjoyable.
Also the art is stunning
March 5, 2016
Идеально. Идеально. Фантастически идеально. Самая лучшая манга в мире.
September 15, 2023
i finally own all physical copies!! Time to relive the greatest work in my life <3
August 1, 2024
I only found out about this from an ad in the back of another manga I was reading but I'm really glad I decided to look it up because this slapped.
This takes place in the near future in an advanced city called No 6. I must say I don't think I've even read any sci-fi manga before but the world is very interesting. Walled cities always got me geeking though, shoutout to the video game Stray.🫶
Shion is a genius in an elite school until one day, an injured boy shows up that he helps and it throws his future into a tail spin.
I'm not gonna be calling him RAT, I'm sorry. I understand Nezumi means rat but the translation I was reading didn't call him Rat so I don't want to either.💀
I swear I just sniff out that gay shit. It calls to me like I'm a sailor and it's a siren telling me to jump off.🙏 My boy Shion could not stop gazing at Nezumi and constantly getting lost in his beautiful grey eyes while Nezumi spent the entire time flirting with him. I know what y'all are !!
The art style is so pretty and call me Shion because I was getting lost in Nezumi's beauty as well.
This takes place in the near future in an advanced city called No 6. I must say I don't think I've even read any sci-fi manga before but the world is very interesting. Walled cities always got me geeking though, shoutout to the video game Stray.🫶
Shion is a genius in an elite school until one day, an injured boy shows up that he helps and it throws his future into a tail spin.
I'm not gonna be calling him RAT, I'm sorry. I understand Nezumi means rat but the translation I was reading didn't call him Rat so I don't want to either.💀
I swear I just sniff out that gay shit. It calls to me like I'm a sailor and it's a siren telling me to jump off.🙏 My boy Shion could not stop gazing at Nezumi and constantly getting lost in his beautiful grey eyes while Nezumi spent the entire time flirting with him. I know what y'all are !!
The art style is so pretty and call me Shion because I was getting lost in Nezumi's beauty as well.
October 29, 2020
The synopsis to this sounded interesting but it feels really familiar in a way I don't like.
It's about a seemingly perfect, but authoritarian city, closed off to the rest of the world by a metal wall. A boy, Shion, lives in the best part of No. 6 (the name of the entire walled city), until he hides a fugitive.
The city strips him of his rank and he and his mother have to live in the slums.
The fugitive, Rat, knows some secrets that wont be revealed.
There is some strong m/m overtones in the manga, which isn't my thing. But if you like overt flirting between boys this might be for you.
I just felt the characters weren't very interesting and I absolutely HATE having to learn about a world through a naive character and a more hardened one who knows everything but wont say anything.
Anyway. Was totally underwhelmed.
It's about a seemingly perfect, but authoritarian city, closed off to the rest of the world by a metal wall. A boy, Shion, lives in the best part of No. 6 (the name of the entire walled city), until he hides a fugitive.
The city strips him of his rank and he and his mother have to live in the slums.
The fugitive, Rat, knows some secrets that wont be revealed.
There is some strong m/m overtones in the manga, which isn't my thing. But if you like overt flirting between boys this might be for you.
I just felt the characters weren't very interesting and I absolutely HATE having to learn about a world through a naive character and a more hardened one who knows everything but wont say anything.
Anyway. Was totally underwhelmed.
January 22, 2021
This anime has been recommended to me more times than I can count, but I can't find it anywhere—so here we are! Real rating is 4.5 stars.
I don't have a ton to say, really. I love the art style, and queer sci-fi, especially dystopian, is my comfort niche genre. (It's telling that I'm reading this instead of studying for my physics test.) Also, plague bugs?
What knocked that .5 off my rating was just a bit of confusion or feeling of disconnect from the characters, particularly in the first chapter; I felt Shion's actions were a bit random and unrealistic at times since his thought process wasn't expressed to the reader. I believe this was originally a novel, though, which explains it. Otherwise, I really enjoyed Vol. 1 and will definitely be continuing with this series (and returning to reread, 100%). Would recommend!
I don't have a ton to say, really. I love the art style, and queer sci-fi, especially dystopian, is my comfort niche genre. (It's telling that I'm reading this instead of studying for my physics test.) Also, plague bugs?
What knocked that .5 off my rating was just a bit of confusion or feeling of disconnect from the characters, particularly in the first chapter; I felt Shion's actions were a bit random and unrealistic at times since his thought process wasn't expressed to the reader. I believe this was originally a novel, though, which explains it. Otherwise, I really enjoyed Vol. 1 and will definitely be continuing with this series (and returning to reread, 100%). Would recommend!
August 19, 2017
*based on whole series* Pretty art and an interesting storyline. The relationship between the two main characters, Nezumi and Shion, is beautiful and sweet and not forced in any way. They have an obvious deep affection/love for each other without there being any heavy focus on it, and its lovely to see that theres no disgust/hate when one boy kisses the other, its just natural. The anime is also very good, but the manga has more depth and more consistent art in terms of quality. Only 4 stars because of some plot holes
March 8, 2025
binged at four am on a school night, bombed all tests i had the next day due to constant lack of sleep, was worth it for elyurias
sci-fi mystery psychological horror thriller very my style ten out of ten and even better because it’s written well and has BUGS IT HAS CREEPY BUGS MY LOVE and because i read it when i felt like passing out (experience enhancer)
characters start off cliche but it’s forgiven because the writing is good and the story is intriguing and then they become not cliche
ending…
WORLD END!!
sci-fi mystery psychological horror thriller very my style ten out of ten and even better because it’s written well and has BUGS IT HAS CREEPY BUGS MY LOVE and because i read it when i felt like passing out (experience enhancer)
characters start off cliche but it’s forgiven because the writing is good and the story is intriguing and then they become not cliche
ending…
WORLD END!!
August 14, 2023
idk if it was just the nostalgia goggles but i had SUCH a great time rereading this one. the pacing is definitely too fast, but they quoted macbeth and Hesse back to back and then Nezumi cups Shion’s face lovingly while he sleeps so Literally Who Cares about plot speed. Inukashi is in the next volume ??? i think?? and then it’ll be perf :)
January 1, 2019
I loved reading this. I watched the anime back when I was younger and have been wanting to read this. The artwork is great and it had me think what, wow, cool, and holy... Yeah, I loved it. The characters are so diverse and the fact that the city is totally weird makes me intrigued.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews