It’s hard to believe that the karaoke minigame wasn’t a part of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series from the beginning. Yet once it made its debut in Yakuza 3, it felt as much a part of the series as the Millennium Tower, chucking bicycles at goons, and the gambling games.
As nice as poker and oicho-kabu are, karaoke still stands out for how it expresses its characters and showcases a wide variety of musical styles. Every fan has their favorite tune, be it the 80s styling of “Heartbreak Mermaid,” the tender ballad “Tonight -restart from this night-”, or the KISS-inspired “Hell Nabe.” But when it comes to Yakuza’s best karaoke songs, the rankings look like this.
10 Like A Butterfly
For many, this song would be at the top of the list just for Kiryu and Ichiban’s enthusiastic, largely English rapping (“Fly like a beautiful butterfly!”) and funky shades. The song made its debut in Yakuza 6, where it became the song of choice for hostesses Saki Akai (a real-life pro-wrestler) and Riona Ichijo (a real-life hostess too). Then it turned up in Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, where it got a full English recording for party member Eri.
Usually translating songs means essentially rewriting them to fit the beat, but the result here is surprisingly close to the original. It’s still a dark if melodramatic tune that works due to the passionate performances in both languages. Once the video starts, it'll be hard to shake its beats off.
9 The Future I Dreamed Of
Gameplay-wise, Ichiban’s big signature song from Yakuza: Like a Dragon is potentially the easiest song in the series as it has the fewest notes to hit. Just 66 in all to chain together. But these tunes are ranked more on how much they please the ear than ease the fingers, and “The Future I Dreamed Of” is particularly pleasant to the lugholes.
It features Ichiban singing a song about overcoming bad days and how he’s “not gonna stop questing until I’m a hero.” The tune is warm, uplifting, and fits Ichiban like a glove, given his own reputation as the “Rock-Bottom Dragon.” The English version is just as good, though it leans more into the video game terminology with its vows to “level up.”
8 Samurai Ondo
At first, this sounds like it'll be serious, as Like a Dragon: Ishin translated its title to “Dirge of the Warrior.” Then players see Sōji Okita, Goro Majima’s Bakumatsu-era proxy, doing a funky little dance. Like most of Majima’s songs up to Ishin’s original 2014 release, it’s a tongue-in-cheek gag on classic Japanese folk music.
The only darkness on display is the grim opening lyrics, which Okita forgets and babbles in place until he finds his footing again. He talks up the samurai as being invincible too, except against guns and cannons. It’s a fun-loving song that’s hard to ignore even before Okita breaks out the crowd and fireworks to show off the Samurai Ondo in full.
7 Ijizakura
If players wanted something more serious from Ishin, “Ijizakura (Fighting Sakura)” gives them that with its soaring woodwinds and enthusiastic chanting. Ryōma sings a heavy first verse about how life is hard for commoners, who work until exhaustion just to ease its burden.
Then it goes into a chorus about how the effort is worth it to support society and the next generation. In other words, life is hard, but also precious, like the sakura cherry blossom that only blooms briefly yet hangs on until the very end. That’s the implication anyway. The song did get a remix for Yakuza Kiwami, though it lacks punch without Ishin’s traditional instruments and drumbeats.
6 Konnan Ja Nai
“Ijizakura” is one of the more brusque-sounding songs in the series, with its heavy themes and booming vocals. So, does it have anything that's a little softer and excitable? “Get to the Top!” has a similar theme to “Ijizakura” while being much more hopeful and less dour. “X3 SHINE” is also a popular track about fun in the sun on the beach.
But when it comes to infectious pop, Haruka’s pop idol days in Yakuza 5 brought “Konnan Ja Nai (So Much More!)”. Out of all the songs she has to sing, it’s the best with its ambiguous lyrics that hint towards Haruka’s own conflicts about her dreams, and its bouncy, catchy beat. Plus, Kiryu’s backing vocals really express his over-eager, loving dad side (“LOVELY HARUKA!”)
