October 8th was Nishiki's birthday, I made phone case art of Majima the day before, and so for mah best boi Nishiki, I decided to celebrate his birthday by making another phone case art. It was great! Drawing the carp and sunflowers, looking through other people's art... I was happy. The very next day I did the unthinkable. I suck at watercolours and I haven't been using them since the end of my last semester break, but for best boi, I opened my Mossery sketchbook, filled some water in a cup, and started painting. PAINTING! I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT MYSELF! AND I DID PRETTY WELL?!
Except for the sunflowers... Those sunflowers are just... bad. I've drawn better sunflowers (phone case art, believe me).
I've finished Y0 for almost a month now and I still cannot get over Nishiki! I regret looking up wikis for his information because that was where I found out he wasn't in later games which means either he doesn't make an appearance or he's deceased and that he's the final boss of Y1 like??? OK HE'S DECEASED ALRIGHT.
I mean I don't know. I don't think the developers meant for the players to feel sorry for Nishiki in Y1. There's nothing much to know about him apart from his identity as Kiryu's brother who turned evil. I doubt anyone actually felt this strongly about Nishiki when they first played the original game. For me though, because I started with Y0 it's not surprising that I'm heartbroken by what happened in Y1. I was ready to see it happen.
Come Monday, October 15th. I was determined to see it happen. I went ahead and actually bought Y1 and Y2 for the PS2. I had no class on Tuesday or Wednesday, so I spent mornings doing assignments and afternoons playing through Y1. I thought I was ready for a lot of things, but clearly I wasn't. When Nishiki showed up on screen... I JUST CAN'T! Almost cried immediately, and he's just a bunch of low res polygons! I managed to go through the prologue without much incident, but when Kiryu steps out of prison and finds out his kyodai just turned evil... my lords that was not a good feeling. I PHYSICALLY FELT THAT PAIN.
There were some fun moments with Majima, Haruka was cute, and then chapter 12 happened... 3 people died... I cried... I saved the finale for Thursday night.
I spent the whole of Thursday restless in class until I got back home and quickly finished the last of my assignments. I went straight to playing the finale, ready for what's to come. It was harder than I thought. I'm not describing the gameplay. I'm talking about the emotional toll. The lift dings and Nishiki comes in, all prepared to fight. There's a love triangle, Nishiki has an inferiority complex, Kiryu doesn't have a choice... all the heavy stuff comes crashing down on me.
Then the brothers perform a battle strip and I lost it! I cried right before the final boss battle. The music didn't even start yet and I was already sobbing! I almost couldn't bring myself to beat Nishiki because I was crying so hard I can't see and I have no motivation. I braved through the final boss, Nishiki's out cold, Yumi gets shot by stupid Jingu, Nishiki redeems himself as Kiryu's brother by sacrificing himself, taking Jingu with him. Holy shit. You have no idea what a sobbing mess I was at that time. What offended me the most was that Kiryu still had the time to have a heart to heart with a dying Yumi and not address the fact that his oath brother fucking died. I guess you have to hold on to the ones who are still alive.
Credits roll, amazing grace plays, I cried another round. Took a bath afterwards to continue crying. I didn't expect it would be this painful with a bunch of low res polygons. Can't even make out the detailed facial expressions but I KNOW KIRYU IS DYING INSIDE. AND NISHIKI'S FACE WHEN HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF HOLY!!! I can't imagine what it'll be like when I play Kiwami! I just wanna kms!!!
"I'm sticking with you till death do us part." sounds like a sappy romantic confession, but it's not. It's a heartwarming declaration of loyalty between two sworn brothers before facing what would potentially be their demise.
They survived the ordeal, but not for long. Fate is a bitch and screwed them over. Their brotherhood didn't last till death. Time and envy are cruel things. But at least during his last moments, one of them reverted back to the brother that was once loyal and righteous.
A seemingly unbreakable bond that lasted almost 20 years easily crushed to pieces by 10 years of separation. A manhunt and cut ties couldn't break it, but taking a fall meant for a brother and some jail time did the job.
Fate really did screw them on purpose. They are nothing without each other. One paid the ultimate price; the other is doomed to live in loneliness and constant unrest. How sad is that?
At least there were good times. Two Majima battles, Haruka calling Kiryu Uncle Kazuma AASDFGHJKL MY HEART!!!!! Me talking shit about Shimano, Chairman Sera's polygonal but still distinctly charming face, Yayoi Dojima coming outta nowhere, demanding answers on her husband's death... Oh and I can't wait to play Yakuza 2 where I can finally meet Daigo! DAIGO MARSHMALLOW JACKET!!!
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