Knowing that they couldn't face so many enemies at once Ryuji and Han decide to split up. Relationships Associations Outside the Seiryu offices, the three discuss what happened and Adachi says it's quite a shock that Nanoha would agree to euthanizing her father. Tendo now has a chance at the top and shoots Masumi to get back in the Omi remnants' good graces after betraying them. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is prone to letting his emotions get the best of him, whether it be sheer rage or getting overly excitable. Ichiban appears as an unlockable player character of the promotional freeware game Streets of Kamurocho, developed and released as part of Sega's 60th anniversary celebrations in October 2020. He tells Kasuga that Arakawa will need allies shortly. Ichiban denies this, saying he'd rather bring Arakawa's vision of improving the yakuza to life. Although he appeared to have assistance from his men, raising Masato proved difficult. Also Known As "[2] Realizing that this new protagonist could serve as the franchise's "catalyst for change" by moving away from the exploration of a modern version of a typical Japanese hero in Kiryu, Yokoyama set about creating and portraying a "life-sized hero", a protagonist who is essentially a "normal guy" who is not as strong or mature as Kiryu. [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. The duo eventually encounters their targets in Nagasugai, Fukuoka. Appears In However, to this day, his true intentions remain shrouded in mystery. [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. [34] RPGFan also regarded Tang as one of the best actors in the entire game based on the impact of his deliveries. [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. Ryu Ga Gotoku OnlineYakuza: Like a Dragon The year after the death of his father, he stopped going to junior high school at fifteen and resorted to whatever means necessary to earn money and support himself, leaving his education behind for good. Appearance 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. Ichiban is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya in Japanese, and by Kaiji Tang in English. Kasuga's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. Theater actor (formerly)Member of the Hikawa Family (formerly)First patriarch of the Arakawa FamilyActing captain of the Omi Alliance Masumi talks about his concerns with Masato and his plans for post-yakuza life and Kasuga expresses his desire to be a family again. Kasuga defeats Tendo, and engineers a confession with the help of Mirror Face to end Aoki's political career. Affiliation Kasuga decided then and there he'd follow Arakawa for the rest of his life. It explains this and technically he didnt send him to prison ichiban went willingly out of his own choice but it explains he went for masato so masato doesnt get the blame, I know that. Ichiban goes to prison on the first night of the 21st century, and doesn't get out until 18 years later, with nearly two decades' worth of culture and change having passed him by, not to . [21] Jorge Jimenez from PC Gamer praised Ichiban's optimistic characterization, a "goofy, happy go lucky gangster who loves classic JRPGs", as an effective way of explaining the franchise's drastic genre shift with Like a Dragon. For more information, please see our By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The two reconcile, but before Aoki can turn himself over to the police, Kume, a member of Bleach Japan and a newly elected representative, stabs Aoki. 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. Japanese [23] They believe that Ichiban is a good example of how slapstick humour can be blended seamlessly with high octane action to create an excellent, engaging story. This soon fizzled out due to a mutual lack of interest, and Masumi began seeing a woman named Akane in secret. The dragonfish tattoo on his back earned him the nickname "The Rock Bottom Dragon" (, Donzoko no Ry). In the final boss fight of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Freelancer will be forcibly equipped, but will have all its skills unlocked if they are not already unlocked. 18 years later, Ichiban is released from prison. In Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, he is the patriarch of the Arakawa Family and the captain of the Omi Alliance. Daigo Dojima ( , Djima Daigo) is a recurring supporting character in the Like a Dragon series introduced in Yakuza 2. A man who brought a teenaged Ichiban Kasuga back from death's door. [27], Several publications rated Ichiban as among the best video game characters featured in 2020, a year where Like A Dragon saw an international release. The two seemingly developed a mutual sense of responsibility for Masato's care although Sawashiro never admitted he was Masato's biological father. Masumi then heads to Heian Tower for dinner with Hoshino. Eye Color However, one day, he severely injured and hospitalized a yakuza. It is implied that he may hav felt like kasuga is the