Many of us have game franchises that we’ve never actually played, despite everything we hear about them and like them. There are a few, but one notable blind spot on my gaming resume is Yakuza, now called Like A Dragon.
I’ve heard from many friends that this series has something for everyone, from heavy action scenes to light-hearted silliness, and has some real emotion at its center… but… Still haven’t found the time. This year saw the release of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and for a while I thought it was just another game to add to my backlog. But thanks to a freelance opportunity, I finally found an excuse to play a Like A Dragon game for the first time.
I had an enjoyable time through the first few chapters, but I have yet to see what others have told me about the series over the years. Things changed in Chapter 4 as we approached a shaved ice shop on the streets of Hawaii, and Substory 24: Let It Snow began.
Let It Snow begins with Ichiban finding a man wearing a plaid shirt buying shaved ice (also known as snow cones) at a local store. Interestingly, the man demands that there be no toppings on his dessert, and when he gets the treat, he throws it into the air. As the ice melted immediately, this was Hawaii after all. The man screams in agony and leaves, distraught. Ichiban watches this happen and doesn’t think any more about it other than finding it really strange.
Later we found the same person refusing shaved ice from a second stall. Because his master noticed his strange motives. The despondent man sat down on a nearby bench and was able to sit with Ichiban and learn his story.
It turns out that this man, whose name is Orlando, is trying to fulfill his wife Ellie’s last wish: “I want to see snow with you again.” Orlando explained that the couple has many fond memories of snow, including their honeymoon in Japan. He wanted to take her back, but practical responsibilities got in the way. Before she dies, she wants to see the snow fall with her loved one one more time. It can be done any time now. Ichiban agrees to help, and for now there are two ways to do it.
So, uh, yeah… When I first saw a strange old man throwing shaved ice into the sky, I had no idea it would lead to “an extremely emotional story about a man trying to help his dying wife.” This is exactly the kind of thing my friends have been telling me to do, and I have to admit, it’s effective. That’s the beauty of the writing at work here. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Like A Dragon surprises you. And as the side story continued, I was surprised. never did that.
Later, at a nearby shopping center, Ichiban watches a woman lose her stroller down an escalator. Ichiban grabs the stroller and gives chase, which consists of quick events to complete until it stops. Ichiban looks into the stroller but finds it. An adult wearing a diaper is looking at him.
This is Susumu Gondawara, the Yakuza boss from the previous game that veteran Like A Dragon players were expecting. But I was completely caught off guard. The big boy says his stroller has wandered away from the “nanny” he hired and wants Ichiban to take him back to her. However, three of Gondawara’s henchmen (also inexplicably dressed only in diapers) accuse Ichiban of kidnapping Gondawara, and the fight continues.
Once they are defeated, Gondawara asks for some milk, and the only place he can find it is at a nearby shaved ice truck that uses condensed milk as a topping. One of my subordinates was in line when a man in a familiar plaid shirt forced his way forward and asked for shaved ice without any toppings.
In the end, Ichiban, Orlando, and Gondawara all talk together and try to find a solution to the problem. Orlando worries that time is running out, and Ichiban throws the shaved ice on the ground in frustration… However, the party notices that the ice has not melted, but has instead turned into a snow-like substance. How did this happen?
Are you ready?
You’ll never guess…
It turns out that the absorbent material of the diapers that Gondawara and the others were wearing were mixed with shaved iceAnd that combination created “snow.” I heard Like A Dragon could be wacky, but I don’t think I realized just how wacky things could get. After Gondawara explains the difference between the group’s “baby play” fantasy and real honor, the three agree to a plan.
The scene then moves to the hotel where Orlando and Ellie are staying. There – I can’t believe I’m typing this – Ichiban, Gondawara, and their men mix diaper absorbent with shaved ice and then throw it from the rooftop. of the hotel. Orlando and Ellie are together in a room just below the rooftop, where they are delighted to see “snow” coming through the window.
Ellie calls Orlando a “magician” and asks him for one last wish. I want to see Orlando smile one last time before I go to sleep. He obliges, tears come to his eyes and she eventually falls asleep for the last time.
To summarize, our hero Ichiban sets out to help a desperate man fulfill his dying wife’s final wish.
- With the help of a man who likes to be a baby
- Make ‘snow’ by mixing shaved ice with absorbent from the man’s adult diaper.
- Throw the mixture onto the roof so that the despairing man and his wife can watch it fall in the room below.
But despite the sheer absurdity of what happens in all this, the heart at the heart of the scene is undeniable. Ichiban sets out to help a stranger simply because he can, and in the process, makes a dying woman’s final wish come true. As the snow began to fall and the scene focused on Orlando and Ellie, I forgot about all the absurdity and focused on the relatable, human story at the heart of the substory, which filled me with the warmth that touched me most. Games cannot be created… By the time the scene switches back to Ichiban and company, Gondawara’s men are lying naked on the rooftop, exhausted. It’s that last little bit of whimsy that sends us on our way. This is Like A Dragon after all.
After hearing that I loved this series for years but never having the time to check it out, Infinite Wealth was officially my first foray into what Like A Dragon/Yakuza has to offer. Substory 24: I saw the light thanks to Let It Snow. I’m sold, and I plan to go back and see what I’ve missed so far as soon as possible. And all it took was a little “winter” magic.
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