This October, Like a Dragon: Yakuza will bring Kiryu Kazuma to life. During San Diego Comic-Con, Masayoshi Yokoyama, the director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, gave his thoughts on the first episode, and it sounds like fans should get ready for an emotional gut punch. We’re learning about the recent comments given thanks to a report from VGC.
“There’s a major surprise at the end of episode one,” he said. “When I saw the ending, I couldn’t help but scream. I jumped on my feet in my office, excited by the drama’s twist. My hands were trembling, as I took a smoke in our smoking room right after that. I was that affected. I thought it was amazing.”
Yokoyama stressed that the series will still be enjoyable for those who aren’t familiar with the game series.
“Aspects of the original’s essence are built in everywhere. The game fans who love the original story will understand. The spirit is there. They’ll see surprises almost every 30 seconds.
“If you’re new to the game, it’s a new world. If you know it, you’ll be grinning the whole time,” he said.
The Yakuza game series began in 2005 with Yakuza for the PlayStation 2. The most recent game in the franchise, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, was released in January 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
“This project brought forth a new Kazuma Kiryu. At the same time, his rival Akisa Nishikiyama was newly created by Kento Kaku. Their acting is a must-see for sure,” Yokoyama concluded.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza will air on Amazon Prime Video, with the first three episodes airing on October 25 and the final three on November 1.