Kiryu actor Ryoma Takeuchi may not have played the games, but he certainly looks at home in the trademark gray-and-red suit of Like a Dragon: Yakuza’s hard-hitting protagonist.
During a RGG livestream on YouTube, viewers caught a glimpse of Takeuchi donning Kiryu’s iconic threads during filming. See for yourself below.
(Image credit: Prime Video)
The behind-the-scenes footage – which starts from around 37 minutes, for those who don’t want to skim through an 80-minute long video – also showcases how the crew behind the Prime Video series are recreating the fictional district of Kamurocho, which is based on the real Tokyo location of Kabukicho.
Long-time fans will be able to spot several familiar spots, including the entrance gates, Theater Square, and what looks to be a slightly different take on Millennium Tower, the high-rise skyscraper which has a pivotal role to play in several Yakuza titles.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ at SDCC, Takeuchi revealed why he didn’t play the Yakuza series – which have been a gaming mainstay for almost two decades – before taking on the role of Kiryu.
“I know these games – everybody in the world knows these games. But I haven’t played them. I’d like to try them but they had to stop me because they wanted to – for the character in the script – explore from scratch. That’s why I decided not to play,” Takeuchi explained.
The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza will premiere on Prime Video on October 24, with new episodes following weekly.
For more, check out our picks for the best Yakuza games. Then take a look ahead to what else is hitting screens this year with our guide to new TV shows.
