A fresh live-action adaptation of the Yakuza games is on its way to Amazon Prime, but some fans will have to endure a slightly longer wait.
Like A Dragon: Yakuza aims to narrate an entirely new tale with characters that gamers who have followed the series since the original game’s 2005 launch will recognise.
The gaming franchise, from publishers Sega and developed by RGG Studio, has since seen a surge in popularity. It has inspired numerous sequels and a few spin-off titles, including the forthcoming 2025 release Like a Dragon: A Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Now, almost two decades after players first delved into the world of Yakuza, the game is being transformed into a series for Amazon Prime.
However, those keenly awaiting to see how Kazuma Kiryu’s journey, along with his rivals and allies, will be portrayed in a TV series may have to wait a bit longer than anticipated, reports the Mirror.
Billed as an original crime-suspense-action series, it pledges to offer a daring new interpretation of the story from the original.
The delay fans will endure is due to varying release dates for streaming depending on the viewer’s country. Moreover, the series will be released in two parts, meaning those wishing to binge-watch the entire series in one go will need to exercise extra patience.
While viewers in the US and some EU countries can start watching the initial episodes from today (Oct 24), Amazon Prime subscribers in the UK will have to hold on until Friday, October 25.
Initially, only episodes 1-3 will be made available, with fans having to wait for a brief interval before the release of the finale.
The concluding episodes 4-6, which round off the first season of the new series, will be accessible in the UK on Amazon Prime Video from October 31.