Heartwarming / Yakuza: Like a Dragon

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"We might be hopeless...but we're your friends!"

Story

• Ichiban having Mitsuo give back the money that Ushio conned out of those teenagers in the prologue is certainly this, considering how Mitsuo suggested giving the money to Sawashiro for collections. Also, in spite of suggesting the above, Mitsuo does return the money to the teens.
• Like Kiryu before him, Ichiban doesn't stand for injustice and actually proceeds to beat the shit out of some delinquents that were harassing an innocent tourist under the guise of charging him a "New Year's Eve tax" just because it felt like the right thing to do.
• Arakawa sparing Ichiban from Yubitsume at the last second just to spend time with him despite his incompetence in regards to collecting money. Really, Ichiban's relationship with Arakawa as a whole is one big Crowning Moment of Heartwarming given the later reveal that Ichiban is Arakawa's true son.
  • There's something oddly adorable about Arakawa breaking down how the Yakuza works in a way that makes sense to Ichiban, given his love for Dragon Quest.
• The flashback that sees Arakawa saving a teenage Ichiban from getting outright killed by a yakuza family by committing yubitsume. Arakawa could've either ignored the call or just left Ichiban to his fate, but the fact that he sliced off a finger for some punk kid that he didn't even know (albeit not out of kindness) speaks volumes about the kind of man that Arakawa is. This becomes Heartwarming in Hindsight when you realized that, whether Arakawa knew it or not, he saved his son!
• Ichiban's relationship with Masato before he would become Ryo Aoki counts as this since Ichiban is supportive of Masato despite only being his escort because Arakawa ordered him to do so. Really, even though Masato doesn't appreciate it, the fact that Ichi still calls him "young master" despite the two being the same age says a lot about how much Ichiban cares for and respects Masato.
• During Chapter 2, where Ichiban and Adachi go to Kamurocho's Heian Tower in the hopes that Arakawa would explain to Ichiban what had happened in the eighteen years he was away, Adachi pulls off a Heroic Sacrifice (albeit a non-fatal one) so that Ichiban can get to his boss, despite the two having only known each other for, at most, about a day. Later on, when Adachi reunites with Ichiban, despite the former losing his job (and his retirement pension) to hold off the police, he doesn't hold it against Ichiban in the slightest and is still willing to help Ichiban throughout his journey while also being open about his desire to put Horinouchi behind bars.
• When Ichiban and Nanba first go to Hello Work to find jobs, they aren't able to use the agency because of their homeless status. On the way out, an old man tells them about a job that's available. Once they leave for the job site, it's revealed that the old man is the Director of that branch of Hello Work, and he went against regulations to give a couple of down-on-their-luck guys a chance.
• While it's revealed later that Nanba had some ulterior motives for saving Ichiban's life, the mere act of doing so still counts since Nanba could've just dumped Ichiban's body in the river nearby or even left him to his fate on garbage day (being Wednesday according to Nanba).
• After spending quite a while as a homeless bum, it's rather touching to see Nanba happy about having a roof over his head, much less being employed at all (even if he jumps from job to job throughout the course of the story, anyway). Even more heartwarming is when Nanba celebrating with Ichiban and supporting him into his dream of becoming a hero.
• When Kume shames Hamako's brothel saying no children would want a mother as a prostitute, Ichiban proudly and honestly states he never minded it one bit.
• Seeing the neighboring workers around Otohime Land after dealing with Bleach Japan in Chapter 5 actually cheer Ichiban and his friends on, one can't help but to feel warm and fuzzy inside; especially since Bleach Japan have been known to harass these businesses with the intent to cause violence and make the other side look bad. Nevermind that this happens after they lost their boss to Mabuchi's schemes.
• Ichiban's borderline Declaration of Protection when Nanba is exposed as a fake friend and marked for death by the Ijin Three. First he, Adachi and Saeko make sure he escapes the Geomijul, then makes it clear they will keep fighting back anyone that comes close to Nanba and finally when the Ijin Three explains The Needs of the Many and that either Ichiban brings Nanba to them or their assassins will Ichiban rush in to tell Nanba to skip town and expose the secret. Neither he nor the party consider Nanba's "betrayal" a hit to their friendship and they won't listen to any justifications the Ijin Three could give to justify killing their friend.
