Ryoma Takeuchi, best known for his role as Shinnosuke Tomari in Kamen Rider Drive, will portray Kiryu Kazuma in a six-episode live-action adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza. The series will air on Amazon Prime Video, with the first three episodes airing on October 25 and the final three on November 1.
The series promises to be faithful to the game series as Masayoshi Yokoyama, the studio head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, is serving as executive producer.
“Since the day I first put pen to paper on the original Yakuza script, I’ve never once thought about revisiting any of my work on the series. It’s because I understand all too well the challenges and hardships that come with remaking a finished title,” Yokoyama said in a statement.
“However, if I were ever sent to the past through some kind of cosmic joke, this is the experience I’d want to create. If I had to go through the wringer anyhow, I’d want to make the most engaging versions of Kamurocho and Kiryu Kazuma I could —and this show has it all.
While the games let you experience their world through the subjective lens, this adaptation will be the ultimately 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. Newcomers, I’m sure, will find themselves invested simply in the gritty realism of the show,” Yokoyama concluded.
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.
