Majima Everywhere

2017Exploitable / fan art / reaction imagesemi-active

Also known as: Sewer Majima · Kiryu-chan

Majima Everywhere is a 2017 meme born from Yakuza Kiwami's Goro Majima ambush system, characterized by his "Kiryu-chan!" catchphrase and unpredictable disguises, spawning fan art and exploitable reaction edits.

Majima Everywhere is a meme born from the gameplay system of the same name in *Yakuza Kiwami* (2016/2017), where supporting character Goro Majima ambushes protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in absurd and unpredictable ways. The meme took off after the game's Western release in August 2017, with fans creating fan art, exploitable edits, and jokes built around Majima's signature "Kiryu-chan!" greeting and his habit of popping out of sewers, trash cans, and disguises.

TL;DR

Majima Everywhere** is a meme born from the gameplay system of the same name in *Yakuza Kiwami* (2016/2017), where supporting character Goro Majima ambushes protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in absurd and unpredictable ways.

Overview

In *Yakuza Kiwami*, the "Majima Everywhere" system has Goro Majima, a fan-favorite unhinged yakuza captain, constantly stalking and challenging Kiryu to fights across the game world. He climbs out of manholes, hides in giant traffic cones, disguises himself as a hostess or a zombie, and generally shows up where you least expect him. Every encounter starts with his manic shout of "Kiryu-chan!" The system exists for a gameplay reason: fighting Majima is the only way to level up Kiryu's Dragon of Dojima fighting style, his most powerful combat form1. But the sheer absurdity of his ambush methods is what made it stick as a meme.

The most common meme formats include the "Sewer Majima" exploitable (a transparent cutout of Majima emerging from a manhole, edited into random images) and fan art depicting Majima hiding in increasingly ridiculous locations3.

*Yakuza Kiwami*, a ground-up remake of the original 2005 *Yakuza*, launched in Japan on January 21, 2016 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 42. The worldwide PlayStation 4 release followed on August 29, 20172. The game introduced the Majima Everywhere system as a replacement for the Mr. Shakedown encounters from prequel *Yakuza 0*2. Majima appears randomly during exploration, in scripted challenge scenarios tied to player progression, and even mid-minigame while Kiryu plays darts or bowling2.

On June 13, 2017, a trailer at E3 2017 showcased the Majima Everywhere system to Western audiences for the first time3. The trailer highlighted Majima's various disguises and ambush tactics, generating immediate buzz among fans.

Before August 26, 2017, an unknown creator made the first known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF referencing the Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack format. Twitter user @Pyro_Jackkun reposted this GIF on August 26, 2017, days before the game's Western launch3.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter / Tumblr (viral spread from *Yakuza Kiwami* gameplay)
Key People
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, kefka-palazzo
Date
2017
Year
2017

*Yakuza Kiwami*, a ground-up remake of the original 2005 *Yakuza*, launched in Japan on January 21, 2016 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The worldwide PlayStation 4 release followed on August 29, 2017. The game introduced the Majima Everywhere system as a replacement for the Mr. Shakedown encounters from prequel *Yakuza 0*. Majima appears randomly during exploration, in scripted challenge scenarios tied to player progression, and even mid-minigame while Kiryu plays darts or bowling.

On June 13, 2017, a trailer at E3 2017 showcased the Majima Everywhere system to Western audiences for the first time. The trailer highlighted Majima's various disguises and ambush tactics, generating immediate buzz among fans.

Before August 26, 2017, an unknown creator made the first known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF referencing the Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack format. Twitter user @Pyro_Jackkun reposted this GIF on August 26, 2017, days before the game's Western launch.

How It Spread

The meme picked up speed immediately after *Yakuza Kiwami* hit Western markets. On September 2, 2017, Tumblr user kefka-palazzo posted a transparent PNG cutout of Majima climbing out of a sewer grate. This image became the go-to exploitable template, with users editing "Sewer Majima" into photos, screenshots, and other memes as if he were lurking everywhere in real life.

By September 17, 2017, the original meme GIF had spread to Imgur. On September 29, 2017, YouTube user LunarRoses uploaded a video edit of the meme that picked up over 194,000 views within four years.

Starting in early 2018, dedicated fan art and format remixes began circulating across Tumblr, Reddit, and Twitter. On January 19, 2018, Tumblr user majimemegoro posted a parody using the "It's More Likely Than You Think" format that earned nearly 4,000 likes and reblogs over three years. The meme settled into a steady rhythm in the *Yakuza* fan community, with Sewer Majima edits and "Kiryu-chan!" references surfacing whenever the series got attention.

The game itself later expanded to PC via Steam on February 19, 2019, Xbox One on April 21, 2020, and Nintendo Switch on October 24, 2024, giving new waves of players their first encounter with Majima's antics and refreshing the meme's relevance with each port.

