Baka Mitai! Like a Dragon: Yakuza Live-Action Series Won’t Have Karaoke

The Yakuza series' highly anticipated live-action adaptation will exclude the beloved karaoke minigame. Read on to learn more about producer Erik Barmack’s comments and how fans reacted to the news.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza Forgoes KaraokeKaraoke May Come Eventually

Like a Dragon: Yakuza’s executive producer, Erik Barmack, revealed in a recent roundtable discussion that the live-action series will do away with one of the game’s beloved parts: the karaoke minigame.

The karaoke minigame is undeniably a fan favorite in the Yakuza series. Introduced in Yakuza 3 in 2009, it has become a staple of the franchise, even making its way into the 2016 remake of the first game, Yakuza Kiwami. The minigame’s popularity is such that its original song, ‘Baka Mitai’, has transcended the game and become a widely recognized meme.

"Singing may come eventually," Erik Barmack said, according to TheGamer. "When you start to figure out how to boil down this world into six episodes… there’s so much source material to pull from." Despite this, the team remains open to incorporating karaoke in the future, especially given Ryoma Takeuchi, the actor portraying Kazuma Kiryu, admitted to singing karaoke frequently.

With only six episodes to adapt a game that spans over 20 hours, including side activities like karaoke could potentially dilute the main story and hinder director Masaharu Take’s vision for the series. While the absence of karaoke might disappoint some fans, the potential for future seasons to include these beloved elements remain. If the live-action adaptation proves successful, it could pave the way for expanded storylines and perhaps even to Kiryu belting out ‘Baka Mitai’ with gusto.

Fans Cry ‘Dame Da Ne, Dame Yo, Dame Nano Yo!’

While fans maintain optimism for the show, the exclusion of the karaoke minigame has sparked concerns that the series might lean heavily towards a serious tone, potentially neglecting the comedic aspects and quirky side stories that are hallmarks of the Yakuza franchise.

Adaptations often grapple with the pressure from fans to remain faithful to the original source material. As long as it is faithful, fans would watch it. For instance, Prime Video’s Fallout series garnered 65 million viewers in just two weeks due to its faithful portrayal of the game’s tone and world-building. In contrast, Netflix’s 2022 Resident Evil series was met with criticism for its deviation from the source material, with many viewers calling it a teen drama rather than a thrilling zombie show.

In a Sega interview at SDCC last July 26, RGG Studio Director Masayoshi Yokoyama described the upcoming live-action series as "a bold adaptation" of the original game. He emphasized his desire for it to avoid being a mere imitation, stating, "I wanted people to experience Like a Dragon as if it was their first encounter with it."

When asked about his impressions of the series, Yokoyama assured that fans will discover aspects of the show that will keep them "grinning the whole time." While the specifics remain a mystery, this might suggest that the live-action adaptation didn’t wholly remove the series’ signature quirky charm.

Check out our article below to learn more about Yokoyama’s interview at SDCC and Like a Dragon: Yakuza’s first teaser!