  Ichiban: Nanba's just trying to find his missing brother. Being concerned about your family isn't selfish. It's not selfish at all!
• Nanba rejoining the group in Chapter 10 really is something else. After having spent a good majority of the game mostly fending for himself and ditching the group once they've served their purpose, Nanba comes back to help Ichiban, Saeko, Adachi, and Han in the nick of time as a form of thanks for Ichiban's help, being won over by his Undying Loyalty earlier when he, Adachi, and Saeko all buy him time to escape from the Geomijul.
• When Arakawa shows up after the fight against Majima and Saejima, Adachi, Nanba, Saeko, Han and Zhao immediately pull a Go Through Me on him to prevent Arakawa from shooting Ichiban the way he did previously. This goes to show just how much Ichiban has bonded with his teammates, as his Undying Loyalty to them is so great that they're willing to put their own lives on the line for their friend. Even Arakawa himself is quite impressed that Ichiban has found himself some True Companions, being proud of Ichiban like a father would be to his son.
• Majima and Saejima's reaction to seeing the Dragon of Dojima himself make a comeback despite being declared dead in Yakuza 6 is both this and unbelievably badass. Especially Majima, who is the closest that Kiryu has to a Platonic Life Partner, as the look of sheer joy and relief on his face says it all.
  Majima (dub): I knew you weren't really gone!
  • The little smirk that Kiryu makes when Ichiban ditches his top to reveal his tattoo is also this since it's very likely that Kiryu was reminded of his old deceased friend Nishiki, particularly in their youth. Which, given that Ichiban shares a voice actor with Nishiki, makes sense.
    Kiryu: Heh. Bye then, Kasuga. I owe you one.
  • One other bit that very much calls back to something Nishiki did in 0: Kiryu reappears in Ijincho by stopping Kasuga from killing a Mook in a blind rage, and that's something he's doing from experience since it was Nishiki who stopped him from killing Shibusawa at the end of 0. Kiryu's paying it forward by preventing Kasuga from going down a darker path the same way his sworn brother did before.
• How does Ichiban convince Masato not to kill himself? By tearfully telling him that he doesn't want to watch his brother die. Despite everything Masato has done, Ichiban still wants them to be family. After believing he was alone for so long, Masato finally realizes he had a family who cared about him unconditionally the entire time and drops his gun. It's made more poignant in the English dub when Ichiban drops the "young master" and addresses Masato by his given name, showing just how far Ichiban is willing to go for his friends, no matter how low they sink.
• While his appearance is relatively minor, this game goes to show that of all the characters in the series, Goro Majima has gotten the most happy ending. Majima is finally able to fight alongside the sworn brother he's had to watch go to jail three times in a row, and by the end of the game he's both free from the yakuza responsibilities he got roped into by Kiryu, AND he finally gets to see that Kiryu is alive after all. After all the hardships he went through in the series, it's just wonderful to see the Mad Dog finally be let off his chain and let loose with his closest companion at his side, and given his reaction after his boss fight, he may just have found some new worthy foes in the Heroes of Tomorrow.
• At the end of the game, Ichiban gets invited by Daigo, Majima, and Saejima to join them in cleaning up the remnants of the Omi Alliance and running their new company to house former Yakuza members from both clans who are now out of work. While Ichiban is flattered by the offer, and his old self would've jumped at the chance, he turns it down because he now considers the friends he made in Yokohama his new family and wants to stay there for them. When the others ask Ichiban why he stuck around, he gets too embarrassed to repeat it and asks Saeko to tell them for him.
• Also at the end, Nanba suggests to Ichi that he get a DNA test, in order to confirm whether or not Masumi Arakawa was truly his father. Ichiban quickly rebuffs the idea, and proudly proclaims that he had two dads: Jiro Kasuga, the owner of Shangri-la (who adopted and raised him) and Arakawa. Even the revelation of possibly being Arakawa's blood offspring doesn't change where or how he grew up, and he was proud enough of how he grew up not to reject that upbringing, but still sees Arakawa as a father figure in his own right, blood or no blood.

