I actually did my college research report on the humanization in the yakuza series! its a really underrated aspect of the series and I’m glad it’s being brought up more
In college I did a psychological analysis of the cast of Persona 4 for a class, and that was sort of a precursor to doing this stuff for a living, actually!
I've been told that a few times now, so I think I need to give him another chance. Been playing 0 again and loving it, paying more attention to Kiryu's actions.
@@EmceeProphIt Kiryu makes a lot of bad choices. He seems straight forward but is actually really complex. The newest game (8) deep dives into him in a huge way. you might miss out on some of its weight if you haven't played through the games though. Yakuza in my mind is basically a Japanese crime Soap Opera and I love it. Gaiden brought me to tears but I think once again with out all the context of the series it wont hit as hard. I'm a huge fan and was very happy when they went turn based. RGG is still making the other style so I get the best of both worlds.
@@EmceeProphIt Honestly a lot of Kiryu’s flaws come out more throughout the rest of the series (1-6). You see bits of it in zero but it becomes much more apparent as the series goes on and the character has more chance to age and reflect on things that happen.
Definitely agree, to the point that the plot of each of the first 6 games essentially revolves around actions Kiryu took, or, more importantly, didn't take, in the previous entry.
2:18:30 This & your part about homelessness earlier is what makes this channel & you a very unique gem, its heartfelt & passionate analysis. Not just some dude throwing up a quick video. I'll always love your videos bro. There's beauty in this script as much as There's beauty in this games script. 10 years later & your writing is still enough to bring a tear to my eye.
@@EmceeProphIt The algorithm hasnt treated you right bro. You've inspired me for years Just know I recognize what you create here. Its heartfelt. Its real. Thankyou for another great video Emcee. Ill probably fall asleep to this numerous times over the coming years
Huh, I wonder if that was intentional. One of the first lines the Hobo party member says was "if you've got too much pride to crawl, you'll never make it in this world." And literally, the antagonist's pride shattered because of the reaction of people watching him crawl so hard he created a second identity.
Still watching, only an half an hour in, but the whole point how much the taste of plain bread can be comforting makes me teary-eyed. Never experienced homelessness myself, but had times in my life when I had barely money left and needed to eat very cheap, tasteless stuff just make the month without starving. So the idea of eating sth which gives you a feel of normalcy does hit me in the heart.
Honestly, as I have gotten older, my love and appreciated for the Yakuza/LAD series has only increased since the first time I played it in middle school. Behind the veneer of wackiness and tough, macho manliness, the core of these games are filled with compassion and empathy for those in society that are looked down and trampled on, and portrays them in a way that doesn’t just dehumanize them as being less than others. Playing these games helped me develop into who I am today and played a part in me developing empathy and understanding growing up. The entire story revolving around the gray zone and the working girls really hit deep for me when I first played 7. These are a group of people that are so vulnerable and have little to no protection, who are shunned from society despite being only there because said society still creates a demand for them. And seeing Bleach Japan and the government demonize them and the dirty tactics they used to deport them, and seeing how utterly devastated Etsuko was when she realized what had happened is, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking things to occur in these games so far. And Infinite Wealth does a good job in showing just how much she’s still hurting from those events three years later, and how pointless it was given that those girls suffered for nothing and were used as pariahs for the public to pin the blame on society’s problems on. I hope the next mainline game continues to keep this aspect of the games alive and well, and I hope it influences teens and adults who play these games like it did me.
Beautiful comment. That moment with the deportation also devastated me, felt a wash of serious anger and mourning, realizing this exact thing happens to immigrants just trying to survive all around the world. And that anger comes from a good place, a human place. It's a series that has a lot of important lessons to teach.
Just wanna say RUclips recommended this video to me and I'm so glad it did. I could never really explained why I loved Y7 so much with its many themes but you did it perfectly and more! Earn yourself a new fan and boy I hope the damn algorithm doesn't bury your future content from my feed.
Thank you all so, so much for the reception this is getting so far, especially the comments. It really means a lot that this is resonating with people. More so than just helping the channel grow (which is super appreciated!) it also reassures me that a lot of people still value the empathy, compassion, and moral action that this series promotes. Keep it up, ya'll.
I found your channel like 7 years ago through your Dark Souls and Digimon videos, also watched your playthrough of Guardian’s Crusade This is the best video on LAD that i have seen, you clearly understand its motives and themes on a deeper level than others even if it is sadly through personal experience I am glad you are still making content and i am here to watch it Stay strong Emcee and thank you for your content
Seriously this may be one of your best. I need this on a t shirt: “The next time someone is suffering, and someone else asks ‘Who cares?’ Be the fucking answer.” That had me in tears. That is what we need. Thank you, man. Thank you.
I found this video because I wanted to hear more about this game in a deep analysis and got more than what I expected, thank you for the video and the lesson.
Just saw this and your RDR2 essay. Never seen so deep takes on these games like yours. Great to listen, interesting and honestly, it uplifts the games for me. Great work!
Truly loved every second of this video. The point about society always blaming individual moral failings instead of trying to change itself was very poignant. Your prose and takes on these sorts of problems is what keeps me coming back to every video over and over. Thank you so much!
This video was a nice surprise! There's a favorite youtuber of mine whose Yakuza/LAD videos I consider by far the best analysis of the series, but yours seriously rivals them in quality. Despite the series popularity, it always annoys me how many fans are oblivious to the nuances of the games' story, but your essay doesn't have that problem at all. I especially liked how much of your alluded personal experience, on top of your familiarity with the game's genre, has been applied to your arguments. I would be curious to hear your opinions on the other games in the series, but this video was enough to make me interested in any other game you already reviewed or will in the future.
Came to see your take on Yakuza, stayed for the in-depth RPG mechanichs analysis and then stayed even harder for the deep-cut, too real themes analysis and social commentary. For real, great video! I hope you can keep doing what you do and enjoying it
I discovered this game and series last year, you captured everything great and meaningful about it in your analysis, what makes it so special. One of the best, most insightful vids about a piece of media I've ever seen, and you put most other game reviewers to shame. Hats off sir, well done and godspeed on your quest as well.
Hey, I haven't watched this yet, but that's because I saw how long it was and thought "I should play this game first". I'm going to watch the video and leave another comment after I beat the game, but I wanted to say thank you for pushing me to play this. I'm still at the beginning (just met Bleach Japan), but so far, I'm loving this game. Also, I'm _really_ happy you're okay, love. You're one of my favorite people on this Absolute forsaken site, so seeing you back with new content is wonderful. Stay strong, and know that my light, my love, and my Wings of Freedom are watching over and protecting you.
I'm new to your channel but you have a lot of great content, and you perfectly nailed every reason why I love Yakuza Like a Dragon. Can't wait to experience more of your content, whatever may come. You've got great insight and perspective man. Keep it up
I've never played a single game in this series, but I can't help but think that Japanese game devs really like their social commentary, especially (but not only) with turn based RPGs.
