#horinouchi family

[winguontheweb]

Everyone in Marshmallow Fluff has gotten into the Halloween spirit!

A very Happy Halloween to everyone, from these goobers :3

[todayisafridaynight]

my fave thing bout postulating why mine had to die is it turns into a game of kill the snail. ‘the tojo clan is driven out by kamurocho by the tokyo police’ ok mine bribes the police. problem solved lets go home

[one-vivid-judgment]

You know what I love about the Ichigang? That they were all alone and at rock bottom at some point, with no one to rely on for support:

- Nanba wanted to be like Nightingale, but then got fired because he took the fall for someone else, who ended up having lied to him for her own benefits. His brother was being watched by the Geomijul and then disappeared; Nanba spent a long ass time homeless and not knowing if his brother was alive or not. 

- Adachi lived with the Kusumi incident in his conscience for years, hating Horinouchi's guts and hoping to find something to take the guy down. First he's demoted to the license center, then he's straight up fired. No job, no retirement, man never got married or had a family. The Barkeep even says he's "not usually a happy drunk" and that "it's the first time in a long time I see him smile like that".

- Saeko's family life is a DISASTER. Her mom died, her sister wants nothing to do with her (to the point where they were both working for the same guy and Nanoha EXPLICITLY told Nonomiya not to tell her sister about it, even when things were tough and she could've used Saeko's help), her dad is old and dying. She is on her own and basically only has her girls and Nonomiya—until Nonomoya dies, and she's conflicted cause sure, he wasn't the best guy around, but he was still there for her when she needed, and now he's gone. 

- Yeonsu's life, man. Yeonsu's fucking life. His dad was a drunkard who abused his son and cared about him so little that he had no qualms basically giving Yeonsu up as tribute to the Jingweon mafia to turn him into their leader's double—mind you, this means he could've been killed at any point. He basically lived as the shadow of someone else for years, never being seen for himself but for Joongi Han. 

- Zhao's Liumang leader status was passed down from his dad. He was doing a good job although he's clearly more passionate about cooking and having his restaurant—that he doesn't mind a simpler life and even EMBRACES it and gets angry when anyone suggests he's "just some chef". He still lead the Liumang though. And then his men and right hand turn on him and try to get him killed and what do you know, suddenly there is nothing anymore. 

- Seonhee was a kid when the whole Jingweon mafia shit show happened and then it all came crashing down. Her people who managed to escape alive were left on their own and abandoned until the Geomijul was created. 

- Even Eri, the optional party member, was in a similar situation. She was tricked by Hosho and her company was at the verge of shutting down, and when she thought she had a chance to get back on her feet thanks to Nonomiya's help, she finds out he died, and basically, as far as she knows, all hope is lost. 

And then, Chitose and Tomizawa. I feel they are the perfect example of how easy it is to stray and go down the wrong path when you are in that type of situation, and how even the tiniest kind gesture can do wonders to you:

- Chitose was a sheltered rich girl whose whole life was dictated by her parents. She craved the independence and the freedom and she wanted CONNECTION—which is how she ended up falling in Eiji's trap and being blackmailed for years and manipulated into using people who actually cared about her and with whom she was finally developing that connection she always yearned for. As far as she knows, said people will push her to the side as soon as they find out about her betrayal, and then she'll be alone again. 

- Tomizawa was living the live with his girlfriend, a nice job and a kid on the way—until Dwight and the Barracuda pinned their crimes on him. He went to jail, Marie lost the baby and then disappeared, he's blacklisted from every bank and had to go to Yamai for help with his debts, and after that, he basically became a puppet who did everythint Yamai asked him to out of fear. He hates himself for being a coward who's not able to pull the trigger even when it's necessary, and he blames himself for everything that happened. He is a horrible person in his own eyes, and as far as he knows, there is no getting out of this situation. 

And then there is Ichi, who has seen nothing but rock bottom for so fucking long but still manages to see the bright side of things. He is a good person, sometimes borderline stupid and his choices end up making his superiors (aka Sawashiro) mad. But it doesn't matter how much life beats him down, he always gets back up because he has that "once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up" philosophy. And, although some of his friends have used him for their benefit or straight up assaulted him, Ichi never turns his back on them. Because he KNOWS how it feels to be alone and to not have anyone there for you, anyone that you can rely on, and if he can be that someone, then he WILL be. If he can change a single person's life, he WILL. 

Anyway, I love the Ichigang so much and these are the kind of thoughts I have about them at 1 a.m

[midoropalace]

Yakuza: Like a Dragon -Ending-

Thank you, and goodbye.

With Masato defeated, Ichiban tries to reason with him and get him to end his machinations. He wants Masato to start over fresh and begin living his life anew. But Masato, as petulant as ever, admonishes Ichiban. But even if Masato hates him, Ichiban could never give up on the young master -- his last connection to his father. He begs Masato to give up, assuring him that if he swears to work his way up from the bottom, he will stand by him on his way to the top.

