Hâdo romanchikkâ

Hard Romanticker (2011)

I'm not a good judge of Yakuza movies. They're always so violent and tragic because crime doesn't pay, of course, but it seems like the characters are always so doomed. This one is very typical only it dealing with younger guys wanting to become full-fledged gangsters. You have the young motorcycle gangsters (Bosozoku), drug dealers, knuckle busters, want-to-be pimps, etc.

The protagonist Gu (Shota Matsuda, with died blond hair) is willing to do anything it takes to make it as a Yakuza. He tries to do the honorable thing, but is sold out by his bosses, harassed by the cops and beat up by the competition.