TV series based on Yakuza video game keeps Japanese culture at centre

SAN DIEGO — Japanese actor Ryoma Takeuchi believes that video game fans will find a special connection to the new television series Like a Dragon: Yakuza.

The series, based on the popular video game Yakuza: Like a Dragon, begins streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Oct 24. It was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month.

The Sega video game and the show immerse people in a crime drama inspired by the Yakuza genre in Japanese film, which follows the Japanese mafia.

"I think deep down what matters is the emotional core of the drama and that's something that can definitely be related to and resonate with the core fans of the game," said Takeuchi, who plays main character Kazuma Kiryu, part of a secretive political organisation.

"There's going to be a connection with the original source material as well so that's something you can expect as a surprise," he added.

The series begins with a group of children in an orphanage who conspire to steal money from the local mob. When they are caught, the mob finds different roles for them as retribution for their crimes.

There is a decades-long time jump that picks up with the orphans grown up, now former friends, and living deep within the world of crime.

The series, like the globally popular video game, is steeped in Japanese culture and the dialogue is all in Japanese.

"The global audience loves the game because it is distinctly Japanese and it takes place in a very specific location and the characters and the way that business transactions happen," executive producer Erik Barmack told Reuters.

"The way the mob runs within the game is specific to a particular place, and so, to do this show well, you want to be authentic to the culture of the game and what that game represents," he added.

For James Farrell, head of international programming at Amazon Studios, it is important to note that audiences are now tuned in to foreign-language shows, unlike years ago when people had less interest in reading subtitles.

"The pie keeps expanding," he said.

"Our biggest show ever from outside the US was 'Maxton Hall' from Germany. If you had said a German drama would be the No. 1 show, you'd be like, 'No way, it's going to be a Spanish one, it's going to be one of the other ones we listed,'" he added.

The goal, said Farrell, is to strike the perfect balance between what is "grounded and local" but also "accessible and familiar."

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