[25] On the other hand, Dia Lacina from Paste Magazine expressed mixed feelings over Ichiban's portrayal: while Lacina liked that Ichiban is more imminently relatable and achievable as a hero archetype, she criticized the naive speech Ichiban gives to defend Nonomiya's reprehensible behaviour based on his own experience of having grown up under the care of a brothel manager as unconvincing and somewhat insulting. He invited Hoshino to Ijincho's Heian Tower where he interrogated him at gunpoint regarding his motives. 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. Within the series, Ichiban is originally a low-ranking member of the Arakawa Family, a subsidiary yakuza family of the Kanto-based Tojo Clan. Kasuga hypes himself up and attunes to the flow of battle, boosting his Evasion and Attack for 2 turns. because his character and beliefs wouldn't fit as a Shinsengumi. He is more human than Kazama is. He and his friends are asked to hold the invading Omi Alliance at bay until they can burn down their operation. Upon his release 18 years later, Ichiban discovers that Arakawa has apparently betrayed the rest of the Tojo Clan to the Omi Alliance, a rival yakuza organization based in Osaka, and finds himself stranded in the city of Yokohama after he is shot by Arakawa following an attempted confrontation. Japanese At the Arakawas' funeral, Kasuga turns down an invitation into a security firm by the ex-Tojo and Omi officers to stay with his newfound treasured friends in Ijincho, and reflects on Aoki's last words to him. In his younger years, he has somewhat androgynous features allowing him to perform in female roles with ease. With the troupe disbanded after Toshio's death, Masumi drifted to Kamurocho along with some fellow troupe members. IchiIcchanKasugamaru So, since only Ichiban was extremely loyal to Arakawa, they decided to choose him. After he met and swore Jo Sawashiro into the family in 1982, he came to consider him someone he could place his complete trust in and made him his captain, treasurer, and right-hand man. The Hikawa Family regularly killed people without hesitation, which Masumi took advantage of, disposing of the bodies in Ijincho's Homeless Quarter in order to spend as much time in Yokohama as possible and track down the culprit behind his father's murder, with no leads except for the memory of the killer's face. [12] Ichiban was featured prominently in the marketing campaign for Like A Dragon, such as the game's cover art, promotional trailers, and social media videos. Is Arakawa the coolest character in Yakuza history? Although Black cards are normally upgraded versions of existing cards, SSR Masumi Arakawa (Black) is the first and only Black card to serve as a character's "debut" card. 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The Main Characters In Yakuza: Like A Dragon 1959/1960[d] Cookie Notice However, to this day, his true intentions remain shrouded in mystery. Chapter 13 (Major Spoilers) - Yakuza: Like a Dragon Between 1978 and 1982, he established the Arakawa Family, a third-tier organization within the Tojo Clan's ranks. He tells his crew that he is sticking around, and the game fades to black as he reflects on Aoki's dying words: "Keep living, Ichi.". Yakuza Like a Dragon - How Ichiban Became A Yakuza / Joined The Arakawa Kazuhiro Nakaya You get a lot more out more human elements out of him. Y:LAD In 2017, the year Kasuga was going to be released were it not for his sentence extension, Masumi writes a letter to him expressing how much he misses him, and invites him for Peking duck when he leaves. He left Kamurocho for several days following the incident. [7] Following the worldwide release of Like A Dragon by late 2020, Nakaya indicated in an interview with Famitsu that Ichiban will lead the series for the foreseeable future, and that he was grateful for the support from Takaya Kuroda, Kiryu's voice actor, with regards to the transition. Kasuga's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. I felt like Masato knew Ichiban was his son, but he also knew how tough Ichiban was and how Masato would have no one without him and for sure wouldnt make it in prison. In 1984, the year the design of the 10,000 bill changed, he was gifted a defective counterfeit by Hoshino. Aoki escapes, leading him and Ichiban to the lockers where they were put as babies. Complete Yakuza: Like a Dragon Voice Actor Cast - Game Rant On the way back home, he encounters Tendo and they discuss the events that transpired. arakawa didnt know for sure. Just a theory on why the boss shot ichiban in the trailer Ichiban is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya in Japanese, and by Kaiji Tang in English. While it is never revealed that Sawashiro was telling the truth, Ichiban still felt as though both he and Aoki were sons to Arakawa. The family gained notoriety due to its militant nature and became feared among the residents of Kamurocho, with Masumi himself earning the nickname "Arakawa the