The live-action Amazon Original drama "Yakuza Beyond the Game" (English title: Like a Dragon: Yakuza, six episodes) will be released worldwide on Prime Video from October 25. It was announced at a press conference in Tokyo on the 4th that actor Ryoma Takeuchi (31) will play the protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, the "legendary yakuza."

The "Yakuza" game series, created by Sega in 2005 under the concept of "entertainment for adults," portrays the human drama of protagonists living in a huge entertainment district, representing a realistic modern Japan never before explored in games. This live-action drama, set to be streamed in over 240 countries and regions, is a crime-suspense action series set in "Kamurocho," a fictional entertainment district inspired by real locations. It tells the growth story of the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, known as the "Dragon of Dojima," through an original screenplay.

Kazuma Kiryu, unparalleled in fights, is a man of great loyalty, strength, and a strong sense of justice. To protect his childhood friends, whom he grew up with in an orphanage, he enters the yakuza world due to a certain incident. The drama dramatically portrays the lives of Kiryu and his friends, crossing the timelines of 1995 and 2005. The series is directed by Masaharu Take, who served as the general director of "The Naked Director" series.

At the press conference announcing the worldwide release, director Take and Takeuchi, dressed in his own black kimono, took the stage. Takeuchi expressed his excitement, "I've been putting my life into this shoot for about six months since last May, so I'm very happy to reach this day. Meeting with the Sega team and hearing them say the work is 'interesting' has been very rewarding."

Reflecting on the offer to star, he said, "I was honestly surprised. Knowing the original work, I wondered why they chose me. It's a fantastic original work, and since everyone loves Kiryu, I felt I had to be fully committed to playing him. I felt a burning sense of mission."

Source : ORICON NEWS