The "live" adaptation of Sega's gaming hit, Like a Dragon, has finally "landed" on Amazon, though initial viewer reactions have been quite mixed.
On Metacritic, the series received a score of 48/100, while Rotten Tomatoes critics were more lenient with a rating of 67% (though it's worth noting that the number of reviews on these sites is quite limited — 4 and 6, respectively).
In its review, Kotaku stated that the adaptation remixes numerous elements from the first game and its prequel, Yakuza 0, but "paves its own path," which is off-putting to many critics.
"Despite one significant alteration to the source material, Amazon's adaptation mainly comes off as a straightforward and rigid drama. The Like a Dragon games are well-known for their melodrama, intricate plots, vast cast of characters, and cinematic direction. In contrast, Like a Dragon: Yakuza lacks even a single soul-stirring song."
Reviewers have also accused the creators of overly simplifying storylines that they attempted to "cram" into a 6-episode season — resulting in minimal attention for some beloved characters. Below, we provide a few more direct quotes.
- Hays Madsen, Inverse: "The performances of Kiryu, Nishiki, and Yumi are a steel-solid foundation for this show. Each of their emotional appearances has real complexity and depth. Another strength of the show is its unparalleled authenticity; it isn't afraid to use Japanese terms and Yakuza jargon, and the sets and costumes provide an immersive view of Japan in the 1990s and 2000s."
- Elijah Gonzalez, Paste Magazine: "I admit I approached this series with bias because I've spent a lot of time playing the games. I was very disappointed that the story lacks humor. The show tries to jump from scene to scene, making it hard to follow individual characters. It feels like the show borrowed a bunch of elements from the games, such as names and plot points but failed to convey any depth."
- Matt Jones, IGN: "The plot of the original game is reduced to a mechanical tale of theft and revenge... The show becomes more enjoyable when you take into account all the extra details of its universe — I particularly enjoy the theater showing posters with precise movie listings from certain periods... Without the Like A Dragon title, this series would attract very little attention. Some of the actors brilliantly portrayed their characters, but unfortunately, there's little for them to engage with here."
- Isaiah Kolber, Rolling Stone: "Video game adaptations shouldn't just stick to coloring within the lines for fans to get base-level fixes. They should, as Like a Dragon: Yakuza does, boldly explore different paths in the game's mythology, even if that means leaving certain elements on the cutting room floor and fully committing to a mafia storyline. Despite its flaws, the series not only takes a bold step forward by creating another noteworthy video game adaptation after Fallout but also preserves the captivating drama of the game and its layers of humor."
The series Like a Dragon: Yakuza spans two time periods (the '90s and 2000s) and tells the story of a warrior from a Yakuza family with a strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity. The character Kazuma Kiryu is portrayed by Ryoma Takeuchi ("Kamen Rider"), alongside Kento Kaku (Nishiki) and Munetaka Aoki (Majima). Interestingly, Aoki played his character previously — it was announced that he voiced young Majima in the upcoming game Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, set to release in early 2025.
The series is directed by Masaharu Take ("Love for 100 Yen") and Kengo Takemoto ("Kamen Rider"), produced by Eric Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long, with screenplay contributions from Sean Crouch, Nakamura Yugo, Yoshida Yasuhiro, and Yamada Kana.
On Amazon Prime Video, Like a Dragon: Yakuza premiered with three episodes, while the next "batch" is expected on November 1 (the series is available in subtitled and dubbed versions in 30 languages).
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