The philosophy is simple. For Ichiban who is at the bottom, when he looks up, he can see the light beating down. But for Ryo who is at the top, when he looks down, the only thing he sees is darkness.
The dialogue between Ichiban and Masato at the coin lockers, was nothing short of exceptional. The voice acting was so emotionally impactful. I haven't been left that emotional at the end of a game for so long. Ichiban's VA displayed his emotions incredibly. I'm definitely not crying....
There's also the heartbreaking parallel of the fact that the two people who carried Masato at the beginning and end of his life were both Arakawas, in blood and in bond. So not only is it beautiful acting and dialogue, it's magnificent writing too. This game was seriously the greatest movie I've ever watched.
@@Ibrahim-wr5fs I don't think ichiban knew kume stabbed masato. From ichibans perspective, it would seem like kume is crying in front of masato for betraying him. Only masato and the player knew he got stabbed
@@zuni46 if Masumi picked the right baby (Ichiban), Ichiban would be named as Arakawa Masato, while Kasuga Jiro (owner of shangri-la soapland and ichiban's adoptive father) would picked Masato and named him Kasuga Ichiban.
@@RushValentine Yeah. It was so poetic and heart-wrenching, yet it was masterfully done in that respect. I never noticed or took it into account because I was more in horror that Sota Kume was the one that killed Masato before Ichiban's eyes.
the part where Ichiban was crying while trying to talk down Masato because he cared about him that much was gut wrenching. The even put in the wet and red-strained eyes on him to emphasize how fucking sad and desparate he was at that moment
There was so much at stake when it comes to replacing Kiryu, but I think they did a really good job with Ichi. He’s very likable and relatable, whereas everyone saw Kiryu with admiration and respect from the beginning. It’s a great change and I can’t wait to see more of Ichi.
@Outlaw who cares? seriously like wtf is up with this DBZ bs? This is the same crap reason as to why DBZ is just the Goku show now, because people only care about power levels and strongest and when characters like Gohan or the Z warriors do nothing anymore they complain. Well maybe, if you cared more about anything else other than power levels you can appreciate anything else.
@@kaisersaucy6503 bro relax he's just making a comparison he didn't mean to offend you with that. way i see it he's saying that's why Ichi is so much more relatable because he's not an absolute powerhouse, hell I'm not even sure he'd be able to take on Akiyama, Saejima, or Majima one on one. he's kinda like Shinada and that's why we like him. Shinada was just a guy at his lowest who got wrapped up in this shit but still did his best and pulled through, but the only reason he made it through to the end was because the people closest to him. don't throw a hissyfit over the comment it's just a comparison. there's nothing wrong with weaker or even overpowered characters.
@@thread6971 No fuck off with downplaying my comment as a mere "hissyfit", it's almost like power levels are non existent in Yakuza and the game can easily write Kiryu or Majima losing to Ichiban the same way they can pretend Kuze is comparable to Kiryu when most of their fights are Kuze having an extreme advantage. Because there's a point to be made with writing Ichi to lose, while you people would cry if Ichiban suddenly won in his first bout with "legends". The point was that Ichi having friends is a strength, he doesn't become a jobber without them.
There's a difference between seeing Kiryu cry and Ichiban cry. In the rare times that Kiryu cried, you never hear him just let it all out, red eyed and sobbing like Ichi. Given how upbeat and, well, heroic Ichiban behaves for most of the story, seeing him break down like he does for someone that's important to him really fucking hits the heart. Especially when you consider everything. So many things happen to Ichiban that would make most other protagonists distrust those they felt they knew. Even when he doesn't have the answers, Ichiban never considers disowning those he considers family, regardless of what they do to him. Stubborn, yeah, but that's a level of loyalty you just can't teach. EDIT: At the time I first wrote the comment, I wasn't completely aware of other moments in the series, namely Y3, with Kiryu's sorrow coming out. Definitely am now but my original intention was that Kiryu's more intense moments of sorrow were akin to Kenshiro's sadness in HnK, where it was open but they didn't make Kiryu "ugly cry" and look like an utter mess. Whereas with Ichiban, they're more comfortable doing that, especially to contrast his natural demeanor. Edit 2: WELL FUCK THAT FIRST EDIT AFTER THAT LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN TRAILER, KIRYU-CHAN NEEDS A HUG
The voice acting here is amazing but you know you will never see those voice actorswin anything at the Video Games Awards, it's always some kind of random western actors from The Last of Us or some kind of weird shitty western (often woke) game that will win the award of the best voice actor.
@@passbyicecube To be fair, it's the first part of a new sequel compilation of FF7 games. I personally think FF7R deserved the win, but Y:LAD is a super close second to me
Ichiban's performance on this is just amazing. His last moments with Masato remind me of Nishiki when he tries to convince Kiryu to leave Kamurocho in Yakuza 0 and even his scenes from Kiwami.
@@walkwitgreatness9163 i meant more in the sense of how before RDR2 dropped, everyone was like "I don't wanna play as Arthur, I want John!" And then when the game dropped that got flipped right on its head.
@@walkwitgreatness9163 me neither. I loved everything I saw about him but I knew it'd be a tough transition for others, but it looks like it was a successful passing of the torch!
@@kartikayysola oh most definetly like yakuza has soo many protagonists they could of made sequels with but they kept going back to kiryu like I loveee kiryu but can’t always rely on one person when they have people like majima akiyama yagami and now ichiban and I felt salty Akiyama didn’t even make 1 appearance in 7 and hell we don’t even know what happened with Tanimura from 4
It's insane to me how, compared to all the other AAA movie games coming from big companies, all of which try to tell "emotional" and "moving" stories, none of their narratives hit nearly as hard as this one did for me. The writing, the acting, the narrative pieces on display here are all exceptional. I legit shed tears with my man Ichiban not only because of his acting but also because of all the stakes which were present. I felt something here more than my entire run-throughs of God of War, or The Last of Us Part 1 or 2.
@@bigbacc2188 That’s the Tragedy with both Dutch/Masato is that both them didn’t realize the love and loyalty of those closest to them until it was too late (Masato with Ichiban/Masumi and Dutch with Arthur). Also despite not being related by blood, Ichiban always viewed Masato as a brother and Arthur always viewed Dutch as a father. Moral of both stories, always appreciate the love you’re given before it’s too late and never throw it away.
"The bottom doesn't have to be all dark and gloomy. If you can stand and look up, you'll see the light of hope up there." Dammit, Ichiban. Who said you could cut a dozen onions in the same place?
You know, this ending was made of Ichiban. If it was Kiryu, this ending just wouldn't have worked. Kiryu is always more subdued, even when he lectures someone it's more restrained anger and stating facts. Only Ichiban can bear his heart and speak from deep inside, nothing held back. As Ichiban said, there is no logic to it.
I really can't wait what they'll do with Ichiban and his awesome friends. So glad they decided to risk going for this type of rpg system where you have multiple characters, yet still have that personal Yakuza story. It's so refreshing after 7 games with Kiryu.
@@kal-el4781 It was Kiryu story Saejima story is over Akiyama story is over The detective (Forgot his name) story is over Majima story is near over Ichiban story is starting
@@RoloRolla Ichiban fucked him up good. He was literally limping by the time he reached the coin lockers, to recap he got in a fist fight and lost, got punched through glass railings from atleast half a floor high and landed on GLASS. Probably has internal bleeding from Ichiban punching him too hard (he literally has bruises) and from literally landing on his sides from the fall. And he was never at great health to begin with, he even makes a point about how he hates his weak and frail body, and as far as where he got stabbed yeah that was most likely his intestines Kume targeted, Masato bled out to death.
Watase and Daigo running a security company, with possible members from Majima and Saejima? Bro they might as well just start a damn PMC with that firepower
Only real issue is that everyone; even Daigo has been carrying on the Yakuza way for many years now. Daigo is the youngest & he seems older for his age, Majima and Saejima were older than Kiryu when they were upstarts which is why despite Goro’s protests that Saejima was probably right about him slowing down a bit now. Without the constant gang violence like back then & the need to be in hiding, their skills may have wavered, and I doubt they can get it back as time passes. Kiryu may even get to the point where he can’t stop a punch with his forehead any longer; much less one punch at all. Which is why it’s good to have a good soul like Ichiban who’s a bit younger compared to the older cast but lived during the time of his bosses’ reputation proceeding them.
Ichiban is such a kind-hearted person, the raw emotion of him pouring his heart out, weeping openly and without shame. We need more narratives like this
I can feel Masato's pain. In his own words, he said there were two kinds of people irreplaceable people and the easily replaced, meaning those important and useless or discardable. Even if he wouldn't admit despite his power, his new body, he still see himself as the old useless Masato. In the dark gloomy pit of his mind, he had a shining light Yumeno. As she betrayed him, he lost his light. He must have swore to never feel this useless again. To never be this pathetic. He would be so powerful that not only no one would discard him, they wouldn't be able to. In the end, he met her again. She complimented him, him the young succesful Ryo Aoki. Receiving a compliment by the woman he loved was the cherry on the cake of the joke that was Masato Arakawa. He got confirmation, Ryo Aoki is great and Masato Arakawa is nothing. It should have been a great moment for him but everything was fake. He isn't Ryo Aoki, he is Masato Arakawa. Ryo Aoki is the facade for the world. It's a shell to protect him. He wanted to show that Masato Arakawa is not useless, that he deserved love and he got the opposite. Sometimes we need to be alone. That fateful night wasn't one of them. Masato needed to feel love. The only one able to save him was Ichiban. He wasn't sensible to the voice of the man of duty who was Masumi Arakawa. And Sawashiro... is not a great man, so not the kind to stop anyone. I feel like, if Ichi had more time, he would have been able to save everyone but he was the one they decided to send in prison. Or... if he didn't extend his stay in prison. Just like usual he was late. Well that's it for my take I think.
