#sends to haruka/haruto

[designernishiki]

hc: majima can cook a surprisingly wide range of cuisines very well, but always fucks up somehow when he tries to bake. kiryu can’t cook above the level of a broke college kid but has an odd innate gift for baking.

#if/when he retires kiryu gets really into baking different kinds of bread and makes cookies for the kids in whatever town he’s in/that he #sends to haruka/haruto #majima tries so damn hard but gets annoyed and impatient and hates how precise everything has to be. so it’s just an unspoken #arrangement that he cooks dinner whenever they’re not going somewhere or getting takeout #I think majima would eventually calm down about his inability to figure out Baking because it’s actually pretty preferable to simply Enjoy #the view of his buff handsome life partner in a little apron bending down to check his loaves of bread in the oven and so on #kazumaji #kiryu #majima #rambling #yakuza

[a-student-out-of-time]

I mean I know it’s not Valentine’s Day here but it is back in 2013 so why should your parents be the only ones having a fun time? Well Sayuri’s are, Haruto’s…probably aren’t due to the flack his mother is receiving in the past.

*Sniff* Sorry, I got...really worked up there...

It's okay, you don't have to apologize.

I get it. I have the same worries about my parents.

Wait, you do?

...Sayuri-san, is it too much to ask that maybe you could help me with something?

Whatever it is, I'm there.

Alright, well...it's two things, really. First, there are two people who might be able to help with the upcoming mission: Akamatsu Haruka and Asuna.

Are they your grandparents?

They are, and there's something I need you to do for my mom, if you can.

I need you to send her to reform school.

#danganronpa #nextgenronpa #sayuri otonokoji #haruto #haruto akamatsu #a student out of time #DR #valentine's day arc

[spitblaze]

I haven't played Y6 for myself yet, but I'm a very nosy person, so I need to ask you what exactly happened in the game /lh

uuuugh okay im gonna put the thing that fucked it for me under spoilers

so at the beginning of the game Haruka runs away from home to do. something. she has a kid. and gets hit by a car. shes out cold in the hospital for like 99% of the game. bad start already, yakuza will never beat the misogyny allegations. The game is also EASILY the most racist the series has ever been since yakuza 2 and if you've played yakuza 2 that should ring some fuckin alarm bells

if it doesnt: yakuza 2 had a crooked cop who turned out to be a good guy actually. because he shot every korean he ever saw on sight and it turned out that every single one of them belonged to a secret evil mafia. every. single. korean. in one of the busiest districts of tokyo. you cant fucking make this up

anyway despite all that Yakuza 6's plot is pretty dang solid right up until the end of the final boss. The game was intended to be a send-off for Kiryu, his story was over, and someone else (Ichiban!) would take the reins. It wasn't, like, perfect, none of the characters you'd really WANT to see for a 'Kiryu Dies' ending were there, even though I love the Hirose clan. But still, if it had stopped there and Kiryu died, Yakuza 6 would still be a solid like...7-8 out of ten. Mechanically solid if simpler than its predecessors, a nice cohesive plot (5 was a mess. it was such a mess), and an emotionally satisfying resolution.

And then. The after-credits scenes.

So Haruka woke up from her coma only a little bit before the final boss, and we see her having a good time with her kid and the kid's dad, it's sweet, Kiryu is writing something at the desk but we don't get to see it. But in the after-credits scene, we do! It's a reflection on the themes of the story, of the many fathers in the game who took the familial bonds with their children for granted and how that came back to bite them, how patterns they didn't want to see repeated reared their heads because they didn't put in the effort to stop it, didn't think to speak to their children, didn't think to show them love or care, because to them it was a given that parents and children have a bond. Never mind that any bond requires effort to maintain. And Kiryu talks about that in his letter, how he regrets not spending more time together as a family, speaks about how sorry he is for doing the exact same thing that all of those antagonists did.

The entire time this scene is going, it frequently cuts back to Haruka playing with baby Haruto on the other side of the room as he writes. Haruka, the child that Kiryu took in and raised. He's supported her and all of the kids at Morning Glory since 3, gave his everything for them, sent money and kept leaving and disappearing just to keep them safe. And what does Haruka do the moment that Kiryu can no longer be in charge? She does the same thing. She learned it from him. She disappears, runs away from her responsibilities to sacrifice herself. She's Kiryu's child through and through, even if she only ever calls him 'ojisan'. It cuts to her while Kiryu talks about family. And failing as a father figure. And how he wanted to be so much more. The fact that Kiryu is writing a letter instead of saying it out loud feels a little odd, but not that weird considering his character. He's emotionally constipated, speaking from the heart is something he just can't do on the spot. Being open with his emotions is one of his big weaknesses, and writing this letter for Haruka, knowing he probably won't come out of this final confrontation alive, is still a meaningful gesture from him.

AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THE LETTER WAS FOR FUCKING DAIGO DOJIMA, A MAN WHO IS LESS THAN TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN KIRYU, WHO HAS NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED THIS MAN A FATHER FIGURE AND KIRYU HAS NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED A SON. IT'S FOR DAIGO. WHY IS IT FOR DAIGO??? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T FUCKING KNOW WHY IT'S FOR DAIGO HE DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING THE ENTIRE GAME HE WAS JUST SITTING IN PRISON IF KIRYU WANTED TO TELL HIM TO BE DIPLOMATIC WITH THE HIROSHIMA YAKUZA HE COULDVE JUST SAID THAT BUT NO WE GET A LETTER ABOUT HOW KIRYU CONSIDERED THIS GROWN-ASS MAN HIS CHILD??? AND NOT FUCKING HARUKA WHO HES BEEN BUSTING HIS ASS FOR THE ENTIRE GAME???????? WHAT THE FUCK. WHY. WHY WAS IT FOR DAIGO. IVE BEEN BANGING MY HEAD FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS OVER THIS WHY IN GODS NAME DID THEY MAKE THE LETTER FOR DAIGO

God. Okay. That's not even the end of it but that's the part that pissed me off the most. The last part that made me go 'you know what they should've just killed kiryu actually they shouldve put him out of his misery'. is when he gets bribed by a politician to keep his mouth shut about the Plot Boat. And his condition for silence is that he wants to fake his death. And he can never see his family again. So it ends. With Kiryu. Yet again. Running away. From his responsibilities. God. Its so infuriating. Do you see now why the ending retroactively ruined the entire game for me. Do you understand my pain

#spitblaze says things #yakuza #yakuza spoilers #yakuza 6

[legend-mei]

Just finished Gaiden and I just wanna say that despite how much I wanted to see Haruka and Haruto thriving post 6’s ending. I do really love that Rgg gave some of the other orphans some love and had Ayako and Taichi be the ones to send Kiryu the message that they’re doing well in life.❤️

#like a dragon gaiden spoilers

[snakesandcherryblossoms]

My hopes for Akiyama being brought back in Y8:

In the main story of the online game Ichiban and Akiyama are actually childhood friends, which I love. In the story Akiyama works with Nick Ogata. 

SOOOOO my thoughts for Akiyama being reintroduced into the series are:

At some point Ichi needs help with something and calls and asks Nick to meet up. Nick says he unfortunately can’t help out with this one but tells Ichi he can send someone who will be able to. Cut to Akiyama sauntering up and seeing Ichi and they’re both like “OMG?!”. Also hoping for a cut scene or even drink links of them catching up (Akiyama saying he married Hana and they moved to Okinawa to be closer to Haruka and Haruto. Uncle Akiyama and Aunt Hana PLEASE AND THANKYOU). Anyway, I would love for him to be maybe a temporary party member or even become part of a minigame (sort of like Ichiban Confections) or maybe even a Poundmate you can call. He doesn’t have to be in the whole game, but I just want a bit of something!

