The friends we made along the Ishikawa way

I guess i can start by saying "hello, sorry for been inactive as hell and not really putting a use to this page at all, aside from just skulkin around and viewing others post about" but hey, there is a first time for anything and today, since i really didnt knew where or who to pour my feelings about this not so recent indie game gem ive just finished, here we are lol.

So, its been a while since i ever tried to make a blog, or rather, a consistant log entry since my days back when i used to use amino and run a music blog (doubt ill continue it here but we will see) but today i just wanted to talk about Ringo Ishikawa, a fictional character whos journey was as real to me as it could of been.

The friends of Ringo Ishikawa is an indie open world /beat em up/life sim game, in the vains of River City Ransom mixed with exitencialistic tones and day to day style of life sim gameplay somewhat like the Persona series but its more focused on the "You", the player, been task to take the role of Ringo and live his day to day life, given free and total control on how we can spend his life.

Plot wise, i wont talk about it much since i want more people to experience it but, think of a narrative of self descovery, Ringo, been a young japanise schooler, is a kid who really doesnt know what to do with his life, everything seems boring, nothing seems motivating and when you are someone who is fairly gifted at something, you tend to attract a lot of good, even great comments about you, your talents and the things you could achive in life... and sometimes, those same positive remarks can drive someone to just... quit.

Ringo is a kid who lives in a flat of a rural town, all by himself, no good grades, dropped out of the judo team and became the head hancho of his own gang at his school, a guy obssesed with been under the radar and underachiving since seeking glory, is a boring task on its own, all he really wants to do its just simply be around his peers, his friends, the people who matter the most to him.

I personally have some points that strike deep with me regarding the game, i too spended a chunk of my life wandering what to really do with my life, no real expectations, no real desires or dreams to achive, simply wanting to be happy and with good friends by my side, but nothing really lasts as it is, for the human race is everchanging, always on a constant cycle of evolution, either for the best or the worst, that mostly depends on how you see it, but never the less, Ringo's friends are no different, they have their own lives, personalities, desires and more importantly, flaws.

See, a character can be good, maybe even great at everything, but been flawless makes you boring, with flaws, a character can become relatable, interesting and even, if written correctly, memorable... Ringo is friends with characters like Misuro, a gambling adict whos need drives him constantly head first into problems, ofthen ending with little to no pocket change, Shiro, a guy who had to take over Ringo's mantle as the captain of the judo team, trying to convince his old cap to return one day, ofthen in vane, while also trying to find love, someone to settle with yet ultimatle, unable to, Goro, someone with loads of free time to spare, tould to find a hobby so ends up discovering his own passion for the arts with acting and stage play, all because he wanted to be with his sweetheart, and most importantly, Ken, probablly the most controversial character in the game, by been unrecruitable for almost the entire game, a guy centered in his life, trying to be a boxer and maybe even a pro at that, only to have his hand busted over a petty fight between rival schools, forcing him to quit and settle down, trying to cope with this fact he attempts to be mature about it yet, kinda isnt.

All of it because of Ringo, by been in asociation with him, this people have thier own lives struck by his actions in some way, a guy who they respect and follow, playing in the notions of how Banchos and Japanise school delinquents tend to, altho been criminals in some way, have a big sence of brotherhood and cherish their own, "your problems are our problems" and all that.

 I really dont want to spoil much about the game, if not at all, but what i can say about it from what i played and how it ended is that, dispite what we do, dispite whatever happens and what is and isnt in our control... things change, people change, life changes, but, its never the end of it all, whatever happens, it should be the end of things or ones life, its just what it is.