You'd be forgiven for not noticing, given the series' relatively poor performance overseas, but the Yakuza (aka Ryu ga Gotoku)games are pretty huge in Japan. With five games and even an Edo-period spinoff, Sega's surprisingly realistic portrayal of the yakuza has treated many a fan to its brand of underworld drama.

Strangely enough, though, it's taken quite a while for that drama to make it into "dorama" form. Perhaps it's because the games themselves practically match cinema and television in their regularity?

In any case, that's about to change, because Yakuza's coming to TV. And print. A new live-action series as well as a spin-off manga have been announced, and are based on the Kurohyou: Ryu ga Gotoku Shin Shou ("Black Panther: Ryu ga Gotoku New Chapter") PlayStation Portable game.

The manga and drama's stories follow the game's protagonist Tatsuya as he does...whatever he's supposed to be doing, though apparently they're not directly related to the game's plot. Set to star are actors Takumi Saitoh as Tatsuya, supported by the likes of Hideo Ishiguro, Takuya Ishida, Kouichi Iwaki. My limited experience with Japanese dramas means that I have no idea who they are, but from the looks of the pictures in the gallery, they're all young and well-haired.