5 Rouge Of Love
Karaoke also helps build a rapport with the game’s hostesses. If players want to max out affection with one lady or another, they’ll have to play a minigame with them, and karaoke is much easier than, say, mahjong. It’s how “Like a Butterfly” has lasted for three games and counting, and why "Rouge of Love" is such a bop.
It's a hostess’ lament, as she has to doll up pretty to survive in “this greedy neon city.” Not that it's all that serious, especially with Saejima and Majima’s excitable backing vocals in Yakuza 5 and 0, respectively. But it’s sung with passion and conviction, particularly by Natsuki Yoshihara (5’s Kaguya), who’s better known as the voice of Brock’s Mudkip in Pokemon. Yes, really.
4 Honjitsu wa Diamond
If Haruka could hide her true feelings in a happy song, so could Kiryu with Yakuza 6’s “Honjitsu wa Diamond (Today’s a Diamond).” The plot of the game involved Kiryu trying to figure out what led to Haruka being left comatose following an encounter with the yakuza in Kamurochō. So, the song ends up being about trying to wake a loved one up to seize the day.
It’s not meant to be a 1:1 direct expression of Kiryu’s feelings, as the second verse applies more to a couple than a father and daughter. However, the karaoke games only play the first verse and chorus of each song. With that alone, its lines about someone “sleeping like the dead” hit the heartstrings, even when Kiryu's beaming like the sun and strumming his guitar to a smiling crowd like something out of an Elvis movie.
3 Pure Love In Kamurochō
Kiryu can perform this song with a hostess in Yakuza 4, as can Yakuza 2 boss Ryuji Goda in Yakuza: Dead Souls. Yet it feels most right when Shun Akiyama and his long-suffering secretary Hana perform the duet. It contrasts with “Rouge of Love” as a happier outcome to life in the red-light district. The lyrics tell of a man and a hostess finding real love in each other, despite the fact they’re supposed to keep things professional.
It’s an obvious choice for the other couples. Though it takes on a new meaning when it applies to the spurned Akiyama and faithful Hana, as the two spend the game on the precipice of becoming an item. That, and Kōichi Yamadera (Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop) and Aya Hirano (Death Note’s Misa Amane) put in the best vocal performance out of the game's singers.
2 Bakamitai
It helps that both Yamadera and Hirano have music careers on the side of their acting gigs, which isn’t too uncommon for Japanese VAs. Kiryu’s VA Takaya Kuroda even has his own band in Takaya Kuroda & Goodfellas. He said he used to get a little annoyed when fans called for Like a Dragon songs at his shows. But he softened on that over time and was particularly blown away when “Bakamitai (I’ve Been a Fool)” became famous in its own right.
Since its debut in Yakuza 5, it’s become the most popular song in the series. It gained an unplugged “Sorrow” version in Yakuza Kiwami, an English translation in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and a traditional Japanese arrangement for Like a Dragon: Ishin. Why did it catch on? Aside from being an effectively composed and sung song, it’s passionate enough for those who take it seriously to be moved, and jokey enough for those who don’t (does Saejima really miss useless karate man Sodachi that much?).
1 Judgement -Shinpan-
Bakamitai is the most popular song, but is it really the best? Taste is subjective, though while it did appear in Yakuza 0 too, that game provided one that’s arguably better as both a tune, entertainment, and in storytelling. “Judgement -Shinpan-” (not to be confused with the spin-off game Judgment) is a rockin’ call back to 80s hair metal that rivals “Machine Gun Kiss” in shredding.
As a tune, it’s catchy, lively, and sung well. It’s also deliberately corny as it shows two bros in their leather jackets and headbands ready to face the world (with their suit-wearing foster uncle Kashiwagi on keyboards). But it also shows how close Kiryu and Nishiki used to be as the franchise's best friends. Combined with their other scenes in Yakuza 0, it makes their eventual split in Yakuza 1 all the sadder. Not bad for a Japanese Poison pastiche.