Upcoming Like a Dragon: Yakuza [Prime Video]

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Prime Video announced the casting of Kento Kaku as Akira Nishikiyama, aka Nishiki, during the Like a Dragon: Yakuza panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The panel for the action-packed TV adaptation of SEGA's iconic video game series started with the official teaser trailer giving fans a glimpse of the first ever footage from the show. Following the exclusive first look, series lead Ryoma Takeuchi took to the stage alongside his series co-star Kento Kaku as well as James Farrell, Head of International Originals at Amazon MGM Studios, and the show’s executive producer Erik Barmack. The four shared in the audiences’ enthusiasm for the series and spoke about their different roles in bringing the video game adaptation to life.

Adding to the excitement within the room, the panelists surprised fans with exclusive in-room only clips teasing the on-screen portrayal of Ryoma as Kazuma Kiryu and Kento as Nishikiyama Akira. The panel ended with a special video message from Masayoshi Yokoyama, the executive producer at RYU GA GOTOKU Studio in Japan, who shared his behind-the-scenes insights into the creation of the SEGA video game "Like a Dragon."

The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza will debut exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide beginning Thursday, October 24.

About Like a Dragon: Yakuza
Like a Dragon: Yakuza is a crime-suspense-action series as well as a live-action adaptation with an original story based on SEGA’s global hit game franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The story is set in Kamurochō and tells the story of the main character, Kazuma Kiryu and his growth through an original screenplay. The series is directed by the critically acclaimed Masaharu Take and features Ryoma Takeuchi as the lead character, Kazuma Kiryu. Spanning across 1995 and 2005, the series follows the lives of childhood friends, and the repercussions of the decisions of Kazuma Kiryu, a fearsome and peerless Yakuza warrior with a strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity.

 

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Prime Video revealed the trailer and key art for the upcoming Japanese Original series Like a Dragon: Yakuza, the action-packed TV adaptation of SEGA’s iconic video game series. The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories starting on Thursday, October 24, with the next three episodes available on Thursday, October 31.

In addition to previously announced series leads Ryoma Takeuchi (‘Kazuma Kiryu’), Kento Kaku (‘Akira Nishikiyama’), and Munetaka Aoki (‘Goro Majima’), newly revealed actors portraying key characters include:

• Yumi Kawai as Yumi Sawamura, a childhood friend who grew up alongside Kiryu and Nishiki.
• Toshiaki Karasawa as Shintaro Kazama, the former lieutenant of the Dojima Family who now runs the orphanage where Kiryu and his friends were raised.
• Koichi Sato as Masaru Sera, the chairman of the Tojo Clan.
• Misato Morita as Aiko, Yumi’s long-lost sister.
• Subaru Shibutani as Detective Date, the man who sends Kiryu back to Kamurocho to stop the impending yakuza war.
• Saki Takaoka as Reina, the owner of Club Serena where Yumi worked in 1995.
• Ryudo Uzaki as Goda, the chairman of the Omi Alliance.
• Shohei Uno as a key member of the Omi Alliance.
• Masaya Kato as Dojima, the head of the Dojima Family in 1995.
• Hinano Nakayama as Miho, Nishiki’s younger sister.
• Tomoya Maeno as The Florist of Sai, a former cop turned skilled informant.

Together, this star-studded cast will bring to life a gripping human drama about family bonds, all set against the backdrop of intense, no-holds-barred action.

About Like a Dragon: Yakuza
This Japanese action drama plunges into the dark underworld of the yakuza, exploring the universal theme of family not only through bloodline but also through ties between yakuza bosses and their underlings, orphans and their caretakers, as well as mentors and students. These relationships are marked by deep affection at times, and by intense conflict at others, all intricately intertwined. Set in the fictional town of Kamurocho, the story unfolds across two intersecting timelines—1995 and 2005.

In 1995, eager to escape their restrictive lives, Kiryu and his friends, Nishiki, Yumi, and Miho plan a heist at a local arcade. However, the arcade is under the control of the Dojima Family, a powerful yakuza organization that rules Kamurocho. They dive into the yakuza-controlled underworld of 1995 Kamurocho. Meanwhile, in 2005, Kiryu is set to be released from prison. He learns from Detective Date that his friends are in danger and decides to return to Kamurocho to protect them. However, their friendship has deteriorated, as tensions between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance are at a boiling point.