Shido Nakamura II

Shido Nakamura II (二代目 中村 獅童, Nidaime Nakamura Shidō), born Mikihiro Ogawa (小川 幹弘, Ogawa Mikihiro) on in Tokyo, Japan, is a kabuki and film actor. He is represented by Shido Nakamura Office, which is partnered with Avex Management. He portrayed Yoshitaka Mine in Yakuza 3, Hijikata Toshizo in Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!/Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and both characters in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online.
== Involvement ==
=== Yakuza 3: 2008-2009 ===
Nakamura was cast as Mine by Masayoshi Yokoyama, Yakuza 3's writer and voice director, who saw promise in Nakamura based on what he had heard from his voice acting industry contacts. Although Yokoyama was not certain, he believed Nakamura was capable of capturing the voice and performance he had envisioned for Mine. Nakamura's 2006 role in Death Note as Ryuk played a factor in the decision to cast him.
During his recording sessions with Yokoyama, the two remained so focused on their work they rarely had a chance to talk. There was an "aura of tension around [the] booth" when Nakamura was in it, according to Yokoyama. He a recounted a particular story where, while recording Yakuza 3's climax, Nakamura responded to Yokoyama's detailed instructions with a curt "Okay," maintaining Mine's voice and intensity. His response gave Yokoyama the impression Nakamura was angry with him until Nakamura nervously asked for a lozenge in a "soft," "quiet" tone, a sudden change in character causing Yokoyama to later jokingly refer to Nakamura as a "tsundere."
On SEGA announced of Nakamura's participation in Yakuza 3, accompanied by a comment from Nakamura. In it, he stated his belief the appeal of the Like a Dragon series was its "masculinity factor" and praised its ability to depict "a magnetism unique to men." He also praised the script, admitting he often found himself wondering what would happen next while reading it. Although his character had not yet been revealed at the time, he said had done his best to "evoke an air of cool" with his performance, and expressed hopes the audience would enjoy the game as much he did.
For work-related reasons, neither Nakamura nor Satoshi Tokushige (Daigo Dojima) were able to attend Yakuza 3's completion ceremony held on , but video messages from them were screened at the event. In Nakamura's video, he offered his thoughts on Mine, saying he was "clever," "cool," and a "hugely worthwhile" character to portray due to his personal relationships. Regarding the game's storyline, he stated it "scaled up on Like a Dragon's signature style" and once again emphasized the game's "masculine glamor."
Nakamura's performance left a profound impression on Yokoyama, who credited Nakamura with teaching him that "acting doesn't necessarily have to restrict itself to what's 'natural' or 'realistic.' " His seriousness toward his craft was something Yokoyama spoke highly of, attributing it to his experience as a professional in the performing arts.. He later stated Mine and Nakamura "became one" in his mind, but on the contrary, Nakamura proved to be "very approachable," "nothing like Mine" on the occasions he and Yokoyama met after production concluded.
Nakamura himself was grateful for the opportunity to have voiced Mine and greatly enjoyed him as a character, which he expressed on multiple occasions. As a kabuki and film actor, the novelty of voice acting appealed to him, and he appreciated the support Mine had garnered from female fans since his roles were typically more popular with men. His performance was very well-received overall, and he has since stated he continued to be praised for it years after the fact.
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!: 2013-2014 ===
Nakamura was invited back to portray Mine's historical counterpart, Hijikata Toshizo, by series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, who had been hoping for another opportunity to cast Nakamura in a Like a Dragon entry in response to Mine's immense popularity. He was initially incredulous at the idea of a historical drama set in the Like a Dragon universe, but was "ecstatic" to take on the role, curious as to whether Like a Dragon's "masculine charm" would win over the younger generation and those unfamiliar with the Shinsengumi. 
His appearance in Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! was officially announced by SEGA on , and on , a special interview between Nakamura and Yokoyama was released on Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's official YouTube channel. In the first part of the interview, he expanded on the progression of his thoughts from when he first received the role onward. He said Mine had been "a character with incredible poise," and that he believed he had been able to "capture the same mood" in his performance as Hijikata.
He was then asked by Yokoyama whether he had gotten any feedback on his Yakuza 3 appearance from those who know him personally, and answered that he had "had such an amazing response to this day, [he had] to conclude [Mine] was a truly extraordinary character." He went on to say the role "[affirmed] for [him] that [he would] like to be the sort of actor with the range to take on a wide variety of roles, from cool to comedic." He noted he enjoyed the way voice acting differed from physical acting, and went on to say he "very much [looked] forward to seeing how [his] voice [was] brought to life in the world of the game."
A joking exchange followed in which Yokoyama, despite Nakamura's aspirations, admitted he "can't think of [Nakamura] without thinking of Mine"; when he saw Nakamura in other roles, he thought to himself, "That's not the Shido-san I know." Nakamura took the comments in good humor, acknowledging "fans of Mine [did] tend to feel that way," and that they seemingly "[didn't] seem to be quite as interested in [his] less serious roles."
As the conversation progressed, Yokoyama mentioned Mine's popularity with female fans, to which Nakamura responded by saying he was thrilled that was the case. Since he was often cast in male-centric roles that "only ever really gain popularity with men," such as his various military roles and his 2002 role in as Dragon, it was "rare to see so much support from women" for him.
Elaborating further on his role in Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!, Nakamura drew comparisons between Hijikata and Mine. According to him, they are both "reserved," "sharp-witted," "strong" men, which he had tried to "bring to the forefront in [his] performance." He anticipated it would "make for an entertaining experience to watch and compare the two," and expressed hopes the audience would enjoy his take on Hijikata, which was something "Mine [served] as the core of."
In response to Yokoyama's final question, whether there were any other members of the Shinsengumi he would like to portray, Nakamura admitted he "never thought [he would] be particularly interested in playing Hijikata." However, he said the experience had "expanded [his] imagination" on "aspects of [Hijikata] that [he] hadn't given consideration," and he confessed he "thought [he'd] like to play him again." He briefly mentioned he "wouldn't object to Kondo Isami," but he ultimately "set his heart on Hijikata, in the end." 
The interview concluded with Nakamura giving the audience a brief overview of the game,, describing his character as "Mine [...] in the form of the Deputy Chief from hell, Hijikata Toshizo." He promised the audience a "magnificent drama [...] whose appeal is distinct from its contemporary counterparts," which was "sure to meet the expectations of fans of the Like a Dragon series." He echoed the same sentiments in a video message screened at Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin's completion ceremony held on (which he was again unable to attend), asking fans to "look forward to a passionate manly drama filled with highlight after highlight."
== Credits ==
== References ==