The Malta Independent on Sunday

Hit Japanese video game is now a streaming series aiming for global appeal

Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” which premieres in October, has all the glorious fare of a classic mobster story – bloody fistfights, beautiful women, expensive cars, muscle and flashy suits.

Based on a popular Sega video game that debuted in 2005, the story centers around Kazuma Kiryu, a gangster with a heart of gold. But the latest version has evolved to appeal to global audiences today, according to its stars and production team.

“We weren’t going for another copy of the original but wanted to create it anew, while paying respect to it, but exploring it at a deeper human level,” said Ryoma Takeuchi, who plays Kiryu.

“We’re taking the concept that’s the foundation of the hit game and making a modern human drama people can more easily identify with,” he said.

The role turned out to be the most challengin­g and time-consuming of his career, including losing weight, preparing for the fight scenes and developing the character, as well as the arduous filming itself.

Masayoshi Yokoyama, executive producer at Sega studios and the game’s screenwrit­er, hopes longtime fans will be pleasantly surprised at the new twists and turns of the series, while newcomers may gain an interest in his game.

“To look back, the original is like an old samurai movie, while this dramatizes a new kind of sensibilit­y,” he said.

“Like a Dragon,” is the universal coming-of-age saga, except set in a fairytale world of a fictitious Japan. The narration spans two decades, skipping back and forth between 1995 and 2005.

The characters, including Kiryu’s buddy from their orphanage days, Akira Nishikiyam­a, are filled with a steadfast belief in honor, justice and loyalty, as well as courage in the face of danger.

It’s not designed for the faintheart­ed. Each of the six episodes goes from one superbly choreograp­hed violent scene to another, with hardly a moment to take a gasp.

But the innocent love that the heroes, and the heroines, show to each other is the driving force of “Like a Dragon,” despite the yelling, kicks and gunshots.

“The story of ‘Like A Dragon’ contains eternal themes, like love, human relationsh­ips and betrayal that everyone can relate to. So rather than its being old or new, it’s really mainstream,” said Kento Kaku who plays Nishikiyam­a, known as Nishiki.

Retelling the story in an age where streaming entertainm­ent connects audiences worldwide simply translates to perfect timing, said Kaku.

Erik Barmack, the executive producer, stressed the franchise offers something that’s made it enormously successful not only in Japan but elsewhere.

“Our belief is that it’s because the characters themselves have a lot of heart. It’s not some cold existentia­l crime story,” he said.

“It’s about why relationsh­ips can go astray, even among people who love each other.”