Tokyo Vice is HBO Max’s brand-new yakuza crime drama series. The series is created by J.T. Rogers (Oslo). It is officially based on the 2009 memoir by Jake Adelstein (Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan).
Tokyo Vice Review
The series speculates as simple, with Ansel Elgort stars featuring as a fictionalized version of Adelstein. Also, the series explores the adventure of him making his way as the first non-Japanese reporter to work for a major publication in Tokyo.
Assuming the information you can predict that the series is probably an emotional drama about a young man finding himself in a strange land. Guess, your answer is indeed correct.
Though there is no point in denying the fact that this is a story about an ex-pat. Working hard to work things out, while trying to make a life for himself. I’m in contrast, to being away from everything he’s ever known and understood. But the series is not all this is about. The series will force resulting in bringing to us the first lesson of Tokyo Vice. Making us understand that nothing is ever as it seems.
Plot Summary
The series starts with one bad day in Shinjuku where a man is found stabbed to death. Seeing all the evidence Jake digs deeper. Now, with all the evidence he starts to see past the strait-laced days and neon-drenched nights. Coming face to face with the true face of Tokyo’s underworld.
Tokyo Vice is directed by Michael Mann. Seeing the filmmaker’s previous work, it’s exactly as good as you might hope.
The story is a tight composition of an excessive amount of nervous energy radiating from every scene directly toward the audience.
Elgort has captured every tension and urgency perfectly in his execution. With the first episode, you can see the show pacing down a little slowly. Although the quality of the narrative does not seems to get slow.
That’s when we start to learn about the complicated relationship that Jake shares with his family. The recurring theme of the show has been familial conflict. You can see several characters in the series, have chosen to cut off their family ties and past. Resulting in them chasing their dreams instead.
Director On Board For Tokyo Vice
Josef Kubota Wladyka has directed the next two episodes. With his direction, he has managed to pull the audience deeper into the story. And director Hikari has taken the rein by Episodes 4 and 5. The award-winning director made sure the audience wanted more making you in need of more. Leaving the audience to think about what’s going to happen next.
As the season progresses into the plot. We get a deeper glimpse into the lives of various characters in the show. You start to learn more and more about them.
Ken Watanabe & Shô Kasamatsu
The most Iconic Japanese actor Ken Watanabe has been a star. He has been a focus with his absolute badass performance. He is staring at, Hiroto Katagiri, a detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Katagiri is the person who took Jake under his wing. Being a guide to show him his way around the darkness of Tokyo’s underworld. But he has another side to him, a fierce peacekeeper. He must handle different factions of the yakuza. Make sure to broker deals between them as an independent party.
Another side to him is a loving dad and husband. His main goal is to remain uncorrupted in a city where almost everything and everyone can be bought.
Katagiri has made it clear from the beginning that he isn’t interested in anything. The only thing he’s interested in is his sense of honor and duty. He might just seem to be Jake’s mentor. Although as the plot moves forward you can see him becoming a father figure to the young man.
Shô Kasamatsu staring at Sato. The character is a freshly-minted yakuza gang member. Sato has been having an identity crisis, beginning to question the life that he has chosen. He is introduced, as a rival to Jake. Both of them are seen competing for the affection of Samantha (Rachel Keller).
Also read, Tokyo Vice Season 1: Release Date Update & What we know so far
