REVIEW: ‘Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii’ Episode 4 — “Is He Smart or Stupid?”

Yakuza Fiancé Episode 4 is another exciting episode that continues the excellent pacing of Episode 3. While not as exciting in the traditional sense, the episode entertains viewers with dialogue from the protagonists who prove they are a lot more interesting, aware, and capable than they already seem.

Yakuza Fiancé Episode 4 starts with the first interaction between Shoma (Kôji Yusa) and Kirishima (Akira Ishida). Kirishima acts calm around Shoma, who he already knows a lot about due to looking up his background in the previous episode. On the other hand, Shoma is antagonistic toward Kirishima, whom he already has strong opinions about. The conversation leads to why Yoshino is in Tokyo with Kirishima in the first place.

Kirishima reveals that he is well aware that Yoshino could be used to spark a Yakuza war or as a deterrent for one and that her grandfather probably doesn’t expect their relationship to last over a year and is manipulating Kirishima for his personal reasons.

Kirishima claims that he knew this and accepted his offer regardless. He used him to get to Yoshino, with whom he is in love with. This response shocks Shoma, but before he can say anything, Yoshino comes out and scolds Kirishima, who she finds out is tracking her. Shoma and Kirishima begin fighting over her, each presenting why she should stay in Tokyo or go to Osaka. In the process, Kirishima calls Shoma an outsider, and Yoshino gets visibly mad and calls him out, claiming Shoma is part of her family. Kirishima is shocked but apologizes, and the two go home together.

The first scene reveals to viewers that Kirishima is not the one-note woman-crazy protagonist he seems to be and is actually quite aware of situations related to him and those around him. He not only knows about Shoma’s theory regarding a potential Yakuza feud but also knows about the Somei Patriarch’s plans, proving that despite this, he just doesn’t care about anything but Yoshino.

In the next scene, Yoshino sees off Shoma, who is heading back to Osaka. He says he doesn’t like Kirishima due to how crazy he is, and Yoshino says she can’t go back to Osaka until she achieves her plan of making Kirishima fall for her and leaving him in tatters. Shoma thinks her plan makes no sense, and Yoshino claims her pride and honor are the only thing that keeps her going and the only thing she has. This shocks Shoma, and he tells her to be careful. However, he also claims he intends to investigate her grandfather based on his theories.

Meanwhile, in anger, Kirishima watches in the shadows as Shoma hugs Yoshino goodbye. In the next scene, Kirishima and Shoma are on the train to school. Yoshino discusses her past commutes to school and mentions going to school with Shoma. This angers Kirishima, though he pretends it doesn’t.

At school, Yoshino staring at her and, for some odd reason, she begins to think he is losing interest in her again. Because of this, she goes home and tries to change her outfit to keep him interested. Kirishima drops by to give her a package and is convinced she is packing up to leave Tokyo.

His demeanor scares Yoshino, who gets angry, calls him out for it and asks if he hates Shoma. Kirishima claims he isn’t sure, but he’s had men be with his former girlfriends, and that it doesn’t bother him if she’s with other guys. He then says he’ll allow Yoshino to be intimate with anyone as long as it is in his presence, and he gets to kill her partner afterward, suggesting that he will kill Shoma if he and Yoshino are dating.

Yoshino claims he is a maniac and says he is just jealous of Shoma, to which Kirishima agrees. He then says he is willing to do anything to keep Yoshino for himself as long as she asks. Yoshino doesn’t believe him and reveals her simple plan to him. She says she will ditch him and return to Osaka in a year. However, if she, for some reason, ends up falling in love with him, she will stay in Tokyo, but believes it will likely never happen. Regardless, this makes Kirishima elated, and he believes he will succeed in making her marry him.

This dialogue scene between the two leads excellently displays their personalities and peculiarities in very different ways. Their conversation shows how intense and passionate they can be, and their facial expressions and excellent voice acting support this scene fantastically. It now puts every character on an equal playing field; all the cards are on the table, and no secrets are being kept. Kirishima also acknowledges his jealousy openly while Yoshino reveals her plan to Kirishima. However, for the first time, she acknowledges the possibility of her falling in love with him. This all makes it clear how complex yet intelligent the protagonists are.

In the last few minutes of the episode, Yoshino gets the flu, which apparently happens every summer, and Kirishima rushes to help her at the cost of school and his Yakuza duties. He takes her to the hospital when her fever gets bad, and the next morning, he updates her grandfather on her better condition. These scenes show how much Kirishima cares for Yoshino, even if he is obligated to ensure her safety. The episode ends with Shoma spying on Yoshino’s grandfather like he said he would.

Yakuza Fiancé Episode 4 is another great episode. While not much happens compared to the last, it shows how entertaining and engaging the three central characters are through dialogue alone. It also shows just how wild the anime can get with its portrayal of adult themes, which is admittedly strange as the characters are high schoolers. The animation from Studio DEEN maintains its excellence, especially in the intense moments through character facial expressions and their expressive eyes.

This episode proves that Yakuza Fiancé is far from a traditional, overly tropey seinen or romance anime, leaving way for potentially more interesting episodes.