Assassin." Kasuga's signature attire consists of a maroon suit worn over a white shirt with an upturned collar and a gold chain necklace. Once he learned the truth, Masumi spared Hoshino's life and left quietly. In the ensuing chaos, Kasuga is called by Han and Seong-hui. Some time following the events, Masumi and Kasuga meet at the docks in Yokohama at night and spend some time together. He also wears his short black hair parted to the right. Counterpart They attempt to expose the company's counterfeiting scheme, but their plan goes awry and they are captured and framed by Mabuchi. Trying to find answers as to why, Kasuga ends up shot and . Aoki admits that he is the one who committed the murder that sent Ichiban to prison years ago. Tojo Clan (formerly)Omi AllianceArakawa Family 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) By 1980, he managed to track down his father's killer: Ryuhei Hoshino. Although he appeared to have assistance from his men, raising Masato proved difficult. By Kasuga's release in 2019, Masumi had been appointed the acting captain of the Omi Alliance and continues to cooperate with Aoki. 42 Kasuga asked him why he would go to such lengths for someone he didn't even know, to which Arakawa responded, "Maybe I just wanted to look cool in front of a kid who knew who I was.". His moveset, much like that of Kiryu and Majima, is a reskinned version of the Streets of Rage series' main character, Axel. January 1, 1977 He gave him the name Masato; (masa), the first kanji in Masumi and (to), the first kanji in Toshio. Kasuga was born to Akane and Masumi Arakawa on New Year's Day, 1977, in Shangri-La. Kasuga was instead taken in by Shangri-La's manager, Jiro Kasuga, and raised by the people of Kamurocho. When assigned his unique class, Hero, the way he envisions his attire changes slightly in battle; his sleeves are rolled up to the elbow, he wears black leather gloves, and his necklace is replaced by a red silk ascot. Masumi's first card in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, SSR Masumi Arakawa (Black), was first released on September 24, 2020 and depicts the version of him seen in the main story of Ryu Ga Gotoku Online. During recording of the game, Tang befriended Greg Chun, who voices supporting character Nanba. Appears In RGGO Masumi was born in 1957 to Yoko Arakawa and Toshio Arakawa. In Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, he is the patriarch of the Arakawa Family and the captain of the Omi Alliance. Ichiban is shot by Arakawa when he attempts to confront him. 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!!! [3] Yokoyama positioned Ichiban's personality as the opposite of Kiryu's in many ways: "thoroughly uncomplicated, direct, cheerful, reckless". Zhao joins Kasuga's party, and they decide to meet with Aoki for answers. The game then dramatically rolls into a flashback from when Sawashiro was 15, and his girlfriend at the time was pregnant. Affiliation Unable to deal with a child, they chose to put the baby in a locker. Physical He tells Kasuga that Arakawa will need allies shortly. Kasuga is also a huge fan of Dragon Quest, a video game he loved to play ever since his youth. Aoki is about to come around but is fatally stabbed by a disillusioned Kume. Yakuza Like a Dragon - Ichiban Confronts Masumi ArakawaTwitter: https://twitter.com/Santosx07 As to why he asked Ichiban to take the fall, probably because he thought Ichi could handle prison, being so tough and all. They summoned Arakawa to their office and asked him to collect Kasuga in person, assuming Kasuga was part of his family. Is Ichiban Arakawa's son? - dauglydevil.dixiesewing.com However, one hundred million yen in counterfeit bills turned up missing while in Toshio's possession, prompting the Seiryu Clan to eliminate him; in reality, the money had been stolen by Yoko and the man she was having an affair with at the time, his former co-star Tora. Tojo Clan (formerly)Arakawa Family (formerly) A selfish, violent man, he is the one pulling the strings, the one blockading Arakawa from aiding Ichiban. Kasuga defeats Tendo, and engineers a confession with the help of Mirror Face to end Aoki's political career. Yakuza 7 has some of the best RPG combat in a long time [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. Advance Offense-type allies' cooldown timer by up to 24%. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Associations 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. Also Known As He infiltrates the meeting and finds Arakawa with several Tojo Clan figures. Yakuza: Like a Dragon / Characters - TV Tropes Knowing that they couldn't face so many enemies at once Ryuji and Han decide to split up. He learns Aoki had ensorsed Sota Kume for an election. Also Known As 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". Sneaking into the Omi Alliance Headquarters to meet Arakawa, he and his party are met upon by Goro Majima and Taiga Saejima. Tang notes that he was able to draw upon his life experiences as an Asian man to help with his performance as Ichiban. The dynamic within the family was tense, however, with Sawashiro's constant abuse of Kasuga often placing Masumi into the role of mediator. Chapter 12: The End of the Yakuza - Yakuza: Like a Dragon - GameFAQs Before they part, Masumi talks about a strange dream where Kasuga and Masato swapped places in their births. