For more information, please see our Modeled After Year of Birth Kasuga appears as a hidden character in the short beat-em-up title inspired by the story of the original Yakuza and the gameplay of SEGA's Streets of Rage franchise. Gray i don't think the arakawa family was big enough for anyone to willingly serve 15 years in prison for them except for ichiban because well, he did it 100% out of love for arakawa. [2], To differentiate him from Kiryu, Ichiban is written to be less stoic and more emotive in comparison. Granted, he had a good reason to do so, but when it turns out that Ichiban is Arakawa's biological son, must've been quite painful for him to have to shoot his own son (or rather someone that he regarded as a son) just to get said plan going.. Will Ichiban Kasuga be back? That, and Arakawa would come to treat Ichiban like a son, which is touching in retrospect since Ichiban is Arakawa's biological son, and would've been . Masumi escaped and told Akane to meet him at Cafe Alps after she had given birth. arakawa didnt know for sure. His personal skills revolve around healing for his allies and himself. Nationality He believes that Ichiban fits the Yakuza setting due to his love for Dragon Quest, as well as his heroic demeanor which goes along the new type of gameplay Like a Dragon provided to the franchise. Cookie Notice He invited Hoshino to Ijincho's Heian Tower where he interrogated him at gunpoint regarding his motives. Adachi confronts Horinouchi with evidence of the bribes, Ichiban says that he doesn't feel the need to get a DNA test to prove if Arakawa was his real father, Daigo offers Ichiban a job at a security company. RGGO In his younger years, he has somewhat androgynous features allowing him to perform in female roles with ease. In 2019, now 42, Kasuga is freed from prison with no one from his old days waiting for him. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. High chance to land a critical hit. Learning from Reiji Ishioda that Tendo murdered Arakawa, the group goes into hiding with Nick and heads to Kamurocho. Really cool twist but I can't believe Arakawa never knew under these circumstances. [27], The performances of both Kazuhiro Nakaya and Kaiji Tang as the Japanese and English voices of Ichiban were also praised by Polygon and Atomix. Physical Kasuga wakes up under a pile of garbage in Isezaki Ijincho, having been patched up by Yu Nanba. "Yakuza: Like a Dragon" has multiple storylines that all begin to culminate at the end of the game, with the toppling of multiple crime families and the possibility of some babies being swiped at birth all being thrown at the player. [20] Michael Higham from GameSpot praised Ichiban as an endearing lead character who is immediately loveable and helps gives the franchise "a fresh start". With the troupe disbanded after Toshio's death, Masumi drifted to Kamurocho along with some fellow troupe members. Damage an enemy by hitting them hard in their vital spot. Aliases Yakuza Like a Dragon - Arakawa Death Scene / Ichiban And Arakawa Catch UpTwitter: https://twitter.com/Santosx07 Tang and has cited Chun's work as an inspiration. Arakawa says that Ichi was like a son to him, but isn't it hypocritical that only moments later of him stating that Ichi felt like a son to him, he still sells him out making him go to prison because his other actual son (or so he though) messed up ? Aliases However, to this day, his true intentions remain shrouded in mystery. This soon fizzled out due to a mutual lack of interest, and Masumi began seeing a woman named Akane in secret. [4], Ichiban is an orphan raised in Kamuroch by Jiro Kasuga, the manager of a soapland, a type of prostitution establishment that provides its services based on the exploitation of a loophole in Japanese law. Occupation Aliases Yoko Arakawa (mother)Toshio Arakawa (father)Unnamed ex-fianceAkane (girlfriend)Jo Sawashiro (right-hand, co-parent? As to why he asked Ichiban to take the fall, probably because he thought Ichi could handle prison, being so tough and all. She joins the trio after tearfully asking for their help, and they eventually learn they might meet him at the Yokohama Trading Company. Unlike in Like A Dragon, this incarnation of Ichiban never leaves Kamuroch, and encounters a different cast of supporting characters as well as enemies. Eye Color Upon his return to Kamurocho, he crushed the Hikawa Family completely as vengeance. (Kasuga Ichiban) They attempt to expose the company's counterfeiting scheme, but their plan goes awry and they are captured and framed by Mabuchi. Ichiban identifies Arakawa, and while he did shoot Ichi and probably doesn't like him anymore he's still the kind of man Ichiban aspires to be. The "ultimate example of not living up to your name," who'd get the ass-end of life despite the name Ichiban and live it to the fullest like he doesn't see the ironythat's the thinking behind