“The whole key to this iteration is the early days in 1995,” Takeuchi explains, hinting at the found family and brotherhood between Kiryu and Nishiki that serves as the emotional core of the TV series. “That starting point gave a great story arc for the characters, especially for Kazuma, who is in jail for 10 years. There is a big change to the outside world while he’s in there, especially for life in Kamurocho.”