@@EmceeProphIt Yeah, really makes the story of games like Bravely Default 2 feel even more shallow and tropey when it's contemporaries do such a good job. Although I suppose even the most trope filled god killing JRPGs are still a (sometimes unintentional) form of commentary because of a shared cultural perception on western religion and how "The west" treated Japan in general.
ohhh man yakuza 7 was my intro to the series & started a complete obsession for me, it is so close to my heart and i have been BAFFLED at the lack of long form video analysis/essays for it !!! this popped up on my recommended and i'm very excited to watch this over the weekend. thanks for the treat dude edit: thank you based and cool hindsight emcee
Yakuza LAD was my intro to the entire series, and in fact I didn't play any of Kiryus games until after Infinite Wealth (this creates a very interesting perspective on Kiryus series ofc) I'll be going into some spoilers about Infinite Wealth, so have a few spaces and everything to avoid them... Kasuga is a very interesting protagonist, coming off as a big innocent dope thats secretly pretty intelligent and cunning (albeit still crazy lmao). But as you mentioned, he can almost come off as naive too, his entire worldview is based off of kindness and respect for everyone, something that even the greatest people in the world can't claim. By all means he SHOULD be Masumi, someone whose whole life was ruined because of the actions of another. And he SHOULDN'T forgive someone who attempted to have him assassinated... *repeatedly.* But he does. And this leads a lot into Infinite Wealths overarching theme... of faith and religion. Kasuga is literally positioned as an almost jesus-like figure, to the point that among the promotional materials for infinite wealth, they draw off the Last Supper with Ichi right there in the middle, and all his friends surrounding him. With his kindness and humility still being his core defining traits (and his sheer himboness lmao), he's put up against his main protagonist, a literal false prophet for a religious group there in Hawaii. And as he does that, he also plays a role in preparing Kiryu for what may be the end of his life. Kiryus an old man now, battling cancer. But he's incapable of forgiving himself for all the mistakes he's made through his life, and of caring about himself. Its only through spending real time with Ichiban that Kiryu starts to gain any modicum of self reflection. Eventually the two are split and Kiryu ends up leading another group back in Japan (and has managed to catch Kasugas insanity, seeing baddies transform :P), where HIS ultimate villain is another man who is trying to end the Yakuza entirely, much like Kiryu has tried... repeatedly... in the past. Without Ichibans influence, Kiryu never would have seen Ebina beyond the surface of a scumbag politicing crook, and wouldn't have gotten the closure he needed in his life, crying for forgiveness over Ebina after the final fight. TL;DR P L A Y I N F I N I T E W E A L T H
Thank you, based and cool hindsight Emcee. Also, seriously, I'm glad to see you're doing well. I missed your content, and this is exactly what I needed this week.
great vid, man. when I recommend this game to people, I have the tendency to reduce it to the basics of the RPG combat mechanics and job system in a "wacky wahoo" kind of way, hoping that they will gain a better understanding of the messages of the game by playing through it themselves rather than just having me tell them about it. Such a meaningful game. And Ichiban is such a great protagonist. Keep up the great work, as always
I think that Kiryu is actually quite a complex character with fairly obvious flaws. I think that perhaps when you play Infinite Wealth which has a large focus on the results of the mistakes Kiryu has made and his grappling with a certain situation then your perspective on him may evolve.
Kiryu is presented as perfect but is deeply flawed and not such a simple character, you'll get to see more of it if you dive into the rest of the games
Fantastic takes on LAD all around! I loved LAD7 initially because of its bombastic silliness but you can quickly tell it has a lot of heart. It helps that the creator of the series actually lived the yakuza life.
Still at the start of the video, but I gotta say, go back and play the ones you haven't. This series can be described by the word HEART and some of the themes from this one are touched on other games. Homelessness for example shows up on 4, family shows up on all of them but mainly 1, and so on. This series had me sobbing in tears more than once. That being said, there are some things that haven't aged well, one side quest on 1 comes to mind and this series has a problematic portrail of korean and chinese immigrants that I'm not the person to discuss.
I find it funny that you used the term safety net when talking in regards to certain characters, and then the game later states that Ijincho as the social safety net for anyone. It really shows how well the game presents its themes without outright stating it. Just by your pure thought you caught on, its excellent writing on yours and the games end.
I don't know quite how to phrase this, but I found it funny that the language you used to describe action/beat-em-up combat (boring, repetitive, slog, etc) are exactly the same words I use to describe turn-based combat. I'm lucky that even though Like A Dragon is leaving my genre preference behind, I still have folks like you to keep me updated on how the series develops.
On the mechanical side of things, one of my favorite touch-ups in Infinite Wealth was that Freelancer was a lot more viable now because of having base damage scaling so it kept up with weapons and higher base stats than other Jobs, even if its abilities were still weaker (though Ichiban's unique unlocked abilities more than cover for that). I just prefer RGG protagonists to go with fisticuffs (also seamless with combat cutscenes) so that was nice.
Great video which reminded me why i like this game so much. Infinite Wealth was, at least storywise, such a dissapointment in comparison. Also Triplet After Triplet easily one of the best boss themes out there espeacially after the build up in the millenium tower. Edited the correct song name, thanks to Norrabal for correcting me :)
It was a hard cut, but I realized there was no way to talk about it without ruining a surprise I otherwise didn't need to talk about. Best song in the game tho.
5:31 THANK YOU! OMG, I've been saying this exact thing for YEARS. In fact, it STILL pisses me off to think about what Square-Enix has done to the Final Fantasy franchise.
Considering this is the first Yakuza, as far as I’m aware, to do the turn based combat thing it makes sense that the devs didn’t make it particularly hard. Haven’t gotten to Infinite Wealth yet, but maybe it’s more difficult?
I would love to see you cover the series as a whole. I loved your analysis of LAD and I feel like one that analyzes the sequel can only benefit from a series playthrough (though I know it’s a time commitment lol)
I’ve played these almost completely out of order (7,8,0, Lost Judgment,5,1,ishin,6,Gaiden,2,3,Judgment,4) so there’s loads of callbacks I never got in the later games. I think going back and playing Infinite Wealth again would feel a lot different. Had a great time but really can’t explain why I played in the order I did.
2:14:21 "Condeming someone off as the sole arbiter of their terrible fate, is fast, easy in an immediate, primal and stupid sort of way, [...]" I think you're talking about the "cognitive miser", it's a well documented psychological phenomenon. Here, have a link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_miser
Loving this so far as always, I'll be updating through replies as I go from here so I don't forget anything. 1. I can certainly understand and definitely appreciate the idea of taking your words on rpg difficulty with a pinch of salt. Especially as someone who can't stand the genre because I just can't nail these mechanics for anything. I played Miitopia on Auto, that should tell you something. That's said, not all genres have equal difficulty throughout their games. Just look at the Hidden/Scattered Object genre. These games will either beat over the head with moon logic, drive you insane because you can barely tell what it is you need to find or where it is, or just be a complete cake walk. There is so much variation between series and even single games in said series, that difficulty being too much in some cases can absolutely be stated. I'm absolutely dumb sometimes when I play these games, even if I've played them several times, and I can still say with certainty what parts are my own fault vs the game devs being unfair or just sadistic. Mystery Case Files, for as much as I enjoy the atmosphere, soundtrack, and some SOME parts of the story, is among the worst offenders of this. Dracula Love Kills is another big offender. The main game is perfectly fine in terms of difficulty, even if my dumb ass needs a guide sometimes. That said, their bonus chapter was so rage inducing with just how bullshit those puzzles were. I have beaten before, but not without angering myself after a long ass time of trying. I have since forgotten how I ever beat them too, and it has resulted in countless skip button uses since I'd rather not suffer for potential hours.
