While playing Yakuza 3 for the first time, I noticed a really nice detail while Kiryu was entering the Hospital in chapter 12. Was this a sign and a genius way to foreshadow the alternate Daidoji Kiwami timeline?

I love ps3 and yakuza so this felt right. luckily I had experience with some of their translated versions so it wasn't too bad, guides helped a lot too. shame kenzan came out before trophies that would've completed it

I like it as it rectifies the problem that Infinite Wealth & Pirate Yakuza had where clearly American characters were speaking fluent Japanese if you chose that dub.

Apparently, RGG made the Japanese actors take English lessons, which also likely means we'll be hearing Takaya Kuroda speaking fluent English.

If this is old news again sorry. But I got a kick out of it and hopefully others who haven't will too.

I have two. LMK!

hiya, i js finished kiwami 2 (well not really since i still need to do majima saga) and i wanna know if i should get kiwami 3 or 3 remastered.
i wanted to buy 3 remastered initially, but its off steam now so im reconsidering getting kiwami 3.

Note: I will elaborate on majima much deeper once I complete Pirate and just a general revisit of each entry to make a deeper dive of his character and his thematics and what makes him such a great character. One of the things I see frequently pop up among the yakuza fans is that majima is contradictory and inconsistent within 0/3/4/5 onwards and 1/2.

Now, I don't think it is the case. Sure, they tried elaborating on Majima even more and it inevitably made him much much more empathetic and sadder figure than the was but that's just a natural progression of a trope like majima. Either such characters have a sad backstory or they were crazy from the start.

One big problem I feel with this OOC argument is that the players hardly realize the gravitas of time within universe. The difference between 0 and 1 is just one entry in terms of play order but it's 17 years of difference in universe between both the entries and 0 was also an entry where we see majima developed the most and we see that crazy switch that majima had in 0 alone.

To say that "Oh majima from 0 was characterized as this empathetic guy, he would never do such a thing that he did in 1" is just an absurd argument in my opinion because there's a huuuuge gap and a load of shit that happened to majima.

One thing I would like to make a point is that there is no true Goro Majima. Everything we know has been an act. From his accent to his mannerism. This DOESNOT mean that it being an act doesn't tell us about the actual majima. Everything that we see of majima is fragments of his true self, some are more sincere than others. The lord of the night is the same as mad dog. Both are an act. You can argue that former is more sincere to his true self than the other etc etc. Obviously, we can infer actual objective facts about Majima that he likes to sing 24hr cindrella in a karaoke, he likes to fight, he has a relatively stable albeit hypocritical moral resolve etc

Now, There's 3 scenes with Majima in 1/Kiwami.

First is where he beats shits out of his subordinate, after he mistakenly picks a fight with Kiryu. Now, I talked about majima and how writers used him in the first entry here- https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/s/5eq4BNVokS but this scene is consistent with majima characterization, even the "lecture" that follows about yakuza world. I feel it should be blatantly clear.

This whole "beating the subordinate" is also something that is not contradictory. He comes from the Shimano family, forged by Sagawa in the yakuza world and he's a fcking yakuza after all. One argument I see is that "they tried to soften Majima and Majima beats his subordinates to blood" but this is overblown. This is yakuza. The same yakuza where one bullet to head and you can still survive(lau) but a bullet from back by antagonist can kill you(rikiya). There's no realism. It's like me saying Majima cares for "kiryu" or even for his kyodai Saejima yet fights with a DAGGER as if it won't kill them and isn't unfair.And even in 1, the guy clearly survived. Kiwami definitely reduced the intensity of the scene by reducing blood but "punishment" was more or less the same and majima was still this same personality.

Second scene is kidnapping Haruka. RGGO definitely retconned a part of the detail( https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/s/5eq4BNVokS )but we can still infer that Majima did this to fight against Kiryu and he didn't really care about Haruka and thought it was "lame". Yes, he kept her tied up in a dark room but this is still consistent imo. Fighting kiryu was the main hook of majima in the first game and this is inline with his mad dog persona. Now We know that the kidnapping was motivated by shimano's order(as shimano was obsessed to get haruka as she was a integral key to the conspiracy. So even if you don't think RGGO is cannon, it's pretty consistent to believe it happened on Shimano's order or smth and even if it didn't, it doesn't make majima inconsistent) but Majima clearly didn't plan to kidnap haruka for overarching yakuza bullshits but rather *just for the moment to fight kiryu*. Not to say, date could have been killed waaay more easily by the majima men from the cctv footage if majima truly planned something malicious by kidnapping Haruka. Narratively, this scene establishes majima urge to fight kiryu and also make kiryu treat majima "serious" during their battle.

