SEGA’s Japanese crimes games are headed to Amazon Prime as a show, with the Yakuza series consisting of six episodes.
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The Like a Dragon: Yakuza Show
This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them!
Amazon MGM Studios has announced that a Yakuza series is in development and will arrive on Amazon Prime Video later this year on October 25 and is called ‘Like a Dragon: Yakuza.’ The press release on the Amazon MGM Studios website says that this will be a “live-action adaptation with an original story based on SEGA’s global hit franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon.” The series will consist of six episodes.
The leading man is Ryoma Takeuchi, who will play the honorable Yakuza series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in the show and said that he was “truly honored” to play Kiryu in the show. “Audiences will enjoy the show’s human drama and conflict that unfolds around Kazuma Kiryu. Moreover, please take a look at Kiryu’s intense fighting scenes with the Dragon tattoo on his back,” Takeuchi said.
The series will be directed by Kengo Takimoto and Masaharu Take, the latter of whom said people should look forward to Takeuchi playing Kiryu. “The unbridled passion, talent, and countless hours of effort from the entire team have helped bring this spectacular story to life in the form of a riveting series that will be launched this year, the year of the dragon,” said Take.
James Farell, the head of International Originals at Amazon MGM, said that they were “thrilled and extremely excited” to announce Like a Dragon: Yakuza. He also said that the show will “strike a chord with audiences all over the world” thanks to Yakuza’s complex characters and the “deep resonance” the series has.
Masayoshi Yokohama, an executive producer on the series and the head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (the developer of the Yakuza games) said that the show will be “another landmark release for the Like a Dragon series,” will have “the most engaging versions of Kamurochō and Kazuma Kiryu,” and will be the “ultimately objective way to enjoy the show.” Yokohama also added “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.”
This isn’t the only Amazon Prime show based on a video game. A live-action Tomb Raider show has also been announced and there’s also the Fallout show that debuted earlier this year and is getting a second season. It’s safe to say that Amazon MGM saw just how successful the radioactive wasteland adaptation performed and said “Hey, why not?” when deciding whether to develop more video game adaptations.
What is Yakuza?
SEGA’s Japanese crime games are exactly what you think they are: games about Japanese gangsters kicking ass and the life that comes with being involved with them. The series follows Kazuma Kiryu, a member of the Tojo yakuza clan who’s got a code of honor that he adheres to. Kiryu’s been the main character of the Yakuza series up until Yakuza: Like A Dragon, where he got swapped out with Ichiban Kasuga, the new main character for the series going forward.
The games are separated into two types: beat ‘em up and role-playing. The former category are Kiryu’s adventures where multiple fighting styles are used to beat up the unfortunate souls that cross his path. The latter category are the two games (so far) that Ichiban stars in, which involve turn-based combat, equipping party members with weapons and armor, swapping members out between combat encounters, etc.
There’s also Judgement and Like a Dragon: Ishin, which are similar but different to the mainline Yakuza games. Judgement is about a detective hunting a serial killer and features investigation mechanics, while Ishin is set in the 19th century and follows protagonist Sakamoto Ryoma as he hunts for the person that murdered his father.