2. Oooof I'm with ya on the dungeons. I'd go on autopilot too if I had to play through them. Hell if they had spiced it up a little and maybe added some Saw like elements here and there? Maybe have Japan horror movie or urban legend nods? Maybe one dungeon could be a fight on 2chan or some other forum? Maybe a reference to the Red Room would make for a fun dungeon? Perhaps a paranormal encounter or two if you take too long in the areas, like how Persona has the Reaper? Just something, ANYTHING. So boring looking otherwise, hell I zoned out a bit just watching you play through that dungeon.
3. Yeah the ladies really got shafted here job wise. Is it accurate given the setting? Sadly yes. But it certainly sacrifices fun by the look of it. There's a lot they could've gone with. Perhaps a ghost girl job where in you get Necromantic abilities? Why not use a Miko/Priestess job as the ultimate healer class? Maybe a nod to Sailor Moon would be fun given the games takes place the early 2000s from what you've said. A DDR based class might make for an interesting early level bard. Perhaps a Stationary Store employee, with washi tape, school supplies, and various writing utensils would make a decent rogue like class? With teacher perhaps being a step up from that? Hell there were real famous and infamous Yandere anime and visual novel characters running around at this time too. Imagine a class based on THAT, man you'd likely be scary with that one. Hell why not bring all the anime lady tropes as potential classes? Just for the added variety? Better than the current limits I'd argue. Not to mention it still fits the setting.
Addon to 3, I didn't realize that the game's intro started in the year of 2005 or 6, oops. Nevertheless my points stand. Just means there's even more things to work with, and even less excuses to not use them.
4. The music is definitely incredible. As someone who's a sucker for folk type tracks, hearing those duo tracks was a real treat. The bar music was very zen and soothing. And that tower gauntlet track was just awesome. Kind of reminds me of the Diva from Fifth Element when the song goes from opera to pop(or whatever you'd call that genre). I may be a music nerd, but even I struggle when I step out of my main genres of choice. Also yeah the dungeon music definitely sounds nice...but the environment holds it down so badly. Makes it seem way more boring than it actually is. The minor repetition in the track doesn't help either. A little bit of tweaking and environment livening up would've elevated the track for sure.
5. Gaming and media in general really is missing this type of nuisance in their villains. Cus it's sadly very true. Some people who feel othered, hurt enough, victimized enough, will resent that position badly. Rightfully so, but it can lead to a mentality much like Masato's own. They'll feel like they have mask all that they are as a person or what they're going through. They live life assuming everyone else around them is stupid or worse. They stop trusting anyone they don't know until a significant amount of time passes. Above all, they'll do anything to never feel like a victim again, to never BE A VICTIM again. My Dad is one such man. He never hurt anybody like Masato, but he certainly has left some unfortunate damage in his wake. As a freshman, a group of boys he thought were friends, beat the tar out of him. All to toughen him up. After that, he grew far quieter and distant with people. He even told my sisters and I that he wouldn't be surprised if people thought he'd be the next shooter at the time. The worst of it, my sisters, myself, and my Mother all got left with the pieces those children left behind. Pieces of broken glass and sharpened metal in the form of a temper he struggled to control. I can't handle family or friend drama in movies or other media very well because of that. Loud enough shouting or yelling can be a bad trigger for me to this day. I used to cry when anyone I viewed as an authority figure confronted me on something, even if I knew they weren't going to do anything to me. My younger sister is the biggest wallflower I know who struggles to ask for help due to anxiety. I have my Father's temper and his tendency to keep my problems to myself(though I am trying to be more open when I have issues now). My elder sister chose the rebellion path a lot of eldest siblings do, and her life is often a living hell even when she does find stability. I hope this recent batch of it is permanent for her this time too. My Mother, I could say so much. But unlike my Aunt I don't wish to speak on her problems when she isn't here. Call me a hypocrite for it if you want, but when you've had someone apologize to you and say that your Mother wasn't the Mother she should've been, when that same person is far from a good Mother themselves, it sticks with you. I don't think I could forgive the boys, now men, who did that to my Dad. Even if they remember or cared enough to apologize for it. Same goes for my Aunt, who instead of focusing on her own life and actions...would rather judge everyone else because she thinks her way of prayer, that her relationship with God, is the only correct way to live life. Hell she proved me right when managing to figure out I was a witch after weaseling it out of me. I don't even know how she came up with the question she did, but it was enough to make me be honest. She even said witches are evil and of the devil after I said it, then after my Mom said something she immediately backpedaled and said I wasn't evil, but that witchcraft is still evil and of the devil. Lecturing me about the entire viewpoint she had. Even when I had counters from experience, she didn't even care. Not that I expected her to, but it still hurt to be proven so damn right. She hasn't changed, Mom can claim she has all she wants, but it's a lie. That woman wants to be in my life, but can't even accept the truth in front of her. The real me. All she sees...is another convert. A lost child in need of guidance into HER light. Not an ADULT WOMAN with her own life to life who's not even her daughter. She wonders why her daughter barely speaks to her, let alone can't stand the rest of our family. While it does hurt and matter a little bit to me that she'd rather continue to burn the bridges she rebuilds time and time again, I have no desire to be what she wants of me. I know who I am, what I want in life, and where my priorities and loyalties are best placed. She's never been worthy of being in my life. If she can't accept all that I am, if I have to mask around her until she kicks it, so be it. She'll only ever get the bare minimum from me, she's given me much the same anyway. I am a witch whether she likes it or not. I am my own woman, who will not be tied down by her hypocritical life and needs. And I'd rather burn, than be anything of her. If she wants to burn away the things she can't accept, so be it. But with that goes any chance of a true relationship. A stable bridge that isn't always smoldering. Made of ropes that I fully intend to one day cut away myself when the time is right. I refuse to be a quiet shadow for her to question forever. Pardon this massive dump I just...seems my Dad isn't the only one who has similarities to Masato. Fancy that.
Just some context on Eri. The reason she feels like she is sort of tacked on, is because she was. RGG studios had a competition to select actresses to be featured in the game. The runners up became the various “romance” options around the city while the winner (Eri Kamitaki) got her likeness and name used for the business minigame and as an optional companion. So the character is quite literally tacked on. She was never intended to really be part of the main crew story wise, just fun optional extra character hence why she isn’t included in the story or cutscenes beyond her introduction.
Ichiban being an enabler must be a concept that the writers didn't come across often, I'm sure it would be awesome for them to address that. However, I think your line about that being a fine line (being able to forgive and move on and being an enabler) also makes a fine line for your reasoning being between nuanced or a moral absolutism statement. I don't know what I'm talking about at this point. Gotta make it to the end of the video before it's too late.
So excited to watch this. Yakuza 7 is one of my favorite games of all time and I don't see enough people talking about it! I only wish the writing in infinite wealth had been better....
Definitely the best analysis of this game I've seen so far! I am just now realizing how lots of the themes from this game resonate with the current political climate we're living in right now. Looking forward to more videos about other JRPGs, including Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth!
Tendo winds up his OHKO and if you do enough damage to him before his next turn he doesn’t use it and the aura disappears, still i do agree it would be nice if he game explained that.
