Prime Video to Premiere Like a Dragon: Yakuza Live-Action Series in October

Amazon has announced that Like a Dragon: Yakuza will premier on Prime Video later this fall. Like a Dragon: Yakuza is an original Japanese series, based on the acclaimed Sega game franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is a six-episode series being made to distribute in more than 240 countries and global territories. It will also support subtitling and dubbing available in 30 languages.

The series is taking inspiration from Sega’s Yakuza crime series, which first began in 2005. The series will span two time periods, split between 1995 and 2005. Like a Dragon: Yakuza is said to showcase “modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense.” One of which is the fan-beloved lead of the games, Kazuma Kiryu. Japanese stage actor Ryoma Takeuchi will take on the role of Kiryu in Like a Dragon: Yakuza. The series follows “the life, childhood friends, and repercussions of the decisions of Kazuma Kiryu, a fearsome and peerless Yakuza warrior with a strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity.”

“I am truly honoured to be given the opportunity to play the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a beloved character in the game series,” Takeuchi said. “I strongly felt that I was willing to put my life on the line. 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.”

The series will be directed by Masaharu Take, who has worked on The Naked Director drama series. “I have poured out my heart, soul, and the experience that I have garnered over 35 years into Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” Take said. Production of the series is by The Fool. Executive producers include Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande and Joshua Long.

Masayoshi Yokoyama, Head of Sega’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Executive Producer on the project spoke about the series.

“Since the day I first put pen to paper on the original “Yakuza“’s script, I’ve never once thought about revisiting any of my work on the series,” Yokoyama says. “It’s because I understand all too well the challenges and hardships that come with remaking a finished title. 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 Kamurochō and Kazuma Kiryu I could —and this show has it all. There is no question that Prime Video’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza will become another landmark release for the Like a Dragon series.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza will begin streaming in two batches with the first landing on October 25th, comprised of three episodes. The final three episodes are part of a second wave, streaming on November 1st, 2024.