Ryû ga Gotoku ~Beyond the Game~

I played though yakuza 1 and i expected this show to be a little different from the game but it more like the halo show. The characters aren't how they are. The show is dark it hard to see things in it. The 2007 film was a better adaptation of the game. It was more faithful than this show. Some of the games plot is not here at all. In yakuza 1 kazama is in his late 30s early 40s in the show he like 25 or something it not faithful to the games. I was expecting something better then this but i was disappointed by this show for not being very faithful to the games it feels like the writers didn't play the games.

Having played the games, I found the series very disappointing. In my opinion they did a disservice to the characters. The story is very different from the game storylines. As a result I found it confusing and difficult to follow. The ever going back and forth between time periods didn't help. Despite that, the series does have entertainment value. The acting is decent (and consistent) throughout the series. There is good character development. The cinematography was very good and action sequences flowed nicely. Once in a while the camera angle used or lighting made a scene difficult to follow. From reading reviews of fans of the game, the series was a disappointment. I have to agree, but I still found it entertaining.

As an avid fan and player of the Yakuza games, I was surprised and a little cautiously optimistic when I saw this announced and being done by the creator of the game series. It has potential I will say that much. Although the casting leaves much to be desired. The role of Kiryu being played by a skinny little dude didn't fly for me and he just did not look the part. I also did not appreciate them glazing over Goro Majima's story arc in the span of 1/4 of an episode if that. Yakuza 0 is to date my all time favorite Yakuza game simply because of how fleshed out Majima's story arc is and what he had to go thru, his rise and ultimate fall within his clan was one of the best storylines in the entire franchise and yet it was just slapped together in a couple of scenes in the show for what I'm assuming is time constraints. But I digress. It is just one of the shows many issues. Another big one is in its pacing. The show time jumps between 2 eras, 1995 and 2005, respectively, yet for the life of me feels harder to follow at times than listening to a Scotsman talk after downing a keg of whiskey. What I did enjoy were some of the fight scenes and brawls when it felt a little bit like the Yakuza games in tandem with an interesting final episode when the culprit behind the attacks is revealed. Like I said there's potential here somewhere buried beneath its poor casting, pacing and execution. Also, who knows if this will even get renewed for a season two as it doesn't seem to be fairly well received I've noticed and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I do not think I'll be returning if there is a second season since it has way too many issues than praises. In the end perhaps the Yakuza series is best left in video game form, where you play as beefy Japanese gangster studs who happen to occasionally infiltrate underground man baby dens who's fetishes are to dress up as babies and get coddled by women. Now that's what this show adaptation is truly missing. Overall, I can't recommend this one as much as I wish I could as it is yet another miss for the long list of video game to movie/TV show adaptations. The good ones are just few and far between. Just play the games instead.

Even as a big Ryu Ga Gotoku fan, I would've been fine with story changes, after all Yakuza games get really silly with their storylines and sudden plot twists. However, this show makes no sense and it doesn't respect the source material at all. Kiryu is shown to be a polar opposite of what he is in the games, like all other characters including Kazama, Yumi and Nishikiyama. I can understand trying to have the characters grow as the story progresses, but this was terribly executed.

Not only that but the lore changes are completely awful and pull you back from the story. For instance, Kazama being away from the Yakuza, instead of being this behind-the-scenes mastermind? Really?

The sets and the overall costume design are awful too. It simply doesn't look like the characters are in 1995 nor 2005. No visuals nor looks match the iconic first two decades of Japan's Heisei era. For instance, where is Dojima's mustache? Everyone looks like they walked straight from 2024. Tokyo Vice, another Yakuza Crime show that came out in the last few years, has no issues portraying this era with beautiful sets and having people wear correct attires. The set designs don't reflect the epic/grandeur locations of the games, which is a bummer, as this show would've benefited from those opulent locations.

Overall, I am torn that this came out as terrible as it did. I wish the writers took better care of this source material. I am not saying that changes weren't needed, but this is the complete opposite of how the games are, and even ignoring that, this story is simply not good to stand in its two feet. There are a lot of complete remakes, such as Scarface (1983) and Battlestar Galactica (2003), that manage to be their own thing without disrespecting the source material. Here, unlike those, the writers clearly thought they were improving upon the original story, instead of trying to reimagine/ make their own thing. Well, the overall result is as weak as watery grape soda. No, it's not grape juice, this is just water with some grape in it. Awful.

I wanted it to be good... instead, it's bad. Really, really bad. The characters fail to embody and embrace the rich history present in the Yakuza series; instead, they fall into the age-old trap of trying something "new." Why would you buy a beloved IP with more than 8 mainline games, each with over 60 hours of gameplay and intricate history, only to try something "new"? Is it just for marketing? It feels as if they completely disregarded what made the series so cherished by fans. Instead of building upon or faithfully recreating the well-crafted legacy that was already there, they decided to go in a direction that strips away the very elements that made the Yakuza series special in the first place. This isn't innovation-it's a misguided attempt at reinvention, and it falls flat on its face.

The direction in still scenes is fine, but nothing extraordinary. There are moments where it captures some of the original atmosphere and resemblance but never the greatness or uniqueness, and even those moments are few and far between. They serve more as a reminder of what could have been rather than a testament to what the series offers. The emotional depth is missing; the subtle character nuances that drew players into the Yakuza universe are absent, leaving the story feeling hollow and uninspired. The worst comes in the action scenes where, contrary to the game's stable and consistent style, the scenes are jumpy, with many continuity errors. These fight sequences, which are supposed to be the heart-pounding highlights, end up being frustrating to watch. The pacing is off, and it lacks the cohesion that made the original fight choreography so engaging. The actor isn't able to fully bring out Kiryu's strength at all-whether it's his physical prowess, emotional depth, or sheer determination, none of these defining traits are effectively portrayed. Instead of portraying Kiryu as the fierce, determined figure we all know, the actor's performance feels lackluster and disconnected, as if they were only loosely familiar with the character's background and motivations.

It's a messy, unfortunate situation. I thought I would find solace in the idea that art is subjective, but this is objectively bad. Even beyond personal preference, the glaring flaws are impossible to ignore. The narrative structure is fragmented, the emotional beats are poorly timed, and the overall experience lacks the depth and polish that Yakuza fans have come to expect. It's such a disappointment to see the downfall of a series that once held so much promise. I wish I could point to a single redeeming quality that made it worth the experience, but sadly, every aspect feels compromised. Instead of evoking nostalgia or excitement, it leaves behind nothing but frustration and a sense of wasted potential. Perhaps if they had stayed true to the core elements that made the series beloved-maintaining consistent character depth, narrative cohesion, and compelling fight choreography-it could have delivered a more satisfying experience.