Real Life GTA – The Guys Behind The Viral Series

The Innovative Team Bringing Games to Life

Hayaken and Ganso from Komazawa Isolation are bringing new meaning to the term “realistic gaming.” This unique pair of Youtubers specialize in recreating scenarios and movements that mimic video games. Their most popular series, Grand Theft Auto Gotoku Solid, is a combination of popular titles Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid. 如く(gotoku) is a Japanese word meaning “similar to.”

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Their first video in the series was released just this August, but it has already amassed over 1.7 million views on YouTube, and 23 million views and 300 thousand retweets on Twitter. While initially only planning to make one or two videos, the series’ explosive popularity has led the team to make a third and fourth video as well.

What Inspired the Creation of Grand Theft Auto Gotoku Solid?

I initially started showing my GTA-like movements to my friends. – Hayaken

According to Hayaken, who usually plays the main character in the game, the original idea to create the series came about as a joke. He would perform the often funky and robotic movements seen in a video game to the delight of his friends. However, after receiving many positive reactions from his friends around him, he thought that the idea could work on YouTube.

I thought if I make videos on that, I could make people from around the world laugh. – Hayaken

The Corona situation in Japan at the time had left Shibuya, the bustling heart of Tokyo, virtually empty. This gave the team an excellent opportunity to film in a unique setting that people normally do not get to see. Plus, the lack of large crowds made shooting all of Hayaken’s wacky movements much easier.

The Secret Behind Komazawa Isolation’s Perfect Moves

While it may look robotic, the moves in their videos are anything but simple. Both Hayaken and Ganso can mimic game movements so well by implementing an important skill they both have – dancing. Both are title-holding street dancers who each specialize in a different category.

Hayaken involves arm swings, chest bumps, and stomps into his style. Ganso is a talented pop-dancer, which is a style incorporating moves like The Robot. Their skills allow them to move many individual parts of their bodies and copy various game characters’ comedic movements.

We pay a lot of attention to all details. You probably notice them if you play games. – Ganso

Komazawa Isolation is continuing to make new videos based on various video games such as Resident Evil and Watch Dogs. If you enjoyed the video, please check out their channel to see more real-life video game characters.

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