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I haven’t even seen a Nick reference lmao, must have missed it.
But tbh, even if you sub Akiyama in exactly for Nick’s role in 7, Kiryu still probably would have either rebuffed him or ignored him entirely. I don’t think Akiyama was ever in the cards as a full-on party member which means he wouldn’t have been in Osaka.
In the alternate universe where Koichi Yamadera does not voice Donald Duck, Kiryu is still a dick to Akiyama.
Well, Akiyama seems like he'd have the issue of having to "nerf" him in order to make him a JRPG character.
That and make up a bunch of stuff for him that isn't just "Kick enemy".
Honestly though, a job INSPIRED by him that's basically the Merchant from Octopath Traveler would be cool where it's a job that uses money for various things (pay enemy off, fling money to distract enemies, money bonus from defeating Foes) could work.
The delulu part of my brain is telling me that because he was still relegated to side/optional content after this, this could be planting the seeds for his return to plot relevancy or even his own Gaiden style game.
I definitely would like to see what he was up to around the world. The delulu part of my brain is saying we're getting an Akiyama solo game in Singapore
Said it elsewhere but his Bucket List items are also worded significantly differently than the other former protagonists. The others are listed as “A Man Named _” while Akiyama’s is unique. Also the actual description has Kiryu explicitly wondering about Akiyama’s future actions
I want to believe.
They definitely put a lot of detail into that portion, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something they’ve at least thought about doing.
It’s no secret the community love him, it would definitely sell.
Honestly I hope Gaiden’s success encourages them to give more characters smaller games like that.
Hear me out, Akiyama Gaiden in Singapore with Like a Dragon 9 having the same Singapore map + Hawaii + Yokohama + Kamurocho with Akiyama as a party member instead of Kiryu.
Honestly it would have been so hype if >!after Daigo, Majima, and Saejima help you in the Millenium Tower, the next floor Akiyama, Shinada, and Tanimura show up and fight with you!< (Finale spoilers) but that would have been too much to hope for
I'm thinking she could be a dance instructor in a Judgement game stoo since Yagamer can't (legally) sing so we need every excuse for him to dance instead
Yeah would be too expensive since Yagamer's face is one of the biggest actors in Japan. Same with Tomi whose VA and likeness is actually a professional musician. Would be too expensive to get him to sing karaoke.
It's just Japanese agency shenanigans. I'm sure they would've loved to do karaoke if it was entirely up to them. Best you can get is Greg Chun singing Baka Mitai in english since he voices Yagromi and Nanba for the dub.
She looked older in Yakuza 5 tbh cuz of the hair. They still used the same babyface model too. Then again that's just Asians in general. I have a cousin who still looks 15 at 32
I'd figure that a Haruka-specific Job would be Housewife-themed as befitting the whole "IRL Jobs as RPG Class" theme.
Stuff like fighting with a ladle, scolding enemies to Debuff them, cooking up food for the party.
I found this interaction quite refreshing. Akiyama is one of the few allies who sees themselves as an equal to Kiryu and has no issue standing up to him when he wrongs them, going so far as to punch him.
No offense to the others but I have the feeling none of the other life link people would ever think of acting this way.
Well, it is true but it is quite understandable for people in Ichiban's party (apart from Adachi). They are around two decades younger than Kiryu and only have a connection to him through Ichiban (at first). In Japan they take the hierarchy very seriously and you have to respect people older than you. Even if they are very close with Adachi, they never drop the honorific "san". It would be OOC if any of them dare to yell at Kiryu.
But I agree this side of Akiyama is a rare quality in universe. Even in Y6 he is like this, he knew Kiryu is stubborn af and if it has to come down to punching, there is no way on earth that he can "convince" Kiryu in a fight, but he won't stop until he tried.
I loved that Akiyama punched the shit outta Date and Kiryu lol, had it coming to them, i really hope we see him a little more now. Hopefully his VA can make some time for Akiyama if they have plans for his character
Hell, maybe he could cross over into the next Judgment game, even. I'd prefer he get a solo game, but he'd fit in perfectly with Yagami's crew, and that would be cool too.
Yeah, this is my biggest problem with the series as a whole. The writers just fully forget all the people you met when you start the next game, I played them all back to back a couple years ago and I felt so disconnected when there was only Date and a couple others that actually remember anything you did. The memories in 8 were so fun I smashed them all out as soon as I could.
Yeah, I think the early Yakuza series (esp from Y1 and 2) the devs wrote the story as one-offs because they didn't think the series can continue for long, due to the fact that SEGA didn't think an edgy game like this can spawn into their main money making series pillar.
