REVIEW: ‘Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii’ Episode 1

Yakuza Fiancé is an upcoming romance drama anime based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Asuka Konishi. With just the first episode alone, the anime has already set itself apart as an excellently produced and engaging series with great potential.

Yakuza Fiancé follows Yoshino Somei (Hitomi Ueda), a seventeen-year-old girl who lives a simple life. She has no experience with boys but is friendly and well-known to many people around her. Despite this, Yoshino has an interesting background as the granddaughter of the head of the Osaka Somei Yakuza group. After years of intense rivalry, the Yakuza group reaches a truce with the Tokyo-based Miyama crime family.

As a result of this newfound friendship between families, Yoshino’s grandfather convinces her to visit Kirishima Miyama (Akira Ishida), the grandson of the Miyama Yakuza family head. The Miyama group is the most prominent Yakuza family in the Kanto region, so an arranged marriage between the two would help strengthen their relationship. Shortly after meeting him, Yoshino finds that despite Kirishima’s outward appearance as a proper, law-abiding citizen and kind student, there is much more to him than meets the eye.

The episode follows Yoshino and her perspective on learning about a Yakuza member’s wild and dangerous life. At the same time, we also see the start of a budding, albeit toxic, romance between the two leads. The anime’s romance structure is the main heroine getting involved with a bad boy dynamic typical of the Shoujo series, which is a tad cliche. However, unlike similar anime, Yakuza Fiancé is not afraid to highlight darker themes, such as the dark dealings of organized crime, without holding back.

The episode also shows the stark differences between the two leads. Yoshino is a simple, kind-hearted girl who is considerate of other people. However, the end of the episode proves she’s not afraid to defend herself and show her rough side, proving that being raised around tough Yakuza members left an impression. In contrast, Kirishima only feigns kindness but is a cold and possessive person with little consideration toward people, at least judging by the first episode.

The episode starts like a typical slice-of-life anime but slowly reveals its darker side through twists that make the series distinct from its counterparts. While entertaining, the pacing and atmosphere change in the second half of the episode came at a breakneck speed, making for a slightly confusing viewing experience.

Production-wise, Yakuza Fiancé sports excellent animation from Studio DEEN and a unique picturesque aesthetic juxtaposing its heavy themes. The detailed facial expressions, movements, and backgrounds enhance each scene in obvious and subtle ways. The voice acting is also superb, and a very impactful scene in the episode was played quite well.

Overall, Yakuza Fiancé’s premiere offers a solid start to the season. The series provides a unique twist to the usual romance anime structure and interesting characters that make it engaging. The first episode proves that the anime has a lot of potential, and hopefully, the coming episodes will be even better.

Yakuza Fiancé will premiere on October 7 on Crunchyroll.