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In addition to the main story, Like a Dragon: Ishin features many ways for the protagonist Ryoma to stray off the beaten path. It may lack the neon glow of Yakuza's nightlife, but the city of Kyo is beautiful in its own right and filled with activities, characters, and substories to interact with.
One of the biggest substories from Like a Dragon: Ishin is substory number 03, Who's Entertaining Who? For this quest, Ryoma has been asked to entertain a famous artist named Kanda for the day. The substory features questions that must be answered correctly and a fight against a group of thugs.
Before Starting The Who's Entertaining Who? Substory
Before starting Who's Entertaining Who? Ryoma must sing at the karaoke bar and dance at the dancing school. The Karaoke bar known as Utamaruya can be found in Fushimi near the large gate as indicated on the map.
Now, Ryoma must dance at the Nichibuza dance school by completing substory 01. There isn't much of a challenge involved with this substory -- just beat up a few bad guys in Like a Dragon: Ishin and dance in front of the dancing instructor, but this guide will cover that substory too.
Follow the map above, and Nichibuza can be located in the northeast area of Rakunai. When he arrives at the school, Ryoma must rescue a woman from some bandits attempting to rob her.
After dealing with the robbers, the lady, impressed with the samurai's grace and skill, invites him to dance at her school. This creates unlimited access to the school and the karaoke bar and opens up the Who Entertaining Who? substory.
Starting Who's Entertaining Who?
With all the requisites out of the way, Ryoma must locate Shikokuya Okami in Teramachi on the eastern side of Rakugai near the Shikokuya Inn.
Shikokuya will ask Ryoma to entertain Kando-Sensei, a renowned master of the arts. Only the samurai can do it because all the local artists are too intimidated by Kando's fame. After agreeing, the Innkeeper will tell Ryoma to meet Kando at the Watami in West Shijo Street.
Enter the bar on West Shijo Street, and it will trigger an interaction between Ryoma and the artist Kando. After a conversation, the artist will convince the reluctant samurai to entertain him at the karaoke bar.
Entertaining Kando-Sensei
After the conversation at the Watami, Ryoma and the artist will appear at the bar, and he'll force Ryoma to sing for him. Ryoma does not have to score a pass to continue with the substory, so players don't need to worry about their accuracy with the timed button presses.
Kando's First Question
Ryoma's performance (good or bad) will inspire Kando to create a piece of art and draw his interpretation of Ryoma's voice. Similarly to other substories in Like a Dragon: Ishin, Ryoma must select the correct answer. Keen to get Ryoma's opinion on the artwork, Kando asks what he thinks.
The answer Kando is looking for is always It was bold and virile. Pleased with Ryoma's reply, Kando demands to see Ryoma dance for him. The next scene will see Ryoma appear on stage, ready to dance, fan in hand.
Kando's Second Question
The dancing minigames are even trickier than the karaoke, but luckily, this substory's progress isn't dependent on how well the player does. It only affects Kando's feedback. It doesn't change the outcome or the questions in any way.
Once again, Kando is inspired by Ryoma's performance and gets to work on his next masterpiece. As it's another abstract interpretation of Ryoma, the artist wants to know what Ryoma feels about the piece.
The answer Kando is looking for is It's bold yet elegant. Pleased with the replies, the samurai and the artist decide to call it a day and go home.
To summarize, the answers to the Who's Entertaining Who? Substory is:
- It was bold and virile.
- It's bold yet elegant.
Dealing With The Kidnappers
After the two men have left the dance studio, they are surrounded by armed men. They reveal their intention to kidnap the famous artist and hold him for ransom. Despite informing them that he has no family to pay for a ransom, the men are determined. Unsurprisingly, Ryoma will step in and deal with the men.
The difficulty will depend on Ryoma's level, as they are stronger than most average thugs on the street. Use a combination of Like a Dragon: Ishin's faster fighting styles, such as the Wild Dancer and Swordsman, and maintain Ryoma's health with ointments and food.
After the battle, Kando will reveal that it's the anniversary of his son's death and thanks Ryoma for allowing him to enjoy the day. He rewards Ryoma with Sacred Wood and a minimum of 350 Virtue points in another meaningful side quest with good rewards and an entertaining story in Like a Dragon: Isin!
Like a Dragon: Ishin is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
