Yong Yea announced as new voice of Kazuma Kiryu
The YouTuber Yong Yea has been announced by Sega as the new voice of the English version of Kazuma Kiryu, the legendary original protagonist of the series now known as Like a Dragon, which is dividing fan opinions.
Since 2005, the responsibility belonged to Darryl Kurylo, but now Yea will take his place, and at Anime Expo 2023, it was possible to hear the first sample of his work as Kiryu, which did not exactly receive the best of reviews.
To try to generate excitement among fans, a small sample of Yea as Kiryu was shared, and things did not go as the YouTuber had hoped, which motivated him to present a new version of the sample.
Yong Yea’s response to criticisms
Yea mentioned that the dialogue was captured just to give an idea of the final result and is not a completely faithful representation of what you will hear in Like a Dragon: Gaiden and Infinite Wealth, especially because Yea said it was captured in his home studio.
Many fans will probably choose the original Japanese version and will not be affected by this change, but others, especially in the United States, may be used to playing the localized version and will pay more attention to Yea’s work.
Here’s a clean version of the Kiryu voice & dialogue from Anime Expo in more ideal conditions. This is NOT an official recording, line, or direction from the game, it’s a quick off the cuff recording from my home booth. Wait for the final game to see how it all comes together. 🫶 https://t.co/R7j23sQUhE pic.twitter.com/HtO8JOoXdU
— Yong Yea 🐉 Eng Voice of Kiryu (@YongYea) July 3, 2023
About the Author