Please... I’m starving  ╥﹏╥

(Btw to avoid any possible confusion, he’s not confirmed to be in the game. I just have some thoughts LOL)

#Ryu ga Gotoku #yakuza #Yakuza: Like a Dragon #akiyama shun #shun akiyama #thoughts and theories #hopes and dreams

[waiting-on-a-dream]

Prisoner 001: Kanai Ichiro - Trial 2

General info

Verdict: GUILTY

Physical changes: His bangs are longer, completely covering his left eye. He's developed an unhealthy coping mechanism of hurting his face (scratching, poking, and/or slamming into things) which lead to wounds that need to be bandaged. His uniform reminds mostly the same, just with longer restraints that swing with each movement.

Behavioral changes: He's been more out of it ever since he found out about his verdict, being less responsive and spacing out for longer periods of time. Haruto took his stuffed koala away, so he can be found mumbling to himself more often. He frequently tries to grab Haruto and beg to have Keiko back, but the guard's force field activates every time, sending him flying back.

His temper has worsened and he's always in a bad mood nowadays. Tantrums quickly develop into full blown meltdowns. He has to be calmed down delicately and only by certain people. Daisuke once grabbed his arms to stop him from clawing at his face and he kicked at the man's shin in retaliation. Kiyoshi had to pull them apart.

His art supplies have been taken away so he can't even draw anymore. He spends most of his time sleeping or mumbling to himself. Most of his meals go untouched. He's been hearing more voices than usual, saying such horrible things. it hurts.

Trailer art: His body is angled directly at you, hands clasped around his sides in a sort of defensive hug. His head hangs low, slightly tilted to the right, a sullen and tired expression on his face. His right cheek is bandaged. Behind him, there's a wooden door painted grey, slightly ajar. Its a normal door you'd be able to find at any apartment.

Voicelines

– Second trial trailer

Give him back...

– Character voice trailer

Dinner has gone cold... Can you help me heat it up please?

Cover info

Canon Milgram song cover: All-knowing and all-agony (Once a Haruka kinnie, always a Haruka kinnie. If Haruka's story remains consistent for the third trial, Ichiro would probably cover his song as well. Its impressive actually.)

DECO*27 song cover: Re:[repaint] (The melody reminds me of raindrops falling onto a puddle for some reason. Its a short song, but packs some philosophical lyrics well suited for Ichiro here. The art is so Ichirocore too.)

Non-DECO*27 vocaloid song cover: Hitorinbo envy (I think the art and music styles of this song really suit Ichiro. The themes of loneliness and dreaming of a better reality certainly resonates with him too.)

Music info

Song title: Love and sorrow

Song preview: One night I submerged myself completely in the bathtub. The water was warm and inviting. For a moment, I was wrapped tightly in the embrace of "ai".

I want to be included, I want to be part of the family. Look at me, hug me, play with me. I'm begging you! I'm still here, I've always been here. Don't I deserve to be loved even though I'm guilty?

MV description: This MV retains the same crayon drawing style from the first MV, along with some frames being pastel and bright while others being shadowed and dull. Yellow, blue, and white turn up a lot.

The MV starts with Ichiro's mom smiling while holding a baby in her arms. The man from the previous MV stands behind her, a hand around her shoulder. The camera slowly pans out. In the light of the white background, they're the picture of a perfect happy family.

The camera cuts to a younger Ichiro (around 12 years old) sitting at the top of a slide. An empty playground. The setting sun casts a purple shadow over the equipment. Ichiro continues to play. On the swings, on the monkey bars. He plucks some nearby weeds to make a bouquet. Its nighttime already. The frame is washed with blue.

Then he's having dinner with his mom and the man. The colours of this frame are back to pastels with a yellowish glow. They sit around a table, eating a meal of katsu curry rice. They're smiling.

The camera cuts to Ichiro soaking in a bathtub. The bathroom is mostly white and grey with blue outlines to differentiate things from each other. A close-up of his face. He takes a breath and sinks completely into the water. He blows out bubbles that rise up to the surface, increasing in number until his face is obscured.

The camera cuts again to the POV of someone (presumably Ichiro) opening the front door to a house. A framed photo is displayed on the nearby cupboard: A young Ichiro, his mom and the man all huddled together with awkward smiles. There are also drawings, Mother's day cards and other knickknacks. Ichiro's mom appears with a smile, reaching out to pat at the person's head. The man is further away, hanging up his coat. Black crayon swirls appear over the man's face, and then Ichiro's mom before it takes over the whole frame. End.

Author's notes

The canon Milgram song previews for trial 2 only have 2-3 lines but we don't do that here, haha. There's no way I'm writing lyrics for a full song so a longer preview will have to do.

Haruka and Yuno both reference their thoughts on their verdicts in their songs, so I'm going to do the same for Ichiro and Akane.

Picrews used: - https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1969833 - https://picrew.me/ja/image_maker/1820833

#the prisoners' second signature colour will be revealed in t2! #you guys are gonna be seeing a lot of blue haha #his trailer art is most similar to mahiru's! #prisoner 001: kanai ichiro

[littlepurplerabbit]

Like I have a idea for izayuki but I really don't know how to make a story out of it will you like to do it.

The plot is same as the manga but Izana and Shirayuki know each other since birth and she is two years younger than him and they both are childhood friends and lovers and she comes from a Noble family and their parents are friends and she is not born in Tanbarun but some other place near clarines she knows haki, makiri, garak,zakura, Kiki and lord haruka even before she has come to the castle with zen. Haki and zen are almost same age. Kiki is a year and a half older than zen and haki. Shirayuki Loves zen as a younger brother.

Some thing happens when she is ten that makes her lose her memory of her childhood( most likely she sees her parents die in front of her and some one who knows her parents ask them to take care of her and send a message to haruto about the incidentals to tell them where they are taking and to help her complete her training as a royal and told Shirayuki to take their royal emblem with her and use it when in need) and when they finally found Shirayuki she didn't completely remember the complete incident but has flashbacks of the incident every now and then and as asked they complete her training and the people who were taking care of her dies and she moves around the country and helping haruto and izana in ruling but it is known to everyone and only few knew about it but zen knows her as a sister before she disappeared and izana and shirayuki meet once in a while and she meets haruto, haki and Makiri when ever she goes north before she actually moves to the castle as a royal pharmacist and enters the castle 6 month before that she moves to Tanbarun just like how it's things in manga but before that incident with the prince she sends a letter saying that she will come to the castle as a royal pharmacist as along with the other duties she was learning about it since childhood and to just say that don't say anything when they recognise her she doesn't cut her hair short like in the manga over here her hair is lot longer it goes till her waist she cuts it till below her shoulder (like the first scene in manga) obi doesn't attack but he is one of her guard and a messenger and an ex assassin but is appointed by izana ( obi comes into the story as shirayuki saving him from dying and as a royal messenger to izana). After few months of living in castle she says speared rumours that she is alive and she is some where in the kingdom but not the exact location where. After that she sends a letter to all of them as to make it seem real. And even zen gets a letter from her as she sees him as a e knows fighting and horse riding but doesn't show any of them and only the people that know her knows about it. And she does get kidnapped by the pirates when she goes to Tanbarun but not by her father as her father had also died. And she does gets the title to be a friend of royal family of Tanbarun. And after a just like manga they leave to Lilias but when she asks the border to close down by using izana name and he takes her with him to inform haki and Makiri about they stay over there for a day and catch up with everyone and the next they leave on their own ways as she to know what is causing just like the manga after that incident they stay their for a week she tells them she is ready to be introduced only in front of the royal court as she is actually already a part of it and not to the public as of now and only to spread rumours about it and the reactions of the people who she is living with that don't know her until now are surprised and shocked who she really was mainly zen as he knows her from young age but now as a friend. And the rest your wish write how ever you want just like in the manga and plot some thing like that but plot of manga including with it but just with a little twist hope you understood. Just when I was reading your story I had hot that idea and some other stories and also because I like your writing and just wanted to share as kind of don't know how to put it into a story properly. I am hoping you like it. And you can change it if you want but I would like to see it as izayuki ship.

