Today Sega released a brand new video about the upcoming Like a Dragon: Ishin!, which is finally launching in the west after years of requests from the fans.
As you may already know, this is not the same game titled Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! released only in Japan in 2014 for PS3 and PS4, but a pretty extensive remake similar to the Yakuza Kiwami games. In fact, the Japanese version is titled "Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! Kiwami."
One of the many changes introduced with the remake is that Takeda Kanryusai has been recast as Riki Takeuchi, who took over from Shun Sugata. The video, starring Takeuchi-san alongside Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama, explains that the actor played Hiroki Awano in Yakuza 0, but that came out after the original Ishin, so its characters couldn't appear in it.
That being said, fans wanted to see Yakuza 0's characters make a comeback, so Taeuchi-san was cast as Takeda Kanryusai, who also received the actor's likeness, effectively bringing Hiroki Awano back, in a way. This means that the new game marks his return to the series after eight years.
Interestingly, Takeuchi-san had to match Sugata-san's lip movements, but he managed to do so thanks to his experience in dubbing linear media. We also hear that he really likes to work on villains even if in real life he's a perfectly nice guy.
Funnily, he drives an open-top convertible painted in Shinsengumi blue, which is quite fitting for the character as well.
You can watch the video below and see why Yakeuchi-san is perfect for the role.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! releases on February 21, 2023 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
