Discussion The Yakuza franchise represents a progression of the masculine ideal

[Deleted member 2206]

Old School: Kiryu Kazuma
Doesn't give a fuck, silences people with fists, stoic monolith, gets shit done, low EQ

New School: Ichiban Kasuga
Gives a fuck about everyone, silences people with empathy, big manchild, constant detours, high EQ

Basically this is one of the only game franchises where the characters grow with the demographic. Kiryu represents the masculine ideals of the 2000s and what edgy teenagers would've found cool at the time, Ichiban represents the 'mellowing out phase' of slightly older men attuned to the 2020s power fantasy of having lots of friends in an era of isolation. They are basically two kinds of self-inserts.

 

[Riddler]

Yeah the yakuza games are influenced by classic Japanese gangster films. Takeshi kinato movies like Hana bi that feature strong stoic protagonists

Ichiban feels more like a shonen protagonist, as you say a jacked manchild who cares about everyone. He's basically like Goku

 

[lifesucksandyoudie]

Kiryu is literally a cuck that raised the daughter of his oneitis which she had with another man. His second love interest went overseas to America and he never saw her again, which is essentially an euphemism for taking whitu cocku in all her holes since this is an Asian female in the West we're talking about.
I have no idea why the Japanese writers would make their protagonists like this, even when they deliberately set out to make them masculine. And to think Kiryu is one of the manly Asian chads in fiction that some ricecels look up to. And he's still a cuck.

 

[Saladino]

Yeah the yakuza games are influenced by classic Japanese gangster films. Takeshi kinato movies like Hana bi that feature strong stoic protagonists

Ichiban feels more like a shonen protagonist, as you say a jacked manchild who cares about everyone. He's basically like Goku

You need a gf

 

[Deleted member 82]

mentioned japan again award