Hayaken and Ganso from Komazawa Isolation
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Real Life GTA – The Guys Behind The Viral Series

Hayaken and Ganso from Komazawa Isolation are the latest viral sensations in Japan with their video game-based YouTube series, Grand Theft Gotoku Solid.

October 31, 2020

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.”

Watch Our Interview Video Here:


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

Hayaken and Ganso from Komazawa Isolation
Hayaken on the left and Ganso on the right from Komazawa Isolation.

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

With the addition of in-game stats and a map, it can become difficult to tell whether the video is reality or a cutting-edge video game.

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

Ganso teaches Yasu how to move like a video game character. It may be harder than it looks.

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 demonstrating his dynamic dance moves.

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.

Watch Komazawa Isolation’s Smash-hit Series!

Christian Dakin

Christian Dakin is an editor, designer, and video game director currently based out of Tokyo, Japan. Originally from a small town in Georgia, he studied in Japan for a year in college before returning again for work. Christian enjoys studying Japanese and the outdoors. In his off time, he is most likely to be found adventuring to a castle, belting it out in karaoke with friends, or in a gym somewhere.

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