So yes, this frame-it-in-a-gallery-worthy trailer was put together by someone brilliant (it wasn’t me)(rip) to promote Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut coming – as of now exclusively – to Nintendo Switch 2. Which is, like, out now, by the way??? WHICH IS INSANE. Anyway, the Director’s Cut has some new shiny bits and bobs such as 26 WHOLE-ASS MINUTES of additional scenes (!!!) and a new online mode, Red Light Raid.
I haven’t played the mode myself, but maybe my husband and I can…buy… two copies of Yakuza 0 DC so we can play together? Seems a bit excessive, but THAT ISN’T THE POINT OF THIS BLOG DAMMIT
Nay, for today I wish to speak of butt puckering: Seeing Kuze (Hitoshi Ozawa), Awano (Riki Takeuchi) and Shibusawa (Hideo Nakano) IN THE FLESH, flopping their big ol’ intimidating Yakuza boss salamis on the table in the ~*most perfect RGG way*~ made my heart flutter and my butt pucker.
I say this with my entire chest: those three are the most intimidating and terrifying antagonists in the entire series. (Feels weird to categorize ‘em as plain ol’ antagonists, because they had such profound impacts on Kiryu’s journey – and to some extent Majima’s – BUT I DIGRESS.) Like, the aura these characters give off in every scene, all that power and unpredictability – man, it STILL makes me tense. (I’ll never unsee what unfolded between Awano and his poor dance partner.)
I’ve often scratched my hypothetical beard wondering why it is that Awano, Kuze and Shibusawa have remained with me, even after, what, umpteen Like a Dragon games. I mean, shit, we’ve met/been betrayed by/fought/(never killed tho) countless “bad guys” at this point in our Like a Dragon journey. So why them?
It probably has something to do with the nature of the narrative mixed with my own personal experience. After all, Yakuza 0 was my first foray into Like A Dragon, which really, truly, kicks off the beginning of Kiryu’s and Majima’s legacy. At this point, their names carry little power, their decisions aren’t really theirs to make, and they’re so low on the ladder they’re practically chilin’ in the Kamurocho sewers. They have yet to grow an intimidating Yakuza boss salami, with no table to slam it on in sight.
The Yakuza 0 lieutenants RADIATE all of the things we are not, acting as a constant reminder that we are small, weak and out of control of our destiny, a stark departure from the “dragon” we feel like we are in later games. And in hindsight, we come to realize and appreciate that those lieutenants are the physical manifestations of the obstacles Kiryu (and Majima) have to overcome – not only in brute strength, but in mental fortitude – so that they can ultimately morph into those, uh, “righteous” Yakuza big boss salami-wielding badasses we know today. They’re the kind of antagonists that I love to hate, y’know? I would NOT BE MAD if we ever got some sort of canonical background storytelling that dived into the lives of those three. Like, THIS is the sort of situation when a spinoff comic would be *chef’s kiss*
And, ugh, as much as it pains me, since we’re giving flowers to the bad guys I gotta give a shout-out to Sawaga for putting our boy Majima through the wringer. *grumble*
ANYWAY I LOVE THIS TRAILER AND I WILL CHERISH IT FOREVER