Inoue Ryushi

Biodata

Appearance

• Muscular arms: Revealed when he removes his jacket before dueling Shinnosuke; he wears a tank top underneath 7.
• Raspy voice: Noted during his formal apology to Shinnosuke 10.
• Fight injuries: He and his followers appear with facial bandages after their defeats by Shinnosuke 6 10.

Personality

Ryushi is hotheaded and confrontational, but places considerable importance on keeping his word. During his rooftop duel, he orders his companions not to attack Shinnosuke even if he loses. When they break that instruction after he falls unconscious, he accepts responsibility and pledges the Ryu Family’s loyalty as restitution 7 8 10.

His loyalty develops beyond that initial obligation. He believes Shinnosuke can lead them against stronger schools, joins his demanding exercise routine, and tries to protect him from Sakaki Shio despite being visibly terrified. He also understands Shinnosuke’s resistance to having followers, advising rejected recruits to approach him as friends instead 16 18 24.

Protectiveness can override his judgment. His anger over the beating of two juniors leads him to storm a yakuza hideout without understanding the danger. Once trapped, however, he acknowledges his responsibility and offers to stay behind so the others can escape 28 29.

Ryushi is also easily provoked by romantic jealousy. He becomes flustered around Kinoshita Hideyoshi, envies Kenichi’s life with Miu Furinji, and reacts angrily to Shinnosuke’s connection with Miss Ohara. He states that he has never had a girlfriend 19 25 26 39.

Abilities & Skills

Street Fighting

Ryushi is a well-known school delinquent with substantial fighting experience. Shinnosuke recognizes his experience during their duel, while Sugihara considers his presence enough to make a group confrontation uncertain 7 9 14.

• Uses consecutive punches to the head and abdomen, along with forceful chest kicks 7.
• Gets back up after being punched and kicked down, then deliberately trades blows rather than dodging 7.
• Fights until he can barely lift his arm before finally losing consciousness 8.
• Can knock down an adult thug, but is overwhelmed when facing Scarface’s larger armed group 29.

Physical Training

Ryushi adopts Shinnosuke’s running routine because he does not want to fall behind him 18.

• Completes a six-kilometer run, although he finishes exhausted while Shinnosuke has been dragging two tires 18.
• Continues training regularly, but recognizes that the gap between their abilities is widening 24 25.
• Cannot move Ryozanpaku’s enormous entrance doors even with his full strength 25.

Leadership and School Knowledge

Ryushi commands the six other members of the Ryu Family and is one of the prominent second-year delinquents alongside Sugihara Kei and Seki Kiriko 14 28.

• Gives Shinnosuke information about rival students, school factions, and Shinomiya Kai’s control of the third-years 11 27 28.
• Organizes his followers to search for the men who attacked Go and Horii Naruya 28.
• Has previous interschool fighting experience, having represented the school against Kaikyu alongside Sugihara and Seki the preceding year 20.

History

Defeat and Allegiance

Before the rooftop confrontation, Shinnosuke defeats Ryushi and his companions beneath a riverside bridge. Ryushi regards the defeat as the result of an ambush and seeks revenge after discovering that Shinnosuke attends the same school 6 7.

Ryushi initially attacks with his group, then stops them and demands a one-on-one duel. His blows badly hurt Shinnosuke, who remains standing through the unfalling Daruma Doll’s effect. They exchange punches until Ryushi collapses; his companions then attack despite his explicit instructions not to interfere 7 8.

The following day, Ryushi leads his bandaged followers into Shinnosuke’s classroom and bows in apology. He declares that the Ryu Family will follow Shinnosuke to make amends for breaking the agreement, even though Shinnosuke rejects being called their boss 10.

Supporting Shinnosuke

Ryushi warns Shinnosuke that Sugihara Kei is looking for him. When Sugihara later confronts Shinnosuke with a group on the rooftop, Ryushi arrives with the Ryu Family and offers to fight first. He stands aside only after Shinnosuke insists on settling the confrontation himself 11 14.

After witnessing Shinnosuke’s decisive victory, Ryushi tells Sugihara that his allegiance is not merely repayment for their broken agreement. He believes Shinnosuke’s rapid improvement could eventually allow them to challenge Suzuran, despite Sugihara’s insistence that its leading fighters are beyond their reach 15 16.

Ryushi begins joining Shinnosuke’s morning runs. During one outing, he encounters Sakaki Shio and attempts to shield Shinnosuke before learning that Sakaki is Kenichi’s teacher. Watching Sakaki withstand Shinnosuke’s punches expands his understanding of how powerful a fighter can become 18 19.

