Sometimes, this series just hates me. I'm not officially "back" yet, I just had this recorded before Bernie started getting unwell and managed to get it edited. I may also post some unreleased streams in the coming days to make up for the lack of regular videos, though I will try not to bombard you guys with them. Bernie overall had a pretty good day today, she had more energy, though I'm trying to keep her from getting too active right now. I'll keep you all posted on her condition and when I'll be back.
Don't stress on the content Nico! We appreciate you trying to keep us entertained but first and foremost comes Bernie and your mental health in relation to that.
Hey Nico remember when you joked a couple episodes ago when you said Rikiya was killed in a wrestling ring by someone dressed in bright red, you unfortunately guessed the future.
*Analysis on the death of Rikiya Shimabukuro:* This death is arguably one of the most tragic deaths in the yakuza series up to this point, just behind Tachibana from yakuza 0. The scene where Kiryu starts breaking down in front of Rikiya without any reservations makes this scene one of if not _the_ most emotional scenes due to Kiryu being the type of guy to handle and hold back emotions. Takaya Kuroda’s (Kiryu’s VA) performance during this scene is very powerful and emotional even more than his later acting in yakuza 0. You can feel his voice crack so hard, becoming more hoarse as Kiryu is breaking down for Rikiya’s death and note, the remastered version did not rerecord lines. What you saw was yakuza 3 at its absolute best on impact and Kuroda kills it perfectly. The music theme accompanied by the scene is called Fly (guitar), a leifmotif of the opening theme of the game (the movie); making the scene even more powerful than it already was. *Significant details:* There are a few things I want to touch about what some players have criticized for how Kiryu acted here. Namely, “Why did Kiryu not show as much emotion for the deaths of Nishiki and Yumi back in OG 1/Kiwami 1?” My response is to look back at the significance of the brain when dealing with trauma. We all know how powerful it is to shut off human functions like sight or speech from past instances in the yakuza series. Kiryu had already cried for the deaths of Shinji and Shintaro Kazama before then. So when his brother and lover died, Kiryu unconsciously shut off any emotions because he feels like there is nothing left for him. Everyone he had deeply cared for since 0 has left him, Kiryu was *at a SUICIDAL state* when he stated he doesn’t care if the police takes him again for not even doing anything wrong until Date pulls him back into reality; reminding him of his last and only hope still alive, Haruka. Fast forward to present day, Kiryu is far more emotional now with eight more kids to live for. He knows in his heart now that he can’t follow Rikiya and has to live, invoking a much more raw emotional response from Kiryu because of the separation between him, and the young captain who Kiryu now will also outlive. Also, people forget that Rikiya is implied to have hung out with Kiryu frequently in the one YEAR skip to the story, making their relationship much more believable. After witnessing the games from 0 to 3, you can not tell me that Kiryu isn’t a very tragic character. While he survives seemingly impossible odds, in turn, he was & is *forced* to outlive many people he met and cared about. Kazuma Kiryu is truly a fucking strong man, holy shit. Edit: I do want to touch up about the whole Kiryu turning away from the person with a gun nearby. It is actually a problem I have with Kiryu himself. This happened *three* times in OG 1/2 (plus kiwami remakes) and yakuza 3. 1. Kiryu turning away from Shimano using a grenade which got Kazama killed in Kiwami 1. 2. Daigo makes the save when Kiryu turned his back on Shinzo in kiwami 2 which could of ended bad if it was just Kiryu. 3. This scene. Kiryu is unfortunately very naive at this point in the yakuza series and it is honestly irritating.
I do want to address some other criticisms that are less important. One, some think the scene was too long and would benefit in being shorter because it is a death scene. While I honestly thought at the moment the same thing, I now believe that isn’t necessary as Rikiya isn’t a weak person and the fact that Kiryu’s helplessness is holding up the scene well enough. Besides, may I kindly remind you all that Kaoru’s father, Kawara, got shot *TWICE* before and after we fought that one boss in kiwami 2 and *proceeded* to monologue his entire backstory for about 5 min. and explain his actions while he was said dying? AND said his goodbye in record time? Without *NONE* of the people there attempting to call an ambulance squad while he was reminiscing????? Yeah, I would like to see the reason why that scene ain’t more ridiculous in retrospect.
I think it goes a step further for why Kiryu cries so much over Rikiya. Rikiya is essentially another one of the kids Kiryu is raising in this game because Rikiya looks up to Kiryu in a similar way that the orphans look up to Kiryu and Kiryu is trying to protect Rikiya just as much as he is trying to protect the orphans while they are in Kamurocho. So in the moment of Rikiya’s death it’s essentially a substitute for if one of the orphans had died while Kiryu had been trying to keep them safe and that type of emotional attack is different than the ones caused by the deaths of Nishiki, Yumi, Kazama, or Kashiwagi.
I like to think that a part of why he freaks out so much harder here is becuase he went through this before with Shinji. This isn't just the pain of losing Rikkia but also the helplessness of not being able to stop it from happening again.
I guess that answers my problem with the rikiya scene and now I’m glad nothing bad happens to kiryu in the next two games Though there’s a similar character in Yakuza 6 who is kinda like Rikiya where you fight and beat and now he calls you Aniki but I liked him a lot more than Rikiya
Even thought it is sad to see Rikiya die, I think the big reason why his death scene hits so hard is mainly do to Takaya Kuroda's voice acting. Hearing Kiryu's voice break and crack this hard really elevates the pain of this scene and is something these games master, because nobody sound perfect when they cry.
Problem for me is Nakahara ends up not giving two shits, even though Rikiya was basically his son. Also the fake-out Mikio death had me a lil suspicious that whole time
@@jeremytewari3346 Honestly, I hope Mikio makes appearances in later games at the very least. He survived not just one, but TWO sledgehammer hits to the back, I think this man has plot armor at this rate, good lord.
Rest In Peace, Rikiya, your contagious enthusiasm and undying loyalty will be missed…and you are indeed a real man. Can I just say that Kuroda (Kiryu’s voice actor) gives an absolutely phenomenal performance here? This is the most emotionally vulnerable Kiryu has ever been since Tachibana’s death and boy does he convey that. Btw, a lot of fans seems to have issues with how Kiryu seems to mourn Rikiya more than he does Nishiki, Yumi and Kashiwagi, but I can easily explain this. When Nishiki and Yumi died, Kiryu was in a really bad place. In his perspective, he had no more reason to live and no more tears to shed. That’s why he was ready to be arrested by the cops at the end of Kiwami before Date knocked some sense into him. To me, that’s a way more severe expression of grief than openly weeping. As for Kashiwagi, Kiryu was on the run from the police at the time and didn’t have time to process his death and properly mourn him. He still made time to reflect on his life with Rikiya tho, and it made for a nice bonding moment. Which brings me to the present and his reaction to Rikiya’s death. Rikiya is much younger than Kashiwagi and had so much more to live for, aspirations to realize, goals to achieve. He ended up casting them away to protect his idol, Kiryu. The way I interpret it is that Kiryu clearly feels survivor’s guilt from the past games, and the fact that Rikiya, someone who admires him so much, sacrificed himself to protect him was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That’s why he broke down, and it doesn’t help that he got to know him over the course of 2 years which is easy to forget. TL;DR Rikiya was so young and had so much potential and gave it all up to protect his Aniki. That’s why Kiryu cried like that. Edit: Also the music that plays during Rikiya’s death is a more somber version of Fly, the game’s main theme, just to make the scene more gut wrenching :( (Also yes, the bullring is where you fought Amon in 0)
while i agree with your points about rikiya, it still feels off compares to kashiwagi since kashiwagi was like a 2nd father figure besides Kazama. Also the fact that he was gunned down mercilessly by a gatling gun that could've killed Kiryu as well. Like, I was expecting Kashiwagi to go down in a more respectful? way.
THIS. Thank you Flame. I could understand why Kiryu didn't mourn Nishiki and Yumi, he was practically dead inside at that point, and he couldn't mourn Kashiwagi due to the police who would've saw the blood on him and most likely arrest him......but with rikiya..he felt like someone Kiryu wanted to have around in his life for years to come, and to have that just taken away in front of his eyes
@@kyotanaka920 unfortunately yes. We can already see it happening in this scene where 3 other characters besides Kiryu are blind to the gun until it's pointed at them. An unfortunate result of prolonged exposure to Kiryu.
Mine: Herro “Hello, this is Pizza La, just confirming your order for one pepperoni pizza” Mine: Okgotit “Would you like to add anything to your order?” Mine: No. Dere’s no change in ze plan. Bi
To clarify, Mine is the head of the Hakuho clan and Hamazaki, the guy whi was dealing with the Chinese mafia and disappeared off-screen, only had a dozen guys in his family.
I think it's real telling of Kiryu's personality when the first thing he does upon seeing the destroyed Morning Glory isn't to get angry that people showed up and destroyed everything he worked on for the past couple years. No, instead he spots the injured Mikio (Who somehow survived a blow to the nape of the neck via sledgehammer that split his head open long enough for Kiryu to get there) and reassure him it wasn't his fault he didn't protect the orphanage. It shows how Kiryu really cares about the people around him, even ones he's not known for that long, instead of anything material. After all, a building can be rebuilt but a person can't. Also I'm wishing you and Bernie well. You didn't have to upload this during this time but you did. You spoil us Nico, and we all wish you and Bernie the best.