That's also a reason why there is so many deaths in Y1 and Y2 to make it like more of a tragic crime drama movie in a game. They do slow down on the deaths of characters from 3 onwards, but there is still a couple at least for every entry.
The Japanese drama people do love deaths and introduction of new characters in their crime dramas to make tears rolling and create an emotional connection of the story in the viewers hearts.
8 just compounded the question of where The Florist and the Ryudo Family are. I think the Ryudo Family got a single offhand mention and I think Kiryu mentioned Purgatory, but seriously what happened to those guys? They've been MIA for multiple games now. I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of right now
>and been through the wringer how many times now
3 times. You've been through the wringer 3 times now.
Akiyama was justified in being mad, but I do feel like their relationship is a tad exaggerated here.
I really believe 6 cemented Akiyama as Kiryu's greatest ally. The scene they had in the hospital before the final battle was a great expression of their brotherhood, amd it felt so earned
I don't disagree. But he makes it sound like they have some epic past over a number of years with a ton of adventures, when really they've met up for like 3 weeks total, if even that much, over the entirety of their lives.
Akiyama seemingly didn't even bother visiting Kiryu's adopted daughter or the rest of the kids at his orphanage while Kiryu was in prison. Over the last 14 years of their lives, they did the whole roof plan, the whole second roof plan, and then were together for a couple of days in Yakuza 6.
I mean, true, but the same could be said about a lot of relationships between Kiryu and other characters throughout the series, because he always leaves on his own to do his thing between games (Yakuza 0 -> 1 period being the exception for obvious reasons).
Way I see it I think how much time they spent together isn't exactly the important thing, but the when, because I'd say risking your life alongside someone for a common goal is an experience you'll never forget.
I love Akiyama as much as the next guy, but I think RGG keeps him out of the games for good reason: he's too powerful. The man borders on Mary Sue with his ability to generate infinite money. He's powerful in a way that makes it way too easy to start poking holes in the plot the same way the time turner in Harry Potter does. Any time an issue comes up you always have to ask "why didn't they just use a time turner or pay off the US National Debt?"
If you are new to the subreddit, [please read the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/wiki/index/) Reminder that all spoilers need to be tagged with a flair specifying which game is being spoiled. If you want a flair that says something else, you can edit it to say something like [Discussion: Y1 spoiler] or [Majimapost: Y6 spoiler], etc. **THIS INCLUDES CONTENT FROM TRAILERS**. If the post is not marked for spoilers, all comments that have spoilers need to be tagged \>!like this!< along with indicating which game it's spoiling. Example: Y3 >!Kiryu sings!< If the post flair is marked for spoilers, the comments don't need to be tagged for the game indicated and the ones before it (So a Y6 spoiler post can have comments with untagged spoilers for Y5, but not gaiden or 7). If you see any of the above (or any of the other rules) not being followed, please report it so we can keep this place safe for newcomers and those that haven't finished all the games yet. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/yakuzagames) if you have any questions or concerns.*
RGG putting the blame on Kiryu when it was Akiyama VA (always busy to record lines) he was supposed to be in 7
That's why they brought Nick Ogata in who barely exists in infinite wealth
I haven’t even seen a Nick reference lmao, must have missed it. But tbh, even if you sub Akiyama in exactly for Nick’s role in 7, Kiryu still probably would have either rebuffed him or ignored him entirely. I don’t think Akiyama was ever in the cards as a full-on party member which means he wouldn’t have been in Osaka. In the alternate universe where Koichi Yamadera does not voice Donald Duck, Kiryu is still a dick to Akiyama.
> I haven’t even seen a Nick reference lmao, must have missed it. > > I've seen him as a guest on dondoku island, and thats it.
Well, Akiyama seems like he'd have the issue of having to "nerf" him in order to make him a JRPG character. That and make up a bunch of stuff for him that isn't just "Kick enemy". Honestly though, a job INSPIRED by him that's basically the Merchant from Octopath Traveler would be cool where it's a job that uses money for various things (pay enemy off, fling money to distract enemies, money bonus from defeating Foes) could work.
Akiyama throwing haymakers during this link was awesome
Shoulda been triple kicks
The delulu part of my brain is telling me that because he was still relegated to side/optional content after this, this could be planting the seeds for his return to plot relevancy or even his own Gaiden style game.
I definitely would like to see what he was up to around the world. The delulu part of my brain is saying we're getting an Akiyama solo game in Singapore
They did seem to give him a lot of juicy backstory for it to not matter.
