QP

QP is a gritty manga series penned by Takahashi Hiroshi, a creator widely recognized for his mastery of the high school delinquent genre, most notably through his seminal work Crows. First serialized in the late 1990s, the series serves as a departure from the school-centric themes of his previous works, choosing instead to focus on the bleak, violent realities of the yakuza underworld. Takahashi intended for QP to explore the lingering consequences of violence and the struggle for redemption within a rigid criminal hierarchy.

The narrative follows the character Ryuji Ishida, often referred to as QP, as he attempts to navigate a path away from his past involvement in gang activities. Takahashi's art style in this series remains consistent with his signature aesthetic—rugged, expressive, and heavily focused on character-driven tension. Upon its release, it was well-received by fans of the seinen demographic, appreciated for its narrative maturity and the raw, uncompromising portrayal of Japanese street-level criminality.