Excellent opinions. Excellent game. What a combination. In all seriousness, your message at the end is absolutely true in this bullshit world. Do what you want to do, and be proud of what you have done. I’ll always be a fan because of who you are 🤘🏻
Just completed the video, loved the sign out "Good luck on your quest." Here's a couple things: do NOT play Infinite Wealth now. I'm currently playing it now and the story is very dependent in the previous games. Sure, it is a continuation and the game makes sure you get the context, but some scenes that are making me smile and cry would not hit the same without living these moments. Second thing, you NEED to play FFXIV, I'm still in Heavensward, but from what I hear and from what I saw from this video of you, you will LOVE Shadowbringers. If you can't or don't wanna play an MMORPG, at least watch a playthrough, Dan from Playframe is doing one of the whole game with the most content possible, iirc including the Dark Knight quests which are the best job quests in the game. There's a free trial that includes Heavensward and StormBlood, has no time restriction. At least give it a shot, just know that the start of the game is not that good, but it really picks up and turns into what some consider the best FF stories, each expansion being both a story of it's own and also a story that progresses the whole FFXIV story. To conclude this, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the game, which just turn out to be almost exactly what you said in your final line: “to ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom - it is indolence." Good luck on your quest too.
The thing about Eri is that she's based off a actual Japanese actress of the same name. It's the Like a Dragon series has a habit of having actual Japanese media figures, surprisingly a lot of them being JAV actresses. This also tho means at those characters typically only ever show up once due to rights of the actor or actress body as well as just getting in the studio again. Given Like a Dragon's history with the Japanese porn industry it's actually not a surprise they had 7's plot be what it is. Edit: Just for the record I don't think Eri herself is a JAV actress, just a standard movie actress, but still falls under the umbrella of Like a Dragon character based off of a real Japanese actor.
Yeah, I found that pretty interesting. I wonder if that's part of why it feels like she was added late into development, and made optional. As in, maybe the decision to include her happened after a lot of scenes where already dubbed and animated.
Your point about Kiryu being perfect and infalliable highlights something about Yakuza 7, as well as series soft reboots in general that will never not rub me the wrong way. A game series with cumulative history can be an amazing and equally depressing thing, seeing new and interested fans disregard a series's past for one reason or another, to no fault of their own mind you, but still something that makes me irreperably sad nonetheless. Kiryu, as well as the games he's a part of are an immensely important part of my outlook on life and my own developments as a person, and while I completely understand why people would have reservartions about playing 10 or more games to get the full experience, it hurts knowing that my video game hero, as well as his legacy could easily be thrown to the wayside and slowly fade away and be forgotten as the series moves forward with new characters and stories to tell. This isn't to say I don't like Yakuza 7 or Ichiban, however, in fact it's the complete opposite.
Good thoughts. I'm definitely interesting in giving Kiryu another shot, recently started Yakuza 0 over. Right now the main obstacle is that I'm not big on brawlers, hehe...
I also felt like the combat was too easy- I'm a Final Fantasy Tactics person, so I enjoy RPG pain. I just wanted to tell you that there are more satisfying and difficult battles available in this games sequel, Infinite Wealth. I suspect the team at RGG was erring more on the side of easier battles for Y7 because of the genre switch from brawler to RPG. My theory is that they didn't want to lock out fans of the prior style. Infinite Wealth is a better mix of optional difficult battles and some very nice tweaks to the combat that address some minor issues like how street weapons kind of don't work right in Y7.
I just got through the section on difficulty, not sure if you bring up a thought I had when playing in the vid or not. I think the reason this game is on the easier side is because the other games are brawlers. This may likely be a lot of peoples first turn based RPG and they didn't want to alienate their fan base.
Yeah, that's definitely a good point. I find most Yakuza to be pretty easy in general, since I think the storytelling and 'vibes' are the real priority, so the devs want as many people to experience that as possible.
On the topic of Ichiban forgiving Aoki. The biggest thing about the Yakuza/LAD franchise is that the protagonist isn't above the law so it's less about Ichiban forgiving Aoki but more of Ichiban letting the law decides Aoki's consequences, this is why he had to strip Aoki out of his political power and reputation when he could've stormed the Millenium Tower whenever he wanted to. If Ichiban actually forgives (and enables) Aoki what he'd do is hid him in Yokohama.
I actually did my college research report on the humanization in the yakuza series! its a really underrated aspect of the series and I’m glad it’s being brought up more
In college I did a psychological analysis of the cast of Persona 4 for a class, and that was sort of a precursor to doing this stuff for a living, actually!
Kiryu is far from a perfect person. He is brash, hypocritical, indecisive despite being so headstrong. He puts his faith in the wrong people.
I've been told that a few times now, so I think I need to give him another chance. Been playing 0 again and loving it, paying more attention to Kiryu's actions.
@@EmceeProphIt Kiryu makes a lot of bad choices. He seems straight forward but is actually really complex. The newest game (8) deep dives into him in a huge way. you might miss out on some of its weight if you haven't played through the games though. Yakuza in my mind is basically a Japanese crime Soap Opera and I love it. Gaiden brought me to tears but I think once again with out all the context of the series it wont hit as hard. I'm a huge fan and was very happy when they went turn based. RGG is still making the other style so I get the best of both worlds.
@@EmceeProphIt Honestly a lot of Kiryu’s flaws come out more throughout the rest of the series (1-6). You see bits of it in zero but it becomes much more apparent as the series goes on and the character has more chance to age and reflect on things that happen.
@CeliriaRose especially in 6, kiryu was crashing out in that game
Definitely agree, to the point that the plot of each of the first 6 games essentially revolves around actions Kiryu took, or, more importantly, didn't take, in the previous entry.
2:18:30
This & your part about homelessness earlier is what makes this channel & you a very unique gem, its heartfelt & passionate analysis. Not just some dude throwing up a quick video.
I'll always love your videos bro.
There's beauty in this script as much as There's beauty in this games script.
10 years later & your writing is still enough to bring a tear to my eye.
I really needed to hear that tonight, friend. Thank you. It means a lot that it reaches people like that.
@@EmceeProphIt The algorithm hasnt treated you right bro.
You've inspired me for years
Just know I recognize what you create here.
Its heartfelt. Its real.
Thankyou for another great video Emcee.
Ill probably fall asleep to this numerous times over the coming years
Huh, I wonder if that was intentional. One of the first lines the Hobo party member says was "if you've got too much pride to crawl, you'll never make it in this world."
And literally, the antagonist's pride shattered because of the reaction of people watching him crawl so hard he created a second identity.
I didn't notice that! Great find.
thank u based hindsight Emcee I won't do what you tell me im an independent thinker
Still watching, only an half an hour in, but the whole point how much the taste of plain bread can be comforting makes me teary-eyed. Never experienced homelessness myself, but had times in my life when I had barely money left and needed to eat very cheap, tasteless stuff just make the month without starving.
So the idea of eating sth which gives you a feel of normalcy does hit me in the heart.