How to Use This Meme

The Majima Everywhere meme typically works in two ways:

Sewer Majima edits: Take the transparent PNG of Majima emerging from a manhole and paste it into any image. The joke is that Majima could be hiding anywhere. Works best in photos of real-world locations, other video game screenshots, or scenes from movies and TV shows.

"Kiryu-chan!" format: Reference Majima's catchphrase in situations where something or someone appears unexpectedly. The setup is any situation where you encounter something persistent and unavoidable, and the punchline is Majima (or a Majima-like figure) being responsible.

Fan art often depicts Majima in elaborate disguises specific to whatever crossover the artist has in mind, staying true to the game's bit where he dresses as everything from a police officer to a zombie.

Cultural Impact

The Majima Everywhere system earned praise from game critics for its comedy, even when reviews were mixed on other aspects of *Yakuza Kiwami*. The mechanic worked on two levels: it was a legitimate gameplay loop that incentivized engaging with Majima to power up the Dragon style, and it was inherently funny in a way that translated perfectly to meme culture.

The in-game lore justification is surprisingly earnest. Majima's constant ambushes aren't random harassment. He took it upon himself to retrain Kiryu after Kiryu spent ten years in prison and lost his fighting edge. The mix of genuine character motivation with completely unhinged delivery (hiding under a traffic cone, pretending to be a zombie) is what gave the meme its legs.

Fun Facts

Majima will interrupt Kiryu during minigames like darts and bowling, not just during street exploration.

The Dragon of Dojima style can *only* be leveled up by fighting Majima, making his stalking a core progression mechanic rather than a side distraction.

Goro Majima is voiced by Hidenari Ugaki across the *Yakuza* series.

The game was ported to six different platforms between 2016 and 2025, introducing new audiences to Majima's antics with each release.

Derivatives & Variations

Sewer Majima exploitable

— the most widely circulated format, originated from kefka-palazzo's Tumblr post in September 2017[3]

"It's More Likely Than You Think" edits

— Majima-themed parodies of the classic pest control ad format, popularized by majimemegoro on Tumblr in January 2018[3]

Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack crossover

— the earliest known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF blending the Majima mechanic with a *Fist of the North Star* meme format[3]

Frequently Asked Questions

Majima Everywhere

2017Exploitable / fan art / reaction imagesemi-active

Also known as: Sewer Majima · Kiryu-chan

Majima Everywhere is a 2017 meme born from Yakuza Kiwami's Goro Majima ambush system, characterized by his "Kiryu-chan!" catchphrase and unpredictable disguises, spawning fan art and exploitable reaction edits.

Majima Everywhere is a meme born from the gameplay system of the same name in *Yakuza Kiwami* (2016/2017), where supporting character Goro Majima ambushes protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in absurd and unpredictable ways. The meme took off after the game's Western release in August 2017, with fans creating fan art, exploitable edits, and jokes built around Majima's signature "Kiryu-chan!" greeting and his habit of popping out of sewers, trash cans, and disguises.

TL;DR

Majima Everywhere** is a meme born from the gameplay system of the same name in *Yakuza Kiwami* (2016/2017), where supporting character Goro Majima ambushes protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in absurd and unpredictable ways.

Overview

In *Yakuza Kiwami*, the "Majima Everywhere" system has Goro Majima, a fan-favorite unhinged yakuza captain, constantly stalking and challenging Kiryu to fights across the game world. He climbs out of manholes, hides in giant traffic cones, disguises himself as a hostess or a zombie, and generally shows up where you least expect him. Every encounter starts with his manic shout of "Kiryu-chan!" The system exists for a gameplay reason: fighting Majima is the only way to level up Kiryu's Dragon of Dojima fighting style, his most powerful combat form. But the sheer absurdity of his ambush methods is what made it stick as a meme.

The most common meme formats include the "Sewer Majima" exploitable (a transparent cutout of Majima emerging from a manhole, edited into random images) and fan art depicting Majima hiding in increasingly ridiculous locations.

*Yakuza Kiwami*, a ground-up remake of the original 2005 *Yakuza*, launched in Japan on January 21, 2016 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The worldwide PlayStation 4 release followed on August 29, 2017. The game introduced the Majima Everywhere system as a replacement for the Mr. Shakedown encounters from prequel *Yakuza 0*. Majima appears randomly during exploration, in scripted challenge scenarios tied to player progression, and even mid-minigame while Kiryu plays darts or bowling.

On June 13, 2017, a trailer at E3 2017 showcased the Majima Everywhere system to Western audiences for the first time. The trailer highlighted Majima's various disguises and ambush tactics, generating immediate buzz among fans.