real son. It represented the leverage Masumi had over the Ijin Three, as he had the ability to make the counterfeiting operation public knowledge. Aoki escapes, leading him and Ichiban to the lockers where they were put as babies. [Spoilers] Why did Arakawa have only Ichi go to prison despite considering him as a son ? But who's to say whether or not he would have intervened. The previous night, Masato had killed a man from the rival Sakaki Family. He invited Hoshino to Ijincho's Heian Tower where he interrogated him at gunpoint regarding his motives. At the funeral, Daigo offers Ichiban a job at a security company. The next day, Watase and Dojima declare the dissolution of both of their organizations and are met with resistance from the Omi officers. Damage an enemy with a swift, brutal kick. 185 cm (6 1)[c] He and his friends are asked to hold the invading Omi Alliance at bay until they can burn down their operation. Japanese Kazuhiro Nakaya After Ichiban leaves prison, he confronts Arakawa to just for Arakawa to shoot him point blank and leave him for dead in Yokohama. He later learned that Akane was caught by the yakuza and murdered while he was on his way to the hospital. 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. He is a former member of the Arakawa Family, a Tojo Clan subsidiary. They head to Geomijul at Zhao's demand, and are led there by an incognito Seong-hui. 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. These traits have made him an infectiously charismatic person that never fails to inspire admiration from the people around him. He was hidden in coin locker #101 at Shinjuku Station by Akane on Arakawa's instructions in order to keep him safe while they were being pursued by members of Hikawa Industries; however, Arakawa unknowingly retrieved the baby locked in the adjacent locker #99. 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. Relies on bare-knuckle brawling and Kasuga's pro wrestling moves to knock enemies senseless. [20] Michael Higham from GameSpot praised Ichiban as an endearing lead character who is immediately loveable and helps gives the franchise "a fresh start". Sawashiro reveals that he did not commit the murder all those years ago, but it was in fact Arakawa's own son. 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. Through Shuichi Kanbe, the duo find jobs. He learns Aoki had ensorsed Sota Kume for an election. They meet Hamako and Bleach Japan after a bodyguard job, and Adachi rejoins them afterward. Espaol - Latinoamrica (Spanish - Latin America). Actors Arakawa and Kasuga catch up after returning to Yokohama, but the next day, he learns Arakawa was killed. Relationships Their fight is soon interrupted by a group of thugs led by Shou Takayama, the acting chairman of the Go-Ryu Clan, who has been chasing Ryuji for a while. 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. Character appears in 4 games. The next day, Arakawa calls Kasuga into his office, gravely telling him to be inconspicuous. because his character and beliefs wouldn't fit as a Shinsengumi. Its just a possiblity. On his 24th birthday, Kasuga is called into the Arakawa Family office, where Arakawa informs him of Sawashiro's involvement in the murder of a member of the Sakaki Family. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. 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. Nationality Appears In George TakeiWPJohnny Yong BoschWP (young adult)Zach AguilarWP (teen)[2] During his pursuit of power, he did horrible things and lost sight of the people who were there for him when he was a nobody. Note: This is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts. His moveset, much like that of Kiryu and Majima, is a reskinned version of the Streets of Rage series' main character, Axel. The Chief and Hoshino tell Kasuga of their history with Arakawa, and he learns Arakawa had sent him there intentionally to save him, renewing his faith in his former patriarch. Chapter 15 is the final chapter of the game and culminates with a fight against Ryo Aoki, the son of Arakawa and the governor of Japan. 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. Although beloved, he lived in poverty and the people who raised him were considered "trash" by the rest of society. 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. During their preparations, Ichiban hears of an important Omi Alliance meeting in Osaka that Arakawa will attend. He left Kamurocho for several days following the incident. Learning from Reiji Ishioda that Tendo murdered Arakawa, the group goes into hiding with Nick and heads to Kamurocho. Age The game follows Ichiban Kasuga, who spends 18 years in prison for a murder that he didn't commit at the request of his patriarch, Masumi Arakawa. Arakawa offered them his finger in exchange for Kasuga's freedom and the men quickly let Kasuga go. Fighting Style The ending feels like information overload, but it's not as completely insane as it might seem at first glance. When asked why he would go to those