Live-action Like a Dragon: Yakuza series announced and its release is imminent

A live-action Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV series has been announced for Amazon Prime Video, and its release date is much sooner than you may expect.

Like a Dragon’s live-action series on Prime will be a six-part crime-action show directed by Take Masaharu and Takimoto Kengo. As well as this, Ryoma Takeuchi will be playing the protagonist Kiryu Kazuma. 

The six-parter will air in batches of three, with the first half airing on October 25, 2024 and the second on November 1,2024, with subtitled and dubbed versions included.

“While the games let you experience their world through the subjective lens, this adaptation will be the ultimately objective way to enjoy the show,” said Yokoyama Masayoshi, head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio creators of Like a Dragon, in a press release.

“I have no doubt that fans of the series will be drawn to how it brings the games to life and adds new surprises.” 

“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,” Takeuchi added.

This will not be the first time Like a Dragon has had a live-action adaptation. In 2007, Like a Dragon: The Movie was released in Japanese theaters which adapted the story of the first game to the big screen. 

It’s unknown if the Prime series will be adapting an existing story from the games or if it will have its own original story, as further details of the series’ plot have yet to be revealed. 

However, based on director Take’s summary of the series to IGN, where in 1995 Kiryu “makes a lot of mistakes” and spends a decade in prison, it’s mostly likely based on the first Like a Dragon: Yakuza game. 

The Yakuza franchise has become a staple in Sega’s lineup, with the latest installment in the series in 2024, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, coming out to positive reviews.