Side Content

• Just like Kiryu before him, Ichiban is amazing with kids. Whether it's keeping a persimmon from falling off a tree just to help a girl's will to live, anonymously donating one million yen to help a girl's brother with his surgery and even inspiring her to help others, or keeping a lonely boy company by eating with him in a fast food restaurant, there's nothing that Ichiban won't do to help those in need.
• The Drink Links (being this game's answer to Persona's Social Links/Confidants) are also this, as Ichiban is willing to lend an ear and a hand to his friends when they're down on their luck and really need it. Eri herself doesn't get a Drink Link like the rest of the party, with the Company Management storyline instead being her equivalent. Though even that has its own set of Heartwarming Moments, too.
  • Saeko's for example are about her looking out for her sister Nanoha, even though Nanoha's made it very clear that she doesn't want Saeko involved in her life. But Nanoha's boyfriend is a real scumbag, constantly borrowing money from her for his "consulting firm" when he's really a loan shark. Ichiban and Saeko concoct a Zany Scheme to disguise Saeko as Nanoha to demand her money back and break up with the guy. The boyfriend constantly tries to guilt "Nanoha" throughout the confrontation, but one of his underlings sticks up for her, saying that he's sick of his scummy treatment of her. After the boyfriend and his buddies get beaten up by Ichiban and Saeko, they get what they want and head back to Survive to chat with the guy who stood up for Nanoha. Turns out he actually is a nice guy and cares for Nanoha, and Saeko is satisfied with him getting with her sister (for now). In the end, Saeko reaffirms that even if Nanoha doesn't want to speak with her, she'll still look out for her from the shadows.
  • Adachi's reveals that one of the reasons he's so poor is because he's been sending money to Takeshi, the son of the innocent man he sent to jail. He's doing this anonymously though, thinking Takeshi would want nothing to do with the man who sent his dad to jail. In the final level of the link, Takeshi appears and reveals that he's always known Adachi was his benefactor, but he has no hard feelings against the ex-cop since he fought for his dad's innocence. Takeshi then tells Adachi that he passed the bar exam, reliving Adachi of his money duties and allowing him to move on with his life.
  • Nanba's Drink Link after returning to the party for good reveals why he even became homeless in the first place, he covered up a fellow nurse when she was selling medicine in the black market. Although it turns out said nurse was a drama actress who uses people to give her money to use for pachinko and was actually creeped out by Nanba. When Ichiban finds this out, she persuades her to see Nanba again before she "leaves overseas", which she does. Although it turns out Nanba knew the whole time the whole thing was a setup by Ichiban. Despite that, he appreciates Ichiban going so far for him just to cheer him up.
  • Joon-gi Han's brings a new light to the Han from Yakuza 6, revealing that when Yeonsu Kim's father drugged him and made him Han's Body Double without his consent, Han was horrified from his father's actions and treated him as a friend instead of an expendable tool. And even with the original Han dead, Yeonsu still decides to carry on his name to have remnant Jingweon Mafia members hunt him down so he can offer them refuge in the Geomijul.
• The entirety of the Ichiban Confections/Holdings storyline is this. For context, after Nonomiya's untimely death, Eri, lacking any experience in running a business, tried to get help to run her business, but she was unfortunately scammed and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Along comes Ichiban who, despite not having much experience in running a business, is willing to fight tooth and nail to turn Ichiban Confections into one of the largest local businesses in Yokohama, all with the help of Nick Ogata, whom he met earlier back in Chapter 2. Ichiban's work ethic is also something to behold, too - whereas Hosho is a Hate Sink Corrupt Corporate Executive that stymies any business growth in Yokohama, Ichiban climbs up the ranks in the most honest way possible, willing to grovel to his shareholders to please them and does his best to keep his employees happy.
• The first advertisement for Ichiban Confections (before becoming Ichiban Holdings) is both adorable and quite funny, as it's pretty hard to imagine that a guy like Ichiban saying a cute jingle with a straight look on his face, on top of wearing his totally-not-a-yakuza suit in the commercial, too.
• Nick Ogata's friendship and business partnership with Ichiban as a whole. You would be forgiven for assuming when first meeting him that he would be a Smug Snake, but he is rather humble despite his wealth and uses his advantages to try and help elevate Ichiban. Even if you fail the deadlines that he sets, he will give you an extension because he believes in Ichiban.
• "The Future I Dreamed Of" is one of the most wholesome songs in the entire series. It's an uplifting retrospective into Ichiban's life, as despite everything that he's endured and no matter how bad things may seem, Ichiban is willing to fight through to the end to earn his happy ending. Which, despite everything he goes through in this game, he ultimately does, coming off far better than Kiryu did in the first game. Its Imagine Spot is also downright adorable, too - a teenage Ichiban, despite growing up in poverty and with the stigma of being street trash, is still seen smiling and playing Dragon Quest, as well as reaching out to a lonely boy down on his luck.
  🎵 I'm gonna level up!
  Be the best that I can be
  And I'm not gonna stop questing until I'm a hero 🎵
• One substory is about Ichiban helping out a homeless guy who wants to give a gift to a boy who reminds him of his own son. They make a bookshelf for the boy, who gladly accepts...only to find the same bookshelf in the trash. Turns out it was the boy's father who threw it out, and after a bit of martial encouragement, Ichiban and the homeless guy help him realize the error of his ways and start taking steps to improving his relationship with his son. The dad gives the bookshelf back to his son, who happily proclaims he'll treasure it forever.
• The "A Love Worth Fighting For" substory has Ichiban playing matchmaker to a homeless man named Kuroi and a soup kitchen worker named Shirakawa.
• Another substory features the return of Il Yu-Jin from the Kiryu saga, only he's now out of work due to a scandal where he punched a sleazy producer for trying to rape his manager. During the story, an eldery woman passes by and tells Ichiban the story of how she bonded with her late husband because of one of Yu-Jin's movies, and she still looks fondly on him. This gives Yu-Jin the courage to try and go back to making movies.
• After passing ten vocational school tests, a substory will pop out that reveals Ikari has trouble getting jobs due to nervousness at interviews. After beating some of his former classmates, Ikari reveals he is applying for Ichiban's company next, which means you have the opportunity of finally giving him a job since you can hire him. If you do so, you unlock a bonus scene where Ikari thanks you for the opportunity.

