Yamikin Ushijima-kun

Today I’d like to introduce Yamikin Ushijima-kun, an underground manga that takes on the dark world of Japan’s illegal moneylending business. (Note: “Yamikin” refers to loan sharks who lend money at unlawfully high interest rates.) First, a warning before you read: Ushijima-kun is filled not only with violent depictions but also with a raw portrayal of Japan’s darkest corners. The story is gripping, but once you finish reading, it can leave you feeling mentally and emotionally drained. The protagonist, Ushijima, runs Cow Cow Finance, a black-market loan company where he lends money at illegal rates. What makes this manga so powerful is its incredible research. Author Shohei Manabe actually interviewed real underground loan sharks and drew inspiration from actual crime cases linked to illegal lending. This gives the story a frightening level of realism—so much so that at times, you may want to cover your eyes. We see ordinary people drowning in debt, others borrowing money to chase self-validation, and stories that make you think: If I made one wrong step, could I also end up borrowing from a loan shark? That thought alone is chilling. One of the most terrifying and traumatic arcs is the “Brainwash-kun” arc, reportedly based on the real-life Kitakyushu Serial Murder & Confinement Case. Because it’s rooted in actual events, the manga captures the fragility and cruelty of human nature in a brutally honest way. This raw sense of horror is what makes Ushijima-kun so addictive—it’s like watching a horror film. Even though it leaves you feeling crushed, you just can’t stop turning the pages. An official English release is available, so if you’re curious, I highly recommend checking it out. And one last piece of advice from me: never borrow money from a loan shark.

August 21, 2025