Friday, December 8, 2023

The Yakuza's Bias, Vol. 1 (Manga)

 

My Thoughts:

Similar to The Way of the Househusband, The Yakuza's Bias by Teki Yatsuda is another comic manga about a yakuza enforcer, Ken Kanashiro, the number 2 man in the Washio Clan. When the Clan President's only daughter, Megumi, offers to take him to a K-Pop concert, he does not understand why he should go so she makes him watch a blueray documentary about the group, MNW. Ken is enamored of one group member, Jun, because of his work ethic and loyalty to the group. Perhaps these are many of the same traits that helped Ken move up in the Washio Clan. Suffice it to say, at the first concert, Ken is hooked.  When Ken holds out a fan to Jun with the words "Be My Aniki" (be my big brother) and Jun takes it, Ken is a changed gangster. 

Besides aniki, the Japanese word for big brother, there are some K-Pop terms that I had to look up. 
  • stan - passionate k-pop fan
  • bias - having a favorite singer or band member of an idol group, used in the context of K-Pop stars
What makes it most funny is like Househusband, Ken puts the same kind of passion and scary drive into his role as "stan" that he does as a Yakuza enforcer. This is going to be another great manga series. 

From the Publisher:

Ken Kanashiro is one of the top lieutenants in the feared yakuza outfit the Washio Clan. He lives his life by the code of the Japanese underworld, where nothing is more important than loyalty, and ties between soldiers and their aniki are sacred bonds. Ken's never had time for hobbies... until the boss's only daughter Megumi drags him to a K-pop concert, and he sees the glittering, charismatic Jun for the first time. Smitten like a new recruit on his first job, Ken plunges into fandom with the solemnity and passion only a true man who walks the way of the yakuza could muster.

Publication Information:

Author: Teki Yatsuda
Publisher: Kodansha Comics (May 16, 2023)



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