@@therestlessjoker5474 Tachibana & Oda in 0. Nishiki, Yumi, Kazama, Shinji & Reina in 1. I guess Sera as well. In 2, there was Terada. Kauro was written out of the series. Kashiwagi & now Rikiya in 3. And we're still not done with this game, so who knows. Another ally might be on the chopping block. Jesus what else will they do to my guy, Kiryu in 4, 5 & 6? (Don't answer that)
Ugh, I was afraid of this part. NicoB, I am so sorry. Seeing Rikiya die like that must of felt like a brick to the stomach and hearing Kiryu cry just made it worst. Rest in Piece Rikiya, you may be gone but never forgotten.
Rikiya: Anaki look out!!! Kiryu: No Rikiya, I got this, TIGER DROP!!! *Kiryu Tiger Drops the bullet back Tamashiro, knocking him out cause Kiryu never killed anyone* Rikiya: Whoa Anaki.......that was really close. Kiryu: I'm glad you're alright, now how about we get back to the kids and get them some ice cream. Rikiya: That sure as hell sounds like a plan I'm all in for. This is canon btw, all that happened in the video is a lie, Rikiya is alive ok don't look at me like I'm crazy he's fine........HE'S FINE DAMNIT *sobs*
You didn’t have to upload this at all, but you did, and we all appreciate it very much. I’m glad Bernie seems to have been doing better too, any bit of progress is a good sign! I hope this break you’re taking gives you much relief and time to recuperate from the stress you’re under. Make sure to give Bernie lots of pets for us as well!
Kiryu: "Hey Nico..." Nico: "Yea...?" Kiryu: "TIGER HUG!" Kiryu then gives Nico and Bernie the biggest hug in the existence of all hugs Nico: "Thank you Kiryu you truly are one of the bestest daddies in the Nicoverse."
Yep....Rikiya's death broke me again...he was genuinely best boy and honestly Kiryu's voice acting was on another level here. It gets me every time. I don't think we ever see such a side if Kiryu again. It's crazy.
Nico: I'm really scared Rikiya is gonna die, please don't yakuza 3 Yakuza 3: I'm gonna do what's called a pro gamer move Also if I've learned anything from this series, it's never be Kiryu's Aniki
I Feel Like When I Finished Yakuza 3 Almost 2 Years Ago, I Can’t Tell If I Just Decided To Cry On Purpose Or What, But No Honestly, Rikiya’s Death Hurts Me And I’m Planning To Replay Every Yakuza Game This Summer Before “Lost Judgment” Comes Out!! I Can’t Wait For The Sequel To Come Out In September But I Do Plan On Him Playing Every Yakuza Game Before The Sequel Comes Out In September, There Is So Much For Nico To Explore Within The Yakuza Series In The Future!! XD
@@Rognik from what I've read, having an Aniki in the Yakuza world is equivalent to having a Senpai aka someone you consider your elder in experience, give your respect and gratitude.
Having already played this game, every time you mentioned how awesome Rikiya is and how you want to see him in future games just killed me because I knew what was coming. Now it's happened and Nico knows the hard truth. Ugh this scene was painful.
It's really no wonder why Kiryu was so choked up about Rikiya's death. After what happened to Shinji back in the first game, a lot of Kiryu's protective behavior towards Rikiya could very well be him not wanting the same thing to happen to him. But not only did Rikiya choose to throw himself into danger anyway, he ended up sacrificing himself over a mistake Kiryu himself made and would've died for if not for him. That combination of guilt, regret, and trauma would absolutely shatter Kiryu's stoic attitude.
I was thinking the same thing, that and he had to witness a lot of his friends deaths up to that point. He had just became friends with Rikiya, only for him to die. The Yakuza life rly took a lot from Kiryu and this is one of the few scenes that rly shows how broken it’s left him.
I'm pretty sure Mizuki isn't actually Akimoto's sibling, it's just another lie she made up when she got confronted by him about why she didn't want to marry him, just like how she lied she was pregnant to get him off the roof in 2.
As someone who nicknamed Rikiya “red shirt” after I met him in my playthrough, I have to give credit to how much impact they gave his death. First he’s a punk that gets in your way. He’s actually a decent boss fight so he earns a little respect. Then he’s your buddy. He follows you around a little, helps you fight trash mobs, assists a little in the story and even has a few substories. By that point, you’re a little invested. Then they do a fake out. Make you think it’s the OTHER guy you had a few substories with who is getting the axe. Make it look brutal as hell before surprising you with his survival. Then they add on to it by making it look like Rikiya won’t be in any danger. Until he is. His death itself is pretty amazing. It’s got a good buildup, subtle but heartfelt music, some pretty phenomenal voice work by all parties and a satisfying end to his character arc. With the exception of Ryuji and Kashiwagi, this was for many fans probably the most powerful death in the series at that point. At least until 0 and Kiwami, which retroactively give a lot more power to Nishiki, Reyna and Shinji’s
Oh boy this scene. This effin scene. At least Joji's shots are accurate af when it comes to disposing enemies, eh? Man I have to say, even earlier on with the games, the voice acting is simply phenomenal, and this famous scene shows that in spades thanks to the voice actors of Kiryu and Rikiya. One of the numerous scenes in the series that still gets me to this day.
This was one of my favorite and saddest Kiryu scenes since this is one of the most emotionally vulnerable moments for him and his VA did a phenomenal job conveying that in his voice. You could feel the raw sadness and depression in his lines and it made me emotional as well. Rest In Peace Rikiya. You will be missed.
I think a lot of what makes Rikiya's death so heartwrenching is that, compared to previous companions in the series, you arguably bonded with him a lot more. He took part in some important main story moments, like going after Kanda, he was involved in a good couple of the orphanage segments like Mitsuo and Taichi's, and unlike previous guys (unless you include Shinji's substory in 0), you actually did substories where he played a pivotal role, meaning you got to know more about him and hate that, even after he finally gets his tattoo finished and helps his childhood friend and crush leave a difficult life in Tokyo to come back to Okinawa, he ends up dying so soon due to a rather severe oversight. All of that is what arguably makes him my favorite companion character in the Yakuza series. R.I.P Rikiya Shimabukuro, the Fighting Viper of Okinawa. A true man.
I know it must have been hard to work on editing this while worrying about Bernie so thanks for uploading this. Make sure to take it easy after this and I hope Bernie has a speedy recovery.
Mine is the leader of the Hakuho clan. Hamazaki (guy who blew up the restaurant) was working the Snake Flower Triad and since they went down, he had to take the punishment for that from the main group in China.
Nico I know your excited for Lost Judgement but it might be better to have a mod check it out for potential spoilers in the future of Yakuza especially Yakuza 7 just in case because a lot has happened and even Judgement mentioned spoilery things that you werent too far off in the series to notice. This is just to make sure not another spoiler will happen lile last time.
Good to know Bernie is doing alright based on your comment. Take as much time you need, make sure that doggo is in best condition. Bernie comes first, always! Hang in there you two!
Hamazaki is the guy you were thinking of. They implied earlier in the game that after Lau's failure, the Snake Flower Triad was gonna take it out on Hamazaki.
I feel like your Ultimate Plot-guessing-Bullshit power is like a Spider-Sense. You know what’s going to happen, but you can be tricked into thinking it isn’t. It happened with Rikiya *and* the couple Kiryu & Haruka always encounter!
Nico, I support and hope for Bernie's recovery. I've been with this channel for years now, and Bernie is just as much as part of the community as you are. Stay strong, and come back, when everything's FINE!
Rikiya's death was easily the saddest death in the series since Tachibana's death in 0. But what really sold it was Kiryu breaking down in tears and his voice cracking. I know the elephant in the room: "Why wasn't Kiryu this broken up about losing Nishiki or Yumi when he previously was about losing Reina, Shinji and Kazama?" I think Kiryu unintentionally just turned off his emotions after the shock of losing both his friends as well as his father figure. So the shock of losing both his lover and his sworn brother didn't really affect him much, and Kiryu was in a dark place until Date reminded him he had someone to live for: Haruka. Fast forward years later, he now has Haruka and the rest of the orphans at Morning Glory as his reason to keep going. And then seeing Rikiya, his own buddy that was there for him since the near beginning of the game and ended up bonding with very well, die before him. The shock reopened old wounds and it was too much for him to take. Also Nico, you didn't need to release this video with what you're going through as far as Bernie's health is concerned. As always, the Picky Penguins are supportive of you and I hope she gets well soon!
Admittedly its been a while since Kiwami 1, but I feel like Rikiya's death hits even harder than Shinji... While we did get to know Shinji a bit I feel like there was FAR more time to bond with Rikiya, especially if you do his quests. Heck its BECAUSE of those quests that if the player discovers them might think he'll be okay as if they had missed them the quests could be done in the post game, only for his death to be an even BIGGER gut punch than normal since they don't expect it even if they compare him to Shinji. Rest in peace, Rikiya. You'll forever be in our hearts for how much you've done in just one whole game.
@Apolleh I Don’t Know If You Know This But Kiryu Actually Somehow Predicted Shinji’s Death Back In A Yakuza 0 Substory In Shinji’s Own Personal Backstory Of His Own In Yakuza 0 And What I’m Going To Say Is That Kiryu Should Be More Careful With His Words Cause Words Can Hurt?!?! :(
Hey Nico, I wanna say that not only am I happy that you showcased my COV entry at the beginning of the video, but also the fact that this video was uploaded right on the day of my birthday so this felt double the present!! Just wanted to point out the pure happenstance of it and how it put a smile on my face Thanks! Anywho, I hope Bernie feeling well soon, giving off good vibe energy on her recovery!!!
