Yakuza Spin-off Judgment Reportedly Getting a TV Series

gamerant.com:

Despite its success as a spin-off of the ongoing Yakuza game franchise, the future for the Judgment series has been a question mark for a while now. However, despite concerns regarding the lead character's actor potentially severing ties with the game studio, it seems that there may be a future for Yagami after all.

Judgment most recently saw the release of its second game, Lost Judgment, in 2021. The gritty crime investigation thriller was widely praised as a follow-up to the first iteration of the series, but the game hadn't even launched yet when rumors swirled regarding the actor who provided Yagami's voice and likeness exiting the series.

RELATED: Lost Judgment Trailer Sets Up Murder Mystery

Although there's been no official confirmation either way regarding whether players will see a third Judgment game, it seems that the franchise is set to continue in a new format. According to a report initially made by Japanese publication Nikkan Gendai and brought to light by Kotaku, TV Asahi is preparing to produce a television live action series based on the Judgment franchise. In said series, actor Takuya Kimura is said to be reprising his role as private investigator Takayuki Yagami.

The live action take doesn't have an official title yet, but is being referred to as 'Sabakarezaru,' which can be translated as 'Unjudged.' It's worth noting that this term as part of the original Japanese subtitle for Lost Judgment, though it was removed for the western release. Another source has reportedly claimed that a film may also be in the works, though it's unclear if it will be a made-for-TV movie or feature film. In any case, it wouldn't be the first time the Yakuza franchise has been adapted into live action.

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