Summary
TheYakuzaTV show coming to Amazon Prime Video this year may not have all the storytelling elements the series is known for.Yakuzais known for its serious crime drama story coupled with outrageous sidequests known as substories sprinkled in for comedic relief. Some of these quests involve fighting men in diapers, ridiculous scams, or racing toy cars in a sensational fashion.
Amazon recently released its first trailer for theirlive-action adaptation ofYakuza. The teaser included shots of the fictional Tokyo district, Kamurocho, and various key characters from the series. Ryoma Takeuchi plays Kiryu, the main protagonist of the majority of theYakuza/Like a Dragongames. Amazon’s teaser trailer showed off his famous dragon tattoo being applied to his back in between snippets of scenes.
In a recent interview with TheGamer, Ryoma Takeuchi was asked if we would see Kiryu partake in some of the wild activities included in substories from theYakuzagames. “We don’t have that much in this iteration,” replied Takeuchi, “I think we’re digging into the human emotions and the emotional elements of the characters in this iteration.”
Executive Producer Erik Barmack Explains Why Substories Will Not Be Included In The Show
Erik Barmack, the executive producer behind Amazon Prime’s adaptation, further elaborated on the question, “It’s a balance that has to be found between the world that is so quirky and these characters, which need to feel real to everybody who is watching the series.” TheYakuzaseries has plenty of quirkiness, such as thebaby substory fromYakuza Kiwami 2, which may feel out of place when compared to the serious nature of the main story. Although not a part of the show, Barmack noted the importance of these substories to the franchise, telling TheGamer, “That scene fromKiwami 2is one of the reasons we thought this would be an interesting series, because it’s so quirky in all of these things.”
Yakuza, also known asLike a Dragon, is a beloved franchise to many.Getting into theYakuzagamescan seem like quite the task to begin with, with over eight titles in the main series alone. The Amazon Prime TV seriesLike a Dragon: Yakuza, a live-action adaptation of the games, releases on October 24.
Yakuza
Sega’s Yakuza franchise is a series of action-adventure and role-playing games that revolve around characters who are a part of or associated with dangerous criminal organizations.The various games in the series tend to be led by gripping, emotional narratives but are supplemented by hilarious side stories and enjoyable mini-games that give players a welcome break from the drama.
