Yakuza: Like A Dragon's Worst Character Creates A Narrative Problem

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon is one of the series' most enjoyable, well-written installments, but one unpopular character, Nonomiya, singlehandedly causes the game's biggest problem. For most of the game, the storyline and motivations of the characters are pretty easy to understand. However, the introduction of Nonomiya early in the story makes no sense when one remembers how the heroes are meant to act.

[Warning: some spoilers ahead for Yakuza: Like a Dragon.]

Nonomiya is a soapland owner who gives Ichiban, Nanba, and Adachi a job early in the game. He plays a supporting role in setting the party towards their first proper dungeon, and is killed at the end of his introductory chapter. However, in Nonomiya's short time in the game, he manages to cause a series of problems that clash with several other aspects of the story. With almost every Yakuza title visiting Xbox Game Pass, the series is seeing a wider audience, and Nonomiya could leave a bad impression on those potential fans.

Related: How Yakuza's Next Game Can Improve On Like A Dragon's Formula

It's easy to question Nonomiya's role in the story as well as how Ichiban reacts to him, in particular because it makes no sense in context with the rest of the game. Nonomiya does not feel like an ally, or even like someone who is deserving of sympathy. As a character who ends up launching a major arc of the story, he remains as a bad mark on an otherwise excellent game.

Nonomiya offers the heroes a job early on, and he wastes no time in showing off his repellent personality. He is introduced arguing with the girls who work for him over the phone, even making one cry. In a discussion shortly afterward, he even admits that he specifically hires girls whose situations are too