Better Buckle up: Goro Takemura - Friend or Foe?

Now, we’re in on the heavy parts of the main quest. We dove headfirst into one of Cyberpunk 2077’s most enigmatic and conflicted characters: Goro Takemura. And wow, did it spark one hell of a conversation.

This episode had us walking the razor-thin line Goro balances between blind corporate loyalty and a desperate search for truth. From the moment I met him—half-broken, post-landfill, clinging to honor and mission—I knew Goro would leave a mark. We talked about how his fall from Arasaka mirrors V’s fall from stability and how that shared disorientation builds a weird, tense bond between them.

The real meat of the episode was unpacking Takemura’s unwavering loyalty to Arasaka—even after everything. The man’s practically a ronin, a masterless samurai still fighting for a cause that already tossed him aside.

We break down how his code of honor grounds and blinds him, especially when he tries to plead his case to Sandayu Oda or believes Hanako Arasaka will somehow "do the right thing."

We delve into that infamous plan to reach Hanako during the parade—how every step from “Down the Street” to “Gimme Danger” unfolds like a corporate espionage fever dream. There’s something poetic about Goro clinging to his sense of order while the rest of the world and the player realize Arasaka isn’t about justice.

It’s about power. And yet… I still respect the guy. You’ll hear me grapple with that in real-time.

We also had fun comparing how we each approached the infiltration missions (spoiler: Liz is a stealth ninja; I go full tourist with loot and side routes).

But through it all, the theme remains: who do we trust in Night City, and why?

Before you go, you gotta watch this if you haven't seen Goro being misrecognized as Hideshi Hino.

"Better Buckle Up." Picture from Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red.

Laughter and jokes aside, this one hit deep, and I can’t wait for you to hear it. Buckle up because this is only part one of Takemura’s story.