Early inYakuza: Like a Dragon’s story, Ichiban and Nanba huddle together in a small, dingy room, thankful for its roof, four walls, and mats to sleep on. The two relish the comfort of a safe space; for Nanba, it beats the tents of a homeless encampment, and for Ichiban, the room is far cozier than a prison cell. The years had gone on in his eighteen-year prison sentence, serving time for a crime he did not commit for the sake ofthe Arakawa family. As the two get to talking about the past, Ichiban considers how lost he feels at over forty years of age, having emerged into a world he no longer recognizes. Nanba, seeking something tangible, asks him what he wanted to be as a child. Ichiban considers for a moment before finally responding: he wanted to be a hero.
The transition away from theLike a Dragonseries' beat-em-up combat was always going to be a risky endeavor. Arguably more so was the move from series legend Kazuma Kiryu to a new leading man. It is perhaps why it is so fitting thatYakuza: Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga is a New Years baby, his debut ushering in a profound sense of change while simultaneously honoring the past.Like a Dragon 7is different, but at its heart aYakuzagame like any other, where the foundations of its Japanese crime stories and zany side quests exist in tandem with the type of emotional resonance that comes from characters with the fortitude to fight for those they believe in. Ichiban wants to be a hero, and by the end ofYakuza: Like a Dragon, he has shown he is one.
How Heroism is Woven into Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga
Those Who Fight Further
On its surface, themes of heroism are woven tightly intoYakuza: Like a Dragon’s RPG influences. Ichiban citesDragon Questitself as being his own source of inspiration, and the title works greatly to honor the legacy of the genre. The job-based party system sits at the core ofLike a Dragon 7’s gameplay, allowing Ichiban to become a literal hero through devastating bat swings and healing magic. Sure, there might be some hallucinatory effects coming into play with it all, the same that lets Nanba rain down pigeons with his homeless powers or that has office clerk Eri skewering enemies with thumbtacks, but despite the ways in which they fight or their chances of succeeding, Ichiban and his allies fight all the same.
The Capacity for Change
Like a Dragon 7’s willingness to center on older characters, even in its traditional JRPG party structure, is another boon to its conceit of heroism. The willpower to crawl back up from rock bottom is one of Ichi’s core tenets, an ideology that works in part because of his age; the idea that it is never too late to be a hero, never too late to turn one’s life around, is core to both him as a character and the influence that he has on others. Asa protagonist who sits opposite to Kiryu’s stoicismby wearing his heart on his sleeve, Ichiban’s trust and ability to see the good in others is what helps to define his heroism beyond any sort of combat prowess. These sentiments rub off on characters like Nanba and Adachi, which in turn strengthens the party’s dynamic, going on to define Kiryu’s own role inInfinite Wealthas he learns the importance of leaning on others.
Seeing the Good in Others
It is through this lens thatLike a Dragon7’s antagonist becomes more sympathic. Ryo Aoki, or Masato Arakawa, is not above his heinous actions throughout the game’s plot, but the way that he is framed with Ichiban in mind is a reminder of how compassion fits in withIchiban’s heroism. Just as Ichiban is able to see the good in people, he is also able to recognize when someone is walking down the wrong path, resolving to stop them when they cannot stop themselves. To feel for Masato’s pain – while reminding him that he was, and continues to be, loved – is a reminder of his inability to give up on people, another of his tenets that plays into the capacity for change.
To say that Ichiban inspires his allies would be an understatement. He is a protagonist who, like Kiryu, strives to help irrespective of the situation, for no reason other than that offering a shoulder to someone’s struggles lessens the weight they feel. Whether it be in the more serious moments ofYakuza: Like a Dragon’s emotional foray into the Ijin Three and Masato’s political uprising, or through its wild substories, Ichiban’s mentality is treated not as foolish or overly sentimental, but rather as a respectable part of his character. Just as RGG has shown the emotional vulnerability ofsupportingLike a Dragonprotagonists like Saejimaand Tanimura, Ichiban taps into the underlying compassion that demonstrates just how resonant theLike a Dragonseries can be in its characters and the human emotions that help to define them.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
WHERE TO PLAY
RISE LIKE A DRAGONIchiban Kasuga, a low-ranking grunt of a low-ranking yakuza family in Tokyo, faces an 18-year prison sentence after taking the fall for a crime he didn’t commit. Never losing faith, he loyally serves his time and returns to society to discover that no one was waiting for him on the outside, and his clan has been destroyed by the man he respected most.Confused and alone, he embarks on a mission to discover the truth behind his family’s betrayal and take his life back, becoming an unlikely hero for the city’s outcasts on his journey.LEVEL UP FROM UNDERDOG TO DRAGON IN DYNAMIC RPG COMBAT: Experience dynamic RPG combat like none other. Switch between 19 unique Jobs ranging from Bodyguard to Musician, and use the battlefield your weapon. Take up bats, umbrellas, bikes, street signs, and everything else at your disposal to crack some skulls!ENTER THE UNDERWORLD PLAYGROUND: When you’re not busy bashing heads, relax by hitting up the local arcade for some classic SEGA games, compete with locals in a no holds barred go-kart race around Yokohama, complete 50 unique substories, or just take in the scenery of a modern-day Japanese city. There’s always something new around the corner.
