Title: "The Stride Toward Tomorrow" (or similar)
Setting: 1955, Shōnan Special Reform School.
Main events:
Chapter 1 serves as the series’ inciting incident, introducing the protagonist, the oppressive environment of the “Sixth Ward” (六房), and the core group of seven young men whose fates become intertwined. rainbow nisha rokubou no shichinin chapter 1 full
If you’re looking for the fan-translated version, Chapter 1 is widely available on manga aggregator sites (e.g., MangaDex, MangaHere, MangaFox, etc.).
Search for:
"Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin Chapter 1"
On those platforms, you can usually read it online or download the chapter images.
Chapter 1 wastes no time with pleasantries. We are immediately transported to post-occupation Japan in 1955. The art style by mangaka George Abe is distinct—sketchy, heavy with ink, and drenched in shadows. It perfectly captures the bleak atmosphere of the era. Title: "The Stride Toward Tomorrow" (or similar) Setting:
We are introduced to six teenage boys as they step off a bus and into the Shounan Special Reform School. They are:
They arrive carrying heavy societal labels—"fallen," "criminals," "scum." But as Chapter 1 unfolds, we quickly realize these are just kids, many of whom committed crimes out of desperation or self-defense. They are stripped of their names and assigned numbers. They are no longer human; they are inmates.
You will hate Ishihara within five pages. He is not a complex, tragic villain with a sympathetic backstory. He is a sadist. He is a bully with a badge, and he represents the rot of a system that is supposed to rehabilitate but actually destroys. If you’re looking for the fan-translated version ,
In Chapter 1, Ishihara introduces the "welcome" ritual. The new boys—Mario, Rock, and the others—are stripped, beaten, and forced to kneel on the freezing concrete floor of the bathhouse. Ishihara’s dialogue is chillingly casual. He talks about discipline and order while wielding a wooden sword. He doesn’t see these teenagers as human beings; he sees them as raw materials to be crushed.
The most disturbing scene in Chapter 1 involves the character Joe (who appears later in the chapter) and his relationship with a doctor, but the true horror is the normalization of the abuse. The older inmates warn the new ones not to cry out, because crying only makes it worse. This is the world they live in.
The title Rainbow (Niji) is ironic here. There is no treasure at the end of this rainbow. The six boys are locked in a windowless, stinking cell (Rokubou – Cell No. 6). They are beaten, starved, and treated like animals.
Key Scene from Chapter 1: The Physical Exam The chapter wastes no time establishing the horror. Doctor Ishihara Mario conducts "medical inspections" that are actually public humiliation sessions. He strips the boys of their dignity, pokes and prods them, and administers horrific "vitamin shots" that are clearly meant to cause pain.
It is in this scene that we meet Sakuragi. While the younger boys tremble, Sakuragi stands tall. He doesn’t flinch. He stares the doctor down. This single act of defiance sparks a tiny flame of hope in the dark cell.