You beat the game, you see Ichiban finally convince Masato to change his ways, and boom. He's stabbed, falls to the ground, credits roll, and the first words you hear are "game over" This game man...
@@aerodynamo4874 y'know what makes it worse? I looked up a translation for the song and there's this part that's SUPPOSED to be about ichiban, but doesn't quite fit: "Justice Will Sometimes Be Ruthless! Blade In Hand, Facing Pain And Hardship..." Except Ichibans main weapon is a bat, not a blade. Now who do we know who wields a blade and acted in the name of "Justice"? (Hint hint: it's not majima) (I might be reaching here but it makes sense in my head, okay?)
@@TheApolloZ *obligatory spoiler warning for y7 ending* kume! He used a dagger to stab Aoki, not to mention he did it for his own sense of justice - im not sure if it's supposed to reference him or it's in my head, but that line sticks out compared to the rest of the song to me
@@rr-wi8fp Yes, I thought about him a few moments later after I commented this. I had trouble finding this comment so I couldn't specifically ask about him. Your hint about Majima made me think if it's someone from Tojo Clan but as nobody else wields a blade apart from Majima, I was confused. However, I wonder if Kume is able to get away with the crime. He's not bright at all, and couldn't do anything by himself unless there's someone who backs him up. So it's very unlikely that he gets away with it unless someone powerful helps him. I agree that he can be a good antagonist with a false sense of justice. When you think about it, Kume was more of an antagonist than Aoki in this game as well because he's been an obstacle in Ichiban's path since the beginning when he first moves to Hamako's "small restaurant." By the way, are you a Malayali by any chance?
gotta respect Daigo man like the dude's been constantly being shitting on for every main yakuza game. Glad he finally got some Win in 7. But that also mean like his role might be done since he is no longer the chairman of the Tojo clan, so i just really hope they wont do anything bad to him or writing him to the side in 8
If he's running a security company I'd love if maybe that served as a means for you to maybe temporarily hire party memebers. Like you can hire some procedurally generated guys for a small fee, and then people like Saejima or Majima might have a huge charge per battle or something.
daigo is a good leader, but the tojo clan somehow gets into really weird conflicts. daigo has gotten into conflicts with the CIA, a corrupt deputy commissioner, and the governor of tokyo. The only normal thing that happened in his time as chairman was in yakuza 2 and yakuza 5 where the omi alliance gets heavily involved
Man...Both the Eng and Dub VAs for this ending blew it out the water. As for the game itself, Yakuza 7 was amazing, I had some issues (Mostly gameplay related such as it being game over if Ichiban fainted, never was a fan of that in JRPGs) that I hope gets ironed out in future. I made a comment on the video Leon made showing the ending of Judgement saying about how I had my concerns now that Kiryu was no longer the main character. Judgement managed to help me feel at ease as I was worried that the characters and stories wouldn't hold up without Kiryu there. Judgement and Yakuza 7 especially confirmed to me that no, everything's going to be okay and Ichiban is more than worthy to become the next dragon. But man, where do we go from here now? All of the mainline games had the Tojo and/or Omi involved in some way but now they're gone. The two biggest Yakuza organizations in the series are no more. Y'know what? Some might find that worrying, Me? I find that exciting. What happens now is truly 100% going to be unknown territory. How's Ichiban going to fully become a dragon? Will we get a rematch with Kiryu in the future to show how strong we've become?Are we going to meet Ichiban's version of Ryuji in Yakuza 8? All of these questions plagued my mind but it wasn't giving me uncertainty. It was giving me joy. I truly cannot wait to see where this series goes. To many of us, this is Yakuza 7. However to Ichiban, this is his Yakuza 1. His journey's only just begun. And I cannot wait to walk that journey with him and see where this Koi goes to find his gate up the waterfall and become a Dragon because, Ichiban Kasuga? You truly are worthy of carrying the torch, an amazing heartfelt character who I want to see make Kiryu Kazuma proud.
I fully agree with everyone here as for Kiryu though I'm assuming he might be the last boss in the game if you do all the substories or do something like The Millennium Tower just a thought
3 года назад+75
This is one of my favorite endings in Yakuza, and the credits song is just a perfect tearjerker
Me: thinking that for once in the Yakuza series we'd get a somewhat happy ending Kume: how about no. but seriously no matter how many times i watch this, i always end up crying. it's so heartbreaking and the voice acting in this scene was just superb. i hope in the next game that has Ichi in it we'll get to kick Kume's ass.
I have a feeling that if he did appear as a boss in the next game, his battle is gonna be like one of those "hopeless, inevitable death" ones, where all he is doing is cowering in fear, only guarding, and once you hit him once, he stumbles over and doesn't get up and you just viciously beat him. I don't know, maybe they'll throw in an aggressive, rage-filled QTE in there to spice things up.
Ichi's story has just begun! I gotta say, after playing the game again in ENG they really did a good job on this! I also love the "Ichibanka" song at the credits! Can't wait for his story to continue real soon...
The first time I saw this ending, I was starting to feel a sense of hope when Ichiban finally opened Masato's eyes, but then the second I saw Sota Kume stab Masato, my hope was replaced with horror immediately. I can still understand WHY Kume did that, because he has put lots of passion, trust, etc into Masato, only to realize that he was being used by the latter for meaningless bloodshed and the sort, but having played through the whole game, I grew a rather hot hatred for Kume and Bleach Japan despite this. And as much as I wanted to punch him, I was more or less stuck in horror as Masato died in Ichiban's arms before he ever knew Sawashiro was his real father... and it felt even more heart-wrenching that Ichiban carried him away from the Lockers just like how Arakawa took Sawashiro... like it all came full circle, and it's so poetic, it brought me to tears!
So fucking sad, they gave ichiban the full Kiryu treatment and then some: Went to jail to protect his"brother". Patriarch/father figure murdered in front of his eyes. His "brother" betrays him and becomes evil, fucks shit up, is responsible for his father's death, redeems himself in the end and dies. Well at least he has his friends, Kiryu was forced to abandon Haruka and his children at the orphanage :(.
@@omdhdk Nah. That shit would've happened one way or another. No matter how hard Kiryu tried to stay out of yakuza life something always happened to pull his ass back in. As far as I'm concerned, 6's ending was sealed the moment Daigo got shot near the end of 5, it was simply a matter of when. "Why does this always happen when I get involved? Why does someone else always pay the price?"
@@KingShibe indeed. It makes me wonder if Ichiban is going to find out about his situation and try to rectify it. I don't see him being okay with Kiryu having to be away from his family, especially after he lost his own.
@@kartikayysola Ichiban is just that kind of guy who goes out of his way to help people in need, that's why him and kiryu are such good protagonists they're really likeable, despite their fair share of flaws. Now the question is how does he plan on helping him? I'm hyped for Like a dragon 8, I'm also curious to see if they will implement anything from Like a dragon online, the trailer for that game had Kiryu, Arakawa, Ichiban and Haruka all meet eachother. And even though it isn't Canon would be cool to have some kind of shout out or reference to it.
20:07 - 20:09 This is the angriest we've seen him, that's the face of pure unadulterated contempt. Him nearly murdering someone during his breaking point was rough but, I can't help but wonder what was going through his head when he made that face in Kume's direction. Hope we get to beat Kume to half death, I doubt Ichiban would ever kill someone especially since 8 is gonna have Kiryu(Joryu) as a main character again but it would be fun to watch Ichiban bust Kume's teeth.
@@cgecko3i think the 8 will have Ichiban as the main character again since he's made to be his succesor in this franchise, its more like passing of torch from Kiryu to Kasuga to carry the legacy
When I watched the ending, crying pretty hard, I was so sure Masato was going to live for a number of reasons: it would give a nice symmetry to Ichi and Arakawa saving him, he was actually dead as a baby and here he was stabbed by a pretty short blade, so it seems like there's no reason for him to die. And then he just dies. It made sense for him to be stabbed, but it felt so forced to me for that to be the result, I expected him to reveal a fake death to start over again after the funeral. It actually made me kind of angry, because there's so much you could do with Masato now. Kiryu has had much worse stab wounds, maybe Masato'll be a surprise in the next game. Who knows.
Stabs to the gut bleed, A LOT. I have been stabbed (impaled more like...) like that once, accidentally of course, would have bled out if my friends didn't have a first aid kit and we weren't 1 mile away from the er. Plus Kiryu is a tank. Masato isn't kiryu.
