Like a Dragon: Yakuza Star Ryoma Takeuchi Talks Portraying Kiryu Kazuma

Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu

In an exclusive interview with IGN Japan, Ryoma Takeuchi, the star of the upcoming Amazon Original series Like a Dragon: Yakuza, opened up about the challenges of portraying Kazuma Kiryu, the beloved protagonist of the Like a Dragon game series. Takeuchi, who has never played the games before, explains how he delved into the character’s psyche to bring a fresh perspective to the role.

“I was surprised to be offered this role,” Takeuchi tells IGN Japan. “I knew about the game series and had played the first game at my uncle’s home. It’s a real challenge to play a character from an existing work, and I considered very carefully whether I was suited to portray Kiryu, and whether it was right for me. From the beginning, I knew I would have to give it everything I have, or I’d never pull it off.”

A Different Take on Kiryu

Takeuchi explains that he saw Kiryu as a “strong, well-built, heroic character,” but he acknowledged that simply copying those qualities alone would not be enough—not least because the story of Like a Dragon: Yakuza is part adaptation and part original story. He says his mission was to portray the character with great respect for the original game, but essentially to create his own take on Kazuma Kiryu.

“Rather than me becoming Kiryu, I had to create Kiryu from scratch—that’s when he and I began to link together and become one,” he says.

Ryoma Takeuchi at Hotel Gajoen Tokyo

The Search for Love

Takeuchi saw Kiryu as a man who is “starved for love.” Just like in the games, Kiryu in the show was raised at the Sunflower Orphanage following the death of his parents.

“I think we all unconsciously chase after what is missing in our lives, and we all want to be loved,” Takeuchi says. “With this in mind, I thought about what Kiryu might be searching for in Kamurocho, as he strives to become the Dragon of Dojima. He wants a family, he wants love, and he doesn’t even realize how much this drives him. He is a hero who lives his life with honesty, but he fights when he has to fight, and he sometimes makes mistakes.”

Avoiding Expectations

Despite Kiryu’s popularity among Like a Dragon fans the world over, Takeuchi says he has avoided the pressure to meet expectations of fans of the games.

“I have great respect for the feelings of the fans,” he says. “But when I play a character, I have to express them in my own way, so I can’t pay attention to the preconceptions of others. I researched the games for myself, to identify Kiryu’s qualities and embody them in my own way. Of course, I hope the fans will be happy with my portrayal—but I can say with confidence that I’ve done my best to play Kiryu. There’s no point in trying to surpass the original game; rather I wanted to show respect to the games while making something new as an artist.”

Physical Transformation

Standing at 6'1", Takeuchi has an imposing frame, which he honed for the role through rigorous training and a carefully controlled diet he devised himself.

 Ryoma Takeuchi’s physique

In the show, we see Kiryu in 2005 as the Dragon of Dojima, a fierce fighter who has sculpted his body through a decade working out in prison, while scenes set in the mid-1990s show him in his late teens as he is just starting out. Takeuchi was mindful to show the contrast between these two eras, partly through wardrobe and makeup (1990s Kiryu has bleached highlights and smoother skin) but also through his physique, altering his training accordingly so that the younger version of Kiryu appears less well built.

“If we’d had more time between filming the 1990s and 2005 periods, I would have gone even further to have a different physique in each era, but I worked hard in the time that we had,” he says. “For scenes where I would be showing skin, I adjusted my training to suit that scene.”

Martial Arts Training

As you’d expect from the Like a Dragon game series, the Amazon Original series promises plenty of action—and Takeuchi performs fight scenes himself. He says that in learning martial arts for the role, he began by focusing on post-prison Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima who has become a seasoned fighter, and then worked backwards from there.

“When the story starts in 1995, Kiryu’s fighting style is still rough and not very effective, because he has not formally learned martial arts and he is just using his instincts,” says Takeuchi. “I wanted to portray him growing as a fighter, as he gradually becomes able to beat his opponents. So his fighting style in each of the two eras is very different.”

Kamurocho Comes Alive

The Yakuza Games In (Chronological) Order

Takeuchi says that great care was taken to recreate Kamurocho for the screen. Kamurocho was originally based on a real-life Tokyo nightlife district; the version we see in the show was shot largely on production sets, portraying the area slightly differently in each of the show’s two eras.

“Kamurocho in 1995 is a lively, warm, sparkling place filled with energy,” says Takeuchi. “The set was so detailed, from each passerby to every corner of its streets, that I felt like I had traveled back in time. It didn’t feel like a set at all. Yes, there is some CG enhancement, but I think it was the people who really brought it to life. You can’t fake that.”

Like a Dragon: Yakuza hits Prime Video globally in October, promising to bring a fresh take on the beloved game series to a new audience.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza