Yakuza is an action-adventure video game produced and released for the PlayStation 2 by Sega. It was released in Japan in 2005 and elsewhere in September 2006. The plot follows Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza member who spent 10 years in jail for a crime he did not commit. After being rescued, he discovers that the criminal underworld is hunting for 10 billion Yen stolen from the Tojo Clan. ¹⁾

One of the most overlooked and iconic characters in modern gaming was Kazuma Kiryu. His look is also based on Takaya Kuroda, his voice actor. However, Kuroda only began to act as the face of Yakuza's Kenzan in 2008. Since Yakuza 1 and 2 are the only games that do not feature Kuroda's face as Kiryu's, he has become the mascot of the series. ²⁾

The name Kazuma Kiryu translates to “like a dragon.” Producer Toshihiro Nagoshi, who came up with the name, revealed that it was because dragons had a strong image. The name thus made Kiryu come across as stronger and more manly. Granted, Kazuma Kiryu certainly fits with all the nonsense he's had to punch through in his lifetime. ³⁾

Although the Yakuza series has never really been considered a “big-budget” series, it is surprising to learn that when it was released in 2006, the first game's budget was 2.4 billion Yen, or $21 million. This is because Shenmue's budget, which was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999, was between $47 million and $70 million. ⁴⁾

The first Yakuza was not for the squeamish, but it had far more violent scenes than its age rating fairly permitted. The game was supposed to have scenes where pinky fingers got cut off, which is in line with the typical punishment for Yakuza. However, those scenes would be cut and Yakuza thus reached a broader audience. ⁵⁾