That's right, it's June 17th.  Kazuma Kiryu's birthday.  A gaming icon.
Man is 56 years old, old as hell.  He needs a break, and he's kinda getting it with Ichiban taking the center stage.

Now he's not my personal favor Yakuzer, that place belongs to Shinada for the best protagonist.  But there's no mistaking that Kiryu is one of the greatest protagonists in gaming as a whole.  A stoic and serious brawler who will fight for his loved ones and ideals to the point of risking death on several occasions, a  misguided child turned depressed man being constantly dragged back into an endless cycle of violence and heartache, a grown adult playing arcade games and singing karaoke with his entire heart and soul.  He is all of those things and so much more.

Happy birthday you beautiful bastard.