Sega and Prime Video finally gave fans a glimpse of the upcoming Yakuza live-action adaptation. Read on to learn more about the show and what Director of RGG Studio Masayoshi Yokoyama had to say about the project.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza to Premiere on October 24A Fresh Take on Kazuma Kiryu
Sega and Amazon gave Yakuza fans their first look at the game's live-action adaptation, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, at San Diego Comic-Con on July 26.
The teaser showed Japanese actor Ryoma Takeuchi as the iconic Kazuma Kiryu and Kento Kaku as the series’ primary antagonist, Akira Nishikiyama. Director of RGG Studio Masayoshi Yokoyama noted that Takeuchi, known for his role in the show ‘Kamen Rider Drive’, and Kaku brought fresh interpretations to their characters.
"To tell you the truth, their portrayal of the characters are totally different from the original story," the director said in a Sega interview at SDCC. "But that’s what’s great about it." Yokoyama expressed that while the game had perfected Kiryu, he appreciated that the show offered a new take on both characters.
The teaser only offered brief glimpses of the show, but fans were given a preview of the iconic Coliseum in Underground Purgatory and Kiryu’s confrontation with Futoshi Shimano.
According to the teaser’s description, the live-action adaptation promises to "depict the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō, a fictional district modeled after the violent Shinjuku ward’s Kabukichō."
Loosely inspired by the first game, the series chronicles the lives of Kazuma Kiryu and his childhood friends, showing fans a part of Kiryu "that games in the past have not been able to explore."
Sega’s Interview with Masayoshi Yokoyama
Despite initial fan concerns about how the show’s gritty atmosphere might not give justice to the game’s goofy moments, Masayoshi Yokoyama assured fans that the upcoming Prime Video series will capture "aspects of the original’s essence."
In an interview with Sega at SDCC, Yokoyama explained that his biggest fear for the live-action adaptation is that it "would just be an imitation. Rather, I wanted people to experience Like a Dragon as if it was their first encounter with it."
"To be honest, it was so good to the level I was jealous," Yokoyama continued. "We created the setting 20 years ago, but they were able to make it their own… Yet they didn’t neglect the original story."
After watching the show, he noted that "If you’re new to the game, it’s a new world. If you know it, you’ll be grinning the whole time." He even teased that there will be a major surprise at the end of the first episode that made him scream and jump on his feet.
Not much is shown in the teaser, but fans will not have to wait for long, as Like a Dragon: Yakuza is set to premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on October 24 of this year, with the first three episodes dropping simultaneously. The remaining three episodes will be released on November 1.