#izayuki #izana #akagami no shirayukihime #shirayuki #zen #haruka #mitsuhide lowen #kiki seiran #haki #obi #garack gazelet #haruto #ryuu

[hazeldough]

I need validation bc I'm open to Kiryu protagonist again bc I hated Y6 and I thought it was an awful send off/end to his saga. It was obviously rushed bc of how much Kamurocho was closed off and how much they sidelined Haruka and if Kiryu protagonist will lead to him and Haruka reuniting and her coming to terms with her dad's imperfect upringing of her, how he self sacrifices, how she will grow from that, then I am okay with Kiryu being a protagonist again--but ONLY if there's some sort of emotional aspect to it.

Don't get me wrong, I want Ichiban to take center stage but I hate Y6 so fucking much as "the end" of Kiryu's story. It wasn't satisfying, I was only emotional at the beginning, and as much as I loved Hands, it brought me some sort of despair that Kiryu's "last" song in karaoke wasnt about Haruka, or Haruka and Haruto, but just Haruto like the misogyny was so rampant and I really hope Y8 fixes this.

#aj rambles #im a haruka supporter first and a person second #so long as my girl wins i do not fucking care #lol sorry im just so mad about this #like i GET IT but also its just been announced #and the amount of bad faith takes ive seen has been pissing me off

[eurofox]

Yakuza 6 review

I finally made my way through them all. I have some mixed feelings on this one however. I don’t know if i’ll bother with 7 with the turnbased combat so I’ll move on to judgement instead.

Spoilers:

The good shit:

Fully voiced substories are great

Looks good

I like the dragon engine, ragdolling people is funny

Onomichi is easy enough to navigate and makes a nice change of pace

The Hirose crew is likeable, once again I’m impressed by how they make characters who should be annoying as fuck likeable.

Daigo gets a nice letter acknowledging all the bullshit Kiryu put him through

Kiryu and Haruto interactions are funny and cute

Onomichio

Peak dad Kiryu

THat jingweon guy was kind of cool, especially his battle theme.

Throwing exploding barrels is great

Troublr was an ok distraction

Akiyama finally calling Kiryu out on his dumb bullshit and having one of the funniest fights in the series.

The baby tossing scene was hilarious

Date thinking ahead for once, doesn’t work but hey, he tried

Yomei alliance being neutral was  interesting until it went off the deep end.

I like the way food is implemented in this game

I actually got into clan creator once I realised you could use codes (daigo’s code being Kiryusavemepleaz killed me)

Big Lo was a bit of a change when it came to villains, he deserved more time.

Yuta wasn’t too bad. He’s a total dumbass sure, but he’s sound.

Stardust being turned into a male strip club/brothel thing. Twist on the usual formula

Ghost photos

The Bad Shit:

I like the Dragon engine but it felt unpolished here compared to K2. Real lack of heat moves.

Sugai putting that ugly ass table in the Tojo Clan HQ. Fuck outta here with that

Very weak soundtrack, Theory of beauty is all that stood out to me. Shame as most of the series has a fantastic soundtrack

That weird gimp in the brothel long battle. WTF was that about. I looked it up and apparently he’s some kind of running joke but it just felt dumb and out of place. 

The Yomei captain was boring as a character and sucked as a boss. I beat his ass flat in 2 mins.

Baseball minigame fucking sucks

Hard to trigger some substories

Where the fuck is my drugstore? I need my staminan royales

Game in general feels kind of unfinished, lots of Kamurocho being inaccessible for example. Important events happening off-screen, like the Tojo boss’s all getting arrested.

Someya is weirdly popular for a guy who beat his wife. And his death is pointless lmao

Honestly, a lot of issues with the plot in general, made all the worse by the fact this is supposed to be a send off for Kiryu:

Starting off with him going to jail, again for some bullshit about ‘responsibility’. Daigo says he can get him off but noooooooo, he chooses to abandon the kids again, when they really need him.

Repeat of 2 with everyone being Chinese instead of Korean

Haruka gets daigo’d and spends most of the game in a coma and her final reunion with Kiryu is an anti-climax. He risks her BF’s life in a stupid battle in Millenium tower after he said he wanted them to be there for Haruto. Then he let’s her think he’s dead. I was never the biggest haruka fan but she deserved better.

The age of some of these characters was just silly. A 90 year old making a triad boss quake in his boots? Dumb. I think someone on the development team has an interest in WW2 and wanted to shoehorn it in somehow even if it made things absurd.

Kiryu feels sidelined in his own send off for the secret of onomichi bollocks. 

Majima, Saejima and Daigo get shafted in this. They appear in the beginning and then are just gone until the epilogue. That’s the 3rd time Saejima is jailed, ENOUGH. That was disappointing. At least Daigo get’s a letter. They got pushed aside for the Hirose boys and although I like them it kind of sucks. 

Why doesn’t Akiyama hide somewhere else instead of living in a sewer. That felt silly.

I never liked the Florist or purgatory but the way he was just absent in this game, when you are looking for people, makes no sense. Wrote themselves into a corner there.

Hirose is just Kazama 2.0, which was the point I guess, but why is everyone so cool with father figures who murdered their real dads in this series.

Kiyomi added very little to this story. Same with Someya tbh. He does point out Kiryu’s dumb luck when it comes to plans working out and explains why the yakuza are changing.

The whole of onomichio not telling Kiryu that haruka had been  there all along, Really now.

Honestly the triad felt really intimidating at the beginning but their story fizzled out in favour of that damn boat conspiracy. Sugai eventually felt like an afterthought. I wish they just focused on the Tojo/triad stuff and left the boat crap for another game

The shit with the Fixer I was confused by. Surely anyone involved is old as shit now. That boat is very outdated at this stage.

Kiryu abandoning everyone seemed silly, the kids only got to see him for a day. At least Date gives out to him about it.

Yeah so although the game was fun, some of the best substories, the plot as a whole felt messy and unfocused and the ending was lukewarm (plus it seems Kiryu comes back after all, so lol). The new gang was strong for the most part, but it came at the expense of the old Tojo crew, who just get arrested off-screen and do nothing, only appearing in  the last second. Kiryu makes so many dumb decisions here that it got hard to watch, I get he’s emotional with all the shit going on but c’mon. For an ending to Kiryu, it’s disappointing.

#yakuza #yakuza 6 #ryu no gotoku #rgg #foxgames #I wish I liked this more but unfortunately no

[zevzevarainai]

(AND, just so i'm not copying every question u send to me each time,) do u have any unpopular opinions about a video game (or video games in general) u've wanted to talk about but haven't had the opportunity to yet? i really enjoyed ur explanation of why u dislike yakuza 5 (since it's an argument i personally agree with) so i'm curious to hear more. totally ok if nothing comes to mind tho hghhghg

well lets see the first two that come to mind are why haruka's writing in y6 was not bad and then this one is less unpopular but about how sera in dai is an amazing character that was handled horribly in terms of interacting with her

I'm assuming you wanted me to elaborate so i will briefly touch on Haruka in y6:

The biggest issue that I've seen people having with her in that game is that she is reduced to a teen mom whose character focuses entirely on a baby, which is a valid concern. There are a lot of ways they could have gone with her character and what they did wouldnt necessarily be my first choice, but you gotta consider a lot of other factors (obviously yakuza 5 and 6 spoilers below the cut):

Going into my dislike of yakuza 5, the writers were tasked with having to continue off of the absolute train wreck that was haruka's writing in y5. (this is my post on park and if i did another one i can't find it) Haruka was already traumatized from a very young age and then they were like. Let's make her an idol that will surely aid her mental well being... And now in y6, she has been in the spotlight of the media and she is terrified of it having a negative effect on her family. (which, in my opinion, was why she never should have gone for the idol thing at all since she was hurting kiryu and the orphans, but this is about cleaning up y5's mess)

This poor girl is completely lost and has no idea what to do with her life. The only person she feels she could really talk to is in jail. She thinks it is best to reinvent herself in a new town. Whether this is the right decision or not doesn't matter this girl needs a therapist

She finally finds someone she connects with in Yuta. Yuta doesn't care about her past which is something she needs. She makes a mistake getting pregnant, very likely an accident. This is where people start getting angry.

