Interview Video with Ryuji Akiyama, Who Plays the Talented Cook Masaru Fujita in "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii," Has Been Released!

Ryuji Akiyama: I was, of course, already familiar with the Like a Dragon series. Dragon in Japanese is Ryu, and I am Ryuji, so I hear “dragon” and my ears perk up.
But then they reached out to me, and I thought, “Huh!? Are you sure that’s okay?”
At first, I thought they called the wrong guy. I mean, let’s face it. I’m a comedian who’s on the heavier side. So I wondered if I’d even fit into the world of Like a Dragon.
However! This time around, it was a spin-off, or rather, a pirate-themed side story. And once I heard that, I just had to be a part of it!

Ryuji Akiyama:I had a lot of fun doing them.
Hm, how should I put it? Well, it has the pirate feel down, so who wouldn’t be excited by that? I mean, I love pirate stuff. Plus, that theme and Like a Dragon mesh together really well. But can I just say, I had a ton of lines!
(Out of the main cast, you were one of the leads.)
Still, there was so much to record!
(He’s a sort of party member who’s always tailing the main character, right?)
I basically said my lines from morning to evening with hardly any breaks. Our last session the other day was dedicated to “Ah” and “Ugh” and other noises like that!
You know, the grunts and groans in the game…
(The last one, right?)
I was ready to collapse!

Ryuji Akiyama:There were about 5 girls, I think. So we had 5 different versions. I’d improvise some sort of sexy persona, hold some flowers, and use every method in the book to win over the Minato Girls’ hearts. But they really let me run wild with each take.
[...]
I’m the kind of guy who thrives when I have creative freedom.

Ryuji Akiyama: To all the fans of the Like a Dragon series!
Where to start? I was given a chance to be a part of this incredible series, and I had a blast doing it. From the enormous amount of lines I had to the musical scene that happens during the story, experiences this fun are hard to come by.
I want all the fans to have a fantastic time. And I hope you welcome me into the series!
However, I might have been successful since I nailed the look. You know my fine tan! This long hair! It might be one thing for me to say this, but I think my look suits me very well! Especially for Majima’s crew! Masaru is a perfect fit for the Goromaru.
So please, go ahead— give the game a try!