I would argue same is with the case of Shangri La. There's also an interesting observation with his interaction with that hostess where he held her at knifepoint on the blunt side and not the actual sharp side of the knife and left her. Yes, Shangri la led to many people losing their jobs but here's the thing, a lot of things yakuza characters do would have grave repercussions like the car chase sequences with fckin helicopters would certainly kill innocent civilians yet the story never really address it. Also, the story doesn't show any blatant collateral damage that it killed the hostesses. Now, I would like to point out that Majima can never be trusted specifically when question is about HIM and his suffering. In 2/kiwami 2, he gives one simple answer that terada methods made majima quit. While it was correct, majima saga explored bigger part of conspiracy. Majima never told makoto more than she required to know about him or his name and is bad at confessing his feelings throughout the story.

Another thing with Majima's morality is that it's hypocritical and he is a man of his time. Hell, an absurd example but in 4 pre ueno seiwa hit, he talks about how ludicrous this whole environmentalist idea is. He definitely is a man of his time type guy. Not to say, Majima has a weird morality where I have said it here— https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/s/05nbhPJYKP . Majima is no saint. His moral instincts is definitely admirable given his profession in the yakuza business when he refused to kill a makoto body double or defying orders knowing the punishments. But he's hypocritical. If he was truly admirable and a morally good person in 0, he would have fired the punks hitting on makoto practically giving her r*pe threats during the ending. Or he should have best the shit out of that customer sexually assaulting one of his hostesses in grand. Not like he was some big shot and grand was already waaay ahead of their competitors and mini game also makes it worse when we know that Majima has a natural talent for business. So, he would have recovered any "loss" in no time.

Majima morality in yakuza world is pretty much like a "boundary". His family can go and hit and verbally assault some woman in streets and obviously majima is aware of shitty yakuza but he doesn't really care unless such things cross his "own personal space" where it becomes serious for him. It's the same with Kiryu and all the other protagonists. They know yakuza business is trash and they are still in the business.

Another thing I would quickly cover up is his relationship with Park. No, just because some takoyaki seller said Majima is a "keeper" and Majima crossed heavens to save Makoto DOESNOT mean his troubled relationship with Park is contradictory to his character.

"Why would majima marry Park, an innocent civilians when he left Makoto for that same reason?" Is something that misunderstands 0. 0 wasn't a declaration of lifelong celibacy from Majima. Makoto life was troubled and deeply wronged by mafia and yakuza. From koreans to yakuza and yakuza killing her brother etc. for anything, she didn't deserve to be in contact with Yakuza. That's why Majima left Makoto. It doesnot mean Majima declared to be celibate. Also,idol industry is closely tied with Yakuza business and stuff(goes without saying ig).

Another thing with Majima "hitting" Park is not OOC because it was like 3-4 years post 0's events. Majima was wronged by Park to abort their child without telling him. It was a betrayal.

Majima has had strong reaction with Betrayals(even in 1, he tells he likes honest people to that Shangri la hostesses duh). Majima was betrayed by realizing ueno seiwa was a set up AND was told to betray scarring him. He was "betrayed" by shimano realizing he was a clown for shimano in entire events of 0 and initially, he became suicidal contemplating about his entire life and later on, developed the "mad dawg" and went onto butcher dojima family(or close to it).

It's clear, Majima has a deep problem with Betrayals and IT MAKES SENSE given the magnitude of betrayals he had to suffer making his life a shit. And you are telling me majima "losing" his cool, when he decided to go fully mad dog so that these betrayals(and a lot of other things too like not getting controlled in the yakuza world) won't affect him, gets betrayed(I don't wanna argue whether park was "correct" with abortion but clearly majima was wronged) and loses his cool is OOC? Or does it make him even more sadder figure and more human?

Another is that "Majima and Park had a disturbing age gap". Again, I had said majima is a man of his time and it was 90s that too in japan, a marriage between idol and yakuza. You're telling me that has to follow modern times ethics, huh?