Bruh, Rikiya's death just hit different. The way Kiryu sounds as having his new friend die in his hands after learning so much of his morals and admirations had to hurt so bad. Not to even mention how Rikiya was his new actual friend on the same level as shinji or nishikyama in a while. God damn
There are only three fates for characters introduced in this series so for. Either they become a main character (Haruka, Date), they die almost immediately (Kazama, Shinji, Rikiya), or they chill for one game and then vanish forever (Kaoru). It's really unfortunate.
You don't have to upload any videos considering your situation right now so thanks Nico. We all love you and Bernie, take your time. Hope Bernie's condition keep getting better.
I'm not sure if you picked up on it but the Joji moment and Haruka moment with Kiryu after Rikiya dies was incredibly significant about Kiryu's mental state. He was going to Kamurocho with the belief that this is the end of his life. It really shows just how much his survivors guilt and trauma takes a toll on him.
Man just imagine playing this game before knowing a fourth game exist with that haruka scene. And kiryu not saying anything about how of course he wont die. Him just fully accepting the risks in this moment. The writing in this game is so powerful sometimes
About the final sub story with the couple. Leaving shoes behind is an indication that the person that fell to their death was a suicide, and not some accident. The joke was that Akimoto and Mizuki were obviously not related, he’s just so oblivious that he believed it. But now it’s all out in the open that she was just using him, they both realize they care. Hopefully this means they are gone forever now.... PS I’m glad to hear Burnie is doing good for now, hope that everything goes well.
Nakahara: *Throws a bull* Kiryu: Wow, that was badass..... wait, I can’t let anyone be more badass then me. *Jumps into the Bullpen and chases after the Bulls* Watch this Rikiya! ....Rikiya? Oh shit.
Kiryu: Rikiya, No! *Sacrificial Doll Kiryu was holding takes the place of Rikiya* Kiryu: holy crap, you're alive! Rikiya: Yeah, I guess if it wasn't for that doll you had, I'd be totally dead and whatnot. Good thing that was there! Kiryu: Yep totally what happened. Want to go bowling or something? Rikiya: Heck yeah aniki! And so Rikiya lived a long life and travelled the world from Tokyo to the United States & more and didn't die.
@Lisa Barnes In An Alternate Timeline; Kiryu And Rikiya Became Best Friends Forever And Got In Touch With Each Other Around Tokyo From Time To Time, That’s True Friendship Right There?!?! R.I.P Rikiya Shimabukuro, You Were A Good Man!!! ;( (ANIKI’S FOREVER) ;(
Thank you for posting this! You didn't have to do it, and all the grinding too, but you did. I hope Bernie feels better soon, and it's good today went well. Don't push yourself!
i know a lot of fans felt like kiryu was overreacting when he was crying for rikiya, but i later interpreted it as kiryu finally reaching his breaking point. since we've seen him time and time again with nishiki AND shinji not really reacting as extremely with their deaths. this moment with rikiya was kiryu letting his emotions boil over for a man that he was trying to push away from him, because of the pain he felt before with men who used to call him aniki. and now that the third man who became his brother, dies, i believe that kiryu can no longer deal with the pain in a reserved way. (i still honestly believe that the excessive crying was not necessary though...)
46:00 VR headsets and gear have been used for medical, flight sim and military training since the 70's. The only thing new that's happen recently is that VR is now small enough and affordable enough for the everyday house hold. The 90's saw more commercialized VR with arcade games and interactive movie experiences. Disney used to have VR rides at one of their smaller non Disneyland entertainment places.
Nico, thank you for thinking about us even now but PLEASE prioritize taking care of Bernie and yourself. If editing the videos helps you relax in this situation and take your mind off heavy things that's great, just please don't feel pressured to do anything for us right now. We'll be waiting right here until you two return.
Jeez, that bull ring scene hurts every time we watched it, but that’s nothing compare to the pain we have to see through that fucking Akimoto’s side quest again.
Damn what happened to the orphanage. Good thing Kiryu is friendly with the world’s greatest construction magnate. Thx for the video, hope Bernie gets well soon.
Considering you're approaching the finale, I do want to mention that, barring Ultimate Essence, which you can't perform yet, that the completion item for doing every heat action is strong enough that *it* *can* *turn* *any* *encounter* *in* *the* *game* *into* *an* *utter* *cakewalk.* It's definitely something I'd recommend at least looking into.
I managed to spoil myself on this whole Rikiya business 2 times on the same video and both times I totally forgot it happened so when I finally saw it here I was surprised for a third time.
I dont want to repeat what is saying but know we appreciate all the work you are doing while having your break. Like many are saying, you dont have to but you did. Please take a massive care to Bernie, we love her and send our prays. :)
Thanks for another video NicoB! I know you are going through a difficult time right now, but I wish you the best of luck with Bernie’s situation. Take your time and I’m looking forward to hearing good news!
Plot twist: Akimoto and Mizuki are the real superboss of this game. You have to beat them, or you'll be trapped in an endless loop of their stupid substories forever.
This shows something important with kiryu. How he doesn't want anyone close to him to die for kiryu. It all started with kazama to nishikiyama and shinji. This is probably one of the most important part about kiryu's character
I get the reasons that Kiryu's reaction would be so intense for Rikiya, but I can't help myself from thinking about how in the same game as this, Kashiwagi got gunned down by a helicopter, and Kiryu just got kinda bummed about it. I think the only other death that got this level of reaction out of him by this point was Tachibana, and that game was made after this.
I’m Hoping In Future Yakuza And Judgment Games, We Get To See More In Depth Emotions Amongst New Appearing Side Characters Who Will Show Up In Later Games Cause Look At It This Way, I Would Say Kiryu Did Care For The People He Loved Most Back Then Like Yumi, Reina And Nishikiyama And More Past That But I Would Say For Him, Kiryu’s Lived A Tough Life And I Think Overtime When We See Him With An Expressionless Face To The People He Loves Most, I Would Say He Sees That As If He’s Getting Caught In The Waterworks Like He Feels Really Guilty That Everytime He Brings Someone Important In The Occurring Situation Like Kashiwagi, Rikiya And More People Along That Line, He Doesn’t Know What To Say And Correct Me If I’m Not Making Any Sense Here Cause I Haven’t Replayed Yakuza Cutscenes In A Long Time But It Feels Like Everytime Someone Dies Near Kiryu, He Feels Very Guilty That He Dragged Someone Else Into The Line Of Fire And There’s Nothing He Can Do To Control The Past Mistakes That Happened Around Him And I Think That’s Why He Hides His Emotions In Himself Sometimes Because He Can’t Handle The Fact He Felt Like Getting Rikiya Or Anyone Else Killed In Past Yakuza Games Was Somehow His Fault, I Hope I Got The Point Across And I’m Planning On Replaying The Yakuza Games This Summer Before “Lost Judgment” Comes Out So I’m Excited For That But Yeah Man, I Was Just Saying What I Feel Happened Around Him Even If Some Of It Doesn’t Make Sense, I Tried At Least?!?! But Yeah Man, I Just Want Kiryu To Be Happy As Do We All!! ;(
To be fair, the cops were closing in and if you remember, Kiryu had blood on him which the cops would've found suspicious and arrest him. He didn't have time to mourn Kashiwagi
Ooof, the events of this episode really came at a bad time in your life, Nico. And I can see it hit you really hard just like it did me back when I first played this game. Out of all the games you've played so far Rikiya's death hits the hardest for me and yet despite that, or maybe because of that, its also one of my favorite scenes in the entire Yakuza series and I'd like to take a moment to talk about why. -”Aniki”: Characters come and go in this series and really its rare for a character introduced in one game to come back in another after the first one. But with Rikiya there was this different vibe about him. The directors were clearly building up the player's expectations that Rikiya would become a series mainstay, as a lot of his screentime both in the main story and side stories show his relationship with his “Aniki” growing and how it changed the both of them over time. One of the best scenes showcasing that, in my opinion, is the scene of the two of them in the park where they discuss Kashiwagi's death. I feel its really interesting to note that Kiryu never really takes the time to reflect on the deaths of his close ones unless he's in a cemetary (Yumi and Nishiki) or the plot brings the matter up (in this case Joji and his connection to Kazama). But with Rikiya, Kiryu felt comfortable opening himself up and being vulnerable about his grief and reflecting on the fond times he had with Kashiwagi. Rikiya also learned a lot from Kiryu, becoming less prideful over his tattoo and forming a genuine bond with the orphans. It really felt like they were building up Rikiya to be someone who'd be there with Kiryu in Okinawa forever but no, it was just the opposite. They were building him up...to make the tragedy of his death hit harder. -The good die young: Its not something stated unless you look into his character profile in-game but Rikiya is 25 years old at the time of his death. He's younger than you and me, barely a fourth of the way through his life. He has dreams and ambitions and a single bullet took it all away. He wasn't some big head honcho of a Yakuza, he wasn't a man atoning for his mistakes. He was ultimately a civilian, and a friend. Its pretty common in media for deaths to be these drawn-out moments where the character's perform a monologue and while yes, Rikiya does do that, you can feel his life slowly ending with every breath he takes. It adds this layer of desperation to his final moments. And all he wants in those final moments is for his “Aniki” to assure him that he didn't make a mistake. That he was a man in the end, and he gave his life for something important. To me at least, being scared of dying young without ever having accomplished anything was a fear I had in my early 20s, so when I got to Rikiya's death in Yakuza 3 it really twisted my gut. And then again when I played the Remaster last year. But despite Kiryu's actions towards Rikiya confirming to him that he still had a reason to live...Rikiya dies in his arms, crying, only able to utter a weak apology showing that in the end, he regrets that he died young. This leads to probably one of the most surprising moments in the entire Yakuza series... -The Mask Comes Off: ...It goes without saying that Kiryu is a man with an iron will. He lets his fists do the talking when faced with his problems and rarely shows his tender side outside those close to him. But this game didn't pull any punches on him. In the span of just a few days Kiryu has dealt with the near-death of Nakahara and Daigo assumedly at the hands of his adopted father, back from the dead. Then he witnesses Kashiwagi, the last connection to his father's clan, die before his very eyes. Then he finds out a thug like Kanda is the one running the family of his own blood brother. Then he's forced to confront Lao once more, the consequences of his mistakes in failing to finish him off long ago nearly getting him and Rikiya killed. And then finally, after a grueling battle with Joji that forces Kiryu to confront the spectre of Kazama's face and fighting style, its still not over, as Mine bulldozes the orphanage, nearly gets Mikio killed, feeds Nakahara to that bastard Tamashiro, and is currently on his way to finish the job on Daigo. All this culminates with the death of Rikiya. Having gone non-stop for days now, Kiryu is tired and battered physically and emotionally. Even after seeing Shinji, Reina, Yumi, Nishiki, Kazama, Takeda and Kashiwagi die before his very eyes we've NEVER seen Kiryu break as hard as he did with Rikiya. Its not that Rikiya alone is more important to him than all the other people who died before this point. Its that his death represents yet another failure on Kiryu's part. A recurring theme in the series is that Kiryu believes himself responsible for the death of everyone close to him. You'll recall his flashbacks in Kiwami 2 to the deaths of his loved ones. Kiryu is a very strong individual on the surface but ultimately what he wears is a mask bottling many, many regrets and anguish, a mask that finally broke with Rikiya's death. In what is one of Takaya Kuroda's most powerful performances in the series, he is able to show us the true vulnerability of Kazama Kiryu, as he desperately tries to keep Rikiya from being yet another life on his guilty conscience. Screaming his name, sobbing and shaking him, even after his body had long gone cold. And all this happens while a piano rendition of “Fly”, the game's main theme and one of my favorite if not absolutely favorite song in the franchise, plays in the background. There's a lot that can be said about Yakuza 3. The pace is fast after the initial two chapters and the side stories are too many in number, the combat is clunky with too much guarding. But this game is home to some of the strongest scenes in the franchise for me, and from the point of Joji's fight all the way to the very end is my favorite climax in the series too. So even though Rikiya's passed on, the viper's soul lives on in all of us. No matter what comes your way Nico, strike at it, fangs out. Do it for Rikiya, do it for Bernie, and most importantly do it for yourself. We'll be here for you every step of the way.