Honestly, as I have gotten older, my love and appreciated for the Yakuza/LAD series has only increased since the first time I played it in middle school. Behind the veneer of wackiness and tough, macho manliness, the core of these games are filled with compassion and empathy for those in society that are looked down and trampled on, and portrays them in a way that doesn’t just dehumanize them as being less than others. Playing these games helped me develop into who I am today and played a part in me developing empathy and understanding growing up. The entire story revolving around the gray zone and the working girls really hit deep for me when I first played 7. These are a group of people that are so vulnerable and have little to no protection, who are shunned from society despite being only there because said society still creates a demand for them. And seeing Bleach Japan and the government demonize them and the dirty tactics they used to deport them, and seeing how utterly devastated Etsuko was when she realized what had happened is, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking things to occur in these games so far. And Infinite Wealth does a good job in showing just how much she’s still hurting from those events three years later, and how pointless it was given that those girls suffered for nothing and were used as pariahs for the public to pin the blame on society’s problems on. I hope the next mainline game continues to keep this aspect of the games alive and well, and I hope it influences teens and adults who play these games like it did me.
Beautiful comment. That moment with the deportation also devastated me, felt a wash of serious anger and mourning, realizing this exact thing happens to immigrants just trying to survive all around the world. And that anger comes from a good place, a human place. It's a series that has a lot of important lessons to teach.
Just wanna say RUclips recommended this video to me and I'm so glad it did. I could never really explained why I loved Y7 so much with its many themes but you did it perfectly and more! Earn yourself a new fan and boy I hope the damn algorithm doesn't bury your future content from my feed.
Thank you all so, so much for the reception this is getting so far, especially the comments. It really means a lot that this is resonating with people. More so than just helping the channel grow (which is super appreciated!) it also reassures me that a lot of people still value the empathy, compassion, and moral action that this series promotes. Keep it up, ya'll.
I found your channel like 7 years ago through your Dark Souls and Digimon videos, also watched your playthrough of Guardian’s Crusade
This is the best video on LAD that i have seen, you clearly understand its motives and themes on a deeper level than others even if it is sadly through personal experience
I am glad you are still making content and i am here to watch it
Stay strong Emcee and thank you for your content
Man it’s good to see you again, dude. I don’t care how long the vid is, I’m already belly-laughing 2:28 in. I needed this. Thank you, Emcee.
Hell yeah~ I love hearing that! I'm glad I took the time off but it's really, really good to be giving peeps stuff to look forward to again.
Seriously this may be one of your best. I need this on a t shirt:
“The next time someone is suffering, and someone else asks ‘Who cares?’ Be the fucking answer.”
That had me in tears. That is what we need. Thank you, man. Thank you.
It's here!! Hope ya'll enjoy my biggest analysis yet~ Feel free to comment or ask questions. Love ya nerds!
I CANNOT believe you post this 2 days after I finished Yakuza 7.
What a legend
Im here for it.
This game was phenomenal
Yay! The Yakuza games are PEAK! Excited for you to dive in. Also you have a great voice, very chill to listen to.
I found this video because I wanted to hear more about this game in a deep analysis and got more than what I expected, thank you for the video and the lesson.
Just saw this and your RDR2 essay.
Never seen so deep takes on these games like yours.
Great to listen, interesting and honestly, it uplifts the games for me.
Great work!
Truly loved every second of this video. The point about society always blaming individual moral failings instead of trying to change itself was very poignant. Your prose and takes on these sorts of problems is what keeps me coming back to every video over and over. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the super kind comment! I'm really glad the message is resonating with people.
Great video, glad i discovered you and your valuable commentary on a game i love, keep up the good work and i’ll stay tuned for your other stuff!
Congrats on a new vid! Glad to see ya uploading
This video was a nice surprise! There's a favorite youtuber of mine whose Yakuza/LAD videos I consider by far the best analysis of the series, but yours seriously rivals them in quality.
Despite the series popularity, it always annoys me how many fans are oblivious to the nuances of the games' story, but your essay doesn't have that problem at all. I especially liked how much of your alluded personal experience, on top of your familiarity with the game's genre, has been applied to your arguments.
I would be curious to hear your opinions on the other games in the series, but this video was enough to make me interested in any other game you already reviewed or will in the future.
I’ve craved some good yakuza series analysis and my god you have delivered. Thank you!!
It’s always a good day when my favorite RUclipsr posts a new video!
Amazing analysis, insight, and humor, as always. Thanks for the delightful video!
Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed~
Came to see your take on Yakuza, stayed for the in-depth RPG mechanichs analysis and then stayed even harder for the deep-cut, too real themes analysis and social commentary.
For real, great video! I hope you can keep doing what you do and enjoying it
I swear every video of yours I've ever watched contains some quote that changes my life.
I discovered this game and series last year, you captured everything great and meaningful about it in your analysis, what makes it so special. One of the best, most insightful vids about a piece of media I've ever seen, and you put most other game reviewers to shame. Hats off sir, well done and godspeed on your quest as well.
Hey, I haven't watched this yet, but that's because I saw how long it was and thought "I should play this game first". I'm going to watch the video and leave another comment after I beat the game, but I wanted to say thank you for pushing me to play this. I'm still at the beginning (just met Bleach Japan), but so far, I'm loving this game.
Also, I'm _really_ happy you're okay, love. You're one of my favorite people on this Absolute forsaken site, so seeing you back with new content is wonderful. Stay strong, and know that my light, my love, and my Wings of Freedom are watching over and protecting you.
I'm new to your channel but you have a lot of great content, and you perfectly nailed every reason why I love Yakuza Like a Dragon. Can't wait to experience more of your content, whatever may come. You've got great insight and perspective man. Keep it up
Thank you dude~ Comments like that definitely keep me motivated. Welcome to the community!
I adore Y7 so much and finding this thorough analysis and review is just what I needed today! Fantastic work :)
I've never played a single game in this series, but I can't help but think that Japanese game devs really like their social commentary, especially (but not only) with turn based RPGs.
It's genuinely a big reason I love JRPGs. Most of them really have something to say~
@@EmceeProphIt Yeah, really makes the story of games like Bravely Default 2 feel even more shallow and tropey when it's contemporaries do such a good job. Although I suppose even the most trope filled god killing JRPGs are still a (sometimes unintentional) form of commentary because of a shared cultural perception on western religion and how "The west" treated Japan in general.
Oh Japan love their social commentary, not just in video games but also the rest of their media.
ohhh man yakuza 7 was my intro to the series & started a complete obsession for me, it is so close to my heart and i have been BAFFLED at the lack of long form video analysis/essays for it !!! this popped up on my recommended and i'm very excited to watch this over the weekend. thanks for the treat dude
edit: thank you based and cool hindsight emcee
No problem! Hope ya enjoy~
Yakuza LAD was my intro to the entire series, and in fact I didn't play any of Kiryus games until after Infinite Wealth (this creates a very interesting perspective on Kiryus series ofc)
I'll be going into some spoilers about Infinite Wealth, so have a few spaces and everything to avoid them...
Kasuga is a very interesting protagonist, coming off as a big innocent dope thats secretly pretty intelligent and cunning (albeit still crazy lmao). But as you mentioned, he can almost come off as naive too, his entire worldview is based off of kindness and respect for everyone, something that even the greatest people in the world can't claim.
By all means he SHOULD be Masumi, someone whose whole life was ruined because of the actions of another. And he SHOULDN'T forgive someone who attempted to have him assassinated... *repeatedly.*
But he does. And this leads a lot into Infinite Wealths overarching theme... of faith and religion.