it. Is Arakawa Ichiban's dad? [35], Render of Ichiban Kasuga as he appears in, Last edited on 12 December 2022, at 08:29, "Ichiban Kasuga Voice - Yakuza: Like a Dragon", "Yakuza: Like A Dragon Dev Explains Creating A New Hero And What's Next", "Yakuza 7 (Shin Yakuza) New Details Revealed, Dev Discusses Possibilities For Yakuza 0 Sequel", "Yakuza series general director on Ichiban Kasuga game: "I'd like to change the game drastically", "Yakuza: Like a Dragon Goes Into Kasuga Ichiban's Birth And Reason For Joining Organized Crime", "Yakuza: Like A Dragon's city is reported to be around 3-4 times larger than past games", "Ichiban Kasuga will lead 'Yakuza' "for the next ten years", "Yakuza: Like a Dragon Voice Actor Confirms Ichiban Will Now Lead the Series", "Ichiban Kasuga wears his heart on his sleeve, and he'd lay his life down to stand up for a friend. Masumi Arakawa (former patriarch)Jo Sawashiro (former superior, rival)Mitsuo Yasumura (oath brother, friend, ally)Giichi Kitamura (friend, ally)Shun Akiyama (friend, ally)Mayumi Seto (friend, ally)Hayato Tsuji (friend, ally)Tsukasa Mikuni (complicated ally)Yosuke Kagami (complicated ally)Vincent Lowe (enemy) Tendo now has a chance at the top and shoots Masumi to get back in the Omi remnants' good graces after betraying them. Yakuza: Like a Dragon: In his younger days, Masumi wears a black double breasted leather trench coat over a gray snakeskin patterned dress shirt, black slacks, a pair of dark red leather oxfords, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, a pair of black leather gloves, and a black fedora hat. In Chapter 12 of the game, Ichiban and his crew make their way through the Tojo clan headquarters, eventually meeting back up with Masumi Arakawa. Age Arakawa and Kasuga catch up after returning to Yokohama, but the next day, he learns Arakawa was killed. Black The duo eventually encounters their targets in Nagasugai, Fukuoka. Kamurocho, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan The game then dramatically rolls into a flashback from when Sawashiro was 15, and his girlfriend at the time was pregnant. . Ryo Aoki rose to power with a group called Bleach Japan, which focused on getting rid of "gray" areas and crimes in Japan, like the Yakuza and brothels. Also in 2017, the newly-elected Tokyo governor Aoki pressures the Arakawa Family into leaking Tojo Clan intel in order to dismantle it using the Kamurocho 3K Plan, threatening to use the anti-yakuza laws to arrest him if he did not comply. [14][9] A line of Yakuza franchise merchandise developed by apparel company SuperGroupie was launched in June 2021, including watches, bags, jackets, and shoes, all of which will have details inspired by Ichiban's appearances in the games. Japanese While visiting a graveyard, he sees his former patriarch and is ignored by him, learning from Adachi that the Arakawa Family has sided with the Omi Alliance, who forced the Tojo Clan out of Kamurocho. All rights reserved. If you use a regular attack first, you'll. Kasuga's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. arakawa didnt know for sure. He told her to hide the baby in a coin locker and to get to a safer location as soon as possible to ensure their safety. In 1984, the year the design of the 10,000 bill changed, he was gifted a defective counterfeit by Hoshino. He later learned that Akane was caught by the yakuza and murdered while he was on his way to the hospital. because his character and beliefs wouldn't fit as a Shinsengumi. Ichiban learns that Arakawa is a double agent, and that once the Omi chairman, Masaru Watase, is released from prison, he will make a joint announcement with Dojima to disband their respective clans. Yakuza Like a Dragon - Ichiban Confronts Masumi ArakawaTwitter: https://twitter.com/Santosx07 Kazuhiro Nakaya, the voice actor of Ichiban Kasuga in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, has addressed the future of the Yakuza . He learns Aoki had ensorsed Sota Kume for an election. [13] A 2019 gameplay trailer featuring Ichiban and his party engaging enemies in a turn-based RPG battle system was initially interpreted as an April Fools' Day joke due to its gameplay mechanics which was considered unusual for the series, as well as the timing of its release date and its proximity to the 1st of April. 