She doesn't get an abortion like people are telling her to. She's very young to have a child but she still does have a right to the choice. I am unsure whether the anger comes from this, or her getting pregnant in the first place. Either way, it's kind of misogynistic. Accidentally getting pregnant and keeping Haruto does not make her any less tough or brave. I think a lot of people see her character here as being reduced to "women make babies and that's where her worth is," which is a very real problem in media, but i don't think it applies to Haruka.

If you think about it, Haruka had to be tough as hell to carry a baby for 9 months with no support from her family and friends, save her new boss. It's so sad to think about no one going through her pregnancy with her, not even Yuta.

Haruka finds purpose again in being Haruto's mother. She is not dismissed after his birth. I'm not even counting the whole coma deal because it was tragic but it was never a case of "welp, Haruto is more important anyway" when it very well could have been. Kiryu was constantly worried about her even if he did wear a brave face the whole time. The Hirose family cared about her and wanted to help. Akiyama had good intentions and wanted to look out for Haruka. When she woke up, it was a big deal.

The girl literally got hit by a car and went into a coma to protect her son. If you don't think Kiryu wouldn't have done the same thing, I don't know if we played the same game. Then after getting kidnapped, her main priority was still protect her family. She was able to remain calm legit until her father was shot and bleeding out. After that father was proclaimed dead, she still found the strength to go on for the orphanage and for Haruto.

Haruka is an amazing mother and that does not make her any less of an empowered woman!! God dammit!! Would I have liked to see her learn to fight and beat the shit out of people? Yes, but y5 could have done that too when they made her playable. Yakuza needs to include women in the combat, which they made a big step with Yakuza 7 though far from perfect. But that doesn't mean all the women are badly written, necessarily. For example, Makoto is a very deep character that is waved off as weak and fragile when in reality she's extremely strong based on the absolute hell shes been through. (this post goes a little bit into it but it is her and majima focused)

Also Haruto is a blessing have you looked at him? he's so damn cute and we get to see Grandpa Kiryu. why are you complaining

I don't know if any of that made sense but the main take away is Haruka's writing in y6 could have been a lot better but she should not be scrutinized for getting pregnant and keeping the child because it does not make her weak.

thank you for coming to my ted talk.

#i dont feel as strongly about this one as i do my hatred for y5 but ya know. #ask #miss-shydeer #someone take away my internet privileges

[sabraeal]

Born to Make History

A prequel to this prompt from an earlier collection! The short program I reference here it based very heavily off of Nathan Chen’s 2021 short program which you can find here

[Read on AO3]

Obiyuki AU Bingo 2021 Figure Skating AU

“I hope you weren’t expecting me to go easy on you this morning.” Garrack’s voice booms across the ice, loud enough that a few other skaters slow, craning their necks to see who the fabled Coach Gazelt would chew out next. “Your work is just beginning if you want to call this a comeback.”

A groan rumbles in the back of her throat, dying to be let out, but it’s impossible to miss the small figure sweeping the eyes, dark hair curling over his eyes. Ryuu’s here already, picking at some footwork-- his transitions are his weakest element if his scores are anything to go by, but he’s determined to make it his best. Shirayuki breathes in, six counts in and eight counts out, and lets her protest die on her tongue.

Shirayuki slides out, stomping her skates beneath her to get feeling back in her legs. “I know you better than that.”

Her muscles ache as she eases into a lap, letting the ice settle beneath her. When she was small, she could blast out into the rink like a cannon ball, running across it like it was just another bit of ground beneath her feet. But she left it, and silly as it sounds, the ice hasn’t forgiven her. Her blades don’t tremble like the used to, but a few days off the ice-- especially folded up on an Transatlantic flight-- leaves her with a drunken lurch, the whole world passing by too fast.

But it’s quick to even out, her body warming to the chill of the rink, to the way her legs have to bend to keep her moving. After a lap or two, control is easy as breathing, as easy as swimming to a fish. The ice may not have forgiven her, but it’s missed her too.

She glides to a stop right at Garrack’s toes, sending up a little spray. It earns her a smile, tight-lipped but approving. She’ll earn teeth once she gives it a medal to sink in to. “I think if you let up on me for a moment, I’d have to take you to a hospital.”

Her coach barks out a laugh, blonde hair ruffling out like a halo from her bun. “Oh, Shirayuki. You say the sweetest things.”

It might be cold in the rink, but it doesn’t do anything but make her cheeks burn hotter. She forgets, but these Americans-- they don’t really take ‘hard ass’ as a compliment.

Well, most wouldn’t. Garrack looks quite pleased, though.

“Aw, coach.” Hands catch at her shoulders, and she knows them even before a sandy head peeps over them. “Can’t you give her one easy day? She’s finally made senior!”

“Oh, Higata, really, there’s no need--”

“Sure.” Garrack bares her all her teeth in a smile Shirayuki’s willing to bet has been the last earthly sight of some of her students. “But if I give her a pass, you boys will have to pick up the slack.”

Already, Higata’s hands loosen their grip. “N-now, I didn’t say--”

It’s far, far too late for him to quibble over exactly what was and wasn’t said on the ice. “What do you think? Balance drills? Or we can see how far you’ve come with your flexibility for spins.” Garrack tilts back her head, giving him a speculative look. “Maybe even run through her routine once...?”

“Ah, Shirayuki!” He gives her a firm pat on the back, sliding away. “I did what I could! Viel Glück!”

Garrack watches him skate off with a satisfied grin lingering on her lips. “Nice boy, that Higata. Thick as a hockey puck, but nice.”

Shirayuki knows better than to posit her own opinion when Garrack’s in a punchy mood. “The usual warm up, then?”

Garrack levels her with another of her measuring glances. It’s the sort that could bring grown men to their knees-- she saw it happen once, outside of a rink in Wisconsin-- but Shirayuki is used to it now. Assessment is a tool, and Garrack Gazelt has made her career by being good at it.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asks instead. “You only got off a plane yesterday. That time change is easier the other way.”

She nods. “Really, I’m fine.”

Garrack sits back in her hips, one arm tucked under the other, and takes a long, thoughtful drag out of her thermos. Shirayuki shifts on her skates, trying to look-- awake. Ready to seize the day.

I’ll push you. Garrack had made no bones about that during their first lunch in Strasburg. She’d given her a similar look then too, assessing, trying to see that promising junior skater in a university student’s body. But you’re a professional. You say stop, we stop. You say go, we push on. You’re at the wheel for this one. I’m just your emergency brake.

“All right,” she sighs. “Keep it simple, though. Think easy, for once.”

“I said I was--”

Garrack flaps a gloved hand. “It’s not about you. I took a look at the books this morning, and Haruka’s right after us.”

Shirayuki blinks. Strange, he usually grabs the first slot. “Are you avoiding him?”

“Me?” She presses her thermos to her chest, scandalized. As if she and Haruka don’t skulk about the rink when they see each other, hissing like cats when necessity forced them onto the same practice time. “I don’t avoid anyone.”

A dubious hum goads her to tepidly add, “No more than he deserves.”

Shirayuki folds her arms across her chest.

“No more than usual,” Garrack promises. “But that’s not why we’re going to get off the ice.”

She lifts a brow. “And why is that?”

If Garrack weren’t in skates herself, she’d be bouncing on her toes. “I want to be in the seats when he sends his students out.”

Shirayuki’s mouth pulls thin. “The season just ended, and already you’re trying to--?”

“No, no. I’m not looking to poach, and I don’t care what routines he’s working on for next season.” She huffs, hair fluffing out in agitation. “And his aren’t better than mine anyway, he just has top tier skaters because him and Haruto like to rub--”

A polite cough breaks her concentration, enough for Shirayuki to sneak in, “Then what exactly do you need to see?”