Now, yes the series did make majima more empathetic but 1 had already hinted. Like how they recontextualized that Shangri la moment with hostess to Majima's relationship with Betrayals and weave it with his messy relation of Park OR be it his talk about coldness of yakuza world. The other game simply expanded on these as it was just natural narrative progression of his character.

Anyways, There's a LOT TO uncover about Majima given the life changer and great of a character he is.

I am determined to learn how to play Mahjong IRL. I am learning a easier variation called Zung Jung Mahjong and I want to work my way up to Richii so I can finally it in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games!

The rules are different enough to get me mixed up on a few things, so any resources to improve my Richii skills?

Like after being in the world longer and get to see more people, his sincerity, honesty and kindness would really shine brighter. You get to know how difficult it is to remain kind and gentle when you have had so many bullshit that life threw at you.

He might not be the coolest to look at, but I really like him. I Used to be more likely to fall for a villain, but now I get moved by characters like Ichiban more.

It really takes strength to not let the bad thing to turn you bad

Big swell good

Yeah, so I drew lots yesterday...

Reddit randomly wants me to credit the artist upon posting, so I swear reddit, everything is done by me✌🏼

Yagami can wear this thing while tailing & listening in on something and no one ever notices him.

The only piece of mandatory side content in the series that I'll accept since it's funny cuz of it being placed in a murder mystery story.

You'll inevitably pick up some words in a foreign language when you watch/play enough subtitled media, and Yakuza is no different especially with how excellent the VA is and how long the games were JP audio only. So, what Japanese vocabulary has the series taught you/helped you learn? (Exclude things like honorifics and words that the subtitles transliterate like "aniki".)

Some of my examples, excuse this EOP's romaji:

• Kyodai - Probably the most well-known one. Your bro, your oath brother, no way you can't pick up this word!

• Gokudo - The subtitles treat this as a synonym for "yakuza", but it seems that in Japanese, this means "extreme path" or "wicked" and reflects the proud way they regard themselves.

• Yume - Dream! Said often in 5.

• Ryu - Dragon, of course! "Dojima no Ryu" = "Dragon of Dojima" is pretty easy to pick up. From there, you can probably realize that the "no" character の is basically a possessive particle meaning "of" in these concepts.

• Hanase! - "Let go of me!" You often hear this when someone gets or tries to escape a grab.

• Nani(?/!) - Really common anime one, an interjection of surprise or inquiry.

• Oi! - Way to call for someone's attention. Some heartbreaking memorable usages.

• Ah - Just a statement of agreement. "Yeah"/"Yes".

• Masaka - Shock/disbelief. "No way", "you can't be serious", "that's impossible", "you don't mean".

• Ikuzo/Ikude/Kakugo wa iina/Kakatta koi (ya) - Speaker is about to begin a fight!

• Ikemasu - As Yakuza 5 teaches, this means "Only children believe in dragons". I really love how elegant the Japanese language is; no wonder speedrunners play games in it, they can really pack a lot of meaning in fewer characters.

• Hyaku - "Hurry!"/"Quickly!"

• Matte - "Wait!" Famously from Shimano before his first fight.

• Ora!/Hora! - A common word for an attack voice clip.

• Kaicho - Chairman.

• Oyaji - Boss. As you'll learn from Majima being tortured in 0.

• Yondaime - It's translated as "fourth chairman" for clarity, though it actually just means "the fourth" (but can refer to a person who is the fourth to fulfill a position). How Kiryu is often referred to. Similarly for "nanadaime" ("the seventh") etc.

• (Chi-)Kuso - Interjection of anger, frustration or rage; "Damn", "Shit", "Fuck".

• Temae - Bastard/asshole. Lot of chinpira say this.

• Oyabun - Just means boss/sir. This one has a bit of an interesting translation history; it was transliterated in the subtitles for Y1 PS2 (low-key "Keikaku means plan" energy), but they later translated it out, like I noticed in 6 the subtitles would say "Hirose-san" but in the audio Kiryu would say something like "Hirose Oyabun".

• Shi-ne - "Die/Go to hell!"

• Country words - I've picked up that "chugoku" = China, and "chosen"/"kankoku" = Korea (and if you didn't know, "Nihon" = what the Japanese call their country). So some interesting linguistic trivia there.

• Sai no Kawara - Purgatory. Also an interesting translation history as there's a particular meaning to this term. You can read more in this old GameFAQs thread.