The Yakuza are a Japanese organised crime syndicate known for their strict honour and loyalty code. The yakuza have a strong presence in Japanese media, which is why they appear in anime and manga.
The anime world is rife with gang-related shows, but there are a few others that openly mention the yakuza and in which the yakuza plays a role in some way.
If you’re interested in Yazuka and want thirteen yakuza related shows recommendation, stick with me until the end! I will not let you down.
13. 91 Days
Genres:Drama
Episodes:12
The law had no power during Prohibition, and the mafia ruled the town. The storey takes place in Lawless, a town that thrives on illegally brewed liquor sales on the black market. Avilio receives a letter from an unknown sender one day, prompting him to return to Lawless for vengeance.
He then infiltrates the Vanetti family, the murderers of his family, and befriends the don’s son, Nero, in order to carry out his vengeance. Killing breeds more killing, and vengeance breeds more vengeance. What will happen at the end of these men’s 91-day journey guided by a tragic fate?
12. Baccano!
Genres:Action
Episodes:13
It’s the 1930s, and Mafia factions battle for control of American cities. Young Firo joins the clandestine Camorra group; Jacuzzi, a meek street boy, becomes the leader of a gang of thugs; an alchemist creates a liquor of immortality, which a homunculus attempts to retrieve; and upbeat thieves Isaac and Miria travel to New York after failing to strike gold in California.
They travel across the continent on the novel Flying Pussyfoot train. However, as multiple stories intertwine and unfold on this fateful ride, they become embroiled in a commotion caused by gangs, terrorists, serial killers, and others. The legendary Rail Tracer haunts and hunts them all…
11. K Project
Genres:Action, Mystery
Episodes:13
Under the leadership of Kings, charismatic individuals wielding incredible power, Japan has reclaimed its former glory. However, one of the Red King’s vassals has been murdered, and a viral video shows the killer’s confession at the crime scene.
He is Yashiro Isana, claiming to be the Colorless King, and he is now wanted – not only by the Red King’s faction, but also by the Blues tasked with keeping the peace. Kuroh Yatogami, a knight of the former Colorless King sworn to slay any unworthy successor, is also after him. Only, the subject of their conflict, “Shiro,” is an unremarkable young man living an unremarkable life in an island academy and appears to have no recollection of killing anyone.
Shiro must prove his innocence in order to keep his life; however, what is the truth behind his mysterious past, and what will be the outcome of this clash of Kings?
10. Gangsta.
Genres:Action
Episodes:12
Some deeds are too dirty for even Ergastulum’s jaded inhabitants to touch in the city of Ergastulum, a shady ville filled with made men and petty thieves, whores on the make and cops on the take. Nic and Worick, the “Handymen,” take care of the jobs that no one else will. Until a cop they know on the force asks for their help in taking down a new gang encroaching on the territory of a top Mafia family. It appears to be business as usual (and mayhem), but the Handymen are about to discover that this job is much more than they bargained for.
9. Durarara!!
Genres:Action
Episodes:24
Mikado relocates from the countryside to the bustling Ikebukuro district to attend the same high school as his best friend, Masaomi. Though navigating a new school and friendships can be difficult in and of itself, Mikado also discovers a plethora of new delights and dangers in the district he now calls home.
From a friendly Russian sushi bar to violent colour gangs and even an urban legend in the form of a black motorcycle rider, each Ikebukuro resident is distinct and terrifying. However, the town is smaller than it appears at first glance, and these strange events appear to be linked.Will the raging storm engulf the transplanted country boy and his friends, or will Mikado find himself at the epicentre of a dramatic shift in Tokyo?
8. Stop!! Hibari-kun!
Genres:Comedy
Episodes:35
When Kousaku’s mother died, she left him in the care of a man from Tokyo named Ibari Oozora. So Kousaku boarded a train and journeyed to the city, where he discovered that Mr Oozora was more than just a man – he’s the leader of a yakuza organisation! As if living in the care of a gangster wasn’t enough of a shock, the boy then meets his new siblings: three girls and one exceptionally lovely lady who he immediately falls in love with.
There’s only one problem:’she’ is actually a ‘he’ who dresses up as a girl at home and at his new school! Now, Kousaku must adjust to his new family situation and figure out how to handle his difficult relationship with his new’sister’!
7. Akagi
Genres:Seinen
Episodes:26
A desperate man finds himself playing Mahjong with yakuza thugs one stormy night; the prize is his life. He’s losing, and death appears imminent, until a drenched teenage boy stumbles out of the darkness into the Mahjong parlour. Allowing the boy to observe, he soon offers to play in place of the marked man, and a legend is born that night. After his first taste of Mahjong, Akagi Shigeru becomes entangled in the murky underworld of Mahjong gambling for money, reputation, and lives.