Garrack’s mouth curls into a smile Zen has, on more than one occasion, called grinch-like. She leans in, voice dropping to a whisper, and says, “Haruka’s putting someone new on the ice.”

“A new student?’ Zen sputters, skates limp in his hands. “Haruka never said he was taking on a new student.”

“They aren’t on the roster.” Shirayuki’s shoulders hunch around her ears, as if that might keep her words between them. “And the other coaches don’t know anything either.”

Zen settles back against the bench. “We just got back from Worlds three days ago. How could he possibly have someone new that quickly?”

“Maybe it’s someone who just promoted from juniors.” She should be excited; a new student with that level of ability would be someone to watch, to learn from. But instead anxiety twists in her gut, a snake that slithers itself into tighter and tighter knots. “I saw your program, by the way. You did well.”

“I got fourth,” Zen grumbles, sliding his foot into a skate. “No wonder he already scouted a replacement.”

“Haruka would never replace you, and certainly not because you were a jump shy of bronze.” Or silver, which if he’d skated clean, he would have earned in spades. “Kiki placed second. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s jumped to a coach with someone on the podium when they started competing at the senior level.”

“Sure,” he grumbles, “but usually it takes long than--”

“What are you two talking about over here?” Kiki drops her duffel unceremoniously between them, the bench warbling beneath it. “Gossiping, I hope?”

“Just our progress at Worlds,” Zen lies smoothly, sending her a secretive wink. She’s not sure why-- Haruka’s always favored Kiki; if anyone knew anything about this mystery student, it would be her. “Shirayuki was just saying how impressive it is to get so close to the podium, but I said--”

“Right.” Kiki casts her gaze over the ice; a few weeks ago there would have been nothing to that, just a casual glance, but Shirayuki knows her better now, enough to see the hopeful perk of her chin and the inquiring lift of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. She’s looking for someone; even when her gaze swings back to Shirayuki, she knows it’s not about her. “What were you two talking about?”

Zen squawks. “I said--”

“I know.” Her voice is even, logical. “But Shirayuki can’t lie.”

Shirayuki wants to protest-- she can, really, she’s done it before-- but takes one look at her and blurts out, “Haruka has a new student.”

Her skates clatter to the floor. “What was that?”

“Well,” Zen murmurs, mouth twitching. “I guess somebody isn’t the favorite after all.”

Garrack may be content to sit in the seats as Zen and Kiki take the ice, but Shirayuki leans on the barrier, letting the chill brush over her face. At this level, they’ve all been skating since they were old enough to fall and get back up. But unlike her, Zen and Kiki have never stopped, and the gap in skill has never been more apparent than now. They take to the rink like birds to air, winding around each other in complex circuits, slapping hands and turning circles around each other.

That’s the other thing: they’ve always had each other. Kiki’s hardly twenty, but there’s already rumors of Milan being her last Olympics, of what she might do once she’s over the hill-- and the first word on anyone’s lips is pairs. The second and third are Zen Wisteria, since there’s not a person alive who can imagine a competition without either of them on the ice.

Her fingers grip the rail’s rubber rim hard enough to leave crescents. They’d look good together-- they do look good together. It makes sense to go that route if Zen picks up a gold. It’s what his father did, years ago. For his mother.

The gate swings open, and they both glide to a stop. But then, to be fair, so does most of the rink.

There is no official size for a skater-- not like gymnastics, where smaller equals better and taller equals a very gentle nudge toward ballet-- but still, there is a trend to fall on the shorter size of average, at least in singles. Height might give more control on the ice, might give an extra spin or two, but when it came to jumps, the less bulk heaved from the ice the better. But Haruka’s student--

Well, he’s certainly not Mitsuhide’s height, but even with his slouch he’s taller than most men here. In his skates, he even looks down at Haruka-- though it’s not much of a feat; the man never comes onto the ice, just stands behind the barrier to shout his way through practice. Not that he needs to raise his voice to make his displeasure known; a single frown usually sends Zen and Kiki gliding back to him, heads bowed.

He’s outright glowering now, but his new student only rubs at his hair, a half-gloved hand riffling through black bristle. There’s something about him, something about the way he moves that seems familiar, if only she could catch his face--

But then the thrum of a guitar rolls over the ice, tinny on the rink’s speakers-- Zen’s song, his short program. The one that fell just short of the podium, because he put a hand down after a jump got away from him. Haruka’s student turns around, and even from where she stands, she recognizes the grin.

Oh no. No.

It should be Zen at the center of the ice, but this guy pushes out instead. His black clothes making him a stark contrast to the ice, to the barriers around him. Zen’s already halfway to the center, confused and a bit agitated, looking like he’s about to have words-- and then Haruka’s student glides out, Spanish guitars warbling in his wake.

He moves like water-- no, like a blade through water, each motion of his arms both flowing and sharp, carving through the air with a grace than even Zen would be hard pressed to copy. His hips swing, daring angles that should throw him off his footwork, that should leave him stumbling, but instead he’s mesmerizing, a flamenco dancer that does not need to touch the ground.

“Who is he?” Ryuu murmurs, shifting in the seat behind her.

“I wish I knew.” Jealousy drips thickly from Garrack’s voice. “Just where did Haruka dig up a gem like this?”

Tanbarun, Shirayuki nearly says, but she can’t speak, can’t do anything but watch this man skate Zen’s routine like he owns it, like it was made for him. She expects him to mark the jump sequence-- quad toe, triple toe loop-- but the moment he jumps, she knows-- it’s clean. No, more than clean, because this isn’t a joke, not a sly wink and smile to his new friends--

He’s come to compete.

“Can you believe that?” Zen normally floats like a cloud on the ice, but right now he looks like he could thunder and storm too as the song switches to the next on deck. “He did my whole routine.”

Kiki’s mouth cants, wry. “Better than you did.”

He snaps to her like a lightning crack. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“I would.” Garrack saunters up to the barrier with a barracuda’s smile, raising a brow. “If you’d gone that clean at Worlds, that would have placed you. Maybe would have brought home gold.”

Zen only glowers, and Shirayuki sends her coach a pleading glance. It’s a hopeless cause to wish she’d keep her mouth shut, but maybe Garrack might blunt her tongue.

She really should know better.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone move like that,” Garrack sighs, tapping her hand on the plastic. “Not since...”

Your brother, she doesn’t say; a small mercy. Zen’s grimace says he heard it anyway.

“Where’s he from?” Ryuu asks, appearing at her elbow. His brows are drawn, grave over his already serious eyes. “I haven’t seen him at any competition.”

Shirayuki bites her cheek to keep from saying, I have.

“That’s the question,” Garrack grumbles, looking greener by the second. “Where did he find an unknown that can skate like that? It can’t be--”

“Korea.”

The accent that says it is distinctly not that; oh no, there is a deeper rumble on the ‘r’, a harder ‘k’ at the start. A thicker accent than he’d sported when he loomed over her, gold eyes cold as coins, and asked, I think you get my point, da?

When she turns, there he is: her saboteur in the flesh.

“Well, well, devushka.” His grin stretches wide, elbowing in between Zen and Kiki. “Long time no see.”

#obiyukibingo21 #obiyuki #akagami no shirayukihime #snow white with the red hair #figure skating au #my fic #ans #okay consider this a teaser for a fic i might one day write #where shirayuki used to be a promising junior skater in germany but ended up dropping out #when her grandparent got sick or died or what have you #and then decided to come back when she was in university because she misses it #and probably something to do with raj and zen but like *waves hand* not my problem right now #obi is russian but he's from the eastern part and thus doesn't look kievan #and so despite his skill he never was put on russia's competitive team #and thus has rented himself out to korea #whose star skater just took a terrible tumble and will be out for the season #and he has juuuuust enough korean blood for the international skating committee to allow it #YES YES LIKE PAS DE DEUX you all know the reference i am making and also rent-a-russians are a thing SO #today i borrow my sister's sweater #it fits very nice

[redsamuraiii]

Heaven and Hell: 2 Psycho People Ep 10

Officer Ayako Mochizuki (Haruka Ayase) finally found the real killer but he died of illness. The killer’s brother, Haruto Hidaka (Issey Takahashi) who has been protecting him, knowing that his past pain and sufferings had pushed him over the edge into murdering three rich people who made his life miserable, took the opportunity the confess that he is the killer and not his deceased brother. But Ayako refuses to accept his verbal confession and written testimony knowing fully well what Hidaka is up to and refuses to send an innocent man to prison.

#heaven and hell: 2 psycho people #tengoku to jigoku: psychona futari #haruka ayase #issey takahashi #japanese drama #j drama #japanese crime thriller #japanese police drama #japan

[kyndaris]

Familial Bond

With video game releases that I’m interested in few and far between (or delayed), I felt compelled to make a proper dent in my pile of shame. In truth, it was just a simple excuse for me to pull out in order for me to finally finish Kiryu’s saga by playing through Yakuza 6: A Song of Life. Unlike the last two titles in the series, Yakuza 6 returned its focus on our favourite civilian-who-looks-like-a-yakuza, Kiryu Kazuma. There would not be four characters all vying for my attention with their separate narratives that would collide in the last chapter. Would there still be some strange government cover-up bullshit? You bet! So, without stopping to wonder if I should play something a little more light-hearted after finishing The Last of Us Part II, I dived head-first back into Kamurocho.

Yakuza 6 starts right at the end of Haruka throwing away her cherished dream because she could not continue lying about her family. Despite Haruka’s best attempt at reuniting with both the other orphans at Morning Glory and Kiryu, her father-figure is almost immediately arrested on trumped up charges of assault. With Kiryu’s decision to cleanse himself of his sins, however, Haruka is left at the mercy of the media. Unable to deal with the negative press, she then flees Okinawa to allow her pseudo-siblings the chance at achieving their own dreams without casting a shadow.

The motivation felt incredibly shallow as it all played out, considering that Haruka barely called the other children during her three years stint away. When Kiryu returned, it was understandable that he would be somewhat outraged to find Haruka gone. I’m not entirely sure who looked after the rest of the orphans. Maybe Ayako? But where would they have obtained the money to be properly fed and clothes? Were the subsidised by the government? Plot holes aside, Haruka’s disappearance was enough to spur Kiryu back to his old stomping grounds to find out what had happened to his young charge.

In Kamurocho, however, many things have changed. Increased tensions between the Tojo and the Saio triad now pushing into the area have put people on edge. But as Kiryu wanders around, hoping to find clues on the whereabouts of Haruka, he is informed that she was involved in a hit-and-run. And SURPRISE! there’s now a baby in the mix.

With such an odd beginning, it took some effort for me to properly click with the story. Like many, I had placed Haruka on a pedestal. The fact that she became pregnant and had birthed out a son seemed unfathomable. And then for the child’s father to have been a member of a small yakuza family in Hiroshima AS WELL AS THE HEIR TO THE SAIO TRIAD was a bit much to take in.

As such, it was imperative that I distracted myself with almost all the substories and side activities that were on display. And there were many. From being the manager of a baseball team to ousting a corrupt gang from the streets of Kamurocho. I very much liked the spearfishing elements as they brought a new dynamic to the gameplay that I was accustomed to when it came to the Yakuza series. The reintroduction of Pocket Circuit Fighter was also a fun distraction. 

But, of course, how could I forget Ono Michio? Though it was widely out of character for the usually serious Kiryu to don a mascot outfit with a huge tangerine head, I found these moments of levity enjoyable. They also proved to be a great distraction from a plot that only picked up steam in the latter half of the game, which was prone to spamming players with copious amounts of revelatory cutscenes in the last two chapters.

And yes, why has NO ONE ELSE ever thought to use SKI MASKS to hide their IDENTITY BEFORE? Once they were pulled out of the proverbial hat, it made little sense that none of the main characters ever thought to use such a disguise in their more nefarious crimes. 

Also, chucking Haruto around like he was a football IS A TERRIBLE IDEA! THIS IS A BABY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!! True, he might have enjoyed being thrown up into the air, but one does not simply pass him around as if it was a game of rugby. Honestly, story writers, do you have any lick of sense?

Then, of course, the narrative had to force Kiryu into trying to dig deeper into the ‘secret of Onomichi.’ Though Haruto’s life was not in any further danger, Kiryu’s endless curiosity to find out more served to elongate the story for a couple more hours - with a final confrontation that saw Kiryu shot three times and losing consciousness with Haruka bearing witness to his ‘final moments.’

Overall, the narrative was serviceable in that it allowed for a proper send-off to Kiryu Kazuma. After ten years of playing as the Dragon of Dojima, it was appropriate that Yakuza 6: A Song of Life made so many allusions to the previous titles - mostly in the character arcs. Unfortunately, since the title was solely focused on Kiryu, many of the other characters that fans fell in love with such as Daigo, Majima and Saejima took a backseat. I also disliked how even as the story focused on Haruka’s disappearance and her child, she remained in a coma for most of the chapters.

Unfortunately, Doctor Emoto and Komaki were absent. And I missed the silly revelations.

The underlying message of family and the bonds between people left a strong impression on me. After the previous game’s very strong hammer of DREAMS, I was relieved to see that Yakuza 6 kept it subtle and a little more tasteful. In fact, the comparisons between the Lo and Iwami family were excellent in highlighting the importance of understanding one’s children and maintaining a good relationship. I also liked how families were also not solely defined by blood ties. This was particularly evident in the adoptive family feel that came from the Hirose Family and Kiryu’s own experience of growing up as an orphan and seeing Kazama Shintaro as a father-figure. 

Gripes aside, I enjoyed the new songs Yakuza 6: A Song of Life brought into the world. My favourite was ‘Today is a Diamond.’ My least, ‘Fork in the Road.’ But that was mostly due to the game not reading my inputs. After searching on Google, I discovered that I was not the sole person that had encountered the bug. I also very much liked the gym portions of the game and scouting out hidden cats around the cities.

The one side activity that I was a little hesitant to repeat after completing it once was the live chat. Kudos to the translators that played an instrumental role in making some of the dialogue hilarious. Truth be told, however, it was the less savoury moments of the game and I am glad that I never discovered the photography section of Yakuza Kiwami 2. 

What I also liked was the Chinese. Gone was the halting and incorrect pronunciations from Tanimura. The truth is, though, they probably actually hired Chinese actors to give the Saio Triad proper lines. While some of the translations were not exact, they still managed to accurately portray the meaning behind the words and phrases used. 

The combat was also very reminiscent of Yakuza Kiwami 2 with experience points separated into strength, agility, spirit, technique and charisma. It was a little annoying that normal mobs could still reduce my health by such a large amount, but it did feel balanced. I doubt it would have been fair if I just blasted through every fight with just one punch. Although, that would have been entertaining to see.

Yakuza 6: A Song of Life proved to be a decent send-off for one of my favourite characters. Though there were stumbles along the way, it was a solid adventure that kept quite a bit of intrigue. As a writer, however, the plot did feel quite contrived in places, but I swept it aside.

Now with the pending release of a new generation of console, I’ll need to hurry if I want to remain on the front-lines of not-gaming-journalism. Of course, with Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon still on the horizon, it won’t be long before I’ll be back on the streets of Kamurocho. Then again, I still have Judgment to get through...

