I have now completed two parts of Yakuza 4 and I am now playing as the third character.  
So far I have gone through Akiyama and Saejima's story. I wasn't expecting Saejima's story to be as good as Akiyama's but I was proven wrong. I suppose I judged Akiyama at the beginning and thought there couldn't be much to this bulky tough looking prisoner. This guy looks like he has more morals than the prison guards. He's morals, motives and reason for being in prison are what really makes this character for me.  
I look forward to hearing about the third characters side of the story. I still don't know he's name yet but I'll pick it up as I play more of it. 
So far, I'm really liking this game. Some of the gameplay mechanics are stuck in the past though. I wish this were fully voiced too. There are parts where its voiced but then it cuts to text. Why not go the extra mile and make it fully voiced as the voice acting in this is incredible. Also, it can get annoying when I am walking and I randomly get into a fight. I suppose it's the waiting to get into fight mode, then after beating them, waiting to get out of fight mode. I mean, why not make it streamlined? It just feels like old gameplay mechanics coming into play here. When he finds a locker key why do I have to watch him take hes time bending down to get the locker key. I suppose thinking about it, they are small issues but I feel even these small changes could make the game flow better.  
I suppose I am willing to take the negatives when such a great story is being told.  

I have now completed two parts of Yakuza 4 and I am now playing as the third character.  
So far I have gone through Akiyama and Saejima's story. I wasn't expecting Saejima's story to be as good as Akiyama's but I was proven wrong. I suppose I judged Akiyama at the beginning and thought there couldn't be much to this bulky tough looking prisoner. This guy looks like he has more morals than the prison guards. He's morals, motives and reason for being in prison are what really makes this character for me.  
I look forward to hearing about the third characters side of the story. I still don't know he's name yet but I'll pick it up as I play more of it. 
So far, I'm really liking this game. Some of the gameplay mechanics are stuck in the past though. I wish this were fully voiced too. There are parts where its voiced but then it cuts to text. Why not go the extra mile and make it fully voiced as the voice acting in this is incredible. Also, it can get annoying when I am walking and I randomly get into a fight. I suppose it's the waiting to get into fight mode, then after beating them, waiting to get out of fight mode. I mean, why not make it streamlined? It just feels like old gameplay mechanics coming into play here. When he finds a locker key why do I have to watch him take hes time bending down to get the locker key. I suppose thinking about it, they are small issues but I feel even these small changes could make the game flow better.  
I suppose I am willing to take the negatives when such a great story is being told.  

" Tanimura? I found his story to be interesting, but his fight mechanics, and the fights he gets, to be horribly annoying. Though Saejima was pretty bad too. Didn't like his gameplay at all. Akiyama is the greatest though, kick!   Though none of them compare to Kiryu, damn. That guy is beast.  I do wish the getting into encounters were faster as well, but oh well. It's the same engine as 3. Maybe the next game, which will probably use a totally new engine, will be better? "

" @Shirogane said:

" Tanimura? I found his story to be interesting, but his fight mechanics, and the fights he gets, to be horribly annoying. Though Saejima was pretty bad too. Didn't like his gameplay at all. Akiyama is the greatest though, kick!   Though none of them compare to Kiryu, damn. That guy is beast.  I do wish the getting into encounters were faster as well, but oh well. It's the same engine as 3. Maybe the next game, which will probably use a totally new engine, will be better? "

The next game is a third person shooter so there is not fight mode. "

" @kingzetta said:

" @Shirogane said:

" Tanimura? I found his story to be interesting, but his fight mechanics, and the fights he gets, to be horribly annoying. Though Saejima was pretty bad too. Didn't like his gameplay at all. Akiyama is the greatest though, kick!   Though none of them compare to Kiryu, damn. That guy is beast.  I do wish the getting into encounters were faster as well, but oh well. It's the same engine as 3. Maybe the next game, which will probably use a totally new engine, will be better? "

The next game is a third person shooter so there is not fight mode. "

Talk about jumping the shark.  "