Hokuriku Proxy War

The narrative begins with Kawada’s release in 1968 and unfolds through the early 1970s, a period of intense gang rivalries in Fukui, Osaka and beyond. The era’s atmosphere is defined by brutal turf wars, assassinations and shifting alliances within the Japanese underworld. The timeline tracks how power ebbs and flows across regional factions, culminating in decisive confrontations by 1973.

Mikuni is a port town in Fukui Prefecture and Kawada’s regional base in the story. The action moves through Fukui’s branches and nearby towns like Tsuruga, Wajima and Kanazawa, highlighting a regional yakuza network. Major urban centers such as Kyoto, Nagoya and Osaka become stages for factional battles and strategic maneuvers. The Shiranami House serves as a clandestine gathering point amid these locales.

⚔️ Power Struggle

Brutal clashes and strategic plots drive the plot as Kawada fights to control Fukui’s security business and the rackets around speedboat and bike racing. Rival factions, including Kanai and Mantani, press for territorial dominance through violence and intimidation. Alliances are forged, broken, and re-forged as each side tries to outmaneuver the others. The theme examines how power contests redefine loyalty and reshape local criminal empires.

💥 Loyalty & Betrayal

Loyalties are tested as bosses, groups and lovers intersect. Kawada must balance personal attachments—such as his relationships with Kiku and Nobuko—with the demands of leadership and survival. Betrayals surface from within and from rival camps, threatening to destabilize the Fukui front. The narrative shows how loyalty can be both a driving force and a dangerous liability in a world built on trust and fear.

💕 Love & Dual Loyalties

Romantic entanglements intersect with brutal gang politics, complicating decisions and strategies. Kawada’s affair with Kiku and Nobuko’s involvement add emotional stakes to the power struggle. Loyalties shift as lovers become pawns or partners in the fight for control. The theme explores how intimate bonds can influence, resist, or reinforce the ruthless calculus of the yakuza world.