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Kiryu Kazuma (Takeuchi Ryôma) needs a new suit. In Like a Dragon: Yakuza’s second episode, the former enforcer, fresh off a decade-long stint in prison, tries on an outfit in a store, only to be harassed in his fitting room by a trio of ruffians. When their leader gets overly pushy, Kiryu wallops the group with an obvious lack of both effort and enthusiasm. After the posers scurry off, Kiryu takes one more look in the mirror. The glass, cracked during the tussle, sends jagged lines across his reflection, embodying his fractured sense of self.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is loosely adapted from the first entry in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon video game series, an expansive and unflinchingly eccentric Japanese crime saga. In the shopping scuffle and other scenes, the Amazon series evokes the works that inspired it by playing with tone, physicality, and humor...

With the popularity of video games being turned into TV shows, like Fallout and The Last of Us, Prime Video is introducing another video game adaptation, but for the long-running franchise Like a Dragon: Yakuza.

And starting on Thursday, Oct. 24, the first three episodes are streamable with a subscription to Prime Video. Below, find out when to stream Like a Dragon: Yakuza online and the episode release schedule for season one.

At a Glance: How to Watch Like a Dragon: Yakuza Online

When: Oct. 24; series finale on Nov. 1 Stream online: Prime Video Watch 'Like a Dragon: Yakuza' on Prime Video How to Watch Like a Dragon: Yakuza Without Cable: Premiere Date and Time, Episode Release Schedule

The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza six-episode season one drops Thursday, Oct. 24, at 8 a.m. Pt/11 a.m. Et on Prime Video. The following three episodes drop at the...

Prime Video has revealed the trailer and key art for the upcoming Japanese Original series Like a Dragon: Yakuza, the action-packed TV adaptation of Sega’s iconic video game series.

The first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories starting on Thursday, October 24, with the next three episodes available on Thursday, October 31.

In addition to previously announced series leads Ryoma Takeuchi (Kazuma Kiryu), Kento Kaku (Akira Nishikiyama), and Munetaka Aoki (Goro Majima), newly revealed actors portraying key characters include:

Yumi Kawai as Yumi Sawamura, a childhood friend who grew up alongside Kiryu and Nishiki.

Toshiaki Karasawa as Shintaro Kazama, the former lieutenant of the Dojima Family who now runs the orphanage where Kiryu and his friends were raised.

Koichi Sato as Masaru Sera, the chairman of the Tojo Clan.

Misato Morita as Aiko, Yumi’s long-lost sister.

A good mystery thriller contains suspense and an interesting premise, but above all the investigation into the riddle at its core must be both enjoyable and gripping to follow. However, it seems obvious many stories of the genre neglect this integral part, resulting in a somewhat flat and often disappointing narrative. When done right, though, the feature or novel may provide an inventive and quite fascinating portrayal of humanity, its good and also its dark aspects. Director Akihiro Toda has had some experiences in the mystery genre with his feature “The Name” and in “Ichiko” he goes even further, experimenting with different time layers to create the portrayal of the central character, her troubled past and her problems in keeping relationships.

Ichiko is screening at Nippon Connection

Based on Toda's play, the story begins in 2015 with Ichiko (Hana Sugisaki) being proposed to by her boyfriend Yoshinori (Ryuya Wakaba). The two could not be happier,...

Ghost Cat Anzu (known in Japan as Bakeneko Anzu-chan ), an upcoming Japanese and French theatrical anime film co-production, released a new trailer today alongside information on new cast, the official movie poster, and the official theme song performer. The film releases in Japanese theaters on July 19, 2024. Gkids, who executive produced the film, will also distribute the film in North America this year. The film will also host its world premiere at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival this month. The new cast members for Ghost Cat Anzu include: Tetsuya, Karin's Father voiced / motion-captured by Munetaka Aoki Yuzuki, Karin's Mother voiced / motion-captured by Miwako Ichikawa Osho-san, Anzu's Foster Parent voiced / motion-captured by Keiichi Suzuki (of Moonriders) The God of Poverty voiced / motion-captured by Shingo Mizusawa Tanuki voiced / motion-captured by Wataru Sawabe (of Skirt) Actors Mutsuo Yoshioka and Shohei Uno also appear in the film. Actor and musician Chiaki Sato...

If you are looking for a room in the coastal town of Onomichi, you better not check in at the Ohashi apartments. Except if you want your very own meet-and-greet with J-Pop Idol Shiori Kubo, who happens to play the ghost trapped inside room 101 in Natsuki Takahashi's “A Girl in My Room”.

A Girl in My Room is streaming as part of Jff+ Independent Cinema

Based on the popular manga by Chugaku Yamamoto, the story revolves around the heartbroken Yohei, who gets dumped by his girlfriend and is left behind in the former love nest. Out of nowhere, a curious girl ghost appears and wants to experience a feeling she never felt during her life as a human, love. Yohei is annoyed by her curiosity and even tries to exorcise her, but slowly realises that she is more human than he thought.

The fantasy romantic comedy was filmed on...

A tragicomedy about the relationships of a group of people set in a movie theatre that is about to go under. Kondo (Keisuke Koide) is a penniless young man who returns to Ginpei-cho, a town where he spent his youth. He meets Sato (Shohei Uno), who is homeless but loves movies, and Kajiwara (Mitsuru Fukikoshi), the manager of a movie theatre. After deciding to work part-time at the theatre, Kondo faces his past and his own demons through encounters with his co-workers, customers, experienced projectionists, unsuccessful actors and musicians as well as junior high school students dreaming of the world of movies.

Hideo Jojo certainly enjoyed a successful 2022 with three movie releases: Love Nonetheless, To be Killed by a High School Girl and Believers. His latest movie is scheduled to open in Japan on February 10, 2023.

Japanese lo-fi horror maestro Koji Shiraishi might be best known for his postmodern 2005 found footage masterpiece “Noroi: The Curse”, but with “Occult”, the director crafts a deepy disturbing Lovecraftian horror tale, once again utilizing the faux-documentary format to great effect.

It’s a profoundly unnerving film, eerily placing the demented and supernatural within the mundanity of everyday life, as a documentary crew follows the survivors of a mysterious mass stabbing. One of the survivors, Eno (Shohei Uno), reports seeing UFOs, hearing voices as well as other bizarre phenomena and becomes convinced that he is part of a bigger, supernatural plan. He begins to speculate what his role might be and as the documentary goes on, the crew slowly becomes entangled in an opaque plot cooked up by Eno, which involves an ominous ceremony supposedly demanded of him by God.

“Occult” is drenched in paranoia and filled with visions of all kinds of nightmarish,...