But At The Same Time, It’s Both At A Moment’s Notice And Just At The Right Or Wrong Time, I Love My Main Boi “Kiryu” But Not Only Does He Need To Protect Haruka, He Needs To Protect His Friends As Well?!?! ;(
The beginning of this episode: “I hope Rikiya is around for a few games.” Near half way through the episode: Rikiya fucking dies. This game is evil in so many ways, and I certainly can’t wait for my friend to get to this game since he’s almost done with K2 and doing all of them blind. Edit: also at 44:48, it looks like Kiryu’s eyes are lifeless, then Haruka snaps him back to reality.
I know that Rikiya's death is really sad and unfortunate, but am I the only one who finds it weird that Kiryu was more sad over his death than Kashiwagi, who he had known for most of his life and has been in all the previous games?
@PenitentDeadMan308 T after he lost Reina, kazama, shinji and nishiki, Kiryu almost gave up on life. If it wasn't for Haruka Kiryu would have let himself be blamed for the 10 billion yen incident and thrown his life away. That is true despair.
Stay strong man for both this end section of the game and especially bernie,you and her are in our thoughts and prayers just take care! And wish you and her the best!
(Kiryu beats up Shimano and just leaves him be, with grenades lying around. Shimano kills Kazama.) (Kiryu beats up Jingu, leaves him be and doesn't even take his weapon away. Jingu kills Yumi and lethally shoots Nishiki, causing him to sacrifice himself.) (Kiryu beats up Tamashiro, leaves him be and doesn't even take his weapon away. Tamashiro kills Rikiya.) You know, I have a feeling that if Kiryu was just a little bit more extra careful, more then a half of his deceased loved ones would still be alive.
41:22 Joji: and here’s how I traveled so fast. Nicob: Who the hell is this low Polly guy. Pilot: KIRYU-CHAN. Nico:How Majima HOW. Majima: I’m the ultimate Taxi driver now hop on my lap Kiryu-Chan
Rikiya's death pissed me off too because of how cheap it felt. Kiryu has been a yakuza for YEARS, there is no reason he wouldn't think to knock the gun away or take the gun. It's so dumb.
Maybe this is the right time to discuss, the theme of "lack of love" for the Yakuza final bosses. In Yakuza 1 - Nishiki never felt loved in the same way Kiryu is, not from Kazama, not from Yumi, and not from the Yakuza. This made him feel like Kiryu was the main character in life and resulted in him doing the things he did when he lost his footing, losing Kiryu, Yumi, his sister, and by Kazama's own admission; failed to get the support he needed when he needed it. Yakuza 2 - Ryuji felt like he was abandoned by his mother, and never had a chance, to be honest with his father until the very end. These feelings lead him to want to surpass his father no matter the cost, he felt a need to earn his respect (even if he didn't realise it) but all they had to do was remove the fear of the past and just be frank, but because this didn't happen, he ends up seeing power as the only thing he can anchor himself to and went for it. Yakuza 3 - Mine also has a similar issue, I won't go further because obviously spoilers, but I think it's safe to say he's actually a bit different from the other bosses before him and maybe the ones coming up. I'd argue he even fights for "love" rather than JUST the lack of it. As Nico said, he's a parallel to Kiryu's situation and what it's like to not have anything to keep him optimistic.
You know, we're not at the end but I feel it's safe to say I understand why this isn't the favourite game in the series to fans and yet why Kiryu's VA loves it so much. Also thank you for uploading this in spite of everything that's going on right now. I hope Bernie and you stay safe.
Kiryu's mistake that has never been fixed since the early games, never take away the guns from the bad guys..... Many characters wouldnt have to be dead
Sometimes, this series just hates me.
I'm not officially "back" yet, I just had this recorded before Bernie started getting unwell and managed to get it edited. I may also post some unreleased streams in the coming days to make up for the lack of regular videos, though I will try not to bombard you guys with them. Bernie overall had a pretty good day today, she had more energy, though I'm trying to keep her from getting too active right now. I'll keep you all posted on her condition and when I'll be back.
That’s some good news 😊
Don't stress on the content Nico!
We appreciate you trying to keep us entertained but first and foremost comes Bernie and your mental health in relation to that.
Thank you for taking your time.
I’ll keep you and Bernie in prayers!!❤️❤️
Take care Nico!
Hey Nico remember when you joked a couple episodes ago when you said Rikiya was killed in a wrestling ring by someone dressed in bright red, you unfortunately guessed the future.
Episode 26
Sometimes Nico has the monado
He strikes once more
Bullshit powers strike again...
*Analysis on the death of Rikiya Shimabukuro:* This death is arguably one of the most tragic deaths in the yakuza series up to this point, just behind Tachibana from yakuza 0. The scene where Kiryu starts breaking down in front of Rikiya without any reservations makes this scene one of if not _the_ most emotional scenes due to Kiryu being the type of guy to handle and hold back emotions.
Takaya Kuroda’s (Kiryu’s VA) performance during this scene is very powerful and emotional even more than his later acting in yakuza 0. You can feel his voice crack so hard, becoming more hoarse as Kiryu is breaking down for Rikiya’s death and note, the remastered version did not rerecord lines. What you saw was yakuza 3 at its absolute best on impact and Kuroda kills it perfectly. The music theme accompanied by the scene is called Fly (guitar), a leifmotif of the opening theme of the game (the movie); making the scene even more powerful than it already was.
*Significant details:* There are a few things I want to touch about what some players have criticized for how Kiryu acted here. Namely, “Why did Kiryu not show as much emotion for the deaths of Nishiki and Yumi back in OG 1/Kiwami 1?” My response is to look back at the significance of the brain when dealing with trauma. We all know how powerful it is to shut off human functions like sight or speech from past instances in the yakuza series. Kiryu had already cried for the deaths of Shinji and Shintaro Kazama before then. So when his brother and lover died, Kiryu unconsciously shut off any emotions because he feels like there is nothing left for him. Everyone he had deeply cared for since 0 has left him, Kiryu was *at a SUICIDAL state* when he stated he doesn’t care if the police takes him again for not even doing anything wrong until Date pulls him back into reality; reminding him of his last and only hope still alive, Haruka.
Fast forward to present day, Kiryu is far more emotional now with eight more kids to live for. He knows in his heart now that he can’t follow Rikiya and has to live, invoking a much more raw emotional response from Kiryu because of the separation between him, and the young captain who Kiryu now will also outlive. Also, people forget that Rikiya is implied to have hung out with Kiryu frequently in the one YEAR skip to the story, making their relationship much more believable.
After witnessing the games from 0 to 3, you can not tell me that Kiryu isn’t a very tragic character. While he survives seemingly impossible odds, in turn, he was & is *forced* to outlive many people he met and cared about. Kazuma Kiryu is truly a fucking strong man, holy shit.