I'd personally like for him to be some kind of reveal in Ichiban's last game, maybe ending up the same way as Takechi Honpeita in Ishin, finally making up for his crimes by supporting the country in the shadows, no more manipulation. I'd love to see happy Masato.
I thought alot about Masato's death because I found it hard to accept until I remembered one detail - he had a lung transplant. People with transplants tend to have weaker bodies, and are more prone to complications with further illnesses/injuries. Taking that into account, his death becomes more sensible.
*really late reply* I agree. It made no sense for Masato to die, considering IMO he was the best villain to turn around and repent for his crimes, but alas, he died.. I feel like it was just a waste of potential for character development, and the only thing that I didn't like about LAD.
So am I the only one who thinks the ending is subtly hinting at the possibility that Masato actually lived? We go into the credits with Ichi rushing off with him in his arms, and we end on a flashback to Masato saying he'll take the odds of starting from rock bottom. Could Ichi have faked Masato's death somehow and sent him to live anonymously on the streets the same way Arakawa did for Ichi? It seems possible, and presented this way so it can perhaps be a surprise when revealed in a later story. I could also buy Ichi keeping this a secret to protect the others.
@@darthsreepa2820 I personally think it would be the moment Ichi finally repays the debt he felt he owed Arakawa if he did it, plus it would break from the series having the tendency to do tragedy like this.
@@darthsreepa2820 Plus considering all the people Ichi knows now and his own power through his journey? I wouldn't be surprised if he could make this all happen. Would also show that Ichi was able to do what most others couldn't. Find another way.
To me, this ending was a reimagining of Kiryu and Nishiki outcome. They had a battle and Nishiki kinda redeemed himself but Kiryu didn't want that to be the end of his bro. Instead we have Ichiban literally begging and trying more than most people would to open his bro's eyes. Kiryu probably wouldn't have done this to Nishiki, instead he just kicked his ass, but Ichiban is the type of dude that will go that extra mile. I absolutely loved this ending. Ichiban is one of the most wholesome and good hearted characters in the Yakuza universe and I'm glad he's now the series lead.
@@hoyhoy852 To be fair, I think a lot of kids do that with their parents, idolizing them even after learning of their flaws and darker side, but you're totally right. Arakawa absolutely is Kazama with better execution, as he pretends no virtues and hides no flaws from Ichi, yet to Ichi, he's still his father, no matter what.
I'm so excited to be going forward with Ichiban as the main protagonist of this series. As much as I love Kiryu, Ichiban has done an amazing job filling in his shoes.
I think I have learnt something very important finishing this game today. Whether you choose to start from the rock bottom or you were forced to do that, the experience isn’t necessarily all dark and gloomy. So don’t be afraid to do that as there are people who care for you along the way.
Just passed the game today... Bruh the acting, the script, the scenes all are all S tier quality. Idk how this game was overlooked for game of the year.. Sad
People were scare if ichiban could replace kiryu as the new yakuza protagonist as kiryu will always be the face of yakuza (in my opinion) and it's really hard to replace the dragon. But this game shows that ichiban is good enough and maybe even better then kiryu
Kiryu: "He's not my sucessor, nor my replacement. Ichiban Kasuga is Ichiban Kasuga. And if he manages to make the most of an honest life, that'll be enough."
Kiryu doesn't have a great personality, he's too much anime protag in the other hand Ichiban is the perfect protag with great personality and allot of friends and a guy who started from rock bottom even worse situation like Kiryu and managed to survive. He's the perfect and he has a chance to surpass Kiryu.
This is the first time I've ever cried hard at a cutscene...the voice acting for everyone involved was insane. One of the best games I have ever played
Kept putting off playing LAD for months because of the turn-based mechanics. But everybody kept talking about how emotional the coin locker scene was that I just had to play the game and see it for myself. And I cried, because the story of this game is nearly perfect, and the ending was so well choreographed and directed. It is an honor for Ichiban to become the New Dragon.
my friend, Jordan and I played through this at launch. he watched me play through it on discord and he loved every second of it as did I, I remember watching the credits start and we were both in absolute shock and were like "nah, this can't end like that" like we waited in silence after our reactions, waiting to see some kind of post credits scene. it's almost been 2 years and I decided to come back and rewatch this part of the game and that stab still fucking hit me as hard as it did when I first saw it happen. fucking love this series
Could have learned and been inspired from Yakuza’s beat-em-combat. Yikes. Like that would have been a pick for me to try since and while I do somewhat enjoy the Turn Based Combat in 7 going forward, JE & LJ has yet to be released on PC (thanks J&A) and I really somewhat don’t want to replay Kiryu’s saga for some reason. Edit: I ate good. It’s on PC now.
@@jansobieski3127 true. Mr "visionary man" Yu Suzuki, doesn't know how to make a game fun to play, but he also doesn't know how to write an interesting story with great character development.
20:35 nanba english va is yagami english va 20:42 masato english va is wei shen va from sleeping dogs 20:46 masumi age 20 english va is narukami from persona 4 golden 20:46 sawashiro english va is yuri from modern warfare 3 20:47 horinouchi english va is lubu from warrior orochi and chief prosecutor morita english va from judgment 21:00 majima english va is kuroiwa english va and leon from resident evil 6 21:03 watase english va is frank woods from black ops 1 and 2 21:04 daigo english va is chris redfield
The social commentary of the mindset people with disabilities can develop is accurate. I read some saying they were only able to sympathize with Masato at the end but his motivations were clear and relatable to me since the start. I think about this ending often.
I was the same in that I did sympathize with masato from the start because I was also in a dark place and hated myself like he did. Most people won't hit rock bottom so for most it's hard to sympathize how dark and hopeless someone can feel
The diet (Japan's parliament) is just gonna be a battle arena with Kasuga battling ministers and the final boss is gonna be the prime minister himself. LOL
this one hit me harder than i was expected, i do love how loyal ichiban always have been.... even if things had to end this way, ichiban be carrying the torches and keeping on living...
I'm still salty that Masato had to die a shity death. Especially from the most unlikeable character in the game, it Ironic in a sense that he was using Kume the whole time and creating an arrogant monster by the end, that arrogance turned at him and ended up killing him. Shows you sometimes you really must not underestimate an arrogant person, because you don't know what he will do or his next move is about to be.
Also it is just bad writing. Kume doesn't know jack shit about masato so the odds of him finding where he was when the police couldn't is bullshit. Also, the "walk stab" thing is so stupid.
@@disgaealikerasapOG Personally I enjoyed how Masaki died. He used everyone as stepping stones and in the very end it came back to bite him in the ass. It doesn’t matter how rich or powerful you are, you can’t just press a reset. button and try again the consequences of your actions always catch up to you.
A year ago my Yakuza journey started with Y7 & after playing most of the entries - only Y6 and Y7 ending got me this emotional Ichiban is so fucking likeable and this game had so much memorable moments and also quotes to live by
Masato's final moments reminded me of Mine. I remember when I first played Yakuza 0 was due to my friend who convinced me it was a great game. He never told me that the series was so filled with emotions and I became a fan ever since. As soon as I finished 0 I had to buy Kiwami then Kiwami 2 and so on until 7. And I will say this, great to see how despite Ichiban being the new protagonist, the same energy never left.
Ichiban's VA really made the scene. The direction was really simple: Ichiban has to convince Masato to stop continuing to commit atrocities and start over. There's no twist or no ulterior motive. Just speaking from his heart. Usually it ends up being very cliche and predictable but the VA's performance really knows how to tug the heartstrings and shows that Ichiban is pouring it all out there to save Masato. While I was watching it, I was thinking, "Damn, Ichiban's VA is killin' it and the way he speaks really brings out Ichiban's naive but honest desire to save his friend." Just found out he voices Nishikiyama and it really shows through these emotional scenes.
Well each sad event did impact me emotionally. 0 my first game caused me great pain from the prequel characters all dying. 6's ending was hard to take from playing Kiryu for so long.
masato not knowing that ichi is calling him brother cuz they both have the same father hits hard,ichi grew up alone and him finding out about his father gave him a new hope to masato
“TuRn bAsEd WiLl kIlL tHe SeRiEs” 7 turned out to be best rated and highest selling yakuza game. Also ironically shifting sega’s attention to yakuza instead of stuff like sonic
Tbh i was hesitant about this game because its turn based. But its yakuza so i gave it a go. And i think i like it as turn based because it seems like an artistic choice for ichibans point of view and his playing dragon quest as an influence for him. So i appreciate it in that manner.
Quite mix actually, some people are well... not open minded. I am not really fond to turn based either but gotta keep my personal opinion away and try the game and honestly its good.
@@jimchad9900 actually I mean reviews in general. It is the highest ratest yakuza game out of them. If we used by player personal opinions then 0 would most likely be at top
its rare for a game to make me cry actual rivers, but yakuza 7 made me cry a fucking ocean dude and isn't bcs of sadness but bcs i can understand ichi very fucking well when it comes to losing friends
I love that there are some people that took a bit while to get used to Kiryu, but then when Ichiban came in, EVERYONE loved Ichiban. Thats how lovable Ichiban is.
