A few months ago, it was revealed that the Like a Dragon games will be adapted into a TV series called Like a Dragon: Yakuza, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video on October 25. The series follows Kazuma Kiryu (who starred before Ichiban Kasuga took over), and he is played by Ryoma Takeuchi.
In an interview with IGN, Takeuchi talks more about how he views the popular protagonist Kiryu, saying:
“I think we all unconsciously chase after what is missing in our lives, and we all want to be loved. With this in mind, I thought about what Kiryu might be searching for in Kamurocho, as he strives to become the Dragon of Dojima. He wants a family, he wants love, and he doesn’t even realize how much this drives him. He is a hero who lives his life with honesty, but he fights when he has to fight, and he sometimes makes mistakes.”
Takeuchi won’t try to copy the games’ version of Kiryu straight off, but says he wants to try to give him his own twist and do things his way:
“I have great respect for the feelings of the fans. But when I play a character, I have to express them in my own way, so I can’t pay attention to the preconceptions of others. I researched the games for myself, to identify Kiryu’s qualities and embody them in my own way. Of course, I hope the fans will be happy with my portrayal — but I can say with confidence that I’ve done my best to play Kiryu. There’s no point in trying to surpass the original game; rather I wanted to show respect to the games while making something new as an artist.”
And that sounds like sound reasoning, doesn’t it?