The Yakuza's Bias, Volume 1

The Yakuza's Bias #1

by Teki Yatsuda

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.

Genres: Manga, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Comedy, Contemporary

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 2021

About the author

Teki Yatsuda (八田てき) is a Japanese manga artist.

Reviews

[Devi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun manga and I feel it can be equally enjoyed even if you aren't into K-Pop

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yakuza member Ken Kanashiro's life is changed when the daughter of the clan leader he works for takes him along to a kpop concert. Ken is moved by the kpop idol group's commitment, hard work, passion, and loyalty to each other and their fans. His introduction to fandom, and new social media friends, bring a breath of fresh air into his violent and dangerous life... and like most fervent fans, he starts trying to convince the people around him to stan the group to greater or lesser success. This manga series is very much in the same tone as Way of the House Husband but I appreciated the slightly longer chapters and the growing ensemble cast. It's a silly concept but with moments of genuine feeling as it shows how loving something can connect you to a whole new community.

Edit on a second read: I got more out of the jokes on a second pass!

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the yakuza boss's daughter drags top lieutenant Ken to a K-Pop concert, he finds himself utterly captivated by the group, especially the main rapper Jun.

I only dabble in reading manga, but one genre I have found myself enjoying is light-hearted gag mangas - with one major caveat. The joke's got to have legs enough for a series, or it will run thin quickly. Luckily, this is not the case with The Yakuza's Bias.

Ken might be a serious, tough-talking yakuza member, but he finds much to admire about the unyielding dedication to his job and loyalty to his band members that Jun, a K-pop idol, displays. Over the course of the manga, we get to see him meet fellow fans, get into fandom spaces online, and even write a fanfic set in a mafia AU universe. Though I am not into K-pop myself, having friends who enjoy it and plenty of familiarity with different fandoms was enough context to carry me through.

The art seemed fairly standard, though I did appreciate that characters were drawn distinct enough from one another that I could keep up with everyone who was introduced. I do have to admit that I was a little uneasy at times about being so amused by a clan of active yakuza members - some little part of my brain kept pinging about the dark side of Ken's lifestyle that did not allow me to relax completely into the story. This is probably a me issue though, and certainly there's nothing particularly criminal on the page.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another single joke Yakuza manga like The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1. Here the Yakuza gangster is a big fan of a K-pop boy band. All the humor revolves around how unlikely this is and how the people around him react when he shows up at a concert or fan events.

That's it.

There doesn't seem to be any larger story here. Just the juxtaposition jokes, and they wear out fairly quickly. I don't see any reason to continue with this.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was absolutely a love letter to idol fans. I adored the fun look at how enjoying an idol group can come from anyone. They way he slowly starts to spreading the idol love through his Yakuza connections is infectious and adorable. I can't wait to read more in this series! Don't miss out on this one.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this thanks to Angelique’s recommendation. As a k-pop fan, I found this absolutely hilarious, relatable, and heartwarming. Can’t wait to read the rest.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a really fun concept! The MC’s fandom is adorable and I love that it encourages the idea that kpop is for everyone. While there are some elitists in the fandom (aren’t they in all fandoms?), most people are welcoming of new fans. I really liked when one character said the MC found the group at the time he needed them most. That’s a lovely sentiment ❤️

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was so much fun

[Violet ♡]

What a good laugh read! 🤣

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun if a little zanny manga. It feels very similar to House husband but not as funny to me. Mainly because I'm not much into the Idol scene, so some of the jokes flew right past me. But it seems a lot of people really loved this one, and for good reason, if you get all the jokes I'm sure it hits harder. I will say the art is really solid with some funny as hell faces. Overall, a solid fun time, a 3 out of 5, but for fans of Idols this might be even higher.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much exactly what I expected- fandom, intensity, and strangely a lot of heart. This was a cute and funny read, definitely worked as a palette cleanser for me. I think the art in this is perfectly picked for the more out there moments, and the balance of obvious comedy against taking fans and K-Pop seriously enough to not be making actual fun of either. I'm not sure I'm going to pick up any more from this series, but I did love seeing Ken so happy.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying so hard not to laugh while reading this at work has me fighting off tears. It is hilarious. Yeah it is pretty much one joke: a hard-boiled yakuza member becomes a rabid fan of a k-pop idol, but it is just so funny how it is done in different ways. The bit from the idol's POV was fantastic as well.

I'm looking forward to the next one!!

[Lorena B. Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ay, por favor, ¡qué risas! Fan máxima de Don Ken sí soy 🤣🤣🤣

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been lowkey on my radar but was on the fence if I should pick it up, so I'm thankful for the chance to read an e-ARC through NetGalley because WOW!

This was hilarious!!!!

Despite that I don't have any idols I'm a fan of or super familiar with idol culture, I had a BLAST reading this! I compared a lot of the bias and love for idols with my love for my favorite Haikyuu characters since they ARE my bias. LOL! Maybe not the same, but again it didn't take my enjoyment away from this first volume because I think it's just a lot of fun seeing this yakuza second-in-command become one of the biggest idol fans around. LOL!

And that's literally just the beginning! There are plenty of situations that were absolute gold and had me turning pages quickly because I wanted to see what would happen next! Also, seeing the point of view of the idols and their reactions to Ken was equally funny, especially near the end!

I'm currently debating if I should try and get the series physically because this is such a great first volume! I'm definitely not ready to end the story here because with the developments that happen later on, I'm all for wanting to see more!

