© 小西明日翔・講談社／来世は他人がいい製作委員会
Before starting this review, I discussed what makes Yakuza Fiancé an erotic thriller, even if the main characters don't have sex and the sex scene takes place on The screen is clearly not sexy. This episode titled “Is He Smart or Stupid?” is the perfect encapsulation of the erotic dynamic between Yoshino and Kirishima, even if they don't have sex and probably never will. .
The episode begins with Kirishima running into Shoma… well, maybe “coincidentally” This isn't exactly the right phrase, since he found them through a clone he made from electricity. Yoshino's voice. The two exchange tense words, first about Yoshino and their relationship with her, then about her role in the conflict that could erupt between the eastern and western families. west. Her engagement to Kirishima could prevent a war—or it could cause one. This silent conversation ends when Yoshino rushes out to scold both of them, agreeing to return home with Kirishima, but not before it looks like the two boys are going to get into a literal game of tug-of-war with her. him in the match. between.
But they didn't, and the next day Yoshino went to see Shoma off at the station. This episode is great for learning about Yoshino and what makes her tick. She may not want to be a yakuza princess, more realistic and pragmatic than you would expect for a girl from her background, like we saw at the beginning of the show with her selling kidney, but her value system and experiences were completely shaped by her childhood. Shoma tells her that stubbornly sticking to her principles could cost her her life, but she asserts that without pride and a code of honor, she has nothing. In that moment, her life as the granddaughter of a yakuza boss is clear – the idea of a moral code, foreign to us but powerful in its own right, is a key element of the novel organized crime.
The intrigue of Yakuza Fiancé lies in the constant power struggle between Yoshino and Kirishima as both fight to gain the upper hand over the other. That was Kirishima's violent possessiveness; Up until now, it's probably been played more silly than scary when he does things like put a tracker on her electronic dictionary, but this episode it's clear he's threatened by her relationship with Shoma. He tells her that if she ever cheats, to do it in front of him; not because he was a pervert with a penchant for cuckolding (although that was probably also true), but so he could kill the man afterward. On the other hand, Yoshino tells him that if he wants to make her love him, he won't be able to do it by pretending to be a normal, nice guy. Not when she already knows who he is. Instead, he'd be better off acting like the craziest asshole on the planet. The tension of two hot people toying with each other, constantly trying to make the other fall in love by becoming more and more emotionless while their lives may be in danger is what makes the story interesting. The story becomes interesting. It's not about seeing two people loving each other in a normal, wholesome way; it's about the sexual tension inherent in a dangerous situation like this.
Of course, rare moments of tenderness are also important. In the second half of the episode, Yoshino catches a summer cold. She refuses to let Kirishima stay home to take care of her, but when her temperature spikes, he rushes in to take her to the hospital. Well, it wasn't until after he went to solve a case involving a runaway prostitute, in case you forgot these are bad guys involved in things like sex trafficking. But that contrast is essential to the story, enhancing the sense of tenderness as Kirishima picks Yoshino up, covers her with a blanket, and carries her to the car. Those moments don't feel like he's manipulating her, but more like a miserable young man trying his best to take care of the one he loves.
This episode feels disjointed in a way that tends to happen with manga adaptations, splicing together the end of one plot and the beginning of a new one intermittently. With the pace of anime these days, I doubt there's any clever way to make it work better with the TV episode structure. However, even with the chaotic pacing, things still end badly: Kirishima and Yoshino's grandfather is plotting something, and I can't imagine anything good.
Rating:
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