lengths in the first place, he simply stated that he "felt like impressing an idiot kid who knew [his] name.". The three are directed to Otohime Land to work for Isao Nonomiya, and rescue Nanoha Mukoda from having to pay large fees to Sunlight Castle, and meet Ryuhei Hoshino, who recognizes the bill. Associations One day, in 1993, he was called to the offices of the Shinomiya Family to take responsibility for Ichiban Kasuga, a sixteen-year-old boy who had hospitalized one of their members and was claiming to be from the Arakawa Family. It puts the pain of shooting Kasuga and the importance of the counterfeit bill into proper perspective, and the finality of Arakawa's life, of being able to finally look at his own son, not as. Ichiban shows a video of Aoki admitting to his crimes to the police, dooming Aoki's plans. we dont know for sure the dream that arakawa has started occuring even before he sends him to prison. 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 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. The dynamic within the family was tense, however, with Sawashiro's constant abuse of Kasuga often placing Masumi into the role of mediator. Sawashiro suggests leaking information in exchange for the Family's continued survival. 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. [2] As a major story theme in Like A Dragon concerns the struggles of individuals who are not clearly defined by moral absolutes, this allowed the game's writers to position Ichiban from a perspective that humanizes such individuals as common everyday people. 5 Yakuza named Kishi. 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. For Yakuza: Like a Dragon on the PlayStation 4, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "What do you want to see in a sequel? He gave him the name Masato; (masa), the first kanji in Masumi and (to), the first kanji in Toshio. 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 . Is Arakawa Ichiban's dad? 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.". 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. So then I decided on Ichiban Kasuga. Sawashiro felt indebted to the man raising his child and joined his Yakuza family. Having left a strong impression on Kasuga, he was followed back to the Arakawa Family office, where Kasuga waited outside every day for one hundred days straight until Masumi finally relented and accepted him into the Arakawa Family. Once he learned the truth, Masumi spared Hoshino's life and left quietly. After being released, his Arakawa shoots Ichiban and leaves him for dead in Yokohama. Tojo Clan (formerly)Arakawa Family (formerly) Damage an enemy with a flying kick. He is more human than Kazama is. 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. RGG Studios' chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto explained in an interview that Kasuga appears as a Trooper Card instead of a full character in Like a Dragon: Ishin! Ichiban learns from Seiryu Clan chairman Ryuhei Hoshino that the counterfeit bill is proof that Arakawa shot him in a non-lethal manner to create a false impression of his demise. Also, Sawashiro was too useful (as he is the captain) to be sent to jail. 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. [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. 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 ? 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. Other If you have any familiarity with the "Yakuza" franchise, you know that developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio likes to blend soap opera-style drama with absurd gameplay and side stories. Sneaking into the Omi Alliance Headquarters to meet Arakawa, he and his party are met upon by Goro Majima and Taiga Saejima. [22] Leah Williams and Tegan Jones from Kotaku Australia welcomed the decision to have Ichiban succeed Kiryu as the new lead character of the franchise, lauding his character arc to be simultaneously moving as well as one filled with ridiculous fun. After sighting a picture of Ryo Aoki, the upstart Governor of Tokyo and co-founder of Bleach Japan, Ichiban recognizes him as an actual living Masato Arakawa. There, they meet the Liumang leader Tianyou Zhao and convince both him and Mamoru Takabe to stand down temporarily. Yakuza Like a Dragon - Arakawa Death Scene / Ichiban And Arakawa Catch UpTwitter: https://twitter.com/Santosx07 Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Chief producer and writer Masayoshi Yokoyama noted that their goal after Yakuza 6 was not to "create the next Yakuza title" but to "create the next protagonist. 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. They beat Kasuga to the brink of death, and fearing for his life he blurted out the name of a feared yakuza, Masumi Arakawa, saying that if they killed him they'd be hearing from him; in reality, he had never met the man and was only aware of him due to his reputation as "Killer" Arakawa. [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. He appears to have a relatively slim build. 