Art and Culture # 114: Youtuber, Yong Yea, is a Horrible Singer
As a gamer, I have never played the Yakuza series, as there are many games to play, and so little time to play. And no matter, people love the Yakuza series. But when a youtuber, Yong Yea, a commentator on games, and is probably more known than me, when I hear someone like him getting a major voice gig, I’m usually just noncommittal. I usually just don’t care long enough, as if “good job” is more of an insult these days. It is true that Yong Yea is cast as Yuki, as proven on his IMDB page.[1] He has appeared in over 45 video games as a voice over actor, including God of War Ragnarok (2022), Fallout New Vegas: Brave New World (2020), Dark Deity (2021), Demon Slayer (2023), as the former are all video games, and one is a series.[2] As Yong Yea, youtuber, is indeed an actor.
. (Note: This is the only time I have heard this song in its rough format, and somehow, the edited version of “Judgement” if you search it up, doesn’t include this version seen in Itsagundam’s video.)
(Note: This is the final version which omits the original version found in It’sagundam’s video.)
As a surfaced song “Judgement” appears on youtube or twitter, leading him to block everyone on Twitter for criticism regarding his singing abilities, as Yong Yea is the voice actor behind Yuki, is so terrible that it makes me question whether or not a series, is worthy enough of my unforeseen dollar, beggars one question remaining. As John Irving once described talent: “If you can’t sing, don’t do it.”
The video itself is so scathing resulting in more twitter mobs questioning the creators hiring Yong Yea proves whether someone didn’t test his singing abilities first makes me realize that his hiring is more because of his Asian heritage than his singing abilities. Yakuza, for any new comers to the series, uses music, or karaoke jams, as a way to help players identify with the characters plight or emotional status.
With the famous “Baka Mitai,” being the bar for so many memes, or vocals in video game singing, the question is, and it hasn’t been proven, whether or not Yong Yea is responsible for the song, he’s not exactly denying the song was his fault or not. The debate is as John Irving said, “If you can’t sing, don’t do it.”
Should someone on the Yakuza development team be fired for this? Should Yong Yea never be invited back to the Yakuza series ever again?
This is when art matters. When you’re a voice over actor that’s a make or break deal. Yong Yea, in his own right, doesn’t have to play Yuri ever again, but the singing itself is atrocious, the art of voice over is when you must hit every note. If E.Y. Harburg, the famous song writer for Wizard of Oz (1939), once said, “Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought,”[3] Yong Yea didn’t seem to grasp this. I don’t really like this song, and while I don’t really care about Yakuza, the question remains, a song must be sung beautifully. And if Yong Yea failed, it’s up to the developers whether or not to bring him back.
But for argument’s sake, this definitely proves Yong Yea might have been overstretching his vocal abilities.
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[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24057014/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520man%2520who%2520erased%2520his%2520name. Found 11.12.2023.
[2] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10173973/?ref_=tt_cl_t_11. Found 11.12.2023.
[3] https://www.starlingarts.com/blog/our-favourite-singing-quotes. Found 11.12.2023.
-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 21 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline Part 2: Chaos, The Data Chase, The Disintegrating Bloodline part 3: Solvè, The Disintegrating Bloodline (and the original text re-released in 2019), Apocalypse Soldier, The Data Chase, Selection: The First Book of the Life and Death Saga, and Blinking Eyes: The Second Book of the Life and Death Saga, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep, The City of Sand, The God of Curiosity, To the Moon and Back, The Villain Lives and The Villain Lives: The Divided Pinpoint, Come Home, Young One, City of Sand: Book 1: The Holy Terror, and The Voices Are Alive, and The City of Sand: Book 2: Jerusalem Ignited. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Phoenix. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouisBr88881650. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. His two newest books, The City of Sand: Book 2: Jerusalem Ignited, and The Savior, the Flood, and the Beast: Three Plays are out now: https://www.amazon.com/City-Sand-Book-Jerusalem-Ignited/dp/1365979660/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1G8HAWZP73ZFO&keywords=Louis+Bruno+City+of+Sand+book+2&qid=1675772880&sprefix=louis+bruno+city+of+sand+book+2%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1. https://www.amazon.com/Savior-Flood-Beast-Three-Plays/dp/1088120997/ref=pd_ybh_a_sccl_4/140-0249150-4265358?pd_rd_w=W5fsa&content-id=amzn1.sym.67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_p=67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_r=2E73RTDRBVPZEY5D77V2&pd_rd_wg=69KGI&pd_rd_r=59d8721c-bf89-4fa7-bd88-7a072004a89f&pd_rd_i=1088120997&psc=1.