I have no issue with infinite wealth's ending, my only problem was Kiryu not meeting people directly since nothing mattered at the end and some rushed/unnecessary deaths or plot that led to nowhere in the middle section of the game. The ending was good/okayish, it leaves room for a new installment and passes the torch to Ichiban and how he differs from Kiryu.
Way better lmfao. This story is way more cohesive and better written, as well as all in all best aspects except for graphics and gameplay but that's it. Infinite Wealth is overrated
I know this is a nitpick but Isn't it odd that masato dies in seconds after getting stabbed with a pocket knife while kiryu was stabbed with a poison dagger and manages to walk himself to safety.
Kiryu's a goddamn fucking tank of a human being, you gotta understand this. Earlier when he was a boss fight Ichiban bunched him square in the forehead and Kiryu took it like it was nothing, then even after the party "won" they actually lost because Kiryu whooped their asses, but he basically said "eh, good enough."
@@Boyzby He's been shot and stabbed a lot over the course of the series, if you haven't forgotten. He's tanked stuff that would have killed most men. If one thing is any indicator of this, take Judgement for example, where gunshots and blade strikes from enemies are considered bad enough for Yagami that he suffers heavily crippling injuries from them, compared to previous Yakuza protagonists. Masato isn't nearly as thoroughly built or as tough as a Yakuza legend; he spent most of his life in a wheelchair with a terrible lung disease. A stab wound like that could be fatal for him.
I'll admit kiryu was a bad example but how about yuta from yakuza 6. He gets stabbed during the millennium tower raid and manages to show up during the final boss.
@@Boyzby You know that bodybuilders have had a decency of surviving shotgun blasts point blank? You have no excuse to be a such weak bitch, an actual wild animal can't survive bullets, but humans have had of history of doing so, why are you not going Mr Shakedown and try to become the ultimate lifeform? My boi Aoki was just unlucky for having a weak constitution.
As soon as Masato had the shard of glass in his hands I thought he was gonna kill himself seppuku style right there. Then the game made me think he would live and could redeem himself. THEN he put the gun to his head and I thought it was truly over. THEEEN Masato put the gun down and I thought we were gonna get a somewhat happy ending. After all of that he still gets stabbed and died anyway and shattered me. Masterpiece. This is my first yakuza game. Bought infinite wealth immediately after finishing this.
He had too much blood on his hands he was beyond redemption and all his motives was self hatred that why he's one of the six worst antagonist of the yakuza/like a dragon series
The voice acting here was insane, when Masato died right when he was about to change for the better I was crying and then laughing because of the upbeat credits theme. This is one of my top 3 story games of all time it’s so good.
![YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Sneaking [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ILUps2zDFU/mqdefault.jpg)
The philosophy is simple. For Ichiban who is at the bottom, when he looks up, he can see the light beating down.
But for Ryo who is at the top, when he looks down, the only thing he sees is darkness.
Beauty can be found in the simple
Damn, that's good.
Light in Darkness/Darkness in Light
Which is why I think Light and Darkness is a more fitting Final Boss title than ism.
@@theofficiallonewolf Not really, ism pretty much describes what they're going for without being extremely blunt about it.
The dialogue between Ichiban and Masato at the coin lockers, was nothing short of exceptional. The voice acting was so emotionally impactful. I haven't been left that emotional at the end of a game for so long. Ichiban's VA displayed his emotions incredibly.
I'm definitely not crying....
There's also the heartbreaking parallel of the fact that the two people who carried Masato at the beginning and end of his life were both Arakawas, in blood and in bond.
So not only is it beautiful acting and dialogue, it's magnificent writing too.
This game was seriously the greatest movie I've ever watched.
I'm still wondering why ichiban did not stop kumei
@@Ibrahim-wr5fs I don't think ichiban knew kume stabbed masato. From ichibans perspective, it would seem like kume is crying in front of masato for betraying him. Only masato and the player knew he got stabbed
@@Ibrahim-wr5fs i think he was in shock, i mean that was so fast and just a few seconds ago everything seemed good
@@Not_Claptrap Not gonna lie. If they didn't add the knife sound effect. The player wouldn't have known. Again with the knife sound effect...
I think Masumi knew deep down he wasn't Masato's father, but to him, Masato _was_ his son.
I think he knew for sure. the last time he met Ichiban, he said that he had a dream that his wife gave birth to his son in Shangri-La
@@huy4512 One thing about dreams: they also tell you something too, even in a game
ichiban real name was ichiban arakawa while masato real name was masato sawashiro
@@zuni46 if Masumi picked the right baby (Ichiban), Ichiban would be named as Arakawa Masato, while Kasuga Jiro (owner of shangri-la soapland and ichiban's adoptive father) would picked Masato and named him Kasuga Ichiban.
@@ignatiotios3459 No, Masato would've most likely froze to death before someone found him.
Sad to think this is the place were Masato’s life started and ended.
And how Ichiban carries Masato, its a tragic circle knowing who carried Masato as a baby.
@@RushValentine Yeah. It was so poetic and heart-wrenching, yet it was masterfully done in that respect. I never noticed or took it into account because I was more in horror that Sota Kume was the one that killed Masato before Ichiban's eyes.
Not only the same place but also Started in Arakawa’s arms and ended in Another Arakawa’s arms
What level will nanba be once he is in your group again after we defeated him?
@@ernestomarcos11 Bad
the part where Ichiban was crying while trying to talk down Masato because he cared about him that much was gut wrenching. The even put in the wet and red-strained eyes on him to emphasize how fucking sad and desparate he was at that moment
There was so much at stake when it comes to replacing Kiryu, but I think they did a really good job with Ichi. He’s very likable and relatable, whereas everyone saw Kiryu with admiration and respect from the beginning. It’s a great change and I can’t wait to see more of Ichi.
Yeah why didn't this get an award? This game was a MASTERPIECE.
@Outlaw who cares? seriously like wtf is up with this DBZ bs?
This is the same crap reason as to why DBZ is just the Goku show now, because people only care about power levels and strongest and when characters like Gohan or the Z warriors do nothing anymore they complain. Well maybe, if you cared more about anything else other than power levels you can appreciate anything else.
@@kaisersaucy6503 bro relax he's just making a comparison he didn't mean to offend you with that. way i see it he's saying that's why Ichi is so much more relatable because he's not an absolute powerhouse, hell I'm not even sure he'd be able to take on Akiyama, Saejima, or Majima one on one. he's kinda like Shinada and that's why we like him. Shinada was just a guy at his lowest who got wrapped up in this shit but still did his best and pulled through, but the only reason he made it through to the end was because the people closest to him. don't throw a hissyfit over the comment it's just a comparison. there's nothing wrong with weaker or even overpowered characters.
@@thread6971 No fuck off with downplaying my comment as a mere "hissyfit", it's almost like power levels are non existent in Yakuza and the game can easily write Kiryu or Majima losing to Ichiban the same way they can pretend Kuze is comparable to Kiryu when most of their fights are Kuze having an extreme advantage. Because there's a point to be made with writing Ichi to lose, while you people would cry if Ichiban suddenly won in his first bout with "legends".
The point was that Ichi having friends is a strength, he doesn't become a jobber without them.
@@kaisersaucy6503 that just rude telling that one guy to fuck off, it better to accept the guys comment and leave it be.
Ichiban and Nishiki voice actor always sounds so passionate when he speaks for them
There's a difference between seeing Kiryu cry and Ichiban cry. In the rare times that Kiryu cried, you never hear him just let it all out, red eyed and sobbing like Ichi. Given how upbeat and, well, heroic Ichiban behaves for most of the story, seeing him break down like he does for someone that's important to him really fucking hits the heart.
Especially when you consider everything. So many things happen to Ichiban that would make most other protagonists distrust those they felt they knew. Even when he doesn't have the answers, Ichiban never considers disowning those he considers family, regardless of what they do to him. Stubborn, yeah, but that's a level of loyalty you just can't teach.
EDIT: At the time I first wrote the comment, I wasn't completely aware of other moments in the series, namely Y3, with Kiryu's sorrow coming out. Definitely am now but my original intention was that Kiryu's more intense moments of sorrow were akin to Kenshiro's sadness in HnK, where it was open but they didn't make Kiryu "ugly cry" and look like an utter mess. Whereas with Ichiban, they're more comfortable doing that, especially to contrast his natural demeanor.
Edit 2: WELL FUCK THAT FIRST EDIT AFTER THAT LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN TRAILER, KIRYU-CHAN NEEDS A HUG
the only time kiryu cried and just let it all out was in yakuza 3. and that was crazy voice acting
@@maskedsmoker4171 are you thinking of *spoilers below for Yakuza 3*
When Rikiya died in Yakuza 3?
@@omdhdk yep
@@maskedsmoker4171 I agree that that was also really good voice acting and one of the saddest scenes in the franchise imo
@@maskedsmoker4171 also yakuza 0 when tachibana died
Ichiban’s voice acting was the best I’ve ever heard in a game
Nishki's reincarnation
Animorped Nishiki
I swear it is! I loved the emotion tug when Ichiban was crying and pleeing for him to turn things around.