1957[b] Kenyu Horiuchi Arakawa is with Daigo Dojima, the sixth and current chairman of the Tojo clan. Granted, he had a good reason to do so, but when it turns out that Ichiban is Arakawa's biological son, must've been quite painful for him to have to shoot his own son (or rather someone that he regarded as a . Here, it is revealed that Governor Ryo Aoki (who is also Masato Arakawa, the son of Masumi) was able to drive crime, and the Yakuza, out of Kamurocho using information from Arakawa with Daigo's permission. The patriarch of Hikawa Family eventually arranged a relationship between his daughter and Masumi. Kazuhiro Nakaya Kazama machinations are pretty much the plot calls for it, whereas Arakawa is basically a tired dad that wants the fighting to stop, but will fight as needed. He tells Kasuga that Arakawa will need allies shortly. January 1, 1977[1] Ryu Ga Gotoku OnlineYakuza: Like a DragonLike a Dragon 8 When Ichiban gets out of prison in 2019, 18 years after his incarceration, the world has changed rapidly, but the biggest shock is probably that the Arakawa family has joined the Omi Alliance,. The ending feels like information overload, but it's not as completely insane as it might seem at first glance. GameSpot compared him to Goro Majima based on similar traits they share "though a lot less deranged", while also noting that he is quite different from Kiryu despite sharing other traits in their backstories. Eye Color A destitute Ichiban starts a new life and forges new connections in an unfamiliar city, where he is eventually thrust into a conspiracy involving a money laundering scheme which involves Japan's political establishment. He explained to Kasuga that being a yakuza meant you had a reputation to uphold, and he would have lost face if he simply bowed his head and asked for him back. A high-ranking member of the family like Sawashiro would've probably hurt their reputation too much. After that, he was compelled to understand why Arakawa shot him and took one dirty job after another. Biographical Information Ichiban first appears in the 2018 Ryu ga Gotoku ONLINE, which presents an alternate version of his character arc following his release from prison. The tattoo represents the strength and perseverance of the koi as it struggles upstream, as well as a greater destiny that lies ahead, as the koi has not fully finished its transformation into a dragon. While ending the two largest Yakuza organizations in Japan is a significant development (after all, this is a series based entirely around organized crime), it's interesting to see such an action-packed series make this decision through the use of real-world politics (or at least something that resembles the real world). After Ichiban beats Sawashiro in a fight, the latter reveals that he didn't kill Arakawa because he feels like he has a life debt to him. Nationality Kasuga defeats Tendo, and engineers a confession with the help of Mirror Face to end Aoki's political career. Also Known As He readily followed through with performing yubitsume in exchange for Kasuga's return. After Ichiban leaves prison, he confronts Arakawa to just for Arakawa to shoot him point blank and leave him for dead in Yokohama. Ichban's hero character skill "peerless resolve" - protects himself from being knocked out Sacrifice Stone - protects anyone who wears it (I got 2 at the end of the game) Poundmate Mr. Masochist - makes EVERYONE in the team immune to knock out for once!!! Eye Color He passes the information to Aoki, who uses it to drive the Tojo Clan from Kamurocho and allow the Omi Alliance to take over uncontested, with police commissioner Juro Horinouchi being bribed into allowing it to happen. In Like a Dragon 8, Kasuga's hairstyle is a ponytail once again. An orphan, raised by homeless people, pledging himself to the service of the Arakawa Yakuza Family, after their boss sacrificed a finger to save Ichiban from harm. Aoki was weak and couldn't do a lot on his own without scheming. English Ichiban is shot by Arakawa when he attempts to confront him. He appears to have a relatively slim build. Kasuga is a fiercely loyal and steadfast man, perhaps to a fault. x Ryu Ga Gotoku Online) Actors Several hours later, he received a phone call from Akane, who told him that Hikawa Family yakuza were closing in, prompting her to run away with the newborn baby to Shinjuku Station. His moveset, much like that of Kiryu and Majima, is a reskinned version of the Streets of Rage series' main character, Axel. They sneak through the sewers and rooftops to where Arakawa is. Aliases The family that held him captive were enemies of the Arakawa Family. He willingly goes to prison for a murder that he did not commit at the turn of the 21st century, having acquiesced to the request of his clan patriarch, Masumi Arakawa. Plot: Ichiban, distraught at Arakawa's death is called by Hoshino who invites him for a meal. At the funeral, Daigo offers Ichiban a job at a security company. Ichiban trails a fleeing Aoki and pleads with him to give himself up. Ichiban Kasuga ( , Kasuga Ichiban) is the protagonist of the Like a Dragon series from Yakuza: Like a Dragon onward, as well as the protagonist of The Legend of Ichiban Kasuga: Part 1 in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online. Ichiban Kasuga ( , Kasuga Ichiban) is the protagonist of the Like a Dragon series from Yakuza: Like a Dragon onward, as well as the protagonist of The Legend of Ichiban Kasuga: Part 1 in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online. Japanese Biographical Character skills unlocked from other jobs will still be usable. Y:LAD To draw out Aoki in order to confront him, Ichiban decides to enter himself as an electoral candidate with Hoshino's support, but Aoki's henchman Jo Sawashiro assassinates Hoshino. 