Edit: I do want to touch up about the whole Kiryu turning away from the person with a gun nearby. It is actually a problem I have with Kiryu himself. This happened *three* times in OG 1/2 (plus kiwami remakes) and yakuza 3. 1. Kiryu turning away from Shimano using a grenade which got Kazama killed in Kiwami 1. 2. Daigo makes the save when Kiryu turned his back on Shinzo in kiwami 2 which could of ended bad if it was just Kiryu. 3. This scene. Kiryu is unfortunately very naive at this point in the yakuza series and it is honestly irritating.
I do want to address some other criticisms that are less important. One, some think the scene was too long and would benefit in being shorter because it is a death scene. While I honestly thought at the moment the same thing, I now believe that isn’t necessary as Rikiya isn’t a weak person and the fact that Kiryu’s helplessness is holding up the scene well enough. Besides, may I kindly remind you all that Kaoru’s father, Kawara, got shot *TWICE* before and after we fought that one boss in kiwami 2 and *proceeded* to monologue his entire backstory for about 5 min. and explain his actions while he was said dying? AND said his goodbye in record time? Without *NONE* of the people there attempting to call an ambulance squad while he was reminiscing????? Yeah, I would like to see the reason why that scene ain’t more ridiculous in retrospect.
Rikiya and Tachibana's death are only outlcassed by certain ones from a Later game. If you played it, you know which ones I'm talking about...
I think it goes a step further for why Kiryu cries so much over Rikiya. Rikiya is essentially another one of the kids Kiryu is raising in this game because Rikiya looks up to Kiryu in a similar way that the orphans look up to Kiryu and Kiryu is trying to protect Rikiya just as much as he is trying to protect the orphans while they are in Kamurocho. So in the moment of Rikiya’s death it’s essentially a substitute for if one of the orphans had died while Kiryu had been trying to keep them safe and that type of emotional attack is different than the ones caused by the deaths of Nishiki, Yumi, Kazama, or Kashiwagi.
I like to think that a part of why he freaks out so much harder here is becuase he went through this before with Shinji. This isn't just the pain of losing Rikkia but also the helplessness of not being able to stop it from happening again.
I guess that answers my problem with the rikiya scene and now I’m glad nothing bad happens to kiryu in the next two games
Though there’s a similar character in Yakuza 6 who is kinda like Rikiya where you fight and beat and now he calls you Aniki but I liked him a lot more than Rikiya
Even thought it is sad to see Rikiya die, I think the big reason why his death scene hits so hard is mainly do to Takaya Kuroda's voice acting. Hearing Kiryu's voice break and crack this hard really elevates the pain of this scene and is something these games master, because nobody sound perfect when they cry.
God, the voice acting was so well done, he did such a damn good job. It actually made me cry.
Problem for me is Nakahara ends up not giving two shits, even though Rikiya was basically his son. Also the fake-out Mikio death had me a lil suspicious that whole time
@@jeremytewari3346 Yeah, that's fair.
Still a good scene though.
@@RobertPlays Undeniable, I have so many problems but the acting and animations of this game are too damn good for me to hate it
@@jeremytewari3346 Honestly, I hope Mikio makes appearances in later games at the very least. He survived not just one, but TWO sledgehammer hits to the back, I think this man has plot armor at this rate, good lord.
Dude you didn't need to get this to us, but it means a lot you did. Stay strong Nico, we love you.
Nico is a really great guy
@@roninwarriorsfan You're darned right.
@@roninwarriorsfan I agree
Rest In Peace, Rikiya, your contagious enthusiasm and undying loyalty will be missed…and you are indeed a real man.
Can I just say that Kuroda (Kiryu’s voice actor) gives an absolutely phenomenal performance here? This is the most emotionally vulnerable Kiryu has ever been since Tachibana’s death and boy does he convey that.
Btw, a lot of fans seems to have issues with how Kiryu seems to mourn Rikiya more than he does Nishiki, Yumi and Kashiwagi, but I can easily explain this.
When Nishiki and Yumi died, Kiryu was in a really bad place. In his perspective, he had no more reason to live and no more tears to shed. That’s why he was ready to be arrested by the cops at the end of Kiwami before Date knocked some sense into him. To me, that’s a way more severe expression of grief than openly weeping.
As for Kashiwagi, Kiryu was on the run from the police at the time and didn’t have time to process his death and properly mourn him. He still made time to reflect on his life with Rikiya tho, and it made for a nice bonding moment.
Which brings me to the present and his reaction to Rikiya’s death. Rikiya is much younger than Kashiwagi and had so much more to live for, aspirations to realize, goals to achieve. He ended up casting them away to protect his idol, Kiryu. The way I interpret it is that Kiryu clearly feels survivor’s guilt from the past games, and the fact that Rikiya, someone who admires him so much, sacrificed himself to protect him was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That’s why he broke down, and it doesn’t help that he got to know him over the course of 2 years which is easy to forget.
TL;DR Rikiya was so young and had so much potential and gave it all up to protect his Aniki. That’s why Kiryu cried like that.
Edit: Also the music that plays during Rikiya’s death is a more somber version of Fly, the game’s main theme, just to make the scene more gut wrenching :(
(Also yes, the bullring is where you fought Amon in 0)
while i agree with your points about rikiya, it still feels off compares to kashiwagi since kashiwagi was like a 2nd father figure besides Kazama. Also the fact that he was gunned down mercilessly by a gatling gun that could've killed Kiryu as well. Like, I was expecting Kashiwagi to go down in a more respectful? way.
THIS. Thank you Flame.
I could understand why Kiryu didn't mourn Nishiki and Yumi, he was practically dead inside at that point, and he couldn't mourn Kashiwagi due to the police who would've saw the blood on him and most likely arrest him......but with rikiya..he felt like someone Kiryu wanted to have around in his life for years to come, and to have that just taken away in front of his eyes
Something to also keep in mind is that when Yakuza 3 was initially made/released, Yakuza 0 (and Tachibana's death by proxy) weren't a thing yet.
@@ftl_ow Now I wish didn't read this comment.
@@ftl_ow dude, delete this. Even if you say spoilers and hide it under a read more, the spoiler shows up on Nico's end uncovered.
Kiryu has gun blindness. He can't see a gun unless it's aimed directly at his face.
Oh no, is it contagious?
@@kyotanaka920 unfortunately yes. We can already see it happening in this scene where 3 other characters besides Kiryu are blind to the gun until it's pointed at them.
An unfortunate result of prolonged exposure to Kiryu.
Mine: Herro
“Hello, this is Pizza La, just confirming your order for one pepperoni pizza”
Mine: Okgotit
“Would you like to add anything to your order?”
Mine: No. Dere’s no change in ze plan. Bi
Rikiya really was a shinji 2.0.....made us love him so much and now ripped him away from us :(
He was killed by bargain bin Arase too...
To clarify, Mine is the head of the Hakuho clan and Hamazaki, the guy whi was dealing with the Chinese mafia and disappeared off-screen, only had a dozen guys in his family.
I think it's real telling of Kiryu's personality when the first thing he does upon seeing the destroyed Morning Glory isn't to get angry that people showed up and destroyed everything he worked on for the past couple years.
No, instead he spots the injured Mikio (Who somehow survived a blow to the nape of the neck via sledgehammer that split his head open long enough for Kiryu to get there) and reassure him it wasn't his fault he didn't protect the orphanage.
It shows how Kiryu really cares about the people around him, even ones he's not known for that long, instead of anything material. After all, a building can be rebuilt but a person can't.
Also I'm wishing you and Bernie well. You didn't have to upload this during this time but you did. You spoil us Nico, and we all wish you and Bernie the best.
@@therestlessjoker5474 Tachibana & Oda in 0. Nishiki, Yumi, Kazama, Shinji & Reina in 1. I guess Sera as well. In 2, there was Terada. Kauro was written out of the series. Kashiwagi & now Rikiya in 3. And we're still not done with this game, so who knows. Another ally might be on the chopping block.
Jesus what else will they do to my guy, Kiryu in 4, 5 & 6? (Don't answer that)
@@Jeddy027 All I can say about future games without spoilers is...
Ow.
Ugh, I was afraid of this part. NicoB, I am so sorry. Seeing Rikiya die like that must of felt like a brick to the stomach and hearing Kiryu cry just made it worst. Rest in Piece Rikiya, you may be gone but never forgotten.
Ack you think I would learn to *not* scroll down in the comments while Nico’s talking in the first minute of the video, but h e r e i a m 🙃
I actually started crying when Kiryu's voice started to crack and was sobbing. Man, his VA had some *powerful* & impactful emotions there.
@@alwaysyoutome19 I see I'm not the only one who scrolled too far before finishing the video.
Rikiya: Anaki look out!!!
Kiryu: No Rikiya, I got this, TIGER DROP!!!
*Kiryu Tiger Drops the bullet back Tamashiro, knocking him out cause Kiryu never killed anyone*
Rikiya: Whoa Anaki.......that was really close.
Kiryu: I'm glad you're alright, now how about we get back to the kids and get them some ice cream.
Rikiya: That sure as hell sounds like a plan I'm all in for.
This is canon btw, all that happened in the video is a lie, Rikiya is alive ok don't look at me like I'm crazy he's fine........HE'S FINE DAMNIT *sobs*
Every comment is about Rikiyas death.
Me: That one dude in the plane has Kiryus Yakuza 0 hair!