The voice acting here is amazing but you know you will never see those voice actorswin anything at the Video Games Awards, it's always some kind of random western actors from The Last of Us or some kind of weird shitty western (often woke) game that will win the award of the best voice actor.
@@axx012 What level will nanba be once he is in your group again after we defeated him?
The voice acting was just amazing I haven’t cried this hard in a while
Yes 😭
The writing and acting for the languages were great between Ichiban and Masato.
Practically criminal it was not a nominee in the Game Awards
@@thomasfairburn5254 It nominate for best RPG, but ff7 won.
Edit: That ff7 isn't even a complete game. :(
@@passbyicecube To be fair, it's the first part of a new sequel compilation of FF7 games. I personally think FF7R deserved the win, but Y:LAD is a super close second to me
The acting is really, REALLY good. Especially Ichiban's VA
It is nishikis VA after all, and he proved himself in yakuza 0
@@johnmehlman5195 man...
Yeah even the English VA's were really good. I preferred the Japanese but i have to give credit to the English VAs. They did a great job.
I said the same thing!!!!!! Just beat the game today! Love Ichiban!!! Man I raged out when Kume showed up.
Ichiban's performance on this is just amazing. His last moments with Masato remind me of Nishiki when he tries to convince Kiryu to leave Kamurocho in Yakuza 0 and even his scenes from Kiwami.
Kazuhiro Nakaya is seriously an amazing VA.
I said a while ago that Ichi was gonna be RGG's Arthur Morgan.
I feel pretty damn vindicated.
But Arthur dies 😭😭😭 nah ichiban ain’t no damn Arthur Morgan gotta keep my boy alive lol
@@walkwitgreatness9163 i meant more in the sense of how before RDR2 dropped, everyone was like "I don't wanna play as Arthur, I want John!" And then when the game dropped that got flipped right on its head.
@@kartikayysola ohh yea I did see fans play that way but honestly not me I couldn’t wait to play as ichiban 😂😂😂
@@walkwitgreatness9163 me neither. I loved everything I saw about him but I knew it'd be a tough transition for others, but it looks like it was a successful passing of the torch!
@@kartikayysola oh most definetly like yakuza has soo many protagonists they could of made sequels with but they kept going back to kiryu like I loveee kiryu but can’t always rely on one person when they have people like majima akiyama yagami and now ichiban and I felt salty Akiyama didn’t even make 1 appearance in 7 and hell we don’t even know what happened with Tanimura from 4
It's insane to me how, compared to all the other AAA movie games coming from big companies, all of which try to tell "emotional" and "moving" stories, none of their narratives hit nearly as hard as this one did for me.
The writing, the acting, the narrative pieces on display here are all exceptional. I legit shed tears with my man Ichiban not only because of his acting but also because of all the stakes which were present.
I felt something here more than my entire run-throughs of God of War, or The Last of Us Part 1 or 2.
Have you tried rdr 2?
Ok this isn’t only AAA game with a tear jerker.
@@bigbacc2188 That’s the Tragedy with both Dutch/Masato is that both them didn’t realize the love and loyalty of those closest to them until it was too late (Masato with Ichiban/Masumi and Dutch with Arthur). Also despite not being related by blood, Ichiban always viewed Masato as a brother and Arthur always viewed Dutch as a father. Moral of both stories, always appreciate the love you’re given before it’s too late and never throw it away.
Speaking of God of War. It's still hard to watch the Cinematic trailer for Ascension. Shit hit deep
"The bottom doesn't have to be all dark and gloomy. If you can stand and look up, you'll see the light of hope up there."
Dammit, Ichiban. Who said you could cut a dozen onions in the same place?
He was practising with his chef job class.
Masato did. :(
Ichiban could teach things of two to those edglords who think about dark and gloomy plots are 'realistic'.
man ichiban is such a good friend 😣
Man I wish that they kept the Japanese name of the game.
Yakuza 7: Wherabouts of Light and Darkness
The credits theme is one of the best songs of this game
Ichibanka slaps hard
Love the song too. Shonan no Kaze delivers man.
Ichibanka freaking lit yo
I especially love how it’s a song welcoming Ichi to the franchise
it does indeed
You know, this ending was made of Ichiban. If it was Kiryu, this ending just wouldn't have worked.
Kiryu is always more subdued, even when he lectures someone it's more restrained anger and stating facts. Only Ichiban can bear his heart and speak from deep inside, nothing held back. As Ichiban said, there is no logic to it.
I really can't wait what they'll do with Ichiban and his awesome friends. So glad they decided to risk going for this type of rpg system where you have multiple characters, yet still have that personal Yakuza story. It's so refreshing after 7 games with Kiryu.
@@kal-el4781 It was Kiryu story
Saejima story is over
Akiyama story is over
The detective (Forgot his name) story is over
Majima story is near over
Ichiban story is starting
@@EusanRepairTeam this ratio is starting
@@EusanRepairTeam you forgot the baseball man Shinada
@@EusanRepairTeam tanimura
Nakaya with the performance of the year, hands down. I knew he was gonna be good but holy shit, dude.
When Ichibans says he thinks of him as his brother. I tear up from the sadness in his voice
When I saw the Subtitles I had in my head "Is he gonna say Oni-chan or Kyoudai?" And then he said it and I had to say it out loud too. KYOUDAI!!!!
Jesus, what a terrible ending. The screen becomes so damn blurry, can't tell what the hell's going on.
*sniff*
This is literally the embodiment of "got us in the first half not gonna lie".
@@azirul9311 Literally paused before he got stabbed and said to myself "why ichiban did it" then boom as soon as i unpaused.. Hes dead. Tears...
@@weldon9309 that moment when they stab another character for the 4th time
@@nyaichinisan__9848 The question is, can you even die if you get stabbed there? Or at least at that speed, the dude died in like 15 seconds
@@RoloRolla Ichiban fucked him up good. He was literally limping by the time he reached the coin lockers, to recap he got in a fist fight and lost, got punched through glass railings from atleast half a floor high and landed on GLASS. Probably has internal bleeding from Ichiban punching him too hard (he literally has bruises) and from literally landing on his sides from the fall. And he was never at great health to begin with, he even makes a point about how he hates his weak and frail body, and as far as where he got stabbed yeah that was most likely his intestines Kume targeted, Masato bled out to death.
when masato started laughing and having a mental breakdown, i felt so fucking bad
Watase and Daigo running a security company, with possible members from Majima and Saejima?
Bro they might as well just start a damn PMC with that firepower
Facts.
Name it desperados, recruit a senator from America, and start building a new metal gear
@@cezarjulian0320 raiden vs Majima and Saejima
Only real issue is that everyone; even Daigo has been carrying on the Yakuza way for many years now. Daigo is the youngest & he seems older for his age, Majima and Saejima were older than Kiryu when they were upstarts which is why despite Goro’s protests that Saejima was probably right about him slowing down a bit now. Without the constant gang violence like back then & the need to be in hiding, their skills may have wavered, and I doubt they can get it back as time passes. Kiryu may even get to the point where he can’t stop a punch with his forehead any longer; much less one punch at all. Which is why it’s good to have a good soul like Ichiban who’s a bit younger compared to the older cast but lived during the time of his bosses’ reputation proceeding them.
Too bad most of them ended up joined RK and became disposable tools for the Public Security Intelligence Agency.
Ichiban is such a kind-hearted person, the raw emotion of him pouring his heart out, weeping openly and without shame. We need more narratives like this
Shonan no kaze: prepare for trouble
Beethoven: and make it double
the rest?
I can feel Masato's pain.
In his own words, he said there were two kinds of people irreplaceable people and the easily replaced, meaning those important and useless or discardable. Even if he wouldn't admit despite his power, his new body, he still see himself as the old useless Masato. In the dark gloomy pit of his mind, he had a shining light Yumeno. As she betrayed him, he lost his light. He must have swore to never feel this useless again. To never be this pathetic. He would be so powerful that not only no one would discard him, they wouldn't be able to. In the end, he met her again. She complimented him, him the young succesful Ryo Aoki. Receiving a compliment by the woman he loved was the cherry on the cake of the joke that was Masato Arakawa. He got confirmation, Ryo Aoki is great and Masato Arakawa is nothing. It should have been a great moment for him but everything was fake. He isn't Ryo Aoki, he is Masato Arakawa. Ryo Aoki is the facade for the world. It's a shell to protect him. He wanted to show that Masato Arakawa is not useless, that he deserved love and he got the opposite.
Sometimes we need to be alone. That fateful night wasn't one of them. Masato needed to feel love. The only one able to save him was Ichiban. He wasn't sensible to the voice of the man of duty who was Masumi Arakawa. And Sawashiro... is not a great man, so not the kind to stop anyone. I feel like, if Ichi had more time, he would have been able to save everyone but he was the one they decided to send in prison. Or... if he didn't extend his stay in prison. Just like usual he was late.
Well that's it for my take I think.
You beat the game, you see Ichiban finally convince Masato to change his ways, and boom. He's stabbed, falls to the ground, credits roll, and the first words you hear are "game over"
This game man...
And after the post-credits scene, the song telling Ichiban to live a happy, fulfilling life throughout the whole chorus gets a lot darker...