1959/1960[d] Japanese Granted, he had a good reason to do so, but when it turns out that Ichiban is Arakawa's biological son, must've been quite painful for him to have to shoot his own son (or rather someone that he regarded as a son) just to get said plan going. Kasuga faces Sawashiro upon arrival and defeats him, then opens the door to a dinner between Omi officers, looking for answers, but is shot in the chest by Arakawa. It is the second card released as part of a series of SSR cards known as Black cards, which center around various antagonists in the Yakuza series. In 1969, after the troupe's final show of the season in Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama, Toshio planned to treat Masumi to Peking duck at a Chinese restaurant called Heian Tower. He was unequipped to handle Masato's dejection and resentment surrounding his disability, and even as a toddler, Masato was prone to tantrums he never had the heart to resist. RGGO They learn Zhao may be in trouble, and Han joins the party to rescue him from Mabuchi and the Omi, where Nanba rejoins them. [3] Yokoyama positioned Ichiban's personality as the opposite of Kiryu's in many ways: "thoroughly uncomplicated, direct, cheerful, reckless". Overview Hair Color Brown Y:LAD Appears In It depicts a dragonfish (, rygyo), the in-between state of the koi in the legend of a koi that swims up to the top of a waterfall and is rewarded for its tenacity by being transformed into a dragon. He is a former member of the Arakawa Family, a Tojo Clan subsidiary. Black, later graying We were still figuring the new protagonist out when Nagoshi said, "I want to burden this man with the name 'Ichiban.'" However, he has a strong sense of justice and is always willing to help out anyone in need. )Ichiban Kasuga (son, former subordinate)Masato Arakawa (adoptive son)Hikawa (former patriarch)Mitsuo Yasumura (subordinate)Reiji Ishioda (subordinate)Yosuke Tendo (subordinate)Masaru Watase (ally)Daigo Dojima (ally)Goro Majima (ally)Taiga Saejima (ally)Ryuhei Hoshino (acquaintance)Tora (former co-star) Doesn't make sense, how he couldn't put two together, also you'd think he'd go to her employer in desperation to see if she made it out ( obviously he knew she didn't but in desperation he could ), and if he did he'd obviously find out he might have took the wrong son. Although beloved, he lived in poverty and the people who raised him were considered "trash" by the rest of society. Giovanni Colantonio from Inverse considered Ichiban to be the best playable protagonist of 2020 because he is allowed to be a naive and flawed character who makes plenty of mistakes, a trait rarely seen in most video game heroes, which led to the best character development of any other character in the industry in his view. He asks Kasuga to turn himself in, telling him the lie that it was Sawashiro who committed the murder. The previous night, Masato had killed a man from the rival Sakaki Family. For each Attack-type ally, nullifies 15% of all damage received (except damage received from status abnormalities) and accelerates all allies' cooldown timers by 15%. He meets Koichi Adachi, who did his research on Kasuga, but he is not interested in partnering with the detective. [29] Chingy Nea from Kotaku praised Ichiban as the Yakuza series most relatable protagonist and one of its best characters, and the main reason why Like a Dragon was a source of comfort and joy for her in late-2020. His features are typically obscured by his fedora or by shadow, but he appears to have short black hair and brown eyes. Kamurocho, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan On New Year's Eve in 2000, Arakawa takes Ichiban Kasuga out for Peking duck, but all restaurants serving it are closed. Afterwards, Ichiban gets to reunite with Arakawa, whom he tells he feels is like a surrogate father, and the two share a nice moment. Other Damage an enemy by putting them in a headlock and throwing them. In Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, he is the patriarch of the Arakawa Family and the captain of the Omi Alliance. After he joins the yakuza, he slicks part of his hair back in a more clean-cut style. To Yokoyama, Ichiban's comical "fool" deliberately contrasts the dark setting of Like A Dragon, and that his most important role in the game is to overturning "worldly prejudices" and fight against "invisible discrimination". Noting everything is going according to plan, Masumi shoots Kasuga non-lethally and has him taken to Isezaki Ijincho, a location out of the Omi's reach. In 2001, yakuza Ichiban Kasuga agrees