The Haruka story line in Yakuza 5 might be the saddest story of child abuse in a game ever.

First she gets dragged away by this woman who promises her to make her an idol. That in itself is pretty sad but what makes it even worse is that the woman demands that Kazuma steps down as caretaker of the orphanage he set up because of his former Yakuza ties. Kazuma agrees with this and leaves the care of the orphanage in the hands of 'professionals' who are hired by the talent agency that will train Haruka.

So loaded with that guilt she's off to the big city were she lives in a tiny appartement by herself (at age 16 :-s). She doesnt get to go to school and has to follow a strikt schedule of all kinds off events (including hand shaking events were she has to chat with pushy fans). She gets paid peanuts for her work

When the boss from the agency dies (in a staged suicide) she doesn't get any rest but is forced to continue to follow her schedule because she is convinced by other people that it is her duty to make sure the boss lady's dream of her getting to play a grand gig in Tokyo comes true. Sprinkle this with the occasional sexual harassment she gets to endure by random creeps and maybe you'll understand why I felt utterly sorry for her character.

She's complicit in all of this.

It`s a great story about the exhausting life of a child idol.

I think she does go to school though. I seem to remember some of her school friends showing up in one of the side quests. Also Yakuza 5 is great.

Yeah, they have never explained that being a pop idol is her dream.

It's mostly her boss lady is making her dream come true through Haruka.

@giant_gamer: Haruka certainly has a desire to become an idol. But the whole Idol business seems shady as hell. Kazuma really comes over as an ignoramus in all of this IMO.

@bdead: True, but it didn't feel as if she has a reason to risk her life for it. Her friend, the street dancer was more suitable for being a pop idol than Haruka is.

Actually, Kazuma is the guy that i really felt for in this game. He left because he was (as the boss lady told him) afraid that he is holding the children back from chasing their dreams and doing what they really want in their lives. This is why he had to go, to give Haruka a space to breathe.