Ryoma Takeuchi, best known for his role as Shinnosuke Tomari in Kamen Rider Drive, is gearing up to portray Kiryu Kazuma in a six-episode live-action adaptation of Like a Dragon: Yakuza. In a new chat with IGN Japan, the actor expressed his excitement about the role, while also revealing the challenges that come from playing a character with such a storied past.
“I was surprised to be offered this role. I knew about the game series and had played the first game at my uncle’s home,” Takeuchi said. “It’s a real challenge to play a character from an existing work, and I considered very carefully whether I was suited to portray Kiryu, and whether it was right for me. From the beginning, I knew I would have to give it everything I have, or I’d never pull it off.”
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.
“I have great respect for the feelings of the fans, but when I play a character, I have to express them in my own way, so I can’t pay attention to the preconceptions of others,” Takeuchi continued. “I researched the games for myself, to identify Kiryu’s qualities and embody them in my own way.
Of course, I hope the fans will be happy with my portrayal – but I can say with confidence that I’ve done my best to play Kiryu. There’s no point in trying to surpass the original game; rather I wanted to show respect to the games while making something new as an artist.”
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.
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