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Nani?! The "Like a Dragon" games are being filmed as a TV series

4.6.2024

Translation: machine translated

Amazon Prime is filming the open-world fighting game series "Like a Dragon" as a TV series. It starts in October.

In a complete surprise, Amazon Prime announces a TV adaptation of the popular Japanese game series "Like a Dragon" (formerly "Yakuza"). In September 2020, it was first reported that the publisher of the games, Sega, was interested in a live-action film adaptation of the games. Since then, the project has gone quiet.

The newly announced Amazon series is called "Like a Dragon: Yakuza". The release date is a big surprise: the series will start on 25 October with three episodes on the streaming service. The remaining three episodes will follow a week later, on 1 November. Following the successful film adaptation of the post-apocalyptic role-playing game "Fallout", this is now the second video game adaptation for Amazon this year.

The lead role of the legendary yakuza Kazuma Kiryu is played by Ryoma Takeuchi, who is best known in Japan for the TV series "Kamen Raidâ". The director is Masaharu Take, known for the Netflix series "The Naked Director". The executive producers are Erik Barmack ("Dark"), Joshua Long and Roberto Grande ("Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark") are involved.

With this image, Amazon announces the series.
Source: Amazon Prime / Amazon MGM Studios

What is the series about?

In the old "Yakuza" games, the ex-Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu takes centre stage. He was once a loyal soldier of the Tojo clan, one of the largest yakuza organisations in Japan. In the course of the games, he tries to find a way out of a life of crime. Time and again, the legendary fighter is drawn back into Japan's underworld by conspiracies. This not only affects him, but also the people closest to him.

The series will build on the story of the first game, but will take many liberties with the storytelling. The story will mainly take place in Kamurocho. This fictional district of Tokyo is known from the games and is inspired by the real-life entertainment district of Kabukicho.

The plot is said to be split into two time periods - 1995 and 2005. At a press conference in Tokyo, director Take reveals that in the nineties storyline we will see a young Kazuma who "makes a lot of mistakes that lead to him spending a decade in prison". After the ex-yakuza is released in 2005, he has to face the consequences of his past actions.

Main actor Tekeuchi confirms that there are "fierce fight scenes" in the series. The actor had to train a lot to be able to slip into the role of the muscleman Kazuma. It is a great honour for him to be given the chance to embody such an iconic character.

Director Take also seems to have put his heart and soul into the film: "I have poured my heart, soul and the experience I have gained over 35 years into 'Like a Dragon: Yakuza'". The heads of the game's development studio, Ryu Ga Gotoku, are also convinced by the project. Masayoshi Yokoyama, Executive Producer of the game series, said: "This TV series has everything. I'm sure it will be another milestone in the history of 'Like a Dragon'. Fans will love the way the series brings the games to life and offers many surprises. Newcomers will simply be drawn to the gritty realism of the series. I would love to experience this version of the story for the first time with viewers around the world."

The Amazon series is not the first live-action adaptation of the games

The "Yakuza" games have already been filmed twice in the past - in very trashy, low-budget versions. Shortly after the release of the first "Yakuza" game on the PS2, the short film "Like a Dragon: Prologue" was released in 2006. It was released as a direct-to-video DVD exclusively in Japan. You can watch the whole film on YouTube:

About a year later, "Like a Dragon" followed - this time as a full-length feature film. You can watch the whole film here:

I don't know the games - can I still watch the series?

The plot of the series starts at the beginning of the game series. No previous knowledge is required to immerse yourself in the crazy underground world of Japan on 25 October. If you still want to get an idea of the games beforehand, you can get an overview in this article: