Highlights
- The Yakuza TV series will focus on human emotions, departing from the quirky antics seen in the games while still maintaining a strong resonance.
- Actors had a blast portraying two versions of their characters, creating organic chemistry between the young and hardened versions of Kiryu and Nishiki.
- Despite the challenge of surviving hot summer shoots, the hair and makeup team did an amazing job differentiating the characters’ looks between 1995 and 2005.
As a die-hard Yakuza fan with years of gameplay under my belt, I was beyond thrilled when the announcement for the Amazon Prime Yakuza TV series dropped at LA’s Anime Expo. The fact that they’re focusing on human emotions instead of the quirky antics seen in the games while still maintaining a strong connection to the source material has me eagerly awaiting its release.
The Amazon Prime Yaukuza TV Series announcement was one of the most exciting things to come from the recent Like a Dragon panel at LA’s Anime Expo.
As the highly-anticipated release of the series draws near, I was granted the opportunity to pose a few questions to its two principal actors, Ryoma Takeuchi (portraying Kiryu) and Kento Kaku (bringing Nishikiyama to life), as well as the show’s executive producer, Erik Barmack. The responses I received were nothing short of intriguing!
The Reason For A Lack Of Substories
Q: Will the audience of the Yakuza: Like a Dragon TV series find Kiryu engaging in his unconventional actions, such as assisting a Michael Jackson look-alike or battling adversaries dressed in diapers – activities that are typical of him in the games? Could we possibly witness similar scenes in the TV show?
Takeuchi: In this latest version, we’re not packing a lot in terms of content. However, what we are focusing on is exploring the emotional depth and human aspects of our characters. On a positive note, I believe we’re moving away from the traditional gameplay style. Yet, it all ties together nicely, creating a powerful connection between the game and drama. In essence, there’s a strong harmony or resonance in this game and storyline.
Barmack: One of the factors that made us believe this series would be engaging is the peculiarity found in the scene from Kiwami 2. The show contains numerous references to the game, and many significant characters from the game are given more depth. As this series serves as a backstory, we aimed to ensure viewers could empathize with all the characters, so it’s essential to strike a balance between maintaining the quirky world and making the characters seem genuine.
The Reality Of Playing Two Versions Of The Same Character
Q: How challenging was it for you to convincingly portray both the youthful, inexperienced iterations of Kiryu and Nishiki (from 1995) and their mature, worldly counterparts (from 2005)?
As a dedicated fan, I can truly express that it was an absolute joy and thrill to embody two distinct characters spanning across two different decades – and what a fascinating experience it was to compare the young Kiryu Kazuma in 1995 to his evolved counterpart from 2005! The contrast between these roles allowed me to breathe life into both versions, making each one uniquely memorable.
From 1995 to 2005, a significant change unfolded in the character of Kiryu Kazuma, and it was crucial for us to establish a genuine bond among the characters during their adolescence.
As a fan, I found it effortless to embody Nishiki’s character because there was an immediate resonance when I first read the script. Indeed, I identified so strongly with him that it became second nature to understand his actions, emotions, and motivations.
In simpler terms, the main difficulty lay in enduring the scorching heat during the summer months, it was absolutely insane. The temperature consistently soared above 100 degrees daily.
John: The hairstylist and makeup artists were absolutely fantastic last summer. They excelled at their work, and they skillfully created a striking difference between the styles from 1995 and 2005.
Read More
- BCH PREDICTION. BCH cryptocurrency
- BTC PREDICTION. BTC cryptocurrency
- LUNC PREDICTION. LUNC cryptocurrency
- MNT PREDICTION. MNT cryptocurrency
- Best Goomba Characters In Mario Games, Ranked
- SOL PREDICTION. SOL cryptocurrency
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- USD RUB PREDICTION
- Top gainers and losers
- USD COP PREDICTION
2024-08-06 16:08