Sun Ken Rock

"If a Nation is a Gang, a Gang should be able to become a Nation. I want to establish a Nation of a certain class. Hey, let's build a country of our own. Ken."

—Tae-Soo

"I don't force anyone to follow me. I fight for what I believe in, and to protect those who need my help! I force nobody to fight beside me. Everyone's free to their own opinions! And I fight beside only those who share mine! But I help all those who ask me, and I ask for nothing in return!"

—Ken

After his parents death at 16, Ken lost everything. He became embroiled in a world of violence; constantly fighting one group of thugs to the next. Then he met Yumin, the only person left in his life that he cared for. When Ken finally confessed his love Yumin turned him down with the reason that she plans on moving to Korea and becoming a police officer. Ken decides to drop out of high school, and flies to Korea in order to become an officer himself. Unsurprisingly as a high school dropout he doesn't get the job and ends up slumming it in Korea.

One day, after helping out an old store owner getting extorted from a local gang, Ken is then made the boss of a small gang by a man named Tae-Soo. Ken now finds himself fighting local gang bosses, protecting the ones he cares for and making sure Yumin never finds out, otherwise he loses the girl he loves and gets arrested.

This is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Boichi and there are currently over 91 chapters translated. The series contains good artwork that becomes amazing, plenty of crowning moments of all variety, great story, and is all too addicting.

Tropes used in Sun Ken Rock include:

Art Evolution: The art in the beginning volumes was pretty good to great but as the series progressed the artwork has become some of the best you'll ever see in a manga as the style has been polished tremendously.
Art Shift: The comedy sections almost seem like they come from a different manga when compared to the rest of the manga.
Author Appeal: Boichi seems to love writing drama and wacky humor, he is well known for writing great dramatic One-Shots just as he is known for writing some great Ecchi humor. He delivers these two flavors in Sun Ken Rock, there are quite some notorious Mood Whiplashes to be seen here, dramatic events followed by comedy, and vice-versa.
Badass: Everything Ken does from beating down whole gangs on his own to having so much charisma that not even his enemies can help but respect and look up to him.
Badass Crew: The Sun-Ken team.
Badass in a Nice Suit: When Ken puts on his suit it means serious business and almost always a serious ass-kicking.
Berserk Button: If you mess with anyone Ken is trying to protect or hurt anyone on his team Ken will destroy you and the "world" you live in.
Brick Joke: The Boar when you least expect it.
Continuity Nod / Call Back: Go Ju-Mon says that maybe one day his cousin will reach space through one of his descendants, the character shadow next to him gives away that that one will be Caisar, a character from another of Boichi's works: Space Chef Caisar, the chef known as the best in the world goes on journey through space to cook the greatest recipes and kick ass.
Curb Stomp Battle: Ken is adapt at handing these out to whoever happens to be unlucky enough to be his opponent, though he has been on the end of a few of them himself.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: Ken is respected by his closest peers, but when his reign spreads to greater schemes like casinos and record labels, people in those sects don't pay their respects, mostly because Ken likes to keep a low profile and doesn't like to be worshiped, still many are quick to treat him like a hobo or a petty criminal, because someone as "dull" as him can't be the boss, posing around dressed in Armani and driving Imported Cars.
Fan Service: Boichi knows what his readers like, breasts and ass shots of the various women in the manga.
Food Porn: The author can go on complete tangents describing in incredible detail the food that the characters eat during the story. Describing the preparation of the ingredients, carefully detailing how it's all cooked while detailing the how the various sauces and juices add to the taste and texture of the dish, and finishes off by describing the delicious taste of the meal... now I'm hungry.
Hidden Depths:You really don't expect much out of Ken when you first begin reading the story. He's a high school dropout that spent a year in Korea doing nothing more then living in a shoddy apartment and being unemployed. Then as the series goes on he proves himself to be a man that sticks by his ideals and is willing to do anything to help those he wants to protect.
Improbable Weapon User: San-Ki Lee, AKA Marin, is an Ex Korean solider who doesn't use guns or evens knives but instead decides to dual- wield a pair of wrenches. He's quite good with with them.
Knife Nut: Kae-Lyn as the one that teaches the group how to use knives is also quite good at wielding them and other sharp and pointy objects. She is quite good at killing her target or worse yet taking them alive.
Magnificent Bastard: Tae-Soo himself is one. Ever since he made Ken the boss of the team he has been making plot after plot to expand the gangs influence and take over even more territory.
A Man Is Not a Virgin:Defied as Ken is not only still a virgin but he turns down the very aggressive advances of other women in order to save himself for Yumin.
Mighty Glacier:Do-Heun Chang plays this role in the team though he's quite a bit quicker than what you would expect from of man of his size.
Oh Crap: This is the word that goes through the mind a lot of thugs when Ken finally gets serious or pissed, which ever happens first.
One-Man Army:Anyone of the members of the Sun-Ken gang could take on ten or more guys at once and that's before they took a level. One of Ken's own traits is that he can take down whole gangs on his own.
Protagonist Journey To Anti-Villain: Initially, Ken is okay with having a small gang that can pass up as posers thinking way too big, but as things goes Ken's influence actually creates a parallel state, he becomes a big shot, a true criminal in real life standards by owning corrupt Casinos, Idol Agencies and Real Estate companies; that's where Ken starts doubting himself, being noticeable careless about rivals trying to destroy or seize his empire, as he thinks it could be for the best.
Rape as Drama:Miss Yoo was brutally gang-raped and sexually abused by the Garugi after she was kidnapped by them.
Took a Level in Badass: Ken and the rest of the members of the gang take a huge one after their training is done at mount Juri.
Training from Hell: The Sun-Ken team go through months of this once they start training at mount Juri and emphasis on hell. Their training would make a veteran Navy SEAL wish he was back in hell week.