Though it is not the youth of Kazuma Kiryu, Nagoshi is already working on his next game, with a young man as the protagonist: Kurohyo - Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho (Black Panther: Ryu ga Gotoku - A New Chapter). It is the story, set in Kamurocho, of a boy called Tatsuya Ukyo who trusts only in strength. It is not a direct sequel in the Ryu ga Gotoku series, but retains its world.
The game is scheduled for release on the PlayStation Portable. It is a portable console with a higher approval rating by children than the PS3. Having made the entire Ryu ga Gotoku series so far for adults, this time he challenged himself to create something aimed at children. Its primary target audience is high school students. It also dares to try to tackle the theme of violence head-on.
Ryu ga Gotoku's theme was never violence, but persistently "human drama". Kiryu and his fellow protagonists are chivalrous men who do not swing their fists because they want to. However, Nagoshi chose a "young man who trusts only in strength" as the protagonist for his next game. By doing this, he thought he would be able to move a step closer to getting to grips with violence.
Lately, reports of sudden violence have been appearing often on the news. Heartbreaking events like young people wounding their family and friends with knives are on the rise. Nagoshi wonders if perhaps they had a clash of feelings before picking up the blade.
Not everyone is skilled enough with words to express how they feel. Sometimes, when there is a conflict of emotions, they get in fights. Nagoshi himself had a fight with a companion when he was in high school. This certainly doesn't mean that he condones violence, but he does believe that meeting with friends with whom he could fight was an asset. Normally, scuffles with family and friends don't end in big fights... This is why he wants young people to play the game.
The target consumers are high-schoolers. The protagonist is a young man who agrees with violence... This next game will probably cause more controversy than Ryu ga Gotoku. Nagoshi is prepared for it. Even if it ends with widespread criticism, there is a question Nagoshi wants to ask through this game: what exactly is violence?