Yakuza and the Family Synopsis
After fourteen years behind bars, a former yakuza steps into a world that’s left him behind. Betrayals, street wars, and lost time collide as he claws through blood and regret to reclaim honor in a world that no longer wants him.
Prologue
A figure sinks slowly into the silent depths of the sea. The year is 1999, in the windswept coastal town of Kemuzaki. Kenji Yamamoto, hair bleached by rebellion and unburdened by a helmet, rides his moped through town. He arrives at the funeral of his father, Masaharu Yamamoto, assuming his role as chief mourner with stoic detachment. In a restroom, detective Kazuhiko Osako confronts him, warning against repeating his father’s fate. The words fall on deaf ears. Kenji returns to his loyal companions, Kohei Ohara and Ryuta Hosono, and the three vanish into the city.
Driving through a grim industrial zone, they stumble upon a drug deal. With practiced ease, they pose as buyers, then snatch both the drugs and the cash. That night, under the veil of darkness, the drugs are cast into the sea while the money is divided. They arrive at Omni, a humble seaside diner, where Aiko Kimura greets them warmly, her infant son Tsubasa strapped to her back. Their evening is interrupted by the arrival of local yakuza boss Hiroshi Shibasaki. Moments later, chaos erupts. Attackers storm the diner. Amid the violence, Kenji seizes a frying pan and brings down one of the assailants, buying enough time to escape.
An Offer Refused
The following day, Tsutomu Nakamura, one of Shibasaki’s men, escorts Kenji to the gang’s headquarters. Shibasaki offers him a place in the organization. But Kenji, haunted by his father’s legacy, declines. As he walks away with a business card in hand, a panicked call from his henchmen warns him to run. Too late—he’s already surrounded. His escape is short-lived. A blow to the head sends him into darkness.
Kenji awakens, bound and bloodied, alongside his men. They are now prisoners of the Kyoya-kai, whose stolen merchandise they unwittingly took. Underboss Masatoshi Kato learns the drugs were destroyed and decides on retribution by selling their organs. As they prepare for transport, Shibasaki’s card is found in Kenji’s possession. Suspicion thickens, but Kenji claims he acted alone.
Inducted by Circumstance
Their release comes as unexpectedly as their capture. Returned to Shibasaki, Kenji is met with unexpected concern. In private, the hardened boss speaks gently, questioning Kenji’s future. Kenji’s composure cracks. Tears fall. Days later, he kneels at a yakuza initiation, formally embraced by the Shibasaki family. Osako watches quietly from afar.
A New Life Begins
By 2005, Kenji is transformed—his back now a canvas of ink, his hair dark once more. He joins his men to celebrate Nakamura’s promotion at a club. Meanwhile, Osako sharpens his crackdown on gang activity. At Omni, young Tsubasa scribbles homework in a corner booth. Kenji slips him pocket money, a gesture of quiet affection.
Then, a call comes from the club “C’est La Vie.” Kawayama, once again, is the cause of trouble. After a heated encounter, Kenji strikes him. Blood is drawn. The threat of retaliation lingers in the air. That night, hostess Miyuki—real name Yuka Kudo—treats Kenji’s hand, pulling glass from his flesh with surprising tenderness. A note is left for her. Later, she visits. An awkward moment turns into something darker, but her resistance pulls Kenji back from the edge.
Negotiations between Shibasaki and Kato collapse. Kenji, longing for something real, drives Kudo to the shore. Under a dark sky, he confesses: he joined the underworld because he was alone. She nods. She understands.
Bound by Vengeance
During a peaceful fishing trip, gunfire breaks the morning calm. Kenji throws himself between Shibasaki and death. Ohara is not so lucky. He falls. Kenji, burning with fury, escapes from the hospital to exact revenge. But before he can pull the trigger, Nakamura intervenes—his blade finds its mark first. Kenji finishes the job, blood running from both their hands. That night, he seeks solace in Kudo’s arms.
By dawn, the money remains untouched. Kudo finds it where he left it. Kenji, unrepentant, returns to the office. Osako is waiting. He is arrested. News spreads quickly. Kudo and Kimura’s son watch it unfold on the screen.
A Return in 2019
Fourteen long years pass. Kenji walks free. Nakamura greets him. Shibasaki, now frail and facing the end, welcomes him home with warmth. But the empire is crumbling. All that remains is eel poaching. Aiko’s diner offers a sliver of comfort. Society, however, offers none. Kenji asks Hosono to find Kudo.
Tsubasa, now grown, dominates the underground fight scene. Hosono, ever cautious, avoids association. Tensions mount. Kenji visits one of Nakamura’s current operations. There, he finds meth—poison. Enraged, he attacks Nakamura. But regret cools the fire, and apologies are exchanged.
Unraveling Bonds
Kudo appears at last. They meet again at the shore. The same sea. The same wind. The money she returns has never been touched. Kenji asks for a second chance. She declines. She has a daughter now—Aya. Kenji’s identity must remain hidden. She walks away.
Shibasaki urges him to leave the underworld. Nakamura is now using. The gang is fading. Kenji begins anew with Kudo and Aya, working quietly at a waste facility. But their peace is shattered when photos go viral. Their pasts are weaponized. Kudo and Aya are ostracized. Hosono breaks under pressure. Osako delivers a final truth: ex-yakuza have no place in this world.
Kudo collapses into tears, blaming Kenji for destroying the life she built. He vanishes into the night, later learning Shibasaki is dying. Tsubasa has found his father’s killer.
Revenge and Closure
Shibasaki, breathing his last, tells Kenji to protect those he loves. A voicemail is recorded for Kudo—a farewell drenched in sorrow. Kudo and Aya pack to leave the city. Hosono’s house sits empty. Kenji and Tsubasa prepare for confrontation.
Kenji arrives first, confronting Osako and Kato. Violence erupts. Shibasaki dies. Tsubasa arrives too late. But he understands: Kenji acted for him.
Kenji’s final words echo as scenes show Kudo and Aya fleeing, Hosono alone in grief. At the pier, Kenji smokes in silence, blood on his hands.
Epilogue
A familiar sound—the buzz of a two-stroke engine—echoes. Hosono appears. A blade flashes. Kenji, weary and ready, is stabbed. He apologizes and disappears into the sea.
Days later, Tsubasa visits the pier. Flowers in hand. Aya appears beside him. She asks, “What kind of man was my father?” Tsubasa breathes deeply.
“Let me tell you a little about him,” he says.
And together, they face the waves as the story quietly ends.
