Yakuza Fans, Meet the Quintessential Yakuza Series
Coming SoonYakuza Fans, Meet the Quintessential Yakuza Series
Coming SoonUnification of Japan, also known as Nihon Touitsu or NHT, is the longest-running and most successful ninkyo franchise in Japanese VCinema. It follows Yokohama delinquents Renji Himuro (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Yuto Tamura (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi) as they climb to the top of the yakuza in pursuit of unifying Japan's criminal underworld and bringing peace to the nation.
The series is best known for its relatively "wholesome" image thanks to its balance of comedy and seriousness. Its simplistic "good versus evil" narratives still manage to shed light on contemporary issues, while the camaraderie of the main cast both on-screen and off adds to its charm. The dynamic between childhood friends Himuro and Tamura as portrayed by real-life friends Motomiya and Yamaguchi is credited with bringing in a new wave of female fans (ninkyo joshi) to the genre.
Despite its popularity. the franchise went under the radar outside of Japan until the release of Like a Dragon Gaiden. The game, heavily inspired by Unification of Japan, features the majority of its main cast, notably Motomiya and Yamaguchi as Kosei Shishido and Yuki Tsuruno, described as the "reverse" of Himuro and Tamura. Still, the franchise remains difficult to access internationally.
NHTsubs is dedicated to bringing the Unification of Japan franchise to English-speaking audiences in the punchy, artful style familiar to fans of Yakuza/Like a Dragon's localization.