The Yakuza’s Bias, Volume 1 by Teki Yatsuda

Posted May 10, 2023 by Silvia in Manga & Graphic Novels / 15 Comments

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.

The Yakuza’s Bias, Volume 1 by Teki YatsudaSeries: The Yakuza's Bias #1
Published by Kodansha Comics on May 16, 2023
Demographic: Shōjo
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Source: NetGalley
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four-stars

A yakuza enforcer becomes the gang world's biggest K-pop stan in this cult comedy manga that went from webcomic to sleeper hit in Japan! Perfect for fans of Way of the Househusband, Phantom of the Idol, or Spy x Family.
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.

In case the title, the cover, or even the blurb weren’t enough, please allow me . . . When the yakuza world and the K-pop fandom collide, there’s no way you can let it go, you have to join the fun!

If, like me, you have played the yakuza video games, then you love the kind of humour and craziness that the characters always convey, which applies wonderfully to a manga like this. Seriously, you smile from beginning to end and truly crack up here and there! What’s more, you find things are quite relatable for a K-pop fan. The clan members’ interactions on the topic are really funny, but so are the idols’ reactions, and all the conversations via Twitter just hit the mark. We all witness this kind of convos on social media—if not on a daily basis, then almost—but Ken uses words in a unique way that particularly catches the eye . . . just like his intense stare. You might want to go to a concert with him, but then don’t get jealous if your bias look at him more!

A lively and humorous manga with an artwork that remarkably reproduces the features of completely different characters. Try it and get a few laughs while also finding yourself in it a bit.


Silvia

About Silvia

Through her creativity and blogging, Silvia has met people from different industries and collaborated with them on various projects over the years. Her strong passion for reading and her fascination for different cultures and languages have led her to develop a keen interest in the East-Asian continent. Off to see her? Follow the colourful book road . . . ♡

15 responses to “The Yakuza’s Bias, Volume 1 by Teki Yatsuda

    • I knew this manga would catch your attention, Fran, because I know how much these two topics fascinate you *hehe* I thought about you a lot while I was reading it, especially because of some of the dialogues that I know would make you laugh so much 😂 You need read it too, it really suits us 💜

  1. This sounds fun! I can only imagine the Twitter convos lol… and the aert looks fab just going by the cover… 🙂

    • Yes, the art is really good, and it was fascinating to read about these conversations, because they partly reflect reality, but all the scenes off social media are really hilarious!

      • The yakuza kinda reminds me of the guy in Midnight Diner, although I’ve only seen one episode of that on Netflix. I saw it mentioned somewhere and had never heard of it? Have you seen those? I guess there’s a Japanese version and a Chinese?

        • I’ve never watched Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, but I know something about it. It’s a Japanese series that has been airing since 2009, the original title is Shinya Shokudō and it’s based on a manga by Yarō Abe. There was also a Chinese adaptation (if I remember correctly, there was also a movie), but it didn’t go well.

          • Oh, that’s good to know! The first episode didn’t really grab me, but I love the concept. It didn’t hurt, I suppose, that I discovered it after watching walking tour videos of back streets and out of the way alleys. I started imagining the stories that could be told there…

            • The power of imagination is a wonderful thing . . . Really, I can understand you, these things trigger my imagination, too! And maybe some of the stories in the other episodes will captivate you more, who knows? If you like the concept, I would definitely give it another go 😉

  2. AbbiE

    It seems like full of fun and humor comic, and the drawing style makes the protagonist looks カッコいい( ´ ▽ ` ) I was intrigued when I saw this cover💕Thanks for sharing and your book recommendation is also fascinating✨

    • The comedy in this manga is really well realised, and the artwork is fantastic because it perfectly accentuates the features of one (yakuza) and the other (K-pop). どちらもかっこいいです!✨ I definitely recommend it if you want to have a fun time 😁

  3. verushka

    My BFF has dived head first into the Stray Kids fandom and I need to show her this goodness!

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