Exploring film and video games’ symbiotic relationship
If you thought that the collaboration between the Japanese games and film industry was limited solely to actors appearing in games, I’m happy to inform you that you’re wrong. While actors are an easier sell to audiences and gamers, behind the scenes, some of the biggest choreographers involved in action films today have been helping shape video game action, too. Putting aside that awkward kusoge that Takeshi Kitano dreamed up for the Famicom Disc System in the 80s (which was more of an indictment of video games than anything else), the earliest example I can find dates back to 2005’s Devil May Cry 3 when director and stunt performer Kensuke Sonomura provided choreography.
This article is dedicated to some key individuals who have not only been borrowing from films to influence games, but then taking their work on games and incorporating it back into films. It’s an incredible thing to see how Yakuza/Like a Dragon started off as an homage to V-Cinema and lower budget Japanese films before eventually having renowned stars appear as in-game characters with choreography provided by talented stunt performers. That isn’t the only series to make the same splash, however.
Spurred on by the imminent release of Phantom Blade Zero, let’s kick off this list with one of the most influential action directors of the last 30 years: Kenji Tanigaki.
Kenji Tanigaki – Action Choreographer, Stunt Performer, Director
Kenji Tanigaki might not be a household name in the West, but his influence on global action films has been remarkable. As with a surprisingly large number of Japanese action choreographers, Tanigaki got started in the Hong Kong film industry, specifically as an extra in the 1994 Jet Li classic Fist of Legend (a remake of Bruce Lee’s 1972 masterpiece Fist of Fury). When a TV series adaptation of the film was put into production, Tanigaki met now legendary actor Donnie Yen, and the two would continue to collaborate over the next few decades. A few of their standout productions include 2005’s SPL: Sha Po Lang (AKA Kill Zone), 2007’s Flash Point, and 2011’s Wu Xia (AKA Dragon).
With his prominence rising, Tanigaki would take on other projects – including a detour into Hollywood for Blade II – with both big and small Hong Kong stars until eventually getting a chance to choreograph a major Japanese film release in 2012. Tanigaki’s breakout work came in the form of the live-action Rurouni Kenshin films, a series that anime fans have likely watched religiously. The Rurouni Kenshin films are not only some of the best anime adaptations ever produced, they also include incredibly innovative and flashy action choreography that has made its way back into the West. If you’ve ever seen a character slide on their knees under a sword, kick, or obstacle before spinning back onto their feet in one fluid motion, that’s all thanks to Tanigaki.
Following Rurouni Kenshin’s release, Tanigaki became one of the most sought-after choreographers in Asia. The 2010s are loaded with great projects he worked on, but somehow, he managed to top himself in the early 2020s. Not only did he give Donnie Yen another boost with 2021’s Raging Fire (the last film to be directed by the late Benny Chan), he would provide action direction for Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins – which had its fantastic choreography edited to bits by Stuart Levy – and eventually stepped in as stunt coordinator on the biggest Hong Kong film of the decade: 2024’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled City. That same year, he teamed up with Yen once again for The Prosecutor.
That’s a whole lot of history without mentioning a single video game, but Tanigaki is no stranger to the digital realm. A longtime friend of Kensuke Sonomura (who we’ll be getting to soon), Tanigaki is set to provide the action direction for S-GAME’s upcoming wuxia RPG Phantom Blade Zero. The game makes extensive usage of motion capture and wirework to create character animations, which is where Tanigaki’s expertise comes in. In a PlayStation Blog post about the game, S-GAME founder and CEO Soulframe Liang states, “Kenji-san is responsible for many mesmerizing fighting scenes in classic Kungfu movies. In fact, many of our ideas are inspired by his early works.”
We haven’t seen a lot of Phantom Blade Zero, but what’s available showcases all the trademarks of Tanigaki’s style. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the combat system, but I do have faith it will result in some thrilling battles. If nothing else, the cutscenes are bound to be enthralling.
Kensuke Sonomura – Action Director, Stunt Performer, Actor, Director
Now we’re getting into stronger connections with the video game world. Kensuke Sonomura has been working as a stunt performer and action director in the Japanese film industry since the early 2000s. Some of his earliest work includes stunt rigging for 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, but shortly after, he would begin collaborating with Capcom and the then independent Koei on fan favorite PS2 action games. Sonomura is responsible for stunts in Devil May Cry 3, helmed action coordination and motion capture for Haunting Ground, and is credited as a “motion actor” for Samurai Warriors 2 and its various expansions. While he would primarily focus his talents into film, he did return to video games various times over the years, such as in Devil May Cry 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of Liberty.
Where Sonomura’s work often goes overlooked is with Capcom’s CG Resident Evil films. You know that clip of Chris Redfield and Glenn Arias having a pistol duel from Resident Evil: Vendetta that makes the rounds on social media every year or so? You have Kensuke Sonomura to thank for that. The story and writing might be a load of guff, but the action is anything but. Produced with his team at U’Den Flame Works, Sonomura has been involved with most of those CG films. He also lent his talents to the Resident Evil 3 remake. I should also mention that Sonomura is responsible for Vanquish and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance since it’s important people understand how deep this connection to video games goes.