Kasuga is literally positioned as an almost jesus-like figure, to the point that among the promotional materials for infinite wealth, they draw off the Last Supper with Ichi right there in the middle, and all his friends surrounding him. With his kindness and humility still being his core defining traits (and his sheer himboness lmao), he's put up against his main protagonist, a literal false prophet for a religious group there in Hawaii.
And as he does that, he also plays a role in preparing Kiryu for what may be the end of his life. Kiryus an old man now, battling cancer. But he's incapable of forgiving himself for all the mistakes he's made through his life, and of caring about himself. Its only through spending real time with Ichiban that Kiryu starts to gain any modicum of self reflection. Eventually the two are split and Kiryu ends up leading another group back in Japan (and has managed to catch Kasugas insanity, seeing baddies transform :P), where HIS ultimate villain is another man who is trying to end the Yakuza entirely, much like Kiryu has tried... repeatedly... in the past. Without Ichibans influence, Kiryu never would have seen Ebina beyond the surface of a scumbag politicing crook, and wouldn't have gotten the closure he needed in his life, crying for forgiveness over Ebina after the final fight.
TL;DR
P L A Y I N F I N I T E W E A L T H
Thank you, based and cool hindsight Emcee.
Also, seriously, I'm glad to see you're doing well. I missed your content, and this is exactly what I needed this week.
Very glad to be back!
Incredible video, you have a way with articulating things i thought about the game while playing it
Keep doing what you're doing Emcee, You're great. Ichiban is just the best boy.
great vid, man. when I recommend this game to people, I have the tendency to reduce it to the basics of the RPG combat mechanics and job system in a "wacky wahoo" kind of way, hoping that they will gain a better understanding of the messages of the game by playing through it themselves rather than just having me tell them about it. Such a meaningful game. And Ichiban is such a great protagonist.
Keep up the great work, as always
I think that Kiryu is actually quite a complex character with fairly obvious flaws. I think that perhaps when you play Infinite Wealth which has a large focus on the results of the mistakes Kiryu has made and his grappling with a certain situation then your perspective on him may evolve.
I've finished this game literally less than a week ago...the timing of this video is amazing!!
Kiryu is presented as perfect but is deeply flawed and not such a simple character, you'll get to see more of it if you dive into the rest of the games
There is something disturbing about someone making a 3h long video about a series while not have played through said series first.
oohh hell yes! this one's been cookin' a while, and what a delicious simmer it's got. thank you for this, emcee >:)
YAY new video!
Subbing for this video!❤ Also ichi is fun, he had a different take..makes you wonder if he has mental health issues but still in a subtle good eay❤
Fantastic takes on LAD all around! I loved LAD7 initially because of its bombastic silliness but you can quickly tell it has a lot of heart. It helps that the creator of the series actually lived the yakuza life.
I appreciate this because I feel like the story in LaD is much, much stronger than Infinite Wealth.
Absolutely phenomenal dissection of one of my personal favourite games! I hope that when u get around to playing Infinite Wealth, u enjoy!
Hey there welcome back. Your videos have been missed
Absolutely fantastic video Emcee.
Still at the start of the video, but I gotta say, go back and play the ones you haven't. This series can be described by the word HEART and some of the themes from this one are touched on other games. Homelessness for example shows up on 4, family shows up on all of them but mainly 1, and so on. This series had me sobbing in tears more than once. That being said, there are some things that haven't aged well, one side quest on 1 comes to mind and this series has a problematic portrail of korean and chinese immigrants that I'm not the person to discuss.
There is something disturbing about someone making a 3h long video about a series while not have played through said series first.
My guy Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese say far worse things about each other than anything ever depicted in a Yakuza game. 😂
I find it funny that you used the term safety net when talking in regards to certain characters, and then the game later states that Ijincho as the social safety net for anyone. It really shows how well the game presents its themes without outright stating it. Just by your pure thought you caught on, its excellent writing on yours and the games end.
oh shit here we go!
Thanks based and cool hindsight Emcee! Great video thus far!
I don't know quite how to phrase this, but I found it funny that the language you used to describe action/beat-em-up combat (boring, repetitive, slog, etc) are exactly the same words I use to describe turn-based combat. I'm lucky that even though Like A Dragon is leaving my genre preference behind, I still have folks like you to keep me updated on how the series develops.
Such is the nature of different tastes, lol.
Holy frick your alive.
On the mechanical side of things, one of my favorite touch-ups in Infinite Wealth was that Freelancer was a lot more viable now because of having base damage scaling so it kept up with weapons and higher base stats than other Jobs, even if its abilities were still weaker (though Ichiban's unique unlocked abilities more than cover for that). I just prefer RGG protagonists to go with fisticuffs (also seamless with combat cutscenes) so that was nice.
GASP! A video I definitely wasn't the first commenter on because of previewing it early?! Holy shiiiiiiit
Took a bit of doing for me to finally get to it but this was a fantastic essay.
Great video which reminded me why i like this game so much. Infinite Wealth was, at least storywise, such a dissapointment in comparison. Also Triplet After Triplet easily one of the best boss themes out there espeacially after the build up in the millenium tower.
Edited the correct song name, thanks to Norrabal for correcting me :)
Its called triplet after triplet, not overcoming the dragon,
Infinite wealth btw, is awesome.
THE RETURN OF THE MONARCH
As a fan of both beat em ups and turn based jrpgs I love this series and I always try to do every sub story in these games on first play through
Subbed, hope you make videos about the other games 🙂
I'm amazed you didn't talk about receive and turn you. That is a banger and a half
It was a hard cut, but I realized there was no way to talk about it without ruining a surprise I otherwise didn't need to talk about.
Best song in the game tho.
5:31
THANK YOU! OMG, I've been saying this exact thing for YEARS. In fact, it STILL pisses me off to think about what Square-Enix has done to the Final Fantasy franchise.
Considering this is the first Yakuza, as far as I’m aware, to do the turn based combat thing it makes sense that the devs didn’t make it particularly hard. Haven’t gotten to Infinite Wealth yet, but maybe it’s more difficult?
I would love to see you cover the series as a whole. I loved your analysis of LAD and I feel like one that analyzes the sequel can only benefit from a series playthrough (though I know it’s a time commitment lol)
damn those dungeons sound just like Crisis Core
I’ve played these almost completely out of order (7,8,0, Lost Judgment,5,1,ishin,6,Gaiden,2,3,Judgment,4) so there’s loads of callbacks I never got in the later games.
I think going back and playing Infinite Wealth again would feel a lot different.
Had a great time but really can’t explain why I played in the order I did.
The way it treats homelessness is really interesting! I hadn't yet seen a game cover it in such a nuanced way!
2:14:21 "Condeming someone off as the sole arbiter of their terrible fate, is fast, easy in an immediate, primal and stupid sort of way, [...]" I think you're talking about the "cognitive miser", it's a well documented psychological phenomenon. Here, have a link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_miser
Loving this so far as always, I'll be updating through replies as I go from here so I don't forget anything.