You didn’t have to upload this at all, but you did, and we all appreciate it very much. I’m glad Bernie seems to have been doing better too, any bit of progress is a good sign! I hope this break you’re taking gives you much relief and time to recuperate from the stress you’re under. Make sure to give Bernie lots of pets for us as well!
Kiryu: "Hey Nico..."
Nico: "Yea...?"
Kiryu: "TIGER HUG!" Kiryu then gives Nico and Bernie the biggest hug in the existence of all hugs
Nico: "Thank you Kiryu you truly are one of the bestest daddies in the Nicoverse."
Yep....Rikiya's death broke me again...he was genuinely best boy and honestly Kiryu's voice acting was on another level here. It gets me every time. I don't think we ever see such a side if Kiryu again. It's crazy.
We do something similar in Yakuza 5 I think
Rikiya: "I need to prove to myself I'm a real man!"
*sees title*
*sees thumbnail*
oh no
"Aru. OK Garrett. No. Derz no chenj in da plan. Bai."
-Mine
Ah yes engrish.
You know, Kiryu could really save himself a lot of trouble and heartache if he'd learn to disarm the bad guys better...
he could learn from big boss from the MGS series but....
Or, you know, not to get attached to everyone he meets
@@johntompkins i think he tries that most of the time...
@@najelambutthemstandsformessy Well then, he’s not trying hard enough
Nico: I'm really scared Rikiya is gonna die, please don't yakuza 3
Yakuza 3: I'm gonna do what's called a pro gamer move
Also if I've learned anything from this series, it's never be Kiryu's Aniki
I Feel Like When I Finished Yakuza 3 Almost 2 Years Ago, I Can’t Tell If I Just Decided To Cry On Purpose Or What, But No Honestly, Rikiya’s Death Hurts Me And I’m Planning To Replay Every Yakuza Game This Summer Before “Lost Judgment” Comes Out!! I Can’t Wait For The Sequel To Come Out In September But I Do Plan On Him Playing Every Yakuza Game Before The Sequel Comes Out In September, There Is So Much For Nico To Explore Within The Yakuza Series In The Future!! XD
It's more like don't have Kiryu as an aniki. I think it translates to something like big brother, rather than just brother.
@@Rognik from what I've read, having an Aniki in the Yakuza world is equivalent to having a Senpai aka someone you consider your elder in experience, give your respect and gratitude.
Having already played this game, every time you mentioned how awesome Rikiya is and how you want to see him in future games just killed me because I knew what was coming. Now it's happened and Nico knows the hard truth. Ugh this scene was painful.
It's really no wonder why Kiryu was so choked up about Rikiya's death. After what happened to Shinji back in the first game, a lot of Kiryu's protective behavior towards Rikiya could very well be him not wanting the same thing to happen to him. But not only did Rikiya choose to throw himself into danger anyway, he ended up sacrificing himself over a mistake Kiryu himself made and would've died for if not for him. That combination of guilt, regret, and trauma would absolutely shatter Kiryu's stoic attitude.
I was thinking the same thing, that and he had to witness a lot of his friends deaths up to that point. He had just became friends with Rikiya, only for him to die. The Yakuza life rly took a lot from Kiryu and this is one of the few scenes that rly shows how broken it’s left him.
Glad to hear Bernie had a better day today. We're all wishing her an easy and fast recovery.
I'm pretty sure Mizuki isn't actually Akimoto's sibling, it's just another lie she made up when she got confronted by him about why she didn't want to marry him, just like how she lied she was pregnant to get him off the roof in 2.
I don't imagine editing this video was the joy Nico needed...
Not gonna lie, I expected Rikiya to die since the moment that he was introduced, but it still hurts dammit...
The happiness and pain of a true friend
As someone who nicknamed Rikiya “red shirt” after I met him in my playthrough, I have to give credit to how much impact they gave his death.
First he’s a punk that gets in your way. He’s actually a decent boss fight so he earns a little respect.
Then he’s your buddy. He follows you around a little, helps you fight trash mobs, assists a little in the story and even has a few substories. By that point, you’re a little invested.
Then they do a fake out. Make you think it’s the OTHER guy you had a few substories with who is getting the axe. Make it look brutal as hell before surprising you with his survival. Then they add on to it by making it look like Rikiya won’t be in any danger.
Until he is.
His death itself is pretty amazing. It’s got a good buildup, subtle but heartfelt music, some pretty phenomenal voice work by all parties and a satisfying end to his character arc. With the exception of Ryuji and Kashiwagi, this was for many fans probably the most powerful death in the series at that point.
At least until 0 and Kiwami, which retroactively give a lot more power to Nishiki, Reyna and Shinji’s
Oh boy this scene. This effin scene. At least Joji's shots are accurate af when it comes to disposing enemies, eh?
Man I have to say, even earlier on with the games, the voice acting is simply phenomenal, and this famous scene shows that in spades thanks to the voice actors of Kiryu and Rikiya. One of the numerous scenes in the series that still gets me to this day.
It’s official, Akimoto kun survived more games than Rikiya...
This was one of my favorite and saddest Kiryu scenes since this is one of the most emotionally vulnerable moments for him and his VA did a phenomenal job conveying that in his voice. You could feel the raw sadness and depression in his lines and it made me emotional as well. Rest In Peace Rikiya. You will be missed.
I think a lot of what makes Rikiya's death so heartwrenching is that, compared to previous companions in the series, you arguably bonded with him a lot more. He took part in some important main story moments, like going after Kanda, he was involved in a good couple of the orphanage segments like Mitsuo and Taichi's, and unlike previous guys (unless you include Shinji's substory in 0), you actually did substories where he played a pivotal role, meaning you got to know more about him and hate that, even after he finally gets his tattoo finished and helps his childhood friend and crush leave a difficult life in Tokyo to come back to Okinawa, he ends up dying so soon due to a rather severe oversight. All of that is what arguably makes him my favorite companion character in the Yakuza series.
R.I.P Rikiya Shimabukuro, the Fighting Viper of Okinawa. A true man.
I know it must have been hard to work on editing this while worrying about Bernie so thanks for uploading this. Make sure to take it easy after this and I hope Bernie has a speedy recovery.
Mine is the leader of the Hakuho clan. Hamazaki (guy who blew up the restaurant) was working the Snake Flower Triad and since they went down, he had to take the punishment for that from the main group in China.
Nico I know your excited for Lost Judgement but it might be better to have a mod check it out for potential spoilers in the future of Yakuza especially Yakuza 7 just in case because a lot has happened and even Judgement mentioned spoilery things that you werent too far off in the series to notice. This is just to make sure not another spoiler will happen lile last time.
Yeah this
Yeah and Lost Judgement take place in Yokohama.....i think?
@@GamerConnoisseurRei Correct. And one of the major factions from 7 is in the game as well.
40:52 that was a freaking butter knife he stabbed through that guy's hand.
Good to know Bernie is doing alright based on your comment. Take as much time you need, make sure that doggo is in best condition. Bernie comes first, always! Hang in there you two!
Nico 10 episodes ago: I love this man!
Yakuza game: So, you've chosen heartbreak!
Hamazaki is the guy you were thinking of. They implied earlier in the game that after Lau's failure, the Snake Flower Triad was gonna take it out on Hamazaki.
Rip Rikiya & I hope Bernie to get better soon 😔🙏
I feel like your Ultimate Plot-guessing-Bullshit power is like a Spider-Sense. You know what’s going to happen, but you can be tricked into thinking it isn’t. It happened with Rikiya *and* the couple Kiryu & Haruka always encounter!
I’ve never heard his bullshit put quite like that before. It’s not inaccurate
Holy shit, I never thought I'd hear Takaya Kuroda break that bad. The man really knows how to sell the scene!
Kiryu: "Haruka, you have to let men accost you more often. For the trust."
Haruka: "But Uncle Kaz, that's weird and-"
Kiryu: "THE TRUST, HARUKA!"
Nico, I support and hope for Bernie's recovery. I've been with this channel for years now, and Bernie is just as much as part of the community as you are. Stay strong, and come back, when everything's FINE!
Rikiya's death was easily the saddest death in the series since Tachibana's death in 0. But what really sold it was Kiryu breaking down in tears and his voice cracking. I know the elephant in the room: "Why wasn't Kiryu this broken up about losing Nishiki or Yumi when he previously was about losing Reina, Shinji and Kazama?" I think Kiryu unintentionally just turned off his emotions after the shock of losing both his friends as well as his father figure. So the shock of losing both his lover and his sworn brother didn't really affect him much, and Kiryu was in a dark place until Date reminded him he had someone to live for: Haruka.
Fast forward years later, he now has Haruka and the rest of the orphans at Morning Glory as his reason to keep going. And then seeing Rikiya, his own buddy that was there for him since the near beginning of the game and ended up bonding with very well, die before him. The shock reopened old wounds and it was too much for him to take.
Also Nico, you didn't need to release this video with what you're going through as far as Bernie's health is concerned. As always, the Picky Penguins are supportive of you and I hope she gets well soon!
Admittedly its been a while since Kiwami 1, but I feel like Rikiya's death hits even harder than Shinji... While we did get to know Shinji a bit I feel like there was FAR more time to bond with Rikiya, especially if you do his quests. Heck its BECAUSE of those quests that if the player discovers them might think he'll be okay as if they had missed them the quests could be done in the post game, only for his death to be an even BIGGER gut punch than normal since they don't expect it even if they compare him to Shinji.
Rest in peace, Rikiya. You'll forever be in our hearts for how much you've done in just one whole game.
