Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's latest entry to the Yakuza franchise recently released, with Yakuza: Like a Dragon delighting both old and new fans as the game mixes up the typical format by changing to an RPG genre and introducing a new protagonist and a brand new area.
Yakuza games have long been a source of comedy and hilarity for the gaming community, so it's no surprise that Like a Dragon has gifted fans with a wealth of new topics to turn into memes. For players of the game, it's hard not to relate to these rather funny memes.
10 New Protagonist
Kazuma Kiryu has been the face of the Yakuza franchise since the very beginning, but his saga came to a close with the last game — Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. With Like a Dragon, fans were introduced to a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, who also previously featured as the protagonist in the mobile spin-off Ryu ga Gotoku Online.
While this meme isn't exactly accurate (in that Ichiban is 23 at the opening of Like a Dragon), the point it makes is still a hilarious one. While Kiryu was taking on the responsibility of a child in his twenties, Ichiban still has his head stuck in the clouds and is happy to eat food that he finds on the street.
9 Bleach Japan
A meme that hits close to home for anyone who has played even just a handful of chapters of Like a Dragon is this one. Bleach Japan is a non-profit organization that looks to clear away the "gray" areas of the city, targeting illegal brothers and soaplands, in their aim of "bleaching the city clean."
As Ichiban, the player will encounter Bleach Japan numerous times, in particular, groups led by the NPC shown in the meme above and it gets old very quickly. Players repeatedly find themselves having to beat this guy into submission.
8 Like A Dragon
This meme is funny because it's true. The Yakuza franchise is called Ryu Ga Gotoku in Japan, which literally translates to "Like a Dragon", hence the name of the Takashi Miike film that was based on the first Yakuza game.
For those wondering, the Japanese title isn't "Like a Dragon: Like a Dragon," but is actually Ryū ga Gotoku 7: Hikari to Yami no Yukue, which translates to "Like a Dragon 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness."
7 Feeling Old
When players first take control of Ichiban at the beginning of Like a Dragon, the game is set in 2000/2001 and players get to see the people of Kamurocho celebrating the New Year. Chapter 2 sees the game fast forward eighteen years and this quick jump from 2001 to 2019 is effective in making many a gamer feel rather old as they are faced with the realization that 2000 was 20 years ago.
The difference in time and how the world has changed during that time is emphasized by Ichiban's reaction to the world around him in 2019, such as him not comprehending how to use a smartphone. Interestingly, Kiryu goes through a similar experience in the first Yakuza title.
6 New Toy
When a game is really good, it's all too easy for players to become completely immersed in it and neglect the other games that they had recently been playing. The Yakuza titles always offer in-depth stories, with dense environments that are rich with interesting and funny quests and new things or secrets to discover.
This meme accurately portrays what it's like when players get a new favorite game, tossing all their other games aside much like Andy did when he tossed Woody aside after he first got Buzz Lightyear.
5 Dragon Quest Fanatic
One of the things that fans learn about Ichiban early on in the game is that he absolutely loves Dragon Quest and that as a child he spent much of his time in the soapland playing the popular game. It's also the basis for many of the RPG elements of the game, as it is explained that many of the RPG features are a result of Ichiban's imagination.
The hilarious yet tragic thing is that while Ichiban was incarcerated, he would have missed out on four main Dragon Quest games that released during that time. The upside is, he can have one hell of a gaming marathon whenever he has the time.
4 Road Safety
Both longtime Yakuza fans and new players alike were probably taken by surprise by a new feature in Like a Dragon — Ichiban can get hit by cars. This isn't just a bump and then continue on to your destination situation either, Ichiban gets hit pretty badly and immediately loses 100hp each time this happens.
This meme hilariously demonstrates this new element of the game, with a perfect example of a player wanting to cross the street to get to a karaoke bar only to get hit by an oncoming vehicle. There's actually an achievement/trophy tied to this, which unlocks if someone is hit by a car while in battle.
3 Politics
While the Yakuza games are filled with humor and comedy, they also address deeper issues, and Like a Dragon is no different. The game isn't afraid to tackle hard-hitting subjects, highlighting political issues while at the same humanizing other topics such as homelessness, sex work, and more.
The game turns many people's perceptions around, allowing the player to empathize with those stuck in poverty while showing the darker side to non-profit organizations such as "Bleach Japan," that might otherwise be seen as doing "good work" when not given proper context.
2 Eric Andre Look-A-Like
It's not gone noticed by fans that Ichiban Kasuga looks similar to Eric Andre, and as a result, many memes have been created based on them having similar appearances. The pre-existing Who Killed Hannibal? Eric Andre meme was the perfect choice for a Yakuza crossover.
The meme has been re-skinned to look as though it's a scene from Like a Dragon, with Eric Andre taking the place of Ichiban, of course, and with Hannibal Buress being one of the enemies within the game.
1 Fan Favorites
For longtime fans of the series, the change from the usual characters can be a little bit hard to take as they miss some of their favorite characters. This meme rather accurately portrays how players feel about not having as much of their fan-favorites characters around as they're used to, such as Goro Majima.
Fortunately, there are a number of characters from past titles who appear in cameo roles in Like a Dragon, as well as numerous nods to the past games too, offering a little fan service to players who miss the older games.