Like a Dragon: Prologue (2006): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2006, Like a Dragon: Prologue is a drama and crime film directed by Takashi Miike, running about 43 minutes.

What it’s about. In 1970s-era Japan, three children, Kazuma Kiryu, Akira Nishikiyama, and his younger sister, Yuko Nishikiyama, are raised together in Shintaro Kazama's Sunflower Orphanage. In the summer of 1980, Yumi Sawamura, a young girl whose parents were accidentally shot and killed during a gang's shootout, joins them in the orphanage. Following a yakuza tradition, the honorable Kazama secretly raises orphans whose parents he has directly or indirectly killed. In return, the children love him as a father and he eventually inducts the teenage Kiryu and Nishikiyama into the Dojima Family, a Tojo Clan affiliate of which he is a senior officer.

Who’s in it. Like a Dragon: Prologue stars Masakatsu Funaki as Kazuma Kiryu, Mikio Osawa as Akira Nishikiyama, Ayaka Maeda as Yumi Sawamura and Harumi Sone as Sohei Dojima, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Like a Dragon: Prologue has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Like a Dragon: Prologue page.

If you liked it. Fans of Like a Dragon: Prologue tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.