@Apolleh I Don’t Know If You Know This But Kiryu Actually Somehow Predicted Shinji’s Death Back In A Yakuza 0 Substory In Shinji’s Own Personal Backstory Of His Own In Yakuza 0 And What I’m Going To Say Is That Kiryu Should Be More Careful With His Words Cause Words Can Hurt?!?! :(
Hey Nico, I wanna say that not only am I happy that you showcased my COV entry at the beginning of the video, but also the fact that this video was uploaded right on the day of my birthday so this felt double the present!! Just wanted to point out the pure happenstance of it and how it put a smile on my face Thanks!
Anywho, I hope Bernie feeling well soon, giving off good vibe energy on her recovery!!!
nico : "hope rikiya didn`t die"
*morgan freeman voice* and thats the last time he see rikiya
Bruh, Rikiya's death just hit different.
The way Kiryu sounds as having his new friend die in his hands after learning so much of his morals and admirations had to hurt so bad. Not to even mention how Rikiya was his new actual friend on the same level as shinji or nishikyama in a while. God damn
There are only three fates for characters introduced in this series so for. Either they become a main character (Haruka, Date), they die almost immediately (Kazama, Shinji, Rikiya), or they chill for one game and then vanish forever (Kaoru). It's really unfortunate.
You don't have to upload any videos considering your situation right now so thanks Nico. We all love you and Bernie, take your time. Hope Bernie's condition keep getting better.
I'm not sure if you picked up on it but the Joji moment and Haruka moment with Kiryu after Rikiya dies was incredibly significant about Kiryu's mental state. He was going to Kamurocho with the belief that this is the end of his life. It really shows just how much his survivors guilt and trauma takes a toll on him.
Man just imagine playing this game before knowing a fourth game exist with that haruka scene. And kiryu not saying anything about how of course he wont die. Him just fully accepting the risks in this moment. The writing in this game is so powerful sometimes
I think "Kicking Man will end Kiryu once and for all" is the funniest thing Nico's ever said, it really got me.
About the final sub story with the couple. Leaving shoes behind is an indication that the person that fell to their death was a suicide, and not some accident.
The joke was that Akimoto and Mizuki were obviously not related, he’s just so oblivious that he believed it. But now it’s all out in the open that she was just using him, they both realize they care. Hopefully this means they are gone forever now....
PS I’m glad to hear Burnie is doing good for now, hope that everything goes well.
Raise a glass to a fallen brother, Rikiya.
1:20:28
You’re thinking of Gary “Buster” Holmes. He also helped out with the Majima construction stuff in Kiwami 2
Nakahara: *Throws a bull*
Kiryu: Wow, that was badass..... wait, I can’t let anyone be more badass then me. *Jumps into the Bullpen and chases after the Bulls* Watch this Rikiya! ....Rikiya? Oh shit.
Thank you so much Nico for uploading this video even though you are going through a lot right now.
Kiryu: Rikiya, No!
*Sacrificial Doll Kiryu was holding takes the place of Rikiya*
Kiryu: holy crap, you're alive!
Rikiya: Yeah, I guess if it wasn't for that doll you had, I'd be totally dead and whatnot. Good thing that was there!
Kiryu: Yep totally what happened. Want to go bowling or something?
Rikiya: Heck yeah aniki!
And so Rikiya lived a long life and travelled the world from Tokyo to the United States & more and didn't die.
@Lisa Barnes In An Alternate Timeline; Kiryu And Rikiya Became Best Friends Forever And Got In Touch With Each Other Around Tokyo From Time To Time, That’s True Friendship Right There?!?! R.I.P Rikiya Shimabukuro, You Were A Good Man!!! ;( (ANIKI’S FOREVER) ;(
Thank you for posting this! You didn't have to do it, and all the grinding too, but you did. I hope Bernie feels better soon, and it's good today went well. Don't push yourself!
i know a lot of fans felt like kiryu was overreacting when he was crying for rikiya, but i later interpreted it as kiryu finally reaching his breaking point. since we've seen him time and time again with nishiki AND shinji not really reacting as extremely with their deaths.
this moment with rikiya was kiryu letting his emotions boil over for a man that he was trying to push away from him, because of the pain he felt before with men who used to call him aniki. and now that the third man who became his brother, dies, i believe that kiryu can no longer deal with the pain in a reserved way.
(i still honestly believe that the excessive crying was not necessary though...)
I think it's also because to Kiryu, it's like losing one of the kids he adopted.
@@staticshock4239 i believe that too, since he's let his guard down so much for these kids, and rikiya for that matter
Also not getting a chance to react to Uncle Kashiwagi's death.
46:00 VR headsets and gear have been used for medical, flight sim and military training since the 70's. The only thing new that's happen recently is that VR is now small enough and affordable enough for the everyday house hold. The 90's saw more commercialized VR with arcade games and interactive movie experiences. Disney used to have VR rides at one of their smaller non Disneyland entertainment places.
I guess Gary Buster Holmes can join the list of people whose name Nico forgot alongside Kaoru and Makoto
Shoutout to the face animations this part. So much emotion from a PS3 title.
Thanks for putting this out, you and bernie take care dude.
Nico, thank you for thinking about us even now but PLEASE prioritize taking care of Bernie and yourself. If editing the videos helps you relax in this situation and take your mind off heavy things that's great, just please don't feel pressured to do anything for us right now. We'll be waiting right here until you two return.
We love you nico-chan
Jeez, that bull ring scene hurts every time we watched it, but that’s nothing compare to the pain we have to see through that fucking Akimoto’s side quest again.
Damn what happened to the orphanage. Good thing Kiryu is friendly with the world’s greatest construction magnate.
Thx for the video, hope Bernie gets well soon.
Thanks for putting this episode out Nico. Take all the time you need and I hope Bernie has a speedy recovery. :)
I hope Bernie feels well soon!
Damn, this voice acting is top tier... I cried.
Considering you're approaching the finale, I do want to mention that, barring Ultimate Essence, which you can't perform yet, that the completion item for doing every heat action is strong enough that *it* *can* *turn* *any* *encounter* *in* *the* *game* *into* *an* *utter* *cakewalk.* It's definitely something I'd recommend at least looking into.
Thank you for taking the time to upload this episode.
24:00 adrenaline is something else. aint it.
I managed to spoil myself on this whole Rikiya business 2 times on the same video and both times I totally forgot it happened so when I finally saw it here I was surprised for a third time.
I dont want to repeat what is saying but know we appreciate all the work you are doing while having your break. Like many are saying, you dont have to but you did. Please take a massive care to Bernie, we love her and send our prays. :)
Thanks for another video NicoB! I know you are going through a difficult time right now, but I wish you the best of luck with Bernie’s situation. Take your time and I’m looking forward to hearing good news!
Plot twist: Akimoto and Mizuki are the real superboss of this game. You have to beat them, or you'll be trapped in an endless loop of their stupid substories forever.
I already played this game and the Rikiya scene still makes me emotional
This shows something important with kiryu. How he doesn't want anyone close to him to die for kiryu. It all started with kazama to nishikiyama and shinji. This is probably one of the most important part about kiryu's character
I get the reasons that Kiryu's reaction would be so intense for Rikiya, but I can't help myself from thinking about how in the same game as this, Kashiwagi got gunned down by a helicopter, and Kiryu just got kinda bummed about it. I think the only other death that got this level of reaction out of him by this point was Tachibana, and that game was made after this.
I’m Hoping In Future Yakuza And Judgment Games, We Get To See More In Depth Emotions Amongst New Appearing Side Characters Who Will Show Up In Later Games Cause Look At It This Way, I Would Say Kiryu Did Care For The People He Loved Most Back Then Like Yumi, Reina And Nishikiyama And More Past That But I Would Say For Him, Kiryu’s Lived A Tough Life And I Think Overtime When We See Him With An Expressionless Face To The People He Loves Most, I Would Say He Sees That As If He’s Getting Caught In The Waterworks Like He Feels Really Guilty That Everytime He Brings Someone Important In The Occurring Situation Like Kashiwagi, Rikiya And More People Along That Line, He Doesn’t Know What To Say And Correct Me If I’m Not Making Any Sense Here Cause I Haven’t Replayed Yakuza Cutscenes In A Long Time But It Feels Like Everytime Someone Dies Near Kiryu, He Feels Very Guilty That He Dragged Someone Else Into The Line Of Fire And There’s Nothing He Can Do To Control The Past Mistakes That Happened Around Him And I Think That’s Why He Hides His Emotions In Himself Sometimes Because He Can’t Handle The Fact He Felt Like Getting Rikiya Or Anyone Else Killed In Past Yakuza Games Was Somehow His Fault, I Hope I Got The Point Across And I’m Planning On Replaying The Yakuza Games This Summer Before “Lost Judgment” Comes Out So I’m Excited For That But Yeah Man, I Was Just Saying What I Feel Happened Around Him Even If Some Of It Doesn’t Make Sense, I Tried At Least?!?! But Yeah Man, I Just Want Kiryu To Be Happy As Do We All!! ;(
To be fair, the cops were closing in and if you remember, Kiryu had blood on him which the cops would've found suspicious and arrest him. He didn't have time to mourn Kashiwagi
It doesn't get more intense than Kiryu giving up on life at the end of Kiwami 1
59:29
Kiryu: That’s rad!
Ooof, the events of this episode really came at a bad time in your life, Nico. And I can see it hit you really hard just like it did me back when I first played this game.
