TV series based on ‘Yakuza’ video game keeps Japanese culture at center
SAN DIEGO—Japanese actor Ryoma Takeuchi believes that video game fans will find a special connection to the new television series, “Like a Dragon: Yakuza.”
The series, based on the popular video game “Yakuza: Like a Dragon,” begins streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 24. It was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month.
The Sega video game and the show immerse people in a crime drama inspired by the Yakuza genre in Japanese film, which follows the Japanese mafia.
“I think deep down, what matters is the emotional core of the drama and that’s something that can definitely be related to and resonate with the core fans of the game,” said Takeuchi, who plays the main character Kazuma Kiryu, part of a secretive political organization.
“There’s going to be a connection with the original source material as well, so that’s something you can expect as a surprise,” he added.
World of crime
The series begins with a group of children in an orphanage who conspires to steal money from the local mob. When they are caught, the mob finds different roles for them as retribution for their crimes.
There is a decadeslong time jump that picks up with the orphans grown up, now former friends, and living deep within the world of crime.
The series, like the globally popular video game, is steeped in Japanese culture and the dialogue is all in Japanese.
“The global audience loves the game because it is distinctly Japanese and it takes place in a very specific location and the characters and the way that business transactions happen,” executive producer Erik Barmack told Reuters.
For James Farrell, head of international programming at Amazon Studios, it is important to note that audiences are now tuned in to foreign-language shows.
The goal, said Farrell, is to strike the perfect balance between what is “grounded and local,” but also “accessible and familiar.”
