TOKYO (AP) 鈥� Amazon Prime Video鈥檚 鈥淟ike a Dragon: Yakuza,鈥� which premieres in October, has all the glorious fare of a classic mobster story 鈥� 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.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 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,鈥� said Ryoma Takeuchi, who plays Kiryu.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking the concept that鈥檚 the foundation of the hit game and making a modern human drama people can more easily identify with,鈥� 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淭o look back, the original is like an old samurai movie, while this dramatizes a new kind of sensibility,鈥� he said.
鈥淟ike a Dragon,鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 not designed for the faint-hearted. 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 鈥淟ike a Dragon,鈥� despite the yelling, kicks and gunshots.
鈥淭he story of 鈥楲ike A Dragon鈥� contains eternal themes, like love, human relationships and betrayal that everyone can relate to. So rather than its being old or new, it鈥檚 really mainstream,鈥� 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鈥檚 made it enormously successful not only in Japan but elsewhere.
鈥淥ur belief is that it鈥檚 because the characters themselves have a lot of heart. It鈥檚 not some cold existential crime story,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about why relationships can go astray, even among people who love each other.鈥�
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Yuri Kageyama is on X:
Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press
