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Like a Dragon: Yakuza aims to be Prime Video's next big live-action video game adaptation. The Japanese crime thriller takes its inspiration from Sega's insanely popular game franchise, which was itself inspired by the yakuza movie genre of the '80s and '90s. It will stream in over 240 countries and territories.
Like Fallout and The Last of Us before it, Like a Dragon: Yakuza continues this new era of bringing successful video game IPs to the small screen. But it's not the first time the title has spawned an adaptation.
Iconic Japanese genre director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) helmed Like a Dragon, an action film inspired by the first game in the series, which hit theaters in 2007. Prime Video's six-episode TV series hails from directors Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto, with writing credits to Sean Crouch, Yugo Nakamura and Toshihiro Nagoshi.
The stars of Like a Dragon: Yakuza sat down with CNET at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 to discuss the new show and explain how Prime Video's series will differ from Sega's while upholding the spirit of the beloved games. Read on to find out all the details about Prime Video's upcoming action drama.
Read more: Prime Video's New Look: What's New for Your Streaming Experience
Like A Dragon: Yakuza release date and time on Prime Video
Like a Dragon: Yakuza will drop a total of six total episodes on Prime Video. The first batch of three is set to premiere on Thursday, Oct. 24, with the second batch of three head-butting its way to the streamer on Thursday, Oct. 31.
In Japan, each batch will premiere a day later -- that's Friday, Oct. 25, and Friday, Nov. 1.
Prime Video's official synopsis reads: "The series depicts the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō, a fictional district modeled after the violent Shinjuku ward's Kabukichō, that acts as the backdrop of the gameplay."
The show will center on the conflict between Yakuza warrior Kazuma Kiryu and his childhood friend turned foe, Akira Nishikiyama -- aka Nishiki. "That's what probably brought out the essence of creating a new version," said Kento Kaku, who plays Nishiki in the series. "We were able to dig deeper into the emotion aspects probably more so than in the game."
Who stars in Like a Dragon: Yakuza?
Ryoma Takeuchi (Kamen Rider Drive) plays Kazuma Kiryu. House of Ninjas star Kentu Kako plays crime boss Akira Nishikiyama.
Kaku was drawn to Nishiki because of the character's emotional depth and evolution in the series. "He has just about every emotion that one human being can have." Nishiki goes from "very emotional and instinctive" to "very cold and dry, but with a silent rage," he said.
Takeuchi acknowledged Kazuma's compassion as the personality trait that most appealed to him. "Kiryu is very hard on the outside but very soft on the inside," he said. "That sort of thoughtfulness and the emotional element of craving human connection is the part that resonates with me most."
As embedded as the Yakuza warrior is in the criminal underworld, Takeuchi's Kazuma is guided by a solid set of morals. He wants to help people -- instead of hurting them.
"I think he is a guy who wants to stand up for people," Takeuchi said. "Trying to be a hero is one of his goals in life. I wouldn't have been part of the project if that sort of core essence wasn't in this property. And I think this drama embodies that."
Like a Dragon: Yakuza takes place in two time periods
The program will take place in two time periods: 1995 and 2005. A lot can change in a decade, and to represent that properly, Takeuchi said director Masaharu Take assigned a specific color pallet for both years.
"I think even the characters are represented in warmer and hotter colors in 1995 versus how they are in 2005, which is more cold and blue," Takeuchi said. I think the contrast is really important. Take-san has always been saying that you just don't want to look cool or stylish in the 1995 scenes because that's gonna happen in 2005."
How will Like a Dragon: Yakuza differ from the video games?
Instead of pulling details from the many installments of Sega's video game franchise, the Prime Video series charts a unique narrative path. Kaku explained that Take directed the actors to find their characters organically through creative exploration.
"The main focus was to dive deep into the core relationship [between Kiryu and Nishiki] and use their ultimate objectives as a feeling, and that's what probably brought out the essence of creating a new version," Kaku said. "We were able to dig deeper into their emotional aspects, probably more so than in the emotional depth of the games."
"It starts with respect and knowing the property in and out to letting it go at some point when you actually start shooting," Takeuchi added. "Because you have to embody your own character in your own way. Once you embody the character -- the spiritual elements of the characters -- you just start to resemble the source material. That might be the most surprising element of the show."