Kadokawa, $37.30
Fantasy Romance, 2021

Kuroi Yodaka’s Omega no Mukotori, or The Omega Takes a Husband, is set in a world where, regardless of whether one is female or male, the alpha will mate with an omega and sire children on that omega. These days, thanks to modern suppressant technologies, many omegas can stop themselves from going into heat and having to get caught up in the whole “I smell you so you must mate with me!” nonsense. Oops, there goes an entire genre within romance!

Well, there is one slice of life that sticks to the old ways: the yukuza. The alpha always lead a gang, regardless of whether they are male or female, while the omega mate of the alpha is expected to bear the alpha’s heirs and raise these brats.

Well, tell that to Yoshiharu. He’s currently the second-in-command of one of the most powerful yakuza gangs around, but he’s an omega. His boss, who also happens to be his grandmother, has demanded that he should find an alpha mate within the month or she will do it for him. You see, she wants him to take over when she’s retired or dead, but because he is an omega, he needs an alpha or the other gangs will not respect him or, worse, may attempt to shank him in some coup.

As it always is, omegas are rare, so Yoshiharu from young has been raised in mostly isolation. As a result, he doesn’t have many friends. His grandmother also practices tough life, so this fellow isn’t fond of high-handed alphas as a result. The only person he fully trusts is his personal assistant, chauffeur, valet, bodyguard, and punching bag Makoto.

Not that Makoto is a pushover. He’s that cool, stoic, and reliable fellow that just brushes aside Yoshiharu’s more ridiculous demands because they both know Yoshiharu is putty in his hands anyway. It’s a good thing that he’s also a softy when it comes to Yoshiharu.

As Yoshiharu embarks on a series of interviews with alpha bachelors of other yakuza gangs, and these gangs will not hesitate to use tricks and even force to get Yoshiharu to mate with their alpha, it’s a good thing then that Makoto is always around.

I think I won’t be spoiling things much when I say that Makoto is actually an alpha that has taken suppressants to hide whatever it is that will telegraph his alpha-ness to others. I mean, come on. He and Yoshiharu have that obligatory “he was the omega’s only friend since childhood” thing going on, and it’s pretty clear right away that these two are meant to be together. The only way the author can neatly bring these two to the happy ending is to have Makoto being the hidden alpha in the whole equation.

Plus, the secret comes out in the second chapter anyway.

Yoshiharu is a classic tsundere that treats violence as foreplay, and he can be very childish at times. Still, I like him because he’s a determined fellow that refuses to let his omega status hold him back from being the top dog in town.

Initially, I cringe when the author resorts to having Yoshiharu being roofie’d and all in order to get Makoto to play the hero. As someone that high ranking in the yakuza, why is it that Yoshiharu never considers the possibility of other gangs playing dirty in order to have him, and hence his grandmother’s gang, under their control?

However, toward the end, Yoshiharu goes all The Bride on another enemy gang that attempts to play them all dirty, I can only applaud.

Makoto is the more traditional “you’re too good for me” type, but this leads to a romantic tsundere-tinged declaration of love towards the end, so that’s okay too. It’s as if the author had a plan to subvert the stereotypes associated with these character archetypes from the very beginning, and the result is a story that feels genuinely sweet and tender at unexpected moments.

Indeed, the omega behaves for the most part as the alpha here, and it’s clear even to the very end that he’s calling every shot in the gang and command the respect of his people for doing so. Meanwhile, Makoto may be the alpha, but he’s content to stay behind a few steps, always ready to protect his mate and his family. There is no creepy stalker antics or asshole behavior from him, and for a story of this kind, it’s a nice kind of surprise to realize that there is no rape necessary either to catalyze the relationship.

Oh, and before anyone asks me: the violence here is actually very tame, and the sex scenes are censored. The latter means that it looks like someone has taken an eraser to where the characters’ dangling bits should be, so those scenes are something only folks with a fetish for an empty space where wangs should be will find sexy to behold.

Also, there is no scene of Yoshiharu popping out brats, thank goodness, or cuddling with babies. The last bit I feel is perfectly in character with a high-ranking yakuza, as someone that has wanted power and authority won’t be so hasty in starting a family so soon.

All in all, Omega no Mukotori is a blast, as it makes me chuckle and go “Aww!” at times—something that I admit I didn’t see myself doing when I first opened this one with no preconceived expectations.