Yakuza in Love

Review Date: 2008 October 14 10:38

Reviewed by: Priss

Released by: Deux Press

Publishing Country: USA

Author: Shiuko, Kano

Age Rating: 18+

Page Count: 192

ISBN-13: 9781934496206

ISBN-10: 1934496200

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Summary

The affairs of the Hanagumi Yakuza clan continue in Shuiko Kano's gritty gang land comedy.

As the plot thickens and the pace quickens, intrigue runs rife and threatens tear apart the bonds that bind the beautiful bad boys. Ozawa Junki finds that living the hard and fast life on the streets and between the sheets has wound him up in a web of conspiracy. Little does Junki know that by bartering with his body, he is flirting with disaster.

Meanwhile, our hero Ichimura Aoi picks up the scattered pieces of his past to discover shocking truth of his lineage.

Secrets are unearthed, mysteries are exposed and lusts are unfettered in Volume 2 of Yakuza in Love!

Review

The drama deepens in Kano's follow-up foray into the yakuza underworld. By contrast, this instalment is quite daringly different from the first as the plot delves into a darker realm of cruelty and corruption. Continuing the comedic premise keeps the dialogue light and lively, yet the gravity of gangster genre hits home, shattering the façade of a silly sexed-up sensualisation.

The volume is shot through with shocking savage scenes of torture as Junki is pressured to bare his loyalties and pay for playing himself up precociously. When he is captured, he endures abuse and humiliation dragging him back to the memories of torrid and tragic past. We learn more about his connection to Chihiro as the story calls us to contemplate the meaning of family, of devotion and of loyalty.

Yakuza in Love continues to be an arresting read and Kano keeps you guessing with her cast of reckless and ruthless ruffians.

The sadistic sequences are somewhat unsettling and even I was somewhat startled by their severity. Though I would argue that this certainly adds to the conviction of the storytelling, putting the erotica on the nasty side, definitely make it less of an easy read.

A little respite, however, is offered in the side story "Saved" that tells a tale of a boy devoted to a girl involved with an older man. Misaki is determined to rescue his fair maiden from the evil clutches of his office working adversary, even if it means he must trade himself in her place as the bait!

Rating: 8/10

Links

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