Yakuzas Ichiban Is the Most Important Protagonist of the Year

Yakuza’s Ichiban Is the Most Important Protagonist of the Year

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon brings a brand new hero into the fold, and Ichiban Kasuga manages to be the most important protagonist in games this year.

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Yakuzas Ichiban Is the Most Important Protagonist of the Year

The Yakuza series celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2020, and its primary protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, has become a legend in that time. Kiryu is basically synonymous with the Yakuza series, but after fifteen years of games, his time came to an end. Yakuza: Like a Dragon had big shoes to fill with a brand new protagonist, but somehow the new kid on the block lives up to the Yakuza name.

Like a Dragon introduces fans to Ichiban Kasuga, a low-level Yakuza in the Arawaka Family, a Tojo Clan subsidiary. Ichiban is the polar opposite of the stoic Kiryu, as he’s a goofy happy-go-lucky Yakuza.

Despite the drastic difference between Ichiban and Kiryu, Like a Dragon still retains that core feeling of Yakuza. Ichiban is wildly different from the typical video game hero, and he’s one of the most refreshing, and important, protagonists of the year.

Ichiban’s a Middle-Aged Burnout, and That’s Just Perfect

The beginning of Like a Dragon shows players that despite being a Yakuza, Ichiban doesn’t fit the traditional mold. When he’s sent out to collect protection money he finds every excuse in the book to help the people he should otherwise be exploiting. In short, Ichiban is a failure as a Yakuza. He hasn’t risen through the ranks, he’s just a grunt at a low-level family. With that in mind, he happily takes the fall to protect his family and ends up in prison for eighteen years.

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When the events of the game really kick off Ichiban is a 42-year-old burnout with no job, and practically left for dead. He doesn’t have any exceptional skills to speak of, as he’s only known the Yakuza life since his childhood. Traditional video game heroes are young go-getters, and even Kiryu was well-known for his extraordinary combat skills.

In a year that’s seen people struggle like never before, from a worldwide pandemic to mass unemployment and a failing economy, it’s refreshing to see a hero literally hit rock-bottom, but still have the determination to succeed. Ichiban knows his failings, accepts them, and still strives to do better. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and stand by his friends no matter what might come his way. Because of this, he feels more genuine than Kiryu in many ways, as the latter usually tries to mask his emotions with a stoic facade.

Substories do an even better job at fleshing out Ichiban’s personality, seeing him help a homeless man make a present for the kid he’s befriended, or protect a persimmon tree for a girl suffering from a chronic disease. Throughout the game, Ichiban fights to give a voice to the downtrodden, the people who don’t have any choice but to live in the cracks of society; homeless, prostitutes, gangsters, and more. Ichiban knows how unfair life is, and how people don’t always choose the lives they have to live. 2020 has brought to light a lot of ugly things in America, including racial inequality and the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. Like a Dragon manages to put forward meaningful commentary on the inequalities of society, even while practicing its usual brand of strange humor.

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Later in Like a Dragon, Ichiban runs for public office, mostly as a scheme to get closer to the villain, but this still serves a purpose in the game’s themes. While debating another candidate Ichiban points out the imperfect quality of laws, and how laws exist to serve the people, not the other way around. While Like a Dragon may not take a hard stance, it does layer in commentary about the issues of government and regulation, and how those things can adversely affect those that are already at a disadvantage.

Video games, at their best, are representations of the world at large. While Yakuza may take place in Japan, and focus on Japanese politics, so much of its themes and messages are universal. Ichiban is an inspiring hero who challenges the people around him to be their best, even while the world is falling apart around them. He may not be the coolest or most powerful hero this year, but he’s the perfect reminder of the kindness and warmth of humanity. He’s a reminder to try and be better and lift up those around you, and that gives Yakuza: Like a Dragon one of the most important messages in video games this year.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/yakuza-ichiban-kasuga-protagonist-best-2020/

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