Pay respects: RGG Studios and PARCO department stores are making a memorial for dead Like a Dragon characters.
In what may be the darkest and out of left-field fan engagement activity we’ve ever heard of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is teaming up with Japanese department store PARCO to create Ryu ga Gotoku: The Fallen Men Exhibition, a tribute to the deceased characters of the Like a Dragon series. News of the exhibition was revealed by release on Dec. 13, 2023 by PARCO ltd.
As per the release, this exhibition is a memorial to the “fallen men” from the Like a Dragon series, previously known as the Yakuza series in the west. Taking place at PARCO FACTORY (Ikebukuro, PARCO Main Building, 7F), in Tokyo, Japan, the exhibition will run from Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, until Jan 15, 2024. The spoiler-heavy exhibition will provide memorials for the characters that have died during the game’s eight (or nine, or many more depending on how you count remasters, gaiden spin-offs, etc.) mainline titles.
Beyond this you’ll reportedly be able to “place flowers at the portrait of your favorite character" in the “funeral home zone.” You'll also be able to light incense sticks and ponder the passing of your favorite Yakuza member. Merchandise such as memorial acrylic stands, keyrings, and other products are available for purchase.
This rather morbid exhibition is really a testament to the both gritty and sometimes bizarre nature of the Like a Dragon series. In a game series that has you cradle your dying best friend in your arms before sending you to trounce eight-year-olds at arcade games, that oscillates between straight-laced Yakuza film and slapstick comedy, the idea of a memorial shrine to dead characters, complete with merch, feels oddly appropriate.
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It’s also shocking when we look at this to remember just how many characters have died. We’re big Yakuza/Like a Dragon fans here, having slogged our way from Kiwami to 6, then back to Yakuza 0, before moving on to Like a Dragon (but haven’t quite found time to play Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name just yet). But even so, it’s kind of crazy to remember just how many of Kazuma Kiryu friends, associates, and adversaries have met their end. Just shows crime is a dangerous business, and behind the comedy moments of these games, and the deliberate bouts of ludonarrative dissonance, there’s some intensity and weight to the game.
As mentioned the Like a Dragon: Fallen Men exhibition will take place between Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, until Monday, Jan 15, 2024. It will reportedly be open each day the PARCO store is open, between 11:00 a.m - 21:00 p.m, local time. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. PARCO will have limited opening hours on Sunday, Dec. 31, Jan. 2, and Jan. 3. PARCO Ikebukuro is closed on Jan. 1, 2024. For more info, check the full release on Famitsu.com.
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