Like a Dragon’s casting audition finalists for new title revealed 

Sega have announced the top ten finalists for a new female character (or possibly characters) in the upcoming Like a Dragon title. The final audition will be broadcast live on YouTube on July 16. 

At the time of writing, little is known about the Like a Dragon title that is in development (except that it won’t be Kiwami 3 and that fans of the series will be surprised). However, the audition does provide a possible clue. The casting call is for a “Minato-style girl.” The slang term “Minato girl” refers to expensively-dressed and elegant young women in their 20s who hang out in the high-end bars and restaurants of Tokyo’s Minato area. The Minato area is a very affluent area of Tokyo, and 1 in every 6.6 people who lives there is a company president as of 2023 (source: Tokyo Shoko Research).

The Like a Dragon developers’ search for “Minato-style girls” has had people wondering whether the new game will be set in Tokyo. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama mysteriously commented in an interview with 4Gamer that “Minato-style” does not directly mean “Minato.” This may mean that the game will not be set in Tokyo, or that the role might not literally be a Minato girl but a character that has that kind of style.  

The trailer below shows the ten finalists for the role. The casting call “welcomed a wide range of applicants” and was also open to amateur entrants. The finalists have a range of listed professions from cosplayers and adult video actresses to regular office workers. One of the favorites among the English-speaking YouTube commenters is content creator and cosplayer Kaho Shibuya, who recently appeared at Anime Expo. She is also known for playing games on Twitch, including Like a Dragon and Final Fantasy series entries. Among the Japanese comments, support was more varied- with quite a few commenters leaning towards the entrants who are regular members of the public, like Hisa. “As this audition is not for a hostess role, it would be nice to see someone with a different air get chosen,” one user opined. 

According to the Yakuza series’ official site, the winner(s) will not only appear in the game in both CGI and live action but will also take part in promotions for the upcoming Like a Dragon game. 

The finals will be broadcast live on the RGG Studio YouTube channel on Tuesday July 16, 2024 at 8pm (JST).