Ever saw that video of a guy slamming his fist on a desk then leaving? How about that huge Baka Mitai song that took the world by storm at one point? If so, then you’ve just gotten a taste of the insanity that is Sega’s Like a Dragon game series. This RPG series has been one of gaming’s wildest franchises with its soap-operatic, serialized structure back-seating off so many side quests. When Prime Video’s live-action version of Like a Dragon: Yakuza was announced, some were wondering if it’d take a different approach. While it does feel much more serious, there’s still a bit of a delirious insanity to keep it entertaining.
Prime Video’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza adapts the story of the original 2005 game while inserting its own original pieces. It centers around the return of former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu (Ryoma Takeuchi), who’s involved in a conspiracy with his best friend Akira Nishikiyama (Kento Kaku). As the two discover more and more, their mission will take them deep into their troubled pasts and even more troubling future. With the most dangerous criminal families hunting them, both Kazuma and Akira must solve this mystery before it’s too late.
If you’re expecting Like a Dragon: Yakuza to be a straightforward adaptation, then you’d be somewhat wrong. There’s much more prevalence on exploring the backstories of not just Kazuma and Akira, but also Yumi Sawamura (Yuumi Kawai) and Haruka. As such, the show takes its time in fleshing out these deep relationships, which is a really great thing. It takes a much more methodological approach in building the early dynamics between all four. In fact, this connected expansion helps emphasize the deep ties shared in the present.
All these ties really help develop that personal dynamic between Kazuma and Akira. Though their arcs play out similarly to the games, there’s more focus on their brotherhood. Kazuma and Akira’s personalities in these scenes really showcase how different they’ve become in the present. Kazuma obviously still cares for Akira, who’s looked down upon by the rest of the Tojo clan. However, Takeuchi’s performance in these episodes transitions Kazuma in a way that’s not fully egotistic, but close to it. On the other hand, Kaku’s performance really cuts deep as Akira gets more invested into the clan’s activities.
By focusing on the interpersonal dynamics, Like a Dragon: Yakuza also feels much more serialized than the games its based off. Rather than pulling many side stories in, the show closely connects these arcs to its larger narrative. Obviously, the spotlight’s still on Kazuma’s story, but each character’s personal arc has enough depth to be compelling. Whether it be escaping an over-religious past to confronting corporate watchdogs, Sean Crouch and Yugo Nakamura’s original elements work to a dime.
Yet, there’s also bits of that off-handed comedy in Like a Dragon: Yakuza that the games have. They’re not necessarily all visual gags that make references, but it’s that dark humor that keeps you hooked. This comes in the form of the ruthless Goro Majima (Munetaka Aoki), whose Joker-like mannerisms make him easily iconic. In the later episodes, Goro’s “hunger” for a fight is played somewhat hilariously, yet Aoki keeps him terrifying enough to make him a good antagonist. The rest of the jokes throughout the series are, of course, death-and-murder-related since it is a crime drama at its core.
Of course, Like a Dragon: Yakuza wouldn’t be a Like a Dragon property if it wasn’t for its intense action. Some scenes truly have that gruesomeness and brutality some might look for, especially later on. The choreography of these sequences is what’d you expect: wild martial arts, brawling, and sword fights all around. Kazuma’s abilities in the beginning episodes alone just go to show how ferocious the fight scenes can get as he takes down a group of henchmen. However, some scenes might also play it safe as the show wants to ensure that grounded-ness despite the series’ crazy side. If you’re expecting a lot of visual effects popping off like the games, I’d say don’t expect many.
Overall, Prime Video’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza is a fun, if straightforward, adaptation filled with the classic gruesomeness you want. Despite the series only being six episodes, Crouch and Nakamura have shown the series’ live-action potential in the face of others. Unlike the Halo and Cowboy Bebop live-action series, Like a Dragon: Yakuza could hopefully spawn a few more seasons that focus on other games in this series in the future.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza begins streaming on Prime Video on October 25.
