Cosmopolitan Yakuza manga ‘Ryuko’ makes late debut in Japan

“Ryuko” is the debut manga by Eldo Yoshimizu. Before its release in Japan last fall, it was already published in more than ten countries abroad, including France, Germany and Italy. Although the author is Japanese, Japan followed these countries to publish ‘Ryuko’. What an unconventional and extraordinary newcomer Yoshimizu is!

The story begins in Forossyah Kingdom, a Middle Eastern country on the coast of the Black Sea. Ryuko, the female leader of the Black Dragon group, a crime syndicate organized by the yakuza, takes in Valer, the daughter of the country’s former king, who was overthrown in a military coup. Valer, now 18, commits a train robbery that leads to all-out war between the Black Dragon Society and the Forossyah Army. In the midst of all this, General Rashid, an enemy of Ryuko, confides in her that her mother, whom she thought was dead, is still alive, and then entrusts her with her mother’s memento, a mysterious golden seal. Ultimately, Ryuko flees to Japan with Valer and continues her journey to find her mother.

That sums up the beginning of the story, as far as I was able to decipher it after some difficult readings. The illustrations are so strong and powerful that, to be honest, it’s quite difficult to understand what’s going on. So much for being wild and unrefined.

Yet such shortcomings are immediately blown away in the presence of our heroine, Ryuko, who is simply wonderful. Despite her youthful appearance, she is estimated to be in her forties. Twirling her long black hair, she sits astride a large motorcycle as she goes on a wild shooting rampage – seeing her in action is intensely cathartic. The fusion of violence, eroticism and stylistic beauty of the East reminds many people of 1970s yakuza film star Meiko Kaji, an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’.

Yoshimizu initially became an artist who created giant sculptures, or public art, for community facilities and commercial buildings. He started drawing manga at the age of 45. “Ryuko” was first exhibited in an art gallery owned by an acquaintance of his. Each page was enlarged into a panel and displayed as a ‘standing work to be appreciated’. As Yoshimizu drew more pages, panels were remade and displayed in the same gallery. When he had created enough pages to make a book, he took them to a French publisher, Le Lezard Noir, and in 2016 the first French edition was published. The manga book was well received and publications in other countries followed, spreading across borders. .

Yoshimizu, now 58, said he had never considered releasing the work with a Japanese publisher. I must say his insight was correct. A triumphant return home accompanied by a high reputation abroad may sound nice for “Ryuko,” but the reality is that no Japanese publisher had the foresight to properly assess Yoshimizu’s work or the courage to to publish earlier. Granted, this kind of thing happens in Japan, and not just with manga.

Completely unknown, “Ryuko” became popular almost immediately in Europe and the United States. Yoshimizu remembers that it spread by word of mouth, thanks to fellow cartoonists. Needless to say, Yoshimizu is a skilled and talented artist, but I’m surprised to hear about such a breakthrough as a manga creator. From now on, those who want to draw manga may want to look abroad for their first publication.

I’ve said before that the story of “Ryuko” might remind people of “Kill Bill.” But in fact, the theme of the story is quite the opposite. While “Kill Bill” is a story about revenge, “Ryuko” is a story about breaking the cycle of revenge. This greatly enhances the contemporary significance of this manga. The story has some conclusion in the second part, but I’m looking forward to the sequel, which is apparently in the works.