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Character appears in 4 games. Kasuga hoped mentioning his name would somehow get him free, but it only backfired. Hoshino is able to get him to cheer up and suggests he run in the upcoming election to get close to Aoki. Affiliation He turns himself in to the police and is sentenced to 15 years in jail, which is extended to 18 years following an incident in the summer of 2002. 23-41 (The Legend of Ichiban Kasuga: Part 1). Masumi then heads to Heian Tower for dinner with Hoshino. The character's fascination with Dragon Quest serves as the impetus for the series' change from action adventure to role-playing games. Masumi escaped and told Akane to meet him at Cafe Alps after she had given birth. So he asked his son to go in prison instead of Masato- that's what I dont understand. They explain their plan to their guests. After the whole Sotenbori business is done you can meet him in Ijincho and he'll tell Ichi about his dream that his son was born at a Soapland. He can be unlocked after completing the single stage once. The Hope of KamurochoPrisoner 1119 )Mitsuo Yasumura (former subordinate)Tsukasa Mikuni (subordinate)Vincent Lowe (subordinate)Yosuke Kagami (subordinate) They later meet the heads of the Ijin Three at Heian Tower and learn about the scheme they set up with Yutaka Ogikubo, but for information on Kasuga's fake bill, he is asked to retrieve Nanba. Ryu Ga Gotoku OnlineYakuza: Like a DragonLike a Dragon 8 Initially a street thug, Daigo becomes the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan by Kazuma Kiryu's recommendation, representing a new generation of yakuza. Theater actor (formerly)Member of the Hikawa Family (formerly)First patriarch of the Arakawa FamilyActing captain of the Omi Alliance They find Nanba collaborating with Mabuchi, Bleach Japan, and Hajime Ogasawara. His default job is "Homeless Guy", which is a Squishy Wizard setup involving strong area-of-effect skills and strong debuffs. Aliases In 1969, when he is not wearing his Onnagata outfit, he wears a white dress shirt with the top button unbuttoned, khaki pants, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, and white Velcro sneakers. Ichiban Kasuga Japanese Hepburn Kasuga Ichiban also nicknamed Ichi is a character from Segas Ryu ga Gotoku media franchise known internationally as Along with Dojima and Watase, he plans to start up a security company in Sotenbori to serve as a home for the yakuza who would have nowhere else to go after the dissolution. Ichiban Kasuga (Japanese: , Hepburn: Kasuga Ichiban), also nicknamed Ichi (), is a character from Sega's Ryu ga Gotoku media franchise, known internationally as Yakuza. RGGO 39 (Wanderings of the Golden Dragon)62 (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)[a] By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. There, they meet the Liumang leader Tianyou Zhao and convince both him and Mamoru Takabe to stand down temporarily. Is Arakawa Ichiban's dad? Although he had never met Kasuga before, in order to maintain his reputation, he agreed to the rival family's demands. Described as having been born with "nothing but physical strength," Kasuga has a very muscular build that gives him the opportunity to be proficient at a variety of fighting styles. When the dissolution is announced, they join Arakawa in defending Dojima and Watase alongside Yosuke Tendo, who had deccided to fight for them, and Watase's mysterious bodyguard. [16], Ichiban was generally well received by critics in their preview commentary of Like a Dragon. Character skills unlocked from other jobs will still be usable. On New Year's Eve in 2000, Arakawa takes Ichiban Kasuga out for Peking duck, but all restaurants serving it are closed. Adachi joins him, and explains his reasoning for wanting to be with him, then hands him a smartphone, which he learns how to operate with assistance from Nick Ogata. 