#yakuza 6: a song of life #yakuza #video games

[halcyonmusings]

1, 4, 12, 19, 21 for two ships of your choice!

i’ll go with eris & teague and minako & kiryu since they’re living in my head rent free >:( 

1. What was their first impression of each other?

eris/teague: eris noticed his ears... thought he looked a little funny, but was also interested in the fact that there were overseers in the gc since one of the strictures forbids that type of behavior. she thought teague looked out of place, and didn’t expect to be chosen by him, he was more like a passing thought to her. 

with teague, he found eris to be very beautiful, he was immediately drawn in to how icy blue her eyes were, but he wasn’t interested in sleeping with her. he just needed someone to take with him so he can blend in with the overseers and not arouse suspicions. 

minako/kiryu: minako thought he was another thug out to try and kill her, so she was ready to charge at him until he was like “i’m trying to help you”, so then after that, she thought he was either dumb or very brave to have come all the way to save someone he didn’t even know for reasons unknown to her (at the time).

for kiryu, he was i guess, impressed by her for immediately wanting to attack him? because all the info he was given about her was that she was just a general practitioner and he’s never known any doctors who are ready to fight lmao he hadn’t met her in person, he’d only been given a photo of how she looked like and he felt sadness for her because he knew if he found her, she’d be brought into a lifestyle that was dangerous and didn’t want that for her. 

4. What was their relationship like before they got together?

eris/teague: he was just another client to her, she knew not to develop any type of feelings for him, but like the clown she is... she did. it didn’t help that teague would stop by frequently to see her and she didn’t do anything to stop that or discourage him because she did enjoy the time they spent together. some times they wouldn’t even have sex, they’d just talk. 

minako/kiryu: it was more like he was her bodyguard? he felt like he couldn’t abandon her and leave her to fend for herself when she had no idea of how the yakuza even works, especially with her being considered kashiwagi’s daughter, he knew people would try and manipulate her or try and have her killed to get her out of the way. in a way, he felt like watching out of her was his way of atoning for nishiki killing dojima. of course it slowly developed into something more the more they found themselves alone together, but they both pushed it out of their minds until they couldn’t :/

12. What would happen if they never met?

eris/teague: eris would’ve gone on to try and keep making ends meet, finding ways however she could and get elixirs to stave off the plague from killing clara. she might’ve ended up leaving at some point with mateo when things got worse because she knew she couldn’t live at the gc forever and she figured getting out of dunwall before the rat plague got too out of control was the best course of action. teague would be dead either way, so... yeah. 

minako/kiryu: if kiryu didn’t get involved in anything the tojo did, minako probably would’ve been killed or saved successfully by other means, she would outright refuse to help the tojo and would’ve had to disappear because she knew they’d still look for and attempt to kill her. 

19. Talk about a headcanon you’ve never talked about before.

eris/teague: i feel like i’ve talked about them so much i don’t think there’s anything i haven’t talked about with them.... i mean, there’s one thing i like to think about and it’s eris going to kingsparrow island to confront teague and she unintentionally saves teague from drinking the poisoned wine. she slaps the drink from his hand and tells him off for abandoning her lmao 

minako/kiryu: after everything in 6, kiryu and minako went into hiding under different aliases. kiryu runs a ramen shop while minako is a ballet teacher and teaches little kids how to ballet. they secretly send money to haruka and haruto and the kids from the orphanage (haruka knows it’s them but keeps it to herself). 

21. What’s a really significant moment in their relationship?

eris/teague: when teague left her the first time (which led to him getting captured). after he hadn’t come back, she knew she had developed feelings for him and him not returning it confirmed it. usually she wouldn’t care if her clients didn’t come back or asked for another girl, but the fact that teague didn’t return at all, terrified her and it left her feeling depressed. it reopened old wounds of having been abandoned by her brother, something she didn’t want to relive, so she knew right then and there that she’d fallen for him >:(

minako/kiryu: when kiryu confessed his feelings to minako. kiryu is usually stoic, when he reacts to things it’s got to be heart-shattering, like even when kazama died, he cried sure, but he still internalized it. the only times he’s ever reacted to anything was when tachibana and rikiya died. once kiryu and minako start seeing each other in secret, he still kept up a wall that minako tried so hard to break through but felt like she couldn’t because kiryu couldn’t bring himself to since he was afraid that he’d lose her somehow, that he wasn’t deserving of any type of normalcy. so of course, like the drama that is the yakuza franchise, he ran to save her from herself when she was on the brink of no return, he finally told minako that he’s loved her since the beginning and laid it all the table for her. which of course makes minako cry and it’s very sweet :’)

#thank you so much for this!! #i apologize that it's a very late reply :( #x: the seven strictures have nothing on me #x: pure love in kamurocho #thewildmother #asks

[taigasgloss]

Yakuza 6 spoilers below the cut! Just finished playing 6 and i want to ramble about it lololol, long post bewaree

The game is GORGEOUS, its been a while since i played Kiwami 2 so i completely forgot how beautiful the dragon engine is. Deeply upset that the game is so rushed though, it makes me wonder if developing the new engine for Kiryus final entry was worth it??? So disappointed with the lack of content in the game (MOSTLY THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF KAMURO HILLS AND THE HOTEL DISTRICT??). it really doesnt feel like Kamurocho honestly, I was also looking forward to seeing the Champion District but... yeah... I respect they made a whole new map as well but while that map is pretty and very well made it also has such a lack of content it feels like an empty husk.

It might sound like im dunking on the whole game which is a little true but it was still enjoyable. It was just such a shock to come from a game like Yakuza 5 to this, it kind of threw all the momentum 5 expertly built up and then chucked it out the window.

The game was rushed and feels unfinished - however, the parts of the game that do exist are well done, the cutscenes are suspenseful and the Hirose family are really loveable :) Nagumo takes the spotlight for me, he’s like a new and improved Rikiya (im sorry rikiya i love u too). The only character I didn’t really get was Kiyomi, she has a cool personality but the plot made her pretty irrelevant despite taking up tons of screentime - she was neither a convincing love interest for Kiryu or Nagumo and played no part in the plot except losing Haruto. Since the game was rushed, I expect this is why she ended up this way. Her and Someya were cute in a very weird way though.

I’m very happy that they didn’t pull a typical ‘everyone must die in the finale’ type thing though that they have been guilty of in 0-5 (havent seen ishin or kenzan but i would be surprised if they dont follow the trend too)

The game really does a great job of explaining Kiryu’s emotions and I loved seeing this side of Kiryu ToT

The letter Kiryu wrote to Daigo was really touching, Daigo honestly deserved it and did deserve better from Kiryu. It was heartwarming to see Daigo accept his words and call him his father ;_; 

The ending was bittersweet but I liked it! Date is a king and im happy they showed him off and the unbelieveable amount he backs Kiryu lmaoo. he’s Kiryu’s oldest friend (i acknowledge majima but Date is more of a friend imo)

in conclusion.. I loved this game and it had tons of potential but it is lacking the Yakuza experience even though the main story is very Yakuza-like. I cleared it in the fastest time of any Yakuza game despite it being the last entry, I probably will not replay it but I think it did a decent job of sending Kiryu off. It’s saving grace was NOT killing Yuta or Haruka and exploring Kiryus family bonds again. The parallels between Hirose/Nagumo and Kiryu/Kazama were tugging on my heartstrings too tbhhhh ;__; the game lives up to the title ‘song of life’

#yakuza 6 #yakuza 6 spoilers #long post #bruh this turned into a review #i am most upset there is no gambling hall truly #let me play koi koi pleeeeeeeees #mahjong is for plat trophy hunters ONLY no one plays that for fun #side note: they made akiyama more hot #nice

[tojohq]

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Review

The end of Kiryu’s story. As ominous as it sounds, that’s one of the biggest selling points of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The character that has been leading the series since its very first game finally has an ending chapter to its saga. As an old-time fan, that made me worried and intrigued: How do they plan to end its story? What’s the series going to do moving forward? And, more importantly, how does the game compares to its predecessors, with all the changes made to its engine?

The following review aims to be as spoiler-free as possible, but be advised some spoilers may occur for previous games of the series, like Yakuza 5. Read at your own discretion.

Kiryu Kazuma, the series’ main character, spent several years in prison following the events of Yakuza 5. He is released only to find out that Haruka is in a coma after having been hit by a car. She also had a kid, Haruto, who is at risk of being taken to an orphanage. Kiryu must fight for and maintain custody of Haruto, while investigating the strange mysteries surrounding Haruka’s accident. The stage is set as we initially enter Kamurocho once again, and after he begins his investigation, the trail leads to Onomichi: a peaceful town that is more than it seems.

