Imagine your species is on a mission to scout for a planet to colonize and your little brother hasn’t reported back in almost a year from the planet he’s stationed in. You go look for him, only to find him completely adapted and happily living among the species you planned to subdue. That’s exactly what happens in the first volume of Tokyo Alien Bros.
[Content warnings: explicit sex, kink, pornography. Mild spoilers for Volume 1.]
Fuyunosuke and Natsutaro Tanaka (real names unknown) are brothers from a distant planet.
These names were made up by Fuyunosuke, which is quite silly considering they literally mean winter (冬: fuyu) and summer (夏: natsu) with the suffixes -nosuke and -taro, common during the Edo period mainly among subordinates and the samurai class. These names aren’t used anymore, so they probably sound ridiculous to a modern Japanese person. It’s even funnier when you consider their personalities do not match either. Fuyunosuke is warm and bright, very extroverted, and friendly. While Natsutaro is cold and awkward, a little grumpy, and having a hard time around humans.
This might be a result of the fact Fuyunosuke has been on Earth for almost a year, studying humans and doing his best to fit in. He goes to a local university where girls and boys alike admire and crush on him. He is a great student, plays sports, and goes on dates and kinky sexcapades (in the very first chapter, a special shimmering shower is involved—I’ll let you figure that one out).
Both brothers have taken on human bodies designed by Fuyunosuke. But their real forms consist of blobs, like a lump with eyes that can take on any shape. They are weak to salt, and their human forms will melt if they eat too much of it, or if a bowl of salty ramen spills on their head. They can also read the minds of living beings if they touch them, which is how they learn human behavior. Fuyunosuke makes it his mission to help Natsutaro adapt while maintaining the life he’s created for himself. The brothers get into all sorts of whacky situations because of it.
My honest thoughts:
The overall vibes of the story are similar to Saint Young Men by Hikaru Nakamura, a manga where Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha are roommates on vacation in the mortal realm (highly recommend!). Except, these brothers are way more unfamiliar with Earth customs and are also planning to take over the planet. Furthermore, I find the artstyle endearing and also fitting for the story’s tone: thin and delicate lines, very rounded, and not extremely detailed. It keeps it light-hearted and accentuates the weirdness.
In the last chapter, there’s a little twist regarding the brothers’ relationship and their roles back on their home planet. I’m going to keep to myself and recommend you read it to find out. The premise isn’t revolutionary, but it’s certainly a fun read that I enjoyed a lot. I will definitely keep reading!
VIZ Media released Tokyo Alien Bros Volume 1 back on January 21st, 2025. Volume 2 is coming out in two weeks, on April 15th, 2025.
Poppy Seeds: ●●●◐○ (3.5 out of 5)
No Comments.