There is one game that we are particularly looking forward to in 2024. It is Rise of the Ronin, an action adventure game developed by the studio Team Ninja, which promises to immerse us in the heart of 19th century Japan. We follow a samurai without a master (a ronin). The only problem is that it seems that the game is a little too inspired by reality, so much so that it will not be sold in Korea.
For several days, rumors claimed that the game was gradually being withdrawn Korean retail sites, which suggested that Rise of the Ronin would not be released in the country. Sony has therefore spoken out to confirm the news, stating that the game will not be available in either its physical or digital version. However, the company has not explained the official reasons that led it to take this decision. Internet users and Korean consumers have their own ideas.
Historically delicate
Rise of the Ronin takes place in 1863, just at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, a period described as particularly oppressive for Japanese citizens. The main character thus evolves in an environment marked by change, even revolution. According to the comments of game director Fumuhiko Yasuda, who spoke in a behind-the-scenes video of the development, his ideology is inspired by the famous Yoshida Shōin:
“Although it is a different world at a different time, I think he can be compared to Socrates. I wanted to depict his teachings and his life from the moment he I started working on Rise of the Ronin. He wasn’t just a philosopher. He stressed the importance of action.”
Far from being a fighter, Yoshida Shōin was an intellectual whose educational work contributed greatly to the Meiji Restoration following the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Yoshida’s thoughts are said to have influenced a debate in 1873 over Japan’s potential invasion of Korea. Although he was already Since his death, he is held partly responsible for the anti-Korean policy of Imperial Japan that followed the shogunate. The invasion of the country finally took place between 1910 and 1945, and tensions between the two nations have been palpable ever since. There is even talk of “anti-Japanese sentiment” in Korea.
It is therefore understandable that Sony does not want to reopen wounds that are still gaping. These political and cultural conflicts are rather recent on a human scale and it is always complicated to deal with historically realistic subjects. Yoshida Shōin remains a controversial figure, which is why the reactions were so divisive when Fumuhiko Yasuda explained the studio's choice to base the game's story on this philosopher. In the rest of the world, Rise of the Ronin is expected on March 22 on PS5.
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