The Best Karaoke Songs In The 'Yakuza' Franchise
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As crazy as this sounds, one of the best activities you can do in the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series is karaoke. Yes, you read that right, karaoke. Each character pretty much has their own song, with the exceptions of Kiryu and Ichiban, who have a few. So when you’re tired of fighting random baddies on the streets of Kamurocho or the Tojo Clan, stop by one of the karaoke booths and belt one out. Fans have their favorites, so I’ll add my list of favorites to the conversation.
7. Honolulu City Lights
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The women of the franchise haven’t been represented in this list, but that’s because there aren’t too many of them who have songs in the franchise. One of my favorites, though, is sung by Chitose, who we first meet in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It’s a perfect song for her, and the game, which primarily takes place in Hawaii. Unsurprisingly, she has a great voice, and the music video that accompanies this features her and Ichiban, which is an interesting pairing.
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6. Song Of Departure-Journey To The New World
Image Source: YouTube
One of the newest songs on the list, and it’s also one of the most fun songs in the franchise. Majima, along with Noah and his fellow crewmates, take the deck of the Goromaru to sing this banger. And not only can you sing it later for karaoke, there's a whole scene with it, early on in the game too.
5. 24-hour Cinderella
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The first Majima song on the list, and one of his best. Not only does he absolutely belt it out, her also has a great dance, and jumpsuit to match. He also seems to be in the best shape, even many years later, when it reappears in his solo game, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii.
4. Machine Gun Kiss
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Not only does Kiryu have a version of the song, but so does Shinada in Yakuza 5 and Adachi in Like A Dragon. Each version is different, but since we’re talking about favorites, I think the Adachi version is the best. There’s just something about how he sings it that makes it even better.
3. Judgement-Shinpan
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Not only does Kiryu perform this song with his kyodai, Nishkiyama, but he also performs it with Ichiban as well. Both versions are pretty much the same, as the VA for Nishki is also the VA for Ichiban. The only difference is the video that accompanies it. One of the coolest songs in the franchise, that makes you want to “break ze rules”.
2. Bakai Mitai (I’ve Been A Fool)
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This is probably the most iconic song from the franchise. Not only does Kiryu have a version (or two) of this song, but Taiga Saejima and Shun Akiyama also sing it during Yakuza 4. Nanba also has his own rendition of the song in Like A Dragon. It’s emotional, and each music video accompanies each character perfectly. At one point, they hold a photo that includes someone who was once near and dear to them, and it changes with each person who sings.
1. The Future I Dreamed Of
Image Source: YouTube
This song is not as iconic as the others, but it’s my all-time favorite. It’s sung by Ichiban and is featured in Like A Dragon. It’s a perfect song for him, as he sings about a little boy who meets Ichiban and helps him up. It fits Ichiban’s personality perfectly.
The Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise is definitely special and unlike any other game series out there. While the stories tend to be pretty serious and emotional, there's always a bunch of fun side activities that the characters can embark on. I am so happy RGG decided to add karaoke minigames, because they're truly one of the best minigames of all time and have produced some great songs.
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