We didn’t even know it existed and it turns out it’s already ready. Amazon Prime Video just announced ‘Like a Dragon: Yakuza‘, a live action series based on the games of the same name that will arrive on the platform next October 25, 2024. It will consist of 6 episodes and will star Takeuchi Ryoma as Kiryu Kazuma.
The story will be set in two periods, 1995 and 2005which will allow us to know Kazuma’s childhood, the friends he made there and the repercussions of the decisions he made then, which made him “a fearsome and incomparable Yakuza warrior with a strong sense of justice, duty and humanity.” The first three episodes will be released on October 25, but the next three November 1stalthough we do not know if the break is related to this time skip.
The first synopsis promises to show “the most modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, some still unexplored in games”. The director of the live action, Take Masaharu, has expressed his excitement at the opportunity: “I have poured out my heart, my soul and the experience I have accumulated over 35 years on ‘Like a Dragon: Yakuza,'” said director Take.
The series has the approval of the game creators, Ryugagotoku Studio, whose director has commented on the announcement: “Since the day I first wrote the original script for ‘Yakuza’, I never thought about revisiting any of my work for the series. Because I understand the challenges very well and the difficulties that come with remaking a finished title. However, if I were ever sent back in time via some kind of cosmic joke, this is the experience I would like to create. If I had to put it through the wringer anyway, I’d like to make the most attractive versions of Kamurochō and Kazuma Kiryu that I could, yethis program has it all”.
“While games allow you to experience their world through a subjective lens, This adaptation will ultimately be the objective way to enjoy the show. I have no doubt that fans of the series will be drawn to how it brings the games to life and adds new surprises. I’m sure newcomers will be attracted simply by the raw realism of the show”.
While waiting for a trailer, there is no better way to wait for it than by enjoying the games (here is the complete order of the saga). This same year we have had a delivery so good that it aspires to GOTY, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
