Ichiban Barely Made the Top 10! Breaking Down the Official Yakuza Poll

jamesschierer

Ichiban Kasuga barely squeezed into the Top 10 of the official Yakuza character popularity poll — and fans are shocked. In today’s video, I break down why Ichiban ranked so low, how the community reacted, and why his journey is only just beginning. If you love the Like A Dragon series, this one’s for you!  👍 If you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell. 🎮 Game On.

Transcript

00:00As you're watching this gameplay unfold, I want to take a little time today to talk

00:04about something that surprised a lot of people in the Yakuza and Like a Dragon community.

00:10The result of the official Yakuza series popularity poll.

00:14Specifically, the fact that Ichiban Kasuga, the man who literally rebooted the entire

00:19franchise and gave it a brand new direction, barely cracked the top 10.

00:24That's right.

00:25According to the official results released by RGG Studio, Ichiban landed in 10th place.

00:32He did make the list, but only by the thinnest margin.

00:35And honestly, that caught a lot of fans off guard, including me.

00:41Now if you play Like a Dragon, which you're seeing on screen right now, you know how much

00:45heart, humor, work, and emotion Ichiban brings to this series.

00:50I personally really enjoyed having Ichiban as the protagonist.

00:54He's not just a breath of fresh air.

00:55He feels like someone we haven't had in this franchise before.

00:59He's vulnerable.

01:01He's goofy.

01:02He's optimistic in a way that feels genuine.

01:04And he leads with empathy instead of violence.

01:07That's a pretty bold direction to take a series that's been divined by Kazuma Kiryu's quiet

01:12strength for nearly two decades.

01:14So seeing Ichiban's struggle to break into the top 10 really made me stop for a moment

01:19and think about why he ended up so low.

01:23One of the biggest factors is simple.

01:25Kiryu is still unbeatable.

01:27He's the face of the entire franchise, and for longtime fans, he's almost myth-like at

01:32this point.

01:33He's been around since 2005.

01:35People have watched him grow, suffer, mature, and fight through impossible odds.

01:41When polls like this came around, a huge chunk of voters are fans who have been riding with

01:46Kiryu for years.

01:47So naturally, he eats up most of the top votes.

01:50Characters like Majima, Sejima, Akiyama, and Huruka also benefit from that long-term emotional

01:57investment.

01:58Meanwhile, Ichiban only has a couple of games under his belt.

02:02So even though he's already beloved by many, he doesn't have that same built-in nostalgia

02:06yet.

02:08Another thing that plays into this is the tonal shift.

02:11Ichiban is very different from Kiryu.

02:13Kiryu is stoic, calm, and serious.

02:16Ichiban is loud, expressive, nerdy, and optimistic even when life is kicking him in the teeth.

02:23I think that's part of what makes him so lovable, but it also means he's not going to land with

02:27everyone immediately.

02:29Some players prefer the classic Yakuza tone, the gritty crime drama energy, whereas Like

02:35a Dragon leans into warmth, comedy, and JRPG style charm.

02:40So when the poll came around, a lot of traditionalists voted the way they've always voted.

02:44And newer fans may not have had the same voting numbers by comparison.

02:49But here's the thing.

02:51Fan reaction to the poll was fascinating.

02:53Some people thought Top 10 was fair, others were shocked he wasn't Top 5 at least, and

02:58then there were fans who were downright upset saying Ichiban deserved a higher spot after

03:02everything he brought to the table.

03:04And I kinda get that.

03:05If you look at the gameplay on screen, if you think about the story he goes through, the

03:09friendships he builds, the emotional trauma he pushes through, and the optimism he holds

03:14onto even when everything goes wrong, it's hard not to feel attached to him.

03:19But here's the perspective I think is most important.

03:23Ichiban's legacy has only just started.

03:25He's headlined two major games.

03:27Kuryu has headlined eight.

03:29The fact that Ichiban even placed in the Top 10 this early is actually impressive when

03:34you think about it.

03:35He's still growing, still building his fanbase, still carrying out his identity in a franchise

03:40that has one of the most loyal fan communities in gaming.

03:44And RGG Studio has made it clear, Ichiban is the future of Like a Dragon.

03:49He's not going anywhere.

03:51He's only going to get more character development, more emotional arcs, more moments that define

03:56who he is.

03:57And with each new game, his popularity is going to climb.

04:02Honestly, Ichiban landing in 10th place kind of fits his character perfectly.

04:08He's always been an underdog.

04:10He's always had to fight his way up from the bottom.

04:13He's a guy who never starts at the top.

04:15He earns it through heart, loyalty, compassion, and determination.

04:20So if anything, him having to climb the popularity ranks feels like the most Ichiban thing ever.

04:26And I really believe in a few years, maybe even the next poll, we're going to see him

04:30land a lot higher.

04:32But now I want to hear from you.

04:34Do you think Ichiban deserved a higher ranking on that official poll?

04:38Where would you personally place him on your own list?

04:40And do you think fans will warm up to him more as the Like a Dragon series continues expanding?

04:45Let me know down in the comments.

04:47I genuinely love reading your thoughts on this stuff.

04:50If you enjoyed this video, please give me a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel, and ring

04:55the notification bell so you don't miss any future uploads.

04:59Thanks for hanging out with me today.

05:01And as always, game on!

05:02And as always, game on!

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