*(I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.)*

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Yakuza's Bias", Volume 1 is hilarious. It's about a yakuza lieutenant (Ken) who becomes a huge K-Pop fan thanks to Megumi, the daughter of the Washio Clan's leader. We not only see Ken's fandom, but how he applies it to work also. It's so silly, but that's what makes it a fun read. It was especially fun to see how other yakuza responds to this (including one scene where other yakuza totally misread a conversation between Ken and Megumi).

There isn't much overall that happens in the plot. It's more of a slice of life book with various fun stories. However, each of them build upon the other and all of them are funny. The pacing is consistent - and not too fast or too slow. And, while the premise may seem ridiculous, it works out well and we see why Ken has become a huge fan. His characterization makes sense in the context of the story and he has a fun arc. The social media aspect of his story is especially good and fun.

There aren't too many antagonists, but they are written well. Kinji starts off as an antagonist. But, the way he responds to Ken's fandom - and the way his character evolves - was also a fun twist.

Altogether, this is a light-hearted and good read. I like the characters and the plot. I'm also looking forward to the next book.

[Potato (previously Ennie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Yakuza's Bias follows Ken, a respected yakuza, who becomes a crazed, yet devoted fan of a k-pop star. Whilst I don't know much about k-pop, this was such a blast. It has a similar vibe to 'The Way of the Househusband' which I really enjoyed, so this was a perfect read for me. The art was gorgeous, and I loved how silly and fun the characters were.

The story was developed nicely, I particularly liked how Ken started his own social media fan account and gained a following. It was sweet to see all the wacky stuff he was posting and the way other fans resonated with it - I mean this boy out here writing a whole goddamn mafia fanfic. Love that for him.

Overall, this was a whole bunch of fun.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Knigoqdec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Идеята е 10 от 10. Спокой��о можем да повярваме, че се развива в света на Gokushufudou - настроението е почти едно към едно, само дето мафиотът не се е вманиачил по това да бъде домакинка, ами по това да е отдаден фен на корейски поп идол... Мда, начинът, по който хората като нашия Кен-чан преиначават света в стил нелеп ноар, е безценен!
Артът не е съвсем както аз го предпочитам (не знам, малко... безпричинно мазнички са ми някои от героите), но улавя много добре намеренията, които историята цели да постигне.
Be my Aniki! - уникален начин да се явиш на концерт :D Ще го ползвам някой ден хахах

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ken is a enforcer for the yakuza who also happens to be one of the biggest K-pop stans. Ken becomes obsessed with getting his bias Jun to notice him and all his gang activities end up getting pushed aside. this was a fun and quick read, I didn’t love the art though and I’m not that interested in the characters yet.

[Claire Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would say that this is better that Way of the Househusband! Much grittier since the main in this is still a yakuza, but still HILARIOUS in its delivery. Next one please!

[Imanewreader ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is absolutely hilarious. i want more !

[Cindra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruh goofy af 😂 loved it

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!!! I've been listening to kpop since the 90s. The scene is quite different now; I remember the days when CDs came in a regular old jewel case and there was no such thing as photocards. Sure, we had our favorite group members, but we didn't used to say things like "bias" or "stan." And I've only ever been a kpop fan from the perspective of an American. It was fun to see actual Asian kpop fans involved in their hobby. Some of it was the same as here - like selling photocards for outrageous prices on the secondhand market. XD And some of it was probably, I feel, unique to Asia - like contacting someone on the internet to meet them IRL to swap photocards, no cash involved. You also get to see the characters attend concerts, the idols prepping for fan meets, and all that fun stuff. But it's from the perspective of yakuza. Yakuza who obsess. Who write fan fiction. Who catch their idols' eyes on stage. So it was crazy as hell and also weirdly relatable. I think kpop and jpop fans would love this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny! (And the author is a fan, too, so they're not making fun of us, don't worry!)

[Sneha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to The Way of the Househusband a lot and they do have a similar vibe, but I prefer it to this manga.

[Chloe Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funniest manga I’ve read

[Joselin Orrillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nunca me senti tan identificada con un maleante (? ojala suban los otros tomos pronto

[mikaela (spinebreaker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

might be the funniest thing I've ever read

[365801 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Yakuza's Bias is a love letter to fandom and especially the power of Kpop fans. This manga follows Ken Kanashiro of the Washio clan and his introduction, induction, and complete subsumation into Kpop fandom culture.

This manga takes the theory that literally anyone could be a Kpop fan and shows just how true that is. It accurately portrays the day-to-day actions and environments of fandom culture whilst comedically tying it to the steroetypes of the Yakuza code of honour. This mangaka uses a gritty artstyle, and scary-looking characters to highlight the extreme differences and the juxtaposition to create the hilarious and comedic situations that come from being a Yakuza Kpop stan!

This is at its core a gag manga, but there is true plot progression and we get to know not only the Yakuza characters but the Kpop boy band that Ken and the rest of his clan follow. The accuracy of fan culture portrayed is almost textbook and would be useful for anyone wanting to know more about Kpop fans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this!

4 stars

Thank you to Kodansha Comics and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC copy so that I could give an honest review.

[Melanie Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Yakuza's Bias 1 by Teki Yatsuda https://amzn.to/42dh7CB via
@amazon

Currently reading ARC @NetGalley, & didn't finish before ordering 2 copies for myself & my friend who loves The Way of the Househusband. Crying with laughter!

#TheYakuzasBias1 #NetGalley #manga

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this one. I'm really curious about how the series will progress, but as far as a love to fandom and pop music stuff it was just delightful.

ARC provided by publisher via netgalley

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this and it started out so strong. It was a cute story about a guy who became obsessed with K-Pop. But it started to become repetitive for me. Again, not a bad book just not for me.

3 stars