Like a Dragon: Restoration! Take Kazuma Kiryu back to the late Edo period as Ryoma Sakamoto, a loyal vassal of the Empire. However, Dojima’s dragon has always been a samurai at heart.
The real-life yakuza show a link between the samurai’s feudal attitudes and the code of Bushido as evidence of their connection to Japan’s ancient warriors. , was what made the Ryu ga Gotoku series stand out from the start.that makes him a true descendant of a long line of samurai lunatic Characters who fought oppression and injustice in Japanese movies and dramas for centuries.
Given the background of series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, it’s no coincidence. His illustrious Sega career was a fallback after failing to find filmmaking work. Also, the emotional core of his one of the game’s most compelling characters has a lot in common with his style of cinematic Robin Hood. figure.
Ryoma Sakamoto was A low-ranking but formidable samurai who played a key role in overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate before being assassinated at the age of 31. This character has been filmed many times and is so mythologized that, according to actor Masaharu Fukuyama, everyone could see themselves in him. It unfolds in a similar fashion, unleashing Kazuma Kiryu into a highly embellished retelling of Japanese history. However, although they definitely share similarities, Kiryu would have been cast as the better cast. lunatic.
Kyoto leg was a popular hero in period drama A period drama set in the same Edo period as the Meiji Restoration! Set in early-modern Japan, these films portray gambling criminals who predated the yakuza as abandoned samurai warriors with strong moral codes, and often resembled the actual Edo period in films such as Based on criminals. Chuji’s Travel Diary (1927) again Sangokushi Jirocho (1965). Written by Naoto Mori, a film critic from Kanagawa Prefecture. Introduction of yakuza films at Japanese film festivalstold IGN about the origins of the samurai lunatic.
“The image of the heroic samurai is a classic of Japanese fiction. […] A kind-hearted outlaw filled with loyalty and compassion who believes in destroying the strong and helping the weak.
Kiryu constantly interferes in the lives of strangers in the hundreds of colorful side quests that the series has become affectionately known for. Surly, sensitive, but ultimately a friend to those in need, he can’t help but help save filmmakers, overthrow cults, and help countless relationships blossom. . A daily drama about the tensions of a yakuza clan and running an orphanage.
To Mori, it’s clear that Kazuma Kiryu shares a common selfless legacy with villainous heroes. is. As an ally of the underprivileged and orphans, he fits right in with the heroic icon tradition of period dramas and yakuza films. ”
The popularity of these figures on the commoner side grew during a period of dramatic change, so it’s no surprise that they skyrocketed in the Isin setting. Bakumatsuas both the Tokugawa shogunate and Japan’s 265-year isolationist policy came to an end, the destructive actions were celebrated by clinging to the repressive shogunate.
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and the lunatic It was destined to return to another period of seismic change in post-war Japan. Internationally, Toei may be known for franchises such as One Piece and Dragon Ball Z, but lunatic play a leading role on the conveyor belt of ninjaor chillbal films.
Mori taught how the ninja genre, including American-influenced films like The Gambler’s Life (1963), which portrayed honorable outlaws, blended traditional and modern values. will give you “Ninkyo It is a spirit of self-sacrifice that defeats the strong and helps the weak. […] Origin ofNational movieis from the Meiji era to the early Showa era (late 19th century to early 20th century)… In other words, modern Japan before the war, where old and new values clash. Spirit of “Toseinin” [gamblers linked to the underworld] and “lunatic“From the age of samurai”
When I look at Ryoma Sakamoto in the Meiji Restoration, it’s an influence that I still feel alive! With his sword and pistol in hand, he fights for the concepts of equality and industrialism.of Ninkyo The film translated America’s lone gunman for Japanese audiences. Despite the 1900s setting, these characters usually settled disputes with exhilarating sword duels.of A tale of brutal chivalry (1965), Ken Takakura struggles to uphold his pacifist vow against rival gangs threatening market traders in the ruins of post-war Kanto, culminating in a sword-versus-pistol duel.
