Five Months of Filming and 300+ People in a Fight Scene! Masaharu Take Reveals the Secret Behind Streaming Drama Success

A 600-person onsite, which is unthinkable on TV

Director Take: “Yakuza” is based on a game that has global popularity. So, I think there will be a lot of mixed opinions about it. However, as a creator, I have this desire to pleasantly surprise both fans of the original and new viewers. The idea of making something that transcends the original, as suggested by the subtitle “Beyond the Game,” is a common goal for everyone involved. Therefore, while we want to maintain the original world, we also aimed to incorporate a sense of ‘realism’ that is distinct from the game. I’d be thrilled if viewers find it entertaining in that way.

―― So, that meaning is embedded in the subtitle.

Director Take: The setting of Kamurocho in this work is modeled after Kabukicho, and the story depicts two eras: 1995 and 2005. I came to Tokyo in the ’80s, and I directly experienced the changes in the streets of Kabukicho, so I was happy to be able to recreate those memories realistically on screen.

―― Indeed, when I saw the teaser video, the streets felt incredibly real. Is the high quality due to the enormous financial backing of online streaming?

Director Take: Exactly. The production costs are significantly higher. As a creator, being able to pay attention to detail is one of the attractions of streaming. For example, in this project, there’s a scene where around 300 yakuza engage in a brawl. Including the actors and staff, that brings the scale up to about 500 to 600 people. The ability to do this in live-action resulted in some powerful visuals. I was again struck by the sheer magnitude of the budget.

In Japan, movies are usually completed in about two months, but this time we were able to take over a year for filming. While there are significant benefits to this, I was surprised at how quickly the staff kept changing. There were times when I would think, “Wait, who are you again?” (laughs).

In the paid version of “FRIDAY GOLD,” there are more detailed behind-the-scenes stories about the drama “Yakuza: Beyond the Game,” our beliefs during production, and our concerns regarding the Japanese film industry in this booming era of streaming services.