Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii to feature new character voiced by Majima’s actor from the Amazon Prime show
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio posted an interview between studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama and actor Munetaka Aoki, who will be voicing a new character in the upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, due to release on February 21, 2025. If Munetaka Aoki seems familiar, that’s because he has been playing Goro Majima in the recent Amazon Prime live action adaptation of the hit video game series.
Aoki’s character in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is Teruhiko Shigaki, a former patriarch of the Tojo Clan’s Shigaki family turned environmental disaster clean-up volunteer. Not only is his in-game character a departure from his live-action role, but he is also playing scenes alongside the game’s main character Goro Majima (voiced by Hidenari Ugaki), now an amnesiac trying to regain his memories on the high seas.
Like a Dragon Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
In the video interview between RGG Studio head Yokoyama and Aoki, Yokoyama reveals that he chose Aoki to be in the upcoming game after seeing his performance in the show: “I thought I’d like to have him on the (game) project.”
Aoki adds that “It’s kind of funny ‘cause being Majima got me a part in the game, but the part isn’t Majima.” He mentions that he had no experience with voice acting before, however, the atmosphere in the LikeaA Dragon recording studio allowed him to learn from everyone and “focus on having fun with the role.”
In Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Majima is nearing 60, but Teruhiko Shigaki is younger and facing various internal and external conflicts – highlighting the generation gap between the two. Aoki revealed that there was one line where his character Shigaki shares his true opinion on his generation and what they have to do to survive- a line that starts with “Maybe you guys have it good, but for those of us who were cast aside…” Commenting on the line, Aoki explains that “I was able to say it with such conviction. (…) This particular line just took hold of me. (…) I felt the raw emotion as I acted.”
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is scheduled to release on February 21, 2025 for the PC (Steam), PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S.
