Perhaps Yaeka could give her babysitter singing lessons one day too, so she can help Toru express himself with confidence the same way she does. Such was the case when Toru visited Yaeka's school on the parent visit day, and in future episodes, this common ground should help Toru and Yaeka grow even closer. Yaeka is also shy and timid by nature, so if her babysitter feels the same way, they can connect on a deeper level. In fact, his shyness works to his advantage, as his natural timid personality makes him a great choice to babysit Yaeka, regardless of his criminal antics, and he can build a meaningful rapport with Yaeka this way too. However, Toru doesn't have to feel bad about this. Perhaps he's even ashamed to be naturally shy. It might even be a persona he built for himself to make up for his true nature. Toru is a gentle soul after all, and perhaps his thuggish yakuza lifestyle is just a way for him to feel confident about himself. This expands upon Toru's gap moe qualities, with him being a scary, energetic mobster on the outside and a wholesome, shy young man on the inside. He could never stand on a stage and sing for an audience, nor could he join a musical group and sing in a studio or take part in press conferences. After hearing Yaeka singing a little song to herself, Toru comments on Yaeka's nice singing voice, then admits that he is too shy to try singing himself.

This will make all the difference in the world.Įven if Toru's musical career was just a dream, it still says something about who he is, and he admits as much to Yaeka after he wakes up from his afternoon nap. Toru is, underneath all his bravado, a shy and timid person who withers in the spotlight. It even provides context for previous episodes, mostly in terms of Toru's babysitting job for Yaeka. Ultimately, this was all just a dream Toru was having, but even if that's a cheap cop-out ending, Episode 4's story still explores Toru's character in great detail, and this may have implications for future episodes. Despite his can-do attitude, he finds himself totally overwhelmed by this lifestyle, and he soon cries out in agony, wishing for it all to stop. Plenty of creative anime characters would love this sudden rise to fame as a musical sensation, but not Toru. The Xbox Games Showcase packed two dozen trailers into just an hour, and while there were hardly any release dates, there was, at least, a better look at. In Episode 4, Toru and two yakuza friends experience a meteoric rise to stardom as pop singers, forming a group called Team Cherry. For the most part, Episode 4 is all fun and games, but it does reveal something new about what makes Toru who he is - and it's all in the context of Toru becoming a live streamer turned musical sensation.

Best of all, Yakuza's filler episode helps flesh out the story's main characters a bit more, most of all Toru's. Episode 4 may be filler, but it has a cohesive story, much like Spy x Family's beloved filler episode, and that sets it apart from recap or voice actor commentary filler episodes.

Yakuza 4 recap