The new Dragon Engine was introduced in Yakuza 6, bringing several innovations to the series. For starters, the graphics got a revamp compared to the older engine (used from Yakuza 5 to Yakuza Kiwami), being the first game developed exclusively to PS4. The level of detail in textures, character models, and the world itself, is outstanding. A common complaint about Yakuza 6 is the presence of screen tearing on the game, but I must say I wasn’t able to notice said issue. It’s worth noting that the game runs at 30fps, compared to 60fps on Yakuza Zero and Kiwami. New physics were added, both to the open world exploration and the battles. Exploration-wise, Kiryu can now jump over things, climb stairs, and even fall down from certain buildings. The inventory has also changed. You don’t need to send items to a hideout-like place, like in previous games. Your inventory can store as many items as you like; however, you can only hold 5 of each health/heat restore items, or 10 of each food/beverage items.

Things have changed - the year is 2016 and even Kiryu has a smartphone now, which acts as the game’s menu. Through it, you can find your current tasks and missions; access your inventory; check your stats and mail; check your completion list; change settings; and even take photos or selfies.

With the new graphics engine, Kamurocho has been completely reworked. We have new explorable areas, like Millenium Tower’s rooftop gardens and the Kamuro Theater. We can enter and explore several random buildings, making the city more alive than ever before. We have the same number of taxi stops as before, but more destinations as a whole. It’s worth it to note that certain portions of the map have completely changed. Little Asia is a primary example, and some underwent… peculiar changes, like Pink Street, which is in a diagonal orientation now. However, not everything is good news: some explorable areas that have been around since the first game have been removed, like the Champion District and the Kamurocho Hills/West Park area. We also have fewer stores than before (Kotoburi Drugs, for example, is gone).

Onomichi is considerably smaller when compared to Kamurocho, and has less shops, restaurants and entertainment spots. This more accurately reflects the cities’ real-life counterparts. It’s a port town based on a Hiroshima city that goes by the same name. Here you can access the spearfishing and baseball mini-games, as well as the Snackbar Gaudi. Snack bars are, on that note, popular places on Onomichi to hang out, considering the city doesn’t have Cabaret Clubs. You can also find a few restaurantes, a temple, and a pawn shop.

We have quite a few new minigames compared to previous games, like the Live Chat, which - more than just being sexy - manages to be funny and quirky due to Kiryu’s reactions; full ports of SEGA games, like VF5FS and Puyo Puyo; and classic arcade games from the 80s, like Space Harrier.

The RAAP Gym features a series of minigames where the player should press the buttons accordingly to make Kazuma exercise. After a session, the trainer recommends a dish you should eat, which impacts the evaluation you receive. Before you attempt to train again, you need to engage in a random encounter in the city.

There’s also a baseball team management minigame.  You can recruit new members through substories or around the city and train them. On a match, you can manage your players and sometimes control the hitter. It’s a bit confusing, and, honestly, I didn’t manage to find it too enjoyable.

The Gaudi Snack Bar - unlocked during the baseball team quest line - is actually one of the most fun addictions to Yakuza 6, mini-game wise. For it, Kiryu is invited to a small and familiar bar in Onomichi. In the minigame, you speak with NPCs about their problems, enjoy a few drinks with them, and can even play darts or sing Karaoke. All these things help you develop your friendship with them. Each NPC has its own story, and each one of them is enjoyable, and some of them are tough nuts to crack - you will will need to be persistent with these. I’ve gotten so invested in this specific portion of the game I started to think about the NPCs as close friends of Kiryu, and it made me like Onomichi itself a lot more, since some of these characters are shop owners. It’s a simple yet great addition that gave even more life to the city.

The Clan Creator is another minigame first introduced in Yakuza 6. It involves recruiting NPCs to your very own Kiryu Clan and using them in battles - but Kazuma himself doesn’t fight, he just commands them like in a strategy game. You can set your hierarchy: Captain, Lieutenants and so on. There’s also an online mode available, where you can fight other player’s Clans. You can, also, add new members to your Clan by entering codes, made available at several different places and through the Yakuza Experience website.

Another feature is the opportunity to help a Cat Cafe that… happens to have no cats, since its owner doesn’t do well with the animals and they all ran away. It’s up to Kazuma to find new cats in Kamurocho or Onomichi for the shop by giving them food and earning their trust. After you max out the trust gauge of a cat, someone will go get the felline, which you can always see in the Cafe from then on.

The spearfishing minigame is basically a shooter with a fishing theme. You can earn money from the fishes you catch, and there’s a spearfishing level: the higher your level, the higher your HP in this minigame. You have different spears to choose from and three different areas to fish in - both selections make an impact on the mini-game difficulty.

Some classic mini-games have been removed, like bowling, pool, UFO catchers, and gambling. Changes have been made to Karaoke and its song list: they are all new this time around. The batting cage minigame has also changed slightly. The Cabaret Club minigame has also been reworked, with a new card-based system that has made it more enjoyable.

Yakuza 6 has 52 substories in total, from which a considerable amount is tied to mini-games like the Snack Bar Gaudi, the Clan Creator, and the Baseball team. We also have 40 different Trouble Missions. Trouble missions are picked through the app ‘Troublr’ on Kiryu’s phone. They usually require the player to battle against an enemy or a group of enemies who’s causing - as the name implies - trouble in Kamurocho or Onomichi. Trouble Missions usually spawn nearby you, are time restricted, generally under 5 minutes, and are considered failed if you engage in another event  (like a cutscene or a minigame).

The soundtrack and effects of the game are once again memorable. Differently from previous games, there’s no opening theme this time. On the other hand... some of the songs really stand out, like Joon-gi Han’s theme, several battle themes, and some of the karaoke songs (prime examples would be ‘Hands’ and ‘Today is a Diamond’).

With the new graphical engine and physics also came a new combat system. The very core of it - characteristic to the series - remains the same: fight, do combos, use heat actions. However, the changes run deeper. It was reworked from the ground, with completely new combos, actions and Heat Actions. Unfortunately, Heat Actions are one of the biggest flaws of Yakuza 6 in that there are very few of them. That said, the new physics also make the combat both hilarious and satisfying at times: it’s not rare to see objects being destroyed simply by running through them, or enemies being thrown far from you by doing a combo finished with a kick.

In Yakuza 6 - once again - we see a new leveling system. We have five different experience points: Strength, Agility, Spirit, Technique and Charm. Different activities award different amounts and different kinds of experience. For example, you will get more Strength and Agility by fighting than by doing entertainment activities. You can spend experience points on basic stats (Health, Attack, Defense, Evasion, and Heat Gauge), battle skills, heat actions, and other skills.

We also have an in-depth buff system this time, like increased experience gain, increased money drops, increased stats, and so on. They can be achieved through different means (such as temple blessings, statue offerings, food buffs, and machine drinks) and last a set amount of time or battles.

What was played:

A full playthrough of the main story, 40 substories, and all minigames at least once. Around 60 hours of game time.

Pros:

Graphics are gorgeous and detailed

Great OST

The cities seem alive and as detailed as ever

Several new minigame addictions are fun and rewarding

Good story with likeable characters - both on the substories and the main plot

Cons:

Certain classic mini-games were removed

Areas that have been accessible in Kamurocho since the first game, like the Champion District and the West Park/Kamurocho Hills area are off limits now

Combat seems simplified compared to Zero/Kiwami: less combos, less heat actions

No system to craft weapons, or even to carry then

Verdict: A fitting end to Kiryu’s story, with great graphics, OST, and side content, but not without a few hiccups. Fewer heat actions and the removal of certain minigames detract from it, when compared to previous games of the series.

Score: 8.5/10

Disclaimer: Reviewed on a standard PS4 model using a review code provided by the publisher.

#Yakuza 6 #Yakuza #SEGA #ryu ga gotoku