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. With the troupe disbanded after Toshio's death, Masumi drifted to Kamurocho along with some fellow troupe members. [5] His background of being born and raised in one of Japan's "grey zones" was set from the start. He asks Kasuga to turn himself in, telling him the lie that it was Sawashiro who committed the murder. During the campaign, he learns Hoshino is being targeted by Sawashiro, but arrives too late to save him, and learn from Sawashiro that Aoki is his son and Kasuga is Arakawa's. He had apparently been struggling with toilet training until fifth grade. Japanese 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. They get what Zhao wanted, but an established conflict between the Geomijul and Nanba causes him to leave and Han to fight the others. All rights reserved. Tojo Clan (formerly)Arakawa Family (formerly)Ichiban Confections It is implied that he may hav felt like kasuga is the real son. Although he had a loving father, Masumi had a troubled home life as a child, and received the scar on his face at the hands of his mother at a young age. Biographical With the rough events, Kasuga starts to lose himself, but an exchange of blows with Kazuma Kiryu gets him back to his senses. Advances Heat Gauge by 200 at the start of battle. 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. They sneak through the sewers and rooftops to where Arakawa is. Ichiban is nursed back to health by Nanba, a local homeless man and disbarred nurse. 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.". 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." In order to complete this plan, Masumi feigns turning over to the Omi. In 2004, Masato fakes his death and starts a new identity as Ryo Aoki with assistance from the Arakawa Family and leaves for the USA. Part of his little finger on his left hand is missing. The character has received a generally positive response from critics and players in the video game community, with the consensus that he is a suitable choice to succeed Kiryu's role as the lead character in future games. A powerful skill that damages an enemy with an improvised weapon lying about the city. Plot: Ichiban, distraught at Arakawa's death is called by Hoshino who invites him for a meal. Aoki is about to come around but is fatally stabbed by a disillusioned Kume. Kasuga's signature attire consists of a maroon suit worn over a white shirt with an upturned collar and a gold chain necklace. Despite the amount of bloodshed throughout the story, this is one of the most optimistic endings in the series. Kiichi NakaiWP 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. Search for hidden treasures scattered throughout the city. Kasuga Ichiban (Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! After Aoki dies, the game cuts to Juro Horinouchi, the Kamurocho police commissioner who worked closely with Aoki and took money from him. Arakawa is shot in the chest and dies a painful death, the last sight in his life being Tendo's smile. Arakawa sparing Ichiban from Yubitsume at the last second just to spend time with him despite his incompetence in regards to collecting money. 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". Damage an enemy with a wrestling technique known as a release German suplex. 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. You get a lot more out more human elements out of him. 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? Arakawa is a yakuza and saved his life, he grew up in the slums where the proper Japanese job archetype would spit on his face and it's the Assassin that gives him a job and some sense of worth. Tojo Clan (formerly)Omi AllianceArakawa Family Brown His long history as a hitman and his reputation as the militant leader of the Arakawa Family earned him the nickname "Arakawa the Assassin" (, Koroshi no Arakawa). Discover more experts answers from Gaming. His features are typically obscured by his fedora or by shadow, but he appears to have short black hair and brown eyes. [3] Yokoyama positioned Ichiban's personality as the opposite of Kiryu's in many ways: "thoroughly uncomplicated, direct, cheerful, reckless". 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. This splits the Omi's forces in half, which would instrumental at the time of both organizations' dissolution. After that, he was compelled to understand why Arakawa shot him and took one dirty job after another. 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) He later takes Masato to the cabaret club he frequents and receives money from him, which he tries to use as payment for his captain, who realizes where the money actually came from. Affiliation In Like a Dragon 8, Kasuga's hairstyle is a ponytail once again. Between 1978 and 1982, he established the Arakawa Family, a third-tier organization within the Tojo Clan's ranks. Fight: Arakawa Family This fight is against a Lv. 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 .