6. Kasei Yakyoku
Genres:Romance
Episodes:4
Akiko’s car breaks down one day, trapping her and Sara in the middle of Tokyo, but Taka saves them from thieves who try to attack them. Akiko falls in love with him at first sight, fascinated by how this “dangerous” stranger brings a breath of fresh air into her routine; she decides to seek Taka out and latch on to him as a chance to break off her and Kiyokuni’s compromise. Even “better,” Sara and Kiyokuni are on good terms, and she appears to like him, so Akiko wonders if pairing them up is a good idea.
But as Taka and Sara interact more and fall in love (despite the fact that she didn’t like him at first), things become VERY tense around the four, and a VERY tragic day in Japanese history makes everything even worse for the four protagonists and their loved ones…
5. Hinamatsuri
Genres:Comedy, Sci Fi, Seinen, Slice of Life
Episodes:12
Nitta Yoshifumi, a young, intellectual yakuza, lived in Ashikawa, surrounded by his beloved pots. However, one day, a girl named Hina arrives in a strange object and uses her telekinetic powers to force Nitta to allow her to live with him, effectively ending his leisurely lifestyle.
Hina has a tendency to lose control, wreaking havoc both at school and in Nitta’s organisation. Despite his distress, he finds himself caring for her. What will happen with this strange arrangement? It’s the start of a dangerous and exciting storey about a nice-guy outlaw and a psychokinetic girl!
4. Gokusen
Genres:Comedy
Episodes:13
Is it possible to be a yakuza leader and a high school teacher at the same time? Kuniko has always wanted to be a teacher, but as the heir to the Oedo Group, it’s not easy. Her task is made even more difficult by the fact that her school would fire her if they discovered her criminal activities.
She must pretend to be a regular teacher while battling rival yakuza, gaining the respect of delinquent students, and keeping her family’s business out of the school. This becomes even more difficult when her brightest and most inquisitive student begins to find her… “interesting.”
3. My Bride is a Mermaid
Genres:Comedy,Romance
Episodes:26
Michishio Nagasumi, a junior high school student visiting his hometown, nearly drowned and his life was forever changed. Though he was saved by a mermaid named San, there’s a catch: her family is part of a merfolk mafia with a strict rule: if a mermaid is discovered by a man, either the man or the mermaid must die. Unless, of course, the man marries into the family!
When faced with such a choice, Nagasumi can only comply with their wishes and become a “happy” newlywed. With a new school year approaching, Nagasumi must find a way to deal with his new bride, keep her true nature hidden, and, most importantly, avoid certain death at the hands of San’s overbearing father’s gang!
2. Nisekoi
Genres:Comedy, Harem, Romance
Episodes:20
Raku Ichijou, a first-year student at Bonyari High School, is the sole heir to a powerful yakuza family. Raku made a promise to a childhood friend ten years ago. All he has now is a pendant with a lock that can only be opened with the key that the girl took with her when they parted ways.
Years later, Raku has matured into a typical adolescent, wishing to remain as uninvolved in his yakuza background as possible while spending his school days with his middle school crush Kosaki Onodera. When the American Bee Hive Gang invades his family’s territory, Raku’s idyllic romantic dreams are thrown out the window as he is dragged into a frustrating conflict: Raku is to pretend to be in a romantic relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, the beautiful daughter of the Bee Hive’s chief, in order to reduce friction between the two groups.
Unfortunately, reality is far from this blatant lie—Raku and Chitoge fall in love at first sight, as the girl believes he is a pathetic pushover, and Chitoge is about as attractive to Raku as a savage gorilla.
Nisekoi follows the daily antics of this mismatched couple who have been forced to get along in order to keep the peace in the city. With many more girls appearing in his life, all of whom are somehow connected to Raku’s past, his search for the girl who holds his heart and his promise takes him in unexpected directions.
1. The Way of the Househusband
Genres:Comedy, Seinen, Slice of Life
Episodes:5
It’s a typical day in the life of a househusband — if your typical househusband is the legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon”! A former yakuza legend abandons everything to become your average househusband. But leaving the gangster life is not easy, and what should be mundane household tasks are anything but!
He was the yakuza’s most ferocious member, leaving a trail of underworld legends in his wake. He was dubbed “the Immortal Dragon.” But one day, he decided to take a different path — the path of the househusband! The curtain rises on this warm-hearted yakuza comedy!