The police arrive, and the party spills the beans on Masato by showing them the video of his confession. The police move to arrest Masato, but are caught off guard when suddenly...

Using a shard of glass, Masato holds up the office who approaches him and grabs his gun. Ichiban tries to deescalate, but Masato refuses -- he's not going to let his dreams die, and he's certainly not going to listen to Ichiban. Especially when everything Ichiban says reminds him of his father.

Masato uses the hostage to make his escape. Out on the streets of Kamurocho, the video showing Aoki's confession is now being played on monitors across the city. As Kamurocho's citizens look on in horror, Masato makes his way to a familiar place.

Just as Masato stops to rest, Ichiban arrives, figuring the young master would return to where it all began. Frustrated, Masato pulls out a gun at Ichiban. Masato angrily derides Ichiban for considering Masato to be his family, before confessing that for his entire life he has felt inadequate and unheard by others. Realizing there is no other way out, Masato puts the gun to his head instead.

It is here that Ichiban begins to break down. He explains to Masato that though his feelings are valid, it's completely untrue that no one was hearing him -- Ichiban, Masumi, and Sawashiro all loved him like family, and were always willing to listen. It was just that Masato never bothered speaking to them. Tearfully, he asks that Masato not make Ichiban watch his brother die. Masato, moved by Ichiban's words, relents. He answers a call from his secretary, and reveals that he plans to turn himself in. But fate has other things in store.

In one of the most infuriating and -- to be honest -- surreal moments in the game, Kume shows up out of nowhere and shoves a knife into Masato's guts. He admonishes Masato for his betrayal before declaring that good will always triumph over evil. He then pulls his knife out and just... calmly walks away. What the actual fuck? The calmness of this scene is just so eerie when juxtaposed against the build up to it, and not in a good way imo. It's the one fault I have in what's otherwise a very solid ending.

And with that, Masato unceremoniously dies in Ichiban's arms as Ichiban lifts him up and rushes him to a hospital (presumably). The credits then start rolling while playing both an extremely ill-fitting J-pop/rock song and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". I honestly can't get over how unserious the credit music selection is lmao.

With the credits over, we now get to see the aftermath of the Millennium Tower raid. Adachi meets with head bastard Horinouchi, and reveals that while no footage of Aoki ordering the hit exists, they did find evidence that the Arakawa family supplied bribes to several high-ranking political officials to help enact the Kamurocho 3K plan -- including Horinouchi himself. As he gets taken away by the cops, Adachi lights a cigarette, his revenge finally complete.

Back in Ijincho, Ichiban and Nanba are preparing to attend the funeral service for Masumi and Masato. Nanba remarks on how upsetting it is to know that Masato will never realize that Sawashiro is actually his father. Nanba then suggests that Ichiban get a DNA test to get definitive proof that Masumi is his father, but Ichiban declines. As far as he's concerned, he has two fathers: Jiro Kasuga and Masumi Arakawa.

While attending the funeral, Ichiban meets with Daigo Dojima and Goro Majima, who offer Ichiban the chance to return to Osaka with them and continue Arakawa's legacy. Ichiban appreciates the offer, but explains that Ijincho is his home now -- and that nothing could replace the people he has met on his journey. And that's why Ichiban is the second best boy (behind Zhao).

Outside, all of Ichiban's companions surround him and ask if he plans to stay in Ijincho. Ichiban lets everyone know that he needs a bit of alone time and sulks off. Of course, Nanba and Saeko are quick to let everyone know that not only does he plan on staying, but that he considers all of them to be irreplaceable. Now forever a part of Ijincho, Ichiban looks off to the sky, remarking that whenever you've hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.

And thus ends my story playthrough of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This game was fucking awesome. The story and characters were extremely well done, with the perfectly blend of melodramatic craziness, humor, and serious drama. Gameplay wise I have some issues -- mainly in terms of a lack of diversity among the playable characters, the easy combat, and the oversaturation of redundant skills -- but it's overall a solid RPG. I look forward to see if Infinite Wealth can improve on some of the issues I had here.

When I return, I will likely chronicle my efforts in the post game. I want to try and get the Platinum... assuming it isn't too hard or time consuming to do.

[besidebloomingirises]

Shigaraki Tea Caddy named ‘Brushwood Gate’ by the 12th Head of the Horinouchi family, Kenchūsai (1919-2015)

[winguontheweb]

It's Hayato Horinouchi!

the cool bachelor uncle of the family, he still lives back in Japan and takes care of the original auto repair location. He's a big supporter of his nieces' ambitions from there, though!

[winguontheweb]

It's the Horinouchi kids, circa 2005! Only 2 years after the family moved to America, they got a photo of all the kids outside the house!

For reference, Kozy's 12, Wakaba 10, and Minaru 5! Wakaba's got her nerdy glasses still