The popularity of these figures on the side of the common people rose in times of drastic change, so it’s no surprise it spiked in Ishin’s setting. As an ally of the socially vulnerable and orphans he is exactly in line with the tradition of heroic icons in period dramas and yakuza movies.” “The character Kazuma Kiryu is a modern, yet classic, 'heroic yakuza' descendant. It’s clear to Mori that Kiryu Kazuma shares a common, selfless heritage with kyōkyaku heroes. As much the Angel of Kamurocho as he is Dragon of Dojima, he’s a gruff, sensitive but ultimately willing friend to those in need, never passing a moment without bailing out film directors, overthrowing cults and helping countless relationships to blossom - all while navigating the simmering yakuza clan tensions and the day-to-day drama of running an orphanage. Kiryu constantly meddles in strangers’ lives for the better in hundreds of colorful side quests the series has become fondly known for. Even though he is a samurai, he does not belong to any organization, he is a wandering character who travels alone a kind-hearted outlaw full of loyalty and humanity, with the creed of destroying the strong and helping the weak.” A Diary of Chuji's Travels. “The heroic samurai image is a classic in Japanese fiction. Naoto Mori, a film critic from Kanagawa Prefecture who wrote the Japan Film Festival’s introduction to Yakuza movies, spoke to IGN about the samurai origins of kyōkyaku. Kyōkyaku were popular heroes in the Jidaigeki period dramas set in the same Edo period as Ishin! These films, set in early-modern Japan, depicted the gambling criminals who preceded the yakuza as outcast samurai with strong moral codes, often based on real Edo criminals in films like A Diary of Chuji's Travels (1927) or Jirocho Sangokushi (1965). But while they definitely share similarities, Kiryu would have been better cast as a kyōkyaku. Ishin! plays out in a similar fashion, letting Kazuma Kiryu loose on a highly embellished retelling of Japanese history. The figure was adapted on screen numerous times and had become so mythologized, anyone could see themselves in him, according to actor Masaharu Fukuyama who played Sakamoto in 2010. Sakamoto Ryōma was a low-ranked but formidable samurai who played an important role in toppling the Tokugawa Shogunate before his assassination aged 31.
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