Like a Dragon: Yakuza

Last updated

Like a Dragon: Yakuza
Like a Dragon- Yakuza.jpg
Release poster
Genre
Created by
  • Sean Crouch
  • Yugo Nakamura
Based on Yakuza / Like a Dragon
by Toshihiro Nagoshi
Starring
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Japan
Original languages
  • Japanese
  • English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Production locations Roppongi, Tokyo
Production companies
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
ReleaseOctober 24, 2024 (2024-10-24) 
present

Like a Dragon: Yakuza [a] is a Japanese-language American crime action television series produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Wild Sheep Content, and 1212 Entertainment. It is a live-action adaptation of Sega's Like a Dragon video game series, and the first since the 2007 film Like a Dragon . It follows Kazuma Kiryu (Ryoma Takeuchi), a former yakuza who after years in prison, returns to the underworld during a vast conspiracy involving his best friend Akira Nishikiyama (Kento Kaku) and their former Dojima family. [1]

Contents

The series borrows the characters and setting of the original 2005 Yakuza game as well as its 2016 remake Yakuza Kiwami , [2] but the story is a loose adaptation and follows an original plot, though some major plot-points are retained.

The project was initially announced as a film before being retrofitted into a television series instead. [3] It premiered on Amazon Prime Video with the first three episodes on October 24, 2024, and with the remaining three on November 1, 2024. [4]

The series received mixed reviews, praising the series for the performances, especially from Ryoma Takeuchi and Kento Kaku, but criticized it for its inconsistent pacing, unrefined editing and the lack of fidelity towards the source material.

Cast

Episodes

Season 1

No.TitleOriginal release date
1"Departure/Return"October 23, 2024 (2024-10-23)
2"Ambition/Desire"October 23, 2024 (2024-10-23)
3"Brothers/Sisters"October 23, 2024 (2024-10-23)
4"Betrayal/Promise"October 30, 2024 (2024-10-30)
5"Despair/Hope"October 30, 2024 (2024-10-30)
6"Fate/Showdown"October 30, 2024 (2024-10-30)

Notes

  1. Known in Japan as Ryū ga Gotoku: Beyond the Game (Japanese: 龍が如く~Beyond the Game~; lit. "Like a Dragon: Beyond the Game")

References

  1. Jackson, Kourtnee (July 26, 2024). "Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV Series Teases First Look at Comic-Con 2024". CNET .
  2. "Yakuza". Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  3. Dave McNary (September 24, 2020). "Sega Developing Live-Action Adaptation Based on 'Yakuza' Video Game With 1212, Wild Sheep (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  4. "Prime Video to Premiere Like a Dragon: Yakuza, an Amazon Original Crime-Action Series Adapted from th e Popular Japanese Game Franchise; Streaming Worldwide from October 24" (Press release). Amazon Studios. June 3, 2024.
  5. Hernon, Matthew (June 4, 2024). "Ryoma Takeuchi to Play Kazuma Kiryu in 'Like a Dragon: Yakuza'". Tokyo Weekender .
  6. https://x.com/AleksLeVO/status/1849626606991704410
  7. Frater, Patrick (July 29, 2024). "Kaku Kento Joins Takeuchi Ryoma to Unveil 'Like a Dragon: Yakuza' Trailer at Comic-Con". Variety . Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  8. Garside, Megan (September 20, 2024). "Amazon confirms Majima casting in Like a Dragon: Yakuza – and it's an actor brought in from the games". gamesradar. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 30, 2024). "Live-Action Like a Dragon: Yakuza Series' Trailer Unveils More Cast" . Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "ドラマ「龍が如く ~Beyond the Game~」河合優実さん,佐藤浩市さんら新たなキャスト情報や本予告映像,場面写真を一挙公開". 4Gamer.net . October 2, 2024.
  12. https://x.com/KaijiTang/status/1849522454974300340