The cast of the upcoming Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV show on Amazon was told not to play the games, and fans are now concerned about the series as a result.
Video game adaptations have always been rather contentious. While earlier works struggled to succeed critically and commercially, more recent TV shows likeThe Last of Us, The Witcher, andFallouthave all managed to buck the curse.
In a recent interview withGamesRadar+, the cast of the new Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV series revealed that they were told explicitly by Amazon not to play the games so that the series could explore the characters “from scratch.”
yeah this worked really well for…. Halo, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball Evolution, Ghost in the Shell, and so many others lmaowhen will these people learn??
However, Katu then went on to add that despite not playing the games, he and the rest of the cast have studied the franchise’s legacy.
“I definitely knew the property very well but I didn’t realize the franchise was this globally big. We decided we would make sure we would do our own version, relive the characters, take their spiritual elements, and embody them on our own. There was a clear line we wanted to draw but everything on the bottom was respect.”
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Following this admission from the cast, some fans of the Like a Dragon franchise are now extremely concerned about the series’ quality.
One X user explained, “Yeah, this worked really well for… Halo, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball Evolution, Ghost in the Shell, and so many others.”
Anotherdescribedthis decision as a “recipe for failure”. At the same time, others alsoquestioned, “If people have no intention of using the source material, just make a brand new IP instead of trying to ride the coattails of another.”
Eleni Thomas is a Senior Writer on Dexerto’s Australia team, specializing in Gaming and wider gamer culture. She is a journalism graduate, expertly covering TV & Movies, GTA, Pokemon, Nintendo games, Twitch streamers, and YouTubers. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. You can contact her at: eleni.thomas@dexerto.com