Sonomura would continue to provide action direction and stunt coordination for a laundry list of Japanese indie films (and, unsurprisingly, a Donnie Yen project in 2018’s Iceman: The Time Traveller) before stepping into the director’s chair for 2019’s Hydra. Putting longtime collaborator Masanori Mimoto in the leading role, Hydra was Sonomura’s first big stab at taking control of the entire production pipeline. It’s a solid enough film, but the 2021 collaboration he did with director Yugo Sakamoto is what put Sonomura over the edge. That film is the now famous Baby Assassins, which spawned its own franchise and would propel young actresses Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa (who will appear on this list later) to fame.
Sonomura hasn’t been directly involved with a games project for five years now, even if his 2022 film Bad City is a loving homage to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon games… and stars Hitoshi Ozawa of Yakuza 0 fame (Ed note: Peter provided audio commentary on French Blu-Ray releases for Hydra and Bad City). Even still, he’s been incredibly busy in the interim. In an amazing bit of synergy, he will be providing action direction for Kenji Tanigaki’s 2025 HK film The Furious, which stars Xie Miao (Eye for an Eye, My Father is a Hero), Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, John Wick: Chapter 3), and Joe Taslim (The Raid, The Night Comes for Us). It’s possible this movie will match the popularity of Twilight of the Warriors.
Saori Izawa – Stunt Performer, Motion Capture Artist, Actor
One of my personal favorite Japanese actors working today, Saori Izawa, has been rising in prominence over the last decade. While her big break was with 2021’s Baby Assassins, she has been a frequent collaborator alongside Kensuke Sonomura as a part of U’Den Flame Works. Her start came in the 2016 film RE:Born, starring alleged sex pest Tak Sakaguchi, but it wouldn’t take long for Izawa to jump into video game work. Alongside Sonomura, she would provide motion capture assistance on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. It’s never really been detailed exactly what she did, but I could imagine she performed the moves for Psylocke, Phoenix, and even Jessica Jones.
Becoming a bona fide star in her own right with the three Baby Assassins films and its TV spin-off, Izawa would perform stunts on Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and John Wick Chapter 4 (she was the stunt double for Rina Sawayama) and started to gain prominence in Hollywood. I’m guessing such a high-profile role like that is what led Capcom to hire her for the action direction of its 2024 game Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. You can see her donning the motion capture suit and dancing around in some of the behind-the-scenes videos Capcom has released, where she primarily provides mocap for protagonist Soh.
What the future holds for Izawa is still uncertain. She hasn’t been attached to any projects in 2025, but I do have a theory. Last summer, Kojima began tweeting about Baby Assassins. Shortly after, he became a massive fan of the duo and would invite them to Kojima Productions for a tour. You can see a picture of Kojima standing with Izawa, her co-star Akari Takaishi, and Baby Assassins director Yugo Sakamoto. I would be stunned if they don’t wind up starring in OD or Physint, perhaps either as characters or for stuntwork.
Masanori Mimoto – Stunt Performer, Motion Capture Artist, Actor
It’s almost poetic how every name on this list is connected with one another, but I’ve saved one of the best for last. Masanori Mimoto is severely overlooked as both an actor and stunt performer in the West and Japan, but there’s a good reason. He mostly does his best work off camera rather than in front of it. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been in a hit film since he appeared in two of the live-action Death Note movies, but most people are likely familiar with his martial arts prowess. Considering the entire basis of this article, it likely won’t surprise you to learn that Mimoto has been providing the motion capture for the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series dating all the way back to Yakuza 2.
To be fair, I wasn’t even aware of this fact when I started to get into the series back in 2010. On IMDB, Mimoto’s first credited role for games comes from 2005’s Dynasty Warriors 5, but he quickly follows that up with Yakuza 2, where he provided the motion capture work for protagonist Kiryu. He would continue that legacy up until the latest mainline game in the series, even providing stunt work for Yagami in Judgment, motion and facial capture for Ichiban in Infinite Wealth, and as Kenshiro in RGG’s Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. The style and flair I fell in love with because of these games was all thanks to Mimoto.
Mimoto isn’t a slouch in films, either. Appearing in the first Baby Assassins as the ultimate villain, he puts on an incredible final bout that is equal parts balletic and brutal. He basically upstages Tak Sakaguchi in both RE:Born and One-Percenter, and his recent performance in Yugo Sakamoto’s Ghost Killer gives him the opportunity to show off his acting chops as much as his action skills. A lot of his movies aren’t exactly masterpieces, but Mimoto is an excellent martial artist who is able to adapt to the requirements of the films he stars in. Even if he never breaks out into the big time, his presence in the Yakuza games will stay with me until I die.
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There was once a time when the games industry was obsessed with becoming more “cinematic,” but now it seems that movies want to become more like video games. Realism is great and all, and it certainly is cool to see stunt performers defy gravity and physics to create spectacular set-pieces, but both of these mediums are old enough now to share influences with one another.
Moving forward, we’re bound to see more of this type of collaboration come to games. With stunt acting being a more respected career and something like the Oscar for stunt performances becoming a thing in 2028, more people will want to get into the field and bring their expertise to as many projects as possible. Nothing will ever 100% replace a human touch, be it from keyframed animations or handcrafted kinesthetics, but motion capture with a true stunt performer goes a long way to creating even better visuals. Hopefully, we’ll see all the aforementioned individuals in projects for many years to come.