1. I can certainly understand and definitely appreciate the idea of taking your words on rpg difficulty with a pinch of salt. Especially as someone who can't stand the genre because I just can't nail these mechanics for anything. I played Miitopia on Auto, that should tell you something. That's said, not all genres have equal difficulty throughout their games. Just look at the Hidden/Scattered Object genre. These games will either beat over the head with moon logic, drive you insane because you can barely tell what it is you need to find or where it is, or just be a complete cake walk. There is so much variation between series and even single games in said series, that difficulty being too much in some cases can absolutely be stated. I'm absolutely dumb sometimes when I play these games, even if I've played them several times, and I can still say with certainty what parts are my own fault vs the game devs being unfair or just sadistic. Mystery Case Files, for as much as I enjoy the atmosphere, soundtrack, and some SOME parts of the story, is among the worst offenders of this. Dracula Love Kills is another big offender. The main game is perfectly fine in terms of difficulty, even if my dumb ass needs a guide sometimes. That said, their bonus chapter was so rage inducing with just how bullshit those puzzles were. I have beaten before, but not without angering myself after a long ass time of trying. I have since forgotten how I ever beat them too, and it has resulted in countless skip button uses since I'd rather not suffer for potential hours.
2. Oooof I'm with ya on the dungeons. I'd go on autopilot too if I had to play through them. Hell if they had spiced it up a little and maybe added some Saw like elements here and there? Maybe have Japan horror movie or urban legend nods? Maybe one dungeon could be a fight on 2chan or some other forum? Maybe a reference to the Red Room would make for a fun dungeon? Perhaps a paranormal encounter or two if you take too long in the areas, like how Persona has the Reaper? Just something, ANYTHING. So boring looking otherwise, hell I zoned out a bit just watching you play through that dungeon.
3. Yeah the ladies really got shafted here job wise. Is it accurate given the setting? Sadly yes. But it certainly sacrifices fun by the look of it.
There's a lot they could've gone with. Perhaps a ghost girl job where in you get Necromantic abilities? Why not use a Miko/Priestess job as the ultimate healer class? Maybe a nod to Sailor Moon would be fun given the games takes place the early 2000s from what you've said. A DDR based class might make for an interesting early level bard. Perhaps a Stationary Store employee, with washi tape, school supplies, and various writing utensils would make a decent rogue like class? With teacher perhaps being a step up from that? Hell there were real famous and infamous Yandere anime and visual novel characters running around at this time too. Imagine a class based on THAT, man you'd likely be scary with that one. Hell why not bring all the anime lady tropes as potential classes? Just for the added variety? Better than the current limits I'd argue. Not to mention it still fits the setting.
Addon to 3, I didn't realize that the game's intro started in the year of 2005 or 6, oops. Nevertheless my points stand. Just means there's even more things to work with, and even less excuses to not use them.
4. The music is definitely incredible. As someone who's a sucker for folk type tracks, hearing those duo tracks was a real treat. The bar music was very zen and soothing. And that tower gauntlet track was just awesome. Kind of reminds me of the Diva from Fifth Element when the song goes from opera to pop(or whatever you'd call that genre). I may be a music nerd, but even I struggle when I step out of my main genres of choice. Also yeah the dungeon music definitely sounds nice...but the environment holds it down so badly. Makes it seem way more boring than it actually is. The minor repetition in the track doesn't help either. A little bit of tweaking and environment livening up would've elevated the track for sure.
5. Gaming and media in general really is missing this type of nuisance in their villains. Cus it's sadly very true. Some people who feel othered, hurt enough, victimized enough, will resent that position badly. Rightfully so, but it can lead to a mentality much like Masato's own. They'll feel like they have mask all that they are as a person or what they're going through. They live life assuming everyone else around them is stupid or worse. They stop trusting anyone they don't know until a significant amount of time passes. Above all, they'll do anything to never feel like a victim again, to never BE A VICTIM again. My Dad is one such man. He never hurt anybody like Masato, but he certainly has left some unfortunate damage in his wake.
As a freshman, a group of boys he thought were friends, beat the tar out of him. All to toughen him up. After that, he grew far quieter and distant with people. He even told my sisters and I that he wouldn't be surprised if people thought he'd be the next shooter at the time. The worst of it, my sisters, myself, and my Mother all got left with the pieces those children left behind. Pieces of broken glass and sharpened metal in the form of a temper he struggled to control. I can't handle family or friend drama in movies or other media very well because of that. Loud enough shouting or yelling can be a bad trigger for me to this day. I used to cry when anyone I viewed as an authority figure confronted me on something, even if I knew they weren't going to do anything to me. My younger sister is the biggest wallflower I know who struggles to ask for help due to anxiety. I have my Father's temper and his tendency to keep my problems to myself(though I am trying to be more open when I have issues now). My elder sister chose the rebellion path a lot of eldest siblings do, and her life is often a living hell even when she does find stability. I hope this recent batch of it is permanent for her this time too. My Mother, I could say so much. But unlike my Aunt I don't wish to speak on her problems when she isn't here. Call me a hypocrite for it if you want, but when you've had someone apologize to you and say that your Mother wasn't the Mother she should've been, when that same person is far from a good Mother themselves, it sticks with you. I don't think I could forgive the boys, now men, who did that to my Dad. Even if they remember or cared enough to apologize for it. Same goes for my Aunt, who instead of focusing on her own life and actions...would rather judge everyone else because she thinks her way of prayer, that her relationship with God, is the only correct way to live life.
Hell she proved me right when managing to figure out I was a witch after weaseling it out of me. I don't even know how she came up with the question she did, but it was enough to make me be honest. She even said witches are evil and of the devil after I said it, then after my Mom said something she immediately backpedaled and said I wasn't evil, but that witchcraft is still evil and of the devil. Lecturing me about the entire viewpoint she had. Even when I had counters from experience, she didn't even care. Not that I expected her to, but it still hurt to be proven so damn right. She hasn't changed, Mom can claim she has all she wants, but it's a lie. That woman wants to be in my life, but can't even accept the truth in front of her. The real me. All she sees...is another convert. A lost child in need of guidance into HER light. Not an ADULT WOMAN with her own life to life who's not even her daughter. She wonders why her daughter barely speaks to her, let alone can't stand the rest of our family. While it does hurt and matter a little bit to me that she'd rather continue to burn the bridges she rebuilds time and time again, I have no desire to be what she wants of me. I know who I am, what I want in life, and where my priorities and loyalties are best placed. She's never been worthy of being in my life. If she can't accept all that I am, if I have to mask around her until she kicks it, so be it. She'll only ever get the bare minimum from me, she's given me much the same anyway. I am a witch whether she likes it or not. I am my own woman, who will not be tied down by her hypocritical life and needs. And I'd rather burn, than be anything of her. If she wants to burn away the things she can't accept, so be it. But with that goes any chance of a true relationship. A stable bridge that isn't always smoldering. Made of ropes that I fully intend to one day cut away myself when the time is right. I refuse to be a quiet shadow for her to question forever.
Pardon this massive dump I just...seems my Dad isn't the only one who has similarities to Masato. Fancy that.
There’s a part on the story spoiler I’m surprised you didn’t mention about Arakawa and Ichiban’s relationship
I thought about getting into it, but wanted to keep the pacing tight. Which I know is kinda rich when the vids already 3 hours long but ya know XD
The best business minigame is the Cabaret Club Manager from 0 and Kiwami 2. A management game you play despite it not being good for money.
