Like a Dragon: Yakuza TV Series Teases First Look at Comic-Con 2024 [CNET]

Trailer arrives for the live-action adaptation coming to Prime Video this fall.

Prime Video dropped the first major trailer for its new action series, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Based on Sega’s popular video game franchise, the live-action drama series will make its streaming debut in October. Expect high-powered fight sequences, bustling scenes in an imaginary Japanese city and tension among enemies (and frenemies).

Starring Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu and Kento Kaku as Nishikiyama Akira, the story takes place in the fictional Kamurochō district in Japan. Viewers will get to follow Kiryu’s life over the course of 10 years – from 1995 to 2005 – as a Yakuza member while exploring the dynamic with his childhood friend, Nishiki. 

The slow-burning trailer pulls us in with the darkly lit backdrop of Kamurochō nightlife, where fights, money and brooding seems like the norm. What’s prominent is the zoom-in on skin as Kiryu’s famous dragon tattoo gets inked and shaded. Every Yakuza character’s tattoo in this series has meaning, and it looks like that will be conveyed throughout the show.

Masayoshi Yokoyama worked on the original video game series and serves as an executive producer for the TV show, while Masaharu Take stepped in as director. Yokoyama shared a special message for fans sharing his excitement for the upcoming release, calling it bold and surprising. Fans can watch the first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza when it premieres on Oct. 24 on Prime Video.