@@aerodynamo4874 y'know what makes it worse? I looked up a translation for the song and there's this part that's SUPPOSED to be about ichiban, but doesn't quite fit: "Justice Will Sometimes Be Ruthless! Blade In Hand, Facing Pain And Hardship..."
Except Ichibans main weapon is a bat, not a blade. Now who do we know who wields a blade and acted in the name of "Justice"? (Hint hint: it's not majima)
(I might be reaching here but it makes sense in my head, okay?)
@@rr-wi8fp Damn who's it? Don't leave me hanging!
@@TheApolloZ *obligatory spoiler warning for y7 ending*
kume! He used a dagger to stab Aoki, not to mention he did it for his own sense of justice - im not sure if it's supposed to reference him or it's in my head, but that line sticks out compared to the rest of the song to me
@@rr-wi8fp Yes, I thought about him a few moments later after I commented this. I had trouble finding this comment so I couldn't specifically ask about him. Your hint about Majima made me think if it's someone from Tojo Clan but as nobody else wields a blade apart from Majima, I was confused. However, I wonder if Kume is able to get away with the crime. He's not bright at all, and couldn't do anything by himself unless there's someone who backs him up. So it's very unlikely that he gets away with it unless someone powerful helps him. I agree that he can be a good antagonist with a false sense of justice. When you think about it, Kume was more of an antagonist than Aoki in this game as well because he's been an obstacle in Ichiban's path since the beginning when he first moves to Hamako's "small restaurant." By the way, are you a Malayali by any chance?
This game is probably the only game I've played that actually legit made me cry. Not just shed tears or anything. Actually started crying.
gotta respect Daigo man
like the dude's been constantly being shitting on for every main yakuza game. Glad he finally got some Win in 7. But that also mean like his role might be done since he is no longer the chairman of the Tojo clan, so i just really hope they wont do anything bad to him or writing him to the side in 8
If he's running a security company I'd love if maybe that served as a means for you to maybe temporarily hire party memebers. Like you can hire some procedurally generated guys for a small fee, and then people like Saejima or Majima might have a huge charge per battle or something.
@@leowulf5280 you might be on to something here
daigo is a good leader, but the tojo clan somehow gets into really weird conflicts. daigo has gotten into conflicts with the CIA, a corrupt deputy commissioner, and the governor of tokyo. The only normal thing that happened in his time as chairman was in yakuza 2 and yakuza 5 where the omi alliance gets heavily involved
Well😂
Man...Both the Eng and Dub VAs for this ending blew it out the water.
As for the game itself, Yakuza 7 was amazing, I had some issues (Mostly gameplay related such as it being game over if Ichiban fainted, never was a fan of that in JRPGs) that I hope gets ironed out in future.
I made a comment on the video Leon made showing the ending of Judgement saying about how I had my concerns now that Kiryu was no longer the main character. Judgement managed to help me feel at ease as I was worried that the characters and stories wouldn't hold up without Kiryu there. Judgement and Yakuza 7 especially confirmed to me that no, everything's going to be okay and Ichiban is more than worthy to become the next dragon.
But man, where do we go from here now? All of the mainline games had the Tojo and/or Omi involved in some way but now they're gone. The two biggest Yakuza organizations in the series are no more. Y'know what? Some might find that worrying, Me? I find that exciting.
What happens now is truly 100% going to be unknown territory. How's Ichiban going to fully become a dragon? Will we get a rematch with Kiryu in the future to show how strong we've become?Are we going to meet Ichiban's version of Ryuji in Yakuza 8? All of these questions plagued my mind but it wasn't giving me uncertainty. It was giving me joy. I truly cannot wait to see where this series goes.
To many of us, this is Yakuza 7. However to Ichiban, this is his Yakuza 1. His journey's only just begun.
And I cannot wait to walk that journey with him and see where this Koi goes to find his gate up the waterfall and become a Dragon because, Ichiban Kasuga? You truly are worthy of carrying the torch, an amazing heartfelt character who I want to see make Kiryu Kazuma proud.
Im sure therell be a new gang. Local or foreign. Drama has to start somewhere
I mean new clans could come in from other parts of Tokyo
@@jinchuriki7022 but I'm not finished with the present one
With Omi and Tojo are no longer around. It gives a lot of room for those ex-yakuza characters to be playable in the future.
I fully agree with everyone here as for Kiryu though I'm assuming he might be the last boss in the game if you do all the substories or do something like The Millennium Tower just a thought
This is one of my favorite endings in Yakuza, and the credits song is just a perfect tearjerker
Me: thinking that for once in the Yakuza series we'd get a somewhat happy ending
Kume: how about no.
but seriously no matter how many times i watch this, i always end up crying. it's so heartbreaking and the voice acting in this scene was just superb. i hope in the next game that has Ichi in it we'll get to kick Kume's ass.
Don't we all? A lot of people have a burning hatred for Kume and bleach Japan, and I'm no exception.
I think the ending actually still ended up good. If you think about it in a different way, Masato Arakawa committed too many sins.
but i still dislike Kume lol
id argue that 4 and 5 have a good ending.....even if 5s ending made me cry my eyes out
I have a feeling that if he did appear as a boss in the next game, his battle is gonna be like one of those "hopeless, inevitable death" ones, where all he is doing is cowering in fear, only guarding, and once you hit him once, he stumbles over and doesn't get up and you just viciously beat him. I don't know, maybe they'll throw in an aggressive, rage-filled QTE in there to spice things up.
Between this or the Death scene of Tachibana and Makoto's sorrow in 0, I don't know which hits me harder.
Definitely this hits harder for me.
Ichi's story has just begun! I gotta say, after playing the game again in ENG they really did a good job on this! I also love the "Ichibanka" song at the credits! Can't wait for his story to continue real soon...
The first time I saw this ending, I was starting to feel a sense of hope when Ichiban finally opened Masato's eyes, but then the second I saw Sota Kume stab Masato, my hope was replaced with horror immediately. I can still understand WHY Kume did that, because he has put lots of passion, trust, etc into Masato, only to realize that he was being used by the latter for meaningless bloodshed and the sort, but having played through the whole game, I grew a rather hot hatred for Kume and Bleach Japan despite this. And as much as I wanted to punch him, I was more or less stuck in horror as Masato died in Ichiban's arms before he ever knew Sawashiro was his real father... and it felt even more heart-wrenching that Ichiban carried him away from the Lockers just like how Arakawa took Sawashiro... like it all came full circle, and it's so poetic, it brought me to tears!
You're a good person. I hate Kume even though I get why he did it and I'll do it until he dies.
The ending still hits me right in the kokoro even after seeing it so many times aaa
When nakaya performs it makes me feel like he's actually fucking crying
He is what got me into the series, god fucking bless him.
Im not positive, but I think he genuinely is crying. I read that playing nishiki in Kiwami shook him really bad, he felt so terrible
What a great game, eagerly waiting for Ichiban's journey to continue.
So fucking sad, they gave ichiban the full Kiryu treatment and then some:
Went to jail to protect his"brother".
Patriarch/father figure murdered in front of his eyes.
His "brother" betrays him and becomes evil, fucks shit up, is responsible for his father's death, redeems himself in the end and dies.
Well at least he has his friends, Kiryu was forced to abandon Haruka and his children at the orphanage :(.
Yeah. I still blame Haruka for the last one. It's like her wits and smart brain disappeared between Yakuza 4 and 6 🤦♀️
@@omdhdk Nah. That shit would've happened one way or another. No matter how hard Kiryu tried to stay out of yakuza life something always happened to pull his ass back in. As far as I'm concerned, 6's ending was sealed the moment Daigo got shot near the end of 5, it was simply a matter of when.
"Why does this always happen when I get involved? Why does someone else always pay the price?"
@@kartikayysola and now he's back again in his own game and with Ichiban's sequel as the 2nd protagonist
@@KingShibe indeed. It makes me wonder if Ichiban is going to find out about his situation and try to rectify it. I don't see him being okay with Kiryu having to be away from his family, especially after he lost his own.
@@kartikayysola Ichiban is just that kind of guy who goes out of his way to help people in need, that's why him and kiryu are such good protagonists they're really likeable, despite their fair share of flaws. Now the question is how does he plan on helping him? I'm hyped for Like a dragon 8, I'm also curious to see if they will implement anything from Like a dragon online, the trailer for that game had Kiryu, Arakawa, Ichiban and Haruka all meet eachother. And even though it isn't Canon would be cool to have some kind of shout out or reference to it.
I cannot watch that scene at the locker without tearing up. The voice and acting and animation is so well done.
If Ichiban wasn’t in shock, he probably would’ve roasted Kumi back to the gray zone again.
20:07 - 20:09
This is the angriest we've seen him, that's the face of pure unadulterated contempt. Him nearly murdering someone during his breaking point was rough but, I can't help but wonder what was going through his head when he made that face in Kume's direction. Hope we get to beat Kume to half death, I doubt Ichiban would ever kill someone especially since 8 is gonna have Kiryu(Joryu) as a main character again but it would be fun to watch Ichiban bust Kume's teeth.