Just some context on Eri. The reason she feels like she is sort of tacked on, is because she was. RGG studios had a competition to select actresses to be featured in the game. The runners up became the various “romance” options around the city while the winner (Eri Kamitaki) got her likeness and name used for the business minigame and as an optional companion. So the character is quite literally tacked on. She was never intended to really be part of the main crew story wise, just fun optional extra character hence why she isn’t included in the story or cutscenes beyond her introduction.
Was full on board until you bESmiRCHeD karaoke!!
Fight me~
Ichiban being an enabler must be a concept that the writers didn't come across often, I'm sure it would be awesome for them to address that. However, I think your line about that being a fine line (being able to forgive and move on and being an enabler) also makes a fine line for your reasoning being between nuanced or a moral absolutism statement.
I don't know what I'm talking about at this point. Gotta make it to the end of the video before it's too late.
two hours long like a dragon vid? xmas came early this year!
So excited to watch this. Yakuza 7 is one of my favorite games of all time and I don't see enough people talking about it! I only wish the writing in infinite wealth had been better....
Great work!
Didn't realize the RDR2 vid bombed because damn what a killer video
Thank you~ Hopefully it catches on eventually, I'm still really proud of it.
Definitely the best analysis of this game I've seen so far! I am just now realizing how lots of the themes from this game resonate with the current political climate we're living in right now. Looking forward to more videos about other JRPGs, including Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth!
Tendo winds up his OHKO and if you do enough damage to him before his next turn he doesn’t use it and the aura disappears, still i do agree it would be nice if he game explained that.
Ah! Yeah I didn't catch that either. I assumed I had to go on the defensive.
Enjoying this so far! Have to ask tho how often do you get told you sound kinda like John Goodman?
A few times hehe. I've been compared to a few voice actors too.
Amazing video. Please make one on the other yakuza games too
Good video!!!
Don't worry about the algorithm. If you make good content like this, people will find you and stick.
You make a subscribe here!
Thank you! I'll stay motivated. :)
Impresssive that you didnt mention *big spoiler alert* the plot twist regarding the ichiban-masato switcheroo
2:32:20 shoutout to Bud Bear he a real one
What a perfect title
I pressed like before even starting the video
Excellent opinions. Excellent game. What a combination. In all seriousness, your message at the end is absolutely true in this bullshit world. Do what you want to do, and be proud of what you have done. I’ll always be a fan because of who you are 🤘🏻
Thank you man! This comment made my night :D
Just completed the video, loved the sign out "Good luck on your quest." Here's a couple things: do NOT play Infinite Wealth now. I'm currently playing it now and the story is very dependent in the previous games. Sure, it is a continuation and the game makes sure you get the context, but some scenes that are making me smile and cry would not hit the same without living these moments.
Second thing, you NEED to play FFXIV, I'm still in Heavensward, but from what I hear and from what I saw from this video of you, you will LOVE Shadowbringers. If you can't or don't wanna play an MMORPG, at least watch a playthrough, Dan from Playframe is doing one of the whole game with the most content possible, iirc including the Dark Knight quests which are the best job quests in the game. There's a free trial that includes Heavensward and StormBlood, has no time restriction. At least give it a shot, just know that the start of the game is not that good, but it really picks up and turns into what some consider the best FF stories, each expansion being both a story of it's own and also a story that progresses the whole FFXIV story. To conclude this, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the game, which just turn out to be almost exactly what you said in your final line: “to ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom - it is indolence." Good luck on your quest too.
The thing about Eri is that she's based off a actual Japanese actress of the same name. It's the Like a Dragon series has a habit of having actual Japanese media figures, surprisingly a lot of them being JAV actresses. This also tho means at those characters typically only ever show up once due to rights of the actor or actress body as well as just getting in the studio again. Given Like a Dragon's history with the Japanese porn industry it's actually not a surprise they had 7's plot be what it is.
Edit: Just for the record I don't think Eri herself is a JAV actress, just a standard movie actress, but still falls under the umbrella of Like a Dragon character based off of a real Japanese actor.
Yeah, I found that pretty interesting. I wonder if that's part of why it feels like she was added late into development, and made optional. As in, maybe the decision to include her happened after a lot of scenes where already dubbed and animated.
Your point about Kiryu being perfect and infalliable highlights something about Yakuza 7, as well as series soft reboots in general that will never not rub me the wrong way. A game series with cumulative history can be an amazing and equally depressing thing, seeing new and interested fans disregard a series's past for one reason or another, to no fault of their own mind you, but still something that makes me irreperably sad nonetheless. Kiryu, as well as the games he's a part of are an immensely important part of my outlook on life and my own developments as a person, and while I completely understand why people would have reservartions about playing 10 or more games to get the full experience, it hurts knowing that my video game hero, as well as his legacy could easily be thrown to the wayside and slowly fade away and be forgotten as the series moves forward with new characters and stories to tell. This isn't to say I don't like Yakuza 7 or Ichiban, however, in fact it's the complete opposite.
Good thoughts. I'm definitely interesting in giving Kiryu another shot, recently started Yakuza 0 over.
Right now the main obstacle is that I'm not big on brawlers, hehe...
My tier list has Yakuza 7 right alongside Yakuza 0 in the top rank. I love this game a lot.
Maybe I'm hearing things, but did you add Elden Ring background noises?
Oh yeah! I used some of the ambient tracks as background music. It's a got a good, contemplative vibe to it.
I also felt like the combat was too easy- I'm a Final Fantasy Tactics person, so I enjoy RPG pain.
I just wanted to tell you that there are more satisfying and difficult battles available in this games sequel, Infinite Wealth.
I suspect the team at RGG was erring more on the side of easier battles for Y7 because of the genre switch from brawler to RPG. My theory is that they didn't want to lock out fans of the prior style.
Infinite Wealth is a better mix of optional difficult battles and some very nice tweaks to the combat that address some minor issues like how street weapons kind of don't work right in Y7.
I just got through the section on difficulty, not sure if you bring up a thought I had when playing in the vid or not. I think the reason this game is on the easier side is because the other games are brawlers. This may likely be a lot of peoples first turn based RPG and they didn't want to alienate their fan base.
Yeah, that's definitely a good point. I find most Yakuza to be pretty easy in general, since I think the storytelling and 'vibes' are the real priority, so the devs want as many people to experience that as possible.
Just finished the video and I really liked your analysis on the game and pretty much agree with you on everything
Don't worry a lot of mechanical issues were fixed in 8, positioning control and aoe being screwed over by movement incouded
On the topic of Ichiban forgiving Aoki. The biggest thing about the Yakuza/LAD franchise is that the protagonist isn't above the law so it's less about Ichiban forgiving Aoki but more of Ichiban letting the law decides Aoki's consequences, this is why he had to strip Aoki out of his political power and reputation when he could've stormed the Millenium Tower whenever he wanted to. If Ichiban actually forgives (and enables) Aoki what he'd do is hid him in Yokohama.
Wait, did I just make two comments on the opposite side of intelligence?
Thank you based and cool Emcee. This is going to take so many shit breaks at work to finish. But i will fight the battle
Emcee, i noticed you had 'Departure For Hope' from Shenmue playing at 2:33:25. Have you played those games?