Ouroboros (manga)

The manga Ouroboros: Police Will Never Betray Us (Japanese: ウロボロス -警察ヲ裁クハ我ニアリ-, Hepburn: Uroborosu - Keisatsu o Sabaku wa Ware ni Ari) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuya Kanzaki. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Comic Zenon from 2009 to 2017, with its chapters collected into 24 tankōbon volumes.

The series follows the intertwined lives of two protagonists, Ikuo Ryuzaki and Tatsuya Danno, orphans raised together at an orphanage called 'Mahoroba.' After witnessing the murder of their beloved caretaker by someone in a golden watch, they vow to find the culprit and exact revenge. Ikuo becomes a detective, climbing the ranks of the police force, while Tatsuya becomes a yakuza, infiltrating the underworld.

The title, Ouroboros, refers to an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, representing the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. In the context of the manga, it symbolizes the self-destructive nature of the protagonists' pursuit of revenge and the corrupt cycle of crime and justice within the police system and society. Their actions, despite aiming for justice, ultimately perpetuate the cycle of violence and corruption they initially sought to dismantle.

The manga explores themes of justice, revenge, corruption, morality, and the complicated relationship between law enforcement and organized crime. It also delves into the emotional bond between Ikuo and Tatsuya and how their individual paths impact their shared goal.

A live-action television drama adaptation, starring Toma Ikuta and Shun Oguri, aired on TBS in 2015.