Prime Video's Like A Dragon: Yakuza | All You Need To Know About The Franchise

AT THE END of July, Prime Video dropped its first teaser for Like a Dragon: Yakuza, the live action show based on SEGA’s long-running series of action-adventure, brawler, role-playing game series, Yakuza/Like a Dragon. And here it is in all its glory:

For those not in the know, the nearly-20-year-old video game franchise revolves around the life and times of Kazuma Kiryu — a fictional character who has risen up the ranks of the Yakuza and then retired for a life of peace and quiet. But trouble and his past links to the world of organised crime are never too far away. Over the years, the series has produced 23 games and reportedly sold approximately 21 million copies. In news that should keep series loyalists happy, at least one of the episodes of the show is being written by Nagoshi Toshihiro — longtime writer and wearer of many hats for the video game series. And Yokoyama Masayoshi, writer (including scripts) and producer for a majority of the games is on board as executive producer.

There isn’t a great deal to go on from the teaser alone, but there are a handful of clues therein and in the promotional materials that indicate what the story of the Prime Video show is likely to be. And so without further ado, here’s a cheat sheet to bring you up to speed before the show premieres on October 24.

WHAT?

As the name suggests, the games — and by association, the show — are about the seedy underbelly of Japanese culture, its organised crime groups and families. With the exception of the two most recent full-length outings, the games follow a very simple formula: Story (through cutscenes and dialogue), exploration, minigames and lots of combat. Let’s go through these in reverse order.

From its earliest title, it was clear that the combat of Yakuza games was inspired by brawlers and fighting games (like the Virtua Fighter series). Accordingly, you find yourself mashing buttons to pull off attack combos, with the odd block or dodge thrown in for good measure. It would be no stretch to state that this is how at least 40 per cent of the game is spent. Then there are the minigames — little distractions like bowling, darts, pool, mahjong and versions of arcade video games to play.

Characters and points of interest are scattered all over the relatively small but densely-packed maps in these games, and it’s quite entertaining to roam around examining the various goings-on. Finally, there’s the story — think of an ultraviolent and melodramatic soap opera packed with heartstring-tugging emotional beats and conspiracies “that go all the way to the top”. The drama can, at times, not so much lean towards being corny as lunge wholeheartedly into the world of pure fromage. It’s still entertaining, mind you. And for me anyway, the story arcs, character development, interpersonal (and inter-organisational) relationships and subplots have always been the standout of this series.

WHERE? 

While other locations across Japanese cities (and even Hawaii) are explored over the course of the video games, Like a Dragon: Yakuza is likely to focus on one in particular: Kamurocho. A fictionalised version of Tokyo’s real-life entertainment (mostly of an adult nature) district Kabukicho, this is the beating heart of the entire franchise. And I’d even go as far as to call it a key character in the series.

Bathed in a garish medley of neon lights, restaurants, bars, gambling dens, host and hostess bars, arcades and all sorts of other entertainment houses are scattered across the avenues and alleys that criss-cross and form the bustling district of Kamurocho. Of course, it’d probably be quite intimidating if you were to explore this part of Tokyo as a civilian, but in the game, you’re always more than well-enough equipped to deal with the ruffians who seek to shake you down, rough you up or worse. Quite likely, this will carry over to the show as well — give it’s set to be from the perspectives of the fairly formidable gentlemen discussed below.

WHO?

The back tattoo showcased in the trailer belongs to series protagonist Kiryu and represents a rising dragon clutching a pearl that, according to an authority on the matter, symbolises “strength, wisdom, preservation and balance in Japanese culture”. He (played by Ryoma Takeuchi) and his sworn brother and childhood friend Nishikiyama Akira (Kento Kaku) will form the focal point of what will presumably be the first season of the show.

The pair of them are members of the Dojima Family, which is in turn part of the powerful Tojo Clan — a fictional Tokyo-based yakuza organisation. Of the duo, Kiryu is the more stoic and focussed, while Nishiki is more charismatic and ambitious. Their early years of riding together see them cracking skulls, getting into capers, drinking copious amounts of booze and singing their hearts out at karaoke bars.

Their relationship that at various points takes on the character of a buddy cop drama, a coming-of-age story and several other such tropes, comes to a head when a shocking incident throws Kiryu, Nishiki and the yakuza at large into turmoil. To go into too many details about the duo would be to take away your ability to discover them yourself. Suffice to say that if you’ve played the games, you know what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat.

WHY?

I suppose this is the most pertinent question of the lot. Why should you care? After all, TV/film adaptations of books, graphic novels and increasingly games too are a dime a dozen these days. What makes this particular adaptation worth your time? After all, didn’t you get your fill of the yakuza with Tokyo Vice? The short answer is: Because this is going to be much better than all of those.

The slightly longer answer is a bit of a multi-parter. First, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise has built, over the years, a massive mythology packed with interesting characters, defining moments, tragic events and plenty of lore to tie it all together. Storytelling, character development and political intrigue are some of the strongest suits of this franchise and an episodic TV show is a potentially great way to showcase all these chops.

Second, for those unwilling to (or unable to) put themselves through, at the very least, a week’s worth of combat and action sequences in order to experience the story of these games, this is a great way to experience it. Third and as briefly touched upon above, the series is being written and produced by people that were and remain closely involved in the making of the games. This should hopefully ensure a bit of faithfulness to the source material.

I should point out that this isn’t the franchise’s first foray into the world of adaptations. In 2007, an attempt was made at adapting the debut game to the cinematic medium in the form of the Like a Dragon film. While it may have had its heart in the right place, it was campy and unintentionally comedic fare. And if it’s comedy you’re after, there was even a stage play (Part 1 and Part 2) that was rather more intentionally funny.

WHEN AND HOW?

This is probably the easiest of the lot to answer. The show premieres on Prime Video on October 24. And if you’ve got the appetite for a bit of action and exploration, Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami (the two games on which the show will most likely be based) are available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. Be sure to give them a whirl!