Like a Dragon: Yakuza Joins Fallout and Tomb Raider, as Prime Video Adds the SEGA Franchise to Its Game-to-TV Adaptation Spree
The streaming giant is going all in.
Nearly two decades after its initial launch, the Yakuza, or Like a Dragon, series is going strong in almost every medium. Fans of the franchise were recently treated to Infinite Wealth, the latest game installment, earlier this year, but it looks like that’s not all that 2024 has to offer the community based on SEGA’s popular IP.
Following in the footsteps of its hit adaptation Fallout, which was released a couple of months ago, and after announcing the Tomb Raider series, Prime Video’s going all out with its medium-transcending spree, as the adventures of Kiryu Kazuma will be shown in a new light this fall.
Like a Dragon Is the Latest Game-to-TV Adaptation Coming This Year
As revealed by Variety, the television adaptation based on the gaming phenomenon is going to be launched later this year. The series will combine the two signature titles that have followed the games throughout the years, as it will be called Like a Dragon: Yakuza.
Helmed by co-directors Take Masaharu and Takimoto Kengo, the series is set to consist of six episodes, blending in a variety of genres that have made the franchise so iconic in the first place.
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Of course, this is not the first time that SEGA’s IP has transcended the realm of video games and gone on to other mediums, but now Takeuchi Ryoma will be taking on the role of Kiryu Kazuma, the protagonist who has had the most appearances in the games.
The release schedule is taking a different approach than how Bethesda Game Studios’ adaptation was handled, as instead of the entire season launching all at once, it will be divided into two separate batches. Three of the six episodes will be released on October 25, while the second half will be launched a week later on November 1.
The Yakuza Television Series Will Be Set in Two Periods a Whole Decade Apart
Streaming on Prime Video is not the only thing that the upcoming adaptation shares with Fallout, as the upcoming series will also showcase two different time periods set one decade apart from one another.
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With some parts set in 1995 and others in 2005, the streaming platform states that the series will present “modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters,” featuring the complex gangsters with layered moral values that have shaped the franchise over the years.
Similar to the Bethesda project’s original narrative set in the games’ universe, the show will focus on stories that have not been explored in older Yakuza titles, and with a dedicated team behind the adaptation, it looks like it may be yet another effective effort by the streaming giant.
With the recent update on the seemingly cursed Just Cause adaptation, the announcement of multiple series revolving around Lara Croft, and Like a Dragon continuing the trend, 2024 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for gamers.