Gameplay

• If you pull up your phone while exploring Ijincho, Kamurocho, or Sotenbori^note  Up on the D-pad , then switch to the selfie camera and point it at your friends, they'll actually strike a pose with Ichiban. This'll still happen even if you've barely recruited a new party member to the group (e.g., Saeko in Chapter 5).
• Unlike in Yakuza 6 and Kiwami 2, where Kiryu would simply enjoy his meal alone whenever he grabs a bite from a restaurant even if he has company with him (e.g., Nagumo and Yuta in 6 and Kaoru in Kiwami 2), in this game, Ichiban's friends will join him whenever he goes to eat at a restaurant. Yes, even Han and Zhao will cheerfully say, "Thanks for the meal!", in response to Ichi buying their meal for them.
• You can take your friends out to Seagull Cinema to see a movie with them. Not only is this an excellent way to raise your bond with them, but it's also adorable to see their faces filled with glee and enthusiasm (yes, even a guy like Han can still enjoy himself in the movies)... while Ichiban is trying his damnedest not to fall asleep.
• Ichiban has a Hero costume unlocked relatively early into the game that resembles an armored knight straight out of Dragon Quest, fitting his self image as a hero in a traditional roleplaying game. But he also has an unlockable True Hero costume for the Hero Job: the outfit worn by Masumi Arakawa, the man Ichiban looked up to and respected more than anyone else.