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. A high-ranking member of the family like Sawashiro would've probably hurt their reputation too much. How did Arakawa Under the Bridge End? - Squarerootnola.com Ryu Ga Gotoku Online: Masumi has a solid build. Biographical Information Thanks to the split, there is not enough manpower to crush them and Yosuke Tendo joins Masumi's side as he could not resist the urge to fight such a brawl. Kasuga pleads to Aoki to start anew, but he is killed by Kume before he can do so. [2], To differentiate him from Kiryu, Ichiban is written to be less stoic and more emotive in comparison. Ichiban confronts Aoki during an election rally and tricks him into sending his men to the Millenium Tower at Kamuroch after lying about Sawashiro leaking the existence of incriminating evidence at the Arakawa Family office. Eye Color There, he explains that Arakawa is at peace, and that Ichiban should get revenge on Aoki. Hair Color as far why he didnt send someone else to prison.. Well even if u r the patriarch.. No wud just accept to go away for years. Aoki was weak and couldn't do a lot on his own without scheming. Black, later graying arakawa didnt know for sure. The Tojo Clan is seemingly no more, having been wiped out and replaced by the Omi Alliance, and Arakawa is the traitor who let them in. She joins the trio after tearfully asking for their help, and they eventually learn they might meet him at the Yokohama Trading Company. [26], In a year as tough as 2020, many video game fans looked to the media as a vicarious escape from the misery of an unjust world. Physical Kasuga bluffs to Aoki of having incriminating evidence to lure him and Tendo to the Millennium Tower. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. [Spoilers] Why did Arakawa have only Ichi go to prison despite considering him as a son ? Having turned over to the Omi Alliance, he is now a direct patriarch under the Omi banner. Aliases To Kasuga's surprise, Arakawa arrived. Fighting Style Hair Color Afterwards, he interrogates Ogasawara to learn of Aoki's ambitions and plans to use the Omi. [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. Afterwards, Ichiban gets to reunite with Arakawa, whom he tells he feels is like a surrogate father, and the two share a nice moment. All rights reserved. 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. [20] Michael Higham from GameSpot praised Ichiban as an endearing lead character who is immediately loveable and helps gives the franchise "a fresh start". Nicknames Ichiban is the lead character in the 2020 video game Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the first main series Yakuza title which does not feature recurring series lead Kazuma Kiryu as a playable character. Kasuga is a fiercely loyal and steadfast man, perhaps to a fault. Kiichi NakaiWP 185 cm (6 1)[c] Actors 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. Ichiban did turn out fine in the end. Really cool twist but I can't believe Arakawa never knew under these circumstances. 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. 5 Yakuza named Kishi. 58[3] He only made his relationship and the pregnancy known to his patriarch the day Akane was due; however, having lost face, his patriarch had his men beat him badly and ordered them to kill both Akane and the baby. RGGO 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. 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. Overview Yakuza Like a Dragon - Ichiban Confronts Masumi Arakawa After getting surgery in America, he gained the use of his legs and began trying to gather power, hoping to make up for the years when he felt helpless. Despite the amount of bloodshed throughout the story, this is one of the most optimistic endings in the series. 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. Upon his return to Kamurocho, he crushed the Hikawa Family completely as vengeance. Part of his little finger on his left hand is missing. They sneak through the sewers and rooftops to where Arakawa is. Relies on bare-knuckle brawling and Kasuga's pro wrestling moves to knock enemies senseless. [17] GamesRadar enjoyed the game mechanics presented towards Ichiban and his allies, making their wait for the game's release worthwhile. Sawashiro, the man who Ichiban gave away 18 years of his life to save, is central to the yakuza now. Actors [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. This soon fizzled out due to a mutual lack of interest, and Masumi began seeing a woman named Akane in secret. Through Saeko Mukoda, they learn one of the Liumang's bosses Akira Mabuchi may be involved. Age 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 ? Other Age Kazuhiro Nakaya, the voice actor of Ichiban Kasuga in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, has addressed the future of the Yakuza . After he joins the yakuza, he slicks part of his hair back in a more clean-cut style. The next day, Arakawa calls Kasuga into his office, gravely telling him to be inconspicuous. 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? 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 discovers that the anti-crime activist group Bleach Japan is indirectly responsible for Nonomiya's death. He is a former member of the Arakawa Family, a Tojo Clan subsidiary. Following his defeat, Sawashiro informs Ichiban that Arakawa's son was switched for his own son as an infant, and implies that Arakawa may have been Ichiban's birth father all along. Adachi confronts Horinouchi with evidence of the bribes, and the villainous cop is arrested, bringing closure to Adachi's storyline and leaving him feeling vindicated at last.