Since Shiuko Kano's Yakuza in Love is now complete and since it's not the kind of story that lends itself to separate commentaries on each volume (there are three), I'm going to discuss the whole thing here. Short version: It's pretty good. It's also a little unusual.

Aoi Ichimura is a rapidly rising star in the Flower Gang: he saved the Don from a hit man. No one knows that he did it by accident: he was trying to save a baby bird that the boss was about to step on. In reality, he's completely inept, terrified of guns, and his reputation comes mostly from the intimidating scar on his face from a childhood accident in which his parents were killed. He's assigned as apprentice/bodyguard/houseboy to underboss Yuji Sakiya, who has a reputation as a real tough piece of work and has just been released from prison. (To give you some idea of the basis of Sakiya's reputation, he was in prison because he single-handedly wiped out the gang that assassinated the old Don, the Godfather.) Aoi is struck by the Sakiya's gentle eyes, while Sakiya is bemused by the fact that Aoi has the same name as his late wife, who was killed protecting him from a hit. (It's amazing what you can learn reading dirty comics, if you do your homework: Japanese naming conventions and forms of address still puzzle me from time to time -- I've not figured out the nuances in the use of "san" versus "sama," for example -- but I have learned that Japanese personal names are not necessarily gender-specific, although they may occasionally have a suffix attached. Maybe.)

The organization is moving in directions that neither Sakiya nor Aoi like -- pornography, human trafficking, and the like. It doesn't help that the Don, grandson of the late Godfather who favored Sakiya, has the hots for Aoi. When Aoi's fellow apprentice Junki is kidnapped, things come to a head: Sakiya receives a videotape of Junki being tortured and gang-raped, and his fellow underboss, Junki's mentor Chihiro, loses it: he's long loved Junki but was too tied into his role as a ladies' man to admit it. (Although the "ladies" seem to be transvestites from a local gay bar.)

Kano does something here that I've not really seen very much in other yaoi, portraying not only the physical relationship between Sakiya and Aoi, but also a deep spiritual bond. It's a subliminal sort of thing, hard to describe. Kano uses the device of a shrine to Sakiya's late wife in his house; both men honor her memory, and Aoi promises her that he will protect Sakiya and care for him. Equally understated is an element of dominance and submission that ties into this spiritual bond: although there is no overt S&M in their relationship, when Sakiya discovers the Don's interest in Aoi, Aoi reassures him of his loyalty by saying simply "I belong to you." And he does. We get a strong sense of Aoi's complete trust in and devotion to Sakiya, while on Sakiya's part, his feelings seem to go somewhat beyond romantic interest: he cherishes Aoi. The love scenes between Sakiya and Aoi are few, but reach an extraordinary emotional intensity.

The secondary story involving Junki and Chihiro actually provides a lot of the momentum to the main story. Junki warns Aoi early on to give up on Sakiya: he can see Aoi's attraction, and figures it's a lost cause. He admits, however, that he's talking as much about himself as about Aoi: he's loved Chihiro since day one, but Chihiro is not responsive. Junki is somewhat of a slut, and his involvement with another apprentice, Azuma, provides the means for his kidnapping. Azuma, however, comes up with a surprise or two of his own.

Kano gives a good take on the plotting and treachery within the organization, which adds another layer to what becomes a surprisingly complex story.

Kano's visual style is denser than many manga, but still clean and intelligible. Characters are less androgynous than in most yaoi: big, blocky bodies and strong-featured, masculine faces mark this one. Kano also does a good job of differentiating characters visually, which is something that some mangaka seem to have trouble with: there's no doubt who's who here, although keeping the names straight requires a bit of concentration -- there's a fairly large cast. The narrative flow is very clear, even in the action scenes. I'm not crazy for the covers, however: they strike me as being prettied up and overcolored, and don't really give an accurate idea of the quality of the interior graphics.

I should point out that this series goes to some tough places. Not only is there sex, some of it quite graphic, there is a fair amount of violence, and the scenes of Junki being tormented are not really easy to take. For that reason, I'm not sure I'd recommend it for teenagers.

The first volume is largely set-up; volumes two and three are action-packed, as they say, and fairly good page-turners. Volume three ends with a series of parodies and side stories, including an alternate ending.

I had been somewhat ambivalent about this one, in part because of the gritty nature of parts of the story (I mean, come on -- I'm looking for a little lightness, a little humor, a little romance here) , but now that I've read the whole thing, I've come to the conclusion that it's one I can definitely recommend.