Like a Dragon Ishin! I asked chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto if samurai fiction was adapted into the creation of Kazuma Kiryu, RGG Studio. After all, over the years he has proven that he is no stranger to even wearing a katana or hakama. “In creating Kazuma Kiryu, I didn’t exactly look to the samurai, but my strong belief in being second to none is, in a way, a samurai spirit.” It’s a common feature.”
Sakamoto has worked on the series since 2006’s Yakuza 2, but the sheer depth of Yakuza media he’s explored in that time makes it difficult to pinpoint any major influences. “It’s hard to name because I think I’ve seen almost every Japanese, Hong Kong, Korean, Hollywood movie based on yakuza and mafia, classic and modern, major and minor.” But he’s conscious of how the genre has developed over the years. “Films about yakuza and mafia have evolved their storytelling methods and presentations over time, and I am constantly inspired by them.
Hiroyuki Sakamoto added that he made the most of Ryoma Sakamoto’s changing personality in line with the adaptation. If I was going to use Ryoma Sakamoto, I wanted to create a story in which a person with strong convictions like Kazuma Kiryu appears, struggling to change Japan.
Yakuza movie inspiration
Yakuza movies didn’t end after the 1960s ninja, but it has changed significantly. The cinematic influence of genre evolution on yakuza games couldn’t be more obvious. Kiryu often wears those influences literally on his sleeves throughout his costume. The shirt combination is a perfect match for Shozo Hirono’s outfit in 1974’s A New Battle without Honor and Humanity.Kiryu lunatic Toei hero ninja The movie, the world that surrounds him, has more in common with what happened afterward.
The video boom of the 90s was the starting point for filmmakers like Takashi Miike and Takeshi Kitano. The broader Yakuza setting owes a great debt to their outrageous sensibilities, partially repaid by director Miike. adaptation of the yakuza and Takeshi Kitano’s Yakuza 6 cameoMore than just a sonatine The origin of Kiryu’s swimsuit costumea goofy “man is a man” approach to yakuza character moments, is a relaxed and eccentric scene of bored criminals playing wrestling matches and catching frisbees on the beach while hiding in the sands of Okinawa. It may have originated from
It’s a fascinating mix of influences.the yakuza ninja A hero in the VHS world. The series’ charismatic and quirky figures like Goro Mashima and Ryuji Goda owe their exaggerated characters of the VHS era.Memories of Kiryu Battle between Daisaku Kuze and Sewers in Yakuza 0 Callback Ridley Scott’s Black Rain Yakuza Biker SatoOddly enough, these games point a different path than the modern yakuza movies of the 2000s and beyond.
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Many of the latest yakuza movies don’t show gangs openly roaming the streets and manipulating the district’s most famous landmarks as they do in the yakuza series.The reason is the 1991 antiGangster activity. This was a major moment that completely changed how the yakuza were viewed and treated by society – the honorable outlaws of the 1960s were no longer honorable.
By 2016, the documentary Yakuza and the Constitution He argued that the increasingly shrinking yakuza were actually victims of gross human rights violations that deserved public sympathy. Under the Open Sky (2020) In the same vein comes a middle-aged yakuza who is set free after serving a murder sentence. Unlike Kiryu, whose story started the same way (as many of these films do), he happily runs the hostess bar and doesn’t run into the clan leader reluctantly. Instead, Masao Mikami’s story is the painful reunion of a deeply divided family and the challenges of reintegrating into normal society.
Mori points out that the change could mean that the glamorous portrayal of the yakuza fare better overseas than in their home country. I think it’s true that it’s hard to portray it objectively.” But he positions it as a healthy exchange of cultural fantasies. period drama —and I believe that this genre still lives in the hearts of many die-hard fans in Japan. Western audiences may enjoy yakuza movies as pure entertainment.”
Yakuza games and movies Blood of the Wolf (2018) Proving that there is still demand for new movies and games in the genre that act like the 90s revolution never happened.These worthy gangs have endured for centuries Noh Plays, novels, movies, and now games. Ichiban follows in Kiryu’s footsteps as a new version of the “classic yet modern” yakuza hero, lunatic While it feels out of step with modern times, their virtuous charm ensures that these brusque, virtuous heroes will battle injustice onscreen for years to come.
Francisco Dominguez is a freelance writer for IGN.
