Review: Dangerous Convenience Store, Vol 1 – opposites sometimes make the best couples

Dangerous Convenience Store, Volume 1 kicks off a captivating, well-written and nicely illustrated Boys’ Love manhwa with strong elements of romance and drama that are often tinged with a slightly twisted humor, and that all combine to create a unique and engaging BL story.

Throw in two main characters from vastly different worlds — men who you wouldn’t think would suit each other at all, but they do — and Dangerous Convenience Store is a Boys’ Love manhwa that, just a few pages into Volume 1, quickly hits the right fujoshi spot.

The plot of Dangerous Convenience Store

The main character, Yeo Eui Joon, is a broke college student working the graveyard shift at a convenience store in a dodgy area frequented by gangsters.

Despite the potentially dangerous work environment, Yeo Eui Joon continues working there because of the pay, which is 1.2 times more than other stores.

This financial necessity is further exacerbated by the fact that his older brother is in the hospital, and has been for a long time. This makes it impossible for Eui Joon to quit the convenience store, as those medical bills won’t pay themselves.

The narrative takes an odd turn, however, when during an altercation with an intimidating and aggressive customer, a large well-dressed man named Gunwoo steps in to threaten and then beat the guy.

cover art for Dangerous Convenience Store, Volume 1
cover art for Dangerous Convenience Store, Volume 1

It turns out Gunwoo, who frequents the store daily for booze and cigarettes, is a high-ranking gangster himself.

But, despite his scary appearance and occupation, he seems to have a soft spot for Eui Joon, swinging by the store regularly, and even calling him “easy on the eyes”, while asking if he’s training to be an idol or an actor.

To the casual observer, it seems obvious from early on that Gunwoo is attracted to Eui Joon, although Eui Joon is so caught up in the gangster’s intimidating demeanor, he is oblivious to it.

Eui Joon and Gunwoo’s burgeoning relationship from this point on is the core of the Dangerous Convenience Store plot.

The two men could not be more different

At first appearances, Gunwoo is not only terrifying looking, but sometimes even violent in the way he deals with people.

Screaming on his phone, and asking an employee whether he beat someone up or stabbed them, causes Eui Joon to initially worry about his own safety.

In reality, however, these seem to be characteristics Gunwoo has adopted so that he can be more accepted, and thus more successful, in the gangster world he inhabits.

Something Eui Joon learns after getting to know Gunwoo better, when he finds out the gangster is his new next-door neighbor, and quickly ends up in bed with him.

Meanwhile, Eui Joon, who is currently experiencing unrequited love for his college friend Hyunwoo, has an equally strange personality.

After all, while he might initially appear ridiculously doe-eyed and naive, he still doesn’t have much of a filter, so often blurts out what he’s thinking or feeling.

Those thoughts, however, are often superficial as, when asked about more personal thinks like why is his brother in hospital, Eui Joon refuses to talk about it as he doesn’t want to “drag down the mood”.

All of this mesmerizes Gunwoo, who has never met anyone like him.

Why you will like Dangerous Convenience Store

The full-color manhwa Dangerous Convenience Store, with its unique plot, well-developed characters, engaging art style, and well-written story, is a must-read for any Boys’ Love fan looking for something that isn’t quite the norm.

The expected and nicely delivered sex scenes, of which there are many, also add to the plot as we first see Gunwoo behaving as aggressively in bed as he always has but, by the end of the volume, already beginning to tone down his behavior as he starts to treat Eui Joon a little more preciously than that.

Meanwhile, Eui Joon, who has no experience with relationships and so was initially shocked by Gunwoo’s immense stamina in bed, is surprised to quickly find himself not being as afraid of his next-door gangster as he first thought he should be.

All of this lays an interesting base for the relationship that is obviously next to come.

Volume 1 of Dangerous Convenience Store is available via Seven Seas Entertainment, who is also doing a nice job of releasing new volumes, as Volume 2 of the full-color manhwa came out in February and Volume 3 is due to be published on June 25th.

About Micaela Adams

Didn't get into anime and manga until I was in my 20s. Made up for it in the last few years, as I've been writing about manga for a while now, my 1,000-plus volume manga collection is threatening to collapse my floor, and anime Blu-rays have taken over my living room. Aren't delayed childhoods fun?!