Review: Yakuza Pride

Title: Yakuza Pride
Author: H.J. Brues
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publication Date: 13 June 2011
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 346 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review: Ken is an American raised in Japan, returning for a vacation from the States. Shigure is an underboss in Shinayawa-gumi, one of the city's largest yakuza gangs. They meet at a formal function, Ken there at his friend Ryu's insistence, Shigure as a reminder of Shinayawa's influence, and the heat between them is immediate and unmistakable. Passion--for each other and the sword--brings them together, but is it enough to bridge the gap between their worlds of light and shadows?

I feel I have to confess: I have a weakness for a good yakuza. Story. A good yakuza story. Yeah, that's right. Stories involving Japanese culture in any way are already likely to make me happy, but the yakuza element just pushes that one more button to bring happy to ecstatic. Yakuza are my g-spot.

That being said, I set myself up for disappointment, expecting it to be window-dressing filled with awkward gratuitous Japanese and mob cliches. Imagine my delight when that disappointment failed to manifest! The window-dressing is all there, yes, but it actually serves to set off the story, instead of obscuring it as I had so feared.

Ken (Kenshin, to his friends) is a charming character, culturally-sensitive, artistic, and confident in a quiet way. He could so easily have become a wilting flower, but instead he was a reed, bending but never breaking under everything that he endured. The regular reminders of his mis-matched eyes weren't as necessary as they were prevalent, but that is honestly my only quibble, and I'm stretching for that one.

Shigure came up from dirt, but has as much honor as any yakuza could ask for. He's gruff but kind (in an appropriate way), working well within the confines of his position and characterization. I enjoyed his interaction with his men and Oyone in particular, as well as the fact that he didn't compromise who he believed himself to be.

The supporting cast was mostly strong, with Kotaro and Kinosuke as particular high points. I also enjoyed Uehara rather a lot, and Shinya and Tachibana, once they found their voices. I wish Ryu hadn't faded quite as much as he did, but even that suited the story.

The story swings between a number of extremes; there's light-hearted sex, and then there's fairly graphic torture. I have to be honest: I am not a fan of angst, and had I known going into this that major characters were going to be tortured I would have probably given this a pass. By the time it came up, though, I was too invested to put it aside. The described torture is terrible, but it fits the context.

Japanese is interspersed throughout the story, but it is used well, lending accents instead of bludgeoning awareness. It's so easy to turn foreign language usage into an annoyance, but that was masterfully avoided here.

I ultimately got everything I wanted out of this story, in a perfect little package. You don't need to be a fan of yakuza stories to enjoy this; you just need to enjoy stories of personal growth and love overcoming obstacles.