Sega has now released all three episodes of the mini-series Yakuza powered by
日本統一 (Nihontouitsu) with English subtitles on their official YouTube.
The English release was first released via IGN, but now Sega is hosting the show on their own channels as well.
Unlike the much-hyped Like A Dragon: Yakuza show on Prime Video (which was largely panned due to being largely different from the source material for the worse), Yakuza Powered By Nihontoitsu is a charmingly low-budget homage to the crime drama game series.
Nihontoitsu itself is a Japanese crime drama V-Cinema series (or to use their own description from the press release: “Neither a simple TV show nor a film series, it represents a bold new form of visual entertainment”) featuring the yakuza. This three-episode mini-series sees the cast of that show portraying the characters in Yakuza, following the plot of the games leading up to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.
Of note, Yasukazu Motomiya plays protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza powered by Nihontoitsu. Yakuza/Like A Dragon fans will recognise him as the face and voice of Shishido in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Fellow Nihontouitsu actors Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi (Goro Majima), Kazuhiro Nakaya (Akira Nishikiyama) and Matsuda Kenji (Makoto Date) also feature.
If you find the casting curious, think of it like how the Yakuza/Like A Dragon cast members play historical figures in Like A Dragon Ishin, keeping their own resemblances rather match the looks of the characters from the source material. This is the other way around, where the Yakuza series is now the source material.
Yakuza powered by Nihontoitsu Watch Party on Sega SEA Discord Channel
All three episodes of Yakuza powered by Nihontoitsu are now available to watch, we’ve embedded the first episode hosted on Sega Asia’s English YouTube channel here. But Sega is also hosting an online watch party for Southeast Asian fans.
You can join the official Sega SEA Discord and catch the live screening with fellow fans on March 28, 8PM Malaysia Time (GMT +8). If you’re somehow haven’t been spoiled yet and are a big fan of the series, it’ll be one interesting to watch live, just for the live fan reactions of how the mini-series adapted the game.