@@cgecko3i think the 8 will have Ichiban as the main character again since he's made to be his succesor in this franchise, its more like passing of torch from Kiryu to Kasuga to carry the legacy
@@cgecko3I think it would be fun if Ichiban let Kume live in fear for the rest of his life.
When I watched the ending, crying pretty hard, I was so sure Masato was going to live for a number of reasons: it would give a nice symmetry to Ichi and Arakawa saving him, he was actually dead as a baby and here he was stabbed by a pretty short blade, so it seems like there's no reason for him to die. And then he just dies. It made sense for him to be stabbed, but it felt so forced to me for that to be the result, I expected him to reveal a fake death to start over again after the funeral. It actually made me kind of angry, because there's so much you could do with Masato now. Kiryu has had much worse stab wounds, maybe Masato'll be a surprise in the next game. Who knows.
Stabs to the gut bleed, A LOT. I have been stabbed (impaled more like...) like that once, accidentally of course, would have bled out if my friends didn't have a first aid kit and we weren't 1 mile away from the er. Plus Kiryu is a tank. Masato isn't kiryu.
I'd personally like for him to be some kind of reveal in Ichiban's last game, maybe ending up the same way as Takechi Honpeita in Ishin, finally making up for his crimes by supporting the country in the shadows, no more manipulation. I'd love to see happy Masato.
I thought alot about Masato's death because I found it hard to accept until I remembered one detail - he had a lung transplant. People with transplants tend to have weaker bodies, and are more prone to complications with further illnesses/injuries. Taking that into account, his death becomes more sensible.
@@grodcoyote6635 late reply, but stabs in Yakuza series don’t mean much. Characters live through worse shit, but not this time around I guess.
*really late reply*
I agree. It made no sense for Masato to die, considering IMO he was the best villain to turn around and repent for his crimes, but alas, he died.. I feel like it was just a waste of potential for character development, and the only thing that I didn't like about LAD.
So am I the only one who thinks the ending is subtly hinting at the possibility that Masato actually lived? We go into the credits with Ichi rushing off with him in his arms, and we end on a flashback to Masato saying he'll take the odds of starting from rock bottom. Could Ichi have faked Masato's death somehow and sent him to live anonymously on the streets the same way Arakawa did for Ichi? It seems possible, and presented this way so it can perhaps be a surprise when revealed in a later story. I could also buy Ichi keeping this a secret to protect the others.
If that happens, good for Ichi! But it will take away the emotional weight of the ending. Imagine if Kiryu somehow saved Nishiki.
@@darthsreepa2820 I personally think it would be the moment Ichi finally repays the debt he felt he owed Arakawa if he did it, plus it would break from the series having the tendency to do tragedy like this.
@@stuartlittle281 hmm. I would love it to if his story moves away from that whole tragedy thing too. Y'know what? It doesn't seem too bad now.
@@darthsreepa2820 Plus considering all the people Ichi knows now and his own power through his journey? I wouldn't be surprised if he could make this all happen. Would also show that Ichi was able to do what most others couldn't. Find another way.
I thought we would get an after credits scene that showed exactly that
I completed this game, I cried at the ending, came back to watch this cried again 😭😭 ending is so good!
To me, this ending was a reimagining of Kiryu and Nishiki outcome. They had a battle and Nishiki kinda redeemed himself but Kiryu didn't want that to be the end of his bro. Instead we have Ichiban literally begging and trying more than most people would to open his bro's eyes. Kiryu probably wouldn't have done this to Nishiki, instead he just kicked his ass, but Ichiban is the type of dude that will go that extra mile. I absolutely loved this ending.
Ichiban is one of the most wholesome and good hearted characters in the Yakuza universe and I'm glad he's now the series lead.
Man this ending. It's pain me in a good way. It's been loong since I been crying this much. I actually wish Masato alive.
The music at 34:00 is clearly an homage to Shenmue OST called “Rain”. It is even on the same key. SHIVERS.
This game is a masterpiece
Good ears
I know this scene is sad as shit, but Namba looks so damn good
This comment is making me piss myself laughing and idk why it's so funny to me omg
Ichiban did a good job carrying the torch after Kiryu, he's pretty likable and charming. Can't wait to see more of him later on.
Bacchus: Gotta watch those ribs bo- fuck it, no one ever listens to me!
if only bacchus was there to coach masato
@@CarlitoProductions wouldn't have mattered, he coached kiryu and kiryu gets stabbed in kiwami 2 smh. No one listens to bacchus
@@Haammmzzzz and in Y3!
IMO Masumi Arakawa was one of the best character in entire series, even better than Kazama Shintaro.
Masumi get more point than Kazama cuz we know his background life from child to legend yakuza
Arakawa is Kazama done right. He actually cares, unlike Kazama who's lowkey asshole, yet Kiryu keeps acting like he's perfect.
@@hoyhoy852 To be fair, I think a lot of kids do that with their parents, idolizing them even after learning of their flaws and darker side, but you're totally right. Arakawa absolutely is Kazama with better execution, as he pretends no virtues and hides no flaws from Ichi, yet to Ichi, he's still his father, no matter what.
yep. a true father for literally 2 childs
Horinouchi looks just like Jingu!
Maybe his twin. Like the Kazama brothers
Joji horinouchi
@@rizkyramadhan7230 Juno Jingu
Going back and rewatching this still makes me cry so hard. That is some powerful acting from Kazushiro Nakaya.
Yakuza like a dragon 2:
The quest to find Kume
I'm so excited to be going forward with Ichiban as the main protagonist of this series. As much as I love Kiryu, Ichiban has done an amazing job filling in his shoes.
I think I have learnt something very important finishing this game today. Whether you choose to start from the rock bottom or you were forced to do that, the experience isn’t necessarily all dark and gloomy. So don’t be afraid to do that as there are people who care for you along the way.
42:01 俺もどん底にいます。めんどくさい。しょうがないな。上に行くぞ！
Just passed the game today... Bruh the acting, the script, the scenes all are all S tier quality. Idk how this game was overlooked for game of the year.. Sad
People were scare if ichiban could replace kiryu as the new yakuza protagonist as kiryu will always be the face of yakuza (in my opinion) and it's really hard to replace the dragon. But this game shows that ichiban is good enough and maybe even better then kiryu
Kiryu: "He's not my sucessor, nor my replacement. Ichiban Kasuga is Ichiban Kasuga. And if he manages to make the most of an honest life, that'll be enough."
We cant expect kiryu to carry the whole series for eternity can we? Man's getting old afterall
Kiryu doesn't have a great personality, he's too much anime protag in the other hand Ichiban is the perfect protag with great personality and allot of friends and a guy who started from rock bottom even worse situation like Kiryu and managed to survive. He's the perfect and he has a chance to surpass Kiryu.
This is the first time I've ever cried hard at a cutscene...the voice acting for everyone involved was insane. One of the best games I have ever played
Kept putting off playing LAD for months because of the turn-based mechanics. But everybody kept talking about how emotional the coin locker scene was that I just had to play the game and see it for myself. And I cried, because the story of this game is nearly perfect, and the ending was so well choreographed and directed. It is an honor for Ichiban to become the New Dragon.
my friend, Jordan and I played through this at launch. he watched me play through it on discord and he loved every second of it as did I, I remember watching the credits start and we were both in absolute shock and were like "nah, this can't end like that" like we waited in silence after our reactions, waiting to see some kind of post credits scene.
it's almost been 2 years and I decided to come back and rewatch this part of the game and that stab still fucking hit me as hard as it did when I first saw it happen. fucking love this series
20:14 Did anyone else notice Yagami's Landlord was recording with her phone
the last time a game made me cry was Yakuza 0. This game did more then a good job living up to its past title's legacy.
This is how you make a game nowadays, Yu Suzuki.
Suzuki is washed up, unfortunetly.
Shenmue 3 was so outdated.
Could have learned and been inspired from Yakuza’s beat-em-combat. Yikes.
Like that would have been a pick for me to try since and while I do somewhat enjoy the Turn Based Combat in 7 going forward, JE & LJ has yet to be released on PC (thanks J&A) and I really somewhat don’t want to replay Kiryu’s saga for some reason.
Edit: I ate good. It’s on PC now.
@@jansobieski3127 true. Mr "visionary man" Yu Suzuki, doesn't know how to make a game fun to play, but he also doesn't know how to write an interesting story with great character development.
20:35 nanba english va is yagami english va
20:42 masato english va is wei shen va from sleeping dogs
20:46 masumi age 20 english va is narukami from persona 4 golden
20:46 sawashiro english va is yuri from modern warfare 3
20:47 horinouchi english va is lubu from warrior orochi and chief prosecutor morita english va from judgment
21:00 majima english va is kuroiwa english va and leon from resident evil 6
21:03 watase english va is frank woods from black ops 1 and 2
21:04 daigo english va is chris redfield
daigo’s english va is also sonic the hedgehog 👀
21:00 David Hayter from Metal Gear Solid (Snake)
The social commentary of the mindset people with disabilities can develop is accurate. I read some saying they were only able to sympathize with Masato at the end but his motivations were clear and relatable to me since the start. I think about this ending often.
I was the same in that I did sympathize with masato from the start because I was also in a dark place and hated myself like he did. Most people won't hit rock bottom so for most it's hard to sympathize how dark and hopeless someone can feel
Haha...I now have krippling sadness.
Is Kasuga technically legislator since Kume is in prison
HOLY SHIT
@@Notes_lul THAT’S RAD!
The diet (Japan's parliament) is just gonna be a battle arena with Kasuga battling ministers and the final boss is gonna be the prime minister himself. LOL
Look up Plato. He actually would flex at his opponents.@@Banzaiiii2223456
this one hit me harder than i was expected, i do love how loyal ichiban always have been....
even if things had to end this way, ichiban be carrying the torches and keeping on living...
I'm still salty that Masato had to die a shity death. Especially from the most unlikeable character in the game, it Ironic in a sense that he was using Kume the whole time and creating an arrogant monster by the end, that arrogance turned at him and ended up killing him. Shows you sometimes you really must not underestimate an arrogant person, because you don't know what he will do or his next move is about to be.
Also it is just bad writing. Kume doesn't know jack shit about masato so the odds of him finding where he was when the police couldn't is bullshit. Also, the "walk stab" thing is so stupid.
@@disgaealikerasapOG Personally I enjoyed how Masaki died. He used everyone as stepping stones and in the very end it came back to bite him in the ass. It doesn’t matter how rich or powerful you are, you can’t just press a reset. button and try again the consequences of your actions always catch up to you.
@@disgaealikerasapOG This game is far from bad writing. One of the best games ever
I think Masato dying at the hands of Kume was what he had to pay for seeing people as "disposable pawns". He died of something of his own making
@@disgaealikerasapOG It's far from terrible writing. In fact, it foreshadows the sequel concept that Kume will be the main villain next.
When Adachi was exposing Horinouchi I was half expecting Kume to come bursting through the door to stab him too for "betraying his trust"
Everyone at the end of Yakuza 0: KUZEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Everyone at the end of Yakuza 7: KUMEEEEEEEEE!!!
So not even a chance for bad guys have a redemption, sad.
Fucking amazing VA performance, haven't been hit this hard just by ones performance for so long through so much anime/games
I wish I had a brother like Ichi 😭
i like how in 20:10 the scene is just like when masumi arakawa picked up the baby and just rushed to get him into a hospital
I saw a comment on another video that said the game starts with Arakawa carrying away Sawashiro, then ends with Arakawa carrying away Sawashiro
Everyone who’s ever played this game has a burning hatred for Kume
It's more of a tragic villain. He was not mentally sane and was radicalized beyond belief.
One of the most tragic games I've played.
A year ago my Yakuza journey started with Y7 & after playing most of the entries - only Y6 and Y7 ending got me this emotional
Ichiban is so fucking likeable and this game had so much memorable moments and also quotes to live by
Masato's final moments reminded me of Mine. I remember when I first played Yakuza 0 was due to my friend who convinced me it was a great game. He never told me that the series was so filled with emotions and I became a fan ever since. As soon as I finished 0 I had to buy Kiwami then Kiwami 2 and so on until 7. And I will say this, great to see how despite Ichiban being the new protagonist, the same energy never left.
Ichiban's VA really made the scene. The direction was really simple: Ichiban has to convince Masato to stop continuing to commit atrocities and start over. There's no twist or no ulterior motive. Just speaking from his heart. Usually it ends up being very cliche and predictable but the VA's performance really knows how to tug the heartstrings and shows that Ichiban is pouring it all out there to save Masato. While I was watching it, I was thinking, "Damn, Ichiban's VA is killin' it and the way he speaks really brings out Ichiban's naive but honest desire to save his friend." Just found out he voices Nishikiyama and it really shows through these emotional scenes.
I can't believe a Yakuza game made me cry. Love you Ichiban.
Wtf, is this your first Yakuza game ?
@@БогданКрименюк What. I've played them all and Judgment.
Yakuza endings have impacted me, but this one I felt. I can relate to Ichiban.
@@leeearnshaw9738 so you mean you didn't cry earlier when all the other characters died ?
Well each sad event did impact me emotionally. 0 my first game caused me great pain from the prequel characters all dying.
6's ending was hard to take from playing Kiryu for so long.
Bruh y7 trashhhh
Majima is really bored when kiryu isnt around
masato not knowing that ichi is calling him brother cuz they both have the same father hits hard,ichi grew up alone and him finding out about his father gave him a new hope to masato
“TuRn bAsEd WiLl kIlL tHe SeRiEs”
7 turned out to be best rated and highest selling yakuza game. Also ironically shifting sega’s attention to yakuza instead of stuff like sonic
Poor Sonic, dude's just never catch a break.
Tbh i was hesitant about this game because its turn based. But its yakuza so i gave it a go. And i think i like it as turn based because it seems like an artistic choice for ichibans point of view and his playing dragon quest as an influence for him. So i appreciate it in that manner.
Quite mix actually, some people are well... not open minded. I am not really fond to turn based either but gotta keep my personal opinion away and try the game and honestly its good.
@@jimchad9900 actually I mean reviews in general. It is the highest ratest yakuza game out of them. If we used by player personal opinions then 0 would most likely be at top
With that amount of success, Yakuza 8 is currently in development. Hyped!
Such a good ending!!! Just finished it right now!! Hits you right now in the feels
LaD: IW was fun but man I just can not say it's better than 7 because of the story, no other ending has hit this hard for me
its rare for a game to make me cry actual rivers, but yakuza 7 made me cry a fucking ocean dude
and isn't bcs of sadness but bcs i can understand ichi very fucking well when it comes to losing friends
I love that there are some people that took a bit while to get used to Kiryu, but then when Ichiban came in, EVERYONE loved Ichiban.
Thats how lovable Ichiban is.
It's insane how this ending is so much better than Infinite Wealth's
Miles better
I have no issue with infinite wealth's ending, my only problem was Kiryu not meeting people directly since nothing mattered at the end and some rushed/unnecessary deaths or plot that led to nowhere in the middle section of the game. The ending was good/okayish, it leaves room for a new installment and passes the torch to Ichiban and how he differs from Kiryu.
They need to retire or kill kiryu he worst protagonist why have a new character and keep the old character
Way better lmfao. This story is way more cohesive and better written, as well as all in all best aspects except for graphics and gameplay but that's it. Infinite Wealth is overrated
I know this is a nitpick but Isn't it odd that masato dies in seconds after getting stabbed with a pocket knife while kiryu was stabbed with a poison dagger and manages to walk himself to safety.
Kiryu's a goddamn fucking tank of a human being, you gotta understand this. Earlier when he was a boss fight Ichiban bunched him square in the forehead and Kiryu took it like it was nothing, then even after the party "won" they actually lost because Kiryu whooped their asses, but he basically said "eh, good enough."
@@vante2 I don't think being a tank matters when you have a deep stab wound like Kiryu has had. Being punched and being stabbed are pretty different.
@@Boyzby He's been shot and stabbed a lot over the course of the series, if you haven't forgotten. He's tanked stuff that would have killed most men. If one thing is any indicator of this, take Judgement for example, where gunshots and blade strikes from enemies are considered bad enough for Yagami that he suffers heavily crippling injuries from them, compared to previous Yakuza protagonists. Masato isn't nearly as thoroughly built or as tough as a Yakuza legend; he spent most of his life in a wheelchair with a terrible lung disease. A stab wound like that could be fatal for him.
I'll admit kiryu was a bad example but how about yuta from yakuza 6. He gets stabbed during the millennium tower raid and manages to show up during the final boss.
@@Boyzby You know that bodybuilders have had a decency of surviving shotgun blasts point blank? You have no excuse to be a such weak bitch, an actual wild animal can't survive bullets, but humans have had of history of doing so, why are you not going Mr Shakedown and try to become the ultimate lifeform? My boi Aoki was just unlucky for having a weak constitution.
The real treasure was the friends we made along the way
Yes! They kept the original theme song! 😆😆😆😁
As soon as Masato had the shard of glass in his hands I thought he was gonna kill himself seppuku style right there.
Then the game made me think he would live and could redeem himself.
THEN he put the gun to his head and I thought it was truly over.
THEEEN Masato put the gun down and I thought we were gonna get a somewhat happy ending.
After all of that he still gets stabbed and died anyway and shattered me.
Masterpiece. This is my first yakuza game. Bought infinite wealth immediately after finishing this.
He had too much blood on his hands he was beyond redemption and all his motives was self hatred that why he's one of the six worst antagonist of the yakuza/like a dragon series
@@kingsboro1ooohh okay. You're a troll 😂
Man after 2 years i finally finished the game lol cant believe 2 years have passed since the release 😮
Everyone when you see ichiban You give him a hug and you tell him you love him my man needs it
The fact that kume escaped still torture me
I still come back here and relive this from time to time.
Look up from rock bottom my brothers and sisters, the light is there.
oh yeah time to cry
The voice acting here was insane, when Masato died right when he was about to change for the better I was crying and then laughing because of the upbeat credits theme. This is one of my top 3 story games of all time it’s so good.