Out of all the games you've played so far Rikiya's death hits the hardest for me and yet despite that, or maybe because of that, its also one of my favorite scenes in the entire Yakuza series and I'd like to take a moment to talk about why.
-”Aniki”: Characters come and go in this series and really its rare for a character introduced in one game to come back in another after the first one. But with Rikiya there was this different vibe about him. The directors were clearly building up the player's expectations that Rikiya would become a series mainstay, as a lot of his screentime both in the main story and side stories show his relationship with his “Aniki” growing and how it changed the both of them over time.
One of the best scenes showcasing that, in my opinion, is the scene of the two of them in the park where they discuss Kashiwagi's death. I feel its really interesting to note that Kiryu never really takes the time to reflect on the deaths of his close ones unless he's in a cemetary (Yumi and Nishiki) or the plot brings the matter up (in this case Joji and his connection to Kazama).
But with Rikiya, Kiryu felt comfortable opening himself up and being vulnerable about his grief and reflecting on the fond times he had with Kashiwagi.
Rikiya also learned a lot from Kiryu, becoming less prideful over his tattoo and forming a genuine bond with the orphans.
It really felt like they were building up Rikiya to be someone who'd be there with Kiryu in Okinawa forever but no, it was just the opposite. They were building him up...to make the tragedy of his death hit harder.
-The good die young: Its not something stated unless you look into his character profile in-game but Rikiya is 25 years old at the time of his death. He's younger than you and me, barely a fourth of the way through his life.
He has dreams and ambitions and a single bullet took it all away.
He wasn't some big head honcho of a Yakuza, he wasn't a man atoning for his mistakes. He was ultimately a civilian, and a friend. Its pretty common in media for deaths to be these drawn-out moments where the character's perform a monologue and while yes, Rikiya does do that, you can feel his life slowly ending with every breath he takes. It adds this layer of desperation to his final moments.
And all he wants in those final moments is for his “Aniki” to assure him that he didn't make a mistake. That he was a man in the end, and he gave his life for something important.
To me at least, being scared of dying young without ever having accomplished anything was a fear I had in my early 20s, so when I got to Rikiya's death in Yakuza 3 it really twisted my gut. And then again when I played the Remaster last year.
But despite Kiryu's actions towards Rikiya confirming to him that he still had a reason to live...Rikiya dies in his arms, crying, only able to utter a weak apology showing that in the end, he regrets that he died young. This leads to probably one of the most surprising moments in the entire Yakuza series...
-The Mask Comes Off: ...It goes without saying that Kiryu is a man with an iron will. He lets his fists do the talking when faced with his problems and rarely shows his tender side outside those close to him.
But this game didn't pull any punches on him. In the span of just a few days Kiryu has dealt with the near-death of Nakahara and Daigo assumedly at the hands of his adopted father, back from the dead. Then he witnesses Kashiwagi, the last connection to his father's clan, die before his very eyes. Then he finds out a thug like Kanda is the one running the family of his own blood brother. Then he's forced to confront Lao once more, the consequences of his mistakes in failing to finish him off long ago nearly getting him and Rikiya killed.
And then finally, after a grueling battle with Joji that forces Kiryu to confront the spectre of Kazama's face and fighting style, its still not over, as Mine bulldozes the orphanage, nearly gets Mikio killed, feeds Nakahara to that bastard Tamashiro, and is currently on his way to finish the job on Daigo.
All this culminates with the death of Rikiya. Having gone non-stop for days now, Kiryu is tired and battered physically and emotionally. Even after seeing Shinji, Reina, Yumi, Nishiki, Kazama, Takeda and Kashiwagi die before his very eyes we've NEVER seen Kiryu break as hard as he did with Rikiya.
Its not that Rikiya alone is more important to him than all the other people who died before this point. Its that his death represents yet another failure on Kiryu's part.
A recurring theme in the series is that Kiryu believes himself responsible for the death of everyone close to him. You'll recall his flashbacks in Kiwami 2 to the deaths of his loved ones.
Kiryu is a very strong individual on the surface but ultimately what he wears is a mask bottling many, many regrets and anguish, a mask that finally broke with Rikiya's death.
In what is one of Takaya Kuroda's most powerful performances in the series, he is able to show us the true vulnerability of Kazama Kiryu, as he desperately tries to keep Rikiya from being yet another life on his guilty conscience. Screaming his name, sobbing and shaking him, even after his body had long gone cold.
And all this happens while a piano rendition of “Fly”, the game's main theme and one of my favorite if not absolutely favorite song in the franchise, plays in the background.
There's a lot that can be said about Yakuza 3. The pace is fast after the initial two chapters and the side stories are too many in number, the combat is clunky with too much guarding.
But this game is home to some of the strongest scenes in the franchise for me, and from the point of Joji's fight all the way to the very end is my favorite climax in the series too.
So even though Rikiya's passed on, the viper's soul lives on in all of us.
No matter what comes your way Nico, strike at it, fangs out. Do it for Rikiya, do it for Bernie, and most importantly do it for yourself. We'll be here for you every step of the way.
Love it when Kiryu doesn't check if villains still have a firearm on them. ;'D
But At The Same Time, It’s Both At A Moment’s Notice And Just At The Right Or Wrong Time, I Love My Main Boi “Kiryu” But Not Only Does He Need To Protect Haruka, He Needs To Protect His Friends As Well?!?! ;(
God damn, Kiryu getting so emotional over Rikiya got to me.
Ok....so the fighter in the arena you were referring to was Gary Buster Holmes and while he is not in this game, it won’t be the last time you see him
The beginning of this episode: “I hope Rikiya is around for a few games.”
Near half way through the episode: Rikiya fucking dies.
This game is evil in so many ways, and I certainly can’t wait for my friend to get to this game since he’s almost done with K2 and doing all of them blind.
Edit: also at 44:48, it looks like Kiryu’s eyes are lifeless, then Haruka snaps him back to reality.
Nico: At least let him be in a few games
Me (without spoiling): You'll find out why they can't do that the moment you hit "start" in Yakuza 4
I know that Rikiya's death is really sad and unfortunate, but am I the only one who finds it weird that Kiryu was more sad over his death than Kashiwagi, who he had known for most of his life and has been in all the previous games?
Kiryu was like “Aw shit someone killed Kashiwagi real bummer”
Difference was, Rikiya was just a kid really.
I can see how Kiryu could feel more responsible for Rikkia's death.
Kiryu didn't have time to cry over Kashiwagis death because the police were coming.
@PenitentDeadMan308 T after he lost Reina, kazama, shinji and nishiki, Kiryu almost gave up on life. If it wasn't for Haruka Kiryu would have let himself be blamed for the 10 billion yen incident and thrown his life away. That is true despair.
Stay strong man for both this end section of the game and especially bernie,you and her are in our thoughts and prayers just take care! And wish you and her the best!
(Kiryu beats up Shimano and just leaves him be, with grenades lying around. Shimano kills Kazama.)
(Kiryu beats up Jingu, leaves him be and doesn't even take his weapon away. Jingu kills Yumi and lethally shoots Nishiki, causing him to sacrifice himself.)
(Kiryu beats up Tamashiro, leaves him be and doesn't even take his weapon away. Tamashiro kills Rikiya.)
You know, I have a feeling that if Kiryu was just a little bit more extra careful, more then a half of his deceased loved ones would still be alive.
41:22 Joji: and here’s how I traveled so fast. Nicob: Who the hell is this low Polly guy. Pilot: KIRYU-CHAN. Nico:How Majima HOW. Majima: I’m the ultimate Taxi driver now hop on my lap Kiryu-Chan
Holy shit I got the comment of the day thank you Nico
Congrats
@@zeroknight1311 thank you
@@old_tech3269 welcome
@@zeroknight1311 thank you
"you need time to recuperate from yakuza-esk games right?" no. no we do not. i for one would love back to back yakuza
Rikiya's death pissed me off too because of how cheap it felt. Kiryu has been a yakuza for YEARS, there is no reason he wouldn't think to knock the gun away or take the gun. It's so dumb.
Maybe this is the right time to discuss, the theme of "lack of love" for the Yakuza final bosses.
In Yakuza 1 - Nishiki never felt loved in the same way Kiryu is, not from Kazama, not from Yumi, and not from the Yakuza. This made him feel like Kiryu was the main character in life and resulted in him doing the things he did when he lost his footing, losing Kiryu, Yumi, his sister, and by Kazama's own admission; failed to get the support he needed when he needed it.
Yakuza 2 - Ryuji felt like he was abandoned by his mother, and never had a chance, to be honest with his father until the very end. These feelings lead him to want to surpass his father no matter the cost, he felt a need to earn his respect (even if he didn't realise it) but all they had to do was remove the fear of the past and just be frank, but because this didn't happen, he ends up seeing power as the only thing he can anchor himself to and went for it.
Yakuza 3 - Mine also has a similar issue, I won't go further because obviously spoilers, but I think it's safe to say he's actually a bit different from the other bosses before him and maybe the ones coming up. I'd argue he even fights for "love" rather than JUST the lack of it. As Nico said, he's a parallel to Kiryu's situation and what it's like to not have anything to keep him optimistic.
You know, we're not at the end but I feel it's safe to say I understand why this isn't the favourite game in the series to fans and yet why Kiryu's VA loves it so much.
Also thank you for uploading this in spite of everything that's going on right now. I hope Bernie and you stay safe.
Kiryu's mistake that has never been fixed since the early games, never take away the guns from the bad guys.....
Many characters wouldnt have to be dead