If you’re a Yakuza fan, you’re probably wondering what’s going on with the new game. Yakuza: The Last Stand is the sequel to Yakuza 5, and it’s set to come out on November 9th. The game has a big change in the voice actor, and it looks like it is going to be a YouTuber named Yong Yea.

Yakuza fans have been talking a lot about the new voice actor, and if it’s going to be a good choice or not.

An Uncertain Reception

Kazuma Kiryu’s English voice actor has been replaced by Yong Yea, who is well-known for his gaming-focused YouTube channel. According to The Gamer, Yea will be taking over from Darryl Kurylo, who was the original voice actor for Kiryu.

A Comparison between Darryl Kurylo and YongYea as English Kiryu, Who do you guys prefer?
byu/Mineplex-V inyakuzagames

However, some fans have had their doubts about how Yea will play Kiryu after watching a preview of the show at Anime Expo 2023’s Dragons of Japan panel. One Redditor said, “That monologue he gave was so painful.” Another said, “His voice sounds like he’s 20 years old, not the grown-up Kiryu he used to be.”

Yong Yea will star in ‘The Man Who Erased His Name’ as it connects the events of Yakuza 8 and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It’s due to launch on November 9, while Infinite Wealth has only a vague 2024 release window.

A Defense from the New Voice Actor

Yong Yea responded to the criticism on Twitter with a now-deleted post and gave fans a much better audio clip, even though it wasn’t a full recording. He said it was just a quick clip from his home studio and wasn’t a real representation of how the game worked or what the dialogue sounded like. Despite the fans’ worries, he told them to wait until they finished the game before deciding. A lot of fans said that they needed to see how well the voice actor did in the game before they could make a decision.

Fans seem quite unsettled with the new change

Fans express their unwavering loyalty to the original Japanese voice actor, emphasizing that the essence of Kiryu’s character lies in Takaya Kuroda’s portrayal. A Redditor wrote, “Neither. Takaya Kuroda is Kiryu.”

Another Reddit user adopted a cautious approach, deciding to reserve judgment until they have experienced the game firsthand, understanding the importance of context in assessing the new voice actors: “i’ll wait for gaiden to come out before i judge their voices for real.”

A different comment reflected a preference for Darryl Kurylo, the former English voice actor for Kiryu, suggesting a fondness for the previous portrayal of the character: “Gotta go with Kurylo, honestly”

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Many strongly advocated for the return of Darryl Kurylo, firmly believing that he is the ideal fit for Kiryu’s English voice and expressing disappointment over the casting decision: “Darryl 100% not even a contest they should’ve brought him back”

Yakuza fans can’t wait for Yakuza The Last Stand to come out, but the news that the Japanese voice actor for the game has been replaced with an English one has caused a lot of confusion and debate.

Some are still fans of the original Japanese actor, while others are ready to wait and see how the new voices will play into the game.

There are a lot of mixed feelings and heated arguments going around, so it’ll be interesting to see how the new voice actor, Yong Yea, will portray Kiryu when the game comes out on November 9.

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