Like A Dragon’s Kiryu Continues To Break An Odd JRPG Convention

Despite being one of the longest-running action RPG series from Japan, the Like A Dragon franchise avoids one of the iconic JRPG tropes with its hero Kazuma Kiryu. Typical JRPG protagonists are very young, often teenagers thrust into dangerous situations, where their heroic growth doubles as a coming-of-age story. Sega also publishes the Persona series, which takes place in the modern era, like the Yakuza/Like A Dragon games, but centers on high schoolers battling supernatural threats. Like A Dragon avoids science fiction and supernatural elements, but it is more noteworthy for its hero being a mature adult, as Kiryu is currently in his 50s in the game’s timeline.