Yazuka Kiwami 3 director Ryosuke Horii justified the controversial casting of actor Teruyuki Kagawa as Goh Hamazaki in a current interview, saying, “We tried to think about somebody who makes you go, ‘This man’s a creep.'”
Horii spoke to Japanese outlet GAME Watch (independently translated by IGN) concerning the casting, which has drawn criticism as a result of Kagawa has been accused of sexual assault. Horii stated the workforce made their choice primarily based on what efficiency they’d most wish to see within the recreation.
“Hamazaki is a sleazy, persistent, and militant yakuza, proper?” Horii stated. “Since he is not an explosive character like Kanda, once we tried to think about somebody who makes you go, ‘This man’s a creep,’ naturally it was Kagawa–that was the primary issue. Kagawa’s performing is enjoyable to look at. Even when he is chopping a pig’s toes off with a chef’s knife, it has a slimy really feel. That feeling permeates his efficiency, so it brings a freshness to the scene and made it really feel actually enjoyable.”
Several women accused Kagawa of sexual assault in 2022. Kagawa has admitted to and publicly apologized for one incident, although at the very least one accuser claimed to have never received a personal apology.
Horii additionally expressed in the course of the interview that the workforce had thought-about fan backlash in making its choice. In the end, although, he claimed the studio “felt there was no use being afraid.”
Yazuka followers have expressed ire, posting on social media with the hashtag #REMOVEKAGAWA and beginning a Change.org petition, which has virtually 10,000 signers. Moreover, followers on Reddit have accused developer Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio of stifling the #REMOVEKAGAWA hashtag on Instagram and eradicating feedback that immediately reference the difficulty.
If Kagawa had been to be eliminated, it might not be the primary time RGG Studios has recast an actor. It changed the vocal efficiency and character mannequin of actor Pierre Taki in Judgement after he was linked to drug use.