Visiting Ryozanpaku

Shinnosuke takes a reluctant Ryushi to Ryozanpaku, where Kenichi introduces them to Miu and the dojo’s masters. Ryushi is astonished by their strength, initially suspecting that Sakaki’s bamboo-breaking demonstration uses a trick until a second demonstration convinces him 25 26.

Afterward, he identifies student council president Shinomiya Kai as the main remaining obstacle to Shinnosuke’s conquest of the school. He explains that Kai rules the third-years and may oppose Shinnosuke for disrupting the balance between school factions 27 28.

Warehouse Ambush

When his former middle-school juniors Go and Horii Naruya are beaten by yakuza, Ryushi leads a search for their attackers. His group captures a punk, obtains the hideout’s location, and enters an abandoned warehouse containing Scarface, more than a dozen men, and bags of white powder 28.

Their attempt to withdraw fails. Ryushi offers to hold off the pursuers, but the group is captured and beaten. As the gang prepares to kill them, he regrets the prospect of dying before repaying his parents or accompanying Shinnosuke to the top 29.

Shinnosuke arrives and defeats the gang. Ryushi and the others recover ten kilograms of drugs, and Ryushi suggests killing the criminals. The group instead agrees to report them anonymously after Shinnosuke warns that the organization behind the drugs could threaten their families 30.

When news reports reveal that police are examining blood and fingerprints, Ryushi joins Go and Horii in discussing the danger with Shinnosuke. They are instructed to search for clues rather than dwell on their mistake 31.

Silver Dragon Society

After Shinomiya Kai identifies the Silver Dragon Society as the organization behind the drugs, Ryushi accompanies Shinnosuke, Kai, Go, and Horii to Chiba. He is nervous about confronting an entire yakuza group, but Shinnosuke’s composure reassures him—until he discovers that Shinnosuke has stolen his last cigarette 41.

At the Society’s building, the group encounters the blond fighter and Ito confronting Tsukikawa. Ryushi and the others subsequently force Tsukikawa to reveal his cash and safe combination. Each member leaves with 700,000 R-yen, and Ryushi suggests asking Onizuka about used motorcycles when Shinnosuke decides to buy one 42 44.

Motorcycle Accident

While riding to school as Shinnosuke’s passenger, Ryushi falls off when the motorcycle stops at the gate. He is hospitalized with a concussion and instructed to avoid strenuous exercise. During his angry reaction afterward, someone accidentally knocks over his IV stand, causing both the stand and a glass glucose bottle to strike his head and knock him unconscious again 46.

Relationships

• Shinnosuke Nohara — Former opponent, chosen leader, and regular training partner. Ryushi remains loyal despite Shinnosuke repeatedly refusing the titles “boss” and “big brother” 10 18 24.
• Ryu Family — His six companions. They follow his lead in pledging allegiance to Shinnosuke, although their retaliation after his rooftop defeat violates his orders 7 8 10 14.
• Kinoshita Hideyoshi — His romantic interest. Ryushi is ashamed of having nearly acted out toward Hideyoshi during their earlier conflict, but Hideyoshi greets him without resentment 19.
• Go and Horii Naruya — Juniors he has looked after since middle school. Their injuries prompt his confrontation with Scarface’s gang; they later visit him in hospital 28 46.
• Sugihara Kei — Fellow second-year delinquent and former interschool teammate. Sugihara mocks his submission to Shinnosuke and disputes his hopes of challenging Suzuran 14 16 20.
• Shirahama Kenichi — A friend met through training with Shinnosuke. Their friendship is punctuated by Ryushi’s jealousy over Kenichi’s proximity to Miu and Shigure 25 26.
• Shinomiya Kai — Initially a potential threat to Shinnosuke’s ambitions; later accompanies Ryushi’s group to confront the Silver Dragon Society 27 28 41.

Notable Quotes

“A loss is a loss. A man has to keep his word!” 14

“If our boss is working this hard, of course I can’t fall behind!” 18

“If you can’t stand beside him as his underlings, you can still do it as his friends...” 24

Trivia

• Ryushi finds and carries a battered sofa to the rooftop because he knows Shinnosuke likes spending time there 14.
• His usual pastimes include playing cards and pachinko 25.
• He habitually smokes; Shinnosuke stealing his final cigarette leads to an argument during the drive to Chiba 6 41.