Interview Video Featuring Sho Kasamatsu, Who Plays Rikiya Shimabukuro in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, Has Been Released!

Sho Kasamatsu: Some of my close friends are actually hardcore Yakuza players. When I got the offer, I reached out to them and asked if I’d be right for the part.
They were just so excited that I’d be stepping into a fan-favorite role. You [sic] could just feel their enthusiasm.

Sho Kasamatsu: I haven’t seen him yet. Not even the finalized character model. I might be more curious about him than anyone else!
[...]
In the original game, Tatsuya Fujiwara gave my character, Rikiya Shimabukuro, such a powerful presence. Since I had to follow in his footsteps and even try to outdo his performance, I felt nervous. However, it’s impossible to go toe-to-toe with Tatasuya Fujiwara and his overwhelming charisma, so instead I decided to take the role in another direction.
And of course, I spent so much time going over the script.

Sho Kasamatsu: It was real tough to say the least. Some parts were standard acting I’m used to while others only required my voice. There was a lot taht I learned about myself that I think will help me grow moving forward.
In terms of lines, “The viper on my back is the soul of Okinawa” comes to mind. That’s sich an awesome line. Not only does it sound cool, but it rolls off the tongue. [...] When you hear it, you [sic] just know people are going to repeat it.

Sho Kasamatsu: This is my first time working on Yakuza. I was given the chance to play Rikiya Shimabukuro in this remake, and as I read the script, I worried quite a bit over how far I’d need to go to put on a solid performance for the players, which pushed me togive my all during athe recording process.
I hope you all enjoy the game! Thanks!