Patalliro! is set in a world strikingly similar to our own, save for one distinct twist. Based on a manga that is a staple reading for adolescent Japanese girls, the story features a healthy mix of gay men and beautiful teenagers known as bishounen. Most of the narrative centers on Marinera, an island nation of eternal spring located in the South Seas. As a leading diamond producer, the country's wealth drives much of the series' conflict. These gems originate from a prolific mine owned by the king of Marinera, Patalliro himself, a ruler who is vertically challenged yet horizontally endowed. The International Diamond Syndicate, a massive semi-criminal secret society aiming to monopolize the global diamond supply, covets this mine and will stop at nothing to seize it. In the early episodes, the Syndicate dispatches numerous bishounen assassins to eliminate Patalliro, forcing him to hire a bodyguard: Major Jack Bancoran, an English MI6 agent known as the "Bishounen-Killer." This nickname does not imply he executes bishounen in cold blood; rather, it stems from the fact that no male under the age of 17 can resist his overwhelming sexual allure, a fact that causes Bancoran eternal distress, especially since Patalliro himself is among those captivated. The action frequently shifts between Marinera, MI6 headquarters in London, and Bancoran's palatial suburban condo, with London appearing to be just a two-hour flight from the South Seas. Notably, the MI6 facility resembles Fritz Lang's Metropolis, while Jack's apartment mirrors Randolph Hearst's estate. The story also traverses the past and future, extending even into space, as Patalliro evidently travels far and wide.