Before August 26, 2017, an unknown creator made the first known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF referencing the Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack format. Twitter user @Pyro_Jackkun reposted this GIF on August 26, 2017, days before the game's Western launch.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter / Tumblr (viral spread from *Yakuza Kiwami* gameplay)
Key People
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, kefka-palazzo
Date
2017
Year
2017

*Yakuza Kiwami*, a ground-up remake of the original 2005 *Yakuza*, launched in Japan on January 21, 2016 for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The worldwide PlayStation 4 release followed on August 29, 2017. The game introduced the Majima Everywhere system as a replacement for the Mr. Shakedown encounters from prequel *Yakuza 0*. Majima appears randomly during exploration, in scripted challenge scenarios tied to player progression, and even mid-minigame while Kiryu plays darts or bowling.

On June 13, 2017, a trailer at E3 2017 showcased the Majima Everywhere system to Western audiences for the first time. The trailer highlighted Majima's various disguises and ambush tactics, generating immediate buzz among fans.

Before August 26, 2017, an unknown creator made the first known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF referencing the Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack format. Twitter user @Pyro_Jackkun reposted this GIF on August 26, 2017, days before the game's Western launch.

How It Spread

The meme picked up speed immediately after *Yakuza Kiwami* hit Western markets. On September 2, 2017, Tumblr user kefka-palazzo posted a transparent PNG cutout of Majima climbing out of a sewer grate. This image became the go-to exploitable template, with users editing "Sewer Majima" into photos, screenshots, and other memes as if he were lurking everywhere in real life.

By September 17, 2017, the original meme GIF had spread to Imgur. On September 29, 2017, YouTube user LunarRoses uploaded a video edit of the meme that picked up over 194,000 views within four years.

Starting in early 2018, dedicated fan art and format remixes began circulating across Tumblr, Reddit, and Twitter. On January 19, 2018, Tumblr user majimemegoro posted a parody using the "It's More Likely Than You Think" format that earned nearly 4,000 likes and reblogs over three years. The meme settled into a steady rhythm in the *Yakuza* fan community, with Sewer Majima edits and "Kiryu-chan!" references surfacing whenever the series got attention.

The game itself later expanded to PC via Steam on February 19, 2019, Xbox One on April 21, 2020, and Nintendo Switch on October 24, 2024, giving new waves of players their first encounter with Majima's antics and refreshing the meme's relevance with each port.

How to Use This Meme

The Majima Everywhere meme typically works in two ways:

Sewer Majima edits: Take the transparent PNG of Majima emerging from a manhole and paste it into any image. The joke is that Majima could be hiding anywhere. Works best in photos of real-world locations, other video game screenshots, or scenes from movies and TV shows.

"Kiryu-chan!" format: Reference Majima's catchphrase in situations where something or someone appears unexpectedly. The setup is any situation where you encounter something persistent and unavoidable, and the punchline is Majima (or a Majima-like figure) being responsible.

Fan art often depicts Majima in elaborate disguises specific to whatever crossover the artist has in mind, staying true to the game's bit where he dresses as everything from a police officer to a zombie.

Cultural Impact

The Majima Everywhere system earned praise from game critics for its comedy, even when reviews were mixed on other aspects of *Yakuza Kiwami*. The mechanic worked on two levels: it was a legitimate gameplay loop that incentivized engaging with Majima to power up the Dragon style, and it was inherently funny in a way that translated perfectly to meme culture.

The in-game lore justification is surprisingly earnest. Majima's constant ambushes aren't random harassment. He took it upon himself to retrain Kiryu after Kiryu spent ten years in prison and lost his fighting edge. The mix of genuine character motivation with completely unhinged delivery (hiding under a traffic cone, pretending to be a zombie) is what gave the meme its legs.

Fun Facts

Majima will interrupt Kiryu during minigames like darts and bowling, not just during street exploration.

The Dragon of Dojima style can *only* be leveled up by fighting Majima, making his stalking a core progression mechanic rather than a side distraction.

Goro Majima is voiced by Hidenari Ugaki across the *Yakuza* series.

The game was ported to six different platforms between 2016 and 2025, introducing new audiences to Majima's antics with each release.

Derivatives & Variations

Sewer Majima exploitable

— the most widely circulated format, originated from kefka-palazzo's Tumblr post in September 2017[3]

"It's More Likely Than You Think" edits

— Majima-themed parodies of the classic pest control ad format, popularized by majimemegoro on Tumblr in January 2018[3]

Kenshiro Hiding in a Haystack crossover

— the earliest known Majima Everywhere meme, a GIF blending the Majima mechanic with a *Fist of the North Star* meme format[3]

Frequently Asked Questions