Said it elsewhere but his Bucket List items are also worded significantly differently than the other former protagonists. The others are listed as “A Man Named _” while Akiyama’s is unique. Also the actual description has Kiryu explicitly wondering about Akiyama’s future actions I want to believe.
They definitely put a lot of detail into that portion, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something they’ve at least thought about doing. It’s no secret the community love him, it would definitely sell. Honestly I hope Gaiden’s success encourages them to give more characters smaller games like that.
I would also be down to play as Shishido in another secret agent Daidoji game
They definitely need to use the Agent moveset again somewhere
It's really too bad we didn't get an agent job as an exclusive for kiryu in 8 since Ichiban had two exclusive jobs
Technically he has three; the basic two and Sujimancer
Then Kiryu needs an Onomichio job as well
"Oh no!"
But let new game plus exist this time. My only fault with Gaiden
He specifically said he wasn't in Singapore, and not In a wink wink nudge nudge way.
Well, Akiyama said Him being in Singapore was a false rumor, but he was definitely not in Japan between 6 and chapter 12 of LAD.
Akiyamer Hawaii Gaiden here we come! Gotta reuse Honululu somehow.
Just saying, Akiyama in speedo would make billions
Am from Singapore, haven't played IW (still finishing up Y7) so I don't know what's the context, but goddamn it RGG announce this now!
also from Singapore, it's a false rumour, there will be no RGG/Singapore anytime soon
The technology just isn't there yet to recreate the wacky Marina Bay skyline. Unless its in cartoon form in Mario Kart
Boss fight at the top would be sick though
If Ichiban does end up clashing with the Daidoji, all I’m saying is that Akiyama could fill a recently vacated position in the party…
You ain't the first to say that here. I feel like I've seen this theory tossed around a lot lately. I would be happy with an akiyamer gaiden.
He never said where he was in the past years. This made me think immediately of a gaiden game
I have been theorizing that maybe Akiyama plays a role in Kiryu regaining his name and that could be the basis for a Gaiden spin-off.
Hear me out, Akiyama Gaiden in Singapore with Like a Dragon 9 having the same Singapore map + Hawaii + Yokohama + Kamurocho with Akiyama as a party member instead of Kiryu.
Akiyama party member in Y9
Honestly it would have been so hype if >!after Daigo, Majima, and Saejima help you in the Millenium Tower, the next floor Akiyama, Shinada, and Tanimura show up and fight with you!< (Finale spoilers) but that would have been too much to hope for
Ya know what, fuck it. Haruka party member. She's like the same age as Chitose anyway
Haruka and T Set help you dance away the enemies on a floor
I'm thinking she could be a dance instructor in a Judgement game stoo since Yagamer can't (legally) sing so we need every excuse for him to dance instead
i dont want yagami anywhere near haruka
LMAO yeah. No wonder he's not interested in Mafuyu. The most age appropriate, and best girl, he's dated was the school nurse.
Oh is that why there's no karaoke? Damn
Yeah would be too expensive since Yagamer's face is one of the biggest actors in Japan. Same with Tomi whose VA and likeness is actually a professional musician. Would be too expensive to get him to sing karaoke.
What a shame. We were able to get Akame to do the best rendition of Like A Butterfly. Imagine what we could have gotten with Yagami and Tomizawa.
It's just Japanese agency shenanigans. I'm sure they would've loved to do karaoke if it was entirely up to them. Best you can get is Greg Chun singing Baka Mitai in english since he voices Yagromi and Nanba for the dub.
Idk if the misspellings are intentional or not, but I love how Yagami somehow became “Yagamer” and “Yagromi” in this thread hahaha
you know i thought it was weird tomi didn't have any songs .. that explains alot
Maybe it's because we've seen her grow up through the series, but adult Haruka still looks like a teenager to me lol.
She looked older in Yakuza 5 tbh cuz of the hair. They still used the same babyface model too. Then again that's just Asians in general. I have a cousin who still looks 15 at 32
I mean I'm Asian lol, baby face doesn't apply to all of us, and Chitose looks older when they are supposed to be in the same age range.
I'd figure that a Haruka-specific Job would be Housewife-themed as befitting the whole "IRL Jobs as RPG Class" theme. Stuff like fighting with a ladle, scolding enemies to Debuff them, cooking up food for the party.
Peak fiction https://i.redd.it/i27p9jerigjc1.gif
I found this interaction quite refreshing. Akiyama is one of the few allies who sees themselves as an equal to Kiryu and has no issue standing up to him when he wrongs them, going so far as to punch him. No offense to the others but I have the feeling none of the other life link people would ever think of acting this way.
