Kento Kaku is Akira Nishikiyama in the live action adaptation of Like a Dragon

The Like a Dragon: Yakuza panel at San Diego Comic Con has come and gone and we have all just learned that actor Kento Kaku will be joining the cast to portray Akira Nishikiyama, the sworn brother and eventual rival of Ryoma Takeuchi’s Kazuma Kiryu. While the full panel has not shown up online, it has been reported that the duo along with James Farrell of Amazon MGM Studios and the show’s producer Erik Barmack spoke of their part in bringing this iconic franchise to the streaming platform.

A teaser trailer was shown and that has been shared online and we see glimpses of the debauchery and violence that we have come to know about Kamurocho, all while we see the icon dragon tattoo being drawn. Another clip from the panel that was also shared online was a short interview with Masayoshi Yokoyama, the head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios.

This clip yielded more information on the live action adaptation. We learned that the show will not be a straight adaptation of the first game, but there will be plenty of callbacks and references for eagle eyed fans to find. There is a surprise at the end of episode one which led Yokoyama to leap out of his chair and scream. He also alluded to the performance of a female cast member that will really knock it out of the park. While the assertion that this is completely different from the original title I’m certainly willing to give the series a shot given how high Yokoyama is with his impressions.

The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza will debut on Prime Video on October 24th, 2024, after which it will release on a weekly cadence.

Like A Dragon: Yakuza – Teaser Trailer | Prime Video

Like a Dragon: Yakuza – Director of RGG Studio / Executive Producer – SDCC Interview | Prime Video