to go to prison for a murder that he did not commit to repay Arakawa Family patriarch Masumi Arakawa for saving his life in his youth. Member of the Arakawa Family (formerly) Masumi's body was thrown in the river and recovered the next morning. The Yakuza franchise's developers, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, wanted to create a new lead character to continue the narrative of the fictional universe they have created. After defeating them, Kasuga learns that Ryo Aoki is actually the supposedly-dead Masato Arakawa. Ichiban shows a video of Aoki admitting to his crimes to the police, dooming Aoki's plans. Having turned over to the Omi Alliance, he is now a direct patriarch under the Omi banner. He is an antagonist in The Legend of Ichiban Kasuga in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online. Appearance His plans, besides shooting Ichiban, actually make a lot more sense than Kazama. Ichiban Kasuga (Japanese: , Hepburn: Kasuga Ichiban), also nicknamed Ichi (), is a character from Sega's Ryu ga Gotoku media franchise, known internationally as Yakuza. Kaiji Tang After vowing to make Kasuga pay for all the pain the Tojo Clan has inflicted to the Jingweon, Han and Kasuga start fighting. He was the Patriach of his family surely he could've found someone else to take Aoki's place right ? I dont think ichiban realized that this just wasnt a prison sentence but this was for life meaning to never return once he got out cause if he returned then the other family would know that it was the family that ichiban was part of that did kill their guy which is why ichiban boss shot him once he opened the door. It had the words "Neither justice nor mercy should tip the scale." By his most recent appearance in 2019 he has a neatly-trimmed goatee. Meeting Aoki in person, he learns of his recovery in the US, that he is intending to purge Ijincho of its residents reliant on gray zones, and that Kasuga had taken the fall for Aoki's murder, not Sawashiro's. Ichiban starts accepting work from an employment agency to earn a living, and later investigate the Liumang with his friends to learn the truth behind the murder of one of their employers, a soapland proprietor named Nonomiya. Occupation 18 years later, Ichiban is released from prison. Before their fight escalates, Arakawa and Daigo Dojima explain that Arakawa's betrayal was planned by them and Masaru Watase in order to split the Omi forces between Tokyo and Osaka to make their plan of disbanding the Tojo and Omi easier to accomplish. He also makes use of a baseball bat in an extremely professional manner. Aoki dies, and it's unclear if Kume is arrested. Biographical [32][33] Anime News Network in particular enjoyed Tang's performance as "absolutely spot-on" due to the multiple expressions he gives to his character. In the ensuing chaos, Kasuga is called by Han and Seong-hui. [24] German publication GamePro lauded Ichiban for his big heart and highly emotive nature, qualities which they feel a lot of protagonist characters lack. Damage an enemy with a swift, brutal kick. Actors Japanese He has a scar on the right side of his face he received from his mother in childhood, which is shallow enough to cover with makeup. After their job is done, however, Nonomiya dies apparently from suicide. Other To escape this reality, he spent his nights playing Dragon Quest in the back office of the soapland and dreaming of being a hero one day. Ichiban Kasuga exclusive job. And in an unjust world, heroes such as Ichiban are not only important, they're necessary., Chris Moyse, "2020 may have been a crap year but it gave us some amazing new characters". In fact,Ichiban spends the majority of game saying that he has always felt like Arakawa is a father to him, so the reveal that he might actually be his father drives that connection even deeper. Biographical Information In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, he is the first patriarch of the Arakawa Family and the acting captain of the Omi Alliance. The given birth years of 1959/1960 are an estimate based on Arakawa's age and are not intended as a substitute for an official date. Ichiban is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya in Japanese, and by Kaiji Tang in English. There, they meet the Liumang leader Tianyou Zhao and convince both him and Mamoru Takabe to stand down temporarily. May instantly knock out the enemy. After retrieving the baby from locker 0099, he rushed him to the hospital, where the baby was diagnosed with hypothermia-induced multiple organ failure. Also Known As Kasuga hoped mentioning his name would somehow get him free, but it only backfired. Horinouchi is also the person responsible for having Adachi demoted. With the rough events, Kasuga starts to lose himself, but an exchange of blows with Kazuma Kiryu gets him back to his senses.
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