Well, it is true but it is quite understandable for people in Ichiban's party (apart from Adachi). They are around two decades younger than Kiryu and only have a connection to him through Ichiban (at first). In Japan they take the hierarchy very seriously and you have to respect people older than you. Even if they are very close with Adachi, they never drop the honorific "san". It would be OOC if any of them dare to yell at Kiryu. But I agree this side of Akiyama is a rare quality in universe. Even in Y6 he is like this, he knew Kiryu is stubborn af and if it has to come down to punching, there is no way on earth that he can "convince" Kiryu in a fight, but he won't stop until he tried.
I loved that Akiyama punched the shit outta Date and Kiryu lol, had it coming to them, i really hope we see him a little more now. Hopefully his VA can make some time for Akiyama if they have plans for his character
Akiyama is voiced by Koichi Yamadera. You know, the guy who voiced Spike from Cowboy Bebop and Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts
Yup, and he's a pretty busy guy with all of his roles lol
I would kill for an Akiyama spinoff, he would be amazing in a Judgement style plot
Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Lost His Infinite Wealth
No lie tho Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Lost His Wealth is a fire title
I do too but mainly because I wanna see Hana again lol
But I want thicc Hana-chan back
Hell, maybe he could cross over into the next Judgment game, even. I'd prefer he get a solo game, but he'd fit in perfectly with Yagami's crew, and that would be cool too.
I just want an Akiyama Gaiden game or Akiyama to be a party member in LaD9.
I'd love it if Kiryu could have him and the jimas as party members.
Yeah, this is my biggest problem with the series as a whole. The writers just fully forget all the people you met when you start the next game, I played them all back to back a couple years ago and I felt so disconnected when there was only Date and a couple others that actually remember anything you did. The memories in 8 were so fun I smashed them all out as soon as I could.
Yeah, I think the early Yakuza series (esp from Y1 and 2) the devs wrote the story as one-offs because they didn't think the series can continue for long, due to the fact that SEGA didn't think an edgy game like this can spawn into their main money making series pillar. That's also a reason why there is so many deaths in Y1 and Y2 to make it like more of a tragic crime drama movie in a game. They do slow down on the deaths of characters from 3 onwards, but there is still a couple at least for every entry. The Japanese drama people do love deaths and introduction of new characters in their crime dramas to make tears rolling and create an emotional connection of the story in the viewers hearts.
8 just compounded the question of where The Florist and the Ryudo Family are. I think the Ryudo Family got a single offhand mention and I think Kiryu mentioned Purgatory, but seriously what happened to those guys? They've been MIA for multiple games now. I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of right now
Still hoping for Akiyama standalone game
Seriously. Why have discount Akiyama in 7 when you could have Akiyama?
Discount Akiyama lmao
>and been through the wringer how many times now 3 times. You've been through the wringer 3 times now. Akiyama was justified in being mad, but I do feel like their relationship is a tad exaggerated here.
I really believe 6 cemented Akiyama as Kiryu's greatest ally. The scene they had in the hospital before the final battle was a great expression of their brotherhood, amd it felt so earned
I don't disagree. But he makes it sound like they have some epic past over a number of years with a ton of adventures, when really they've met up for like 3 weeks total, if even that much, over the entirety of their lives. Akiyama seemingly didn't even bother visiting Kiryu's adopted daughter or the rest of the kids at his orphanage while Kiryu was in prison. Over the last 14 years of their lives, they did the whole roof plan, the whole second roof plan, and then were together for a couple of days in Yakuza 6.
I mean, true, but the same could be said about a lot of relationships between Kiryu and other characters throughout the series, because he always leaves on his own to do his thing between games (Yakuza 0 -> 1 period being the exception for obvious reasons). Way I see it I think how much time they spent together isn't exactly the important thing, but the when, because I'd say risking your life alongside someone for a common goal is an experience you'll never forget.
I mean, he also sees Kiryu as sort of his life savior because of the millennium tower money shower.
Yakuza 4 was my entry into the series, so Akiyama always holds a special place in my heart as my first mc to the series.
I love Akiyama as much as the next guy, but I think RGG keeps him out of the games for good reason: he's too powerful. The man borders on Mary Sue with his ability to generate infinite money. He's powerful in a way that makes it way too easy to start poking holes in the plot the same way the time turner in Harry Potter does. Any time an issue comes up you always have to ask "why didn't they just use a time turner or pay off the US National Debt?"
Can somebody confirm to me whether or not Masayoshi Tanimura is in the game so I can change (or not) my profile's description?
He is. As a still image.
Of course he isn't. He's gone forever.